Roasted Pear, Spinach Salad

Roasted Pear Spinach Salad                                           Nancy Harrison

Ingredients:

1 tsp. butter

2 firm, ripe pears

1 ½ tsp. sugar

½ c sliced almonds

1 cup dried cranberries

3 oz blue cheese

8 slices ciabatta bread

1/3 cup apple cider

2 Tbsps. pomegranate molasses or honey (I do not care for the pomegranate molasses, so save yourself the money you might be tempted to spend on it and use honey!)

1 Tbsps. Dijon Mustard

1/3 cup olive oil

6 oz baby spinach

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees; grease baking sheet with butter.  Core pears and cut into wedges; toss with sugar and place on baking sheet, cut side down.  Bake 15 minutes or until soft and browned on undersides; remove and place on waxed paper to cool.

Place almonds on ungreased baking sheet; toast for 3-5 minutes in the oven.  Transfer to a bowl; stir in half the cranberries and set aside.

Reduce oven temp to 400; cut each slice of bread in two; brush both sides with olive oil and toast on baking sheet, about 3 minutes on each side.  Remove and crumble blue cheese and divide among the toasts; returning to the oven for another 5 minutes or until nicely melted.

Meanwhile in a blender combine remaining cranberries, vinegar, molasses and mustard until blended; adding the olive oil in a slow, steady stream while blender is running. (I also added the juice of 1/3 lemon).

In a bowl, toss together the spinach, half the almond mixture and vinaigrette to taste.  Divide greens among bowls, top with pears and toasts and additional almond/cranberry mixture.  Serve immediately.