Sides and Salads: Spinach Salad with Gorgonzola, Pistachios and Pepper Jelly Vinaigrette

In lieu of a shared frugality today, I'm substituting a recipe for your upcoming weekend...

Last night, I enjoyed a Girls Night at Jen's house. Jen made a great dinner (and dessert - which she should post the recipe to, ahem), while the rest of us ladies brought either wine or a side.

I brought the salad whose recipe I recently found. It is scrumptious enough to share, so much so that I can't wait until next week! Maybe you'll be having a get together with some friends over the weekend. If so, this salad makes a perfect side or first course!

The salad recipe comes from Cooking Light, a magazine I have had a subscription to for at least 5 years. I LOVE IT. The magazine does an amazing job of informing readers of healthy ways of cooking, eating AND living. One of the only difficult things about the magazine is that most recipes aren't "simple."

As you've probably read, I'm big on simple and tasty dinners. Cooking Light recipes are more often "gourmet" - you'll have to look harder in the grocery store for some of the ingredients (or go to a specialty store), and the recipes are more involved (both in time and quantity of "stuff" in them). ALL of their recipes, though, are super tasty - so on nights that I am adventurous, I venture forth in whipping up one of their concoctions. I actually have several that I am excited to share here in the future!

While MOST of their recipes are strenuous, this one is simple (better yet, it even has a gourmet title without the gourmet frustration!) So I gladly share it with you today. LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK!

Scrumptious Sides and Salads

Spinach Salad with

Gorgonzola, Pistachios and Pepper Jelly Vinaigrette

1/4 cup red pepper jelly

2 tablespoons (apple) cider vinegar

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1/8 teaspoon of kosher salt (I just use regular table salt since I never have KS on hand...)

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

8 cups fresh baby spinach

1/4 cup (1 oz) crumbled Gorgonzola cheese

/4 cup dry-roasted pistachios

1) Place jelly in a 1-cup glass measure. Microwave at HIGH 30 seconds. Add cider vinegar, oil, salt and black pepper, stirring with a whisk until blended. Cool to room temperature.

2) Combine spinach and cheese in a large serving bowl. Drizzle vinegar mixture over spinach mixture; toss well. Sprinkle with nuts. Serve immediately. Yield: 6 servings (serving zie: 1 cup spinach mixture and 2 teaspoons of nuts).

This recipe yields a LOT. Last night it fed 5 ravenous adult women easily. The first time I made it, I did not take note of the yield. Hubby and I had more salad than we knew what to do with.

Notes: I had some difficulty finding Red Pepper Jelly. LOCALLY - I usually shop at Giant. They did not have Red Pepper Jelly in the jelly/jam section. Since I didn't leave myself much time, last night I had to make due with the Mild Pepper Jelly they did have, which was essentially the same thing. It took me FOREVER to find it on the shelf, though. Acme does have at least one, if not 2, brands of Red Pepper Jelly. You might also fare well to find it at places like the local Farmers Market or Highland Orchards.

One last thing I love about CL is that they post the nutritional facts to almost all their recipes. This is great for anyone on a diet, on Weight Watchers, or just trying to be mindful! So I will post them below as well...

Calories: 101

Fat: 6.1g (sat 1.6, mono 3, poly 1.1)

Protein: 2.9g

Carb: 10.4g

Fiber: 2.3g

Chol: 4mg

Iron: 1.3mg

Sodium: 187 mg

Calcium: 54 mg