Recipe for Spinach.?!
Recipe for Spinach.?
I'm sick of searching through endless unorganized websites for recipes, which turn out to have expensive or unatainable ingredients anyway, plus it's a hot, muggy, irritable day.
So, do you know of any good "light" summertime meals that can be made with spinach? I have sliced deli ham, and some frozen chicken.
Nothing too extravagant, as I don't want to spend a fortune on groceries, or hours in the kitchen, but I am going to the store in a little while... so any suggestions for a simple snack or meal would be helpful.
Thanks a bunch :-)
P.S. I'd prefer not to turn on the oven today... its hot enough in here. Unless the recipe is REALLY good :-P Stove-top recipes are fine. Cook-less recipes - even better.
3 weeks ago
Thanks to all who answered. If I could, I would choose more than one best. I didn't use any of your recipes, but you gave me an idea of how and what to use with spinach. It was my first time using it, and I was basically just asking what goes.
I cobbled up a really tasty snack with your ideas and inspirations, and thought the least I could do is share it with you.
I fried up a few pieces of bacon. Sauteed onion and spinach til wilty, added tomato and seasonings and sauteed about 30 seconds longer. Then added minced garlic, turned off the heat and let it sit on the burner to keep warm while I prepared the rest of the meal.
I spread cheddar and mozzarella cheese on a tortilla and warmed until the cheese melted (don't let the tortilla get crispy). Then placed the spinach mixture and two slices of bacon on top of the cheese. Wrapped it up, had a dollop of cottage cheese on the side, and ... YUM.
Quick, easy, and tasty. I think I'll use spinach more often.
Answers:
3 weeks ago
Thanks to all who answered. If I could, I would choose more than one best. I didn't use any of your recipes, but you gave me an idea of how and what to use with spinach. It was my first time using it, and I was basically just asking what goes.
I cobbled up a really tasty snack with your ideas and inspirations, and thought the least I could do is share it with you.
I fried up a few pieces of bacon. Sauteed onion and spinach til wilty, added tomato and seasonings and sauteed about 30 seconds longer. Then added minced garlic, turned off the heat and let it sit on the burner to keep warm while I prepared the rest of the meal.
I spread cheddar and mozzarella cheese on a tortilla and warmed until the cheese melted (don't let the tortilla get crispy). Then placed the spinach mixture and two slices of bacon on top of the cheese. Wrapped it up, had a dollop of cottage cheese on the side, and ... YUM.
Quick, easy, and tasty. I think I'll use spinach more often.
Here's a good one that's quick and easy. Take Uncle Bens 90 sec long grain and wild rice mix and cook as directed in the microwave. Saute the spinach with a little onion, garlic and butter, salt and pepper. When the spinach is wilted mix it with the rice and then sprinkle with parmesan cheese. It's quick and delish.
If you have fresh spinach, how about a big spinach salad with either cold ham or chicken. Spinach salad can be really good with sliced strawberries or dried cranberries in it. Try tossing in a handful of nuts such as pecans or walnuts (I like the candied ones) or some crunchy sunflower seeds. Top it with feta cheese and some tangy balsamic vinaigrette and it's awesome. In the summer, you could have that as a main dish with some good whole wheat bread on the side and maybe a fresh fruit salad or something. Good luck!
If you have spinach leaves you can make a really good salad. Just spinach, chicken, feta cheese, and some raspberry vinaigrette. I don't know if you have all of that though.
A quick easy stove top recipe:
In a large skillet, heat a half cup of water over medium heat. When it starts to simmer, add spinach. Continue to simmer, adding more spinach as it wilts down in the skillet. You can use as much or little as you want,but be warned it will cook down to about 1/10th of the original amount. After all spinach has been added to the skillet, pour lemon juice over it to taste ( you don't need much) Add a little black pepper (fresh ground is best) and a dash of garlic salt. Add one package of nufchatel or cream cheese and stir until well blended. Remove from stove and serve.
spinach dip....KNORR seasoning pack ingredients you need are on the back...delish
CAULIFLOWER-BROCCOLI-SPINACH CREAM
SOUP
1/4 c. chopped onion
4 c. cauliflower, cut up sm.
4 c. broccoli, cut up sm.
1 c. chopped cabbage
1 c. chopped spinach (frozen)
1/2 c. chopped fine celery
1 1/2 c. American cheese, cut up
2 c. milk
1/2 c. cream
1 stick butter
2 chicken bouillon cubes
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
3 tbsp. cornstarch dissolved in 1/4 c. water
1 tsp. salt Pepper to taste
Put all ingredients in kettle and simmer for 2 hours or until vegetables are tender. Be careful not to scorch.
SPINACH SOUFFLE
2 pkgs. chopped spinach
3 eggs, separated
1 can cheddar cheese soup
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 to 1/2 tsp curry powder
3/4 cup Saltine cracker crumbs
Cook spinach in microwave and drain well, add cracker crumbs, 3 egg yolks, cheddar cheese soup, onion powder, pepper and curry powder.
