Day 21 - A Recipe

Wow, this could be a fun one. Something you probably don't know about me is that I am a picky eater. I don't like eating things too many days in a row and I pretty much despise leftovers beyond lunch the next day. For the longest time, we never planned what we were having for dinner. SA would come home from work, go what sounds good, I would say "Nothing" and we would end up eating out. Lots of wasted money and calories. Since both of us have had gastric banding, I have started to plan our meals based on when we are going grocery shopping. I log into Spar.k Peo.ple every day to track my food and they have a recipe database that is immense. So we have gotten to try a lot of new recipes. One of my favorites is listed below.

Chef Meg's Baby Spinach Salad with Strawberries and Toasted Almonds

Fresh and juicy during spring and summer months, strawberries are delicious when combined with tender spinach and crunchy toasted almonds. Chef Meg reduced the amount of sweetener used and then increased the vegetables in this member-submitted recipe to ensure you'd get a full cup of fruit and vegetables.

12 Minutes to Prepare and Cook

Ingredients

1/3 c almonds, slivered
4 c baby spinach
3/4 c strawberries, quartered
1 T balsamic vinegar
1 t Dijon mustard
1 t honey
3 T extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Place the almonds in a dry skillet or saute pan. Cook over low heat, shaking the pan the entire time until the almonds are toasting. Almonds are done when you start to smell a "nutty" scent.
Remove almonds from the pan to cool. (Do not cool in the skillet because they will burn from the heat that remains in the pan.) Wash and dry the spinach.

Prepare the dressing by placing the vinegar, mustard, and honey in a mixing bowl. Slowly whisk in the oil until all is incorporated. Place spinach in a large bowl. Add strawberries, almonds, and dressing. Toss to coat. If desired, season with a pinch of salt and pepper.


Number of Servings: 4