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Tag: baby spinach

Spinach Quinoa Risotto

Spinach Quinoa Risotto

  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 medium shallot, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1 cup quinoa
  • 1 cup white wine
  • 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
  • 3 to 4 cups baby spinach
  • ¼ cup half and half
  • ¼ cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
  • Salt

Heat a saucepan with the olive oil. Add the shallot and garlic, sauté on medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add quinoa and stir for a minute. Add the white wine and stir. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook for 10 to 12 minutes until the grain is tender. Stir the spinach, half and half and cheese. Check for seasoning and add salt. Serve with fish.

Greek Style Branzino with Sautéed Spinach

I would make this for Valentine’s day… so, yummy and healthy… very garlicky but who cares if everyone will be smelling of garlic!!

  • 6 cleaned fillets of Branzino or any other white fish with skin on
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Drizzle of olive oil

Sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides of the fillets and drizzle olive oil

Sauce

  • 3 garlic cloves, chopped fine
  • 2 tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped
  • Juice of one lemon
  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon salt

Mix all the ingredients together and keep aside.

Preheat broiler to high.

Heat a wide frying pan on medium high heat. Add the fillets, skin side down to the pan, 2 to 3 at a time. Cook for 3 minutes on medium high heat and transfer to a cookie sheet, skin side down. Finish cooking all the fillets and transfer the cookie sheet to the broiler. Broil for 3 to 4 minutes or till the fish is cooked or opaque. Serve warm with a drizzle of the oregano sauce.

Sauteed Spinach

  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 2 10 ounces baby spinach
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese

Heat a wide frying pan with the oil. Add the garlic and sauté on medium heat for 15 to 20 seconds. Add the spinach and cook on high heat till it wilts. Continue sautéing on medium heat for 5 to 6 minutes. Add salt and serve with a garnish of feta cheese.

 

Beef, Mushrooms and Spinach Enchiladas

I am very proud of this recipe. The enchiladas were absolutely delicious. They are great for through the week as they don’t take very long to make but they are also great for entertaining. You can eliminate the beef and keep them vegetarian or add shrimp instead- either way, they are the best enchiladas you will every eat!!

  • 2 tablespoons extra light olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, grated
  • 2 medium shallots, chopped
  • ½ pound ground beef
  • 10 ounces Cremini mushrooms, cleaned and chopped
  • 2 10 ounces baby spinach
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 2 teaspoon ground coriander

Heat a large frying pan with the olive oil. Add the garlic and shallots and sauté on medium heat. Add the beef and sauté on medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes on medium high heat, while stirring constantly. Add the mushrooms and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the spinach and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes. Add salt, smoked paprika and ground coriander. Mix well and check for seasonings and keep aside.

  • 3 cups tomato sauce, either store bought or homemade
  • 2 teaspoons chipotle in adobo sauce
  • 1 teaspoons smoked paprika
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • ½ cup cilantro, chopped

Bring the tomato sauce to a boil. Add the chipotle sauce, smoked paprika and salt. Add the cilantro and check for seasonings and keep aside.

  •  6 to 8 corn/flour tortillas
  • Mexican blend grated cheese
  • One 9X13 oven-proof dish
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
  • 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
  • 2 scallions, chopped

Dip a tortilla into the tomato sauce. Add about a quarter cup of beef filling and a teaspoon of shredded cheese. Roll the tortilla and place onto the dish with seam side down. Repeat for the rest of the tortillas. Cover with about two cups of the tomato sauce. Top with half cup of shredded cheese. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 to 40 minutes. Take foil off , garnish with cilantro and scallions and serve.

 

 

 

Pasta with Pancetta Mushrooms and Spinach

This one is quick and simple- you can eliminate the pancetta and add some shallots and garlic to make it vegetarian…

  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • ¼ cup pancetta, chopped
  • 2 cups Cremini mushrooms, sliced
  • 8 ounces, baby spinach
  • Salt
  • ½ cup Parmigiano Reggiano
  • ½ pound penne pasta, cooked al dente
  • 1 cup saved pasta water

Heat a wide frying pan with the oil. Add the pancetta and sauté on medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and sauté on high heat for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the spinach, pasta, ½ cup pasta water, salt and the cheese. Mix well till the spinach is wilted. Check for seasonings and serve warm.

Chicken Stew with Spinach and Mushrooms

Even though it is technically spring- winter refuses to leave. One way to enjoy it while it lasts is to make a delicious stew. The house smells amazing and you have a one pot meal in no time…

  • 1 pound chicken thighs, with or without bones, skinless
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 small bunch of fresh thyme
  • ½ cup pancetta, chopped
  • 1 10 ounces Cremini mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • ½ cup tomato sauce, homemade or store bought
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • Salt
  • 6 ounces baby spinach
  • ½ cup fresh parsley, chopped

Mix the flour, salt and pepper in a bowl. Heat a heavy saucepan with the oil and the butter. Dredge the chicken and brown on both sides in batches if needed. Take the chicken out and add the pancetta and thyme. Saute on medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook on medium high heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the onion and garlic. Saute for another 3 to 4 minutes. Add the tomato sauce, chicken broth and the browned chicken pieces. Bring to a boil and lower to a simmer and cover with lid for 20 minutes. Take the lid off and cook for another ten minutes. Add the baby spinach and let it wilt down and check for seasonings. Garnish with parsley. Serve with garlic bread or polenta.

Spinach Polenta with Short Ribs

I have now made a few polenta dishes where I have added a bunch of different ingredients to make them a bit different. I realized that polenta is like any other starch and I can go crazy with all the different aromatics or vegetables I can add to it.

In this case I was making the short ribs and wanted to keep it simple and serve it on top of polenta. Both my husband and I love polenta. My daughter on the other hand, is not a big fan. In fact the last time I made it, she asked not to give it to her ever again. I am okay with her not wanting to eat polenta- she is such a good eater and everyone has a few things they don’t like- although I can’t think of a thing I would have on that list.

Anyway, I started with shallots and garlic and added baby spinach. I then added chicken broth and milk. The polenta was made in no time. I topped it with some cheese and that was it. I made it simple for myself by adding baby spinach to the starch- I didn’t have to make a salad or a vegetable on the side.

The polenta was delicious with the short ribs- creamy and earthy with the rich meat.

  • 5 ounces baby spinach
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 small shallots, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, chopped

Heat a large frying pan with the olive oil. Add the shallots and garlic. Saute on medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the baby spinach and sauté till it is wilted and cooked down. Keep aside.

  • 1 cup fine polenta
  • 1½ cups chicken broth
  • 1½ cups milk
  • Salt
  • ½ cup Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, grated

Add the liquids to the spinach mixture and bring to a boil. Add salt and the polenta. Cook according to instructions on the polenta package. Add the cheese and serve.

Warm Spinach Salad with Pancetta and Feta

This recipe is a play on the popular warm spinach salad. It is typically made with bacon. You start off by cooking some bacon down; taking the bits out and using the warm fat for salad dressing.

I used pancetta instead of bacon; rendered it and kept it aside. A mixture of dijon mustard, white wine vinegar and apple cider make a delicious dressing. To make it interesting, I added crumbles of salty feta cheese. I am a big fan of this cheese- I love salty cheese, and this one is as salty as they come. It provides an amazing punch of flavor. The good thing is you don’t need a whole lot of it and it is naturally lower in fat than other cheeses.

The salad turned out delicious- it was a great start to the meal, especially since it continued with the yummy meatballs…

  • 3 cups baby spinach
  • ½ cup crumbled feta cheese

Place the spinach and cheese into a medium salad bowl. Keep aside.

  • ¼ cup chopped pancetta
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 medium shallot, sliced
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons apple cider
  • Salt
  • Pepper

Heat a small frying pan and add the olive oil. Add the pancetta and cook on medium heat for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring constantly till the pancetta bits are crispy. With a slotted spoon, take out the pancetta and keep aside. Keep the flame to medium and add the shallot. Saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the vinegar and apple cider. Whisk in the mustard and add salt and pepper if needed.
Pour over the baby spinach, toss and serve.

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