Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese croutons
Caramelized Pecans
Ingredients
- 1 apple, chilled
- 1 small lemon, juiced
- 8 ounces spinach, washed, thoroughly dried, and stemmed
- 4 ounces organic mix green
- 2 ounces Italian Arugula
- 2 ounces white mushroom (thin slice)
- 1/8 cup dry cranraisin (cranberry and raisin mix)
- 2 hard boil eggs
- pine nut
- 6 ounces Danish blue cheese, crumbled
- 4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup Eddy special Vinaigrette Dressing, recipe follows
- 1 1/2 cups Spiced Caramelized Pecans, recipe follows
Directions
Cut the apple into quarters, remove the stem and the seeds, and cut into very thin slices. Sprinkle lemon juice over the slices and set aside.
When ready to serve, in a salad bowl, combine the apple, spinach, mix green, Arugula. Season lightly with salt and pepper and toss with the dressing. Adjust seasoning, to taste. Sprinkle blue cheese, pine nut, cranraisin, mushroom, goat cheese, and blue cheese on top of salad.
To serve, divide the salad among 4 plates and sprinkle the pecans around each salad.
Eddy’s special Vinaigrette Dressing:
- 1 large shallots, minced (1 heaping tablespoon)
- 1 large garlic, minced ( 1 heaping tablespoon)
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons sherry wine vinegar
- 4 tablespoons of Canadian Maple syrup
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
In a small bowl, whisk together the shallots, garlic and the mustard. Whisk in the vinegars, and then the olive and vegetable oils. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Transfer to a covered container and refrigerate until needed.
Yield: 1 1/4 cups
Spiced Caramelized Pecans:
- 3 cups peanut oil
- 2 cups pecan halves
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 cup sifted confectioners’ sugar
In a deep-fryer or a deep pot, heat the oil to 350 degrees F. (A deep-frying thermometer can be clipped to the side of the pan so that you can tell when the proper temperature has been reached).
Meanwhile, in a large saucepan bring 2 quarts of water to a boil. Add the pecans and boil for 2 minutes. Drain in a large strainer, shaking off all excess water. Sprinkle the salt and cayenne pepper over the nuts and then coat with the confectioners’ sugar, a little at a time, allowing the sugar to melt into the pecans. Toss the nuts by shaking the strainer, adding a little more sugar each time, until all the sugar is used and all the nuts are coated. Do not use hands or a spoon to toss. The nuts should have a glaze of sugar.
Carefully add the nuts to the heated oil, keeping the oil at 350 degrees F. Cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove with a slotted spoon to a baking tray to cool.
Yield: 2 cups
Cheese Croutons:
Thick cut French or white bread 1 loaf
Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (grated) ¼ cup
Garlic salt 1 tbs
Extra virgin olive oil ¼ cup
Method:
Cut bread into thick cubes and place in a big bowl, pour olive over it and toss it quickly. Sprinkle cheese and garlic salt on top and mix thoroughly. Spread bread cubes evenly on a cookie tray (single layer) and put it in a pre-heated 350ºF oven for about 30 minutes or until golden brown. Take it out and let it cool off before storing croutons in a container.
Note:
Don’t wait till the color is right when baking the croutons in the oven. The heat from self-cooking will make the croutons darker.
