“Sealed With a Kiss” Crisp Apple Salad With Creamy Maple Dressing

What a delicious, crisp salad…so many flavours co-mingling, it’s a trip for your taste buds with sweet, savoury, sour all blended together in one bite!

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Yields1 Serving
 ½ cup pecans
 1/8 cup icing sugar
 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
 ¼ teaspoon sea salt
 1/2 cup mayonnaise
 1/3 cup pure maple syrup (Dark Canada No 3 or similar if possible as it adds more intense flavour, otherwise use whatever you have)
 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
 1 teaspoon white sugar (raw sugar if you have it)
 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
 sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
 4 cups baby spring greens
 1/3 cup dried cherries (cranberries can be substituted)
 2 Granny Smith apples, cored and cut into matchsticks
 1/3 cup Feta goat cheese, crumbled (blue cheese can be substituted)
1

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

2

In a bowl, cover the pecans with water. Transfer to a sieve and shake out the water. In another bowl, blend the icing sugar, cayenne and salt together. Add the pecans and toss. Arrange the pecans on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and bake for 10 – 12 minutes 10 Minutes , until the sugar is lightly caramelized and the pecans are golden (you will smell them baking)! Let pecans cool and chop coarsely.

3

In a food processor or blender combine the mayonnaise, maple syrup, vinegar, and sugar. Cover and blend on low speed. Gradually pour in the oil while mixing until fully incorporated. Taste and season accordingly with salt and pepper. Set aside. If you don’t have power, (as we didn’t during this cooking class), just use manpower and beat well with a whisk! Check out the Art of Kissing Blog for all the juicy details!

4

In a large serving bowl, combine the lettuce, cherries, apples, goat cheese and candied pecans. Toss with just enough of the dressing to coat and then serve with the remaining dressing on the side. Garnish with apple slices and dots of maple syrup...just as an artful Chef would do!

During tonight’s cooking class we had to bake the pecans in the BBQ…it worked! Check out the Art of Kissing Blog for all the juicy details!


Gourmet Safari Rating Scales

Kitchen Confidence Rating Scale:

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= Everyday deliciously simple. Pretty quick, just get the food on the table pronto!
= Put your heart into it! Takes a little more time ‘n TLC!
= Go the extra mile! Gourmet – takes time and/or special ingredients and/or technique – worth the extra effort for the impressive WOW factor!
= You walk on water! You must be a Chef!


Budget Rating Scale:

We’ve designed a handy budget rating scale for you to guide you (and your wallet) through the recipes. Recipes are graded from the ‘high-end caviar-type budget’ to the ‘lower-end spam canned meat type-budget’.
= Spam (aka low budget)
= Mac ‘n Cheese (aka mid budget)
= Filet Mignon (aka higher budget)
= Caviar (aka expensive…but you’re worth it!)

Ingredients

 ½ cup pecans
 1/8 cup icing sugar
 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
 ¼ teaspoon sea salt
 1/2 cup mayonnaise
 1/3 cup pure maple syrup (Dark Canada No 3 or similar if possible as it adds more intense flavour, otherwise use whatever you have)
 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
 1 teaspoon white sugar (raw sugar if you have it)
 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
 sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
 4 cups baby spring greens
 1/3 cup dried cherries (cranberries can be substituted)
 2 Granny Smith apples, cored and cut into matchsticks
 1/3 cup Feta goat cheese, crumbled (blue cheese can be substituted)

Directions

1

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

2

In a bowl, cover the pecans with water. Transfer to a sieve and shake out the water. In another bowl, blend the icing sugar, cayenne and salt together. Add the pecans and toss. Arrange the pecans on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and bake for 10 – 12 minutes 10 Minutes , until the sugar is lightly caramelized and the pecans are golden (you will smell them baking)! Let pecans cool and chop coarsely.

3

In a food processor or blender combine the mayonnaise, maple syrup, vinegar, and sugar. Cover and blend on low speed. Gradually pour in the oil while mixing until fully incorporated. Taste and season accordingly with salt and pepper. Set aside. If you don’t have power, (as we didn’t during this cooking class), just use manpower and beat well with a whisk! Check out the Art of Kissing Blog for all the juicy details!

4

In a large serving bowl, combine the lettuce, cherries, apples, goat cheese and candied pecans. Toss with just enough of the dressing to coat and then serve with the remaining dressing on the side. Garnish with apple slices and dots of maple syrup...just as an artful Chef would do!

Notes

“Sealed With a Kiss” Crisp Apple Salad With Creamy Maple Dressing

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