Spinach & Bacon Salad - A Love Story

At a wedding shower I went to last October, I got to enjoy the most amazing spinach salad. After professing my love for the salad to my friend's mother (and cook), she told me how she made the dressing for this salad and I knew I would be making this at home! (I waited a whole 12 hours before making it the first time!)

Di & I got to enjoy it again at the New Year's party our friend's hosted. This salad is super easy and super delicious!!! 

Ingredients
 
Salad

• Bag of Spinach (It doesn't matter if it's baby spinach or regular)
• 6-8 oz Thick Sliced Bacon
• 8 oz Mushrooms 
• 3 Large Eggs - hard boiled & sliced

Dressing

• ≈ 3 Tbsp Spicy Mustard
• ≈ 2 Tbsp Red Wine Vinegar
• 1 Onion (preferably a sweet onion) - chopped into chunks
• 1 - 2 tsp Honey
• Salt & Pepper (Salt is optional)

Cook your bacon & reserve the drippings. (I bake mine on wire wracks at 420° for about 15-20 minutes. This prevents the annoying curling and it removes the most grease-which can easily be saved for cooking!) Once your bacon is cooked, set it aside. 
Sauté the mushrooms with a little bit of the bacon fat until they are deliciously tender. (About 5 minutes) Set this aside. 
 
Once the bacon's not scalding hot, cut it into about 1" strips (or smaller, if you prefer). 
 
In a blender, add the choped onion and blend it until it's a thick, tear-jerking paste. Add 2 - 3 pieces of bacon, 2 tbs of the bacon fat, the vinegar, mustard, & honey. Blend until it's all combined. At this point you can add salt & pepper if you're using it. (Fresh-cracked pepper - it's really the only way to have pepper!!!)
 
Combine the spinach, bacon, mushrooms, eggs and dressing in a large bowl and mix with tongs until everything looks pretty evenly distributed. Take a quick picture and inhale your salad.
 
This is easily addicting!

Delicious Ground Beef w/ Sweet Mini Bell Peppers, Tomatoes, and Onions.

The name of this dish may seem a little "overly-confident", but we promise, once you taste this recipe you will definitely agree that the chosen name is the only one appropriate.

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil/coconut oil/bacon grease
• 1 decent sized yellow onion diced
• 1 ¼ cups mini sweet bell peppers diced (could be subbed for large red/yellow/orange bell peppers)
• 1 ½ tbsp minced garlic
• 2 ½ lbs lean ground beef
• ½ tbsp sea salt
• ½ tbsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp oregano
• ½ tbsp thyme
• ¼ tbsp cumin
• ¼ tbsp chili powder
• ½ tbsp red pepper flakes
• ¼ tbsp lemon or lime juice
• (1) 14.5 oz. cans of diced tomatoes (un-drained)

Technique: 

1. Start by sautéing the onions and mini bell peppers until translucent in a large sauce pot
2. Add in minced garlic, stir for 1 minute (make sure it doesn’t burn)
3. Add in ground beef and sauté until browned
4. Once ground beef is browned, drain the meat until there is little to no liquid left
5. Add in spices , tomatoes, and lemon/lime juice
6. Cover with a lid and allow the mixture to simmer for 30 minutes.
7. Enjoy!

This dish tastes wonderful served on its own, or, as Diane's personal favorite, a salad.

We like to call this dish: “Paleo-Frito-Pie”

Ingredients: 

• Delicious ground beef
• Romaine lettuce
• Freshly diced tomatoes
• Freshly diced red onion
• Freshly sliced avocado
• Mom’s Shallot & White Wine Vinaigrette (the vinaigrette is what makes the dish)