Blackberry Spinach Salad for One

Menu planning isn’t the easiest task for me. Often I think it is because I can never think of great lunches. I hope I am not the only one with this issue, but I could be wrong. I’m just not a big sandwich lover and changing my diet to a more primal fashion of eating has me searching for new options that are quick and easy. Right now I am thinking about salads like Chef Staci’s Apple Maple Walnut Salad (recipe to come), but I don’t have any apples left today.

Often I have not had a chance to go shopping and I have to look for things that are in my pantry or in my freezer. I like to buy fresh ingredients and freeze what I can for easy use the next time I think about it. I freeze a lot of green onions, red onions, yellow onions and peppers of every color. I also freeze sliced up fruit and berries unless they are out of season and then I just buy them already frozen. I have everything to make a quick broiled salmon like this Miso Salmon with spinach and brown rice.

It’s been a few weeks since I went grocery shopping and I really need to go. The only things I have on hand are in my freezer. Today I caught a glimpse of some frozen blackberries and I was inspired for a unique lunch, being lunchtime at the moment. In fact everything but the spinach and tomatoes were in my freezer, but you can use fresh when you have them on hand. I love using frozen berries. I placed my berries in a small bowl and defrosted them in the microwave for a minute or two. I was left with a tiny bit of juice in the bottom that I mixed with my balsamic vinegar, cracked pepper, pressed garlic and orange infused canola oil to make a vinaigrette. It was the perfect combination of sweet, tart and tang.