Black & Blue Weekend: Black Swan & Blue cheese and pear salad with honey roasted walnuts

{Blue: honey roasted walnuts for the salad}

Black 

{via fanpop.com}

We watched the movie Black Swan with Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis in the weekend.  Absolutely mesmerizing - amazing acting, beautiful costumes...but it was just plain creepy.  No scrub that - it was frrrrrreaky.

{via media.theiapolis.com}

I am definitely not a scary movie fan.  The Sixth Sense gave me nightmares for weeks.  But having danced for most of my childhood, I couldn't resist a ballet movie.  The dancing, the costumes, the Tchaikovsky score - it was both hauntingly beautiful and gave us major heebie geebies.

Oh and did I mention the clothes? Bring back ballet chic baby.

{Jacket love - via chosen4evr.xanga.com}

Blue

This weekend I also made Blue Cheese and Pear Salad with Honey Roasted Walnuts and a Honey
Mustard White Wine Vinaigrette for C's dad's bday party.  God, I love this salad!  What a combo...creamy pungent blue cheese, sweet crunchy walnuts and crisp fresh pear.  What's not to love?

AND it took all of 15 minutes to make max. Just throw it all together...instant deliciousness.

Roasting the walnuts with honey makes a yummy candied layer that gives the dish that extra bit of crunch and sweetness.  The honey mustard white wine vinaigrette lends that little bit of tartness to cut through the creamy blue cheese.

Perfection.

The only hard thing about this dish is making sure you get a little bit of everything on your fork and fitting it into your mouth!

I used mesclun salad greens this time but peppery rocket would work beautifully too.  And if you don't have/like blue cheese you can shave parmesan over the salad instead - yum!

This is perfect for a summer barbie or a light meal or just to sate those blue cheese cravings.

Blue Cheese and Pear Salad with Honey Roasted Walnuts & Honey Mustard White Wine Vinaigrette

adapted from Meemo's Kitchen

Serves 4-5 as a side

130g mesclun salad greens
200g raw walnut halves
2-3 Tbsp liquid honey
2 ripe pears, cored and sliced finely just before serving
150g blue cheese

Honey Mustard White Wine Vinaigrette
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 Tbsp wholegrain mustard
3 Tbsp liquid honey (more to taste)
1 clove garlic minced
1/2 cup white wine vinegar
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 180oC.  Line a baking tray with foil and spray with kitchen spray e.g. canola oil.  Spread walnuts out in one layer and drizzle honey over the top.  Mix to make sure all the walnuts are coated with honey.

2. Fan bake for around 8-10 minutes until the walnuts are caramelized (mixing halfway through).  Watch the walnuts carefully - they will go from not-quite-done to brown to burnt super quickly!

3. Take the tray out and let the walnuts cool.  The honey will harden making a crunchy candied layer.  Try a couple to make sure they are done (cook's treat).  Appoint a guard to look after the walnuts to stop people stealing them all before you've finished putting the salad together.

4. Lay the salad greens on a large platter.  Arrange the pear slices evenly over the greens then scatter the walnuts over.  Last but not least, crumble the blue cheese over top.

5. Make the vinaigrette by mixing all the ingredients together.  I put it all in a jar and shook it up. Easy!  Pour over the salad and serve.  Make sure you get some before everyone else gets their greedy little hands on it.