Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Strawberry Spinach salad with Orange Balsamic Dressing

I know - every Celiac out there is tired of eating salads. I know. We go out to eat with friends and 99% of the time, there we are yet again, getting a salad with no croutons and the dressing on the side. Excuse me waiter, I would like to order a salad, extra complicated with a side of your scorn and a touch of eye rolling. But, this time, I would like to not go through how I am allergic to wheat, not weed, you crazy pothead. Kay. Thanks.
But, some salads are just plain good. This is so easy and makes a great side to just about anything. The dressing is also wonderful on other salads, so thy it out!

Serves 4
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: none, duh, it's a salad...
Cost: about $4.00 or $1.00 a serving 
Note about cost: since the cost of olive oil and balsamic vinegar can vary tremendously, this is just looking at the cost of a pint of strawberries and the spinach mostly.


1/2 pint of strawberries, quartered
1 bag baby spinach
1/4 cup of chopped walnuts

Dressing:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon orange zest
juice of 1 orange
1 teaspoon honey
pepper to taste

Some helpful hints:
* Even though bagged baby spinach is washed, wash it again. I have found some gross leaves in there before.
* Keep balsamic vinegar in the fridge after you open it. Apparently, this can help to keep the flavor sweet.
* Zest the orange before you juice it. I know that seems like a "duh" moment, but I sometimes get so excited that I forget.
* I everything separated and let people put it together themselves. This way, the spinach doesn't wilt either.

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