Warm Spinach Salad with {chicken} Sausage

I was doing a pared down version of a 10-day detox for the last three days, wherein I wasn’t eating dairy, caffeine, carbohydrates, fruit, sugar or (most) bad fat. That basically leaves low-fat proteins (in controlled quantities) and veggies. Every couple of weeks I subject myself to this detox–mainly when I’m not feeling well, which is how I’ve been feeling for about a week. The detox does seem to cleanse me and right anything wrong with my system.

The 10-day detox is a bit hellacious. Because I don’t loooove vegetables (the only thing you can eat unlimited amounts of) I ended up eating pretty much the same thing for 10 days (low-sugar smoothie for breakfast, salad with chicken for lunch and salmon and asparagus for dinner.)

A lot of the times when I do this detox I end up skipping lunch altogether because the salad I’m accustomed to eating is completing unappetizing. I’d rather starve! I didn’t feel like skipping lunch on Saturday though. So I found a recipe that would allow me to use the chicken brats I’ve had in my freezer for a while now.

My first pass at the salad was ok but not what I was hoping. It didn’t have enough roasted vegetables and I didn’t care all too much for the poppy-seed dressing I’d made. Then I made some warm bacon dressing for a salmon salad and it changed my life. And this salad!

what you’ll need.

• 4 Chicken sausages (about 1 pound – I used chicken brats)
• 8 to 12 Roma tomatoes, cut in half crosswise (I would recommend using two to three tomatoes per person/salad)
• 2 to 4 red onions, sliced into 1/2-inch-thick rings
• extra-virgin olive oil
• kosher salt and pepper
• 12 oz. baby spinach (about three ounces per person – this is half a bag of spinach at Trader Joe’s!)
• your favorite dressing (I would recommend Warm Bacon Dressing)

how you’ll make it.

1. Heat grill to medium-high. With a fork, prick the sausages in several places. Grill, turning occasionally, until cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes. (Alternatively you can pan fry the sausages over medium-high heat until cooked through.)
2. Meanwhile, brush the tomatoes and onion with 1 tablespoon of the oil and season with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Grill vegetables until tender, 5 to 6 minutes per side for the onion and 2 to 3 minutes per side for the tomatoes. (Alternatively you can roast the tomatoes and onions at 350 degrees for about an hour or two.) Transfer to a bowl as they are done.
3. Add the spinach and some dressing to a bowl and toss. If you’re not using a warm dressing I would also add the warm veggies at this point so that your spinach wilts. If you’re using a warm dressing the spinach should wilt from being tossed in the dressing. Top salad with roasted veggies and sliced sausage.

Recipe rating: 