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Poppy Sesame Vinaigrette Tossed with Greens, Cranberries, Chicken and More!

This salad has quickly become a favorite around here.  
 It's now my go to salad when I am asked to bring a salad to any kind of get together.  I serve it with pan roasted chicken as a meal in itself.  It really is as good as it looks.  



And, it looks even better served in Tonquin purple transferware salad bowls.



The vinaigrette is gorgeous by itself.   After several experiments this is what I came up with that my entire family really likes.   Look.  After it settles, it separates and looks like this....pretty enough to give as a gift, don't you think?  Just shake it well to blend before serving.  The last batch of this I made, we used up over about a month and the flavor remained consistent.  So, if you're wondering about shelf life...at least a month but I would think maybe longer since it contains vinegar.  I do keep it refrigerated.



On a serious note, I've discovered that Trevor has a serious drinking problem....drinking dressing that is!



Nancy's Poppy Sesame Vinaigrette 

4 Tblsp roasted Sesame seeds
2 Tblsp Poppy seeds
1/2 Cup Olive oil
1/2 Cup Vegetable oil
1/2 Cup White Wine Vinegar
1/2 Cup Cider Vinegar
1/2 Tsp Paprika
4 Tsp minced dried Onion
1 Tsp dried Orange Peel
3/4 Cup Sugar

Combine all ingredients in leak proof container or bottle and shake well to dissolve sugar.  Shake well before serving.

Candied Nuts

1 1/2 Cups Walnut halves or pieces
1 1/2 Cups Pecan halves or pieces
1 1/2 Cups Almond Slivers 
1 Tblsp (appx) honey
1 Tblsp (appx) butter
1 tsp dried orange peel 

Melt butter and honey in sauce pan over medium heat.  Add nuts.  Toss to coat in honey butter mixture and cook, stirring often, for about 10 minutes or until they have browned a bit and become crunchy...so sample them along the way!  If you are going to make chicken right away, leave a couple of tablespoons of nuts in the pan.  Store in an airtight container or ziploc bag.  They will be a tad sticky due to the honey.



When I make this salad I will often make the vinaigrette, chicken and nuts ahead and then we will have enough to make a couple of meals from it. 

Pan Roasted Chicken Breasts
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks, pieces or strips ( I do this as they are cooking)
2-3 Tblsp candied nuts (recipe above)
1-2 Tblsp olive oil or butter (or a little of each)
Salt and Pepper to taste

After preparing the nuts, I leave a couple of tablespoons of them in the pan and smash them with the back of a wooden spoon.  I add about a tablespoon of olive oil and/or butter to the pan and cook about 3 chicken breasts in the pan until golden brown.  The nuts give the chicken the best flavor, but you can easily use leftover chicken whether it is grilled or roasted if you prefer.  


Salad

Mixed Greens of your choice (I use Romaine, Iceberg, Spinach with a little shredded carrots and red cabbage)
Pan roasted chicken breast 
Apple slices, thin - I am loving New Zealand, Jazz and Honey Crisp apples right now...perfect combo of sweet, tangy and crisp.  I hate gritty apples!
Blue Cheese Crumbles
Bacon Crumbles
Candied Nuts
Dried Cranberries





Joining:
Stone Gable
Funky Junk Interiors
Savvy Southern Style
Rattlebridge Farm
Foodie Friday

Comments

  1. Nancy this salad is making me so hungry!!!!! I love this kind of salad and pinned the recipe as the dressing sounds so good!

    It does look lovely on your tranferware!

    bee blessed
    mary

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  2. I will try this salad dressing -- looks good.

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  3. Ooh that looks yummy Nancy! and of course I love the serving dishes!

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  4. Thanks for the yummy recipe. My kind of salad..........Sarah

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  5. Is Trevor suffering from a sodium deficiency? LOL! It made me wince to see that!
    I don't usually eat salad...unless it has meat in it! I am going to try this!

    xo

    Andie

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  6. I want a LARGE helping of your salad! It looks divine!!! It looks beautiful on the transferware. Just beautiful!

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  7. Hi Nancy- I am back from my blogging break. This recipe sounds soooo good, I see you are back on the bottle over there!;>) xo Diana

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  8. Hi Nancy,
    Your Poppy Sesame Vinaigrette looks tasty
    You can submit your Poppy Sesame Vinaigrette pics on http://www.foodporn.net It is a food photography site where members can submit all food pictures that make readers hungry :)
    I am already hungry to see these photos btw, LOL

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  9. That looks amazing! Over from Stone Gable!
    Will be back!

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  10. This sounds delicious, Nancy. Thank you so much for posting the recipe. I think I would live on this throughout the summer!

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  11. No wonder it is your go to salad it sound delicious! Thanks for stopping by, laura

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  12. This salad looks scrumptious! I'm going to have to make it now. Thank you.

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  13. This is a salad for a king. Please share this today on my foodie friday party. I love both the dressing and the ingredients.

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  14. Hi - this really caught my eye as a Foodie Friday feature. It is only morning but I would love to have this now... also following you too as I can come back and see what other tasty delights you make. Inviting you to stop by and visit me if you like. Deb

    ReplyDelete
  15. I found this featured over at Michael Lee's and had to come get this recipe. I am having 2 friends for lunch on Thurs. and this will be our lunch!!! Thanks so much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! XO, Pinky

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  16. OH this looks so yummy! I'm featuring it on Foodie Friday this week. Thanks for sharing!

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  17. Hi Nancy,
    Congrats as Deb told you your salad is being featured on foodie friday. Grab a featured button at my site and I will be pining and tweeting it this week. Thanks again for sharing it with us.

    ReplyDelete

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