Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Posts Tagged ‘spinach’

Cheesy Spinach Stuffed Shells

Posted in Easy Weeknight Meals, Main Dish, Pasta, Vegetarian, tagged , , , on May 6, 2013 | 1 Comment »

Cheesy Spinach Stuffed Shells~Kristine's Kitchen

These days I’m all about getting the most out of my cooking. I love it when I find a recipe that not only feeds us for two nights in a row, but also freezes well. Investing time in the kitchen is even more rewarding when there is a big payoff, and in my world a quick meal that just needs heating up on a busy weeknight is a pretty big payoff. This cheesy spinach stuffed shells recipe makes a lot, plus it’s hard to go wrong with cheesy pasta. I don’t make special “kid meals” for Julia and William- they either eat what we’re eating as a family or they don’t. But it is nice when dinner is something that they love and enjoy, and these were enjoyed by all.

If you love cheese, then these shells are for you. Filled with a mixture of four cheeses and spinach, and then topped with marinara and grated mozzarella, these shells are totally cheesy and totally delicious. The cottage cheese works surprisingly well in the filling, making them a bit healthier without you noticing at all. When I make these, we get two meals out of them, plus I freeze a third of the shells for a later meal. These shells are so good and so easy to make, that they’ve gotten me thinking about other stuffed shell possibilities… maybe with even more veggies inside?

Cheesy Spinach Stuffed Shells

Printable Recipe

Makes about 8 servings

Ingredients:

  • 12 oz. box jumbo shells
  • 15 oz. container ricotta cheese
  • 12 oz. cottage cheese
  • 1 cup Italian blend grated cheese
  • ¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • ½ tsp. salt
  • ¼ tsp. pepper
  • Dash of ground nutmeg
  • 10 oz. box frozen spinach, defrosted with liquid rung out
  • 24 oz. jar marinara sauce
  • 1 ½ cups grated Mozzarella cheese

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
  2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions for just shy of al dente. You want to be sure that they don’t overcook or they will fall apart when you fill them. Drain and lay the shells out on a sheet of parchment paper. Let cool while you make the filling.
  3. In a large bowl, combine the ricotta, cottage cheese, Italian blend cheese, Parmesan, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Stir in the defrosted, drained spinach.
  4. Spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with cooking spray, as well as a smaller baking dish (I like to use a freezer-safe baking dish so that I can freeze part of the shells). Spoon about a tablespoon of the cheese mixture into each shell and lay seam side up in the baking dishes. Pour the sauce over the top and sprinkle with the mozzarella cheese.
  5. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes. (If you are freezing part of the shells to save for a later meal, leave them unbaked and make sure they are completely cool, then cover the shells with plastic wrap, pressing it down close to the shells. Cover the dish with a lid and freeze. Defrost for a day in the fridge and then bake as usual.)

Source: Slightly adapted from Eat, Live, Run.

About these ads

Read Full Post »

Harvest Apple and Spinach Salad

Posted in Salads, tagged , , , on March 22, 2012 | 2 Comments »

Salad makes it onto our dinner table so often, it’s nice to have a variety of recipes to make things a bit more interesting. This spinach salad has buttered almonds, apple slices, and crumbled feta- plenty of flavor to make eating salad seem like a treat.

If you’re short on time (or want to make the salad even healthier), you can skip making the buttered almonds and just use toasted almonds instead. As is, this salad is great as a side dish. You can easily make it into a main dish salad by adding some grilled chicken for protein.

One year ago:  Pan Roasted Chicken Breasts with Potatoes

Harvest Apple and Spinach Salad

Printable Recipe

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

For the dressing:

  • 1/4 cup finely minced sweet onion
  • 3 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
  • 3 tbsp. white wine or champagne vinegar
  • 2 tbsp. sesame seeds
  • Pinch of paprika
  • 2 tbsp. sugar
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

For the almonds:

  • 2 tbsp. unsalted butter
  • 3/4 cup sliced or slivered almonds
  • 1 tbsp. sugar

For the salad:

  • 10 oz. baby spinach leaves, washed and dried
  • 2 medium apples, cored and thinly sliced
  • 4 oz. crumbled feta cheese

Directions:

  1. To make the salad dressing, combine the onion, vinegars, sesame seeds, paprika, and sugar in a small bowl or jar. Whisk to combine. Whisk in the olive oil in a slow, steady stream until well emulsified. Refrigerate until ready to use. (If the dressing has separated, whisk or shake to blend again.
  2. To make the buttered almonds, melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the almonds and cook, stirring occasionally, until toasted and lightly browned. Stir in the sugar and cook just until melted and well incorporated. Set aside to cool.
  3. Plate portions of the baby spinach leaves. Top with apple slices, crumbled feta, and almonds. Drizzle with the dressing and serve immediately.

