Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing

It is so hot and sticky here in NJ right now you would think it was mid August. The thought of having to turn on the stove makes me sweat even more so salad is what we will be having for dinner tonight. I try and eat salad a lot during the summer months since it requires minimal cooking and is a lighter meal. Dinner salads need to be a little bit heavier for us or we are hungry a few hours later so I generally top them with grilled chicken but that gets old very quickly. This recipe is a nice change from your usual garden salad because it uses spinach instead of lettuce and the dressing is warm. We have gotten spinach in our last three Alan's Orchards Fresh Boxes and have enjoyed it a bunch of different ways, it is so fresh and nutritious you feel like Popeye after you eat it.

Adapted from: www.foodnetwork.com

Ingredients:

8 Cup Spinach - Stems removed

6 Slices of Bacon - Save grease from cooking

2 Hard Boiled Eggs - Sliced

8oz White Mushrooms - Sliced

1 Shallot - Finely Diced

1/2 Cup Red Wine Vinegar

2 1/2 Tbsp Honey Mustard

S&P

In a small saucepan place two eggs on the bottom and fill with cold water until they are completely covered. Bring to a boil over high heat. Once they are boiling set the timer for 10 minutes. When the eggs are finish, drain the water and transfer them to a bowl of cold water and ice cubes. When they are cool enough to touch, peel away the shells, rinse and slice. Set aside.

In a medium pan place 6 slices of bacon over medium heat. Cook the bacon until firm and crispy this should take about 5 minutes. Be careful not to burn yourself, if the pan is splattering use a screen or turn the heat down a bit. When the bacon is finished place it on a plate lined with paper towels to soak up some of the grease. When it's cool you can crumble the bacon and set it aside.

Keep the drippings from your bacon in the pan, you should have about 2 Tbsp of grease. If you have more dump some of it out of the pan. Return the pan back to medium heat and add about half of the diced shallot. Saute the shallot in the grease for about 2 minutes stirring occasionally so it doesn't burn.

Pour in the red wine vinegar and then the honey mustard, mixing everything together. Salt and pepper to taste and bring the dressing to a simmer then remove from the heat.

Get all of your ingredients together to assemble the salad: spinach, sliced hard boiled egg, crumbled bacon, sliced mushrooms, the remainder of the diced shallot and the dressing. Put all of the toppings over the spinach, drizzle the warm dressing over top of everything and toss. Serve immediately.

Enjoy!! - Nicole

This is linked to www.mandysrecipebox.blogspot.com, www.chef-in-training.com, www.ladybehindthecurtain.com, www.thischickcooks.net, www.mizhelenscountrycottage.blogspot.com,

www.4littlefergusons.wordpress.com, www.sixsistersstuff.com