Northwest Spinach Salad

"This one uses several ingredients that can be found in the Pacific Northwest, but I'm pretty sure you can get most of these items anywhere. As with many salads, measurements need not be exact; use more or less depending on your taste. I like it because it combines the green taste of spinach with sweet, tart fruit, and salty flavors of almonds and parmesan. Cooking time is for the almonds. Great for using leftover turkey from holidays too. Hope you enjoy it."
 
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Ready In:
25mins
Ingredients:
10
Yields:
2 entree-size salads
Serves:
2-4
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ingredients

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directions

  • To make the smoky-sweet almonds, heat a small nonstick skillet over medium-high flame, and add 2 t. sugar, 1 t. smoked salt (e.g. fume de sel) and 2 T of water. To this add a handful of slivered almonds, and toss them around in the pan until the water evaporates and the sugar stars to carmelize, about 2-3 minute When the nuts are carmel-y brown, dump them onto some parchment paper to cool, breaking them up into smaller pieces (they will stick together). You can make these ahead and store them in an airtight container until you're ready to use them. If you don't feel like dealing with this step, you can just use roasted/salted almonds or whatever kind of nuts you like.
  • Combine salad ingredients in large bowl. (Hint: if you slice the pears first, you can soak them in some ice water with a little sea salt added to keep them from turning brown while you assemble the rest of the salad. Then drain well before adding to the greens.) If you plan to make this a little ahead of time to chill in the fridge, leave the cheese, pear, and nuts out until the last minute.
  • When ready to serve, whisk the dressing ingredients together in the empty serving bowl, tipping the bowl so the dressing gets up on the sides. Add the salad mixture (plus the cheese, pear, and nuts if you prepped the rest ahead of time), and toss lightly. Tossing the greens this way will help evenly coat the spinach, and keep it from getting too bruised and wilty.
  • Serve with crusty bread.

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RECIPE SUBMITTED BY

I'm an amateur cook who loves sharing good food with friends and family. I was born in Alabama, but grew up in the Pacific Northwest, where I live now. I first learned to cook buttermilk biscuits at the age of 4 from my grandmother, who was a true Southerner, and have enjoyed being in the kitchen ever since. When I'm not cooking, I work at a software company as a program manager. My husband and I have two kids, ages 2 and 6.
 
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