arugula, pear, hazelnut and blue cheese salad

One day it's Christmas 🎄 cookies for lunch and the next day it's a fruity nutty salad, must be January. My house, after Christmas, feels decluttered and cleaner but colder without my holiday decorations. I know that's what the fireplace is for but you have to admit that a roaring fire in a living room filled with Christmas decorations makes everything feel cozier. January is a month to catch up with good friends, organize, diet and eat salads, the tastier the better. A tasty salad 🥗 for lunch helps to take the sting away from an empty cookie jar.

Our dear friends from Portland sent us a box of delicious pears 🍐 I peeled a few, didn't really need to do that, and then sliced them for my salad. The slices of pears are hidden under the greens that I piled up on top. A sprinkle of hazelnuts, blue cheese and dried cranberries over the mounded pears and greens are just waiting to be mixed together in each bite. I drizzled a very good extra virgin olive oil and balsamic over the top and served two wonderful healthy salads for lunch.

Ingredients and Directions for Arugula, Pear, Hazelnut and Blue Cheese Salad

Makes 2 generous servings

6 cups of loose arugula

2 pears, peeled and sliced

1/2 cup toasted hazelnuts

1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese

1/3 cup diced cranberries

Extra virgin olive oil

Balsamic vinegar

Sea salt

Ground Black Pepper

Divide and mound up the sliced pears and arugula on 2 dinner plates.

Sprinkle on hazelnuts, crumbled blue cheese and cranberries.

Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, to taste.

Season with sea salt and pepper.

Serve.

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