Spinach Salad with Strawberries and Spiced Pepitas

This is the salad that we made to go along with our Spring Frittata for our May 2021 class! It is perfect as is or try adding some of the optional items I suggested to make it your own! The crunchy spiced pepitas along with the sweet onions and strawberries make this a fantastic spring salad!

Ingredients:

1 – 6 oz. bag of organic baby spinach (about 5 cups)

1⁄2 small red onion, very thinly sliced

1 qt. organic strawberries, hulled and sliced

Optional additions: chopped hard-boiled egg, toasted almonds, walnuts,

beets, mushrooms, avocado, dried fruit, orange wedges, quinoa, organic

chicken or feta/goat cheese if tolerated

Spiced Pepitas:

1⁄2 cup pepitas (raw, hulled pumpkin seeds)

1 tsp. maple syrup

1⁄4 tsp. cinnamon

Sprinkle of kosher salt

Pinch of cayenne

Dressing:

3 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar

1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard

1 clove garlic, minced

1⁄2 cup good olive oil

Kosher salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Place red onions in a bowl of ice water to soak while preparing the rest of the

   salad (this preserves the flavor while losing the harsh bite)

2. Stir together pepitas, maple syrup, cinnamon, salt, and cayenne. Heat pepitas in

   a skillet over medium heat until toasted, about 4 minutes. Allow to cool before

   storing. They will get crisp as they cool.

3. Prepare the dressing by whisking the balsamic, garlic and Dijon in a small bowl.

   Slowly and gradually add the olive oil while whisking briskly to emulsify the

   dressing. Salt and pepper to taste.

4. In a large bowl, add all your salad ingredients (reserve 1⁄4 cup spiced pepitas for

   the top) including any optional additions (below). Drizzle some dressing over

   top. Start conservatively, you can always add more. * Dress salad right before serving and only dress what you think you will eat. Spinach does not hold up well once dressed.

5. Toss, adjust seasoning as needed and top with

   remaining pepitas.