Source: slightly adapted from Bon Appetit, via Annie’s Eats and The Curvy Carrot.

Read Full Post »

Green Monster Smoothie

Posted in Beverages, Breakfast, tagged , on November 7, 2011 | 8 Comments »

Green Monster Smoothie

Looking at this smoothie, it’s hard to believe that you can’t taste the spinach in it. Three cups of spinach and you can’t taste it? No, you really can’t. Not even a little bit.

As I was making these, Julia watched me put the spinach in the blender and commented on the green color of the smoothie. She said, “No spinach for Julia,” and then drank her green smoothie without realizing that there was, in fact, spinach in hers too. :) (This trick does not work with peanut butter- even in cookies or muffins she tastes it right away and won’t eat any more.  Oh well.)

I have to admit I was skeptical at first, too, but after trying this Green Monster Smoothie I can’t wait to make it again and again.

Green Monster Smoothie

Printable Recipe

Makes 2-3 servings

Ingredients:

  • 1 banana (frozen or not), cut into chunks
  • 1 cup chopped frozen pineapple
  • 1 pear, coarsely chopped
  • 1 cup orange juice
  • 3 cups baby spinach leaves, rinsed and dried
  • 1 tbsp. honey
  • 3 tbsp. ground flaxseed (optional)

Directions:

  1. Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor and puree until completely smooth. If smoothie is too thick, thin it out with a little more orange juice.
  2. Taste and adjust sweetness with additional honey, if desired. Serve immediately.

Recipe adapted from Cooking with Karen, originally from Annie’s Eats

Read Full Post »

Orzo with Sausage, White Beans, and Spinach

Posted in Main Dish, Pasta, Sausage, tagged , , , , on September 19, 2011 | 31 Comments »

Orzo with Sausage, White Beans, and Spinach

Have you heard of The Secret Recipe Club? Each month, participating bloggers are assigned another blog from the group. You choose a recipe from your assigned blog to make and post about. Until reveal day, you have to keep secret which blog you’re assigned. It’s a great way to find a new blog and try a new recipe. This month I was assigned the blog Mostly Food and Crafts, which has some great easy recipes and fun crafts too.

After reading quite a few recipes, I chose to make Mostly Food and Crafts’ White Bean and Sausage Saute. I love cooking with chicken sausage, and the combination of sausage, white beans, spinach, and tomatoes sounded delicious. I served my sausage and bean mixture on top of some cooked orzo, and we enjoyed a healthy and tasty meal.

One year ago:  Dark Chocolate Truffle Caramel Swirl Ice Cream

Orzo with Sausage, White Beans, and Spinach

Printable Recipe

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

  • 4 Italian sausages (I used sweet Italian chicken sausages)
  • 8 oz. orzo pasta
  • 1 tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 cup chopped onion
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
  • 1 can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes, with juices
  • 1 can (15 oz.) cannellini (white kidney) beans, drained and rinsed
  • 3 cups baby spinach
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Place sausages in a baking dish and bake until cooked through, about 40 minutes, turning once halfway through baking time. Set aside to cool for a few minutes and then slice into 1/4-inch thick round slices.
  2. Cook orzo according to package directions for al dente. Drain and set aside.
  3. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet and saute onion until soft, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and saute 1 minute more. Add sliced sausage to skillet along with broth and tomatoes. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook for about 5 minutes, until most of the liquid has evaporated. Add the beans and spinach and cook until the spinach wilts, about 2 minutes. Gently stir in the parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat.
  4. Serve sausage and bean mixture over the cooked orzo.

Recipe adapted from Mostly Food and Crafts

To see other great recipes from Secret Recipe Club members, follow the links below!


Read Full Post »

Greek Pizza

Posted in Easy Weeknight Meals, Main Dish, Pizza, tagged , , , , , , on July 11, 2011 | 1 Comment »

Greek Pizza

Homemade pizza makes it onto our menu pretty much every week. I recently made this Greek Pizza for the first time and it immediately became one of our very favorite versions of homemade pizza. We’ve made pizza three times in the past month, and all three times it was this Greek Pizza. And right now, looking at the photo of this pizza, I’m wishing it was on the menu for tonight instead of the pasta dish that I have planned.

