Wilted Spinach Salad

It's time to enjoy spring greens! Learn how to make the perfect soft-boiled egg and maximize your salad making skills with our take on a classic wilted spinach salad. Jammy eggs, crispy bacon, and wilted spinach come together with creamy goat cheese, crunchy breadcrumbs, and a tangy, fresh, warm dressing. Delicious!

Wilted Spinach Salad with a Perfect Soft-Boiled Egg
Makes 4 salads

Ingredients:
For the Breadcrumbs:
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup hearty (and slightly stale) bread, pulsed into breadcrumbs
1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

For the Salad:
1/2 lb. bacon, fried and crumbled
4 eggs, soft-boiled and halved
2 lbs. fresh spinach or baby spinach
1/2 small shallot, thinly sliced
4 oz. goat cheese, crumbled into bite-sized pieces

For the Warm Bacon Dressing:
2 tablespoons reserved bacon fat
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon honey
1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Directions:
1. Prepare the Breadcrumbs: Making your own breadcrumbs is a snap! Toss a few slices of stale bread in a food processor and pulse into a fine texture. Spread the crumbs in a single layer on a sheet pan and and pop into a 300 degree oven for 10 minutes or until lightly toasted. (Watch carefully.) Once cooled, they're ready to use on salads or casseroles.

2. In a large skillet, melt the butter and toss with the breadcrumbs. Over medium heat, stir the breadcrumbs often and toast until golden brown. Season with Kosher salt and pepper. Remove from the pan and set aside.

3. Prepare the Bacon: In the same skillet, fry the bacon until crispy. Remove the bacon, and let cool on a paper towel-lined plate. Crumble. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the bacon grease for the dressing.

4. Prepare the Dressing: In a small saucepan, combine the rendered bacon fat with the olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, honey, salt, and pepper. Heat the dressing until just warmed.

5. Prepare the Soft-boiled Eggs: Bring a saucepan filled halfway with water to boil. Add the eggs and boil for exactly six minutes. Remove immediately from the boiling water and cool slightly by running under cold water for about a minute. Peel and halve the eggs. Soft boiled eggs may be made ahead of time and kept in their shells and in the fridge for up to two days. To reheat, drop the pre-cooked eggs into boiling water for three minutes. Cool slightly, peel, and serve!

6. Assemble and Serve the Salad: Just before the eggs finish boiling, toss the spinach with the bacon crumbles, shallot, and the warm bacon dressing. Toss with tongs until the spinach begins to wilt slightly. Plate each dish with a serving of wilted spinach, one soft-boiled egg cut in half, a few crumbles of goat cheese, and a generous sprinkle of toasted breadcrumbs. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Coq au Vin

Coq au Vin or "rooster in wine" is a traditional French peasant stew that became popular thanks to Julia Child's encouragement. While the original recipe might turn a tough old rooster into something delicious,  it's equally delightful with chicken thighs and or legs. Red wine, mushrooms, bacon, onions, and thyme all infuse wonderful flavors into this ultimate comfort food dish. A slow braising technique coaxes a mélange of easy ingredients into a dance of gustatory perfection!

Coq au Vin - Chicken in Wine
Serves 4 - 6

Ingredients:
1/2 lb bacon, diced
4 drumsticks, skin on and bone-in
4 chicken thighs, skin on and bone-in
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
4-5 large carrots, cut into 1-inch diagonal pieces
3 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon brandy
2 cups red wine (a good red wine like a pinot noir)
1 cup chicken broth
8-10 sprigs of fresh thyme
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 lb frozen small pearl onions
8 oz cremini mushrooms, sliced
Chopped parsley, for garnish

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

2. Prepare the onions, garlic, and carrots.

3. In a large Dutch oven fry the bacon until crisp. Remove the bacon, and drain on a paper towel-lined plate.

4. Remove most of the bacon fat, leaving about 3-4 tablespoons in the Dutch oven.

5. Sprinkle the chicken pieces with Kosher salt and pepper. Sear the chicken legs and thighs on all sides in the Dutch oven until the skin is a crispy golden brown, then remove the chicken pieces.

6. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the pot and sauté the diced onions until softened and translucent.

7. Add the garlic and carrots to the onion and sauté for a few more minutes until the garlic is fragrant.

8. Dust the vegetables with 3 tablespoons of flour and stir until coated. Cook for about 2 minutes.

9. Add the tomato paste and cook until fragrant, then add the brandy to the mixture. Cook the brandy down for a minute, then continue to deglaze the pan with the red wine. Add the chicken broth and stir until combined. Add the seared chicken pieces back to the pot with the cooked bacon, and the sprigs of thyme.

