Strawberry Almond Salad

• 1 bag of romaine salad
• 1/4 red onion, chopped
• 1 pint of strawberries, sliced
• 1 cup slivered almonds, caramelized
• 2 T. butter
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1-2 T. water
• Dressing, recipe below

Spray a cookie sheet and set aside.

Combine romaine, onion and strawberries in a mixing bowl.

To Caramelize Almonds

In an 8 inch saute pan, melt butter then add the sugar and 1 T. water. Stir constantly until lightly browned. If mixture is too thick, add another T. of water (mixture should be thick but loose enough to coat the almonds). Continue heating until sugar is completely dissolved, appx 2 minutes.

Add the almonds and stir until well coated. Turn onto prepared cookie sheet and cool completely. Break carmelized nuts into small pieces.

Use this technique to make any kind of caramelized nuts you prefer. You can also spice them up a bit by adding cinnamon, nutmeg or even cayenne pepper to the melted butter.

Dressing

• 3/4 cup mayo
• 1/4 cup milk
• 2 T. poppyseeds (optional)
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 T. raspberry vinegar
• 1/4 c. cider or rice vinegar

Just before serving, combine salad mixture, caramelized almonds and dressing. I usually serve this salad, and others like it, in a trifle bowl because it's very colorful and can be easily layered. Serves 8.

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