Appetizers / Soups / Salads

Spinach Salad with Blue Cheese, Spiced Walnuts, Pears, and Port Vinaigrette takes several minutes to prepare.

Spinach Salad with Blue Cheese, Spiced Walnuts, Pears, and Port Vinaigrette takes several minutes to cook.

Spinach Salad with Blue Cheese, Spiced Walnuts, Pears, and Port Vinaigrette makes 4 servings.

The ingredients for Spinach Salad with Blue Cheese, Spiced Walnuts, Pears, and Port Vinaigrette are:

SPICED WALNUTS
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
1 large egg white
pinch of ground nutmeg
pinch of ground cinnamon
pinch of ground ginger
pinch of ground cloves
pinch of ground cumin
pinch of cayenne pepper
pinch of salt
1-1/4 cups walnut halves

SALAD
1 750mL bottle ruby Port
1/2 cup sugar
5 whole cloves
3 whole allspice
2 cinnamon sticks, broken in half
2 firm but ripe Anjou pears, peeled

2 tablespoons chopped shallots
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup Champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
3/4 cup olive oil

4 ounces Maytag blue cheese, crumbled (about 1 cup)
2 5 ounce bags baby spinach leaves

Here is how you make Spinach Salad with Blue Cheese, Spiced Walnuts, Pears, and Port Vinaigrette:

FOR SPICED WALNUTS: Preheat oven to 300°F. Line baking sheet with foil. Spray foil lightly with nonstick spray. Whisk egg white and next 7 ingredients in medium bowl to blend. Add walnuts and toss to coat well. Spread walnuts in single layer on prepared baking sheet. Bake until walnuts are dry, about 14 minutes. Cool walnuts completely (Can be made 1 day ahead. Store in airtight container at room temperature.)FOR SALAD: Bring Port, sugar, cloves, allspice, and cinnamon to boil in heavy small saucepan, stirring until sugar melts. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add pears; cover and simmer until tender when pierced with knife, turning pears every 5 minutes, about 20 minutes. Remove pan from heat. Let cool uncovered about 20 minutes, turning pears once. Refrigerate pan uncovered until pears are chilled, turning every 1/2 hour, about 1-1/2 hours. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and keep refrigerated.)Remove pears from poaching liquid; reserve liquid. Cut pears lengthwise into quarters and core. Cut lengthwise into 1/4 inch thick slices. Set pear slices aside. Boil 1/2 cup pear poaching liquid, shallots, and garlic in small saucepan over medium-high heat until reduced to 1/4 cup, about 3 minutes. Transfer mixture to medium bowl and cool to room temperature. Whisk in vinegar and mustard. Gradually whisk in olive oil. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper.Arrange pear slices around edges of 4 plates. Sprinkle crumbled blue cheese between pear slices. Toss spinach and 1/2 cup dressing in large bowl to coat; mound in center of plates. Serve, passing remaining dressing seperately.Number of Servings: 4Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user METTLEMETAL.

The nutritional information for Spinach Salad with Blue Cheese, Spiced Walnuts, Pears, and Port Vinaigrette is:

• Servings Per Recipe: 4
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 955.9

• Total Fat: 69.5 g
• Cholesterol: 21.3 mg
• Sodium: 552.4 mg
• Total Carbs: 45.7 g
• Dietary Fiber: 4.9 g
• Protein: 14.4 g