Apple Nectarine Cashew Spinach Salad

Well, Salad September slipped by with only two posts about salads. Next year we'll try for more. I do have some more salads to put up...it just isn't September anymore.

Ingredients:

• 1 crisp apple, preferably Fuji
• 2-3 tsp lemon juice
• 1 nectarine
• about 1/4 c. cashews 
• 3-4 large handfuls of spinach

Directions:

1. Cut apple into bite sized chunks. Put in a seal-able container or bag with the lemon juice and shake until all the apples have been covered in lemon juice. (This helps your apples to stay fresh and not brown.)
2. Cut the nectarine into bite sized chunks.
3. Put the spinach in a bowl. Put apples, nectarines, and cashews on top. 
4. Enjoy!

Nectarine-Grape Spinach Salad with Pecans

 Fresh fruit in salad is always a plus, in my book.

Ingredients:

• 1 nectarine, sliced 
• about 1 cup of halved red grapes
• 3 to 4 large handfuls of spinach
• 1 or 2 handfuls of pecans

Directions:

1. Put spinach in a serving bowl. 
2. Add all the fruit, then top with the nuts. 
3. Enjoy!

Nectarine Summer Salad

Sadly, I have no picture for this recipe. I was eating it and thought about taking a picture, only to realize I didn't know where my camera was. 

I adapted this recipe from Kelsey's Apple a Day blog, and she adapted it from The Curvy Carrot. 

If you are interested in seeing a picture of what my salad was similar to, head to Kelsey's Apple a Day for a peek.

Ingredients:

For the vinaigrette:

• 1 small shallot, minced
• 3 TBSP raspberry vinegar dressing
• 1 tsp. orange zest
• about 1 1/2-2 tsp orange juice
• 4 TBSP extra-virgin olive oil
• salt and pepper, to taste

For the salad:

• 7-10 oz of salad greens of your choice (I used 1/2 romaine, 1/2 spinach)
• 1 generous c. fresh cherries and strawberries, sliced (pit the cherries!)
• 1 nectarine, thinly sliced (by all means use more if you want!)
• chopped almonds, for sprinkling on individual servings

Directions:

 

1.  Make the vinaigrette by combining all the ingredients in a measuring cup with a spout (for easy pouring)

2. Slice nectarines, cherries, and strawberries. If you want you could toss them with a bit of oj too.

3.  Add the fruit to the greens. Add the dressing and nuts on individual servings.

Notes about this recipe:

1. My hubby actually preferred the salad without the dressing because the fruit was so yummy!
2. You could definitely substitute peaches, and other types of berries for the ones in this recipe.
3. We ate it with some herb rolls, so it was a light dinner but perfect for a hot day. We were also going on a date to eat smoothies so we didn't want to fill up all the way.