Here is a yummy salad recipe that can also make a great main course. My family loved it. And I just had the leftovers for lunch warmed up with a cup of leftover spaghetti noodles.
Spinach Bacon Salad
Serves 4
6 cups spinach leaves
½ cup julienne cut water chestnuts
2 strips bacon
½ white onion, slice into thin half moon
8 Crimini mushrooms sliced very thinly
¼ cup glazed walnuts
¼ cup mascarpone
½ cup rose´ wine
1tsp olive oil
Using a large skillet, cook the bacon until crisp. Remove
from pan and lay out it on paper towel to remove some of the grease. Pour bacon
grease into a glass container, (once it cools you can throw it away, or reuse it for another recipe) retaining about 1T of the grease in the pan
along with all the crunchy bits. Return the pan to medium heat and add the
mushrooms. Sauté the mushrooms until they are limp, should take 5-10 minutes.
While the mushrooms cook, cut the bacon into ¼ inch squares and set them aside.
When the mushrooms are limp add the mascarpone, wine and olive oil. Stir
gently as it heats up until the liquids are well combined. Add the spinach to
the pan and toss gently until spinach just begins to go limp and then transfer the
spinach mixture into a medium sized serving bowl. Add the bacon, walnuts, water
chestnuts and slice onions to the serving bowl. Toss the salad and serve.
For a pasta dish that can serve as a main course return the completed salad to the the pan and heat just enough to warm up the water chestnuts. (Spinach will go a little more limp.) For a more protein rich alternative add 2 cups of sliced cooked chicken or pork to the warming pan at this point. When warm, transfer the spinach mixture into a large bowl with 4 cups of hot cooked pasta. Toss well and serve.
