Tuesday, October 1, 2013

Potato & Pear Salad with Chicken Sausage & Pinenuts


I am CRAZY for this salad.... just CRAZY! I have made it twice in the last week and I already want it again. The dressing is devine and the salad ingredients make for a great savory and sweet mix. I must say, I'm pretty proud of this one....it's a definite must make! Enjoy!!
 
Salad:
1 Tbl olive oil
2 cooked chicken and apple sausage links, sliced thin (Applegate's Chicken & Apple Sausage is my fave)
1 medium sized red potato, cut into thin slices/chunks
1 firm pear, cored and cut in thin wedges
Salt & Pepper
1 6oz package of spinach
1/4 cup pine nuts or walnuts 

Dressing:
2 Tbl lemon juice
2 Tbl cider vinegar
3 Tbl extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp Dijon-style mustard
1 tsp tamari OR soy sauce
1 Tbl pure maple syrup
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint (don't leave these out- so yummy!)  

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 F. 

Heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add sliced sausage and cook until browned. Add potatoes and pears; cook until browned on edges. Transfer to a foil lined baking sheet and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Roast, uncovered, for 15 to 25 minutes or until just tender (this all depends on how thin you slice the potatoes and pears....just bite into a potato to see if it's cooked throughout).

While the potato/sausage/pears are roasting, make the dressing. Whisk together the lemon juice, cider vinegar, olive oil, mustard, soy sauce, and maple syrup. Stir in chopped mint. 

Remove potato mixture from the oven. If you want, let the mixture cool for about 5 minutes then mix with spinach and pine nuts and toss with dressing. I like to put the hot mixture straight on the spinach and pine nuts and then toss with dressing.  The hot mixture ever so slightly wilts the spinach. It's all about preference....so, do what you like! **You probably won't use all the dressing....save the rest for another salad tomorrow! Serve with a nice crusty whole grain bread.


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