Spinach Salad

I brought this recipe a long time ago.  I don't remember what the topic was but am thinking it was March and the topic was "Green".  It was one of the first ones Liz hosted because I was still in TLF.  My sister wrote up a post about it on our family recipe blog HERE. It has candied almonds, fruit, spinach, and delish dressing.

3 bunches spinach or 1 10-12 oz. bag of spinach rinsed, dried & torn

½ head of lettuce, cut or torn

1 c. grated cheese (Mozzarella or Swiss)

Add any or all of the following:

2 11-oz. cans mandarin oranges

1 c. nuts (almonds, cashews, peanuts, or pecans)

strawberries, sliced

1 c. cottage cheese

2 c. diced chicken breast (sauteed in olive oil & garlic), optional

1 pkg. Won ton skins, cut in strips and fried (delicious, but more work)

Dressing

In blender combine:

1 c. Canola oil

¼ c. white vinegar

¼ c. sugar

1 ½ T. red onion

1 ½ t. salt

¼ t. dry mustard powder

1 ½ t. poppy seeds

Make the salad & top with dressing the right before serving.  (Use as much dressing as desired for the salad.  Refrigerate any dressing that is not used.)  Optional:  for individual servings,  place salad on a salad plate and top with pink dressing and poppy seeds.

Serves 10-14

Candied almonds

1 egg white
1 t. vanilla
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 t. salt
3 t. cinnamon

Heat oven to 250 degrees.  Place parchment paper on a jelly roll pan.

Beat egg white and vanilla until frothy, not stiff.  Add the rest of the ingredients.  Stir in almonds.  (My recipe doesn’t say how many almonds to use. I halved the recipe and used about 1 ½ cups of almond slices and it seemed like a pretty good amount.)  Pour on parchment paper which is on the jelly roll pan.  Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes.  Stir occasionally.