Green Bean Salad With Pecans Gorgonzola Food

BALSAMIC GREEN BEAN SALAD

Steps:

• Place beans in a 6-qt. stockpot; add water to cover. Bring to a boil. Cook, covered, 8-10 minutes or until crisp-tender. Drain and immediately place in ice water. Drain and pat dry., In a small bowl, whisk oil, lemon juice, vinegar, salt, garlic powder, mustard and pepper. Drizzle over beans. Add onion; toss to coat. Refrigerate, covered, at least 1 hour. Just before serving, stir in tomatoes and cheese.

GREEN BEAN, PECAN, AND FETA SALAD

Steps:

• Trim the ends (and strings, if you like) from the green beans, then snap or cut them into thirds.
• Using a steamer basket in a pan, cover and cook for 15 minutes or until crisp-tender; plunge the cooked beans into cold water to stop the cooking process, then drain and pat dry.
• Toss together the cooked green beans, sliced onion, feta, and pecans in a large bowl; cover and chill in refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, whisk together the remaining ingredients in a non-reactive bowl to make the vinaigrette; chill for 1 hour.
• Pour the vinaigrette over bean mixture, toss, and chill an additional 1 hour; toss again just before serving.
• Makes 8 servings.
• Notes: walnuts or pine nuts can be substituted for pecans, and dill may be substituted for basil if you prefer.
• Tweaked and adapted from a recipe posted at Gail's Recipe Swap.

GREEN BEAN SALAD WITH PECANS & GORGONZOLA

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, bring 1-2 inches water to boil.
• Prepare a bowl with water & ice.
• Add the green beans to the boiling water and cook for 2-3 minutes or until bright green & still crisp.
• Using a slotted spoon, transfer the beans to the icewater to stop cooking.
• Once the beans are cool, place them on a flour sack towel to dry.
• In a small bowl combine mustard & vinegar. Slowly whisk in oil.
• Add salt & pepper to taste.
• In a medium bowl, combine green beans & scallions.
• Pour dressing over and stir to coat.
• Sprinkle nuts & cheese on top.
• Cover and chill for 15 minutes.
• Serve chilled.

BABY GREENS WITH GRAPES, PECANS AND GORGONZOLA

Steps:

• Butter a metal cookie sheet and set aside. In non-stick frypan, combine first set of ingredients. Bring to boil over medium-high heat. Stir until sugar is dissolved, about 2 minutes. Mixture will be bubbly and foamy looking (BE CAREFUL THIS IS EXTREMELY HOT!) Add pecan halves and stir while cooking for one and 1/2 minutes. Remove pecans to cookie sheet and spread to separate. Let cool thoroughly. Whisk together dressing ingredients until combined. To assemble salad, toss greens with grapes, nuts and vinaigrette.
• Nuts can be done in advance, keep stored in airtight container. Dressing can be made in advance and stored refrigerated.
• Nutritional Stats: Calories 458; Protein 6.5g; Carbohydrate 23g; Fat 40g; Calories from Fat 75%; Saturated Fat 9g; Cholesterol 31mg; Fiber 2.6g; Sodium 592mg

SPINACH SALAD WITH SWEET ROASTED PECANS AND GORGONZOLA WITH SHERRY SHALLOT VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Place spinach in serving bowl.
• Toss pecans with vegetable oil, sugar and salt. Lay out on baking sheet. Roast until shade darker and aromatic, about 7 to 8 minutes. Set aside.
• Make dressing by combining olive oil, vinegar, shallots and salt and pepper in a bowl and whisking together or place in sealable container and shake.
• Toss spinach with dressing, Gorgonzola and pecans.

GREEN BEAN SALAD WITH PECANS AND DRY-CURED HAM

Steps:

• Steam the beans for 10 minutes (12 if they are frozen), until cooked through but still crisp (if your steamer if small, work in two batches to ensure even cooking). Dump the beans in a large bowl of ice-cold water, to stop the cooking and preserve the beans' colour. Drain thoroughly.
• In a medium salad bowl, whisk together the oil and vinegar. Season with a little salt- not too much, as dry-cured ham is quite salty- and a generous grind of pepper. Add the beans and parsley, and toss gently to coat. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Arrange the ham and pecans over the beans. Serve immediately, or refrigerate for up to a day. Remove from the fridge half an hour before eating. (You can also plate the salad individually: divide the beans among plates, and top with ham and pecans.).

GREEN BEAN AND FENNEL SALAD WITH PECANS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Fill a bowl with ice water; set aside. Spread pecans on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until fragrant and crisp, 8 to 10 minutes; set aside. (Store up to two days in an airtight container.)
• Place 1/2 inch water in a large skillet with a lid. Bring to a boil; salt generously. Add green beans, cover skillet, and cook over medium heat, tossing occasionally, until crisp-tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer immediately to ice water. Drain; pat dry with paper towels. (Cover and refrigerate up to 10 hours.)
• In a small bowl, whisk together lemon juice and mustard; season with salt and pepper. Gradually whisk in oil. (Cover and refrigerate up to 10 hours.) To serve, combine all ingredients in a large bowl, and toss with dressing; garnish with fennel fronds, if desired.