Roasted Pear and Pecan Salad

A light and lovely fresh tasting salad. I had this in a restaurant recently and went about making one myself. I am still playing with variations but judging by how much my DH ate, this one is a winner! I enjoy the cheese and pecans in the salad but you can mix it up and use walnuts and skip the cheese. It all depends on your personal preferences.

• Ready In: 20 mins
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 3 -4  fresh pears (use your favorite)
• 1  teaspoon pepper
• 1  teaspoon salt
• 1  teaspoon olive oil
• 1⁄4 cup olive oil
• 1⁄4 cup  balsamic vinegar
• 1  tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1⁄4 cup red onion, thinly sliced and chopped
• 1⁄4 cup pecans, toasted (optional)
• 1⁄4 cup gruyere cheese, shredded (optional)

Directions

1. Pre-heat oven to 400°C.
2. Wash and core Pears, slicing into 1/4 inch wedges (approx. 8 wedges per pear).
3. Lay pears on a baking sheet (I line it with parchment paper). Season with the salt and pepper and drizzle with 1 tsp olive oil.
4. Bake for 5 minutes, then turn the pear wedges over and bake for another 5 - 7 minutes until roasted yet still firm. Cool.
5. Wisk together the remaining Olive Oil, Balsamic Vinegar and Dijon Mustard.
6. Pour the mixture over the pears (I like to cut the pears into cubes for bit sized pieces). Mix in the chopped Onion. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to let the flavors mix.
7. Add the Pecans and Cheese (if using) just before serving.