Garden Salad With Warm Bacon Vinaigrette Food

RAW KALE SALAD WITH WARM BACON VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Lay the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat and cook to your desired crispness, 5 to 10 minutes. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate, reserving the drippings and leaving any crunchy bits in the skillet.
• While the bacon cooks, remove the stems from the kale and discard. Roll up the leaves lengthwise and slice crosswise into thin strips. Transfer to a large bowl; add the nuts, chickpeas and Parmesan.
• Return the skillet to medium heat and add back 3 tablespoons of the reserved bacon drippings. (If you don't have 3 tablespoons, make up the difference with olive oil.) Add the shallots and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Whisk in the vinegar, brown sugar and mustard, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the skillet. Remove the vinaigrette from the heat and season with salt and pepper.
• Chop the bacon and add it to the bowl. Drizzle in the warm dressing and toss to coat the salad. Serve immediately.

SPINACH SALAD WITH WARM BACON DRESSING

Steps:

• Remove the stems from the spinach and wash, drain and pat dry thoroughly. Place into a large mixing bowl and set aside.
• Place the eggs into an electric kettle and cover with cold water by at least 1-inch. Turn the kettle on. Once the water comes to a boil, the kettle will turn itself off. Leave the eggs in the water for 15 minutes. Remove and peel off the shell. Slice each egg into 8 pieces and set aside.
• While the eggs are cooking, fry the bacon and remove to a paper towel to drain, reserving 3 tablespoons of the rendered fat. Crumble the bacon and set aside.
• Transfer the fat to a small saucepan set over low heat and whisk in the red wine vinegar, sugar and Dijon mustard. Season with a small pinch each of kosher salt and black pepper.
• Add the mushrooms and the sliced onion to the spinach and toss. Add the dressing and bacon and toss to combine. Divide the spinach between 4 plates or bowls and evenly divide the egg among them. Season with pepper, as desired. Serve immediately.

WARM ROASTED VEGETABLE SALAD WITH BACON VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Toss the asparagus, potatoes, artichokes and onion together in a large bowl along with the olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper so that all the ingredients are well mixed.
• Divide the vegetables evenly between 2 sheet pans, and give the pans a shake so that the veggies spread into an even layer. Roast the vegetables, rotating the pans halfway through cooking, for 15 minutes.
• Transfer the roasted vegetables to a large mixing bowl and toss with the Bacon Vinaigrette and chiffonaded basil. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper.
• Cook the bacon in a 10-inch saute pan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is browned and crisp at the edges, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove the bacon from the pan and place on a plate lined with a paper towel. Pat the bacon pieces dry with a paper towel to remove excess grease. Reserve 3 tablespoons of the rendered bacon fat from the pan.
• In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, honey and reserved bacon fat, along with 1/2 teaspoon salt and a pinch of pepper until smooth. Taste and add additional salt and pepper as desired.

BROCCOLI SALAD WITH CHEDDAR AND WARM BACON VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of generously salted (use about 1/2 cup kosher salt) water to a boil. Set up an ice bath next to the stove and generously salt (about 1/4 cup kosher salt) that water as well.
• Cut the broccoli stems from the heads; slice the florets into small pieces, each about 1-inch long. Peel the stems with a peeler and cut each stem in half lengthwise, then slice into 1/2-inch-thick half-moons. Add broccoli to the boiling water and blanch for 30 seconds; transfer to the ice water to shock the broccoli and stop the cooking. Drain broccoli in a colander, then set aside (still in the colander) to drain completely.
• In a large dry skillet, toast pecans over medium heat until they smell nutty, about 1 minute; remove pecans and set aside. Return skillet to medium heat and add bacon and oil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until bacon has rendered its fat and is crispy, about 10 minutes. Turn heat to low and whisk in mustard and vinegar. Add green onions and pecans and season generously with black pepper.
• In a large bowl, combine broccoli and grapes. Pour the contents of the skillet into the bowl and toss to combine; season to taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with the cheddar and toss right before serving.

WARM BACON VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Cook bacon in large skillet until crisp; remove bacon and drain on paper towels. Reserve 2 T drippings in skillet.
• Cook shallots and garlic in hot drippings for 3 minutes, or until tender. Add brown sugar and cook stirring constantly for one minute or until sugar is dissolved.
• Process garlic mixture, orange juice, and remaining ingredients in blender until combined.
• FYI the cooked bacon is not actually used in this recipe, but you can top your salad with it if desired.