Spinach and Apple Salad with Dragon's Breath Cheese Vinaigrette
This recipe makes 8 servings
Nutritional Info |
|
|---|---|
| Per each of 8 servings: about | - |
| cal | 315 |
| pro | 9 g |
| total fat | 24 g |
| sat. fat | 5 g |
| carb | 19 g |
| fibre | 3 g |
| chol | 18 mg |
| sodium | 435 mg |
| % RDI: | - |
| calcium | 13 |
| iron | 14 |
| vit A | 28 |
| vit C | 20 |
| folate | 43 |
- Portion size: 6 to 8
Chef Craig Stelmack makes Maple's outstanding spinach salad, crunchy with hot allspice-roasted walnuts, salty and smoky with strips of crisp bacon, sweet and fresh with apples, and dressed and garnished with really stinky blue cheese. It's an adult salad, but beware: it's addictive.
Ingredients
- 6 slices 6sliceslean smoky bacon
- 2 2appleapples
- 1 pkg 1pkg(10 oz/284 g) fresh baby spinach
- 1/4 cup 1/4cupcrumbled blue cheese Spiced Walnuts
- 1 1egg whiteegg whites
- 1/4 cup 1/4cuppacked brown sugar
- 1 tsp 1tspground allspice
- 1 tsp 1tsphot pepper sauce
- 1/4 tsp 1/4tspsalt
- 1-1/2 cups 1-1/2cupswalnut halfwalnut halves Vinaigrette
- 1/2 cup 1/2cup10% cream
- 1/4 cup 1/4cuppacked blue cheese
- 2 tbsp 2tbspwhite wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp 2tbspextra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp 1tbspliquid honey
- 1/4 tsp 1/4tspsalt
- 1/4 tsp 1/4tsppepper
Preparation
Spiced Walnuts: In bowl, beat egg white until soft peaks form. Whisk in sugar, allspice, hot pepper sauce and salt. Add nuts; toss to coat evenly.
Spread evenly on parchment paper-lined or greased rimmed baking sheet. Bake in 325°F (160°C) oven, stirring and separating twice, until butterscotch brown and crisp, about 45 minutes. Let cool; break into pieces, if desired. (Make-ahead: Store in loosely covered container for up to 2 days.)
Vinaigrette: In food processor or blender, whirl together cream, blue cheese, vinegar, oil, honey, salt and pepper until smooth. (Make-ahead: Refrigerate in airtight container for up to 2 days; rewhisk before using.)
Cut bacon crosswise into 1/2-inch (1 cm) strips. Fry in skillet over medium heat until crisp; drain and pat dry on paper towels. Core and dice 1 of the apples; core and thinly slice second apple.
In large bowl, toss together spinach, diced apple, bacon, 1 cup (250 mL) of the walnuts and vinaigrette. In same bowl or on salad plates, garnish with apple slices, remaining walnuts and crumbled cheese.
Source : Canadian Living Magazine: April 2003
