Spinach and Sweet Potato Salad with Bacon and Goat Cheese

Some nights, everything just goes exactly right. The rain has subsided, and my window panes are dry! We're now looking forward to 4 or 5 days of sunshine and 60's! I think some of the beautiful weather found its way into my food tonight. Ken and I have instituted Salad Tuesdays. It's very exciting! We're three weeks in and tonight I hit the jackpot with my own creation.

I took inspiration from a very traditional spinach salad (bacon, hard boiled eggs) and this more complex spinach salad with sweet potatoes. This sounded like something I could combine with fabulous results. Fabulous it was! The flavors melded perfectly - the sweet and salty mix of the potato and the bacon was delicious. The dressing was perfect too and I'm really excited to have found this easy to make balsamic dressing. Try this salad. I promise you will love it.

Three main ingredients - spinach, roasted sweet potatoes, and bacon

Spinach and Sweet Potato Salad with Bacon and Goat Cheese
Serves 3-4

2 sweet potatoes, cut into cubes
1 red onion, sliced into 1/2 inch thick half moons
6 slices turkey bacon
4 oz. goat cheese, crumbled
salt and pepper
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
olive oil
1 lb. baby spinach
Balsamic Citrus Vinaigrette (recipe follows)

Preheat oven to 425. Toss sweet potatoes and onions with olive oil, salt, pepper, and chili powder on a baking sheet. Roast for 20 minutes or until vegetables are brown on the edges.

While the vegetables roast, brown the turkey bacon in a skillet until crispy. Drain on paper towels and set aside. Let vegetables cool slightly before mixing the salad. Toss spinach, sweet potatoes and onions, turkey bacon, and goat cheese crumbles with a few tablespoons of the dressing.

Balsamic Citrus Dressing
Makes a lot - keep it in a sealed jar or plastic cup for other uses
Adapted from this recipe on Allrecipes.com

1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1 1/2 tablespoons white sugar
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste

Place all ingredients in a seal-able jar or plastic bowl with a lid, seal, and shake to combine!

This salad has great colors.

Beef and Barley Stew

What else is there to do but cook when you're stuck at home monitoring the steady flow of rainwater through your windows? I needed comfort food, badly. My first thought was - beef stew.


Check out my beef and barley stew! I started with this recipe from The Kitchn for Beef and Barley Stew with Mushrooms. The barley sounded like a hearty switch in starch than the normal potatoes. I lucked out and found a well-priced boneless chuck round roast which I cut into cubes and seared in my trusty dutch oven.


Mmmm...meat.

Mmmm...veggies!

Then I sauteed a bunch of traditional veggies (I added carrots the original recipe) and a big box of cremini mushrooms. I deglazed with some Cabernet and filled the pot with a 3 to 1 combination of beef and chicken stock (the recipe called for 2 and 2). I let it simmer for an hour, then added the barley for another 45 minutes of simmering. My final addition was a handful of leftover frozen peas at the way end because, as I told Ken, it's never bad to add something green.

Ta-da!The result was incredibly similar in thickness to Chunky Soup, which I have loved since babyhood. The meat turned out very tender and I really liked the use of barley. It's soft and chewy and truly comforting. It's like a savory oatmeal. I was glad I added carrots and would probably add more next time. But this stew did it's job - it warmed me up as the rain continued to pour.