Cranberry-Pecan Salad

This salad is quick to make and tastes light and refreshing. I sugar the pecans an hour or so before I add the pecans to the salad, so the sugar mixture can harden and dry. The proportions are approximate; use what works for you!

Cranberry-Pecan Salad:

6 c. packaged mixed salad greens

½ c. dried cranberries or “craisins”
Handful of fresh raspberries

1 tbsp. butter or margarine

2 tbsp. honey

1 c. shelled, halved pecans

½ c. turbinado (raw, organic) sugar

3-to-4 tbsp. Ron’s Arf ‘n’ Arf Balsamic Dressing (see my June 6, 2011 blog - or use any commercial balsamic dressing or raspberry vinaigrette)

Combine salad greens with dried cranberries and raspberries. Set aside. Over medium heat, melt butter or margarine with honey. Add pecans, coating well and allowing to simmer gently for 1 min. Remove pecans to small bowl of raw sugar, rolling in sugar until cool. Using a slotted spoon, sieve away excess sugar. Allow nuts to dry 30-to-60 min. Toss salad lightly with balsamic dressing. Add nuts immediately before serving.

Allow sugar to harden and set on pecans

Toss salad with dried cranberries

Add nuts just before serving