As promised, here is another recipe from The Lodge: Spinach Salad with Hot Bacon Dressing.
Helpful Kitchen Tips
One of the most helpful kitchen tips my Mom ever taught me is to do as much as possible ahead of time. Smart woman, huh? I hardboiled the eggs and fried the bacon the night before. The next morning, it took me 45 minutes to make this salad. That was about 40 minutes too long for this impatient girl! Although, I did check on my laundry in the dryer more than once during that time . . . Why is it that everything in life that’s worth anything takes hard work? Does anyone know if there’s some kind of law about that, like Murphy’s law, for example?
Healthy Eating Tips: Eat Spinach
I recently asked my good friend Kimi from California for healthy eating tips. She’s a wealth of information. (By the way, that’s my favorite way to do research. Why use a website or book to research a topic when there’s a real, live expert sitting next to you who will answer your questions on the spot?) Kimi reminded me that spinach is so, so good for you and me. But, how many people like raw spinach? Thus . . . Spinach Salad with Hot Bacon Dressing.
Spinach Salad with Hot Bacon Dressing
The salad has a wonderful sweet, warm flavor. However, it’s surprisingly wet. Almost more like a cooked spinach dish than a raw spinach salad. You’ll want to serve it immediately. Or, if you want a more “dry” salad, I’d recommend halving the sauce recipe and/or using more spinach than I did. Although, I have a great idea for my leftover sauce. I’m going to serve it over toast—I believe it will make a fantastic Egg Benedict dish of sorts!
Salad Spinners
One more random musing . . . Every woman should have a salad spinner. If you don’t own one, consider asking for one for your birthday or Christmas. It cleans and dries the spinach and lettuce leaves quickly—and it’s so fun to spin!
Tips From Your Mom
Have you come to grips with how long salads and other healthy dishes take to make? Any time-saving tips for impatient types like me? Finally, what was one of the most helpful kitchen tips your Mom ever shared with you?
PS: I’m going to share one more spinach recipe with you this month. But first, look for Chester’s Mint Brownies!
Spinach Salad with Hot Bacon Dressing
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 ½ teaspoons celery seed
1 teaspoon salt
¾ teaspoon ground mustard
2 cups milk
¾ cup cider vinegar
½ cup butter or margarine, cubed
3 eggs, lightly beaten
4 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
3 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
Fresh spinach, torn
In a saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch, celery seed, salt, and mustard. Gradually stir in milk and vinegar. Add butter. Cook and stir until mixture comes to a boil; cook and stir for 1–2 minutes or until thickened and bubbly. Stir a small amount of hot liquid into beaten eggs; return all to pan. Cook and stir 1 minute longer. Stir in bacon and hard-boiled eggs. Serve immediately over spinach. Yield: About 4 cups Serves: 16
Comments
*The following comments do not necessarily reflect the views of Revive Our Hearts. We reserve the right to remove comments which might be unhelpful, unsuitable, or inappropriate.
***This is not exactly a "green" tip here but my mom recommends using "fine china" (paper plates) when you are expecting a large crowd (especially when some of us don't have automatic dishwashers) and even sometimes on Sundays, when you really want to rest.
***Another tip is to fix enough for two or three meals say like if you are fixin' lasagna. It is time consuming but you can do three in the same time that you can do one. Just cook one and put the others in the freezer. This can be done for casseroles as well. Any thing that will take time, do more than one so you can have another one for later. This is also good if you want to share with someone in need.
***My mom has always been a simple cook. She was never really extravagant with her meals (we didn't have a lot of money) but everything she cooked was always very good. I learned really early that you don't have to spend a lot of money on your food, you just have to be creative and make what you have taste the best. You'd be surprised what you can do with a bag of pinto beans.
on Friday, July 10, 2009 at 7:50 am
on Friday, July 10, 2009 at 11:01 am
on Friday, July 10, 2009 at 1:31 pm
on Friday, July 10, 2009 at 1:45 pm
Thanks! :)
on Friday, July 10, 2009 at 2:05 pm
on Friday, July 10, 2009 at 2:06 pm
1 pound fresh spinach
1 pint fresh sliced strawberries
1/2 cup carmelized almonds
HOW TO CARMELIZE ALMONDS:
Combine 1/2 cup sliced almonds and 3 Tbls. sugar in a NONSTICK pan. Stir constantly over medium heat until carmelized (sugar will melt). Pour onto a plate to cool in clumps. When cool, break up.
DRESSING:
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tblsp. poppy seeds
2 Tblsp. sesame seeds
1 and 1/2 teaspoons minced onions
1/4 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup vegetable oil
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
Combine and whisk.
Toss spinach, strawberries, and almonds with dressing JUST BEFORE SERVING.
Note: I make the dressing first, sometimes the
night before. I prepare the strawberries the
day I plan to serve the salad. Packaged
spinach comes ready-to-serve. If one is
using spinach that needs to be rinsed, be
sure it is dried well. Hope you
enjoy!
on Friday, July 10, 2009 at 7:57 pm
on Sunday, July 12, 2009 at 3:31 am
on Monday, July 13, 2009 at 5:09 pm
Just a quick (?!) note to share a little about spinach! BTW, I love this website and all its encouragements toward domesticity. I just bought the ingredients for Laura's frozen pie and am looking forward (so is my daughter) to trying it!
I love spinach too. Here are a few thoughts I've gleaned over the years:
*Children will learn to love spinach if you serve it regularly from an early age (like once a week). Mine like it w/butter and lemon juice (boiled).
*It's good in soups, and mixed in with most any green salad (raw in salads)
*Baby spinach, though expensive, is delicate and great to use in sandwiches (and doesn't have to be washed). Sometimes I find I use it more readily, so it seems to keep longer without going bad.
*Boiled spinach is great on pizza! (My oldest son got me started on this years ago!)
*I like to throw some spinach or similar greens in just about every homemade soup (except for creamed soups)
*You can also buy it frozen -- I prefer "chopped" frozen -- even the store brand is good, for use as cooked spinach. Very easy to prepare (just boil w/ a little water), and inexpensive. Keeps a long time in freezer.
*Branching out from spinach to to other similar greens: Kale and turnip greens are great. I grow them in my garden, but have also bought kale at the market. They work great in soups (just like spinach, but a little coarser). I also use them in salads (chopped finely). Their flavor in stronger/more bitter than spinach, but I find this dissipates in soups and you hardly know the difference from spinach; and small amounts in salads add flavor, texture and variety.
There are many nutritional benefits to eating spinach and similar greens, as has been shared; I think they have iron and vitamins and help digestion, too!
Love in Christ,
on Tuesday, July 14, 2009 at 8:52 am
on Tuesday, July 14, 2009 at 8:55 am
on Tuesday, July 14, 2009 at 8:58 am
on Tuesday, July 14, 2009 at 10:07 am
on Tuesday, July 14, 2009 at 4:11 pm
Just to clarify -- you boil the spinach w/a little water (and salt, if desired), then season it w/butter and lemon juice before you eat it (we just have butter and fresh or plastic lemon on the table; my mother used to melt butter, add lemon juice, then serve this simple sauce in a china creamer/gravy boat on the side). Also, one more great way to eat it you probably know about (and one of my favorites): spinach in manicotti (w/ricotta, etc., also in the manicottis), covered w/tomato sauce (spaghetti sauce), then baked w/a little shredded cheese on top. I have a nice recipe for this (from Taste of Home). (I think people sneak spinach into all kinds of Italian lasagna type recipes!)
Blessings to you from the long-winded spinach lover!
on Tuesday, July 14, 2009 at 4:41 pm