Dress it up for summer with Spinach Bow-Tie Salad with Teriyaki dressing

I shared a few Italian dishes lately. I think it’s now time to give the salad lover’s a taste. This will satisfy the most finicky of pallets with its sweet and savory flavors. It goes well with brunch, as a lunch or dinner salad. I always double the recipe when serving this to a larger group of guests as I found it went quickly. But if there is any left, it stays well in the frig as a left over.

Here is your shopping list:

1. 8 oz bowtie (Farfalle) pasta (Cooked al-dente)

2. 4 Cups Raw Baby Spinach Leaves

3. ½ C Craisins (dried cranberries)

4. ½ C pine nuts (or cashews)

5. 1can Mandarin Oranges (well drained)

6. 1/2 c cilantro (roughly chopped) **

Dressing:

1. 2/3 c Teriyaki Sauce (thicker is best)

2. 2/3 c rice wine vinegar

3. 1 tsp garlic powder

4. 1 tsp onion powder

5. ½ tsp salt

6. ½ tsp pepper

7. 2 tbsp honey

8. 1 c vegetable oil (or light olive oil)

Heat the water to boiling and add the pasta. Follow label instructions for to al-dente. While this is cooking you can make the dressing.

1. In a large Mason jar add all the ingredients and shake well. Put in the refrigerator to chill.

2. Drain the pasta and run under cold water. (Note: this is one of the Only times you rinse pasta. This will stop the cooking process and remove starches). Let the pasta cool completely and make sure it is dry before adding to the salad.

3. In a Large bowl add the spinach leaves, pasta, Craisins, nuts and cilantro. Gently toss together with your hands.

4. When ready to serve, add the dressing to taste and mandarin oranges. Toss again and serve.

If you’d like, you may want to add some crumbled Feta Cheese as this will add a little bite to the salad. Add protein such as sliced or cubed grilled chicken breast. If you do add the chicken breasts, use the dressing as a marinade and let set in the refrigerator for at least 1-2 hours prior to cooking. There will be plenty of leftover teriyaki dressing that can be serves as extra dressing to the salad or refrigerate for future marinades and/or dressing.

**(Here’s a little fun fact: Cilantro adds citrus flavor to a dish. There are some cilantro-haters for whom the plant tastes like soap. This is a genetic issue that allows them to strongly perceive the soapy-flavored aldehydes in cilantro leaves. I am a cilantro lover but feel free to eliminate this ingredient from the recipe if you think you may have a cilantro-hating guest).

Thecia DeLap is not only a successful mortgage lender for VanDyk Mortgage Corporation, but is also an Italian culinary artist who knows her way around the kitchen and has experience cooking, catering, entertaining and planning for large corporate events as well as smaller gatherings. To reach her, you can email her at thecia1@hotmail.com or message her at: http://www.facebook.com/vandykmortgagethecia