Pop Quiz: Shredded Coconut or snow?
Answer: Shredded coconut
……just joking!
It’s snow. We had our first dusting of snow today and it made for a nice backdrop for a few photos.
The snow also made for a near-death experience while carrying the camera, tripod, plate, and salad dressing across the slippery deck. This may have been due to wearing Eric’s Size XXL Crocs… Or at least they felt that big on my small feet!
Anyways, back to this dressing. I’m in love with it. That’s really all there is to say.
I’ve wanted to make a fall-inspired salad for a long time now. I made one back in September, but I just couldn’t get the dressing right. For some weird reason, I got stuck on making a cinnamon-spiced almond butter dressing, but sadly it didn’t live up to the dream. Eric and I both thought it just tasted all kinds of wrong. I think he may have gagged. bahaha.
I was back at it yesterday and I’m really happy with how this salad turned out!
This time, I was stuck on a cranberry-orange dressing. I ended up using frozen cranberries, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, fresh clementine juice, kosher salt, freshly ground pepper, and Dijon mustard for the dressing.
You can use fresh or frozen cranberries and any type of orange juice you prefer. Fresh is always nice if you have it, but you can use 100% pure orange juice from a carton too. I used some clementines because we had a big crate to use up.
Start by cooking the cranberries in a pot along with the maple syrup and vinegar. Cook them over low-medium heat for about 7-10 minutes, until they burst. They will look like this:
Dear Santa, please bring me new pots. I’ll make you chocolate chip cookies. Love, me.
Then I added this cooked cranberry mixture into my blender and blended it along with the rest of the ingredients. The result is a gorgeous berry coloured salad dressing that is sweet with a light tangy aftertaste.
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Cranberry Apple Orange Vinaigrette
Cranberry, maple, apple, and clementine make one lovely stand-out holiday dressing. This festive cranberry dressing is sweet with a light tangy aftertaste. Feel free to use more or less maple syrup to adjust to your own taste buds. You can also use any type of sweet citrus that you prefer.
Yield: just over 1 and 1/4 cups
Ingredients:
- 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
- 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup, or adjust to taste
- 1.5 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp fresh clementine or orange juice (or use bottled)
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt, or to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper
1. In a medium pot, heat the cranberries, maple syrup, and vinegar over medium heat until the cranberries burst, about 7-10 mins.
2. Slightly cool cranberry mixture and place in a blender along with the rest of the ingredients (except salt and pepper). Blend until smooth. Now add salt, 1/4 tsp at a time, to taste. Blend again. Adjust other ingredients to taste if necessary. You may want more maple syrup than I used. I liked this dressing with a bit of tart aftertaste to really let the cranberries shine. Place in fridge to chill. Should keep in fridge in an air-tight container for up to 5-7 days.
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I had a lot of fun with this salad! Man, it feels like I haven’t had much colour in my photography lately so this salad was welcomed.
Pop Quiz: What backdrop do you like best?
Green:
Orange:
Blue:
White:
Holiday #1
Holiday #2
I bought some fabric at Fabricland this past weekend. ;)
I think my favourite backdrop in this photo is the royal blue colour.
Back to the salad. I get distracted by bright colours obviously!
Holiday Salad with Apple, Pear, Cranberry, and Walnuts
Who says holiday dinners have to be unhealthy? Fuel up on this for more energy to kick Uncle Joe’s butt!
Serves: 6-8
Ingredients:
- 1 large box of organic mixed greens (or greens of choice)
- 1 large apple, chopped
- 1 large pear, chopped
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, lightly toasted
- 1/4 cup pepita seeds, optional
- Cranberry dressing from above
1. Add washed and dried greens into a large salad bowl. Add toppings and serve. Drizzle with cranberry vinaigrette.
You know I got all fancy pants on you…
This dressing is the best for fancy pants designs on the side of the plate. You know you want to!
Love, the fancy pants who wears size XXL Crocs
I liked the orange! There is something about oranges and clementines that just scream “soul mates!”
The photos look so pretty with the orange and red together. My husband’s shoes just about fit me. I am walking on skis here. Makes finding vegan shoes verrrry difficult.
This looks delish! And I just want to tell you that I tell everyone and I mean EVERYONE I meet about your site!!! Family, friends, coworkers… even my massage therapist yesterday! haha I think you’re an amazing person, so sweet and empowering and I love your recipes! I check your blog daily, thank you and cannot wait for your cookbook!
I actually liked the Holiday backdrop # 2 the best I think. The dressing sounds fabulous by the way!
Somehow the orange pops out even though I don’t want to like it. First choice would be green, then Holiday#1, then white! I’m not very good at just picking one as you can see:-(
Hope the cookbook proposal is coming along:-) Have a great weekend! Snowing in beautiful BC
I love the cranberry-orange combo, especially this time of year. Salad dressing creation is my weakness, so I appreciate you doing the work for me! And I totally understand your need for new pots. The only one I have with a fitting lid is the tiniest one ever, only suited for oatmeal. For which I don’t need a lid.
I like Holiday #2!
I like the orange! :)
This salad sounds delicious! The salad dressing is such a pretty color! Very festive! I hope you have a wonderful Friday, and fabulous weekend!
I actually really like the white backdrop, hahaha! BUT…I also love the holiday backdrops! And the looks of that salad dressing, yum! Sometimes on cold days I think it might help to have pretty dressings to get me to eat salad instead of warm comfort foods!
I like the orange backdrop the best! And OMG this salad looks sooo yummy!
Who knew a salad dressing could be so beautiful!? I think the light dusting of snow makes the shot absolutely gorgeous. I love when the weather cooperates.
I’m going to be heading over to my Dad’s for this Thanksgiving and am responsible for bringing the salad. I think I found the recipe I’ll bring :)
I like the green background. Or orange. Nice and bright. The salad looks amazingly refreshing and holds all of the taste of fall.
And I am dying for some clementines. I should have got some last time I was at WF.
White – crisp and clean. ;-)
Hey Gorgeous!! This salad looks to die for!!!! I love this time of year where we get to experiment with all these different combos….cranberry and orange is such a gorgeous one to pair up!! Love it and can’t wait to try it!!
Love the crocs…..I wear Ryan’s shoes all the time to take the dog out :)
xxoo
either the blue or holiday 2. Also, please tell me that in Canada, that if you don’t press your own oranges, oj too, comes in bags.
I like the royal blue the best, although some of the others were nice.. That blue REALLY makes the other colours in the photo pop..
I think blue too. :)
This is such a fancy and stunning dressing! I am glad to know of it for later meals. :)
That looks lovely! I love the color of the dressing!
sounds delicious!
i like the white backdrop or holiday #2.