Got the Bleus?

Turn your frown upside down with this salad. It has been floating around my family's recipe files for years. I believe it originally came from a magazine.

Baby Bleu Salad:
1 bag mixed salad greens
4 oz. crumbled bleu cheese
2 oranges, peeled and thinly sliced
1 pint strawberries, quartered
sweet and spicy pecans
balsamic vinaigrette

Toss greens with vinaigrette and bleu cheese. Place on individual salad plates. Arrange orange slices over greens. Sprinkle with strawberries. Top with pecans.

Balsamic Vinaigrette:
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
3 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
3 Tbsp. honey
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 shallots, minced
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 cup olive oil

Whisk together the first 7 ingredients until blended. Gradualy whisk in oil.

Sweet and Spicy Pecans:
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup warm water
1 cup pecan halves
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1/8 tsp. ground red pepper

Stir together 1/4 cup sugar and 1 cup of water until sugar dissolves. Add pecan halves and soak 10 minutes. Drain, discarding sugar mixture. Combine 2 Tbsp. sugar, chili powder, and red pepper. Add pecans, tossing to coat. Place on lightly greased baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes or until pecans are golden brown. Stir once during process.