Celebration salad with homemade written all over it

The theme these days on every blog post and every food newsletter I receive is obviously holidays. What to make? Decisions, decisions. It doesn't have to be all that hard, does it? Let everyone else do the heavy lifting and bring a salad to your next celebration. This salad has touches of homemade in it that make it extra special. Every table needs a pop of color and this salad will hit it out of the park. With a bit of pepper from the greens, a hint of sweet from the fruit & the vinaigrette followed up by crunch & spice from the nuts you cannot go wrong. It's time to celebrate!

Celebration Salad with Persimmons, Pomegranates and Spiced Pecans 

Spiced Pecans
1 c. pecan halves (not pieces)
2 T. sugar
½ t. ground cinnamon
½ t. kosher salt
¼ t. cayenne pepper
2 t. honey

Bring water to a boil in a small saucepan.  Add the walnuts and boil for 30 seconds.  Drain nuts and transfer to a small bowl.  Toss nuts with remaining ingredients.  Arrange nuts on a parchment lined baking sheet in a single layer.  Baking, stirring once at 10 minutes in. Return nuts to the oven and bake until golden brown, about 5-7 additional minutes.  You want dark nuts but not burnt. Allow to cool completely.

Maple dressing1/3 c. real maple syrup
1/4 c. light sour cream
4 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
1 tsp. kosher salt
½ tsp. fresh black pepper
½ c. extra virgin olive oil

In a medium bowl, whisk together maple syrup and sour cream.  Whisk in vinegar, salt and pepper.  Slowly whisk in olive oil in a steady stream.  Taste dressing on a lettuce leaf.  Adjust seasoning by adding more salt or a squeeze of lemon juice.

Assembled salad

1 fuyu persimmon , halved (looks like an orange tomato; pick a firm one)
4 c. mixed greens such as arugula, spinach & butter lettuce
½ c. pomegranate seeds
½ spiced pecans
Maple dressing to taste

Preheat oven to 350°

At the last minute before serving salad, in a large salad bowl, toss together persimmon through spice pecans.  Dress salad with maple dressing to taste.  Mound each salad plate with dressed salad and sprinkle cooled walnuts on top. Note: this salad also tastes great with apples, pears & dried cranberries in place of the pomegranates and persimmons.

Serves 6

Recipe adapted from Tante Marie's Cooking School

No Regrets Go-To Holiday Dish

Wild Mushroom Bread Pudding

People always ask me what's my go-to holiday table staple. If only it were that easy. I rarely make savory recipes more than three times unless it's truly a gem. This wild mushroom bread pudding recipe has gem status written all over it. Since its original version, the recipe below has been updated several times. Each time I make it, I change it up a bit. It's foolproof; a must make ahead dish that's hard to pass up on a buffet even when you have serious will power. If you are going to go this holiday season, go big, no regrets.  

Wild Mushroom Bread Pudding

Ingredients:
1 (1-pound) loaf crusty country-style white bread
1/4 cup olive oil
4 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme1 large garlic clove, minced
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter
1 bulb chopped fennel
1 leek, halved lengthwise & thinly sliced
1 pound assorted fresh mushrooms (such as crimini, button, portobello, and stemmed shiitake), thinly sliced
1/2 oz dried mushrooms, hydrated & chopped
3 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream (just shy of 1 quart)
5 sage leaves, chopped
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
8 large eggs
2 teaspoons salt
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup gruyere cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. Set aside. Cut bread into 1-inch cubes (about 10 cups loosely packed). Place cubes in very large bowl. Add oil, thyme, and garlic; toss to coat. Spread cubes out on large rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake until golden and slightly crunchy, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Return toasted bread cubes to same very large bowl.

2. Melt butter in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add fennel through assorted mushrooms. sauté until soft and juices have evaporated, about 15 minutes. Add hydrated mushrooms, stir to combine.

3. In large bowl, whisk heavy cream with the rest of the ingredients, reserving about 1/3 cup of cheese. Mix custard into bread and sauteed vegetables. Transfer stuffing to prepared dish. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. DO AHEAD best if prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.

4. When ready to bake, pull pre-made bread pudding from refridgerator. Let come to room temperature, about 30 mins. Meanwhile preheat oven to 350°F. Bake bread pudding uncovered until set and top is golden, about 45 mins-1 hour. Let stand 15 minutes.

Serves 10-12

Recipe adapted from Bon Appetit