Rustic salad

There is a restaurant by my office called Cucina Paradiso and they make the BEST salad ever called the Rustic Salad.  I could eat plates of it and never get tired of it, and I could also drink the balsamic vinaigrette that comes with it, I love it so much.  I recreated the recipe at home and if you watch the portions of add-ins, it can be really healthy!    Here is what you will need:    

• 4 cups mixed greens
• 1/2 cup candied walnuts*
• 1-2 pears, sliced thin
• 1 cup strawberries, sliced
• 1/2 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
• Paul Newman’s Light Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing

*To make the candied walnuts, add the 1/2 cup halved walnuts with 1/4 sugar in a small skillet.  Cook on low until the sugar melts and it gets a nice brown color.  Don’t leave it unattended, so it doesn’t burn. Cool on a cookie sheet. Take 4 plates, put a bunch of mixed greens, sprinkle some of the candied walnuts, pear, strawberries and cheese evenly over the 4 plates and add the Light Balsamic Vinaigrette to each salad.  Two tablespoons of the dressing is only 60 calories, and it tastes great with all these ingredients together.   Tomorrow I am going to attempt another item on their menu:  Pistachio crusted chicken breast, served on peasant bread with red pepper dipping sauce!  We’ll see if I can  duplicate it.  Otherwise, I know the owners, maybe they would give up the recipe??  I doubt it, but it doesn’t hurt to ask right?