Cranberry Spinach Salad with Gorgonzola

With washed spinach--baby and otherwise--available in most supermarkets these days, a fresh spinach salad is almost no work at all. Carley Petersen found that adding just a few great ingredients makes it a very special salad. Toasting the pecans brings out their rich, sweet flavor. PREP AND COOK TIME: About 15 minutes.

Yield: Makes 6 servings

Ingredients

• 1  cup  pecan halves or pieces
• 3  quarts baby spinach leaves (about 8 oz.), rinsed and crisped
• 1/2  cup  dried cranberries
• 1  cup  crumbled gorgonzola or other blue cheese (4 oz.)
• 3  tablespoons  lemon-flavored extra-virgin olive oil
• or
• 3  tablespoons  regular olive oil plus 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel
• 1  tablespoon  balsamic vinegar
• Salt and pepper

Preparation

1. In a shallow baking pan, bake pecans in a 350° oven until golden in the center (break one to check), 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool.

2. In a large bowl, gently mix spinach, pecans, cranberries, crumbled gorgonzola, olive oil, and vinegar. Season salad to taste with salt and pepper.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

295 (76% from fat)

Protein:

6.3g

Fat:

25g (sat 6)

Carbohydrate:

15g

Fiber:

4g

Sodium:

331mg

Cholesterol:

17mg