Winter Wonder of a Salad

DEAR SOS: We recently had the winter spinach salad at Citrus City Grille in Orange. It included sugared pecans, apples and blue cheese. Can you obtain the recipe?

PAT TORNELL

Orange

DEAR PAT: As is true with most constructed salads, some of the parts, such as the apples and pecans, can be prepared well ahead of time and assembled when needed.

Citrus City Grille Spinach Winter Salad

Active Work and Total Preparation Time: 25 minutes Vegetarian

CARAMELIZED APPLES

1 tablespoon butter

1 large Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and sliced

1 tablespoon sugar

Pinch cinnamon

Pinch nutmeg

* Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add apple slices and saute until wilted, 2 to 3 minutes. Add sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg and cook until caramelized, 4 to 5 minutes.

CARAMELIZED PECANS

1 tablespoon butter

1/2 cup pecan halves

3 tablespoons powdered sugar

* Melt butter in skillet over medium-high heat. Add pecans and sugar and cook until caramelized, 5 to 6 minutes.

SALAD

3 large bunches fresh spinach

2/3 cup whole-grain mustard

2 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar, packed

1/3 cup cider vinegar

2 tablespoons olive oil

Salt, pepper

1/4 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese or to taste

* Rinse spinach in cold water. Dry well and place in bowl.

* Whisk together mustard, brown sugar and vinegar. Whisk in oil and season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour over spinach and toss. Arrange Caramelized Apples and Caramelized Pecans on top and sprinkle with Gorgonzola cheese.

6 servings. Each serving: 268 calories; 978 mg sodium; 15 mg cholesterol; 17 grams fat; 20 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams protein; 1.28 grams fiber.

Iron Cookie Chef

DEAR SOS: I was hoping you could help locate the recipe for pizzelle cookies.

MICHAEL MADRIGAL

Thousand Oaks

DEAR MICHAEL: I’m happy to assist you with a recipe for plain pizzelles with chocolate and nut variations. You’ll need a pizzelle iron; they look like waffle irons and are available at some Italian delis and at cookware stores.

Pizzelles

Active Work Time and Total Preparation Time: 1 hour

6 eggs

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 cup butter, melted and cooled

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon anise extract

3 1/2 cups flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

Powdered sugar, optional

* Beat eggs until blended. Gradually add sugar, beating until smooth. Add melted butter, vanilla and anise extract.

* Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Stir into egg mixture. Dough will be sticky enough to be dropped by spoon.

* Heat pizzelle iron according to manufacturer’s instructions. Place heaping teaspoon of batter in center of each grid pattern to make full-size pizzelles. Bake until golden and steam no longer escapes from pizzelle iron, about 4 minutes. Trim any overflow to keep shape. Dust with powdered sugar, if desired.

* Variation: For Chocolate Pizzelles, add 1/2 cup cocoa powder, 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 teaspoon more baking powder to sifted flour mixture. Add to egg mixture. Proceed as for plain Pizzelles.

* Variation: Add 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans to batter.

60 pizzelles. Each pizzelle: 78 calories; 76 mg sodium; 30 mg cholesterol; 4 grams fat; 10 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram protein; 0.02 gram fiber.

Annie Glass plates and tea towel from Feast, Pasadena.