Author Notes
At this busy time of the year I wanted to pull together something quick and easy, but also healthy. This salad is a dinner onto itself. This recipe can be easily doubled for two, or increased for more. It is the tangy dressing that pulls this together. When you calculate out the cost, this is really inexpensive for a dinner. And I think dirt cheap should certainly include premium nutrition vs.sheer bulk. But please don't get me wrong: I am also a huge fan of rice and beans for dirt cheap eats. —Sagegreen
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Ingredients
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2 tablespoons
grapeseed oil (or EVOO)
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2 teaspoons
quality dijon mustard (vinegar, mustard seed, horseradish, white wine, salt, pepper)
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1 tablespoon
aged quality basalmic vinegar
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2 teaspoons
grade A maple syrup
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squeeze of fresh lemon, Meyer if possible
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pinch of sea salt, to taste
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10 ounces
dried, washed tender spinach or other tender green
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handful of fresh, interesting tender greens
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2 ounces
diced roast turkey (leftover from a roast)
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1.5 ounces
toasted walnuts or roasted chestnuts
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1
hard boiled organic egg, cut into eighths
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1/2
avocado, peeled and diced
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1.5 ounces
premium dried cranberries
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1.5 ounces
crumpled Vermont goat cheese (or Maytag blue cheese)
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1
thin slice of red onion, in circle rings
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3 sprigs
fresh thyme, broken into small pieces, stems removed
Directions
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For the dressing, whisk the mustard into the oil to form an emulsion. Whisk in the vinegar and maple syrup next. Taste and add salt, if needed. Finish with a squeeze of fresh lemon.
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Assemble a bed of the spinach greens. Add any interesting tender greens on top. Distribute the turkey across the greens, Toast/roast the nuts in a pan and add them to the plate. Layer the egg and avocado next, followed by the cranberries and crumble cheese. Form a crown of the onions on top and finish with the thyme sprigs broken up into very small units.
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Pour the dressing over the salad so it coats the spinach leaves but does not drown them. Serve with a slice of crusty artisan bread.
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