12 Days of Christmas {Goodies}: Cranberry Apple Salad (Soy, Egg, Fish and Wheat-Free, Can Be Nut and Milk-Free)

Welcome to the seventh day of

The 12 Days of Christmas {Goodies} link-up,

brought to you by Natural and Free and Glued to My Crafts! 

At the end of this post (and every post for the full extent of this link-up) you will get the chance to share your Christmas creations with us (details to follow).  And you'll want to share because we have some amazing giveaways  (among other things) planned! And we all know, there's nothing better than a holiday giveaway! :)

Thank you to all those who have submitted some truly delicious recipes and amazing crafty designs!  We're almost at 60 submissions!  YAY! :) It is going to be hard to choose our Top 5 Favorites to feature on the 13th!  What a good problem to have, though, right? :)

If I haven't stopped by to check out your submission, I'll be there ASAP! :)  I can't wait to see what you've shared!

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And now *clears throat and begins singing loudly off-key just because to the tune of The 12 Days of Christmas*:

On the seventh day of  The Christmas {Goodies} link-up, Natural and Free gave to me:

7. Cranberry Apple Salad!

6. Cinnamon Sugar Apple Pie! 

5. Granny's Favorite Gingerbread!

4. Chocolate-Covered Pretzels!

3. Yummy Peppermint Fudge!

2. Cute and festive Pine Cones!

and

1. A recipe for Candied Pecans!

 

I thought with all the sweets, I should throw in something reasonably healthy, but still delicious.  I decided what would be better or simpler than a tossed salad that was green and red?  Thus, I present to you my Cranberry Apple Salad!  It's soy (if you use all soy-free ingredients), egg, fish and wheat-free, and can be nut and milk-free (see variations), plus it's a "buy taste" recipe so it's beyond foolproof!  I just love recipes like that! :)  I hope you enjoy this sweet, crunchy and nutty salad as much as I did.

Cranberry Apple Salad

Romaine lettuce, chopped or torn into bite-sized pieces

baby spinach, chopped or torn into bite-sized pieces

Craisins

apples, cored and diced into bite-sized pieces (I recommend about 1 apple per person)

(I used Ida Red, but you can use Granny Smith, McIntosh, Pink Lady or your favorite red and/or green apples)

pecan halves

Swiss cheese, shredded or chopped into bite-sized pieces

(You could also use another type of cheese like White Cheddar, Monterey Jack, Bleu cheese or goat cheese - white colored cheese looks best, but you can use whatever is your favorite)

1. Mix the desired amount of each ingredient into a large bowl, toss well and serve.  You can just mix all but the cheese, toss together, serve and then top individual portions with cheese as well.

Can't get much easier than that! :)

Variations:

• Nut-free: Leave out the pecans or sub with another tree nut you can have, like almonds, pistachios, walnuts or cashews.  You could even use sunflower or pumpkin seeds if desired.  Just make sure your choice fits your allergen needs.
• Milk-free: Leave out the Swiss cheese or use a non-dairy cheese.  Just make sure your choice reflects your allergen needs.
• Candied Pecan Cranberry Apple Salad: Use my Candied Pecans in place of the regular pecans.  (Note: This version takes away the egg-free status of this recipe.)
• Fresh Cranberry Apple Salad: If you think the sweetened dried cranberries are too sweet and prefer fresh, but all means use fresh cranberries in place of the Craisins.  You could even do half fresh, half Craisins if desired.
• Strawberry or Cherry Apple Salad: If you don't like Craisins, you can substitute sliced strawberries or dried or fresh cherries.  Just make sure your choice reflects your individual allergen needs.

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Now it's your turn!



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(This recipe was originally posted on my original site, Natural and Free.)