Stacked pear, spinach and macadamia nut "goat cheese" salad w/sweet apple cider vinaigrette

1 large pear
1 large handful of fresh spinach or mixed greens
2-3 tbsp chopped walnuts
2-3 tbsp dried cranberries

Macadamia Nut “Goat” Cheese
Makes about 3/4 cup

1 cup macadamia nuts
1 tbsp unpasteurized white miso
2-3 tbsp water, as needed
pinch of salt
2-3 tsp lemon juice






Sweet Apple Cider Vinaigrette

2-3 tbsp raw agave
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
juice of 1/2 lemon
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp cold pressed olive oil
salt and freshly ground pepper

Methods/steps

Macadamia Nut “Goat” Cheese

1) Drain and rinse the macadamia nuts.
2) In a food processor or powerful blender mix together nuts, miso, salt and water (as needed) until it forms a smooth paste. You may need to stop the blender and scrape down the sides a couple times.
3) Transfer onto a double layer cheesecloth, wrap into a small log (let cheese to sit out for 12- 36 hours in a warm area of the house if you want a more tangy and salty taste)
4) Remove cheese from cheesecloth and adjust flavors (if necessary) by adding lemon juice and/or salt. Store in the refrigerator.

Sweet Apple Cider Vinaigrette

1) In a blender combine agave, apple cider vinegar, and lemon juice. With motor running, slowly add olive oil until thick and well combined.
2) Season with salt and pepper. Store in refrigerator.

To assemble the salad:

1) Core the pear and slice it into thin slices.
2) Place few leafs of spinach on a plate and cover with a pear slice.
3) Top the pear with a layer of nut cheese and a couple of dried cranberries.
4) Layer with a couple more small pieces of spinach and repeat 4 times.
5) Drizzle with dressing

This was AMAZING! I would make this again and again. The prep / stacking takes a while for such a simple meal but the flavors more than make up for the prep time.