Orange, almond salad brightens winter menus
you know you've been naughty if you receive coal in your stocking and nice if there's an orange inside. With hope that we all end up with the latter, I'm looking forward to the plump citrus the south sends us each year during our chilly season. Try using these colorful globes of juice and fiber in this mixed Greens salad with orange segments and Toasted almond dressing to get a healthy head start to the new year. Plus, lightening up your pre-holiday dinners allows you to properly indulge when the celebratory feasts roll around.
MIXED GREENS SALAD WITH ORANGE SEGMENTS AND TOASTED ALMOND DRESSING
A c. sliced almonds
1 T. white wine vinegar 2 T. apple cider vinegar 1 t. Dijon mustard J t. salt J t. black pepper A c. good olive oil D red onion, cut into julienne
2 navel oranges
1 large tomato, cut into
medium dice
4 to 5 oz. mixed greens
Place the sliced almonds in a dry saute pan and cook over medium-low heat for 5 to 6 minutes, or until toasted and fragrant. Transfer threequarters of the almonds to a small bowl to cool and place the remaining quarter of the almonds in a tall cylindrical container such as a to-go soup container.
add the white wine vinegar to the tall container, along with the apple cider vinegar, dijon mustard and a few slices of red onion.
Cut the navel oranges into supremes by slicing off 1⁄2-inch pieces from the stem side and the opposite side. set the oranges on one of the flat ends and, with a sharp knife, slice in a curved motion along the back side of the white pith down toward the opposite end. Continue this process until all skin and white pith is removed.
next, hold the orange in the palm of one hand and carefully slice the orange segments free from within the fibrous membranes that secure them in the fruit. Place the orange segments into a large bowl and squeeze the juice from the remains of the fruit into a small bowl. add 2 tablespoons of the freshly squeezed orange juice into the tall cylinder.
Use an immersion blender to puree the contents in the tall cylinder. With the immersion blender on high, slowly drizzle in the olive oil. If the dressing looks too thick, add another tablespoon or two of freshly squeezed orange juice.
add the remaining sliced red onion, diced tomato and mixed greens to the large bowl with the orange segments. add a few tablespoons of the dressing to the bowl and toss until all components are evenly coated. Top the salad with the remaining toasted almonds and serve chilled.