Roasted Pear and Spinach Salad with Spiced Pecans

Details

Isn’t your mouth watering after just reading the title of this one? Between perfectly roasted pears, crisp spinach and spectacularly spiced pecans your taste buds will be taken to a whole new level!

Ingredients

• ½ cup / 120 ml pecans
• 1 tsp / 5 ml Sucanat or other unrefined sugar
• 1/8 tsp / 0.625 ml Chinese five spice powder
• 1/8 tsp / 0.625 ml chili powder
• Pinch cayenne pepper
• Pinch each sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pear, cored and cut into ¼-inch slices
• 4 cups / 950 ml baby spinach, packed
• 1 Tbsp / 15 ml white balsamic vinegar
• ½ Tbsp / 7.5 ml extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tsp / 10 ml blue cheese, such as Roquefort, crumbled

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Spread pecans on a baking sheet. In a small metal bowl, mix together Sucanat, Chinese five spice powder, chili powder, cayenne, sea salt and pepper. Toast pecans for 5 minutes. Remove and add to bowl with spices. Toss to combine, then scrape back onto baking sheet and place in oven to melt spices and brown sugar onto nuts, 2 or 3 minutes. Remove and set aside.
2. Place pear slices on a baking sheet and roast in oven until lightly browned around the edges, 5 to 8 minutes. Transfer roasted pears to a salad bowl, and add spinach.
3. In a separate small bowl, whisk together vinegar, olive oil and blue cheese. Pour over spinach and pears and toss. Divide salad among four plates and top with spiced pecans.