Inspiration comes from many places. Sometimes I feel so uninspired in the kitchen. I hate when I go through those phases.
My son and I ate lunch at a local restaurant the other day, and I ordered a version of the above salad. It was absolutely DELICIOUS and it inspired me to recreate it in my own kitchen. My recreation was just as wonderful as the original. With careful measurements, it ended up coming in at 6p+ *for the whole yummy thing! Not bad at all. * (6p+ when you count all the fruit and spinach as 0 point plus foods)
Fruity Summer Spinach Salad....Tender baby spinach surrounded by a medley of fresh summer fruits....strawberries, kiwi, and blueberries, and finished with sliced almonds and goat cheese, then topped with your favorite bottled poppyseed dressing. YUM!
The poppyseed dressing I used was Kraft. To easily measure out the perfect portion, put your salad filled plate on your kitchen scale and zero it out, then pour the dressing to the amount indicated for one serving.
Fruity Summer Spinach Salad with Goat Cheese
inspired by Houlihan's Spinach Salad
Servings - 1 Serving size - one salad Points Plus per serving - * SEE BELOW
(Salad NO DRESSING) Calories - 312.5, Total Fat - 10.8g, Carb. - 48.6g, Protein - 11.3g, Fiber - 12.6g
*Please note, you can either count the fruit and spinach as 0 pp, and use the pp values for the almonds and goat cheese, which would give the salad a pp value of 3p+ OR you can calculate the nutrition information to give the salad an 8p+ value, WITHOUT the dressing.
Ingredients:
2 cups of organic baby spinach leaves
1 cup of fresh strawberries, halved
1 cup or fresh blueberries
1 large kiwi, peeled and sliced
1 TBS sliced almonds
1 oz. soft goat cheese, broken up into pieces
Directions:
Assemble salad on plate with spinach as base topped by the rest of the ingredients. Finish with your favorite dressing ( I used poppyseed) Remember to add the calories/point plus values for the dressing.
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FINALLY! My life seems to be coming to a more manageable speed. Both of my older kids are off to college and all settled in. I have to admit. Sending away my middle son proved to be a heart wrenching experience for me. But I will be fine! lol
My youngest is back in high school and the craziness that was the summer of 2012 is behind me...I hope! I am hoping to be back to regular blogging soon! It seems in my hiatus, I have stumbled into a cooking slump! Bad timing. I'm sure it's nothing that an afternoon of pinterest browsing and food blog reading won't cure though! :)
Make this salad while the last bit of summer is still with us! It will make you HAPPY! I know it made me very happy!
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Sometimes cooking doesn't have to be about cooking. It can be about salads which are so easy and so nutritious. Judging from the ingredients in this salad, it's got to taste great. I love fruits in a salad. Try quinoa, too, you can cook it up in 15 minutes then add the same ingredients you would add to a salad. We ALL go through those slumps. Besides, you had three kids home for the summer and cooking for them...
ReplyDeleteKeep writing.
P.S. I found your blog on FoodBlogs.com.
DeleteThanks Kathleen! I'm glad you found me!
DeleteHow yummy is fruit in salads? This is a gorgeous combo! Glad everyone is settled. I can't belive its almost September!
ReplyDeleteI have been eating tons of baby greens with fresh berries and different sources of protein - so refreshing!
ReplyDeleteFunny how we get in those cooking slumps now and then. I think the change in season helps me get excited about cooking again. Now that your life is getting back to normal you'll get your cooking mojo back again.
It is bittersweet to see our children grow up and move out. It does however open us all up to new adventures and experiences. Change is good!
I am embracing your comment Tami, "change IS good!" :)
DeleteHi Renee. This looks fanatic, thanks for the delicious end of summer recipe. Glad life is settling down for you!!!
ReplyDeleteThis looks so yummy. Great idea for me to take to work.
ReplyDelete