Category Archives: Spinach

Poached Salmon with Spinach

1 pound salmon fillets
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup dry white wine or water
2 green onions, sliced
1 bay leaf
1/2 of a 10-ounce package frozen no-salt-added chopped spinach
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
Freshly ground black pepper
Lemon slices (optional)

Cut salmon into 4 pieces, rinse, and pat dry. Set aside. In a large skillet, combine water, wine, green onions and bay leaf. Over high heat, bring just to a boil. Carefully add salmon and return to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 8 to 10 minutes, or until fish flakes easily with a fork.
Remove fish and pat it dry with paper towels. Cut each salmon steak in half, removing as much of the bone, cartilage and skin as possible.
Meanwhile, cook spinach according to package directions. Drain well, squeezing out moisture. Stir in nutmeg.
Preheat broiler. Place fish on a broiler-proof serving platter or on the rack of an unheated broiler pan. Top with spinach mixture, sprinkle with cheese and season with pepper. Broil 4 inches from the heat for 1 to 2 minutes, or until cheese melts. Garnish with lemon slices, if desired.

Serves 4

Pasta with Spinach, Mushrooms & Bacon

12 oz fettucine pasta

Sauce:

4 strips bacon, cut in 2-in. pieces
1 medium onion, cut in thin wedges
1 pkg (8 oz) presliced mushrooms
1 large clove garlic, cut in slivers
1 bag (10 oz) prewashed fresh baby spinach

Nice to add:

Diced tomato and grated Parmesan cheese
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook as package directs.
Meanwhile cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until crisp. Place on a paper towel to drain. Remove all but 1 Tbsp fat from skillet.
Add onion and mushrooms to skillet. Sauté 4 minutes or until onion has browned. Reduce heat to medium, add garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant. Add spinach; cook until wilted.
Scoop 1/2 cup cooking water from pasta pot; stir into spinach mixture. Drain pasta; return to pot. Add Sauce and bacon; toss to mix. Sprinkle with tomato and cheese.

4 Servings

Pasta Florentine Olive Garden Recipe

1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup chicken broth
12 oz sliced mushrooms
1 1/2 cups frozen peas
3 cloves garlic
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 oz ham (Black Forest if possible), julienned
1/4 cup chopped parsley
8 oz pasta (your favorite shape), cooked according to package directions
Grated Parmesan cheese for garnish
Salt and pepper to taste
Fresh parsley, chopped

Heat extra virgin olive oil and garlic in a sauté pan over medium-low heat. Once garlic starts to sizzle, add mushrooms. Sauté 2-3 minutes. Add heavy cream and chicken broth and bring to a boil. Allow to slightly reduce, for about 10 minutes. Add ham, peas and parsley and cook 4 minutes.
Return cooked, drained pasta to pot and add sauce. Cook until sauce simmers and coats the pasta.
Remove pot from heat and stir in grated Parmesan. Toss gently to combine.
Transfer to large serving platter. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve.

Chef’s Tip: Use a small amount of salt. The parmesan cheese naturally contains salt.

Pan-Seared Cajun Scallop

Sweet scallops are given a Cajun-flavored crust, then tossed with balsamic vinegar-dressed spinach and crisp-cooked bacon. Serve with corn bread and cold beer and you have a meal that’s both homey and elegant in no time flat. This recipe is featured in the book Better Homes and Gardens Fresh & Simple 20-Minute Super Suppers.

1 pound fresh sea scallops
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 to 2 teaspoons blackened steak seasoning or Cajun seasoning
1 tablespoon cooking oil
1 10-ounce package prewashed spinach
1 tablespoon water
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup cooked bacon pieces

Rinse scallops; pat dry. In a plastic bag combine flour and seasoning. Add scallops; toss to coat. In a large skillet cook scallops in hot oil over medium heat about 6 minutes or until browned and opaque, turning once. Remove scallops.
Add spinach to skillet; sprinkle with water. Cook, covered, over medium-high heat 2 minutes or until spinach is wilted. Add vinegar; toss to coat evenly. Return scallops to skillet; heat through. Sprinkle with bacon.

Chicken Lasagna Florentine

From Southern Living

2 cups chopped cooked chicken
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Cheddar cheese
1 (6-ounce) jar sliced mushrooms, drained
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 cup sour cream
6 lasagna noodles, cooked and drained
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3/4 cup to 1 cup chopped pecans

Stir together chicken and next 6 ingredients.
Arrange 3 noodles in a lightly greased 11- x 7-inch baking dish; top with half of chicken mixture. Repeat layers with remaining noodles and chicken mixture. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and pecans.

Bake, covered, at 350° for 45 minutes; uncover, and bake 15 minutes or until bubbly. Let lasagna stand 15 minutes before serving.

To Make Ahead: Cover and chill. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes before baking; proceed as directed.

To lighten: Substitute reduced-fat cream of mushroom soup, 2% reduced-fat Cheddar cheese, and reduced-fat sour cream.

Yield: Makes 6 servings