Apple, Pear, Gorgonzola Salad

without blue cheese 

with blue cheese

I just made up this recipe last night and used a recipe for the dressing that my mom had given me awhile ago for a different salad.  I needed something light after last week's heavier meals.  I was in heaven as I was eating this salad and I hope you will be too.  

I don't like blue cheese/gorgonzola but Lover Boy LOVES it, so I had to sprinkle it on for him.

The kids ate meatless chicken nuggets (from Trader Joe's) tonight with pears and bran muffins that I made earlier today.

Dressing:

1/2 c. oil

4 T. red wine vinegar

4 T. sugar

1 t. salt

1/4 t. cracked pepper

3 dashes Tabasco sauce

Combine all ingredients and quickly whisk until thickened.  Refrigerate until ready to use.

Salad:

1 bag butter lettuce (from Trader Joe's)

1 apple, sliced thin

1 pear, sliced thin

1 avocado, sliced thin

1 pkg pomegranate seeds, or you can buy a pomegranate and take the seeds out yourself

1/4 c. pine nuts, toasted

thin slices of red onion (as thin as you can get)

blue cheese crumbles

cracked pepper

In each bowl, layer two large handfuls of lettuce, apple slices, pear slices, and avocado slices.  Sprinkle on a handful a pomegranate seeds and pine nuts.  Top with red onion, blue cheese, and pepper.  Drizzle on the dressing a serve (see pictures above to assemble salad).

Hope you love it as much as I did!