In this recipe, the sweetness of navel oranges complements the texture and slightly bitter taste of the spinach. Feel free to replace the oranges with pears, apples, berries or any other in-season fruit. You can also use unsweetened, dried fruit when fresh fruit isn’t available.

Ingredients

Raspberry vinaigrette

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

 1 tablespoon sugar-free raspberry jelly or jam 

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

 1/4 cup fresh or thawed frozen raspberries

 2 teaspoons minced shallot

1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard Freshly ground pepper 

1/4 teaspoon sugar substitute (optional)

Salad

6 ounces baby spinach

 2 navel oranges, peeled and segmented 

2 tablespoons chopped walnuts, toasted 4-5 minutes in oven (on a baking sheet)

 1/4 cup crumbled reduced-fat feta cheese

Directions

1. In a small bowl, combine all ingredients for the vinaigrette. Whisk well to combine. The fresh raspberries will fall apart, and the jam will melt. Taste for seasoning; add sugar substitute if needed.
2. Place spinach in a salad bowl. Top with orange segments, walnuts and cheese. Toss with dressing, and serve immediately.

Note: Try other fruit, nut and cheese combinations, like dried cherries, pecans and a bit of blue cheese; or fresh strawberries, quinoa, almonds and grated Parmesan cheese.

Nutrition information

Makes 4 servings

Per serving: Calories: 130 (48% calories from fat) Total fat: 7g Saturated fat: 1g Protein: 4g Carbohydrate: 16g Dietary fiber: 4g Cholesterol: 5mg Sodium: 160mg Potassium: 164mg

Source: Cleveland Clinic Healthy Heart Lifestyle Guide and Cookbook (© 2007 Broadway Books)

 This article was written by Heart and Vascular Team from Cleveland Clinic and was legally licensed through the NewsCred publisher network. Please direct all licensing questions to legal@newscred.com.