Spinach Salad(with homemade dressing)
Salad Dressing:
½ cup granulated sugar (substitute ½ cup splenda)
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
1 ½ teaspoons dried minced onion
¼ teaspoon Worcester sauce
¼ teaspoon paprika
1/3 cup cider vinegar
-- Mix together (either shake or whisk) until sugar is completely dissolved. The mix in:
½ cup vegetable oil
Salad:
Fresh spinach
Fresh sliced strawberries, mangos, or peaches (during the holiday season I like to use dried cranberries or canned mandarin oranges)
Fresh sliced mushrooms
1 Marinated red onion*
Caramelized walnuts or pecans**
*To marinate the onion: Thinly slice red onion. Put in a non-stick pan with a couple spoonfuls of dressing. Cook slightly, just until onions start to turn clear. Refrigerate onions in juices in which they were cooked for at least 1 hour.
**To caramelize the nuts:
In a non –stick pan, melt approx. ½ cup sugar over low heat until it dissolves and turns caramel in color. Add about 2 handfuls of nuts. Remove pan from heat and stir to completely coat nuts. Pour nuts out of pan into a large plastic bowl, trying to separate. Cool completely. Break apart by gently crushing with your hands. Can be made ahead and stored in the freezer. (The Low GI way to do this is to mix 2 or 3 egg whites with about ½ cup of splenda and cinnamon. Then coat your nuts and bake at a low temp (250 degrees or so) for about 45 minutes or whenever they look good. Turn the nuts about every ten minutes. They are excellent!!)
