Spinach Salad with Warm Beet Dressing

Description
Spinach Salad with Warm Beet Dressing from the Public Health Cookbook by the Seattle & King County Department of Public Health—original source of recipe, public domain government resource
 * Serves: 4

Ingredients

 * 1 red onion, thinly sliced
 * 2 slices whole wheat bread, cut into cubes
 * 8 oz (or 2 small) fresh beets
 * 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
 * 1 small shallot, minced
 * 1 tablespoon honey mustard
 * ¼ cup red wine vinegar
 * 2 tablespoons sugar
 * ½ teaspoon salt
 * ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
 * 12 oz spinach, thoroughly washed, stems removed
 * 4 oz button mushrooms, wiped clean, stems trimmed and sliced

Directions

 * 1) Preheat oven to 350°F.
 * 2) Fill a medium sized bowl with water and ice then add onions. Let stand for 30 minutes, drain and set aside.
 * 3) Place bread cubes on a baking sheet and toast in oven for 10–15 minutes or until golden, tossing occasionally then set the croutons aside.
 * 4) Place beets in a small saucepan filled with water. Bring to a boil and cook for 30 minutes or until tender.
 * 5) Drain and let cool until easy to handle. Peel the beets and then cut into ½ inch cubes then set aside.
 * 6) In a small saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium heat. Add the honey mustard, sugar, vinegar, salt and pepper and stir constantly until sugar is dissolved (about 1 minute) add remaining oil then reduce heat to low. Add beet cubes and toss to coat.
 * 7) Arrange spinach leaves, onions and mushrooms on plates. Drizzle with the beet dressing and garnish with croutons.