Satisfying your sweet tooth, at dinner

I haven't included a lot of salad recipes, and I'm not entirely sure why. I really love salads, but I tend to find that many of the recipes are so similar to ones I already have. Or, they're full of great ingredients that I simply won't eat. Hmmm.

I got this recipe from my wonderful mother-in-law a few years ago. She served it one night at dinner for us, and Aaron and I couldn't stop talking about it on the way home. The original recipe is relatively high in fat, but I've found many ways to make it a bit healthier. Be creative -- the recipe is very forgiving!

Winter fruit salad with lemon-poppy seed dressing

Dressing:
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup lemon juice
2 tsp. finely chopped onion
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. salt
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tbsp. poppy seeds

Salad:
1 large head romaine lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces (about 10 cups)
4 oz. (1 cup) shredded Swiss cheese
1 cup cashews
1/4 cup sweetened dried cranberries
1 apple, cubed
1 pear, cubed

In a blender or food processor bowl with metal blade, combine sugar, lemon juice, onion, mustard and salt. Cover; process until blended. With machine running, add oil in a slow, steady stream, processing until thick and smooth. Add poppy seeds; process a few seconds to mix.

In a large serving bowl, combine all salad ingredients; toss to mix. Pour dressing over salad; toss to coat.

Serves 12 (1-cup servings)

Cook's notes: To cut down on the oil, I add more lemon juice -- make sure it's freshly squeezed for this recipe. In addition, I might add a little freshly squeezed orange juice to cut down on the sugar, as well. A shallot would be a nice replacement for the onion. I would not use extra-virgin olive oil here. There's too many flavors competing, and the oil's fruity flavor would lose out. Pecans or hazelnuts would be a delicious replacement for the cashews. As for the cheese, I would make sure to use a very mellow one. Danish fontina might be a nice choice. However, a strongly flavored cheese, like gorgonzola, would overpower the sweetness of the fruit and dressing.