Spinach Salad

it's dreary, it's windy, it's rainy what better way to cure this yucky winter weather than a salad that bears the promise of spring and warmer weather?! It's purdy darn good and if you're into that sort of thing here's the recipe for you! It has a tangy strawberry dressing, broiled rosemary mozzarella, juicy shredded chicken, candied pecans and spinach. mm mm gooooood. Here we go... (please note that there are NO exact measurements, you just gotta go with the flow and do what feels right to you ;))

Strawberry Dressing:
frozen strawberries mostly thawed- mush them..A LOT
olive oil- enough to make the dressing thin out a bit
vinegar just a touch don't go overboard
garlic- i mimick my above sentiments, don't go overboard just put a TEEEENY tiny pinch in or just leave it out, it makes a strong garlic flavor since it's not getting cooked
red pepper flakes - i use a pinch or two
agave nectar- this is personal preference, however sweet you want to make your dressing just add more or less agave. I'm sure honey could work too i just like agave and always have it.
pinch of salt

So in a bowl or small pitcher mush all the ingredients together. I started with just the strawberries and went from there so I could add more or less depending on the consistency. Also taste as you go to make sure it's not too sweet/tart etc...

Candied Pecans (or walnuts):
I just eyeballed a cup or two of pecans and threw them into a tupperware container
add 1-2 Tablespoons of agave, about a T of water, a pinch of cinnamon and a pinch of red chili powder. Put the lid on the top and shake until nuts are coated. Place on a silpat liner or parchment and bake at 320 for 15-20 minutes.

did I mention that I really don't like measuring..so good thing it's not an exact science.

Rosemary broiled Cheese:
I'll be honest, the only mozzarella I had was string cheese, so i pulled some (i used four) apart into two pieces, sprinkled some dried rosemary on top and broiled it for a few minutes then cut them into smaller pieces.

Chicken:
I used 5 frozen chicken tenders (all i had)
sprinkeld some garlic powder, and onion powder and a little chilli powder (my basic go to seasoning for chicken)
baked it until cooked then shredded it and added it to my salad.

Then just wash your spinach and add everything to it! Don't dress it until you serve otherwise it will wilt.

Pretty easy, healthy and delicious!

Not the greatest picture since it's from my ipod but it'll do ;)

YUMMMM TIME FOR DINNER!