Wilted Spinach Salad

This dish is more an idea than a recipe, and it holds countless variations. All amounts are "to taste."

spinach
brown rice
cheese to crumble
salad dressing
sesame seeds

Half fill large soup bowls with cleaned, stemmed, torn spinach. Make a hollow in the spinach to receive the rice. Sprinkle crumbled cheese onto the spinach bed. Sharp tasting cheeses like cheddar, feta, or roquette work well. Meanwhile cook enough brown rice to satisfy the people being served. Put the hot rice into the spinach hollow, top with more cheese and your favorite tangy, vinegary salad dressing. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds. The hot rice melts the cheese, wilts the spinach and creates a steamy melange.

For a bacon lover's version, cook a few slices of bacon until crisp. Crumble onto the rice. Make a dressing by adding vinegar, a little dry mustard,a little honey, salt, and pepper to the hot bacon grease. Whisk with a fork and drizzle over the salad.

From: Ibby Gemmill