SPINACH SALAD WITH BACON AND EGG

With the holiday season almost upon us, it's wonderful to be able to make a quick, fuss free, one dish meal, that is fresh, delicious and lighter on calories. The added bonus is, it clears out the refrigerator to make room for the turkey and stuffing that will be requiring a cool space next week.

SPINACH SALAD WITH BACON AND EGG

8 slices of thick cut, bacon
1 (10 ounce) package of mushrooms, sliced
1 red onion, chopped
4 eggs
2 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
baby spinach
12 ounces of mixed cherry tomatoes, halved

In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove from pan, drain on a paper towel. Reserve 3 tablespoons of the bacon drippings, discard the rest.
Chop the bacon into bite sized pieces when it is cool enough to handle.
Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons of the bacon drippings in the same skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook 4 to 6 minutes, stirring frequently, until lightly browned. Add onion, cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl.
Poach the eggs.
Meanwhile, in the same skillet the mushroom-onion mixture was cooked in, whisk red wine vinegar, remaining 1 1/2 bacon drippings, olive oil, mustard and salt until well blended and warmed through.
Add desired amount of spinach to the mushroom mixture in bowl and pour warm dressing over, toss to coat. Add tomatoes and reserved bacon pieces. Divide salad into 4 servings, top each with a poached egg. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from RedBook Magazine
www.redbookmag.com/‎