White Bean, Shrimp and Bacon Ensalada

Okay, I have a confession. When B and I first moved to Denver we ate take-out for a solid week before we had any real food in our fridge. We ate Chipotle, Little India (fab), Anthony's Pizza, Noodles and Company, and some unmemorable Chinese. After a week of eating totally terrible, I ventured to the neighborhood market and filled my cart with some stables. Tomatoes, Bacon, frozen Wild Caught Shrimp, Arugula, French Bread. Little did I know that my grocery run would make for an exceptional, quick and easy dinner. Insipred by Tyler Florence (yet again) I added white navy beans (you can also use cannellini beans) and threw this simple recipe together for our first home-cooked meal at our new house. The combination is fabulous and the assembling of ingredients is totally effortless. Make this for your hubs. He'll love you even more than he already does!

For 2 entree sized salads.

Ingredients:

6-10 Large Wild Caught Shrimp, Shell and Tail On .

5 slices Thick Cut Bacon

Arugula, or Bibb lettuce, red or green. (really any lettuce will do. Don't you dare use iceberg though~~!!)

Olive Oil

Salt

Pepper

Balsamic

Red Wine Vinegar

Handful of Cherry Tomatoes or three plum tomatoes, slit on tip

1 can navy or cannellini beans

3-5 sprigs fresh thyme

12 sage leaves... half fresh and half crisp in oil/butter

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Using a small, sharp knife cut down the back of the shrimp and get all the yuck out! Keeping the shell/peel on keeps so much great flavor in the shrimp! Lay out on sheet pan. Additionally, lay out strips of bacon on THE SAME sheet pan. Drizzle with a TAD amount of olive oil, salt and pepper. Roughly chop 6 of the sage leaves and sprinkle over shrimp and bacon. Place in oven for about 12-15 mins. On a smaller sheet pan, place tomatoes. If you are using anything other than cherry tomatoes, make an x with a knife in the top of each. Drizzle olive oil, aged balsamic, salt and pepper over tomatoes. Place on top rack until tomatoes burst. If you are using larger tomatoes, you will want to roast for at least 20 mins. if not, 10 mins will do.

While the other items are in the oven, take out a saute pan and add the drained beans to the pan. Salt and pepper the beans and roughly chop the thyme and add to the pan. Cook over medium heat for 5-7 mins. Also, crisp the remaining sage in another pan with butter.

Meanwhile, arrange the lettuce in bowls. When the items in oven are finished cooking, take them all out and let them cool. Start peeling the shrimp and divide between bowls. Chop up bacon slices and divide between bowls. Divide tomatoes between bowls, squeezing the juices out using spoon. Portion the beans among the salads. Add the crisp sage. Drizzle with red wine vinegar and toss. SOOOO good!