RED (Recipe Every Day) - November 17, 2012

Spinach Salad with Chocolate Balsamic Dressing

This was a Valentine’s Day special at the Vic which grew into a bit of a phenomenon. We had planned a High Tea for couples on Valentine’s evening – a three course meal with a different tea for each course. It was a great success – the savoury scones were perfect, the Pork Tenderloin was melt in your mouth good and we needed something green for the first course. 

Tammy suggested a salad, and we came across a very simple and easy salad online with the most amazing-sounding dressing I’d ever head.

We varied it to our own tastes, then served it to the couples, who oohed and  ahhhed over everything.

Just to make sure we didn’t have a case of everyone being ‘stoned on Valentine’s Day-itis’, we test drove the salad the next week for our daytime customers and the verdict was unanimously positive. It became one of the most popular items on our menu. It is a lovely starter for a heavier meal, and goes well with quiche or other main courses.  People still ask me how to make the dressing. It will surprise you in that it doesn't taste so much 'chocolatey' but rather just like a deep rich balsamic.

Salad for four:

4 C baby spinach, washed and dried

¾ C mandarin orange slices, or sliced strawberries, or pluots (also known as plumcots)

1 C glazed walnuts (plain walnuts work fine if you can’t find the glazed ones)

½ C dried cranberries, cherries or any other small dried fruit

Mix the ingredients together; arrange decoratively on a large plate, allowing the bright fruit to peek through.

Dressing:

1 tablespoon cocoa powder 

1 teaspoon sugar 
1/2 cup balsamic vinaigrette (We used Seven Seas dressing, but purists, feel free to make your own)

Mix the cocoa powder and sugar together; add to vinaigrette and shake well. Use sparingly on the greens - a little goes a long way.