Alert the media! Our Connor, just turned one, is walking and talking. He's also learning how to share - kinda.
From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This is one of my favorite salads and, because of its color, it's one that I love to serve with holiday meals. The various components of the salad can be prepared well ahead of time, then tossed together just before serving, making it an easy dish for a busy hostess. The bacon in the salad and the drippings in the dressing makes it appealing to all meat eaters. This is a salad that seems to fall in and out of favor with cooks. Fortunately, it is good enough to be re-invented on a regular basis. I find this salad to be enormously appealing and have been known to prepare a mealsize portion of it when left on my own for dinner. You can, of course, substitute another salad dressing for the bacon and vinegar mixture called for here. Any well flavored vinaigrette will do, but I'm especially fond of the real deal. If you haven't tried this salad, I hope you will give it a try. Here's the recipe.
Wilted Spinach Salad...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite adapted from Cook's Illustrated
Ingredients:
5 ounces baby spinach (about 6 cups)
1 cup sliced mushrooms
2 slices bacon (about 2 ounces), cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1 hard boiled egg, peeled and very finely chopped
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup minced red onion
1/4 teaspoon table salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Directions:
Place spinach and mushrooms in large bowl. Fry bacon in small skillet over medium heat until crisp, about 5 minutes; transfer with slotted spoon to paper towel–lined plate, leaving fat in skillet. Return skillet to medium heat and add oil, onion, salt, pepper, and sugar. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is slightly softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add balsamic vinegar; swirl to incorporate. Pour warm dressing over spinach and toss gently to wilt. Sprinkle bacon and chopped egg over spinach; serve immediately. Yield: 4 servings.
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This post is being linked to:
Smiling Sally - Blue Monday
60 comments :
Yes a lovely fresh salad, I would appreciate that one.
Lovely to meet your little one.
Hugs,
Jan
Connor is just cute as a button!!! How often do you see him? This salad looks good! I make one where I saute the spinach a bit first, this is kind of similar.
The salad looks delicious and perfect after all the rich heavy foods of the holidays. Conner is a cutie. ;-)
I hope you had wonderful and blessed holidays.
I love warm vinegrettes. I think this salad can stand in any table festive or not. Your grandson is so cute.
I agree! This has got to be one of my favorite salads as well. I love the combination of spinach, shrooms and eggs. I like mine with a good olive oil and no vinegar, but that's just me. Oh lord you're making my mouth water!
Well, that Connor is the CUTEST thing. Boy, I'll bet he gets lots of grandma kisses. :)))
I grew up on wilted spinach salads..and wilted lettuce salads, as well. We don't eat them very often any more...but still love them.
xo bj
your salad looks good and Connor is really lovely! Hugs...
Salad look refreshing. Cute kids!
Sounds like a great combo! I thought for a moment there you were going to tell us that this was little Connor's favourite salad too! But that would have been TOO bizarre!!
Happy travels!!
Doesn't a bit of bacon just do wonders for salads? This looks so tasty and Connor looks so cute! I hope you have a wonderful week, my friend. Many blessings as the new year approaches. Thank you for sharing this delicious salad!
Connor is super cute! I am sure that you so much fun with him!
Love
Alessandra
Salad looks so fresh ....Nice to see connor:)
So cute!! Thanks for sharing :)
She looks cute..Salad looks fabulous Mary..
Connor is adorable, I know he lights up your world.
I enjoy a good salad so I will have to give this one a try. Thanks for sharing.
Molly
Your Connor is just adorable. What a cutie pie. I love spinach salad but never made it at home. Thanks for the recipe. I wish you and yours all the best in the new year 2011.
Connor is a handsome young man; I can easily see him winning hearts.
Happy Blue Monday, Mary!
Oh Mary he is so adorable! I could almost eat HIM up!
What a great salad...I think it would appeal to just about any palate! Bacon is quite the unifier, after all.
After so much rich holiday cooking I've moved salads to the top of my menu list. Spinach is one of our favorites.
Connor is a real cutie pie and such a big boy! One year old already - wow, where did the year go!
He is very adorable!!
Blue Monday
Very appetizing blog...no wonder you have so many followers. :)
Happy birthday to adorable little Connor! He seems quite pleased with himself!!
Wilted spinach salad was a special treat growing up--a change from the wedge of iceberg lettuce with thousand island dressing. However, my sisters and I never let that spinach touch our lips. Something we now regret!
Best,
Bonnie
Happy Blue Monday, Mary. Connor is gorgeous. He must be such a joy for all of you. I know he is well loved.
Speaking of love, I do love Wilted Spinach Salad. You always inspire me.
