Honey Mustard Vinaigrette Salad with Goat Cheese Pastries
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Prep time: 
Cook time: 
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Serves: 4
 
Ingredients
  • 1 cup pecan halves
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
  • a pinch of salt
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla
  • *1/2 package Fillo dough, thawed (SEE NOTE)
  • *4-6 tablespoons olive oil or melted butter (olive oil spray makes for fast work)
  • *4 ounces goat cheese
  • *2 tablespoons honey
  • **10-12 ounces mixed greens
  • **2 carrots, shredded
  • **2 cups chopped fresh strawberries
  • **2 ounces feta cheese
  • ***2 teaspoons honey
  • ***2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • ***2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
  • ***2 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
  1. Pre-heat the oven to 250. Butter an 8 X 8 baking dish (I actually used a pie plate).
  2. Scatter the pecan halves across a shallow ungreased baking sheet. Bake them for about 15 minutes, just until they are warmed.
  3. While the pecans heat, melt the tablespoon of butter in a small saucepan. Stir in the sugar, water, cinnamon, and salt. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to medium, cover, and simmer for about 2 minutes. Uncover and stir- the mixture should have thickened a little.Stir in the vanilla.Toss the warmed pecans with the sugar mixture and empty into the prepared baking dish.
  4. Bake in the 250 degree oven for about 30 minutes. Let them cool completely.
  5. Unroll the Fillo dough onto a clean work surface. Cut the sheets of dough in half, lengthwise. Set the oven at 350. Lay out a clean baking sheet.
  6. Working with one half of one sheet at a time, lay out the dough, brush or spray with the olive oil, and repeat, layering the brushed sheets on top of each other. Each pastry pocket will be made up of 4 brushed (half) sheets.
  7. Spoon about a tablespoon of the goat cheese into the top left corner of the brushed and layered dough. Fold that corner to the bottom. Then fold the bottom corner up towards the top. When you're done you'll have a little pastry triangle.
  8. Lay the pastries onto the clean baking sheet. When you've run out of dough and cheese (you'll have 8-10 pastries), bake them for 15-17 minutes. The pastries will be golden brown and flaky. Drizzle the 2 tablespoons of honey over the warm pastries. Cool.
  9. Toss together the greens, carrots, strawberries, sugared pecans and feta.
  10. In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, mustard, and rice wine vinegar until smooth. Slowly pour in and whisk the olive oil.
  11. Drizzle the vinaigrette over the salad. Serve each portion with a couple of the goat cheese pastries.
  12. Marvel at JUST HOW GOOD THIS IS!!!
Notes
#1- Fillo dough takes 2 hours to thaw at room temperature or can thaw overnight in the fridge- plan for the defrosting! #2- You can purchase prepared sugared pecans to save time. If you go this route, skip over the first 7 ingredients AND the first 4 steps.
Recipe by Sugar Dish Me at https://www.sugardishme.com/surprise-recipe-swap-honey-mustard-vinaigrette-salad-with-goat-cheese-pastries/