Leni, Would you mind giving the recipe for your Spinach Salad. I was driving when Melinda gave the recipe and didn't get it all. It sounded very good and I'd like to make it Wednesday when my son and his wife come for dinner. Thanks in advance.

I love to share this recipe. It is one of my husbands favorites. He'll bring home two big bunches of spinach as a 'gentle' hint that he wants it for dinner tonight.

LENI'S SPINACH SALAD

Our listener, Leni, sometimes comes home from working in her vegetable garden just too tired to make a fuss for dinner. At times like that, she loves to toss together this spinach salad, which is hearty enough for a main course, but it goes well with pizza, pasta or take-out chicken, too. Leni sent me her notes on making it.

To serve 4 (or two as a main course) you’ll need a package of washed baby spinach and a package of fresh sliced mushrooms. Also from the produce department, a small red onion - which you slice thin. Then, you need 5 slices of bacon, some good croutons, and some shredded Parmesan cheese - along with a small can of garbanzo beans - rinsed.

All you’ll need for the dressing is a little red wine vinegar - you’ll see.

In your salad bowl, put the baby spinach and scatter over the sliced mushrooms. Break the thin sliced red onion into rings, and scatter those across (you can rinse the onion slices if they smell strong, and pat them dry, first). Scatter over the rinsed garbanzo beans.

Now, in a skillet, cook the 5 slices of bacon - drain them and crumble the bacon over the salad. To the skillet with the bacon drippings, add a half cup of red wine vinegar and a half cup of water, along with 3 tablespoons of sugar. Let it come to a simmer, grind over some fresh pepper - and pour the hot dressing onto the salad. Sprinkle over the croutons and Parmesan, and serve.

About 15 minutes and less than $10 for a main course for 2 - or a side dish for 4. Can’t beat that!


The only thing that I sometimes do that is different from what Melinda gave on the air is to put the red onion slices into the skillet for a few moments once the dressing has reached a simmer until they are translucent.

I serve this with spaggetti and garlic bread. I'll put the left over salad dressing into the refrigerator or freezer. Any other leftovers go into the refrigerator for another salad. If the spinach is spun in a salad spinner and then put into a zip loc baggie it will last two or three days.

Thank you Leni, It sounds so very good. My son and his wife are celebrating their anniversary and I want to make the meal special. I think I'll make a pork tenderloin and some potatoes au grautin and some molten chocholate cakes for dessert. They will love your salad.[/img]

Oh my! Sounds like a wonderful menu. I keep thinking about but have never tried the molten chocolate cake. How are you cooking the pork tenderloin?

Leni, I think your salad may be on our menu this Sunday for Father's Day.

Hi Leni, I'm going to roast my pork tenderloin. Just season with salt & pepper and put on rack in 350 ovennfor about 40 miutes. Check with meat thermometer. If you would like a simple but very good Molten Cake recipe go to Kraft Foods site and type in Molten Chocolate cakes for the recipe. Don't forget to type cakes with the s or it won't come up right. I just melt the chocolate in my quart pyrex measuring cup and add the rest of the ingredients. I put the batter in the cups and refrigerate. Put in the oven just as you start your meal and they are perfect for dessert. Thanks again for the spinach salad recipe. I went shopping and picked up the ingredients.

Hi Leni, I'm going to roast my pork tenderloin. Just season with salt & pepper and put on rack in 350 ovennfor about 40 miutes. Check with meat thermometer. If you would like a simple but very good Molten Cake recipe go to Kraft Foods site and type in Molten Chocolate cakes for the recipe. Don't forget to type cakes with the s or it won't come up right. I just melt the chocolate in my quart pyrex measuring cup and add the rest of the ingredients. I put the batter in the cups and refrigerate. Put in the oven just as you start your meal and they are perfect for dessert. Thanks again for the spinach salad recipe. I went shopping and picked up the ingredients.

I hope everyone enjoys the salad. I haven't been online that much the last couple of days because I just had crown molding installed along with new carpeting in the living and dining rooms and hallway. What a circus! Before that it was a month of painting.

Leni, I bet it looks beautiful!

I'm going to make this for Father's Day. Thanks for posting the recipe.

Loved the spinach salad, we all went back for seconds. Thank you

It is beautiful Champagne. Now the problem is to get everything back to where it belongs.

Leni, my sister-in-law ended up making the salad for Father's Day, so I didn't get to try this. However, we're having some friends over on Thursday night and I'm going to make it.

Glad you liked it Irish. I'm making it either tonight or tomorrow. He came home with two big bunches of spinach yesterday, as in hint hint.

Leni, I served this last night and we all loved it...really really GOOD! Thanks so much!