BBQ Pulled Pork Cashew Salad With Blue Cheese (GF)

I know. You guys are always so surprised whenever I post something that has less than five pounds of sugar in the recipe. Don't worry, I sugared up the cashews. We're good.

Candied Pecan Berry Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing

Today, I'm bringing you a lovely, rainbowy, salad that I posted on the other blog. We always add cream cheese so it's not dairy free, but you could easily swap out the cream cheese for some grilled chicken for a proteinous meal. Enjoy.

 

Candied Pecan Berry Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing

Other variations on this salad: You can use any combination of nuts, fruit, and cheese that you want. Sometimes I use mandarin oranges and cashews, sometimes I use apples and walnuts, you could use soft goat cheese, blue cheese, or feta cheese instead of cream cheese, you could add chicken or bacon, just be creative!

1 cup pecans
1/4 cup  brown sugar
1 tablespoon butter
kosher salt
Romaine lettuce 8 oz. (I used two really small stalks)
Sliced strawberries, about a cup
Blueberries, about 1/2 pint
About 1/4 of a big red onion
4 oz. cream cheese (leave out for dairy free)
Poppyseed Dressing (recipe below)

Grease a piece of parchment or wax paper and set aside. In a large pan (I use non-stick) combine the pecans, brown sugar, and butter. Cook over medium heat stirring occasionally until the sugar is pretty much melted into a syrup (it doesn't have to be completely melted if you don't want it to be). Spread onto prepared parchment paper and sprinkle with a little kosher salt. Allow to cool while you prepare the rest of the salad.
Cut up the lettuce, onion, and cream cheese (if using). To cut the cream cheese into chunks, you'll want to use a big, sharp knife and wet it between slices. If you're having trouble, you can always just pull it into chunks.
Layer the lettuce, berries, nuts, onion, and cream cheese. Drizzle with dressing and serve immediately.

For the Dressing:

1/2 cup light olive oil
1/4 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons vinegar (I usually use apple cider vinegar, but you can also use white vinegar)
1/2 tablespoon poppy seeds
1/2 teaspoon mustard

Whisk well.

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Shrimp and Bacon Salad

Sorry if you've all been starving to death in my absence. In case you didn't hear, my lens go smashed, so I haven't been able to take any pictures for you. But luckily, I just remembered this salad I made about three thousand years ago that I posted on the other blog. I did actually have a really good dressing recipe for it that didn't quite make it to the photos. Pretty much as soon as the dressing touched those shrimpies the vacuum reared into action. The vacuum being... my face. Okay, weird analogy. Moving on...

Anyways, if you want a light healthy lunch that's really easy and delish, look no further. And yes, bacon is healthy. Unless you enjoy having a malnourished soul. Anyways, we have to fill up the bottom of the food pyramid somehow.

Shrimp and Bacon Salad

Frozen precooked jumbo shrimp
Smoked paprika
Garlic salt
Cooked, crumbled bacon
Avocado, tossed in a little lemon juice to prevent browning
Onion
Tomato
Spinach
Catalina Dressing (recipe below)

Cook your shrimp in a little oil or in a little bit of leftover bacon grease. Season generously with smoked paprika and garlic salt. They only take a couple minutes to cook, just until they're warm all the way through. Don't overcook or they will get rubbery. Make sure you flip them halfway through.
Chop up some avocado, onion, and tomato and throw it on some spinach. Crumble on the bacon and put the shrimp on. If it still has tails, you'll probably want to take them off before you eat them.

Homemade Catalina Dressing:
1/2 cup olive oil
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup ketchup
1/4 cup vinegar (apple cider vinegar is nice if you have it)
2 teaspoons worcestershire sauce
Salt to taste

Whisk together until well combined. It's also good warmed up if you want to zap it in the microwave.

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