Honey-Thyme Roasted Pear Salad with Spiced Walnuts

This simple but elegant salad is sure to impress your guests with its delightful presentation and perfect blend of fall flavors. Local organic honey is brushed onto a thinly sliced pear and dusted with a touch of thyme before being roasted until tender and warm. Walnut pieces get a healthier and tastier version of "candying" by taking a quick flash in a frying pan with some spices, some natural sweetener and a spritz of cooking spray. Full flavor, but much less wasted fat and calories than candied spiced walnuts! Served on a bed of spinach with a drizzle of high quality balsamic vinegar, this is one remarkable dish. Feel free to add or omit the goat feta as desired.

Serves 2
INGREDIENTS:

• 1 ripe pear
• 4 cups spinach
• 1/4 cup walnuts
• pinch each of cayenne, sugar (or xylitol), salt
• honey
• pinch of fresh or dried thyme
• cooking spray
• high quality balsamic vinegar
• 2 oz feta (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1. preheat oven to 400'
2. Halve pear, use a teaspoon or melon baller to neatly scoop out seeds. Place pear cut side down and using the knife at an angle, slice the pear from 1/2" from the stem all the way through the bottom so that it can be slightly fanned out.
3. Transfer to a foil lined baking sheet coated in cooking spray.
4. Brush pears with honey and sprinkle with thyme. 
5. Bake 10 minutes until tender and golden.
6. Meanwhile, make spiced nuts by placing the walnuts in a pan over medium heat. Toast for 2 minutes, then scatter with cayenne, salt and sugar. Spritz with cooking spray lightly and toss nuts to coat. Continue to toast for 1 more minute, remove to a plate.
7. Arrange spinach on two small plates, drizzle with nice balsamic, scatter walnuts and feta (if using) over the spinach. Top with pear and slightly fan out over spinach.