Winter Citrus Salad with Pistachios, Goat Cheese & Blackberries

28 Jan 2013

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My husband has been out of town for a few days on a gun course in Nevada with his Dad and brothers, so for the last few days I have had fun making “girl food” like this meatless-salad, full of berries and citrus and all things healthy. I love fruit and vegetables of every kind, but what surprises me is how much my kids do! On friday we had a girls night with kinect dancing games and a HUGE chocolate cake which was to-die-for delicious, and when I offered some to my 2 year old girl, she said she’d rather have an orange. I mean, I do love fruit, but i’m not healthy enough to choose it over chocolate! So, I am VERY impressed, and very blessed to have such healthy kiddos {and take no credit for that whatsoever}! When I was making this salad, it was fun to give them handfuls of blackberries (which they love even more than candy, i’m not kidding!) And Cara Cara oranges which my girl loves, because she thinks they’re “pink!”

But what I also loved about making this salad, was making it pretty! The greens are complimented by the “pink” and orange oranges and the purple blackberries with the moss green pistachios and white cheese just looked really cool all mixed up together! Right now i’m trying to work on improving my food-photography a little, so this salad was a perfect “subject” and of course I wouldn’t have posted the recipe if it wasn’t super delicious as well! Martha Stewart’s citrus vinaigrette with shallots was the perfect dressing to compliment the flavors of all the other ingredients, so I hope you enjoy this “girl food!” Even if you’re not actually a girl! ;-)

Ingredients:
{for the dressing–adapted from Marthastewart.com} 
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon minced shallot
2 teaspoons white-wine vinegar
Coarse salt and ground pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Directions:
Place all ingredients but the olive oil in a blender. With the motor running, add oil and emulsify.

{For the Salad}
1 package of lettuce: chicory or gourmet mixed leaf
1 Cara Cara or blood Orange, peeled and sliced
1 Naval Orange, peeled and sliced
Herbed Goat Cheese, crumbled (1-2oz)
Salted Pistachios
handful of blackberries

Directions:
In a bowl, toss the lettuce with the dressing, then plate

Add slices of orange, blackberries, crumbled herbed goat cheese and pistachios {in that order} do not add red onion. I know all of my photos have it in there, but it was so over-powering with the shallot already in the dressing, that I later picked it all out.

Okay, a little overboard with the pictures… but this salad is just so pretty!! This year one of my goals is to bring my blog up to a whole new level–which definitely includes a LOT better pictures {which just makes me want to take down all my older, uglier ones!} Which I would do if I had the time. Which I would have if I wasn’t stressed out as a single mother for the week! Which I probably wouldn’t be if I could sleep because I wasn’t so scared at night!! P.S. It’s kind of funny that I don’t even realize how safe my husband (and his guns) make me feel until they’re gone, and i’m all alone and 100% responsible for the safety of my kids! I’m just glad he’s home soon, even if it does mean making guy food again! ;-)

<3 Sarah