Summer Spinach Salad

I despise winter the way that most people despite Mondays. I can deal with Monday as its just one day of the week. Winter is every day of the week for 6 months a year. Or 11 months, if you lived in Ontario last year. It lasts forever. So to deal with it, I pretend its actually summer. If its above minus 10 and not a blizzard, its BBQ weather in our household. It is also summer salad weather if there are mandarin oranges at the grocery store.

This salad recipe is simple but it jazzes up what might otherwise be an ordinary starter. And it makes winter go by just a little bit faster.

Salad Ingredients:

6 cups baby spinach

2-3 mandarin oranges, peeled & segmented

1/4 cup fresh blueberries

1/2 cup fresh sliced strawberries

1/8 cup slivered almonds

crumbled feta or goats cheese (optional)

1 small apple, sliced (optional)

Vinaigrette:

3 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1/3 cup orange juice

1 tbsp honey

1/2 tsp white sugar (optional)

Combine vinaigrette ingredients in small bowl & whisk well. Pour over salad. & toss.

Serve immediately. Serves 4.