Helloooo Potluck Season

It's that time of year again, the holidays have arrived.  For those of you whose work places are like mine you are familiar with the onslaught of 'treat days' and potlucks that generally accompany the season. 

the Thanksgiving Potluck
the Christmas Potluck
the 'half the office is out on vacation so let's eat junk' party

No one wants to be the office potluck scrooge, including yours truly.  So, in order to participate, I had to find a greed-free dish to take to these functions.  I choose to take the perfect salad.  Many moons ago, I fell in love with the Blue Cheese Chopped Salad at Outback Steakhouse.  When I gave up sugar, I gave up the salad too . . . . caramelized pecans, and a super sweet vinaigrette took my favorite salad off of the acceptable list.  Then one day, I realized there was this really cool place called the Internet, where I could find the recipe for my favorite salad, and then find ways to improvise and make it without sugar!

My measurements may be a bit vague, but it always seems to turn out fabulously.

Blue Cheese Chopped Salad

(adapted from Outback Steakhouse)

Ingredients

1 head iceberg lettuce

1/2 Romaine heart

Green onions

Red cabbage

Shredded carrots

16 oz blue cheese crumbles

1 cup pecan pieces

1/2 cup pure maple syrup

1 cup angel hair pasta, broken into small pieces

2 Tbsp Butter

Balsamic vinegar

Chop the iceberg lettuce, romaine, cabbage, and onions into small pieces (but not mush)

Mix in a large salad bowl with the shredded carrots & blue cheese crumbles and set aside.

Melt the butter in a small sauté pan

Add the angel hair pasta pieces and saute until brown

Blot with a paper towel and set aside

Add the pecan pieces and maple syrup to the sauté pan

Cook on high heat, stirring, until the syrup is reduced by about half

Spread the pecans /syrup on a cookie sheet, or stone, and bake at 400° for about 15 minutes

Let cool, and crumble

Add the fried pasta and candied pecans to the salad, and dress with balsamic vinegar

Enjoy

This is truly one of the most delectable salads ever created, and if you ask me; it's just as good without the sugar (plus, how many people can say they make their own candied pecans?).

Go to the potluck, avoid sugar

JamiK

p.s. A handful of these pecan pieces make a really great snack when you need something to satisfy a craving for sweets.