Begin by cooking the quinoa. Add one part quinoa to two parts water in a pan and simmer over medium low heat until the quinoa is cooked through, you can tell its cooked through when there is no longer a light colored spot in the middle.

Set the quinoa aside or in the fridge to cool.

Put pecans in the oven to roast. I like to broil them for 1-2 minutes to do it quickly, but you can also roast them for longer at a lower heat. Keep a close eye on them either way—it doesn't take long for them to roast and they can easily become burnt.

Slice apples and strawberries into small pieces.

Start building the salads by first putting a large handful of spinach in your bowl. Top with cooled quinoa, apples, strawberries, cheese, pecans, and any additional ingredients.

Add all the balsamic dressing ingredients to a bottle or blender and shake or a blend until combined. It is slightly harder to get the mixture to fully combine if using honey.

Top the salad with your desired amount of dressing, then mix up the salad and enjoy!