"Daniel's Mushroom, Strawberry and Cashew Spinach Salad"
| Ingredients | | | 2 | each | spinach, baby, bags, pre-washed | | | 1 | pound | mushrooms, white, medium size | | | 1 1/2 | cup | cashews | | | 1 | cup | strawberries, omit if none available, do not use frozen | | | 1 | cup | vinaigrette, cranberry, or raspberry, use an additional 1/2 cup if strawberries were ommitted | | | 1/2-1 | cup | craisins, (dried cranberries), unflavoured | | | 1/2 | each | onion, red, small | | | 1 | tablespoon | tarragon, fresh, spanish or french, or 1 ts dried | | | 1 | tablespoon | basil, fresh, and a sprig for presentation | | | 1 | teaspoon | lemon pepper | | | 1 | teaspoon | celery seeds | | | 1/2 | teaspoon | curry powder | | | | | |
Directions:
| In a large plastic bag, put strawberries cut in 3 or 4 wedges, finely chopped red onion, the mushrooms cut in 3 or 4 wedges, 1 cup of the cashews (keep 1/2 cup for the top for the finished salad) then add the rest of the ingredients (except for the spinach), vinaigrette, herbs and spices, craisins. When you are not using strawberries, add 1/2 cup of vinaigrette. You can put this together, again except for the spinach, the morning of the party and put it in the fridge, until about 1 1/2 hours before serving.
When you leave for the party, bring:
1. Your beautiful big salad bowl & those special salad servers;
2. Your plastic bag of marinated mushrooms;
3. Your 1/2 cup of cashews (not counting the 1/2 cup you already ate while putting the salad together);
4. Your spinach (which you have all transferred into another bag so it looks like you picked it fresh that day)
5. Your little sprig of basil
Finally, mentally divide the marinated mushrooms and the spinach in 5 somewhat equal parts and alternate, starting with the spinach on the bottom and crown your creation with the 1/2 cup of cashews that you fought hard not to eat while driving to the party and the sprig of basil.
This will serve a large group - Pot-Luck size (12 good size plates or 18 small servings)
Enjoy!
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