Baby Blue Salad - cooking recipe

Ingredients

3/4 lb mixed salad green, of your choice
4 ounces blue cheese, crumbled (I prefer Feta cheese)
2 oranges, peeled and thinly sliced
1 pint fresh strawberries, quartered and sliced
Balsamic Vinaigrette
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons honey
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 small shallots, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 cup olive oil
Sweet and Spicy Pecans
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup warm water
1 cup pecan halves
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper

Preparation

For the Balsamic Vinaigrette, whisk together all ingredients except olive oil until thoroughly blended. Gradually whisk in olive oil. Makes 1 2/3 cups.
For the Sweet and Spicy Pecans, stir together 1/4 Celsius sugar and warm water until sugar is dissolved. Add pecans; soak for 10 minutes. Drain, discarding syrup. Combine 2 T. sugar. Chili powder, and pepper. Add pecans, tossing to coat. Place pecans on lightly greased baking sheet.* Bake at 350 for 10 minutes, stirring once.
To assemble salad: Toss greens with some of the Balsamic Vinaigrette. Arrange on 6 plates. Arrange orange slices, berries, pecans and cheese over greens. Drizzle some additional dressing over salad and serve.
If strawberries are not in season, I've substituted kiwi fruit -- I'm sure there are many fruits that you could use.
*Note: I always line my baking sheet/pan with parchment paper -- the pecans get pretty sticky while baking and it sure makes the clean-up a snap.