Recipe for "Spinach Salad with Toasted Hazelnuts"

Servings: 2

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup whole peeled hazelnuts
• 4 large cups of baby spinach
• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided for cooking and salad dressing
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt, adjust to suit your own taste
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper, adjust to suit your own taste
• 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 3 plum tomatoes, sliced
• 1/4 cup blue cheese crumble
• 1/2 cup water

Cooking Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Place hazelnuts on a baking sheet and put them in the oven to toast them up, about 10-12 minutes. Remove them from the oven and cool. Run your knife through them once, chopping them coarsely.
2. While the nuts are toasting up, place a large pan over medium-high heat with about 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil. Add the onions, season with the salt and pepper and cook, then stirring it frequently for 10 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon of the balsamic vinegar and 1/2 cup of water. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up any bits on the bottom of the pan and cook for about 1 minute.
3. Remove the onions from the pan and transfer to a bowl. Add remaining vinegar and mustard to the bowl and whisk in remaining olive oil in a slow steady steam.
4. In a salad bowl, combine tomatoes, spinach, cooled hazelnuts and the blue cheese crumble. Pour the caramelised onion dressing over the salad and toss to coat. Adjust the salt and pepper to taste.

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