Asian Spinach Salad

I know that some of you will not be able to believe that I am posting a Spinach recipe, but I am. To fill the rest of you in, let me tell you that until my adult years, spinach was one of the foods I could not keep down. In my family if it was on the table, you had to at least try a bite... even if you had "not handled it well" last time. So, I have many a messy story about me, the dinner table and spinach. That being said, I still don't really eat cooked spinach, and if it comes out of the freezer... I'm not getting anywhere near it. But, fresh baby spinach raw, or ever so lightly wilted, I can handle. Enjoy, even.

So, I found and adapted a spinach salad recipe. The original recipe is here on the food network site.

Ingredients for salad:

Baby spinach. original recipe says 2 lbs. I used a store bought package that I think was less.

Mandarin oranges

Toasted sesame seeds

I start with the dressing in a large bowl that I will then use for tossing the salad.

• 
  
• 1 clove garlic, pressed
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons good-quality soy sauce, such as Kikkoman
• 1 tablespoon Asian sesame oil
• Squeeze of fresh lemon juice

Mix and let set until you're ready to toss the salad.

Then I warm up a skillet and throw the spinach in there. If you've just cooked bulgogi in the pan, then throw the spinach on top of the leftover bulgogi sauces. If not, throw a tiny bit of sesame oil in the pan. Toss the spinach in the pan until it is wilted to your satisfaction. I usually stop when I have some leaves that are not really wilted a bunch. Then I give the wilty spinach to my husband and boys, and I eat the more raw leaves. Take from pan and toss in the dressing.

Using tongs, serve it onto plates. I usually have a lot of dressing left over... maybe next time I should try making less... maybe.

Place a few mandarin oranges on top of the spinach.

• Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds on top and voila: a gorgeous and tasty side for whatever you're eating. (If you don't have toasted sesame seeds on hand, then throw a handful of regular sesame seeds in a hot frying pan and toast until browner...)