Blue Cheese Salad

So by now it should be evident that we are practicing some impressive austerity, if I may say so, with our dinner menus since the (heavy) holidays. Yes, another salad to grace the Breaking Bread site. Well you have to admit they have all been delicious, hearty salads...I mean there is nothing like adding insult to injury with an anemic salad. If you are going to do it, you have to remove the stigma of eating like a peace, love and granola rabbit and enjoy a nice quality but healthy salad. So. Tonight's version was a Blue Cheese Salad. My husband and I LOVE blue cheese. I know, some people hate it, but if you like it you will like this salad:

Blue Cheese Salad
Any salad mix you like (I used an organic spring mix)
Crispy chicken fingers (I used frozen, but you could make them fresh or use rotisserie chicken, etc.)
2-4 T Blue cheese crumbles (depending on how much you like blue cheese)
1 Granny Smith apple, diced (I only had Macintosh, but I KNOW Granny Smith would have been superior)
1/3 cup dried cranberries, finely chopped
1/3 cup walnuts, chopped (if I made this again I would candy the walnuts to further balance out the tart cheese)


Dressing:
4 T blue cheese crumbles
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried parsley
1/4 tsp onion powder
2-3 oz. cold water (to thin out as desired)


Assemble the salad with desired amount of each topping. To make the dressing, place all ingredients and just the first 1-2 oz. of water in a food processor. Add drops of water accordingly to thin out the dressing to desired consistency (you could also use milk or buttermilk for a richer dressing).