Dressing:
1 ½ tablespoons lemon juice, from ½ of a medium sized lemon
1 small clove garlic, minced
1/8 teaspoon sea salt (Himalayan, Celtic)
2 Tablespoons Raw Local Honey
¼ cup extra virgin cold pressed olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
For the Almonds:
½ cup sliced raw almonds
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon butter or coconut oil
½ teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
For the Salad
5 ounce arugula
1 ½ cups fresh blueberries
optional: 2-3 ounces goat cheese
½ cup sweet almonds
For the almonds, preheat oven to 350˚F.
1. Place honey, butter and olive oil in a medium size oven-safe pan (I like to use a 9-inch cake pan.) Place pan over burner on medium low heat, just until butter is melted. Stir to combine. Add almonds and salt, stir till coated and spread to an even layer in pan.
2. Bake for 8 minutes or until light golden brown, stirring after the first five minutes.
3. Turn almonds out onto a sheet of parchment paper and spread out with a spatula. Cool completely, then store in a airtight container. (Since I'm heating up my oven, I usually make a double or triple batch of these almonds so I can use them on other salads or for snacking.)
4. For the dressing, combine lemon juice garlic and salt in a small bowl. Let sit for about 5 minutes. The lemon juice will soften and mellow the garlic, so be sure to let it sit for this short period and allow all the health benefits of the garlic to be released.
5. Add the honey and stir well. Add the olive oil in a slow drizzle, stirring continuously with a small whisk or fork. Take a small taste. If it's too tart add a bit more honey and olive oil. If it's too bland, add a bit more lemon juice. Add freshly ground black pepper to taste.
6. For the salad, place arugula in a salad bowl. Add a small amount (about 2 tablespoons) of the dressing and toss to coat the leaves.
7. Scatter the blueberries, goat cheese and almonds over the top. Serve immediately. Pass the extra dressing at the table