Tag Archives: spinach

Creamed Spinach Phyllo Cups

I think I might have a little obsession with appetizers.  I don’t know what it is about them but I just love, love, love them!  Maybe it’s because they can be deceptive little suckers and trick your brain into thinking you aren’t eating much.  Or maybe it’s just the simple laid-back ease that come with appetizers that tells your guests to sit back with a glass of whatever and relax because we aren’t formal here.  Whatever the case may be, when I had two girl friends over last weekend, I was so excited to make these Creamed Spinach Phyllo Cups for them. 

Fresh baby spinach is wilted over the stove with garlic before being bathed in cream (I used fat-free half-and-half) and reduced-fat cream cheese.  The result is a tangy creamed spinach that would be good enough on its own but is instead spooned into baked mini phyllo shells.  A quick dusting of fresh Parmesan cheese on top finished off these little bites.  These bite-sized appetizers came together quickly and didn’t take me away from drinking wine with my friends.  I will undoubtedly and happily be making these again!

DSC04696

The ingredients:

DSC04690

Preheat oven to 425°F. Arrange phyllo shells in a single layer on a foil-lined baking sheet. Lightly coat shells with cooking spray. Bake at 425°F for 4 minutes or until lightly browned and very crisp.

DSC04691

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add oil; swirl to coat. Add garlic; cook 1 minute or until fragrant but not browned, stirring frequently.

DSC04692

Coarsely chop 1 bag of spinach. Add chopped spinach to pan; cook 2 minutes or until spinach wilts, tossing frequently. Chop remaining spinach; add to wilted spinach in pan. Cook 2 minutes or until spinach wilts, tossing frequently. Sprinkle spinach mixture with salt; toss well.

DSC04693

Stir in cream and cream cheese; cook 1 minute or until cheese melts and sauce is thoroughly heated. Remove pan from heat.

DSC04694

Spoon about 1 tablespoon spinach mixture into each shell. Top evenly with Parmigiano-Reggiano.

DSC04695

Additions:  None

Omissions:  None

Substitutions:

  • Fat-free half-and-half

Overall Rating:  Love It

Source:  Cooking Light magazine

Grilled Chicken Florentine Pasta

I have to say that I’m pretty happy about the fact that I don’t eat nearly as much pasta as I used to.  Considering at one point, about ten years ago, I ate pasta on a nightly basis (with nary a vegetable in sight), the once in a blue moon pasta I now have is all that more enjoyable.  I could very easily get back into a routine of eating pasta all the time but I actually like only eating it once in a while.  In an Italian restaurant, if I’m going to splurge on pasta, the first thing I look for is some kind of pasta mixed with veggies in a cream sauce.  It’s bad, I know, but it’s what I love when I let myself eat it.  This Grilled Chicken Florentine Pasta is a perfect pasta dinner, in my humble opinion, which can easily be made at home.

Milk, chicken broth and Parmesan cheese are cooked until thick and bubbly before being mixed with spinach to create a creamy Florentine sauce.  Chicken, which has been grilled, is added with freshly cooked linguine to the sauce to make a light pasta dish reminiscent of pasta alfredo.  This was such a simple pasta dish to make and can easily be made with any preferred pasta, any preferred cheese, or any preferred vegetable.  Instead of bone-in chicken, I used chicken tenderloins  but I think precooked rotisserie chicken would be a great quick substitute also.  A dish with such versatility is one that I can really get behind.  Because the creamy sauce is made with broth in addition to the milk helps to keep calories down without sacrificing flavor.  I used 1% lowfat milk instead of whole milk and I didn’t feel like any flavors were sacrificed.  If you are looking for a warm, comfort food pasta dish, try this!

DSC04417

The ingredients:

DSC04409

Prepare grill to medium-high heat.  Sprinkle chicken with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Place chicken on grill rack coated with cooking spray, and grill until internal temperature reads 165 degrees.

DSC04410

Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain well; keep warm.

DSC04411

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add flour and garlic; cook until garlic is browned (about 2 minutes), stirring constantly.

DSC04412

Add milk and broth, stirring with a whisk; bring to a simmer, and cook 2 minutes or until thickened. Add cheese, stirring until cheese melts.

DSC04414

Add remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, remaining 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and spinach; stir until spinach wilts.

DSC04415

Add pasta and chicken; toss to combine.

DSC04416

Top with Parmesan cheese, if desired.

DSC04418

Additions:  None

Omissions:  None

Substitutions:

  • Chicken tenderloins
  • 1% lowfat milk

Overall Rating:  Love It

Source:  Cooking Light magazine

California-Style Bibimbap

I went to a Korean restaurant with my friends Jade and Scott a while back and, not knowing much about Korean food, couldn’t bring myself to eat anything other than chicken teriyaki.  I kept eyeballing Jade’s bibimbap because if it weren’t for the meat, this seemed like a dish I would totally be all over: rice, veggies, chili paste, egg, yum!  So when I came across this vegetarian version, California-Style Bibimbap, I stared in disbelief – could it be true?  I was all over it.

Bibimbap is a signature Korean dish usually made with beef but this version takes the beef out and instead uses spinach (or kale), peppers, and avocado.  The spinach and pepper are sautéed until the spinach is wilted and the pepper is slightly soft and spooned over fluffy jasmine rice (hello…a new fave, even if it is a dreaded white rice).  Fresh avocado is added and an egg (either fried or over-easy) tops the dish.  The whole bowl is then dressed with a sesame oil-soy sauce mixture and dotted (or splattered if you so incline) with hot and spicy sriracha.  I cannot even begin to tell you how obsessed with this dish I am.  I plan on making tons of (non-traditional) variations of this using broccoli, carrots, celery, bok choy, mushrooms, asparagus or chicken in the future.  I made this on Sunday, texted Jade a picture right away, and continued to eat it all day long.  It’s no wonder that I couldn’t get Hanson’s “MMMBop” out of my head all day.

DSC04468

The ingredients (I forgot the avocado):

DSC04463

Put rice and 2 cups water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower heat to a simmer and cook rice until water is absorbed, about 20 minutes.

DSC04464 

Meanwhile, heat grapeseed oil in a large nonstick frying pan. Cook kale, bell pepper, and garlic with salt over medium heat until kale is wilted, 3 to 5 minutes.

DSC04465 

Divide rice among 4 bowls and top with vegetable mixture and avocado.  Fry eggs in the same pan until done the way you like. Slide each egg into a bowl.

 DSC04466

Mix sesame oil and soy sauce and drizzle over bowls.

DSC04467 

Drizzle with Sriracha or sprinkle with togarashi.

DSC04469

Additions:  None

Omissions:  None

Substitutions:  None

Overall Rating:  Love It

Source:  Sunset Magazine

1 … 3 4 5 … 11
Blog at WordPress.com.