That’s What He Said – About Salads

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You ever had one of those ‘Aha!’ moments? You know where you’re just rocking along, and suddenly a thought pops into your head that stops you in your tracks, and you’re like, “How did I NOT notice that before now?”  That happened to me the other day, when my husband and I were hosting a couples cooking party. I knew all the couples well – in fact, we’d been friends with most of them for years, so it had me wanting to hit the rewind button when it dawned on me that of the couples represented, the guys did all the cooking.

What it made me realize, is that if our friends are any indicator of the regular population, there are probably a lot more guys out there reading and cooking the recipes I share on the blog than I’d previously ever considered.  I felt shocked – and a little embarrassed for not trying to be more inclusive.  So, I apologize to any guys who have, to this point, been reading the blog and silently following along without making comment. I hadn’t realized how many of you are out there.  My bad.  I do, however, commit to you that I will do my best from here on out, to try to be more inclusive of you as I share recipes. I hope you notice the difference – and like it.

Since it’s summer and my husband and I are trying to gear up for an upcoming trip to the beach, we have been shifting to a lighter type menu. Salads are my go to dish, for this type of thing, but he says (only half jokingly) “a salad is not food, it’s what food eats.”.  So, if I’m sharing a salad recipe, I promise you it’s worth your time.

Here’s a great one.  What makes it great?  Bacon – and that’s all I’m gonna say about that…

Pair this meaty salad with any lean, grilled meat, fish, or chicken, and you’ve got yourself an amazing dinner that’s light on calories but a true heavy hitter when it comes to flavor.


Beefsteak Tomato Salad With Bleu Cheese & Bacon

Ingredients:
2 large, ripe, beefsteak tomatoes
5 pieces cooked bacon (chopped)
1/2 cup Blue Cheese crumbles
Red onion slices (optional)
2 Tbsp Olive oil
2 Tbsp Balsamic vinegar
Salt and fresh ground black pepper (to taste)

(Makes 2 servings)


Start with the below ingredients:

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Pan fry the bacon until it’s crispy and drain on paper towels (below).  Timesaver Tip:  When pan frying bacon, say for breakfast to go along with these delicious Old Fashioned Homemade Pancakes, cook the entire package of bacon, even if you’re only going to use say half of it. Chop up the excess and store it in a sealed container in the refrigerator for later use (in a day or within a few days) to make this awesome salad.  It saves time  – and there’s no dirty pan!043

Slice each tomato into two or three thick slices (as shown) and liberally salt and pepper each side before placing on your serving plate.

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Add the olive oil and balsamic vinegar to a small bowl for mixing (as shown below).

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Wisk (or stir with a fork) the olive oil and balsamic vinegar together until well emulsified (as shown).

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Top tomatoes with a few rings of sliced red onions (optional), half of the blue cheese crumbles and bacon bits, and drizzle with the Olive Oil & Balsamic dressing, and  serve immediately.

Enjoy!

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