Tag: frozen spinach
Spinach Polenta
2 tablespoons olive oil- ½ cup pine nuts
- ½ cup golden raisins
- 1 cup chopped and thawed (frozen) spinach, excess water squeezed
- 1 cup fine polenta
- 1½ cups milk
- 2 cups broth
- ½ cup Monterey jack cheese, grated
- Salt
Heat a medium saucepan with olive oil. Add the pine nuts and raisins and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the spinach and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the milk and the broth and bring to a boil. Slowly add the polenta while stirring constantly. Cook according to box instructions. Add the cheese and check for seasonings. Serve with shrimp.
Pasta with Turkey and Spinach
This is a healthy one! My daughter’s friend was coming over on a Sunday and was going to stay for lunch. Kids love pasta- we all know that. It is always hard to come up with new and interesting dishes to serve them.
I had ground turkey in the fridge and decided to make a quick meat sauce. I also had a big container of freshly made marinara sauce. Instead of serving vegetables on the side, I added it into the sauce. I love making one pot meals- especially for kids. I have also noticed they tend to eat the veggies if they are incorporated into the dish.
I sauteed an onion and garlic with the meat- added the tomato sauce and spinach. That was it- so simple and delicious.
- 1 pound ground turkey meat
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon rosemary, chopped
- 1 small yellow onion, minced
- 2 cups chopped frozen spinach, thawed
- 2 cups marinara sauce
- Salt
Heat a saucepan with the olive oil. Add the turkey meat and separate meat with a wooden spoon. Cook on medium high heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic and onion and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the spinach and sauté for another 4 to 5 minutes. Add the two cups marinara sauce and mix well. Add salt and check for seasonings. Cook, covered for 10 minutes. Serve with pasta.
Baked Chicken Sausage and Spinach Pasta
I love one pot meals. They are so simple and quick to make- I try to come up with them as much as possible. What is better than a one pot meal, you ask? Well, it would be the one for which I have all the ingredients at home- no need to go to the grocery store. I realize most people hate going to the market- I am not sure why.. I love going to the grocery store. I am at a food store, literally everyday. I love coming up with what to make in the morning and then I go shopping for all the ingredients. I sometimes get embarrassed about being seen at the store by the employees. They all recognize me and sometimes ask me (in a very nice way) why I am here every day??
Anyway, as I was saying, this dish was very easy to make. I always have chicken sausage and chopped spinach in the freezer. I also make a batch of tomato sauce every week or so- it is great to have around, especially when packing lunch for my daughter. I put all the ingredients together and baked it in the oven. It was a quick, delicious, one pot meal…
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Spinach and Roasted Corn
This is one my favorite vegetarian, Indian dishes to make. Usually spinach is paired with paneer or some kind of meat in Indian cuisine. Years ago, we had corn and spinach at a restaurant and I thought it was delicious. The spinach is cooked the same way as in the other dishes but somehow corn gives it a wonderful, unique flavor.
I changed it up a bit- of course. I used the roasted corn I buy from Trader Joes. It has a delicious smoky flavor. I also cooked the spinach with dried fenugreek- which brings a unique earthy flavor. It also mimics the smoky flavor of the roast corn really well.
I made it when a friend came over. Everyone loved it including the kids. Make this dish next time you are looking to make something different…
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled
- 2-inch ginger, peeled
Process the onion, garlic and ginger in a food processor. Keep aside.
- 1 16 oz pack frozen chopped spinach, thawed
Blend the thawed spinach until smooth. Keep aside.
- 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
- 3 tablespoons extra light olive oil
- 1 cup tomato puree
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 teaspoons coriander powder
- 1 pack fire roasted frozen corn from Trader Joes (or 3 cups regular corn)
- ¼ cup dried fenugreek leaves (methi)
- ¼ cup half and half
Heat a heavy saucepan with the extra light olive oil. Add the cumin seeds and sauté for 20 seconds on medium heat. Add the onion mixture and sauté for 10 minutes on medium heat, stirring constantly. Add the tomato puree and sauté for another 10 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the blended spinach, salt, turmeric, cayenne pepper and coriander powder. Mix well. Add the corn and fenugreek leaves. Mix well and cook on a medium low heat, covered for 15 minutes. Take the lid off and turn the heat up to high. Add the half and half and stir constantly while cooking for another 5 minutes. Taste for seasonings.
