Spinach Salad: Part 3

One of my favorite quotes is from Popeye: “I am what I am and that’s all that I am”… how true that is.

When I think about Popeye, I automatically think about spinach. Spinach is an excellent source of vitamin K, vitamin A, magnesium, folate, manganese, iron, calcium, vitamin C, vitamin B2, potassium, and vitamin B6. It’s a very good source of protein, phosphorus, vitamin E, zinc, dietary fiber, and copper. Plus, it’s a good source of selenium, niacin, and omega-3 fatty acids. It is obviously very good for you.

And! It is readily available. You can eat it raw, cooked, or even hidden into other foods to sneak in some healthy benefits to those who swear they don’t like spinach (I tell you this because I have been known to puree spinach and throw it into a batch of brownies and my husband and son have NO IDEA!)

But if you do like spinach, you’ll love this easy salad.

SPINACH SALAD
*my Mom gets credit for this recipe as I learned it from her!

Ingredients:

• bag of spinach (regular or baby spinach, or grow your own; I prefer to buy mine ready to go)
• jar of spinach salad dressing (I think the brand is Marzetti but I’m not positive; I do know that it is in the cooler section where they sell the prepackaged salad at your supermarket)
• generous handful of sliced almonds
• 4-5 cooked strips of bacon (I cook mine quickly in the microwave, DO NOT BUY BACON BITS! You need the REAL DEAL)
• small can of mandarin oranges (or the real clementines or mandarines they sell in the produce section. Just peel and section)
• Generous handful of dried cranberries (optional)

Ok: so here is what you do…

Cook your bacon until its crispy and section your orange (unless you bought them in a can)… then, throw your spinach into a large bowl and add crumbled bacon, almonds, oranges, and cranberries… for kicks you could throw in some wonton noodles for crunch, but you don’t have to. Then, drizzle Tablespoon of salad dressing and mix through. Add another…

Let salad sit 5 minutes before adding any more dressing. This dressing is strong and a little goes a loooooooooong way. As the dressing is added to the spinach, the spinach seems to wilt ever so slightly as it absorbs the dressing. Don’t add too much or your spinach will totally drown. That is NOT the idea.

Toss together and serve!

Yep, that’s it.

Let me know how it goes. I serve this salad so often and get such rave reviews that I’m almost ashamed that it is SO EASY! Now I’m passing it on to you to ‘wow’ your loved ones!

Enjoy!