Lunch: Chicory Salad with Quince and Pecans

This recipe includes fertility superfoods such as:

Cinnamon

Health and fertility benefits of Chicory Salad with Quince and Pecans

Cinnamon is one of the best ingredients that someone with insulin sensitivity can eat. Half a teaspoon of cinnamon per day has been shown to be very effective at normalizing blood sugar levels. Cinnamon contains hydroxychalcone, which is thought to enhance the effects of insulin. It has also been suggested that Cinnamon prevents post-meal blood sugar spikes by slowing the gastric emptying rate - meaning that food digests slowly. (Reference: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11506060).

Ingredients

2 cups water
1/4 cup cider vinegar
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 jalapeño, seeded and very finely chopped
1 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 cinnamon stick
Salt
2 quinces—peeled, cored and thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups pecan halves (6 ounces)
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup walnut oil
1 teaspoon sugar
Freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 pounds chicory, stems discarded and leaves torn into bite-size pieces (16 cups)
1 cup crumbled blue cheese (4 ounces)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 °. In a large saucepan, combine the water with the cider vinegar, brown sugar, jalapeño, ginger, coriander, cinnamon stick and a pinch of salt and bring to a boil. Add the sliced quince, cover and simmer over low heat until they are tender, about 15 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer the poached quince to a small bowl. Discard the quince poaching liquid.
Meanwhile, spread the pecan halves on a rimmed baking sheet and sprinkle with salt. Bake for about 7 minutes, until the pecans are toasted.
In a small bowl, stir the sherry and red wine vinegar with the vegetable oil, walnut oil and sugar. Season the vinaigrette with salt and pepper.
In a large salad bowl, toss the chicory with the quince, pecans and blue cheese. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss well. Serve right away.

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