Spinach Salad
Contributed by: Dana Jacobi of 12 Best Foods Cookbook
After apprenticing at three-star restaurants in France, Author Dana Jacobi opened a catering business and marketed her own line of gourmet sauces. She has since authored five cookbooks, contributed to several others, and written for Food & Wine, Cooking Light, the New York Times, and the Associated Press.
Her work has won a Gourmand World Cookbook Award and been nominated for a James Beard Foundation Book Award. Presently Jacobi writes a weekly newspaper column, "Something Different," for the American Institute for Cancer Research. She also consults in product development and teaches cooking classes. Jacobi lives in New York City.
This recipe is reprinted from: 12 Best Foods Cookbook: Over 200 Delicious Recipes Featuring the 12 Healthiest Foods.
With nectarines available nearly all year long, you can enjoy this salad almost anytime. I actually like it best in the winter, when the tartness of imported nectarines seems to make it even more refreshing. Tossing fresh mint with the spinach adds an unexpected flavor.
Ingredients:
- 4 cups baby spinach (4 ounces)
- 1/4 cup mint leaves
- Juice of 1/2 lime
- 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon chopped shallot
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 nectarine, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup fresh blueberries, or 1/4 cup dried
Directions:
Place the spinach in a large mixing bowl. Stack the mint leaves and cut them crosswise into thin strips. Toss the mint with the spinach.
For the dressing, combine the lime juice, vinegar, shallot, and salt in a small bowl. Whisk in the oil. Season the dressing to taste with pepper.
Pour the dressing over the greens, tossing to coat lightly. Divide the dressed spinach among 4 salad plates. Fan one-quarter of the nectarine slices on 1 side of each plate. Sprinkle the blueberries over the spinach. Serve immediately.
Food Fact
The vitamin C in lime juice can help your body absorb the iron in spinach.
Serving Size: Makes 4 Servings
Nutritional Information: Per Serving: 72 calories, 4 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 1 g protein, 10 g carbohydrates, 2 g fiber
