Sweet and spicy warm baby greens salad

SERVES 4

30 MINUTES OR LESS

Culinary student Eugenie Mason of Los Angeles submitted this springtime recipe. "My warm baby greens recipe is my attempt to improve upon salad, something I love, yet am sometimes bored by," she says. "A pile of cold, raw vegetables can easily be made more hearty and satisfying by intriguing the palate with variations in temperature and flavor. In this recipe, I sought to have each of the flavor sensations represented--salty feta, sweet raisins, acidic vinegar, bitter greens and nuts and a little spice from the crushed red pepper." If you don't like a chili bite, you may want to omit the crushed red pepper.

5 Tbs. olive oil
2 red onions, sliced into rings
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
1 red bell pepper, julienned
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup raisins
3 Tbs. rice or wine vinegar
5 oz. prewashed baby greens or
  spinach
1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese

1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium
heat. Saute onions and crushed red pepper
until onions caramelize, for about
7 minutes. Add red bell pepper and chili
powder, and continue to cook until pepper
is tender. Add walnuts and raisins
and cook for 2 to 3 minutes more.

2. Remove from heat and stir in vinegar.
Arrange greens in a salad bowl and pour
mixture over greens. Toss, top with feta
cheese and serve.

PER SERVING 320 CAL; 7G PROT; 25G TOTAL FAT (4.5G SAT FAT); 21G CARB; 10MG CHOL; 170MG SOD; 5G FIBER; 12G SUGARS

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