10. Cover the pot and place in the oven. Bake for 20-40 minutes or until the chicken is tender and cooked to 165 degrees F.

11. While the chicken is baking, prepare the mashed potatoes.

12. While the chicken bakes, prepare the pearl onions. In a skillet, sauté the pearl onions in two tablespoons butter until they are lightly golden brown on all sides.

13. Then, sauté the mushrooms in the same skillet, adding olive oil as needed, and cook until browned.

14. Add the cooked pearl onions and mushrooms to the Dutch oven. Carefully taste and season with additional salt and pepper, as needed. If needed, continue to simmer on the stovetop to thicken the sauce. The sauce will also thicken more as it cools.

15. Serve the Coq au Vin on a bed of mashed potatoes (or egg noodles or cauliflower rice), and garnish with fresh parsley.

Roasted Garlic, Leek, and Potato Spring Soup

Perfect for a first course or a lovely lunch, this savory soup features the bold flavors of roasted garlic and tender spring leeks. The creamy texture is achieved not with cream or butter, but with Yukon gold potatoes and a powerful blender. The crispy bacon garnish adds the perfect salty crunch to each spoonful.

Serves 4

Soup Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 bulb garlic, roasted
4 large leeks, white parts only
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 cups vegetable stock
3-4 Yukon gold large potatoes, diced (about 2 cups) Kosher Salt and pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Garnishes:
4 pieces bacon, cooked and crumbled Chives, minced

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Cut the top off of the garlic bulb and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Wrap the bulb in aluminum foil and place in a baking dish. Bake until the garlic is tender, golden brown, and fragrant, about 30 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, wash the leeks very well. (They are often sandy inside.) Slice the leeks into 1/4” slices.

3. In a large soup pot, sauté the sliced leeks in 3 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Cook until very tender.

4. Add the vegetable stock and the potatoes and bring to a boil. Boil until the potatoes are fork tender, about 10 minutes.

5. Remove the roasted garlic cloves from the bulb with a tiny spoon or fork. Add about 5-6 cloves, or 1/2 of the bulb to the soup. (Use the remaining roasted garlic cloves for another recipe or smear directly on toast, or freeze for later use).

6. Carefully blend the soup in batches in a blender, or use a hand blender and blend until smooth.

7. Taste the soup and season with the lemon juice, Kosher salt, and pepper.

8. Adjust seasonings or add more roasted garlic, as desired.

9. Serve warm with a garnish of bacon crumbles and chives.

Fall Flavors Entree Salad

Looking to break free from heavy dishes without sacrificing warm fall flavors? We have the perfect solution! This salad boasts a medley of autumn ingredients — smoky bacon and savory chicken pair with bitter arugula, aromatic fennel, and tangy goat cheese -- is palate pleasing! Serves 2-4.

Fall Entrée Salad Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts
2 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt and pepper (on both sides of chicken breast)
4 slices bacon (reserve 3 tablespoons of rendered bacon grease for dressing)
5 ounces arugula
1 bulb fennel, shaved finely with a mandoline
1 apple, sliced 3 green onions, sliced
4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
4 tablespoons roasted pumpkin seeds

Warm Bacon Apple Cider Vinaigrette Ingredients:
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 tablespoons bacon grease
1-1/4 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons whole Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, minced
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:
1. In a large skillet, pan fry the chicken breasts in olive oil, sprinkle both sides well with salt and pepper. Flip while cooking and cook until the largest part of the breast reaches 165 degrees F. Remove the chicken from the pan, and let rest for 5 minutes, then cut into 1/2-inch slices.
2. Remove the chicken, and then fry the bacon in the same skillet. Fry the bacon until crispy, then remove the bacon, and let it cool on a paper towel-lined plate. After the bacon cools, cut into small pieces. Reserve 3 tablespoons of the bacon grease for the dressing.
3. Whisk together the apple cider vinegar, olive oil, 3 tablespoons of reserved bacon grease, honey, Dijon mustard, garlic, and salt and pepper.
4. Shave the fennel into thin slices with a mandoline. Slice the apple and green onions.
5. Dress the arugula, fennel, and green onions with the dressing. Place greens in individual bowls.
6. Layer the salads with the chicken slices, bacon, apple, goat cheese, and roasted pumpkin seeds.