Melissa’s note: I first tasted this type of salad at Claim Jumpers and loved it so much I sought out similar recipes and substituted/added things to my liking.
1 green apple, cored, halved, & thinly sliced (it’ll brown if you do it too soon; lemon juice helps to slow the browning)
½ c. crumbled feta cheese (or similar cheese such as blue)
1 cup of Sunmaid golden raisins and cherries (or craisins or whatever you like)
1 small can of mandarin oranges, drained
Avocado, celery, green onions, whatever else you want to add
Dawn’s candied walnuts (recipe below) (broken peanut brittle will also do)
Citrus dressing (recipe below)
[[Citrus Dressing (posted by Sheila Greer on allrecipes.com)]] Creamy citrus flavored dressing ! If the mixture initially turns out too thick, thin it out by adding a little half and half. Prep time: Approx. 10 min. Ready in approx. 10 min. Makes 4 cups (32 servings)
1 c. orange juice
1 lime, juiced
1 egg
1 egg white (or egg substitute)
¾ c. white sugar
2 tbsp. honey
2 c. canola oil
In a blender or food processor, combine the lemon juice, orange juice, lime juice, egg, egg white, sugar, honey, and oil and process until well blended. Refrigerate until serving.
[[Dawn’s Candied Walnuts (posted by Dawn Timmerman on allrecipes.com)]] These are well worth the time (if you have it) and will definitely put the “wow” in the salad ! Prep time: Approx 10 min. Cook time: approx. 20 min. Ready in approx. 30 min. Makes 1 Pound (16 servings)
1 c. white sugar
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. salt
6 tbsp milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2) Stir together sugar, cinnamon, salt, and milk in a med. saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat for 8 min, or until the mixture reaches the soft ball stage of 236° F (using candy thermometer). Remove from heat, and stir in vanilla immediately.
3) Add walnuts to sugar syrup, and stir to coat well. Spoon nuts onto waxed paper, and immediately separate nuts with a fork. Cool, and store in airtight containers.