Spinach Salad & Toasted Pita

1. Preheat oven to 375 F (190 C). Line a rimmed baking pan with parchment paper. Toss the cubed beets with 1/3 of the olive oil and spread them onto the baking pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the beets are easily pierced with a fork.
2. In a small bowl, stir the red onions, raisins, dates, vinegar, and a pinch of salt together. Let it stand for 20 minutes. If there’s any leftover vinegar after it’s been marinated, drain it away.
3. Tear apart the pita into 1- to 1 1/2-inch pieces.
4. In a large pan, heat the buttery spread and another 1/3 of the olive oil over medium-low heat. When the butter has melted, add the pita and nuts and stir well. Keep stirring it for about 4 to 6 minutes, or until the pita turns golden brown. Remove the pan from heat, and sprinkle on the sumac and shichimi togarashi, and mix well. Use double the listed amount of the shichimi togarashi if you want more heat in your salad.
5. In a large bowl, toss the spinach with the onion mixture, beets, pita, nuts, remaining 1/3 of the olive oil and lemon juice. I didn’t need to add any more salt, but adjust it to your taste.
6. Serve immediately.

Adapted from the Baby Spinach Salad with Dates & Almonds recipe in Jerusalem by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi.