Daniel's Mushroom, Strawberry & Cashew Spinach Salad

Name: Daniel's Mushroom, Strawberry and Cashew Spinach Salad
Yield: 12
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: spinach; mushrooms; cashew nuts; strawberries; salad dressing, vinaigrette; craisins; onions; tarragon leaves; basil; lemon pepper; celery seeds; curry powder

Serves a large group and can be prepared the morning of the party and is assembled at the site of the party, 10 minutes before serving.

YIELD

12 servings

PREP

10 min

COOK

0 min

READY

30 min

Ingredients

EACH SPINACH
baby, bags, pre-washed *

POUND MUSHROOMS
white, medium size

1 ½

CUP CASHEW NUTS *

CUP STRAWBERRIES
omit if none available, do not use frozen *

CUP SALAD DRESSING, VINAIGRETTE
cranberry, or raspberry, use an additional 1/2 cup if strawberries were omitted *

1/2-1

CUP CRAISINS
(dried cranberries), unflavoured *

EACH ONIONS
red, small

TABLESPOON TARRAGON LEAVES
fresh, spanish or french, or 1 ts dried

TABLESPOON BASIL
fresh, and a sprig for presentation

TEASPOON LEMON PEPPER *

TEASPOON CELERY SEEDS

TEASPOON CURRY POWDER

Directions

In a large plastic bag, put strawberries cut in 3 or 4 wedges, finely chopped red onion, the mushrooms cut in 3 or 4 wedges, 1 cup of the cashews (keep ½ cup for the top for the finished salad) then add the rest of the ingredients (except for the spinach), vinaigrette, herbs and spices, craisins. When you are not using strawberries, add ½ cup of vinaigrette. You can put this together, again except for the spinach, the morning of the party and put it in the fridge, until about 1½ hours before serving.

When you leave for the party, bring: 1. Your beautiful big salad bowl & those special salad servers; 2. Your plastic bag of marinated mushrooms; 3. Your ½ cup of cashews (not counting the ½ cup you already ate while putting the salad together); 4. Your spinach (which you have all transferred into another bag so it looks like you picked it fresh that day) 5. Your little sprig of basil Finally, mentally divide the marinated mushrooms and the spinach in 5 somewhat equal parts and alternate, starting with the spinach on the bottom and crown your creation with the ½ cup of cashews that you fought hard not to eat while driving to the party and the sprig of basil. This will serve a large group - Pot-Luck size (12 good size plates or 18 small servings) Enjoy!