Food and Drink
Spinach Apple Salad recipe
This spinach apple salad with balsamic dressing is so easy and SO good, it will be your new go-to! No one will believe it took minutes to put together.
Ingredients
½ cup Glazed Walnuts or Glazed Pecans (or toasted walnuts or toasted pecans)
1 recipe Best Balsamic Dressing
1 apple
1 ripe pear
3 cups baby spinach leaves
3 cups baby mixed greens
Instructions
– Make the Glazed Walnuts or Glazed Pecans. (While they cook, prep the rest of the salad. Or, you can make these ahead!)
– Make the Best Balsamic Dressing.
– Core the apple and pear cut them into thin slices.
– Place the greens on serving plates and top with apples, pears, and walnuts. Pour over the dressing and serve.
What makes this a great spinach apple salad?
There are so many boring spinach salads, and this one is anything but! It doesn’t have fancy ingredients or flavours, but it’s got seriously good flavour and you can make it in minutes. It’s a plant-based, healthy side dish that pairs with anything from pizza to mac and cheese to salmon to lasagna. Here are the elements that make this one great salad:
- Best balsamic dressing: This dressing is our go-to! It’s tangy and sweet, and we use it often in green salads with fruit, like strawberry salad or blackberry salad.
- Maple-glazed walnuts or glazed pecans: These are Alex’s genius: just a few minutes in a hot skillet with maple syrup makes the nuts shiny and lightly sweet. (No need to candy them!)
- Apple & pear: Instead of straight apple, we threw in a pear for depth of sweet flavour.
- Spinach & baby greens: A salad of straight-up spinach can be overwhelming. We like to pair our spinach with mixed baby greens for a variety of textures and flavours.
How to prep this spinach apple salad in advance
Here are a few notes on how to prep this spinach apple salad ahead of time, if you’re making it ahead or for entertaining:
– Make the dressing in advance and store it refrigerated. Make sure to let it come to room temperature before serving.
– Make the maple-glazed walnuts in advance. Place them on parchment or wax paper in a single layer and allow to dry for 20 minutes. Transfer to a sealed container and storeroom temperature until serving.
– Wait to slice the apples and pears until right before serving, because cut fruit can brown. If you do want to cut it in advance, mix the slices with a little lemon juice to prevent browning.
Serving this salad!
– It’s easy to whip up, but this spinach apple salad is a real showstopper. Serve it alongside your favourite pasta or stuffed peppers. It’d also pair nicely with baked salmon or even homemade pizza. This spinach apple salad is especially good in the cooler months, as it features lots of fall produce. But works any time of the year! Whatever way you serve it, we’re sure you’ll fall in love with it. We promise.
source – cooking365coza
Roast chicken noodle soup recipe. Have dinner on the table in a flash with this 5-ingredient chicken and noodle soup.
Ingredients (6)
– 1 tbsp olive oil
– 1kg Soup Starter Pack, cut into 2cm pieces
– 2 Massel 7’s Stock Cubes Chicken Style
– 250g Coles Australian Spaghetti No.1, broken into 5cm pieces
– 1/2 (about 500g) Hot Roast Chicken, skin and bones removed, meat shredded
– 6 cups (1.5L) water
Method
Step 1
Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add vegetables and cook for 2-3 mins until lightly browned.
Step 2
Add stock cubes and 6 cups (1.5L) water. Stir in pasta. Bring to the boil.
Step 3
Simmer for 10 mins or until vegetables are tender and pasta is al dente. Add the chicken. Simmer until the chicken is heated through. Season.
source – BBC
20-minute healthy bolognese recipe. Lentils, cherry tomatoes and basil provide a rich colour and flavour for this bright, modern take on beef bolognese that the family will love. The best part is that it’ll be ready in just 20 minutes.
Ingredients (12)
– 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
– 500g beef mince
– 1/3 cup (95g) tomato paste
– 4 garlic cloves, finely grated
– 1/4 cup (75g) caramelised onion jam
– 2 tbsp soy sauce
– 400g can lentils, rinsed, drained
– 375g instant lasagne sheets
– 500g mixed cherry tomatoes, halved
– Pinch of Oregano Leaves
– Basil leaves, to serve
– Grated parmesan, to serve
Method
Step 1
Heat the 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil in a large pan over high heat. Cook 500g beef mince, stirring, for 3 minutes or until browned. Add 1/3 cup (95g) tomato paste and 4 garlic cloves, finely grated, and cook for 2 minutes, then add 1/4 cup (75g) caramelised onion jam, 2 tbsp soy sauce, 400g can lentils, rinsed, drained and 1 cup (250ml) water. Reduce heat to medium. Season with black pepper. Cook for 12 minutes or until slightly reduced. Remove from heat.
Step 2
Meanwhile, cook 375g instant lasagne sheets in a pan of boiling salted water according to packet instructions until al dente. Drain.
Step 3
Top lasagne sheets with bolognese, 500g mixed cherry tomatoes, halved, Pinch of Oregano Leaves, Basil leaves, to serve and Grated parmesan, to serve to serve.
source – tastecom
Lemon meringue scones recipe. Swap your regular scones for something a bit different: this easy, retro recipe inspired by lemon meringue pie.
Ingredients (10)
– 400g (2 2/3 cups) self-raising flour, plus extra, to dust
– 100g (1/2 cup) caster sugar
– 60g butter, chilled, chopped
– 1 tbsp finely grated lemon rind
– 250ml (1 cup) lemonade
– 80ml (1/3 cup) fresh lemon juice
– 25g bought mini meringues, finely crushed
– 160ml (2/3 cup) thickened cream, whipped
– 130g (1/2 cup) bought lemon curd
– Icing sugar, to dust
Method
Step 1
Preheat oven to 220C/200C fan forced. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Sift the 400g (2 2/3 cups) self-raising flour, plus extra, to dust into a large bowl. Stir in 2 tablespoons of the 100g (1/2 cup) caster sugar. Use your fingertips to rub the 60g butter, chilled, chopped into the mixture until it resembles fine crumbs. Stir in the 1 tbsp finely grated lemon rind. Make a well in the centre.
Step 2
Pour the 250ml (1 cup) lemonade into the well. Use a flat-bladed knife in a cutting motion to mix until evenly incorporated and the mixture just begins to hold together. Knead on a lightly floured surface until just smooth. Shape dough into a 2cm-thick disc. Use a round 6cm-diameter pastry cutter dipped in extra flour to cut 12 rounds from the dough, re-shaping offcuts as needed. Place the scones, slightly apart, on the prepared tray. Bake for 17 minutes or until golden and scones sound hollow when tapped on top.
Step 3
Meanwhile, place the 80ml (1/3 cup) fresh lemon juice and remaining sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to the boil over high heat. Boil for 3-4 minutes or until thickens slightly. Remove from heat.
Step 4
Use a serrated knife to slice the warm scones in half horizontally. Brush the tops of the scones with the syrup then sprinkle with 25g bought mini meringues, finely crushed. Top the scone bases with 160ml (2/3 cup) thickened cream, whipped and 130g (1/2 cup) bought lemon curd then sandwich with the scone tops. Serve dusted with Icing sugar, to dust.
source – tastecom