Apple Walnut Spinach Salad with Mock Caesar Dressing (Lesser Yin)

Apple Walnut Spinach Salad with Mock Caesar Dressing (Lesser Yin)

Salad:

6 cups baby spinach leaves, washed
1 apple thinly sliced
1/2 cup crumbled goat Feta cheese
1/4 cup slivered red onions
1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Arrange walnuts on a cookie sheet in a single layer.  Bake 8 to 10 minutes, checking frequently.  Do not allow walnuts to burn.  Set walnuts aside.

Combine all the other ingredients in a large salad bowl and toss gently.

Mock Caesar Dressing:

6 cloves garlic, mashed and minced
1 Tbs. Dijon mustard
1 Tbs. apple cider or coconut vinegar
2 Tbs. mayonnaise
1/2 cup olive oil
fresh ground pepper to taste
lemon juice to taste

Combine garlic, mustard, and vinegar in a blender and mix thoroughly.  Add mayonnaise and blend together to form a thick base.  In a slow stream, add olive oil through the hole in the blender lid while blending.  Scrape dressing with spatula into a bowl and season to taste with pepper and lemon juice.

Use 1/4 of the dressing to dress the spinach salad and toss.  Sprinkle the walnuts on top of the salad.

Put the remainder of the dressing in the refrigerator.  This dressing will keep for 3 days and is excellent on Romaine lettuce with some Pecorino Romano sprinkled on top.