Spinach Salad


spinach salad

 

This Spinach salad is delicious, healthy, and vibrant. It’s one of the most requested salads that I bring to potlucks. So I make this salad often. This beautiful salad will look great on your holiday dinner table.

For a great tasting vinaigrette try using  good quality balsamic vinegar, olive oil , and mustard. If you want to add a unique flavor to your vinaigrette, then you may buy truffle balsamic vinegar.

 

 Ingredients:

Baby spinach

1 red,yellow or orange bell pepper sliced lengthwise

1/2 red onion sliced (not too thin)

Glazed/candied pecans or walnuts.

Choice of Feta,blue cheese, or Gorgonzola (crumbled)

Bacon (baked/fried and crumbled)

4 tablespoons oil

 

Honey Dijon balsamic vinaigrette:

3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1/4  shallot chopped (optional)

1-2 garlic cloves

1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon honey

Salt and fresh ground black pepper

 

Directions:

Vinaigrette:

Using a hand blender, Combine balsamic vinegar,shallot,garlic,mustard,salt,and pepper.

With blender running,slowly pour in oil. Continue to blend until vinaigrette thickens.

If too thick, you can add a little water to adjust thickness to your liking.

Adjust seasoning and sweetness if needed.

Let sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.

Salad:

Heat 2 tbsp.oil in a skillet on med-high heat.

Add bell pepper and saute.

Remove a peppers from skillet.

Add 2 tbsp. oil. to the same skillet.

Add onions and saute.

Arrange spinach leaves on a salad plate or salad bowl then following this order:

Dressing (drizzled)

bell peppers

onions

bacon

cheese

nuts

If serving in a large salad bowl, Arrange in layers by repeating the order.

 

 

 




Greek Salad


greek salad

This is light and healthy Greek salad recipe.Greek Salad is a crisp, light, healthy  summer salad. Torn Romaine lettuce is topped with juicy tomatoes, crisp cucumbers, kalamata olives, red onion, peppers and crumbled or diced feta cheese then tossed with light and tangy lemon olive dressing.This Greek salad is refreshing and perfect for summer.

Ingredients:

1-2 romaine hearts sliced or torn

1-2 tomatoes sliced into thin wedges

1/2  english cucumber sliced in semicircles

1/2 red onion thinly sliced

kalamata/black olives

pepperoncini  and/or green bell pepper sliced

Crumbled or diced feta cheese

Fresh parsley minced (optional)

 

Dressing:

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar*

1 teaspoon salt or to taste (I used pink himalayan)

1 teaspoon sugar

fresh ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon dry parsley

1 large clove garlic or 2 small

1/3 cup olive oil (high quality recommended)

*You can sub in white or red wine vinegar

 

Directions for dressing:

In a bowl whisk lemon juice,balsamic vinegar,salt,sugar,parsley,black pepper,and garlic.Gradually whisk in olive oil.Continue to whisk until the dressing is well combined and thickened a little.Set a side for at least 15 minutes-30 minutes.Or refrigerate for later use.

Place all salad ingredients in a salad bowl or a plate.Toss with prepared dressing.

Greek salad-2

 

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