One of my favorite things about going on vacation is trying out new restaurants and enjoying culinary escapades. I’ll dedicate an hour online, searching out restaurants, poring over menus and reading yelp reviews. Then I map it out, and review pictures of both the food and the location, before calling for reservations and letting my travel mates know the when and where.
This past week the action went down in South Lake Tahoe. A group of friends and I did the Tahoe century ride, where we cycled around the entire lake (and up to Truckee and back) for a 7-hour 100 mile cycling adventure.
Needless to say, we were serious about fueling up after the long ride, and chose The Chart House to enjoy grilled fish and fresh salads. The Warm Bacon Spinach Salad that I ordered was absolutely phenomenal. Now it may have been due to the elevation, the crisp mountain air, or the exertion of the ride, but that was the best darn salad that I have eaten in a long time.
Shortly after returning home I made my own version of the memorable Warm Bacon Salad…here it is in all of it’s warm, bacon-y glory. Enjoy and let me know what you think.
4 bacon strips
3 tablespoons bacon fat
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons raw honey
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
⅛ teaspoon sea salt
4 eggs
8 white mushrooms, sliced
1 red onion, sliced
8 radishes, sliced into thin matchsticks
6 cups baby spinach, chopped
In a large skillet over medium high heat cook the bacon until crispy. Chop the bacon into ½ inch strips and save all of the bacon fat from the skillet.
Combine all of the dressing ingredients in a small saucepan. Place over low heat and stir until thickened – about 4 minutes.
Heat water to boiling in a pot with a steamer. Place the eggs on top of the steamer, cover, and steam for 12 minutes. Immediately plunge the eggs into a bowl of ice water. Once they’re cool enough to handle, roll the eggs on the counter to quickly and painlessly peel. Separate the egg whites from the yolks. Dice the egg whites and yolks separately and set aside.
Place 1 Tablespoon of bacon fat into each of 2 medium sized skillets over medium high heat. In one skillet sauté the sliced mushrooms until soft – about 8 minutes. In the other skillet sauté the sliced red onion until tender – about 12 minutes.
Arrange the salad with a bed of chopped spinach, and a line of each: sautéed mushrooms, diced egg whites, sliced radish, chopped egg yolk and sautéed red onion. Serve with the warm bacon dressing. Enjoy!
Calories: 139
Fat: 7g
Carbohydrates: 9g
Sodium: 352mg
Fiber: 3g
Protein: 11g
Sugar: 5g