Winter Salad with Spiced Pecans, Pears and Blue Cheese

StarterServes 4 - 6

# Wash and dry the salad leaves and set aside. # In a small bowl, mix the pecans with the cayenne pepper, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco and salt. # Scatter them over a baking tray and bake in an oven preheated to 200°C/Gas Mark 6 for 5-6 minutes, until lightly toasted. # Remove from the oven and leave to cool. For the vinaigrette, combine the ingredients vigorously. # Put the pears and salad leaves in a bowl and toss with the dressing. # Divide between 4 plates, scatter over the blue cheese and pecans nuts and serve.

Ingredients

h4. Ingredients:

* 300g mixed winter salad leaves
* 75g pecan nuts
* a pinch of cayenne pepper
* 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
* a dash of Tabasco sauce
* 1/2 tsp salt
* 3 ripe pears, peeled, cored and sliced
* 3 tbsp basic vinaigrette
* 75g blue cheese (try gorgonzola or doleclatte), crumbled

h4. For the vinaigrette:

* 240ml sunflower oil
* 4 tbsp good quality balsamic or red wine vinegar
* garlic clove, crushed to a paste with a little salt
# 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
# sea salt and black pepper

Method