Hello! It’s been a while. My main excuse for this is we moved, although that excuse is now getting old. And, really, we only moved to the opposite end of our complex (which is actually farther than it sounds, believe me!). I have made a few things in the meantime, but nothing I considered blog-worthy. The place is finally pretty much put together and my motivation is back…whew!
In order to channel that motivation, I asked Alex to write me a list of some things he wants to eat so I have some sort of direction on what to make for dinner. Sweet stuff is easy, I have no problems coming up with ideas. But, when it comes to actual meals and everyday foods, I’ve been struggling. Even at the grocery store, I end up just browsing the aisles and feeling lost and confused. Weird.
So, Alex grabbed America’s Test Kitchen and started listing specific pages he wanted me to make. Not exactly what I had in mind, but it ended up being what I needed to get something made. Sometimes my need for control makes me want to have the final say But, I went along with it and picked up what I needed. It worked out better than I thought- I’m glad I just went with it!
This salad was pleasant and refreshing. It originally calls for chopped red onion instead of the peppers, but I had frozen pepper strips I wanted to use up and they worked perfectly. The cider vinegar gives it a great tangy depth of flavor. Just right.
Wilted Spinach Salad with Bacon and Peppers, adapted from America’s Test Kitchen Family Cookbook
10 oz. baby spinach (flat-leaf)
8 oz. turkey bacon (8 slices), chopped fine
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 red, green or yellow bell pepper, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
6 tablespoons cider vinegar
3 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and quartered
Place the spinach in a large bowl. Fry the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp, about 5 minutes. Transfer the bacon to a paper-towel lined plate. Add the olive oil to the bacon fat in the skillet and return to medium heat. Add the bell pepper, garlic, sugar, salt, and pepper and cook until the bell pepper is soft, about 3 minutes. Off the heat, stir in the vinegar, then pour immediately over the spinach and toss to wilt. It is important to perform this step quickly, while the dressing is still hot, to achieve the optimal texture of the spinach. Portion the salad onto individual plates and garnish with the bacon and hard-boiled eggs. Serves 4 to 6.