The Only Spinach Salad For Me

I have to admit that I've never really been one for spinach salads. It's something about the eggs and the mushrooms, and well, the spinach that I'm just not a real fan of. However, since Collin Murray likes them and relationships are about compromise, I've tried to find spinach salads that delight us both. It actually didn't take that long to find one, Martha is always a reliable source for such things.

This spinach salad has a warm dressing that ever-so-slightly wilts the spinach and has an excellent tang. Martha serves hers with roasted pecans but I prefer a poached or fried egg to round out the dish in terms of protein.


WARM SPINACH SALAD WITH BACON AND TOMATOES
Adapted from Everyday Food
Serves 2 as a main course, 4 as a starter

8 slices of bacon cut into 1-inch strips
1/2 of a red onion, sliced thinly
2 cups grape tomatoes, halved
1/3 cup white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
2-3 bunches of fresh spinach (about 7-8 cups)
Salt and pepper to taste
*2-3 eggs (optional)

Before you begin to cook, chop your bacon, thinly slice your onion and half your tomatoes: set these ingredients aside so you will be ready to add them when the time is right.

Cook the bacon over medium heat till nice and crispy in a large nonstick skillet, spoon off bacon and set it aside to cool on a paper towel; drain off all but 3 tablespoons of the grease. Return the pan to medium heat and add the onion. Saute till it is translucent, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add the tomatoes, vinegar and sugar and allow to cook for about 2 more minutes or until the tomatoes are heated through. At that point, add a little salt and pepper; taste to make sure that the dressing is to your liking. Either add more seasoning or carefully pour the dressing over a bowl of spinach, add bacon, toss and enjoy.

*What I usually do with this salad is have Collin Murray fry a couple of eggs in the same pan that I used to crisp the bacon and make the dressing but you could easily add a hard-boiled egg, or a poached egg if that was your taste.