Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad with Pineapple Poppy Seed Vinaigrette

Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad with Pineapple Poppy  Seed Vinaigrette

Makes: 12 small or 6 large servings… yea, big salad

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8 cups raw Brussels sprouts ribbons (lay sprouts on their sides and sliced thin, creating green ribbons)

1/2 cup scallions, sliced from the white to the green

1/4 cup parsley, coarsely chopped

2 cups fresh pineapple chunks, sliced bite size

1 cup French Lentils, cooked

1 cup raw macadamia nuts, roasted in olive oil, salt, and pepper

1 cup avocado chunks

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.  Toss raw macadamia nuts in 1 tablespoon olive oil and salt and pepper and roast for 12 to 14 minutes, until golden brown and fragrant.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.

Simmer one cup of French lentils in 3 cups of water.  Simmer for 30 to 45 minutes, until just cooked through.  Drain completely, drizzle with olive oil, salt, and pepper and set aside to cool completely.

Slice pineapple into bite size chunks

Prepare salad dressing.

Slice avocado.

Just before serving the salad, toss together Brussels sprouts, scallions, parsley, pineapple, lentils, macadamia nuts and avocado chunks. Drizzle in dressing and toss well.  Serve immediately.

Pineapple Poppy Seed Vinaigrette

Makes: 2 cups

1 1/2 to 2 cups fresh pineapple chunks

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup rice wine vinegar

1 tablespoons chopped scallions (the white portion)

1 small garlic clove, minced

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoon canola oil

2 teaspoons poppy seeds

salt and pepper to taste

Place fresh pineapple chunks in a food processor fitted with the blade attachment.  Blend pineapple into a mostly smooth, frothy pulp.  Place a fine mesh strainer over a medium bowl and press the pineapple puree through the strainer into the bowl.  Scrape the bottom of the fine mesh strainer to get all the good bits.  There will be just a bit of pineapple pulp in the fine mesh strainer when you’re done.  You’ll have about 1 to 1 1/2 cups of juice/pulp.

In the the bowl of the food processor, combine juice/pump, honey, rice wine vinegar, scallions, garlic, and mustard.  Pulse 5 times to incorporate.  With the food processor on, slowly stream in the canola oil.  Stop the food processor once the dressing is emulsified.  Pour the dressing into a medium bowl and stir in poppy seeds, salt and pepper.

Salad dressing should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.