Nuts About Berries Salad

This is a recipe I (Chris) found on this blog. It's a Zupa's copy, and because I love everything Zupa makes, I love this knock-off salad. I especially like that I can make lots of almonds and dressing, and make up a couple of bowls for Dad and I to go with our meal several times a week. I give it a 5.

You need:
Spinach (Or other greens. I used a mix of spinach and romaine and it was good.)
Berries: strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blue berries, or whatever you can find. It's good to have 2 or 3 varieties. Slice the berries to bite-sized if necessary.

Sugar/cinnamon almonds:
1/2 sliced almonds
2 Tablespoons sugar
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Combine the almonds and sugars in a small non-stick pan. Cook on medium heat, stirring constantly, until the sugars begin to melt.  Take care not to burn! You might need to turn down the heat a little. Once the sugar coats the nuts, add the cinnamon and remove from pan, allow to cool.

Poppy Seed Dressing:
1 1/8 cup olive oil
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 tsp dry mustard
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp poppy seed
Mix well, store in fridge.  Shake before using.  

Wonton Chicken Salad

submitted by Chris
4+ stars

2 heads of romaine and 1 bunch of spinach (or whatever greens your family likes best) or one bag of greens and one bag of spinach
3-4 chicken breasts, grilled and cubed (you can marinate these in a little soy sauce and pepper for an Asian flavor)
2 large cans mandarin oranges, drained
3 avocados, cubed
1/2 bunch of green onions, diced thin
toasted slivered almonds and sunflower kernels (I put a handful of each in a frying pan with a pat of butter until browned)
1/2 package of won ton wrappers, fried in vegetable oil (find these at Wal-mart by the bag salads)

Dressing
(I usually use only 2/3-3/4 of the dressing on the salad-I think all of it is too much.)

1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
1/2 teaspoon accent (optional)
1/2 teaspoon paprika

Blend the dressing in a food processor or blender for best results. I used my immersion blender.

Combine all and serve.

Spinach and Strawberry Salad

 This is the salad I made for Megan's Twirp dance 11/06/10

submitted by Chris
4 stars

2 bunches spinach, rinsed and torn into bit-size pieces (or one 10-12 oz bag)
4 cups sliced strawberries
sliced almonds, if desired

dressing:
1/2 cup vegetable oil (I use Canola oil)
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/2 cup regular sugar
1/4 teaspoon paprika
2 Tablespoons sesame seeds
1 Tablespoon poppy seeds

Spinach Salad with Pomegranate Vinegerette Dressing

submitted by Chris

4 stars
This recipe is adapted from Judy Cannon
4 cups baby spinach leaves
1 can mandarin oranges
1/3 cup pomegranate seeds
1/3 cup almond slivers
4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
2 ounces swiss cheese, grated
1/3 cup salad dressing (recipe below)Toss all ingredients in a bowl. Serve immediately. Serves 4.

POMEGRANATE VINAIGRETTe
This dressing recipe is from Judy Cannon's blog
1/2 cup pomegranate juice
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 cup olive oil
salt, to taste
fresh ground pepper, to taste