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Mixed Greens With Blood Oranges, Almonds and Fennel

Recipe courtesy of : 
Chef Sara Boan, Catskill Animal Sanctuary's Compassionate Cuisine program

Description

Gorgeous, vibrant-red blood oranges have a short season, so enjoy them when they appear in markets during mid-to-late winter. This salad, with its compelling blend of textures, flavors, and colors, makes a wonderful starter to a romantic dinner, or any meal where you want a wow factor. The candied almonds add a special touch, but this salad is delicious with plain sliced or slivered almonds, too. Another Chef Sara Boan recipe from the Catskill Animal Sanctuary’s Compassionate Cuisine program.

 

Ingredients

For the Candied Almonds

1 teaspoon
Coconut Oil
1⁄2 cup
Sliced Almonds
1 tablespoon
Sugar

For the Salad

3
Blood Oranges (peeled and seeds removed, cut into sections)
1
Fennel Bulb (fronds and stalks discarded, bulb cored and thinly sliced)
8 ounces
Mixed Salad Greens (washed and dried)

For the Vinaigrette

1⁄2 cup
Blood Orange Juice (1-2 oranges)
1 teaspoon
Blood Orange Zest
1 tablespoon
Shallot (minced)
1 teaspoon
Dijon Mustard
1 tablespoon
Red Wine Vinegar
2 teaspoons
Maple Syrup
1⁄2 teaspoon
Salt
 
Freshly Ground Pepper (to taste)
3⁄4 cups
Olive Oil

Summary

Yield
Servings
This recipe is: 
Gluten-Free, Soy-Free

Instructions

  1. First, make the vinaigrette. In a medium bowl, whisk together the blood orange juice, zest, shallot, mustard, vinegar, maple syrup, salt, and pepper. Slowly stream in the olive oil and continue whisking until the dressing is thoroughly emulsified. (Alternatively, place all the ingredients in a pint-sized Mason jar and shake vigorously until thoroughly emulsified.) Set aside until needed.
  2. To make the candied almonds, cover a baking pan with parchment or a silicone baking mat and set aside. (The almonds will cool here, so have this ready first.) Heat the coconut oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat, and add the almonds, stirring frequently until they smell toasty. Sprinkle with the sugar, and continue to stir until the sugar has caramelized and the almonds are golden brown, which will take only a couple minutes. Immediately transfer the almonds to the prepared baking sheet and use two forks to separate the almonds. Allow to cool completely.
  3. To assemble the salad, place the greens in a bowl and toss gently with roughly half of the vinaigrette until the leaves are evenly and lightly coated. For each serving, portion some of the greens onto a plate, top with a scattering of fennel and a few blood orange sections, and drizzle on a little more vinaigrette. Sprinkle with a few candied almonds and serve immediately.