Creamed Spinach
I love the creamed spinach served at steak houses. The leafy green goes perfectly well with red meat- especially cooked with lots of butter and cream. I guess anything cooked with lots of butter and cream is delicious.
My problem- the red meat already has lots of calories and when you pair a calorie laden dish like creamed spinach- it results in a very heavy meal- oh, and what about the potatoes and the wine… a lot of calories.
So, this is my take on creamed spinach. I usually make it simply by sauteing garlic with spinach. I add a bit of half and half- which has less calories than cream but still adds substantial creaminess to the dish.
I started this dish by making a white or bechamel sauce. I sauteed some flour and olive oil. I added onion and garlic and then some milk. This was a start to a very aromatic, creamy sauce. I added frozen, chopped spinach and cooked it till the excess moisture is cooked away.
The dish was delicious- with not a lot of calories. It has one tablespoon of olive oil and a third of a cup of half and half. Not bad considering it served 5 people. The taste was not compromised at all- in fact it tasted really good with the lamb and the potatoes.
Try this creamed spinach next time you are looking for a healthy side dish…
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Macaroni and Cheese with Tomatoes and Spinach
My daughter’s friend was coming over for dinner and I didn’t have anything to serve. I didn’t want to cook the boxed macaroni and cheese and so decided to make my own. There is nothing wrong with the boxed kind (especially the healthy ones) – I do make it once in a while but I try not to serve it very often.
The fact is it doesn’t take very long to make your own from scratch. I made the bechamel or white sauce quickly and added the shredded cheese. I boiled whole grain pasta on the side and added that to the mix. I had some homemade tomato sauce which I added as well. Now, in order to make it balance, I needed to come up with a vegetable. I always have frozen spinach in the freezer. I added some of that as well and put it all in an oven proof pan and baked it for about twenty minutes. Best of all- it was a one pot meal- yay!!!
The kids enjoyed it but did not appreciate me calling the pasta macaroni and cheese. They informed me anything with spinach and tomato sauce is not mac and cheese….
- ½ pound whole grain penne or elbow pasta, cooked al dente
- 1 small yellow onion, chopped
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
- 2 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 cup milk
- 1½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 cup homemade tomato sauce
- 1 cup frozen chopped spinach
- Salt
In a large frying pan heat the olive oil. Add the onion and garlic. Saute on medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes or till soft. Add thyme and basil. Sprinkle the flour and sauté for a minute. Add the milk and whisk gently to remove lumps. Bring to a boil and simmer till thickened. Add cheese and mix well. Add the spinach and tomato sauce. Mix well and add salt. Add the cooked pasta and place in an oven proof container. Bake in a 350 degrees F for 20 minutes.
Spinach and Potatoes- Saag Aloo
This is a very popular Indian dish- especially amongst vegetarians. For me, this is a great side dish especially since it does not have any protein. I like to make sure I am giving my family a well balanced meal every chance I get – I usually make a chicken, pork or fish dish to serve with the spinach and potatoes.
I think this side dish would be ideal for a holiday meal- especially since it combines a green and a starch- you get two dishes in one. A roast or a bird would be delicious with this side dish. It is also ideal since you can make this a couple of days in advance- perfect for the busy holidays. Like most Indian dishes, this one is yummier the next day. Just like a stew or a soup gets better in the fridge- it is the same concept. The flavors get a chance to know each other and get really close.
Besides being an ideal dish for the holidays, this is especially good for a weekday meal. The spinach I use in here is frozen- always in my freezer, I consider this a pantry must have. The potatoes are also always in the pantry- so both the star ingredients are already in your house- the dish can be made in 20 minutes. Make some kebabs or meatballs on the side and you have a nice, healthy meal!
- 3-4 medium yellow potatoes
- 2 cups frozen chopped spinach
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 2 tablespoons extra light olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 inch ginger, minced
- ½ cup crushed tomatoes
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
In a wide saucepan, heat the olive oil and add the cumin seeds. Saute on medium heat for a minute, or till the seeds begin to sizzle. Add the onion, ginger and garlic. Saute on medium high heat, stirring constantly for 3-4 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the spinach and potatoes and mix well. Add the salt, turmeric, cayenne pepper and coriander powder. Mix well and lower the heat and cover. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes or till the potatoes are cooked. Take the lid off and turn the heat up to cook the excess moisture off. Check of seasonings and add the garam masala.