Spinach and Pear Salad with Apple Ginger Dressing

salad

bunch of kale, washed, trimmed of stem and chopped or one 10-12 oz bag of kale chopped

fresh lemon

bag of spinach, cleaned

pears, sliced or chopped, cored, skin on

apples, Honeycrisp or Fiji, cored, chopped, skin on

large chicken breast halves, cooked, cooled and chopped

grated sharp white cheese or Brie, sliced into 1/2 inch squares

Pumpkin seeds or sliced  almonds, about

Dressing (enough for a double to triple batch of salad)

apple juice

 cup white balsamic

olive or canola oil

grated  fresh ginger

lemon peel (optional)

honey or sugar to taste

salt and pepper about ¼ teaspoon each

Make dressing by combining all ingredients in a large jar or a blender and whisk until smooth. Store in refrigerator until ready to use. I like to use an immersion blender to mix salad dressing.

Place kale in a large bowl and massage with juice of one lemon until volume decreases by about half. This takes about 1-2 minutes.

Add one bag of fresh spinach to kale and toss lightly, do not drain lemon  juice.

Slice pear and apples and set in small bowl. Toss with ½  cup of dressing (whisk dressing first to mix well) to prevent from browning.

Combine fruit, greens, chicken in a serving bowl or platter. Just before serving, fold in cheese and pumpkin seeds , and drizzle with dressing.

I reserve a bit of the cheese, chicken, fruit and nuts for topping the salad for presentation. Pass dressing along side of salad.

Serves 6-8 as a main dish or 12-14 as a side.