Recipes

This salad is crunchy thanks to the pears, apples, and celery. The dried fruit and nuts make it festive.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup pecan pieces (or substitute walnut pieces)
• 3 diced pears (such as red Bartlett or Anjou), ripe but still crisp
• 1 large crisp apple, like Granny Smith or Fuji, diced
• 1 1/2 cups celery, sliced on a diagonal
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries (or dried cherries)
• 1/3 cup Apple Cider Dressing (instructions below)

Preparation:

For Apple Cider Dressing:

1. Blend 1 1/2 tablespoons of maple butter (at room temperature) with 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, and then stir in 1/4 cup apple cider. If it doesn't blend well, microwave on high briefly, and then stir.

For salad:

1. To toast nuts, add to small nonstick frying pan and cook, stirring often, over medium heat until lightly brown and fragrant. Set aside to cool.
2. Add diced pears and apples, sliced celery, and dried cranberries to serving bowl. Add apple cider dressing; toss gently. Sprinkle toasted nuts over the top and serve.

Yield:
8 servings of 3/4 cup each, or 6 servings of 1 cup each

Nutritional Information:
Per serving: Per serving: 145 calories, 1.5 g protein, 27 g carbohydrate, 5 g fat, 0.4 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 3.2 g fiber, 28 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 28%.

© 2006 Elaine Magee