Spinach Salad With Nut-Crusted Goat Cheese

Advocate-tested recipe

Spinach Salad With Nut-Crusted Goat Cheese

Makes 8 servings. Recipe is reprinted with permission from “1,000 Diabetes Recipes” by Jackie Mills (Wiley, 2011).

1/4 cup hazelnuts, toasted and finely chopped

1 (8-oz.) log goat cheese

2 tbls. seedless strawberry jam

2 tbls. orange juice

1 tbl. hazelnut oil or olive oil

1 tbl. sherry vinegar or white wine vinegar

1/4 tsp. kosher salt

1⁄8 tsp. freshly ground pepper

16 cups torn fresh spinach or baby spinach

2 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and halved

1. Place the hazelnuts in a shallow dish and roll the goat cheese in the nuts to coat, pressing to adhere.

2. Whisk together the jam, orange juice, oil, vinegar, salt and pepper in a large bowl.

3. Add the spinach and strawberries and toss to coat. Divide the spinach among 8 plates. Cut the goat cheese into 8 slices and top each salad with a slice of cheese. Serve at once.

Nutritional analysis per serving: 10 grams carbohydrate, 186 calories, 6 grams saturated fat, 22 milligrams cholesterol, 3 grams fiber, 9 grams protein, 229 milligrams sodium. Carb choices: 1/2; Exchanges: 1/2 carb, 1 high-fat protein, 1 fat.

Note: To toast the hazelnuts, place them in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for about 8 to 10 minutes. Stir once while they toast. Transfer to a plate to cool and then chop.