Crab Cobb Salad with Caramelized Pecans

quantumgirl's Note:

Unlike the one-person Cobb salads at restaurants, here everyone serves him/herself from one big beautiful bowl (though you can of course arrange individual salads, if you prefer). The crab, bacon and avocado make a fantastic combination, the carrots are a colorful, light alternative to shredded cheese, and the caramelized pecans are to-die-for, especially with the blue cheese. YUM! Serves 4 as main dish, 6 as side salad.

• Total Time: 40 mins
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 25 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

• 1 ¾ cups pecan halves
• ¼ cup white sugar
• salt , to taste
• 1⁄8;-¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper , to taste
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 bag pre-washed salad greens (I used half a bag of romaine and half a bag of “spring greens”)
• salt & freshly ground black pepper , to taste
• 8 slices hickory smoked bacon , cooked crisp and crumbled
• 1 ½ cups diced seeded fresh tomatoes
• 1 cup grated carrot
• 2 large avocados , peeled,pitted and diced
• ¾ lemon, juice of , divided
• garlic salt , to taste
• 1 ½ cups lump crabmeat or 1 ½ cups imitation crabmeat (or a combination)
• 2 -3 ounces crumbled gorgonzola or 2 -3 ounces blue cheese
• ranch dressing

Directions:

1. Make caramelized pecans (see directions below), cook bacon and drain and crumble, and prepare vegetables.
2. Squeeze juice of half a lemon onto avocado pieces, sprinkle them with garlic salt, and stir gently to coat.
3. Squeeze remaining lemon juice onto crab.
4. Place salad greens in a large bowl.
5. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss gently.
6. Arrange toppings in triangle or pie-wedge shaped areas on top of salad in the following order clockwise: crab (at “12 o’clock”), avocado, bacon, carrot, gorgonzola, pecans (1 to 1 ½ cup), tomato.
7. Serve from the middle outward, grabbing lettuce from underneath and taking bits from the various toppings.
8. Pass ranch dressing.
9. Enjoy!
10. Caramelized Pecans: Place pecans and sugar in large metal skillet.
11. Sprinkle with salt, cayenne and garlic powder.
12. Cook on medium-low, stirring constantly, until sugar begins to melt and stick to the bottom of the pan, about 4-6 minutes.
13. Continue stirring one minute, then lower heat to low and continue stirring constantly until sugar liquefies and the pecans are fully coated, about 3-5 more minutes.
14. Remove immediately from heat and spread to cool on foil sprayed with cooking spray.
15. When cool, separate gently.
16. Note: This makes a bit more than you’ll need for the salad to provide for the “munch” factor!