I love this salad, look fresh and delicious! aaah! Mary I adore Connor, he is sooooo cute and lovely, I love his smile, his feets! really, I love the kids ate this age, I remember my twins! Huggs gloria
What a sweet little guy! You must be so proud!
The wilted spinach salad is just the sort of thing I like to eat!
Connor is darling! We've had wilted lettuce salad, but never wilted spinach, it sounds just as good. May the new year bring great things to you.
Your little grandson is one cute boy! Love the refreshing look of your spinach salad, sounds delicious with the bacon bits and eggs added to it.
oh this looks yummy and healthy, and ur baby looks sooo cute =) Happy New year! Hoepy uo can drop by my page too
Great family photos. Mmmmmm I love spinach. Hope you had a good Christmas. Diane
It sure a healthy salad. Your Connor is cute. Happy blue Monday.
Just learning to walk, cute!
Connor is absolutely adorable! Love the salad, looks really fresh and I really love eggs in salads!
What a beautiful little guy! And what a lovely salad. I haven't made a spinach salad in quite some time, but now I'm inspired.
ahhh he is just PRECIOUS!!! :)
That would taste good after all the holiday excess. Connor is so cute too.
Your salad is lovely. And Connor is precious! I have a niece with the same name who is close to the same age and toddling her way around. It's a fun age!
Connor is a little sweetie! Thanks for sharing a few photos of him and your wonderful spinach salad recipe. I make spinach salad at least a few times every month, so it's nice to get a new recipe plus all your links:-)
Mary!
Its been forever since I have stopped to say hi!
Hope you and your family had a wonderful Christmas!
This salad looks very YUMMY!
Claudia
I love wilted spinach salad and make it every month. It's - satisfying. I don't feel like a bunny rabbit when I eat it. And it serves well for as a meal for me. Connor now - he is just scrumptious!
Connor is such a little darling! The salad looks really delicious and I love all the goodies in there! Hope you and yours had a fantastic Christmas, Mary!
Always looking for different ways to eat spinach this is another nice one!
Connor is super adorable..his smile is precious!
US Masala
Awww Connor is so cute!! Happy birthday to him! Of course, the salad looks and sounds absolutely amazing, too!
Sues
Hi Mary
Happy New Year from Southern California. No snow here but a lot of rain storms and mud slides!
I hope you and your family had a Wonderful Christmas Celebration.
God Bless You, ~Ron
What an absolute sweetheart :) Hope he had a wonderful birthday!
Mary, Conner is adorable. I love spinach salad and a bacon vinaigrette is essential in my book. I think I'll try your recipe for lunch tomorrow.
Sam
Hello Mary, Conner is so cute. This is the age...before the twos, to watch them progress rapidly. An adorable age.
We too love spinach salad. This is much like mine and easy as well.
I hope you had a great Christmas.
Hugs, Jeanne
Oh, he's so cute :) This salad sounds wonderful, Mary. I hope you and your family had a wonderful Christmas :D
Happy Birthday to Connor! He is as cute as can be!
Your salad is just perfect. I buy big containers of organic spinach all winter long. I will put it to good use with your recipe.
ohmygosh Connor is too cute!
Happy Birthday, Connor! What a cutie!
This salad is such a welcome change from all of the sweets and large meals of the holidays!
Forget the salad recipe :) . . . it is Conner we want to see. What a charmer.
Fondly,
Glenda
Connor is adorable! So cute :)
Spinach salad has to be one of my most favorites! Yours looks amazing!
Awww, Connor is so cute! And what a lovely salad.
Wonderful salad and the bacon vinaigrette sounds fab! I would love one after all of the holiday food that I've been eating. Will be making it very soon! Thanks for sharing!
aww what asorable pictures you have of connor. Im sure he's your bundle of joy! This salad is refreshing, after food binging during the holidays!
ok I know I'm biased, but that's a cute baby!! oh, and the salad looks yummy too :)
What a doll!
I could definitely make a meal out of this salad.
I love this salad too, and I second that this is a DELICIOUS recipe! I noticed that their super similar version in The America's Test Kitchen (which uses apple cider vinegar instead of the balsamic, and is otherwise the same), does call for the sliced hard boiled egg, so I chuckled that you modified the recipe to add it here. Anyways, this was our favorite of the two versions (we liked the balsamic more than the apple cider vinegar) and an awesome side dish!
Anon - Cook's Illustrated and America's Test Kitchen are arms of the same publication. America's Test Kitchen is the televised version of Cook's Illustrated. The version of the recipe I used came from the magazine which I properly credited. It is not surprising the recipes are so similar. I don't think I stepped on any toes here. Mary
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