Spanish Panzanella Salad

Last week, we made a fun Spanish panzanella salad from Wholesome Kitchen. The salad was SUPER easy to make, and really tasty! I really like warm or slightly warm salads in the winter -- they just add something a little seasonal. 

Instead of regular chorizo, I picked up some chicken sausage chorizo. We didn't lose any flavor, and definitely cut down on the fat content and (possible) oiliness of the salad. I also used regular paprika instead of Spanish smoked sweet paprika (not for lack of trying -- I couldn't find any at the store). That may have changed the flavor slightly, but I imagine it was not noticeable. The spinach wilts a little with the heat of the other ingredients and the warmed oil from the pan.

A great change-up from a traditional Italian panzanella salad -- we'll definitely make this again!

Bacon Wrapped Dates

I can almost smell the bacon cooking right now.

THEY. ARE. SO. GOOD. 

Seriously, they are super easy and amazing. Obviously not the healthiest snack or appetizer, but they are worth the splurge once in a while. We made these to go with a seafood paella (another post -- I cleaned and cooked squid! AGH!), and they were a delicious, hot prelude to the main meal. 

They are really simple to make. You'll need dates (I opted for those already pitted), some goat cheese and bacon. You stuff a little of the goat cheese inside the date (you'll have a hole from where you pitted the date or can make one using a paring knife), wrap a 1/3 of a piece of bacon around the date, and cook them on the stove until the bacon crisps up. I suggest cooking them at a lower heat, so that the goat cheese gets all warm and soft, rather than cook the bacon as fast as you can (although, I bet it still tastes pretty good).

We made 10 for the 2 of us, and they were gone within seconds. If you're not a bacon-lover, I imagine you could do something similar with just goat cheese and dates (maybe warming them in the oven instead of atop the stove)? 

We had enough bacon to make two batches of the dates over the course of a week, had bacon leftover for breakfast one morning, and as a topping for baked potatoes yesterday. We still have dates leftover (which I guiltily steal to eat plain a couple times a week) and half a small log of goat cheese remaining to top salads, include in a quiche, etc. So while the ingredients aren't inexpensive, you can:

A) make either several batches of the bacon wrapped dates OR
B) make a large amount for a bigger crowd OR 
C) re-purpose those ingredients for meals later in the week

ENJOY. Big time.