RECIPE: Breakfast Salad, A Summer Delight

Ingredients:

(Makes 2 salads)

  • 4 cups spinach divided onto two plates or shallow bowls (if the spinach is small, leave as is; if the leaves are large, you may want to coarsely chop). Big appetite? Add more spinach.

  • 4 slices bacon cooked until crisp & crumbly (my favorite bacon comes from Farm to Market Pork in Kalispell, you can find them at the Clark Fork Market on Saturdays or order in bulk direct with them).Once you’ve cooked the bacon set it aside and drain all but 2 tablespoons of fat from the pan.

  • Not a carnivore? Substitute 1 cup sliced mushrooms sautéed in 2 tablespoons olive oil. You can cook the mushrooms and onion (below) together if you like.

  • ½ large onion, sliced. Any color will work, but red makes for a pretty salad. Fry the onion in the bacon fat until transparent and just softened, 5-6 minutes.

  • Red wine or balsamic vinegar

  • 2 - 4 Eggs

  • Suggested additions for the extra-hearty breakfast eater, to be split between two salads:

    • 4 tablespoons feta or goat cheese (or a few slices of the cheese you prefer)

    • ¼ cup dried cranberries or cherries (tart cherries are great!)

    • ½ cup fresh raspberries, blueberries or strawberries

    • ¼ cup chopped pecans, walnuts or almonds

    • ½ cup thinly sliced carrot, green or red pepper, zucchini (raw or briefly sautéed)

    • 1 sliced tomato or whole pear tomatoes

Directions:

Once the onion slices are ready, add 2-3 tablespoons red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar, 2 teaspoons sugar or honey to the pan, and cook 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently, until the vinegar is heated through and sugar or honey has dissolved.

Depending on your appetite, cook 2 or 4 eggs anyway you prefer. I like poached, my husband scrambled. A poached or over-easy (or over-medium) egg will give your salad extra “sauce” from the runny yolk, but some folks like their eggs cooked through. Either way, the salad will be tasty.

You’re now ready to put your breakfast salad together.

For each salad: on the bed of spinach, crumble 2 slices of bacon (or ½ of the mushrooms), add ½ of the onion sauce mix, and top with 1 or 2 eggs. Add a dash of pepper and breakfast is ready to go!

This salad is versatile and can be made with kale, Swiss chard, mustard greens, and arugula. For kale, Swiss chard, and mustard greens, I suggest a quick “pre-wilting” in the microwave. Just microwave the greens with a few drops of water on the leaves for 1-2 minutes, they’ll soften and wilt slightly.

Enjoy!

Northside Community Ga..., Recipes, GardeningGenevieveComment