Tag Archives: spinach

Green Monster Spinach Smoothie

January 10, 2012
Shannon
2 comments
banana, peanut butter, smoothies, spinach

I hate to sound cliché but I really, really, want to start eating better. I know, I know, me and half of the country, right? It isn’t that I really eat that bad, I mean I do get the majority of my recipes from Cooking Light magazine after all, but my problem is two-fold: I don’t eat enough fruits and vegetables and I have no concept of portion control! Smoothies are a great way to get those much needed servings of fruit and vegetables that most of us don’t get and also make for a filling, delicious breakfast.

This Green Monster Spinach Smoothie may not look appetizing to some of you but don’t be intimidated by it’s bright green color. Yes, it’s a spinach smoothie but if it weren’t for the color, you would never know by the taste. This smoothie has milk, vanilla yogurt, banana, and peanut butter and tastes like a peanut butter-banana milkshake. Since spinach is nutritious and so, so, so good for us, consider putting spinach in any smoothie you make. Your body will thank you.

The ingredients:

Place all of the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

Pour into your favorite glass or to-go cup and enjoy!

Additions: None

Omissions: None

Substitutions: None

Overall Rating: Love It

Source: Iowa Girl Eats blog

Garlicky Spinach-Sausage Gratin

I can’t seem to get enough spinach lately, I’m not sure why. I’m not complaining though, there are worse things that I could be wanting to put in my body. This Garlicky Spinach-Sausage Gratin has tons of spinach and tons of garlic and satisfies that crazy spinach craving. Sausage is sautéed with onion and garlic, mixed with a combination of milk and egg, and stirred with gobs of fresh spinach to make a thick and creamy spinachy-custard. The topping of parmesan cheese and bread crumbs, once baked, provides a slight saltiness and subtle crunch to this hearty and comforting dish. I didn’t follow this recipe exactly and used precooked spinach-garlic chicken sausage (ironically, it’s what I had in the fridge) in place of the pork sausage, 1% milk instead of 2%, and store-bought bread crumbs instead of a fresh baguette. Leaving the sausage out and reducing the milk slightly might make this a good vegetarian dish or even a side to a meal. I liked this straight out of the oven as a meal in itself so next time you are craving spinach and want something other than salad, keep this in mind. With so much garlic though, you might want to keep a stick of gum nearby.

The ingredients:

In a large pan, sauté onion and garlic in olive oil until soft. Add in sausage, salt, and red pepper, cooking thoroughly.

Add flour to the pan and cook for 30 seconds. In a bowl, combine milk and egg, stirring well. Add to the sausage mixture and bring to a boil, stirring constantly.

Remove pan from heat and add in two bags of spinach, one at a time. Stir together until spinach is wilted.

Pour mixture into a baking pan and top with bread crumbs and parmesan cheese.

Bake at 450° for 12 minutes.

Additions: None

Omissions: None

Substitutions:

Garlic-spinach chicken sausage
1% milk
Store-bought bread crumbs

Overall Rating: Like It

Source: Cooking Light Magazine

Spinach, Pasta, and Pea Soup

I was a vegetarian for several years and used to make soups like this Spinach, Pasta, and Pea Soup often. Soup is one of those great meals that can easily be made vegetarian by swapping out meaty broths for vegetable or mushroom broth (I used vegetable broth). But sometimes, vegetarian soups can be boring and too soft. This one has chickpeas which hold up well in the cooking process giving you something to sink your teeth into. The lemon added a light freshness without being overbearing and the parmesan cheese gave a needed salty flavor. Consider substituting kale for the spinach or swapping out the chickpeas for cannellini beans. This soup was great for workday lunches and always left me feeling satisfied.