Spinach Salad with Beets, Bacon, Walnuts and Goat Cheese

We're big salad eaters in our house but an ordinary plate of lettuce and tomatoes won't do.  We like our salads complex and, as Brian is fond of saying, with a lot of "stuff" in them.  To own the truth, Brian has made me a much better salad maker over the years with his insistence that salads mustn't be simple.  Many times during the first year we dated, I'd serve him a salad and he'd say it was good but wonder what else can we put in it.  And in my attempts to please him, I realized how much better salads could be.

All that being said, spinach salads are not new and hardly my invention.  But their complex natures lend themselves well to the way we like to eat.  You'll often see these salads served with warm bacon dressings but I find those too oily so I substituted a creamy vinaigrette.  I'm not sure when the original recipe appeared or what exactly it contained.  But I see no reason why I can't tailor this classic to suit our tastes so this, then, is my version of a spinach salad.  Enjoy!

Ingredients
2 Cups baby spinach, washed
1 Beet
1/4 Cup walnuts
1/4 Red onion, thinly sliced
3 Slices thick cut bacon, cooked until crispy and crumbled
2 oz. Goat cheese, crumbled

Creamy Vinaigrette:
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 Tablespoon sherry or red wine vinegar
1 Tablespoon mayonnaise (I used low fat)
1/4 Teaspoon sugar
Salt & pepper to taste

Wrap the beet in aluminum foil and bake in a 400 degree oven for 1 - 1 1/2 hours until a small knife can go through easily.  Cool, peel and slice thinly.  While the beet is cooking, toast the walnuts lightly in a dry pan on the stove top.  This will only take a couple of minutes so stir them and be careful that they don't burn.  Set aside to cool.

In a bowl, whisk together the vinaigrette and begin to compose the salad.  Place the spinach on a plate followed by the red onion and the sliced beets.  Add the crumbled bacon, walnuts and cheese and pour on the vinaigrette.  Makes 2 servings.