It’s that time of the year for……12 Recipes of DECEMBER!
That’s right, I am about to hit your inbox UP with some fantastic recipes to help you feed all of the fabulous people in your life this December holiday season!
And today, on our favorite posting day of the week (ahem, Friday), let’s talk holiday potluck sides. I think a great side dish has several elements- no need for an oven once you arrive at the party (this is precious real estate for your hostess, try not to encroach on that real estate if at all possible!), simple ingredients, and a beautiful presentation (we eat with our eyes first, people!). Oh, and the dish requires absolute deliciousness and for the holidays, that special, sparkly quality. ***cue fake snow here**
Enter the orange and arugula salad! Honestly, the hardest step of this recipe is making the candied almond brittle! But realistically you could do that a day ahead of time and then throw everything together before you walk out of the door. The bright green of the arugula with the beautiful crimson hue of the cranberries and the light, milky ricotta make a beautiful color contrast too.
I dig this recipe for so many reasons that I made it for a holiday potluck we went to a few days ago, and it got a thumbs up at the party, praise!
So without further ado my loves, let’s get to making that salad and on to the party! (I hope you are wearing your jingle bells…)
Arugula and cranberry salad with candied almonds, ricotta, fresh orange and citrus vinaigrette
This zesty citrus salad is sure to brighten up even the most traditional holiday table. The combination of peppery salad greens, orange vinaigrette, creamy ricotta and buttery rich candied almonds is divine! The recipe for candied almonds makes more than enough for the salad, and can also double as almond brittle, a handmade gift in itself.
You can also find this recipe in the December issue of Birmingham magazine!
Yield: 6 servings
For the candied almond brittle:
What You Will Need:
- 1 1/2 cup raw almonds
- 1 egg white
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp salt
What You Will Do:
- Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk egg white and vanilla until frothy.
- Stir together brown sugar, honey, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl until combined.
- Add sweet mixture back to mixer; mix for about 30 seconds more, or until combined.
- Remove bowl from mixer and pour in almonds, stir with a rubber spatula to coat.
- Pour covered almonds on parchment-lined sheet.
- Bake for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes with a rubber spatula to redistribute sugar mixture over almonds.
- Once baked and out of the oven, stir almonds once more to distribute sugar coating. Put baking sheet on cooling rack. Let cool completely.
- Once cooled, chop almond brittle into bite-size pieces for salad.
For the citrus vinaigrette:
What You Will Need:
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
- 1/2 tsp dijon mustard
- 1/2 tsp light brown sugar
- ¼ to 1/2 tsp salt, to taste
- Fresh ground pepper, to taste
What You Will Do:
- Whisk together orange juice, mustard, brown sugar, salt and pepper.
- In a slow stream, whisk in vegetable oil until combined.
- Add additional salt and pepper to taste.
For the salad:
What You Will Need:
- 5 oz baby arugula
- 2 to 4 tablespoons ricotta, crumbled
- 1 naval orange, peeled and sliced (Cara Cara and Blood Oranges would be delicious also)
- 1/3 cup candied almond brittle, chopped
- 1/4 cup dried cranberries
- Citrus vinaigrette, for dressing
What You Will Do:
- Toss all ingredients together except dressing.
- Right before serving, toss with citrus vinaigrette.
