spinach salad with warm bacon vinaigrette

Happy Pie For Breakfast Day, friends! Do you see what I did there? I made it official, which means that you need not feel any regret that you may have innocently come upon a lonely wedge of leftover pie in the fridge this morning, and before you knew it, before you could responsibly hash out the pros and cons of setting your day to the tune of pie, and not, say, a muesli, fresh fruit and herbal tea detox, you in fact did have pie for breakfast and it was wonderful. You need not feel any regret because its a holiday, and it was important that you joined in the celebration. You were only doing your part. (Gobble, gobble.)

And now that we got that out of the way, I bet you could go for a salad. No, not a Salad of Thanksgiving Repentance; that would be rather dull. It might include wheat germ, and its too soon for all of that. I firmly believe that on the road from total overindulgence to the kind of mood that leads to my gym being jam-packed with Resolutes on January 1st, there should be some in-between. A salad, yes, one with several whole and wholesome ingredients, but also one that you look forward to eating because it in fact tastes amazing. And for that, I nominate this one. It comes with a warm bacon vinaigrette and old-school vibe. Its not even a little sorry.

Before I took off to Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland, Vancouver, Washington DC, Toronto and Chicago on the whirlwind last few weeks of the book tour during which I have missed you all terribly, I went on a serious spinach salad bender, surprising nobody more than myself. If youd offered me this salad any time in the last 15 years, Id have pushed it away without regret. For a while there, spinach salads were both ubiquitous and terrible, the classic flavors co-opted with everything from raspberry vinaigrette to honey-drenched walnuts better suited for an ice cream sundae topping. But as will always happen, after a long break, I started craving the old-school version, the one you might have found on a steakhouse menu up until a while ago, and I think its fairly well established how warmly I feel about steakhouse classic salads. This one belongs back among their ranks.

A bright pile of baby spinach leaves is scattered with wispy slivers of red onion, thinly sliced white mushrooms (please, no fancy mushrooms here), coins of hard-cooked egg and then the piece de resistance, tiny bits of bacon rendered in a pan until crisp and salty and perfect, and its smoky renderings whisked with a pinch of Dijon and red wine vinaigrette in a skillet to make a quick, hot dressing that you pour over the salad, gently wilting the onion, spinach and mushrooms and leaving you wondering why you dont make this every week of the year. You should. Theres still time.

Book Tour: To say that the last few weeks of book tour-ing and meeting so many wonderful people have been incredible would be the understatement of the century. Theyve been mindblowing, overwhelming, humbling and maybe a tiny bit exhausting, but a good exhausting. One Id do again in a heartbeat. Which is awesome, as its not over yet. Boston I know both the Tuesday and Wednesday events are sold out (boo!) but both include details about how you can stop by a bit later for a signing, even if you couldnt get tickets. I hope I will get to see everyone that missed out. Darien, I cant wait to see your beautiful library on Thursday. Texas, I will be counting down the second until I can finally get to Book People on Friday in Austin and Blue Willow Bookshop in Houston on Saturday. [All Book Tour Details, here.]

One year ago: Sweet Potato and Marshmallow Biscuits
Two years ago: Upside-Down Cranberry Cake
Three years ago: Moroccan-Spiced Spaghetti Squash
Four years ago: Spaghetti with Swiss Chard and Garlic Chips
Five years ago: Lemon Ricotta Pancakes with Sauteed Apples, Roasted Stuffed Onions and Simplest Apple Tart
Six years ago: Not Your Mamas Coleslaw and Indian-Spiced Vegetable Fritters

Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Vinaigrette
Adapted from several places, but my favorite version is Alton Browns

To hard-boil eggs, well, there are a million approaches out there (see this comment section if you dont believe me). Mine is to cover a large egg with cold water and put it on the stove and bring it to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, set a timer to exactly 9 or 10 minutes, and reduce the heat to medium. Once its done, I often plunge it in icy water so that it will stop cooking immediately and also chill quickly. At 9 minutes, large eggs will be a little tender in the center, as you can see in the top photo. At 10, it will be a fully-cooked (but not overcooked) egg.

If youre freaked out by raw red onion, you can actually add it to the dressing in the skillet for the last 10 seconds to soften it and remove more of the bite, and pour the onions and dressing over the salad together.

Serves 4 as an appetizer or 2 spinach salad enthusiasts

4 ounces baby spinach
2 large white mushrooms, thinly sliced
1/4 small or medium red onion, very thinly sliced
1 large egg, hard-boiled (see above), chilled, peeled and thinly sliced
4 pieces thick-sliced bacon (about 4 ounces), finely diced
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon honey or sugar
1/2 teaspoon smooth Dijon mustard
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Place spinach in a large, wide salad serving bowl. Scatter with mushrooms, red onion (see above for a different, mellower way to add the onions) and coins of hard-boiled egg. In a large skillet, fry bacon bits over medium-high heat until theyre brown and crisp and have rendered their fat. Use a slotted spoon to scoop them out of the skillet and spread them on a piece of paper towel briefly before sprinkling them over the salad. Pour out all but two tablespoons of hot bacon fat from the skillet. Reheat over medium and quickly whisk in the red wine vinegar, honey and Dijon. Pour over entire salad and season salt and pepper. Toss gently and serve hot. Repeat tomorrow night.

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Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Vinaigrette Recipe - CHOW This simple spinach salad recipe is a mix of healthy spinach, crispy bacon, and toasted pecans, for a most satisfying salad. Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing Recipe : Alton Brown ... Very good salad, the dressing is to die for! I used a cabernet vinegar instead of the plain red wine vinegar and it was wonderful. I reduced mine a little and added ... How to Make a Bacon Spinach Salad With Hot Dressing eHow.com This delicious and easy salad is made with savory bacon dressing and fresh baby spinach. Eating spinach boosts cardiovascular health and may lower the risk of age ... Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing Recipe - Saveur.com This classic spinach salad recipe comes from The Fannie Farmer Cookbook. Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon and Apple Cider Dressing Recipe ... Bland! I don't know why...don't get me wrong, i eat raw salad on a daily basis prollly it's because I'm really not a fan of raw spinach, I prefer them cooked. I ... Spinach Salad With Hot Bacon Dressing Recipe A delicious spinach salad with hot bacon dressing. ... Add items to your shopping list. 8 slices thick-cut bacon,halved length-wise and cut crosswise into 1/2" pieces Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing Recipe : Paula Deen ... Saw this recipe on Friday and had extra spinach in the fridge - definitely worth a try. I'm sure this is really good. The dressing just didn't work out for me. My ... Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing Recipe : Alton Brown ... Delish! I used honey dijon mustard as that's what I had in the house. This dish was fantastic! ... Amazing!!! Spinach Salad With Warm Bacon Dressing Recipe - Food.com - 486216 Mom loved this salad, and it was always a treat when she would prepare it. Not having her recipe, I used Alton Brown's as the basis and improvised slightly. This was ... Wilted Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing BigOven Place eggs in medium saucepan, cover with 1 inch of water, and bring to boil over high heat. Remove pan fro heat, cover, and let stand 10 minutes.