Clementine Salad with Mandarin-Pear Dressing

Puréed Bartlett pears give body and a creamy texture to this low-oil dressing,

which tops a salad composed of fresh spinach, lettuce, and Clementine's.

Dressing:
1 16-ounce can Bartlett pears in juice
2 large mandarins
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
½ teaspoon prepared mustard
½ teaspoon salt

Salad:
4 cups torn fresh spinach leaves
4 cups torn mixed lettuce leaves
6 Clementine's or other mandarins
¼ cup sliced natural almonds, toasted

Prepare Mandarin-Pear Dressing: Drain pears, reserving ¼ cup juice. Cut mandarins crosswise in half and ream to extract ½ cup juice. In blender, blend drained pears, reserved pear juice, the tangerine juice, oil, mustard, and salt until smooth. Pour dressing into a glass pitcher or jar; cover and refrigerate until cold. Just before serving, prepare Salad: Divide spinach and lettuce among 6 salad plates. Peel Clementine's; separate into segments and remove any fibrous strings or membrane. Place segments over greens on plates. Sprinkle almonds on top and drizzle with about 2 tablespoons dressing. Pass remaining dressing. Yield: Serves: 6.