Cooking for people has always come naturally to cookbook author Sandra Gutierrez of Cary, North Carolina. And entertaining need not mean lots of work. “This is the kind of recipe that I fall back on when I want to entertain on a whim: easy, quick, and sensational. Wilted salads are simple to assemble and this one has a great twist that introduces Latin American flavors,” says Gutierrez. Post-its are her best friends when entertaining, she says. She uses them to remind herself of “cooking times and temperatures, or the order in which different foods need to be baked in the oven, and when to turn the coffee maker on.”

SANDRA’S SPINACH SALAD WITH HOT CHORIZO DRESSING

HOT CHORIZO DRESSING

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

5 ounces Mexican chorizo, casings removed

⅓ cup cider vinegar

2 tablespoons, plus 2 teaspoons, dark brown sugar

1 teaspoon Creole mustard

Salt and ground black pepper, to taste

SPINACH SALAD

6 ounces baby spinach leaves, washed and spun dry (about 6 cups)

2 cups sliced white mushrooms

½ cup very thinly sliced red onion

2 hard-boiled large eggs, peeled and sliced

To make the dressing heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the chorizo and cook until all of the fat has been rendered and the chorizo is cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain all but 2 tablespoons of the rendered fat, leaving the sausage in the pan. Reduce the heat to low. Whisk in the vinegar, brown sugar, and mustard until dissolved. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

To make the salad, in a large bowl toss together the spinach, mushrooms, and onion. Pour the warm dressing over the salad and toss well to coat. Garnish with the hard-boiled eggs and serve immediately.

Makes ¾ cup dressing and 4 to 6 servings of salad