Warm Pear & Spinach Salad

Warm Pear & Spinach Salad

¼  cup walnuts or pecans, toasted

4 slices bacon, crisply cooked and crumbled

2 pears or apples, peeled, cored, and cut into wedges

1/3 cup red onion, cut into thin wedges

¼ cup red wine vinegar

2 teaspoons packed brown sugar (I use Stevia version)

½ teaspoon salt

1 package (10 oz) fresh baby spinach leaves

¼ cup (1oz) crumbled blue cheese

1/4 cup dried cherry, blueberry, or mixed berry

Coarsely ground black pepper to taste

1.     Heat Small Sauté Pan over medium heat until hot.  Add walnuts, stirring frequently until lightly toasted.  Remove from pan; set aside.  Cook bacon in pan over medium heat until crisp (I prefer to microwave mine in my Pampered Chef stone); drain on paper towels.  Reserve 2 tablespoons bacon drippings.

2.     Place spinach in large Colander Bowl.  Peel pears or apples; core and wedge using Apple Wedger.  Cut each wedge in half.  Heat reserved bacon drippings in pan over medium heat.  Add onion; cook and stir 2 minutes.  Add pears, vinegar, brown sugar, and salt; continue cooking 2-3 minutes or until onion is tender.

3.     Pour pear mixture over spinach; toss.  Add blue cheese and toasted walnuts; toss lightly.  Serve immediately.  Season with black pepper; if desired.

Yield: 4 servings

Nutrients per serving: Calories 190, Fat 10 g, Sodium 550 mg, Dietary Fiber 5 g

c The Pampered 

Healthier version:  use turkey bacon cooked in non-stick pan after toasting nuts.  Use Dole spinach salad kit bag, use 1 T olive oil added in place of bacon drippings.

Use dressing in  salad kit bag as needed.