Saturday, January 23, 2010

Imbolc Recipe: Warm Spinach Salad

Wilted spinach salad with warm dressing is a dish I remember fondly from my childhood. Being far from home, I sometimes feel the need to recreate family recipes. I never recreate them exactly, however. Thanks to my mom and a package of real bacon crumbles, I was able to put this salad together tonight for supper.

I guess it really isn't a salad in the traditional sense, as it is served warm. That's one of the things that makes it great for Imbolc and Ostara, though. A chilly plate of crisp greens isn't what most of us are craving during the winter months.

Warm Spinach Salad

Note: I used frozen spinach. If you wish to use fresh baby spinach, please feel free to do so. You will need to allow it time to wilt in the skillet and you may need to add a tablespoon or two of water to help it along.

Ingredients

1 pound frozen spinach, thawed, excess moisture squeezed out
1/4 cup sweet onion, minced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
4-6 thick slices bacon, diced
salt and pepper to taste

Dressing

1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon Balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

In a large skillet, cook the bacon until crisp.
Remove and drain all but about 2 teaspoons of the fat.
Cook the onion in the bacon fat for 3-4 minutes over medium/medium-low heat.
Add the garlic and stir for 2-3 minutes.
Add the spinach and allow it to heat through. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Combine all the dressing ingredients except for the oil in either a small saucepan or microwave-safe container. Heat until the sugar is dissolved, then whisk in the olive oil. You can also make this dressing at room temperature; the sugar will still dissolve with enough mixing.

Add the bacon back to the spinach and turn out onto a serving platter. Pour the dressing over and serve.

**You can also use fresh baby spinach and just wilt it with the warm dressing. In this case, you may also leave the onions raw. I suggest rings of red onion. The garlic can be omitted, or just added to the dressing. Mushrooms are also a lovely addition to this salad if you wish to eat it raw.

3 comments:

  1. YUM! That sounds delightful! I'm hosting an Imbolc celebration, and I am so going to make this and share it with everyone. Thank you so much for the recipe!

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  2. Great! Let me know how it turns out. Also let me know if you made any changes to suit your taste better. I would appreciate it. I'm having leftovers for breakfast right now. ;)

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  3. this sounds so good... thanks for sharing

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