January 29, 2013

Spinach salad with candied walnuts

It is the end of January, and for some reason, I was craving this summer salad. Packed with fruit, spinach and nuts, it has all of the ingredients of a super-healthy salad. And since I'm trying my hardest to avoid eating cheese (it's really not all that healthy, but it's soo good), I felt relieved because this salad definitely doesn't need any type of cheese-- although you could always crumble blue cheese or feta on top. First I will teach you how to candy walnuts, and then I'll explain the process of putting together the salad and salad dressing.


Candied Walnuts (makes enough for leftovers)

1 1/2 cups walnuts
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup water

Really this is a guessing game every time I make these, but this is about how much of each ingredient you'll need. I heat the water and sugar up first in a Teflon-coated frying pan (do not boil), and then toss the nuts in, mixing occasionally with a wooden spoon over low-medium heat. All in all, it takes about 20 minutes. You will see sugary coating around the walnuts about 15 minutes in. Cool for five minutes before serving.

Balsamic honey dressing

1 t honey
1 t Dijon mustard
1 T balsamic vinegar
2 T olive oil

Mix ingredients together in a bowl

Assembling the salad

Layer 2 cups, spinach, 1/4 cup blueberries, 1/4 cup chopped strawberries, and a handful of candied walnuts. Pour desired amount of salad dressing over and serve.

8 comments:

  1. delicious!! looks healthy, too! i love candied walnuts!

    www.beckspick.com

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  2. I had a salad simliar to this today too! Love the spring/summer salad mix!

    xx Michelle

    Fierce & Fashionable

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  3. One of my favorite salads...so good :)

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  4. YUM! I'm ready for summer with this weather we've been having. This is perfect!

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  5. mmmmmm looks so yummy! Thanks for the recipe, I got to try it now :)

    What a great blog, I am now following you, hope you can do the same~

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    -Tammy www.silksatinlace.blogspot.com

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  6. Hi Jenn! Thanks for stopping by my blog :) This salad looks delicious -- I'm always up for a good salad recipe! Anyways, love your blog. New follower!

    Champagne Lifestyle on a Beer Budget

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  7. Hi Jenn - Thanks for suggesting a pan with Teflon® nonstick coating for your candied walnuts. I represent DuPont and it's always a pleasure to see people recommending our products.

    If you are interested in some recipes to look at for your cookware with Teflon® nonstick coatings, visit http://www.scribd.com/TeflonBrand! Also, feel free to check out our Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/teflonbrand) and Twitter (https://twitter.com/teflonbrand) pages! Thanks. Cheers, Sara

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