Strawberry Spinach Salad W/Raspberry-Key Lime Vinaigrette

Refreshing salad loaded with salad greens, strawberries, blood oranges, and dried cranberries. Lightly sweetened with a chopped pecan/brown sugar mixture and then drizzled with a delightful raspberry-key lime vinegarette dressing. Created for RSC #11. FYI...you can substitute mandarin oranges for the blood oranges and regular limes for the key limes. I have had good results with both substitutions.

• Ready In: 30 mins
• Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

• Salad

• 1 (6 ounce) bag  Baby Spinach
• 1 (10 ounce) bag  italian blend  salad greens
• 2  cups strawberries, sliced
• 1 1⁄2 cups blood oranges, segmented and chopped
• 1⁄2 cup dried cranberries
• 1⁄2 cup  chopped pecans
• 3  tablespoons brown sugar

• Dressing

• 1⁄4 cup  seedless raspberry preserves
• 1⁄3 cup  balsamic vinegar
• 2  tablespoons  fresh squeezed key lime juice
• 1⁄4 cup sugar
• 2  teaspoons poppy seeds

Directions

1. To make the vinegarette drssing: Put raspberry preserves in a small bowl and cook in microwave at 50% power for 45 seconds or until preserves has liquified. Thoroughly mix all dressing ingredients in bowl with wire whisk. Set aside.
2. Put the spinach, salad greens, strawberries, blood oranges and cranberries in a large bowl and toss until ingredients are well blended. Mix the chopped pecans with the brown sugar. Sprinkle over the salad.
3. Whisk vinegarette again until well mixed. Drizzle the vinegarette over the salad. Use the quantity of vinegarette to your liking. Toss everything together until salad is evenly coated with the vinegarette dressing.