FALL ARUGULA SALAD WITH PEARS AND CANDIED PECANS
For the Salad:
Sorry, I didn’t measure! You will have to adjust the amounts to what you like!
One bag or tub of baby arugula
1-2 sweet potatoes, peeled, cubed and roasted
2 pears, ripe but firm, sliced or diced in chunks
Pecans, toasted or candied
Dried cranberries
Goat cheese, crumbled
For the Honey-Lemon Dressing:
1/2 cup olive oil
Juice and zest of one large lemon
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon salt and a grind of black pepper
2 tablespoons honey (start with this amount, you might want more if you like it sweeter)
Instructions: The first three steps can all be done a day or more ahead of time.
Roast the sweet potatoes: Toss cubed sweet potatoes with some olive oil and a little salt and pepper. Roast at 375 F for around 30 minutes, until tender and just starting to get a little brown on the edges. Allow to cool. Can be made ahead and stored in the fridge. These can be added to the salad warm(ish) or cold.
Prepare the pecans: You can toast the pecans in a skillet, or you can make candied pecans. This can also be done ahead of time. I used praline pecans from Costco. They were good but the praline coating was a little bit thicker than I would have liked. Next time I will make my own candied pecans or buy a pecan with a lighter coating.
Make the dressing: Combine all the dressing ingredients in a jelly jar and shake until emulsified. This can be made ahead as well. I didn’t measure my honey and I think I probably added more than the 2 tablespoons in the recipe. You might have to taste and adjust to your taste.
Assemble the salad: Add all the ingredients except the dressing in a large bowl. Wait to add the dressing until right before serving, as it will start to wilt the arugula. I diced the pears an hour or two ahead of time and tossed them with a little bit of the lemon dressing to keep them from turning brown between cutting and serving the salad.
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