Pear & Mixed Green Salad with Cranberry Vinaigrette

“What kind of dressing do you have?”

“Well, we’ve got 1000 island, balsamic vnaigrette, blue cheese, French, ranch, honey mustard, Caesar, parmesan peppercorn, and our house Italian,” I rattle off from memory. Over and over and over again. Inevitably the customer gets 1000 island on their side salad (eww, btw) but only tells me after I’m out of breath from reciting the list. Sometimes, they ask twice before making a decision. Why we don’t have our dressings listed on the menu is beyond me. Drives me bonkers.

And has kind of turned me off of salad dressing. Forget that from the ages of 4 to 14 I assumed any sort of vegetable was just a vehicle for ranch dressing. Now, I normally just do a little balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, salt, and pepper on my salads. Sometimes, if I’m feeling funky I’ll do an avocado or salsa.

But, now I’ve got a new go-to salad dressing. And go-to salad. This Pear and Mixed Green Salad with Cranberry Vinaigrette is filling but fresh, a perfect way to ring in the New Year. A fresh cranberry vinaigrette dresses a simple salad of mixed greens, red onion, bacon crumbles, pear, and blue cheese. Salty, tart, sweet, crunchy, creamy. Phenomenal. 

Pecan & Cranberry Crusted Goat Cheese Salad

I’ve never been one of those people. The ones who “do lunch.” You know, the fancy people who always seem suuuuuper busy but can always “do lunch” sometime.

Puh-leaz. I do lunch every day. I can’t not do it. I schedule my classes at school around it. I start thinking about lunch as soon as I take my last bite of breakfast.

Lately though, with work and baking and other holidays to-dos, lunch has consisted of cookie dough, cookies, frosting, or some combination thereof. Delicious for a while, but not a sustainable meal plan. Mainly because I have to wear jeans to work. 

Fried Egg and Warm Kale Salad

Thanksgiving weekend is full. Full of family, friends, and food. There’s also a fair amount of shopping, coffee drinking, and laundry doing. Maybe a little "Office" watching thrown in for good measure. 

Know what there’s not a lot of? Restraint. Of any kind. A third plate at Thanksgiving dinner? Sure! Eat pie at 8 at night and then power nap before Black Friday shopping? Obvi. Buy the child sized fingerless gloves because they’re pink and sparkly?! Duh!

Ok, maybe that last one was just me (and the two ladies behind me in line who saw what I had and snatched up pairs for themselves. My lack of taste is vindicated!), but I’ll bet most of us are still feeling the effects of an extended weekend full of nonstop eating. I’m surprised I didn't sweat mashed potatoes on my run this morning. 

How can we rectify this situation? Kale. Kale is always the answer. 

Blueberry Kiwi Salsa

I’ve got nothing for this salsa. It's hot, I’ve been working like crazy, and am beyond sleep deprived. And really need to paint my nails so we’re keeping this short and sweet. And eating some Blueberry Kiwi Salsa.

I made it months ago right in the midst of a heat wave and a baking lapse. I put it on everything. Salads. Salmon. Spoons. It was phenomenal. I’m always looking for new salad toppings and love putting fruit in my salads so this salsa was the best of both worlds.

Any fruit and be thrown together with some jalapeno and red onion and become a quick and easy salsa, I’ve done cherry and strawberry variations of this with huge success. Have fun with it!

Blueberry Kiwi Salsa (make approx. 2 cups, inspired by How Sweet Eats)

1 vine ripe tomato, seed and chopped

½ medium jalapeno, seeded and chopped

¼ cup chopped red onion

1 cup fresh blueberries

1 whole kiwi, peel and chopped

Handful of cilantro, roughly chopped

Juice of ½ a lime

Salt, to taste

Combine ingredients in food processor and pulse until desired consistency is reached. Alternatively, ingredients can be chopped uniformly and simply mixed together.

Salsa can be stored in fridge for up to one week.

I lied, I’ve got chips for this salsa.