Sun-dried tomatoes, black olives, red onion, spinach, and feta, on top of cheese, tomato sauce, and homemade pizza dough? Delicious.

One year ago:  Garlic Lemon Chicken Kabobs

Greek Pizza

Printable Recipe

Makes one large pizza

Ingredients:

  • 1 ball of pizza dough
  • A few spoonfuls of tomato sauce
  • Mozzarella cheese
  • Handful of black olives, sliced
  • Handful of fresh spinach, torn into small pieces
  • Half of a small red onion, finely sliced
  • A few sun-dried tomatoes, sliced
  • Crumbled feta

Directions:

  1. Preheat a pizza stone in a 500 degree oven for at least 30 minutes. Place a piece of parchment paper on a rimless baking sheet and sprinkle with cornmeal. Roll out your pizza dough, and place it on the parchment.
  2. Spread a thin layer of tomato sauce on the pizza dough and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Top with olives, spinach, red onion, sun-dried tomatoes, and feta.
  3. Reduce the oven temperature to 425 degrees F. Transfer the pizza to the oven by sliding the pizza and parchment onto the baking stone. Bake until the cheese and crust are nicely browned, about 7-9 minutes.

Recipe adapted from A Couple Cooks

Read Full Post »

Pan-Grilled Veggie Sandwiches with Spinach, Balsamic, and Ricotta

Posted in Easy Weeknight Meals, Main Dish, Sandwiches, tagged , , , , , on April 18, 2011 | 5 Comments »

Pan-Grilled Veggie Sandwiches with Spinach, Balsamic, and Ricotta

I am always amazed at how delicious vegetables become when you grill them, even if you grill them indoors on a grill pan. Grilled vegetables are the star of this sandwich, seasoned simply with olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic. I substituted spinach for the arugula called for in the original recipe, because it’s what I had on hand. I’m sure that the peppery bite of arugula would be great in this sandwich if you have it, though. I love the ricotta with this sandwich. It becomes seasoned with the balsamic vinegar and some of the juices from the grilled veggies, and provides a bit of creaminess to contrast with the vegetables and crunchy bread. I’m getting hungry just thinking about it!

One year ago: Baked Chicken, Rice, and Black Bean Burritos

Pan-Grilled Veggie Sandwiches with Spinach, Balsamic, and Ricotta

Printable Recipe

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients:

  • 2 small zucchini, sliced lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices
  • 2 small yellow squashes, sliced lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices
  • 2 red onions, sliced into 1/4-inch-thick rounds
  • Extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 baguettes, each about 24 inches long (or other sandwich rolls- I used Dutch crunch rolls)
  • 12 ounces part-skim ricotta cheese
  • 1 bunch spinach or arugula, washed, dried, and stems discarded
  • Balsamic vinegar, to taste
  • 1 small jar roasted red peppers, halved (or 2 red peppers, roasted according to directions below)

Directions:

  1. Brush a large grill pan with olive oil and heat over medium-high heat. Toss zucchini, yellow squash, and onion with olive oil, garlic, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook in batches until soft, about 6 to 12 minutes per batch, flipping over halfway through cooking. Wipe down the pan between batches to get rid of burned-on bits.
  2. Preheat broiler. Cut each baguette crosswise into 3 even pieces. Slice pieces lengthwise, but don’t cut all the way through. Place bread, cut side up, on a baking sheet and broil about 4 minutes to toast, checking it often to be sure it doesn’t burn.
  3. Spread a layer of ricotta on the bottom halves of the bread. Sprinkle with some salt. Toss the spinach (or arugula) with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste. Place dressed spinach on top of the ricotta, then top with the grilled vegetables and roasted red peppers.

Recipe slightly adapted from Dave Lieberman, via foodnetwork.com

How to roast red peppers:

You can certainly use store-bought jarred roasted red peppers for this sandwich to save a few minutes. If you’d like to make your own, it’s really easy, and I think they taste much better when they’re homemade.

  1. Preheat broiler.
  2. Cut bell peppers in half lengthwise. Remove and discard seeds and membranes. Place pepper halves, skin sides up, on a foil-lined baking sheet. Press down with your hand to slightly flatten the pepper halves. Broil 15 minutes or until blackened. Remove from oven and place pepper halves in a zip-top plastic bag; seal. Let stand 15 minutes. Peel and slice peppers as desired for your recipe.

