Arugala Salad with Spiced Walnuts, Pears, Strawberries, and Poached Egg

I love this meal for a number of reasons. It certainly appeases anyone taking a stab at a healthier life by combining nutritious dynamos like arugula and fresh fruit while simultaneously quenching the hunger for the "bad for you but oh so tasty" foods with a small portion of candied nuts (and bacon if you so desire). Even better is that it includes that beautifully unctuous runny egg yolk whose reputation, though previously dragged through the mud, is now making a gallant come back in the medical community. Furthermore, as Anhony Bourdain, the man whose persona juxtaposes eloquence and cynical bad ass stated, "you could put a runny egg on just about anything and I'd enjoy it".

Serves 4
Ingredients:
6 cups arugula
2 bartlett pears
8 medium sized strawberries
1 cup walnuts
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ancho chile powder
4 eggs
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

Start with the walnuts, which can absolutely made ahead of time in a large batch and kept in an air tight container. Preheat the oven to 350. Then, place the walnuts in a large bowl and cover with water. Drain the walnuts in a sieve and then return them to the large bowl. Cover them with the powdered sugar, cinnamon, and chile powder and stir until they're completely coated. Take a cookie sheet and cover with parchment paper and then scatter the coated walnuts in a single even layer. Bake for about 10-12 minutes until they're beautifully caramelized and the spectacular smell of candied walnuts has permeated your kitchen and the rooms beyond.

For the eggs, take a shallow pan (I use my Calphalon 10" non-stick) and fill about 1/2-3/4 with water and then pour in the apple cider vinegar. Bring to a gentle simmer and then very carefully place the egg in the water, cooking for about 3-5 minutes until the whites are just set. Using a slotted spoon, remove the eggs from the water and place on a plate.

To assemble the salad, combine the chopped pears, strawberries, and arugula and divide evenly among the plates. Then evenly distribute the walnuts and place an egg on top of each plate. I personally love this salad without much dressing. Simply a squeeze of lemon and drizzle of good olive oil is perfect and allows the assertive ingredients to stand up for themselves rather than being washed over by a tidal wave of pre-made mediocrity.