Pear Pecan Salad

This is a nice easy salad to make. I use the grilled teriyaki chicken breasts and the champagne pear vinaigrette, as well as the green lettuce leaves, all from Trader Joes. Put a few slices of ripe pears on top. And then add a sprinkle of candied pecans or other nuts. (Check what Trader Joes has if you really want to make this the easy way!) Or you can make your own Brown Sugar Pecans.

Brown Sugar Pecans: I take 1/4 cup of brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon, and 1/2 cup of pecans. Put them in a small heavy saucepan over medium high heat. Stir, stir, stir for about 2 minutes. Then add 1/2 teaspoon of maple syrup. (The real stuff, and yes I get that at Trader Joes too!) Stir, stir, stir some more for about 2 more minutes. At the point that it just starts to smoke a little (don't burn it) take it off the heat. Spread the pecans on a cookie tray that is covered with parchment paper. Let them cool. Store in a covered container. (Ok, usually I eat half of them as soon as they are little cool.) If you have any left, they taste good on a salad too!