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Summer Spinach Salad
Active Work and Preparation Time: 25 minutes
A refreshing salad is hard to beat on a summer's night. But sometimes it seems as if a salad can be, well, a little light. So I like to make a spinach salad with crisp bacon pieces.
Bacon adds some heft. Try some of the more gourmet types of bacon found at specialty grocers and upscale supermarkets, such as applewood-smoked bacon. They're more subtle in flavor with a better pork taste.
Chopped hard-boiled egg, crumbled feta and avocado also add some body to this salad. So stay light for dessert--have frozen fruit bars.
Place mats, napkin, plates and bowl from Pier 1 Import stores.
To toast the almonds, heat a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add the almonds and cook, shaking the skillet frequently, until lightly browned, about 2 minutes.
- 2 eggs
1/4 pound bacon, chopped
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/4 cup Sherry vinegar
6 tablespoons olive oil
2 shallots, minced
Salt, pepper
1 (5-ounce) piece feta, crumbled
1/2 pound red and yellow cherry tomatoes, halved
1 (6-ounce) package sliced mushrooms
1 (10-ounce) bag spinach
1 avocado, chopped
1/4 cup toasted almond slices or slivers
Place the eggs in a small saucepan with just enough water to cover. Bring to a slow boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and barely simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Drain the eggs, run under cold water and peel. Coarsely chop the eggs and set aside.
While the eggs cook, heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook, stirring once in a while, until the bacon is crisp, about 4 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Set aside.
Whisk together the mustard, vinegar, olive oil, shallots and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
In a large bowl, toss together the feta, tomatoes, mushrooms, spinach, avocado, bacon and eggs. Toss again with dressing. Top with the almonds.
4 to 6 servings. Each of 6 servings: 382 calories; 660 mg sodium; 96 mg cholesterol; 34 grams fat; 9 grams saturated fat; 9 grams carbohydrates; 14 grams protein; 3.84 grams fiber.
SHOPPING LIST
- Almond slices or slivers
Avocado
Bacon
Breadsticks
Feta
Frozen fruit bars
Sliced mushrooms
Spinach
Cherry tomatoes
COUNTDOWN
25 minutes before: Cook eggs, fry bacon.
15 minutes before: Make vinaigrette
10 minutes before: Toast almonds. Crumble feta. Halve tomatoes. Chop avocado.
5 minutes before: Toss salad.
--MAYI BRADY, Times Staff Writer