Pomegranate and Tangerine Salad with Candied Walnuts

I've never really experimented much with pomegranates but my husband and I bought 2 last week so
we could make our own grenadine. And I decided to search for some other simple recipes that we could use them in. We usually do at least one or more meatless days a week and we eat a lot of salad. I've never really been a fan of salad with fruit, but I'm always open to trying new dishes and I was definitely a huge fan of this dish!

Ingredients
Organic mixed baby greens
handful of pomegranate seeds
2-3 small tangerines, peeled and de-seeded
handful of candied walnuts (pecans also work)- recipe below
crumbled feta cheese

Honey-Cider Vinaigrette Ingredients:
6 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 tsp. honey or agave nectar
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 pinches of salt
freshly ground black pepper

Directions
If you are unsure of how to de-seed a pomegranate, just do a quick google search. There are a few different ways you can do it. Personally, I cut the top off, score it, stick it upside in cold water for a few minutes and then carefully pull it apart and seperate the seeds from the rind and membrane.

Candied walnuts (based on 1 1/2 cups nuts. You can adjust the amount of sugar accordingly for more or less).
1.Spread the walnuts onto a small sheet pan and bake at 350 for about 5 mins or until toasted (be careful not to burn).
2.Place 1/2 cup sugar into a small saucepan and melt over medium heat until it turns to an amber color.
3.Stir the the nuts into the sugar and stir to coat.
4. Remove from the pan and spread onto a baking sheet lined with parchment making sure to seperate the nuts so they don't clump up.
5. Sprinkle with kosher salt or sea salt and let cool.

Salad Directions
1.Whisk together all the ingredients for the vinaigrette except the olive oil.
2.Slowly whisk in the olive oil until well incorporated.
3.Divide salad greens among plates/bowls. Drizzle with dressing and top with the pomegranate seeds, tangerine pieces, feta cheese and candied walnuts.
*You can also toss everything together in a large bowl if you prefer to serve it that way.

Tip: If you don't have tangerines, oranges would work. Strawberries might be good as well. You could also try adding some arugula and using blue cheese instead of feta.



Recipe sources: adapted from Gimme Some Oven
candied walnuts: Simply Recipes