Spinach Salad with Oranges and Warm Goat Cheese



3 small Navel oranges
6 ounces fresh mild goat cheese (preferably in log form)
1/3 cup pecans (1 1/2 ounces), finely chopped
1 teaspoon whole-grain mustard
1 teaspoon white-wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Pinch sugar
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound spinach, trimmed
1 small red onion, sliced into thin rings


1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cut peel and white pith from oranges with a sharp small knife. Working over a sieve set over a bowl, cut orange sections free from membranes, letting sections drop into sieve. Cut goat cheese into fourths and gently form into a disk. Dip into pecans all over each disk to coat. Bake on a small baking sheet in middle of oven until heated through, about 5 minutes.
2. Measure out 1 tablespoon orange juice from bowl and whisk together with mustard, vinegar, salt, and sugar in a large bowl. Add oil and whisk until blended. Add spinach, onion, and orange sections to dressing and toss well. Season with pepper. Divide among 4 salad plates and carefully transfer 1 goat-cheese disk to each salad.

Yield: serves 4

Gourmet Magazine