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Fresh Spring Side: Spinach & Strawberry Salad

partysugar — Sat, 28 Apr 2007 03:19:21 -0700

Last Sunday night I was in charge of making dinner. I sent my dad to the store with a list, but at the last minute I called him to change my mind about the side dish for my bacon and onion risotto. Dad, I said, how do you feel about a spinach and strawberry salad on the side? He loved the idea as much as I did. I love incorporating fruit into salads for a crisp and complex taste experience. This salad makes a great side for the aforementioned risotto, a lemony pasta dish, or a spice rubbed grilled chicken. Throw in a couple hard boiled eggs, some avocado, mushrooms, or crunchy bacon bits and this side salad can easily be turned into a quick and flavorful dinner. To bookmark this recipe - trust me it's one you are going to love - read more

Spinach & Strawberry Salad
From Whole Foods

1/2 shallot, minced (about 1 tablespoon)
2 tablespoon raspberry vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
6 oz baby spinach leaves
5 fresh strawberries
1/3 cup sliced almonds
2 oz goat cheese

Combine the minced shallot and raspberry vinegar in a small bowl. Slowly add the olive oil to the mixture while continuously whisking. Place the vinaigrette in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Roughly chop (or tear) the baby spinach into large julienne strips. Add to a large bowl. Prep the remaining components of the salad, but keep separated.
Slice the strawberries into thin round slices.
Toast the almonds by spreading on a cookie sheet and placing in a 375°F degree oven for approximately 5 minutes.
Crumble the goat cheese into medium-size chunks.
When you are ready to serve the salad, add the strawberries, almonds and goat cheese and lightly mix together.
Add the dressing slowly (you may not want to add all the dressing to the salad). Gently mix together and serve immediately.

Serves 4.

Substitute: if you are not a fan of purchasing specialty vinegars substitute a good balsamic vinegar.

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Fast & Easy Dinner: Ginger Pork Chops With Spinach Salad

partysugar — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 06:46:34 -0700

Savor the last of Summer's strawberries with this flavor-packed meal. The berries add a delightful sweetness to both the salad and sauce. The pork chops are seasoned with fresh ginger, and the scrumptious sauce combines juicy ginger with the plump berries.

An unexpected ingredient, frozen lemonade concentrate, brings a syrupy tartness to the sauce. Served atop a bed of spinach, this meal is balanced and filling, so get the recipe and read more.

Ginger Pork Chops With Spinach Salad
From Everyday With Rachael Ray magazine

Ingredients

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
4 thick boneless pork loin chops
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
1 pint strawberries, sliced
6 ounces (half of a 12-ounce can) frozen lemonade concentrate
2 teaspoons ground ginger
One 6-ounce bag baby spinach
2 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
Balsamic vinegar, for drizzling

Directions

In a heavy skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat.
Rub both sides of each pork chop with salt, pepper, and the fresh ginger. Add to the skillet and cook for 1 minute, then cover, lower the heat to medium, and cook for 10 minutes.
Flip the chops, cover and cook until brown, 10 minutes longer. Transfer to a plate and keep warm. Reserve the skillet.
Set aside 1 cup strawberries for the salad.
Add the remaining strawberries, lemonade concentrate, ground ginger, and 3/4 cup water to the skillet and stir to combine.
Bring to a boil over high heat, scraping the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook, stirring, and smashing the berries, until the sauce is thick and reduced to about 1 cup, about 5 minutes.
Divide the spinach among 4 plates and top with the goat cheese and reserved strawberries. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar; season to taste with salt and pepper.
Place a pork chop on each plate and top with the strawberry-lemonade sauce.

Serves 4.

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What's Cooking at Slashfood

YumSugar — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 06:50:28 -0700

We love Slashfood so much that every Thursday we round up their most delicious stories. Here are this week's finds:

Could the College of William & Mary soon adopt an asparagus mascot?
The Skinny Chef attempts to dispel bacon's bad reputation.
Get a glimpse of the limitless food at Guatemala's Chichicastenango market.
Make the most of Summer's ripest strawberries in a spinach and berry salad.
Spicy tuna pickled cucumber cups are ideal for beginner sushi makers.

Simple Tip: Make Your Egg Slicer a Multi-Tasker

YumSugar — Fri, 11 May 2007 10:01:10 -0700

Here's a tip I picked up a long time ago - you've probably already seen it, but I thought I'd pass it along just in case. If you happen to have an egg slicer in your mix of kitchen contraptions, you can now move it from uni-tasker to multi-tasker. Not only are egg slicers perfect for creating uniform strips of egg, but they work well on mushrooms and strawberries too. Now you can have sliced strawberries for your spinach and strawberry salad in no time.

Our Favorite Sides

partysugar — Sat, 22 Dec 2007 04:01:31 -0800

You've probably noticed that we share a scrumptious side dish recipe every Saturday. Sides are a wonderful way to enhance a meal and round out a menu. When making side dishes I like to experiment with new flavors and reinvent old classics. I've looked back at all the dishes and picked out my top five. Here they are, starting in the top middle and moving clockwise:

How about you? What was your favorite side?