SPICY MANDARIN SPINACH SALAD

Spicy Mandarin Spinach Salad image

Between the sweetness of the mandarin oranges and the cayenne-spiced pecans, flavor explodes in each bite of this salad. Top it off with Chinese five spice mustard dressing to really make your taste buds happy.

Provided by MissaLissa

Categories Salad Green Salad Recipes Spinach Salad Recipes

Time 20m

Yield 3

Number Of Ingredients 13

Ingredients

1 cup mandarin oranges, drained with liquid reserved
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon Dusseldorf-style German mustard
⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
⅛ teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
1 tablespoon butter
½ cup pecan halves
½ teaspoon white sugar
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 cups fresh spinach leaves
2 green onions, chopped

Steps:

Combine reserved liquid from mandarin oranges, canola oil, olive oil, mustard, cloves, and Chinese five-spice powder in a jar with a tight-fitting lid; seal jar and shake vigorously until the dressing emulsifies.
Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir pecans and sugar into the butter; let simmer until hot, 1 to 2 minutes. Season the pecans with rosemary and cayenne pepper; continue cooking another 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat and drain pecans on a plate lined with paper towels.
Toss spinach leaves and green onion together in a large mixing bowl; top with mandarin oranges and pecans. Drizzle dressing over the salad to serve.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 372.6 calories, Carbohydrate 14.4 g, Cholesterol 10.2 mg, Fat 35.4 g, Fiber 3.5 g, Protein 3.3 g, SaturatedFat 5.6 g, Sodium 116.4 mg, Sugar 9.1 g