Red & Orange Salad

When the weather gets cold I tend to overlook salads, preferring hot, heartier fare instead.  But this dish sounded so tasty it really captured my imagination.  Farmhouse Cookbook author Susan Herrmann Loomis describes her grandmother making this salad around Christmastime when oranges were a real treat.  The combination of flavors both cleanses and piques the palate, preparing you for what comes next.  Serve as a first course to add color and zing to a winter table.  Or to really beef things up (*hint hint*), serve as an entree, topped with toasted pecans, dried cranberries, fresh goat cheese, and the pièce de résistance, thinly sliced rare sirloin. Talk about a treat!

Serves 4.

SODIUM CONTENT: 25 mg per serving

INGREDIENTS:

5 oz. pkg. fresh spring mix salad greens, washed & patted dry
3 large navel oranges
1/2 large red onion, peeled and sliced paper thin
1 T. freshly squeezed orange juice
1 t. freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 T. olive oil
freshly ground black pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Arrange the spring mix on four salad plates and set aside.

Peel the oranges, being careful to remove as much of the bitter white pith as possible. If necessary, trim off excess using a sharp knife. Slice the oranges crosswise into 1/4-inch rounds. Remove any seeds. Arrange the sliced oranges and red onion atop the greens on the salad plates. Cover loosely and refrigerate at least 1 hour.

To make the dressing, whisk together the orange juice, lemon juice and olive oil in a small bowl. Season with freshly ground black pepper to taste. Just before serving, drizzle a quarter of the dressing over each salad. Serve immediately.