Greens Salad w/Goat Cheese & Red Wine Vinaigrette

Greens Salad w/Goat Cheese & Red Wine Vinaigrette

This recipe was brought to my attention by a friend, however, I have made a few changes.

You can find the original here:
http://www.onceuponachef.com/2009/09/mesclun-salad-with-goat-cheese-mapleglazed-pecans-maple-dijon-vinaigrette.html

After making it a few times, I made a few changes.

The Pecans:

1/3 cup pecans
1 TBSP maple syrup
Mix.

Bake in oven or toaster oven at 375-400 degrees on a lined baking sheet (parchment paper, or tin foil sprayed with cooking spray, or misted with olive oil), bake until lightly browned, and bubbling.
Remove and sprinkle with coarse salt (however, regular salt will be fine)

The Vinaigrette

This vinaigrette is amazing and can be used on other salads as well.
Combine/shake in a glass mason type jar, or any small container with a tight lid.

1 small garlic clove, mined
1 green onion, diced
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 TBSP maple syrup or honey
1 TBSP dijon mustard, or dijonnaise mustard (mustard, and mayo mixed)
3 TBSP red wine vinegar
3 TBSP olive oil or avocado oil

The Salad

5-8 cups of mixed greens.  I use slightly more bitters in the mix and use 2-3 different types to ‘mix’ it up.  Suggestions: kale, arugula, green/red leaf, romaine, or boston, endive, or if all you have access to is iceberg, use what you have.
1-2 ounces of goat cheese – goat cheese is very flavorful so you don’t really need much.
I add more to the salad, than just greens, and cheese.

Other ingredients I have added:
Carrots – grated
Strawberries -diced
Blueberries
Blackberries
Mango – sliced, diced
Apples – sliced, diced
Cucumbers
Peppers (any color)

Pairs nicely with boiled eggs, grilled chicken, salmon on a cedar plank, or steamed fish packages (fish cooked on BBQ wrapped in tin foil).