Beat 3 egg whites until stiff and fold into spinach mixture.
Put all ingredients into a 1 1/2 to 2 qt. baking dish that has been buttered or sprayed with Pam.
Top with more cracker crumbs and dot (optional) with butter.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 min.
SPINACH LASAGNA
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 15 oz container ricotta cheese
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons minced garlic
3 cups marinara-style pasta sauce
9 no-boil lasagna noodles
2 cans (15 ounces) spinach, well drained
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, cracked
pinch of red pepper flakes
Preheat oven to 375° F.
Combine 2 cups of mozzarella cheese, ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese and garlic, chopped parsley and red and black pepper. Set aside.
In a 9x13 inch baking dish pour 3/4 cup marinara sauce. Place 3 pieces of noboil lasagna on the sauce, covering with another 1/2 cup of the sauce.
Layer with half of the spinach, then a layer spreading half of the cheese mixture over the spinach. Repeat layers. Finish with 3 more lasagna strips and cover with remaining sauce.
Cover with aluminum foil and bake for one hour. Uncover and top with 1 cup mozzarella cheese during last 15 minutes of baking.
Allow to sit 10 minutes before serving.
TOSSED SPINACH SALAD
1 pound fresh spinach, torn in pieces
4 boiled eggs, sliced
6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/2 pound fresh mushrooms
DRESSING:
1 cup salad oil
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup ketchup
1/4 cup vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 medium onion, grated
Mix dressing ingredients and refrigerate. Combine salad ingredients, saving a few egg and mushrooms slices to arrange on top. For a wilted salad, pour dressing on and toss before serving. For a crisp salad, leave dressing off and pass for individual serving.
I have a recipe for spinach mosticcoli bake from cooking light magazine which is a family favorite but it does call for cooler temps because of the baking. but try this alternative.... it is a bit lighter. and doesn't require baking...
1 box pasta your choice (cooked as directed)
1/2 bag of frozen spinach or (full bag fresh chopped)
1 can diced tomatoes(I use the ones with hot peppers)
1/4 cup grated cheese
1 diced onion
option to add diced meat up to 1lb
oil to coat pasta
lemon juice(optional)
seasonings can include: garlic,salt,pepper, onion powder,parsley,basil,oregano
boil water for pasta, in seperate pan cook meat and onion, add tomatoes and spinach and set on low heat. toss pasta with oil and cheese and lemon, sprinkle with herbs and toss in tomato mixture. with prep and cook it probably takes about 20-25 minutes if you buy precut onions ( in cooler weather you can mix in a 1/4 cup breadcrumbs and 1/4 cup more cheese and 2 cups of milk and bake it for 30 minutes then cool for 10 minutes)
Here's stove top, four ingredients [not counting oil, salt and pepper] and people love it. This is an incredibly good dish.
Spinach [get prewashed if you don't want to mess with cleaning it], 1 lb., 2 lb., 2 1/2 lb.--it doesn't matter; spinach cooks down so much
1--2 tablespoons soy sauce
1--2 tablespoons oyster sauce [every grocery store has it nowadays]
3 cloves garlic, minced [do it in a processor if you don't want to mess with chopping it yourself, or buy the prechopped].
1. Turn on burner under wok, wok-like pan or regular pan.
2. When pan is getting hot, add 3 tablespoons of peanut oil [or, any oil you've got--olive, vegetable, canola . . . ] and heat oil over high heat. [If you have some sesame oil in the house, add a dime-sized dab, at most.]
3. When oil is hot, add spinach, as much at a time as you can.
4. After a little while, add a little salt and a generous amount of pepper.
5. When the spinach is almost all limp, add soy sauce and oyster sauce--stirring and melding it all--a minute or two.
6. Reduce heat a little and add the garlic. Again, stir and meld. You should have a nice sauce of the water from the spinach, the soy sauce and the oyster sauce--which, if you want, you could thicken with a little flour; I don't. Serve hot with however you prepare the chicken. Enjoy. Great leftover too.
This does require baking, but not for long, and it can be made ahead and served cold, or eaten hot out of the oven.
Spinach-Ricotta Pie
1 pie shell (I use store bought)
2 eggs
1 tbsp butter or margarine
1 small onion, chopped
1 15-oz container of ricotta cheese
1 can of spinach, well-drained, or equivalent fresh or frozen.
1) Melt butter in a pan. Saute the chopped onion until translucent, about 5 minutes. (If you are using fresh spinach, cook it now with the onion).
2) While the onion is cooking: In a bowl, beat the eggs lightly and stir in the ricotta. Add a pinch of nutmeg if desired.
3) Add the spinach & stir in the onion.
4) Turn spinach mixture into pie shell. Bake at 425 for 25-30 minutes, until top is lightly browned, and middle is set. (Cover crust edges with foil while baking if they brown too fast.)
Eat hot or cold, delicious either way.
Dice an onion and cut up spinach, into frying pan put a tablespoon of butter, melt over medium heat, add onion and spinach and cook till both looked cooked. ( 5 mins give or take)