Last night I tried one of Mark Bittman’s 101 salads with shallot, mushrooms, spinach and blue cheese. It was a perfect small (but rich) dinner after a large company potluck lunch.
In his Minimalist column, Bittman described the dish as a “steakhouse side-dish salad,” and although I made a meal out of it, I could almost taste an imaginary hunk of beef that would have nestled poetically at the salad’s side.
My only complaint: The wilted spinach and blue cheese produced a toxic-looking, gray-green liquid that oozed onto my plate. But don’t let that turn you away! With the help of a whole-wheat dinner roll, I sopped up the delicious plate pollutant. Every last drop.
Wilted Spinach Salad with Mushrooms and Blue Cheese
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 shallot, thinly sliced
8 ounces mushrooms (any variety), sliced
8 ounces baby spinach, stems removed
1.5 ounces blue cheese, crumbled
Instructions
In a large frying pan, heat oil over medium-high. Add shallot, cook for 1 minute. Add mushrooms, and cook until most of their liquid has evaporated, 5 to 7 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Combine spinach with mushrooms and shallots, and cook until wilted, adjusting salt and pepper as needed. Stir in blue cheese, and serve.
Serves 2 (small) main courses and 4 as a side