Anticipating the feasting to come, something a bit lighter might be appealing. I thought I could find sumac, a spice commonly used in Middle Eastern cooking, at my local co-op. No such luck. Regardless, I forged ahead and substituted lemon zest, not the same but a worthy stand-in. I’ll continue my search for sumac and make the salad again…
| Baby Spinach Salad with Dates & Almonds | Print |
Author: Adapted from Jerusalem: A Cookbook by Yotam Ottolenghi & Sami Tamimi
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- ½ medium red onion, thinly sliced
- 3 pitted Medjool dates, quartered lengthwise
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 small pitas, roughly torn into 1½ inch pieces
- ⅓ cup whole unsalted almonds, coarsely chopped
- 2 teaspoons sumac or substitute 1½ teaspoons lemon zest
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 5 ounces baby spinach leaves - about 4 cups
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, or to taste
- salt
Instructions
- Put the vinegar, onion, and dates in a small bowl. Add a pinch of salt and mix well with your hands. Leave to marinate for 20 minutes, then drain away any residual vinegar and discard.
- Meanwhile, heat the butter and half of the olive oil in a medium frying pan over medium heat. Add the pita and almonds and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring all of the time, until the pita is crunchy and golden brown. Remove from the heat and mix in the sumac or lemon zest, red pepper flakes, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Set aside to cool.
- When you are ready to serve, toss the spinach leaves with the pita mix in a large mixing bowl. Add the dates and red onion, the remaining olive oil, the lemon juice, and another pinch of salt. Taste for seasoning and serve immediately.
- Serves 2 generously
EAT WELL AND BE WELL
link
link