Cranberry, Goat Cheese and Walnut Salad with Cranberry Orange Vinaigrette

I am addicted to this salad. This has been my lunch staple going on three weeks now and is showing no signs of over staying its welcome on my palate. This is a major development for a girl who avoided salad like the plague until her mid-20's and even more so for someone with a short attention span who eats nothing twice in the same week. At some point I discovered that I could make my own dressing at half the cost and double the taste which was a welcome discovery to someone who hates the artificial, chemical taste of the store bought stuff. As a disclaimer, I am not a total store bought dressing snob. Paul Newman's ranch dressing was what got me out of bed in the morning when I was pregnant with my son. The creamy consistency combined with that slightly sour buttermilk taste intermingling with a wedge of chilled iceberg was what made me go through a bottle a day with 70 pounds packed on over the course of 9 months as evidence of my addiction. Since then I have made several attempts at my own Ranch and my efforts have all resulted in flops that were never as tasty out as any of the store bought stuff. Go figure!

Recipe:

*Salad First:
2 cups spring green salad mix or any combination of hearty salad greens
2 tablespoons chopped walnuts
2 tablespoons dried cranberries or cherries
2 tablespoons plain goat cheese crumbled

Pile the salad leaves on a plate or in a large bowl. Top the greens with the walnuts, cranberries and cheese. Top with the dressing, mix and enjoy.

*This recipe serves one. Go ahead and double or triple the ingredients if you are having a party.

**Dressing Last:
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (approximately 1 orange)
1/2 cup whole cranberry sauce (from a can or homemade)
1 teaspoon fresh ginger (peeled and finely minced)
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon raspberry jelly or plain sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Pepper to taste

Whisk the juice and cranberry sauce together in a large bowl until thoroughly blended. Add in the ginger, olive oil, vinegar, jelly, salt and pepper to taste and mix. Pour on the salad mix and serve.

**This dressing is enough for three to four salads. I make it at the beginning of the week and it lasts for five days of salad lunches at the office.

Enjoy! Xoxo – AJ