Pomegranates and Pecans

This is a pretty salad to serve on Valentine's Day, or Christmas Day, or any day for that matter. And it's really delicious. I got a package of Pomegranate arils, or seeds, from Trader Joe's. Ready to serve, they make it easy to enjoy the sweet, tart taste of pomegranates just by opening a package. They add color and flavor and are loaded with vitamins, potassium and powerful antioxidants known as polyphenols.

I got this recipe from Pinterest, a new obsession of mine (more about that later). It's a wonderful salad!














Salad with Pomegranates and Pecans
This recipe makes a lot of the dressing. I halved it and still had some leftover.
Ingredients:
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 1/2 teaspoons dried onion flakes, or a small finely minced shallot 
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar 
4 cups salad greens 
Arils from one pomegranate (Many markets sell the removed arils. Or you can remove them from the rind yourself) 
1/4 cup toasted pecans 
Directions:
Whisk together the syrup, onion, oil and vinegar. 
In a salad bowl, toss salad greens and pomegranate arils with some of the dressing. 
Sprinkle with pecans.

NOTE: You can substitute strawberries for the pomegranate seeds. You could also use all spinach instead of mixed greens.










 



How to Toast Pecans
Toasting pecans brings out their flavor.
Ingredients:
Pecans, shelled
Parchment paper
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Cover baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. To toast pecans, put them on baking sheet and toast them just until they become aromatic, about 5 minutes.
4. You have to watch them carefully as they scorch easily.