A luscious salad full of satisfying flavors. And the really exciting ingredients – dried cranberries and blue cheese crumbles – are things you probably already have on hand.
This salad doesn’t use a lot of bleu cheese, but it’s an essential ingredient. Yes, it adds some fat, but you’re dividing two ounces between four servings. And because you don’t need to use the most expensive bleu cheese for this salad, you can enjoy it often!
This makes a wonderful starter for a meal that features simple flavors, like grilled or roasted chicken with mashed potatoes. If you’re in a hurry but need to serve something special, buy a good quality rotisserie chicken, fresh sourdough bread, and the fixings for this salad. Using pre-washed packaged romaine lettuce will save you even more time. Don’t forget the rosemary – it makes the flavor really special!
INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup dried cranberries
4 tablespoons mild tasting extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped (or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crumbled)
1 head romaine lettuce
4 plum tomatoes, chopped, with their juice
1 tablespoon orange juice
2 ounces Bleu Cheese, crumbled
2 tablespoons toasted pecans, chopped (optional but very good!)
A grinding of black pepper
Place the cranberries in a microwave safe bowl, add the olive oil and rosemary, and microwave on 50% power for approximately one minute until the oil is very warm and the cranberries have started to plump up. Watch carefully – you don’t want to fry the cranberries, just plump them in the warm oil! (You can also do this on a saucepan on the stove. Heat cranberries, oil, and rosemary in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until the cranberries fatten up.) Set aside to cool.
Throw the lettuce, tomatoes, orange juice, bleu cheese, and pecans (if you’re using them) into the biggest bowl you’ve got. Pour the cooled cranberries and rosemary oil over the leaves (scrape every last drop into the bowl with a good rubber or silicone spatula). Grind the pepper over.
Now toss, toss, toss! Use a couple of spatulas or big spoons to toss the salad over and over, until the cheese and oil coat every single bite. Serve immediately.
4 generous servings.