Winter Salad with Sweet Nutty Mix

🥘 Ingredients

• raw almonds ¼ cup
• pepitas and/or sunflower seeds ¼ cup
• dried cranberries or tart dried cherries ½ cup
• extra virgin olive oil 1 tbsp
• Kosher
• Aleppo pepper 0.5-0.75 tsp
• sumac ½ tsp
• pure maple syrup 2 tsp
• baby kale or baby spinach 5 oz
• crisp-tart apple 1
• radishes or Persian cucumbers 2 bunch
• Best
• Aged
• Sea

Sweet Nutty Mix

1. 1

   Prepare: raw almonds , pepitas and/or sunflower seeds , dried cranberries or tart dried cherries , extra virgin olive oil , Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper, Aleppo pepper , sumac , pure maple syrup .
2. 2

   Roughly chop the nuts (a few pieces per nut). Keep the seeds whole. Chop the dried fruit. Combine the nuts/seeds and fruit in a bowl.
3. 3

   Line a plate with parchment paper. If you don't like multitasking while managing something on the stove, do step 3(a) now.
4. 4

   Heat a large frying pan or sauté pan over medium with the olive oil for 1 minutes . Add the nut-fruit mixture. Stir frequently until nuts are toasty and golden and fruit is a bit sticky, stirring more frequently as the nuts start to turn color, a total of 5 to 7 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine 1/4 heaping teaspoon of kosher salt, a generous amount of black pepper, and, if using, the Aleppo pepper and sumac (or lemon zest).
5. 5

   Lower the heat a bit. Add the maple syrup and spice blend. Stir constantly using a silicone spatula for 30-60 seconds , or until the nuts/seeds are well-coated.
6. 6

   Remove from the heat and immediately transfer to the lined plate, using the silicone spatula to scrape out all of the spices. Cool for at least 5 minutes. If large clusters have formed, break them apart with your hands. Once cool, store in a sealed, labeled jar in the pantry for about 2 weeks.
7. 7

   Gather: baby kale or baby spinach , crisp-tart apple , radishes or Persian cucumbers , Best -quality extra virgin olive oil, Aged balsamic vinegar, timer tbsp Sweet Nutty Mix (from meal prep), Sea salt or kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
8. 8

   Roughly chop the baby kale, then add to a mixing bowl.
9. 9

   Using a mandoline or a sharp chef’s knife, thinly slice the apple, removing the core. If using radishes, wash them thoroughly, then slice them very thinly with the mandoline (or a knife). If using cucumber, thinly slice it into half moons.
10. 10

    Add the apples and radishes (or cucumber), if using, to the kale.
11. 11

    Drizzle the salad with the olive oil and vinegar in about a 2:1 ratio until dressed to your liking (I like it with 2 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp vinegar). Add in the Sweet Nutty Mix and toss to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.