If anything signals the end of winter to me, its a good broccoli salad. My toddler is currently obsessed  with broccoli. Like asks for it for breakfast obsessed. I was getting pretty bored with just plained steamed broccoli, so I decided a nice savory broccoli salad was in order. This is a wonderfully flavorful salad. It has a lovely crunch from the bacon pieces and the toasted almonds (toasted in bacon grease!) yum. It has bits of lovely sweetness from the cranberries, and is loaded with vitamins. 

Ingredients: 
8 ounces bacon
2 heads broccoli florets 
1/3 cup onion, chopped
1 cup mayo
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 tsp dijon mustard
3 tablespoons sugar
handful of dried cranberries 
1/3 cup slivered almonds 
Salt & Pepper 

Cook your bacon on medium heat in a large frying pan until nice and crispy, let it dry out on a paper towel then chop into small peices. Pour your bacon grease from the pan, but don't wipe out your pan. You will then toast your almonds in the nice bits of bacon grease left in the pan. This will add a lovely depth of flavor to your almonds. Watch your almonds closely because on medium heat they will only take 3 minutes or so to become a nice golden color. Remove from the pan and set aside. 

Steam your broccoli (do not boil it) for only 3 minutes. Then submerge it in cold water for 30 seconds to stop the cooking process. Drain your broccoli and set aside. 

Mix your onion, mayo, vinegar, dijon, and sugar together in a large bowl. Salt and Pepper to taste. Add your broccoli to this bowl and refrigerate for 1 hour. When ready to serve, add your bacon pieces and almonds and stir. You can keep the remaining leftovers in the refrigerator for several days. 

This salad has a wonderful full flavor. Its a great way to eat vegetables and fruit in the same serving, and still get protein from the bacon and nuts. You won't be sorry you tried this. 

Enjoy!