Spinach Apple Salad

In honor St. Patrick’s Day I am sharing my second favorite green food.  If you missed my favorite green food click here.

My second favorite green food is spinach.  As a child I never could have imagined saying that, let alone eating spinach.  I need to clarify though – I love raw spinach.  That cooked stuff you can have – yuck! 

One of my childhood memories is of visiting my grandmother in California and her trying to get me to eat spinach.  She would bribe me telling me it would make me strong like Popeye!  It didn’t work.

Now, we eat lots of spinach at house – mainly in the form of a salad but lately I have been making spinach smoothies in the morning for breakfast.  Believe it or not they are yummy!!  Maybe I’ll share that recipe soon too.

Spinach is considered one of the healthiest foods on earth and calorie for calorie provides more nutrients than almost any other food on earth!  It’s a good source of Vitamin K and calcium as well as lots of other good vitamins and minerals.

Today’s recipe is one that was given to me by my friend Jeanne.  Jeanne and I work together in the women’s organization at church and quarterly we help with a program and luncheon for the senior sisters at church.  They always have a potluck lunch and Jeanne’s salad is always part of that luncheon!

Jeanne’s version calls for sliced up apple but a pear would be yummy too.  I was in a rush so instead of cutting up either one I threw on a handful of Craisinets.

The salad dressing is a pretty pink color thanks to the red onion.

The recipe Jeanne sent me was called German Apple Salad – I have no idea why but I am renaming it Spinach Apple Salad – even though mine had no apples in it!

We had the salad for a main dish for dinner this week so I added some grilled chicken.  I used Melanie’s recipe for Lemon and Garlic Grilled Chicken  It is so YUMMY!! 

With or without the chicken this is a yummy way to eat your spinach!

Spinach Apple Salad  
1 (10-oz) bag fresh baby spinach
1 med. Granny Smith apple, cored, and thinly sliced
1/2 lb. crumbled, fried bacon
3/4 C toasted, slivered almonds
Dressing:
1/4 C granulated sugar
1/3 C oil
1/4 tsp. salt
3T. cider vinegar
1/8 small red onion
Toss salad ingredients together. For dressing, place ingredients in blender. Blend until onion is very fine and mixture is well blended. Dress salad and serve immediately. Garnish with apple slices.