Blue Cheese Candied Walnut And Citrus Orzo Salad Food

ENDIVE SALAD WITH CANDIED WALNUTS, ORANGE CARAMEL DRESSING AND BLUE CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Arrange the walnuts on a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and place in the center of the oven. Toast until the nuts are golden brown, really toasted, 5 to 8 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and set aside.
• Spray a parchment paper-lined baking sheet with nonstick spray. In a large saute pan, heat the sugar over medium heat until it melts and turns a light amber color, 5 to 8 minutes. Sprinkle the walnuts in a single layer over the caramel. Spray a rubber spatula with nonstick spray and stir the nuts, quickly but carefully, to coat with the caramel. Transfer the nuts from the pan onto the prepared baking sheet, sprinkling the nuts so they separate as they land on the parchment. Season with salt.
• To the pan with the residual caramel, add the vinegar and orange juice. Warm the pan, whisking until the caramel, vinegar and orange juice are well combined. Remove from the heat. Whisk in the mustard and oil. Adjust the seasoning.
• Arrange the endive and radicchio leaves in a single layer on a family-style large platter. Intersperse the orange segments and walnuts with the endive and radicchio. Season with salt to taste. Drizzle with all of the dressing. Top with the blue cheese and parsley. Serve immediately.

ENDIVE, BLUE CHEESE, AND WALNUT SALAD

Steps:

• Cut off the bottoms and very tops of the endive heads. Separate into individual leaves, and julienne the leaves into sticks. Rinse thoroughly.
• Place the endive into a salad bowl along with the walnuts and parsley. Toss together.
• Whisk all the vinaigrette ingredients together in a small bowl. Drizzle over the salad and toss together.
• Scatter the blue cheese on top.
• Enjoy!

ORZO WITH BLUE CHEESE AND WALNUTS

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, bring 1 quart of water to a boil.
• Add the salt and orzo and cook until the orzo is tender and has absorbed almost all of the cooking liquid, 8 to 9 minutes.
• Stir in the butter, Parmesan and blue cheeses and walnuts.
• Serve immediately.
• * Note: To toast nuts, spread them on a baking sheet and place them in a 350-degree oven, shaking the pan occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes. Watch carefully because nuts will burn quickly.

BLUE CHEESE ORZO SALAD

Steps:

• Cook orzo according to package directions; drain and place in a large bowl.
• Add the arugula, bacon, blue cheese, onions and walnuts.
• In a blender, combine the first six vinaigrette ingredients; cover and process until blended.
• While procession, gradually add oil in a steady stream.
• Drizzle over salad; toss to coat.
• Serve the salad immediately.

ORANGE, WALNUT, GORGONZOLA AND MIXED GREENS SALAD WITH FRESH CITRUS VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Place the walnuts in a skillet over medium heat. Cook 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until lightly browned.
• In a large bowl, toss the toasted walnuts, salad greens, oranges, and red onion.
• In a large jar with a lid, mix the olive oil, vegetable oil, orange juice, sugar, vinegar, mustard, oregano, and pepper. Seal jar, and shake to mix.
• Divide the salad greens mixture into individual servings. To serve, sprinkle with Gorgonzola cheese, and drizzle with the dressing mixture.

BLUE CHEESE, CANDIED WALNUT AND CITRUS ORZO SALAD

Steps:

• 1. To make the orzo: In medium size sauce pan on medium low heat, melt butter and olive oil. Add the chopped onions and salt and pepper. Cook uncovered to soften the onions, not brown them. After about 5 minutes they will be translucent and ready to accept the orzo. Add the cup of orzo and coat with the buttery onion mixture. Add a bit more salt and pepper as orzo has absolutely no taste. Let the orzo toast a bit (2-3 minutes) and add water and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to the lowest simmer and cook 12-13 minutes. The orzo will still be a bit watery, but keep covered off the heat and all the liquid will evaporate.
• 2. While orzo is cooling, candy the walnuts. In large saucepan on medium heat add the sugar and butter. Mix to combine. Now add the nuts and coat them in the sugary liquid. Toast the mixture for about 3 minutes. Just keep an eye on the nuts as they can burn before 3 minutes. Transfer candied nuts to a piece of parchment and separate the the best you can and set them aside to cool.
• 3. To make the dressing, combine all ingredients in a medium size jar and shake, or just whisk everything together until it emulsifies.
• 4. To assemble the dish, combine scallions, orange segments, celery and cilantro. Now add your blue cheese and cooled orzo. If I'm making this ahead, I dress the salad with only half the dressing, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Then I dress it again right before serving time. I like the salad served at room temp, but it's still delish served cold. And don't forget to liberally sprinkle those sweet toasted walnuts on top of your salad right before serving. By the way you can make individual lettuce cups with this recipe. they get grabbed up fast tho!