Read Full Post »

Tortellini with Spinach, Red Onion, and Pine Nuts

Posted in Easy Weeknight Meals, Main Dish, Pasta, tagged , , , on July 31, 2010 | 2 Comments »

Tortellini with Spinach, Red Onion, and Pine Nuts

This simple pasta dish can be put together in about 15 minutes, which is why I include it in my weekly meal plan when I know I’m going to have a busy evening, or when I just don’t feel like spending a lot of time in the kitchen. Onion, garlic, pine nuts, and Parmesan lend great flavor to store-bought tortellini. Feel free to use any flavor of fresh tortellini that you like. My favorite is Buitoni three cheese tortellini.

I am constantly modifying recipes to suit my tastes. When I look through one of my cooking magazines or cookbooks, I first look at the picture that accompanies each recipe. (I love cookbooks and magazines that show a photo of every recipe; it really helps me to know if the recipe will be something that my family and I will enjoy.) Next, I read through the ingredient list. Often, I’ll find an ingredient or two that I don’t care for, or that I don’t want to purchase just for that one dish. When that happens, I’ll think about if I can omit the ingredient, or if there is an easy substitute that I do usually have on hand. Sometimes I also follow a different method of preparing part of the recipe- maybe I’ll grill steak instead of broiling it, for example. I try to make things easier on myself whenever possible, while still using fresh and nutritious ingredients.

This particular recipe can be easily modified in so many ways. Don’t like spinach? Substitute zucchini or bell peppers. Prefer tomato-based sauces? Add a jar of diced tomatoes or tomato sauce. Want to increase the protein content of the meal? Add some cannellini or small white beans, or shredded rotisserie chicken. Don’t care for pine nuts? Leave them out. As you can see, there are many modifications that you can make so that this recipe suits your needs and tastes.

Tortellini with Spinach, Red Onion, and Pine Nuts

3 servings

Ingredients:

  • 1 package fresh tortellini, such as Buitoni brand
  • 1/4 cup pine nuts
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
  • 1-2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1 bag washed baby spinach
  • 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. Toast the pine nuts by placing them in a small skillet over medium-low heat. Stir occasionally and watch them closely so they don’t burn. They will take only a few minutes to toast; you’ll know they’re done when you begin to smell them and they are just lightly brown.
  2. Set a large pot of water to boil. When the water is boiling, add the tortellini and cook according to package directions.
  3. Heat a small amount of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and saute, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and saute, stirring, one minute. Add the spinach to the pan and cook until wilted, about 2 minutes, stirring often.
  4. Drain the cooked tortellini and add it to the pan with the spinach and onion. Toss with Parmesan cheese, pine nuts, salt and pepper, and a little more olive oil, if desired.

Read Full Post »

Pasta with spinach, zucchini, pine nuts, and ricotta

Posted in Easy Weeknight Meals, Main Dish, Pasta, tagged , , , on April 20, 2010 | 3 Comments »

Pasta with spinach, zucchini, pine nuts, and ricotta

This is a simple pasta dish that is quick to put together, tasty, and healthy. Between the spinach and zucchini, it contains lots of green veges, which is good since Julia loves green vegetables!  This is the first time that I added zucchini to this recipe.  I think asparagus would also work well.

When I last made this pasta, I forgot to add the parmesan cheese and really missed the added flavor. I included parmesan in the ingredient list below. If you want a stronger flavor, you can substitute red onion for the shallots. I didn’t have any fresh basil on hand, but it would be a great addition also.

Pasta with spinach, zucchini, pine nuts, and ricotta

Ingredients:

  • 8 ounces whole wheat or multigrain pasta (I used rotini)
  • olive oil
  • 2 zucchini, chopped
  • 2 shallots, finely chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 bag baby spinach
  • 1/4 cup pine nuts
  • 3/4 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
  • 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • fresh basil (optional)

Directions:

  1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Reserve some of the pasta water, then drain the pasta.
  2. Toast the pine nuts in a small skillet until just beginning to brown.
  3. Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Add zucchini and saute over medium heat about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add shallots and cook about 2 minutes, stirring often. Add garlic and cook about 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add baby spinach and stir until wilted. Reduce heat to low. Stir in the pasta, ricotta cheese, and parmesan cheese. Add a little of the reserved pasta water to help the cheese distribute evenly over the pasta. Remove from heat. Stir in the pine nuts and add salt and pepper to taste.  Top with chopped, fresh basil, if desired.

4 Servings

Read Full Post »

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 134 other followers

%d bloggers like this: