1 cup heaping strawberries
1 cup heaping raspberries
1 cup heaping blackberries
4 ounces feta cheese
Candied Pecans:
1 large egg white
2 teaspoons water
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup white sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
4 cups pecan halves (1 pound)
Dressing:
4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon heaping lemon zest
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard do not use regular mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons white sugar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 tablespoon poppyseeds
Wash and THOROUGHLY dry (wet lettuce won't allow the dressing to adhere well) the spinach. Remove any long stems. Wash and thoroughly dry the fruit. Toss the fruit with the spinach. Add in the candied pecans and feta cheese. Top with dressing only RIGHT before serving. If you plan on having leftovers, do not toss in with dressing as it doesn't store or sit well.
To candy the pecans: Preheat oven to 250 degrees F and generously grease a baking sheet. In a mixing bowl, whip together the egg white, water, and vanilla until frothy. In a separate bowl, mix together sugar, salt, and cinnamon. Add pecans to egg whites, stir to coat the nuts evenly. Remove the nuts, and toss them in the sugar mixture until coated. Spread the nuts out on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 1 hour, stirring and tossing every 15 minutes.
Dressing: Combine the freshly squeezed lemon juice, lemon zest, onion powder, dijon mustard, salt and sugar in a blender or food processor. Blend or pulse until completely smooth. Slowly pour in the vegetable oil and blend. Stir in the poppyseeds.