Hot Spinach Salad

2 9-oz. bags baby spinach (or you can use bigger regular leaves and de-stem them if you wish)

1/3-1/2 Cup olive oil

4 oz. pancetta, diced (you can substitute thick-cut bacon or Canadian bacon but neither has the same taste as pancetta)

3-4 garlic cloves, chopped

1 Cup or so corn kernels (kernels from 2 ears of roasted corn)

3-4 TB. white wine or rice wine vinegar, to taste

1-2 tsp. PENZEYS FRESHLY GROUND PEPPER, to taste

1 tsp. TURKISH OREGANO (optional)

2-4 TB. crumbled feta cheese, to taste

4 Roma tomatoes, diced

Pour 1/3 cup of oil into a large skillet and place over medium heat. If you are using fattier pancetta or bacon it will take a bit longer to cook and get nicely browned (roughly 7 minutes) than a leaner pancetta or Canadian bacon (roughly 5 minutes). Once the meat is browned, crumble the pancetta and add the garlic, corn kernels and vinegar and stir together. Cook for 1-2 minutes and reduce heat to low. Stir in the PEPPER and OREGANO.

Add the spinach in batches and toss until it begins to wilt, adding the remaining olive oil if necessary. Keep the cooked spinach warm. Stir all of the cooked batches of spinach together. Divide among warmed salad bowls and garnish with feta crumbles and diced tomatoes.

Prep. time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 12-15 minutes

Serves: 4

Cowgill Net Jeffrey Cowgill 2012 Contact