Tag Archives: spinach

Appetizers, Dips, Vegetarian

Artichoke Spinach Dip

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2 fresh artichokes
1 lemon, juice squeezed
1 tsp salt
OR
1 14-oz can artichoke hearts, drained and sliced
1 lb cream cheese, room temperature
8 oz mascarpone cheese, room temperature
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour, sifted
1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1/4 tsp fresh thyme leaves
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
1 Tbsp fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
5 green onions, chopped
Salt to taste
Ground black pepper to taste
1 6-oz pack fresh spinach, chopped
8 slices crusty Italian bread
Extra virgin olive oil (to drizzle)
Preheat oven to 325ºF.
PREPARATION WITH FRESH ARTICHOKES
Boil artichokes in 3 quarts water with 1 tsp salt and lemon juice.
Cool artichokes. Clean, peel, remove center “choke” and slice artichoke.
Follow Dip Preparation steps below using fresh artichokes.
DIP PREPARATION
Mix all ingredients in a large bowl, except bread and extra virgin olive oil.
Coat a large non-stick baking pan with pan spray; fill pan with mixture. Bake at 325ºF for about 25 minutes or until bubbling and center is hot.
Drizzle both sides of bread with extra virgin olive oil. Grill bread on both sides.
Sprinkle top of heated dip with parmesan cheese. Serve hot with grilled bread.
4  Servings
Hash Brown Potatoes, Quiche, Spinach, Vegetarian

Spinach, Caramelized Onion and Feta Quiche

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2 tsp. olive oil
3 cups chopped onion
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups frozen Southern-style hash brown potatoes, thawed
1 (11-oz.) can refrigerated soft breadstick dough
Cooking spray
1 (10-oz.) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained, and squeezed dry
1 cup fat-free milk
3 large egg whites
2 large eggs
1-1/4 cups (5-oz.) crumbled feta cheese

To decrease fat, we’ve used 2 egg yolks and 5 egg whites. Some egg yolks are necessary to produce a creamy filling. You can refrigerate the leftover yolks for up to 3 days in an airtight container (add a tablespoon of water so the yolks don’t develop a film).
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion, sugar, and salt; cook for 30 minutes or until golden brown, stirring occasionally. Stir in potatoes and cook for 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from heat.
Unroll dough, separating into strips. Working on a flat surface, coil one strip of dough around itself in a spiral pattern. Add second strip of dough to the end of the first strip, pinching ends together to seal; continue coiling the dough. Repeat procedure with the remaining dough strips. Cover and let dough rest for 10 minutes. Roll dough into a 12″ circle, and fit into a 10-inch deep-dish pie plate coated with cooking spray.
Spread potato mixture in bottom of prepared crust, and top with spinach. Combine milk, egg whites, eggs, and cheese; pour the milk mixture over the spinach. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until set, shielding crust with foil after 50 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Makes 8 servings.

Main Dish, Mexican, Tortillas, Vegetarian

Spinach and Black Bean Enchiladas

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Several quarts of water

8 cups fresh spinach leaves, stemmed (1 pound)
Vegetable oil spray, if needed
15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup low-sodium salsa
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
6 6-inch corn tortillas or nonfat or low-fat flour tortillas
1/2 cup nonfat or low-fat sour cream
1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons lime juice
4 ounces shredded nonfat or low-fat Monterey Jack cheese (about 1 cup)
2 Italian plum tomatoes, diced
2 green onions (green and white parts), thinly sliced

In a large pot, bring water to a boil over high heat.
While water heats, thoroughly rinse spinach. Add spinach to boiling water and cook for 1 minute. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain well in a colander. Press out as much liquid as possible with the back of a large spoon. (Discard water or save for vegetable stock.)
Preheat oven to 3500 F. If using a casserole dish, spray it with vegetable oil spray and set aside.
In a medium bowl, combine spinach, black beans, salsa, cumin, and chili powder.
Spoon 1/4 of the mixture down the middle of one tortilla. Roll the tortilla around the filling (jelly-roll style). Place tortilla seam side down in a shallow nonstick baking pan or prepared casserole dish. Repeat process with remaining tortillas.
Bake enchiladas, uncovered, for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine sour cream and lime juice. Remove enchiladas from oven and spread sour cream mixture evenly over enchiladas. Top with cheese, tomatoes, and green onions and bake for 5 minutes.
Cook�s Tip: This dish freezes so well that you might want to make a batch to keep on hand for unexpected guests or evenings when you just don�t want to cook. After rolling the enchiladas, place them in a container and cover tightly with foil or put them in an airtight plastic freezer bag. Increase baking time to 35 to 40 minutes.
You can substitute a 10-ounce package of no-salt-added frozen spinach for the fresh spinach. Cook according to package directions, omitting salt and oil, then continue with the recipe.

Serves 6

Main Dish, Salmon, Seafood, Spinach

Poached Salmon with Spinach

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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

Ham, Italian, Mushrooms, Pasta, Spinach

Pasta Florentine Olive Garden Recipe

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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.