Lentils and Chickpeas with Greens
Serves 2
-½ c. green lentils
-3 T. olive oil, divided
-½ bu. greens, such as spinach, kale, Swiss chard, dandelions…, bottom stems trimmed
-Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
-1 15-oz. can chickpeas, rinsed
-4 cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered if large (or sub something seasonal)
-1 T. Parmesan or sharp cheddar, cut into small dice
-1 lemon, halved
Cook lentils in a medium pot of salted water until tender, 10–15 minutes; drain and let cool.
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add greens and cook, stirring occasionally, until wilted and bright green, about 3 min.
Season with salt and pepper. Combine lentils, chickpeas, and remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a medium bowl; season with salt and pepper.
Divide among 2 bowls and top with greens, tomatoes, and Parmesan. Squeeze lemon over. Enjoy!
From Bon Appétit and found on bonappetit.com… Read the rest
Creamed Spinach With Jalapeño Peppers
Makes 8 servings
-2 10 oz. packages whole-leaf frozen spinach (do not thaw) OR use spinach in the box with another bunch that you purchase
-4 T. butter, additional for buttering pan
-2 T. all-purpose flour
-2 T. chopped onion
-1 clove garlic, minced
-½ c. evaporated milk
-Black pepper
-¾ t. celery salt
-6 oz. Monterey Jack cheese, cut into cubes
-1 pickled or fresh jalapeño pepper, chopped, or more to taste
-½ c. soft buttered bread crumbs*
Heat oven to 300°. Meanwhile, cook spinach according to package directions. Drain, reserving 1 cup of liquid, and chop finely.
Butter a shallow 8-inch-square casserole dish or other shallow 4- to 6-cup baking dish.
Melt remaining 4 tablespoons butter in a saucepan and add flour.
Blend and cook 2 to 3 minutes. Do not brown. Add onion and garlic.
Add the spinach liquid slowly, and then add evaporated milk, some black pepper, celery salt and cheese. Mix well and add jalapeño and spinach. Cook until all is blended.
Turn into the casserole dish, top with buttered bread crumbs and bake until lightly browned, about 45 minutes. Enjoy!
*To make buttered bread crumbs, combine 1/2 cup fresh soft bread crumbs with 1 to 2 tablespoons melted better and toss well.
From Laurie Colwin: A Confidante In The Kitchen and found on cookingnytimes.com, 12/16… Read the rest
Spinach and Apple Salad with Crispy Almonds
Serves 6-8
-1/4 c. minced onion
-3 T. apple cider vinegar
-3 T. white wine vinegar
-2 T. sesame seeds
-1/4 t. paprika
-3 T. sugar
-1/2 c. olive oil
-2 T. butter
-3/4 c. blanched slivered almonds (about 3 ounces)
-1 10- ounce bag ready-to-use spinach leaves (OR use your CSA spinach)
-2 medium-size red-skinned apples, quartered, cored & thinly sliced
Combine onion, cider vinegar, white wine vinegar, sesame seeds and paprika in small bowl. Mix in 2 tablespoons sugar. Gradually whisk in olive oil. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper.
Melt butter in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add almonds. Stir until almonds begin to color, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle remaining 1 tablespoon sugar over. Stir until sugar melts and begins to turn golden, about 2 minutes longer.
Transfer almonds to bowl and cool. (Dressing and almonds can be prepared 4 hours ahead. Cover separately and let stand at room temperature.)
Combine spinach and apples in large bowl. Toss with enough dressing to coat.
Mix in almonds. Serve salad, passing any remaining dressing separately. Enjoy!
From Bon Appétit, 6/97 and found on epicurious.com
Potato, Spinach, and Red Pepper Frittata
-1 lb. medium waxy potatoes
-1⁄4 c. olive oil
-1 clove garlic, minced
-1 sm. red bell pepper, seeded, and thinly sliced
-1 sm. yellow onion, thinly sliced
-Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
-2 T. thinly sliced basil
-8 eggs, beaten
-2 c. baby spinach
-3 T. unsalted butter, cubed
Boil 1″ water in a 4-qt. saucepan fitted with a steamer insert.
Steam potatoes, covered, adding more boiling water as needed,
until tender, 1 hour. Let cool, then peel and thinly slice.
Heat oven broiler. Heat oil in an ovenproof 12″ nonstick skillet
over medium-high heat. Cook garlic, pepper, and onion until
soft, 3–4 minutes.
Add spinach; cook until wilted, about 1 minute. Stir in reserved
potatoes, the butter, salt, and pepper. Stir in half the basil and
the eggs and reduce heat to medium; cook until golden on the
bottom, 8–10 minutes.
Broil until set and golden on top, about 3 minutes. Garnish with
remaining basil. Enjoy!
Inspired by author, