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Creamless Creamed Spinach Is a Healthy Thanksgiving Side

YumSugar — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 15:00:12 -0800

Michelle Obama has only been a resident at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue for 10 months, yet she's already managed to set an example for Americans to eat more fresh food, from planting a garden to starting a White House farmers market.

Earlier this year, I spotted a recipe for one of the first lady's favorite White House dishes, a creamed spinach without the cream. I bookmarked it, thinking it would make a satisfying yet light steak side, or a healthful addition to a large Thanksgiving feast.

The recipe calls for blanched, puréed spinach, which adds an airy, creamy taste without the calories. To see the technique, keep reading.

Sunday Dinner: Sirloin Stew With Dill Noodles

YumSugar — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 06:30:02 -0800

Earlier this month, Party and I were enticed by one reader's rendition of beef stroganoff. If you, too, found yourself salivating over her creation, here's another dish that you need to bookmark! Unlike the classic course, which has sour cream and mushrooms, the ground beef in this recipe becomes a stew with the help of a roux, beef broth, and Worcestershire. Pile it on top of herbed egg noodles, serve with a salad, and you've got a speedy (and guest-worthy!) dinner. Curious? Then read more.

Electric Pink Pasta Is Oh-So-Scrumptious

partysugar — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 09:00:38 -0700

All month long, we've bombarded you with decadent macaroni and cheese recipes. While mac and cheese is delicious and comforting, with an excess of milk and cheese, it's not the healthiest pasta. That's why I thought it was time I share a light and fresh pasta like this rigatoni with ricotta and roasted beets.Don't be alarmed by the vibrant color, the beets stain the pasta pink. It may look unfamiliar, but it tastes earthy and thanks to the ricotta, slightly creamy. Roasted red onions and tons of spinach make this pasta hearty enough to serve as a main course. The alarming yet fun color would please the palate of children, especially around Halloween. To check out the recipe, read more.

Rigatoni With Ricotta and Roasted Beets
From Every Day With Rachael Ray

Ingredients

4 beets (about 3/4 pound), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1 pound rigatoni pasta
5 cups baby spinach (about 8 ounces)
1 cup ricotta cheese
Grated peel from 1 lemon, plus 3 tablespoons lemon juice

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450°.
On a foil-lined baking sheet, toss the beets with 1 tablespoon olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Wrap tightly with foil and roast for 15 minutes.
Unwrap, then arrange the beets in a single layer.
In a small bowl, toss the onion with 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with salt and pepper; arrange on the baking sheet. Roast, tossing halfway through, until tender, 8 to 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the rigatoni and cook until al dente.
Drain, reserving 1/2 cup pasta cooking water. Return the pasta to the pot and toss with the spinach.
In a bowl, whisk the ricotta, reserved pasta water, lemon peel, lemon juice and the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add to the pasta along with the vegetables. Season with salt and pepper; toss.

Serves 4.

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Fast & Easy Dinner: Roasted Garlic White Pizza

partysugar — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 08:00:16 -0700

After a long week, there's nothing like heading home to a delicious dinner and a glass of good wine. When I'm stressed out, I find cooking relaxing - especially if I'm making something like a roasted garlic white pizza.

Instead of a classic tomato sauce, this pizza is slathered with a paste made from roasted garlic. It's then topped with spinach, bacon, ricotta, and mozzarella. Talk about a scrumptious pie! To kick-start your weekend with this dish, get the recipe and read more.

Roasted Garlic-and-Spinach White Pizza
From Everyday With Rachael Ray

Ingredients

12 cloves garlic, unpeeled
4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon cornmeal
12 ounces refrigerated pizza dough
2 slices bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
One 10-ounce package frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
Salt and pepper
1 cup ricotta cheese
3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325°.
Place the garlic on a sheet of foil; drizzle with 1 teaspoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon water. Seal and bake until soft, about 30 minutes; let cool slightly.
Squeeze the garlic cloves from their skins into a small bowl; add 2 teaspoons olive oil and mash into a paste.
Meanwhile, grease a baking sheet with the remaining 1 teaspoon olive oil; dust with the cornmeal. Stretch the pizza dough into a large rectangle and transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Let the dough rest for 10 minutes; stretch again to almost fill the pan.
Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 425°. In a medium skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat, stirring often, for 5 minutes; drain and transfer to a plate. Add the spinach to the skillet and cook over low heat until warmed through; season with salt and pepper.
Brush the pizza dough with the garlic paste. Top with the spinach and dollops of ricotta. Sprinkle with the bacon and mozzarella.
Bake for 15 minutes, lower the temperature to 400° and bake until the cheese is brown and bubbling, about 10 minutes.

Serves 4.

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Fast & Easy Dinner: Spinach, Olive, and Feta Omelet

partysugar — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 12:50:25 -0700

Do you live alone? Are you a vegetarian? If you answered yes to both of those questions, I suggest you consider this omelet for dinner tonight. It's a perfectly healthy and delicious meal for one.

In this recipe, the filling is a mixture of garlic, tomatoes, spinach, and black olives, but an omelet can be made with just about any vegetable, herb, or cheese, so use the technique and get creative with the ingredients. To look at the simple and straight-forward method, read more.

Spinach, Olive, and Feta Omelet
From The Nest

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 clove garlic, minced
4 cherry tomatoes, halved
4 ounces (1 cup) baby spinach
4 to 6 pitted black olives, sliced
3 eggs
1 sprig rosemary, chopped
1/4 cup half-and-half
1/2 pinch salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled

Directions

Place a nonstick sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and butter. When the butter is melted, add the garlic and halved tomatoes. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes.
Add the baby spinach and olives and cook for 1 to 2 minutes more, or until all of the spinach is wilted, then reduce the heat to medium.
Beat the eggs, rosemary, half-and-half, salt and pepper and pour into the pan. Stir constantly so that the eggs do not brown. When the center is just a little soft, crumble the feta cheese all around the omelet. Fold onto the plate and serve.

Serves 1.

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Monday's Leftovers: Chicken & Spinach Pesto Soup

YumSugar — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 09:00:22 -0700

Crazed start to the week? Then reassure your stomach and soothe the mind by using yesterday's chicken breasts to make a poultry riff on Provençal soupe au pistou.

This dish consists of assorted vegetables, with pistou, a sauce made of garlic, basil, olive oil, and Parmesan.

Serve it at room temperature, or piping hot, with fresh croutons for an element of crunch. If you're coveting the recipe, read more.

Fast & Easy Dinner: Spinach Salad With Bacon Vinaigrette

partysugar — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 06:50:04 -0700

There are hundreds of spinach salads out there, but this recipe is my current obsession. It's complex and delicious, yet really simple to make. The ingredients are carefully thought out, and each bring something different to the table.

Plums provide a juicy sweetness, almonds give a salty crunch, and blue cheese adds a pungent creaminess. Prosciutto and bacon take the salad to a whole new porky level, making it hearty enough to enjoy alone. To check out the recipe, read more.

Spinach Salad with Bacon Vinaigrette
From Food & Wine

Ingredients

3 strips thickly sliced lean bacon, cut into 1/4-inch strips
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 shallot, minced
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard
1 teaspoon chopped thyme
2 small plums, sliced into thin wedges, or 4 fresh purple figs, quartered
One 5-ounce bag of baby spinach
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup marcona or other salted roasted almonds, coarsely chopped
2 ounces crumbled blue cheese, such as Cabrales
1/4 pound thinly sliced serrano ham or prosciutto (8 slices)

Directions

In a large skillet, cook the bacon in the olive oil over moderately high heat until browned and crisp, about 6 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the shallot, vinegar, mustard and thyme.
Scrape the dressing into a large bowl. Add the plums and spinach, season with salt and pepper and toss.
Add the nuts and crumbled blue cheese and toss again. Transfer the salad to plates, top with the sliced ham and serve.

Serves 4.

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Burning Question: Why Does Spinach Make Your Teeth Gritty?

YumSugar — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 05:50:35 -0700

Not too long ago, I enjoyed my favorite steakhouse side, creamed spinach, with a reliable hunk of aged meat at the House of Prime Rib. I hadn't had the dish in a while, and when I took my first bite I instantly remembered what it felt like to have "spinach teeth" - a gritty, uncomfortable sensation that one experiences after eating spinach. Why, I wondered, does spinach leave your teeth feeling rough?For starters, spinach grows best in sandy soil, so the grittiness may very well come from actual sand if it's not been thoroughly washed. But on top of this, the plant's leaves contain a high amount of oxalic acid crystals, which spread onto the teeth during the chewing process, resulting in a chalky sensation in the mouth. Spinach teeth may be enhanced when the vegetable is eaten with iron-rich substances like milk, which explains why the phenomenon is so detectable with creamed spinach.

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Fast & Easy Dinner: Grilled Chicken and Spinach Quesadillas

partysugar — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 06:50:48 -0700

If you've never made quesadillas on the grill, I highly recommend you do so this evening. When charred over an open fire, the tortillas get a nice smoky flavor and delightful crispy texture.

Take some help from the store by using a rotisserie chicken and pre-washed spinach.

The ingredient list calls for Monterey Jack cheese, but one could spice things up and substitute pepper Jack. For the recipe - these quesadillas are also a scrumptious 4th of July starter! - read more.

Grilled Chicken and Spinach Quesadillas
From Real Simple

Ingredients

1 2- to 2 1/2-pound rotisserie chicken, meat shredded
4 cups baby spinach (about 3 ounces)
1 1/2 cups grated Monterey Jack (6 ounces)
4 large flour tortillas
1 avocado, diced
1/2 cup store-bought fresh salsa
1/4 cup sour cream

Directions

Heat grill to medium. In a large bowl, combine the chicken, spinach, and cheese.
Dividing evenly, place the mixture on one half of each tortilla. Fold the other half over to cover.
Grill the quesadillas until the cheese has melted and the tortillas are crisp, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Serve with the avocado, salsa, and sour cream.

Serves 4.

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Monday's Leftovers: Crunchy Pork Chops With Spinach Salad

YumSugar — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 07:50:56 -0700

Even if you had pork chops and salad last night, it's still possible to enliven your palate with a new variation on the same standard. Stretch your dollar (and your resourcefulness) by using leftover bone-in pork chops.

Encrust them with a hefty smattering of breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese for a satisfying crunch. Complete the meal with a spinach and tomato salad tossed in garlicky vinaigrette. See the recipe when you read more.

Crunchy Pork Chops With Spinach Salad
From Nigella Lawson

Ingredients

Pork chops:
2 pork chops, approximately 8 ounces each
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon freshly grated Parmesan
1 cup ground nut oil or similar, for frying

Spinach and tomato salad:
3 medium tomatoes
1/2 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
4 cups baby spinach leaves
Salt and pepper

Directions

Trim the thick white fat off the pork chops, cutting carefully around the outside edge. Lay the chops between 2 pieces of plastic wrap and, using a mallet or a rolling pin beat them until the meaty part of the chop is half as thick. You will need to beat around the bone, so turn them over once as you go.
Beat the egg in a shallow wide bowl with the mustard, oregano, and salt and pepper. On a large plate or platter, combine the breadcrumbs with the Parmesan.
Press each of the chops into the egg mixture, coating either side. Then dip the eggy chops into the bread crumbs, covering them evenly. Let them lie on a cooling rack to dry slightly while you heat the oil in a large frying pan. When a small cube of bread sizzles if dropped into the oil, then the oil is hot enough. Cook the chops until they are a deep golden color, about 5 to 7 minutes a side (depending on how thin you've managed to get them and how cold they were before going in the oil).
Meanwhile, quarter the tomatoes and take out the seeds, then cut the shells into strips and dice them. You can take off the skins, too, if you prefer, by steeping the tomatoes first into a bowl of just boiled water for 3 to 5 minutes. Combine the diced tomato, minced or grated garlic, oil, and lemon juice in a bowl, and season well with salt and pepper.
When the chops are ready, toss the spinach in the tomato mixture until well coated and divide the salad between 2 large plates, putting each chop alongside.

Serves 2.

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