Strawberry & brie salad with walnuts

Among other things, I absolutely love cheese - Cheddar, Gruyere, Edam, Gouda, Leerdammer, Jarlsberg, Brie, Camembert, Blue Cheese, Feta, Halloumi ... I just really love cheese. I love it grilled, toasted, baked, in a salad, in a sandwich or just on its own. There hasn't been a single time I have not indulged on the home made grilled cheese sandwiches (the microwave ones used to be my bed time snack when I was a kid) or enjoyed every last bit of the melted Raclette when on holiday. It is difficult to think of a better snack than cheese with some nice crackers and grapes when enjoying a glass of wine with good friends. To put it simply, I love cheese and whenever possible (or allowed by my waistline) I try to incorporate some into my meals. Although cheese is not the most healthiest of foods, it is high in calcium (I use that excuse to justify having to have cheese often). But to be fair, I live just once and I might as well enjoy it - so every now and then I treat myself to some nice cheese therapy.

As I was really really productive today, I considered that the time has come to reward myself and for quite some time I have been thinking about making a salad with brie and strawberries, but I never got around to actually doing it. So, I got myself together and made the salad. The result was absolutely gorgeous. Spinach really made a nice base for this salad as it wasn't overpowering and the sweet strawberries and creamy brie together are just heavenly. Walnuts really added sophistication to this combination of different tastes and textures. This salad really was a treat and now I'm just waiting for a good excuse to treat myself with it again...

Ingredients
(Serves 1)
- 50g spinach (preferably baby spinach)
- 150g strawberries, chopped
- 75g brie, diced
- 35g walnuts, quartered

Directions
Wash and dry the spinach and the strawberries. Dice the brie, strawberries and walnuts and place in the bowl together with spinach and mix it well. Place on a nice plate and serve immediately. Feel free to add balsamic vinegar or olive oil if you prefer to have your salads with some dressing.