The varieties of lettuce in this salad help make it an interesting dish, but you can also use fewer kinds and still have a delicious salad. Substitute any of your favorite lettuces for the ones listed. Remember that darker green lettuce has more nutrients. The spinach is the highest in folate (folic acid), but the endive and escarole are not far behind.
Ingredients for salad:
2 cups spinach
1 cup romaine lettuce
1 cup leaf or iceberg lettuce
1 cup endive
1 cup escarole
1/2 cup diced red peppers
1/2 cup green peppers
1/2 cup mandarin orange sections, drained
1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted
1/4 cup dried cranberries
Wash, dry and tear lettuce. Toast almonds in toaster oven or oven at 350o for a few minutes, watch carefully until browned.
Toss ingredients together, adding the oranges and almonds just before serving.
Ingredients for dressing:
1 cup whole cranberry sauce (canned)
1/2 cup lemon pie filling
1/2 Tbs. prepared mustard
1/2 Tbs. honey
1/4 cup red wine vinegar or white table vinegar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup water
1/2 tsp. cracked black pepper
Mix the ingredients, in the order they appear, in a medium size bowl with a wire whisk. Measure 3/4 cup of dressing and toss with entire salad just before serving. Store the remaining dressing in a clean dry container with a tight fitting lid. It will keep in the refrigerator for 4-6 weeks.
For a creative flare, you can add _ tsp. cayenne pepper and 1 tsp. of orange marmalade. Adding small amounts of unexpected flavors to a dish is called flavor layering.