Spinach Salad with Porter Almonds, Wheat Beer Onions and Pilsner Grapefruit Vinaigrette

Serves 6

Croutons:
1 8 inch baguette, cut into ½ inch cubes
2 TBLS extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper

Wheat Beer Onions:
2 TBLS olive oil
1 onion, sliced into rings
¼ cup Wheat Beer
½ tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper

Porter Almonds:
2 TBLS sugar
1 ½ TBLS Porter Beer
½ cup sliced almonds

6 strips bacon, diced

Pilsner Grapefruit Vinaigrette:
3 TBLS Pilsner Beer
¼ cup grapefruit juice
1 TBLS lemon juice
2 TBLS white wine vinegar
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 TBLS tarragon leaves, finely chopped
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper

1 package ready-to-serve fresh spinach leaves, about 10 ounces

Make croutons by preheating oven to 350 F. Combine in large bowl bread cubes, olive oil, blue cheese, salt and pepper; toss to coat evenly. Place on baking sheet and bake until browned and crisp, about 12 minutes, turning and stirring at 6 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.

Make Wheat Beer Onions by warming olive oil in large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion slices and sauté until they begin to turn brown, about 5 minutes. Add Wheat Beer; continue cooking until most of the liquid has evaporated. Add salt and pepper and stir. Remove from heat and set aside.

Make Porter Almonds by combining sugar and Porter Beer in small saucepan. Add almonds and cook over medium-high heat, stirring, about 5 minutes. Transfer almonds to sheet of wax paper. Using a spoon, spread almonds into thin layer and allow to cool. Set aside.

Place bacon pieces in nonstick skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until browned and crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove to plate lined with paper towels. Set aside.

Make Pilsner Grapefruit Vinaigrette by placing the Pilsner Beer, grapefruit juice, lemon juice, vinegar, shallot and garlic in small saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil; cook to reduce by half. Remove from heat. Whisk ¾ cup olive oil into mixture slowly. Add salt and pepper and continue to stir. Cool; add tarragon leaves.

To serve salad, arrange spinach on six individual serving plates. Sprinkle with Porter Almonds and bacon. Top with rings of Wheat Beer Onions; spoon Pilsner Grapefruit Vinaigrette over salad. Top with equal amounts of croutons.

Nutrition Information, Per Serving:
550 calories; 46 g fat; 8 g saturated fat; 27 g carbohydrate