Pear and Blue Cheese Salad

Don't you love salads?

Another salad I always adored is from Trader Joe's.  They have a Pear and Gorgonzola salad that is killer.   So I set out to recreate that salad, and I must say...it's rather easy, and certainly tasty.

Take advantage of the fresh pears in season right now.  So light and crisp!

This blends some great flavors together with pear, blue cheese (instead of the Gorgonzola) for a little more punch, dried cherries (tangy), and walnuts (for a depth of flavor).  Spectacular fall flavors!

This is a great salad to accompany any dinner, or for a light lunch.  I hope you like it.

Check out my Harvest Salad as well, for some more great fall flavors.

Doesn't this look refreshing? 

Want some?

Don't forget a piece of nice crusty bread!

Pear and Blue Cheese Salad

Serves 4

4 c Green leaf lettuce, torn

½ c dried cherries
2 pears, peeled and sliced
1/3 c walnuts, toasted
1/3 c blue cheese crumbled
Olive oil vinaigrette (I used Newman’s)

Directions:

Wash and dry your lettuce, tearing into bite sized pieces.  In a skillet over low heat add your walnuts, and toast for 3 min. 

 

In a large bowl add your lettuce, dried cherries, pears, walnuts, and blue cheese.

Toss with a light amount of salad dressing.  Serve.

Sunday Supper: Fajita Bar

Time for family and friends for Sunday Supper!

This entry is a non-traditional Sunday supper.  It's a time to have fun, good conversation, games, and laughter.  Let's make a Fajita Bar!

Menu:

Grilled Chicken Fajitas

Grilled Peppers, Onions, and Tomatoes

Ranchero Beans

Spanish Rice

Cranberry Spritzers

Condiments:

Fresh lime wedges

Flour tortillas

Chips and Salsa (my Salsa Roja works well!)

Sour Cream

Shredded Cheese

Guacamole

Here's the set up:  You'll want a big enough space for all the different dishes.  Using small plates or bowls of different sizes to hold your food.   I used a low coffee table as the buffet table.  That way everyone could sit around the area and create their dishes, and have conversations at the same time.  It worked really well.   Here was my set up.

Next for the food prep:  Keep it easy, keep it simple.  Take a little help from some convenience foods, such as the guacamole, or buying frozen pepper and onion mix, it's a time saver.  I used peppers, onions, and tomatoes.  I cut all my vegetables, I was on a roll.    Different pepper colors make the dish colorful and interesting.  Here they are.  (I just noticed the red onion is missing...but that was grilled too!)

For the chicken I used Williams-Somona's Fajita Rub.  $10.00 at Williams Sonoma. (I usually make my own spice blends but I couldn't resist this when I smelled it in the store!) Just rub some of it on the chicken before grilling.  It provides a bold Latin-style seasoning flavor that combines smoky chilies, cumin and garlic with tangy lime and aromatic herbs. 

Bold Latin flavors in a rub!!

Then MGG grilled the chicken.  You can grill indoors, outdoors, or just pan fry them.  Then you want to cut them up into long strips.

For the ranchero beans, I just opened a can of pinto beans and jazzed them up a bit with some chili powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, and cumin.  Nice and zesty.

Serve with warm tortillas, your favorite Spanish rice recipe and don't forget all the condiments. (Ideas are listed above.)   The variety of condiments make it fun and everyone loves to create their own dish!

Here's the finished product:

Sorry for the dark pic but we were having "mood" lighting!

Let me say the night was a hit, the food fabulous, and the fun...unbeatable!  Enjoy your next Sunday Supper!

Spiced Plum and Blueberry Parfait

One of my go to meals for breakfast on the weekend when I'm in a hurry is a smoothie or a parfait.

What better than a parfait to get your dairy, fruits, and some crunchy granola in to your diet.  It's healthy for you!  Great source of vitamins, calcium, fibers, and other goodies...

So today I'm bringing your a fall parfait. A Spiced Plum and Blueberry Parfait.   Full of warm spices.  Cinnamon to be exact.  Do you like Cinnamon?  It's a warm, wonderful, aromatic spice.  I could roll around in it!  But I digress...back to the parfait.

So, this parfait has some late summer/autumn fruits in it.  A nice black plum that been peeled, and sliced, and then tossed with cinnamon.  Also blueberries compliment this very well.  I also used a honey and almond granola which also lends to the warmth.

This is easy to put together.  I'm all about easy!

Just peel and slice your plums.  Then sprinkle a little cinnamon on them.  Not too much, it can be strong.

Now you want to take some yogurt plain or vanilla, plain Greek if you like, (I used plain Greek) and add a touch of cinnamon, and stir it up.  This will add another layer to your fall flavors.

Here's how  you layer it.  Place some of the yogurt in your glass.  Add some sliced plums, blueberries, and granola.  Repeat, ending with the granola.

Voila! You are done.  A healthy breakfast, or snack in a flash!  Enjoy, the flavors are really delishhhh!

Ummm...soooo good!

Spiced Plum and Blueberry Parfait

serves 1

1 black plum, peeled and sliced

1/4 tsp (heaping) cinnamon for sprinkling

1 6oz container of plain Greek or vanilla yogurt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

3 T blueberries

3 T honey and almond granola

Directions:

Peel and slice your plum.  Sprinkle with cinnamon.  Set aside.

In a small bowl mix your yogurt and cinnamon together until incorporated.  In a glass begin to layer your parfait.  Place 1/2 of the yogurt mixture in the bottom of the glass.  Add 1/2 of the spiced plums, 1 1/2 T of blueberries, and 1 1/2 T of granola.  Repeat layers ending with the granola.

Enjoy!