Spinach salad with apples and blue cheese

This fabulous salad is low in calories and high in nutrition. Because the reduced balsamic is so thick, it will stick to your greens without any oil. Feel free to Play around with the salad ingredients. Pears can be exchanged for the apples, or goat cheese can be exchanged for the blue cheese.

8 ounces spinach (washed, dried and stemmed)
3 ounces mixed baby greens
1 apple
1/2 cup reduced balsamic vinegar (see below)
2 ounces blue cheese
1/4 cup toasted, chopped pecans or walnuts (see below)


To reduce vinegar: take 1 cup balsamic vinegar and place in a sauce pan over medium heat until reduced by half. Place in a glass container and allow to cool. (This is a very stinky process, but the result is delicious.)

To toast the nuts: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place nuts on a cookie sheet and bake for about 10 minutes. When you start to smell the nuts, it's time to take them out. They should be slightly brown, but not burned. Chop them after they have cooled.

To assemble the salad:
Place the greens on a serving platter. Chop or slice apples and arrange over the greens. Drizzle the balsamic vinegar on top of the apples and greens. Sprinkle the blue cheese and nuts on top. Enjoy!!