Don’t get too excited about that title.

We all know that the best vegetables begin with bacon.

I’ve decided that I like onions. And mushrooms. Especially when sauteed in bacon grease.

In fact, I like a fair amount of vegetables when paired with bacon grease.


Even all of that spinach that was dying in my fridge last week. Sort of.

I didn’t really know where I was going with this, but I knew I wanted bacon, mushrooms and onions. And since that doesn’t quite make a meal… I knew beans were going to make it into the mix too.

And I figured I’d better use that spinach instead of just leaving it to rot in the crisper drawer. Or else I’d feel the wrath of Mr. How Sweet.


Next came the quinoa, because while I thought I could deal with all of that spinach alone… I really couldn’t.

So in went the beans and the grains.

As a side note, you should know that I fried more bacon than should be legally allowed this past weekend. It was wonderful.

And this was quite delicious!

Even if I did pick out every other piece of spinach. It happens.


Now there is a large container of this in my fridge for meals and side dishes and I have the best of intentions. Hopefully I won’t find it hiding out behind the mac and cheese and cheesecake in three weeks.

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Warm White Bean and Spinach Salad

serves 2-4

2 slices bacon, chopped

1/2 sweet onion, chopped

1 cup mushrooms, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 6-ounce bag of spinach (I used a little more too)

1 can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup cooked quinoa

Heat a skillet on medium heat and add chopped bacon. Fry until golden brown, then remove bacon with a slotted spoon and let drain on a paper towel. Add onions and mushrooms and saute until soft, about 5 minutes. Add minced garlic and spinach (I leave the stems on, I don’t mind them) and stir for 2-3 minutes, until spinach is wilted. Add in beans and quinoa. Turn off heat and stir in bacon. Serve as a main entree or side dish.

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And in case you’re wondering, the cake batter crispy treats lasted 4 hours. I should probably go eat some spinach for breakfast.