To Die For Salad. With Lemon Agave Poppyseed Dressing.

Happy Friday all. Happy Not So Fat Friday. Haven't spent much time in the kitchen this week so excuse my absence. Instead, I've been organizing the house & getting ready for Tristan's 6th birthday party next month. These parties take all my focus & attention. I can't wait to share the details!!!!!

So I thought tonight was going to be another boring dinner until my dear friend Kacey & mommy chronicler emailed me to say how much this salad put her in the better mood she needed. The same salad she sent me a recipe for a week or so ago. Along with a cute card.

She does things like that. She also sends plastic cutlery in the mail because it'll go with the theme of Tristan's party. Yep, she does things like that. And I love her for it!

So I picked up the ingredients & made it for din din tonight. Hubs already ate but still had a bowl & then asked for a second. It was absolutely delicious. Very light & refreshing & a great example of simple flavors coming together for a beautiful combination.

2 tblsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp lemon zest
1/3 cup sugar ** (used agave nectar syrup)
2 tblsp white wine vinegar
1 tblsp olive oil
1 tsp poppy seeds
6 oz pkg baby spinach
1/2 large cucumber cored & sliced
1/2 red onion chopped
8 oz strawberries, trimmed & sliced thin
1/2 cup toasted almonds

Combine juice, zest, sugar, vinegar, olive oil & poppy seeds. Combine remaining ingredients. Drizzle dressing over salad.


{Food for Thought}

I have a thing about sugar. Ya see, I rely on my consumption of adult beverages to give me all the sugar I need so I am very careful about my other sources. I am also not a big sweets person. When I saw the 1/3 cup sugar I got scared & almost dropped my white wine. So, I decided to reach for the Agave Nectar that I always have on hand for Mexican Mojitos. Don't look at me that way!

Anyhoo, 1/4 cup Agave can be substituted for 1 cup of sugar. Use your judgement or just use the sugar. I put in about 1/6 cup of sugar & a couple of squirts of Agave. I may use all Agave next time.

As for the almonds, you can use slivered or sliced or whole. I wasn't sure what my Crafty Queen of Repurposing used so I bought sliced almonds & put them in a pan over medium heat & tossed them frequently until golden.

{Click Here to Print Recipe}

Have a great weekend everyone. I have some family in town so there will be cooking & playing. Look out for some stuffed party shrimp, mini milanese pork tenderloin & a new way to cook burger sliders.