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Ingredients

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons hot water
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 cup olive oil
2 cups halved seedless red grapes
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans
1 cup coarsely crumbled blue cheese

Directions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the chicken and simmer until cooked through, approximately 10 minutes. Drain, cool and cut into cubes.

While boiling chicken, make the mayonnaise: Using a blender or hand-held electric mixer, beat the egg, mustard, salt, water and vinegar until light and frothy. Add the oil a tablespoon at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition. Once mixture begins to thicken, you can add oil more quickly. Continue until mixture reaches the consistency of creamy mayonnaise. NOTE: The more oil you add, the thicker it gets; you may not need the full cup of oil.

In a large bowl, toss together the chicken, grapes, pecans, blue cheese and 1 cup of the mayonnaise. Stir until evenly coated, adding more mayonnaise if necessary. Refrigerate until serving.

Ingredients

1 cup soy sauce
1 cup ruby red grapefruit juice
1/3 cup hoisin sauce
1/4 cup ketchup
3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 habanero pepper, halved and seeded
4 cloves garlic, smashed

Directions

Combine soy sauce, grapefruit juice, hoisin sauce, ketchup, rice wine vinegar, brown sugar, ginger, habanero pepper, and garlic in a saucepan over medium high heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 10 minutes, or until thick, stirring occasionally. Strain sauce to remove pepper and garlic. Refrigerate in a covered container until ready to use.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard
1/2 teaspoon finely minced garlic
1 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 (5 ounce) bag baby spinach
1/2 cup dried cranberries
4 ounces fresh goat cheese, crumbled
CANDIED ALMONDS
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons water
1 drop freshly squeezed lemon juice
3/4 cup roughly chopped or slivered California Almonds

Directions

For vinaigrette, stir together mustard, garlic, sugar, lemon juice and vinegar in a medium bowl. Gradually whisk in olive oil until mixture is smooth and glossy.

For candied almonds, preheat oven to 250 degrees F. Place a sheet of well-oiled foil on countertop. Place sugar in a very clean medium saucepan and cover with 2 tablespoons water and lemon juice. Place almonds on a baking sheet and place in oven. Bring sugar and water to a boil, and boil until sugar turns deep golden brown, swirling occasionally to ensure even color. Stir in warm almonds, and immediately spread coated almonds onto prepared foil. (Take care not to touch them–caramelized sugar is extremely hot.) Cool completely, then chop roughly or break into small pieces.

To assemble salad, place spinach, candied almonds, cranberries and goat cheese in a large bowl. Toss lightly with dressing and serve immediately.

Ingredients

2 pounds pork shoulder roast, cut into cubes
1 teaspoon dried rosemary leaves, crumbled
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 carrot, peeled and diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup dry red wine
1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 cup chicken stock

Directions

Season pork with the rosemary, thyme, pepper, and salt. Heat oil in a large large Dutch over over medium-high heat. Sear pork in the hot oil until well browned on all sides, about 10 minutes.

Stir onion and carrot into pot; cook until onion is soft, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Pour in the wine; stir, scraping the bottom of the pot to release any browned bits from the bottom. Stir in the tomatoes and stock. Bring to a simmer; cook until meat is very tender and the sauce has thickened, about 30 minutes.