Fruit and Spinach Salad Recipe

We've been trying out some new recipes now that summer has arrived.  You can only eat grilled hamburgers and hot dogs so many times before you get tired of them.  :)

A couple weeks ago we tried Fruit and Spinach Salad.  It was good except the kids weren't crazy about the blueberries and the raspberries were mushy.  So last night we made our own variation.  Our new salad consisted of:

baby spinach, of course
mandarin oranges, drained
strawberries, quartered or sliced
pineapple chunks (fresh)
cantelope chunks
red seedless grapes, cut in halves
almonds (we buy blanched, slivered almonds - no seasonings added) (These are also good for heartburn - I ate them when I was pregnant with Alex, the heartburn maker.  :)  They didn't eliminate the heartburn completely, but they helped).

I gave the kids the option of adding some leftover turkey tenderloins, but they unanimously chose to go vegetarian.

I always bowl everything separately and let the kids choose what they would like to have on their salad.  I do usually make them at least try everything.  The good thing about this salad is you can customize it any way you like, as we did.

I also tried a new salad dressing ... Strawberry Viniagrette.  YUM!  I was the only one who used it because the kids eat their salad w/out dressing.  Keira and Alex go completely w/out (yes, even the spinach).  Nick eats the fruit, then puts Ranch dressing on his spinach.

Anyway, here is the recipe for the dressing:
Strawberry Viniagrette dressing
(from About.com)

1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup sliced strawberries
1 tsp. mustard
2 Tblsp. red wine vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
Sweetener to taste (I used honey) - may not need depending on the sweetness of the strawberries

In a blender or food processor:
Puree the strawberries.
Add vinegar, mustard, and seasonings.
Blend completely, then add olive oil.
Blend.
Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
I added a little honey to sweeten mine up.  I didn't measure but it was probably about 2 teaspoons.
Blend thoroughly and enjoy.

Makes 8 servings of about 2 Tblsp. each.

This dressing was a nice combination of the sweet strawberries and the tartness of the vinegar and mustard.  It was yummy! 

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