Spinach & tomato salad with roasted almonds

I love spinach! I was one of the very few kids that had no problem eating it...well except times in school canteen where they served it in some unbelievably gooey way with no spices whatsoever. I use spinach as a base for stuffing, soups and sauces, but  I have never tried raw spinach before, so I wasn't sure how exactly it will come out. Turns out - it's delicious, refreshing and makes a very nice salad, especially when combined with roasted almonds and balsamic cream.

INGREDIENTS:

• few handful spinach
• 5-6 lettuce leaves
• 2 small tomatoes
• 3tbs almonds
• 1-2tbs olive oil
• 1-2tbs balsamic cream

Heat up a pan and when it's hot, roast the almonds - it will take a minute or two. Set them aside to cool down.
Wash the spinach and lettuce leaves and get rid of an excess water by letting them sit in a colander for few minutes or by using paper towels. Rip them with your fingers into pieces - they say lettuce and other leafy greens "don't like" knives. I've heard that there is some chemical reaction between them and metals which destroys nutrients - specifically lutein. I'm not sure how correct this theory is, but my mom and grandma never cut lettuce and similar vegetables, so I'm keeping it this way too. Also - it looks much prettier on a plate!
Place all the leaves in a salad bowl, sprinkle with olive oil and balsamic cream and mix them. Cut tomatoes into eights and add to the salad.
Sprinkle with roasted almonds and a little bit more of balsamic cream.
Serve as an appetizer or with any type of meat - for me today it was grilled turkey fillets.

 

Enjoy!