Mandarin Oriental Salad
I’m in a rut. I’ve been making salads every Tuesday and Thursday for the past few weeks. These are my swim nights which means I want to eat the second I get home. Salads are easy, but it’s hard to get enough of everything I need after a workout. I normally go for a spinach salad. In order for your body to absorb all of the goodness in spinach, you must eat with something that has vitamin C. Three words: Mandarin. Oranges. Yum.
1 1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil
1 1/2 tsp peanut oil
2 veggie burger patties, cut into bite-size pieces
bragg liquid aminos (to taste)
generous amount of baby spinach leaves
1 (11oz) can mandarin oranges
1/4 cup sliced almonds
fresh ground pepper (to taste)
toasted sesame seeds
Dressing:
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp flax seed oil
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1/2 tsp dijon mustard
1 1/2 tsp agave nectar
6-8 mandarin orange wedges
salt and pepper (to taste)
1. In a large skillet, heat sesame and peanut oils over moderate-high heat. Add veggie burger pieces and braggs and cook for about 5 minutes or until pieces start to brown. Set aside.
2. To make dressing, blend all ingredients until smooth.
3. In a large bowl, toss spinach leaves with mandarin oranges and sliced almonds.
4. Transfer to individual plates. Top with the veggie burger pieces. Season with fresh ground pepper and toasted sesame seeds.
Jose really enjoyed this salad. My workout was pretty intense tonight so I still felt hungry after eating my portion. I think it would have been fine any other day though or you can always have it as a starter salad.
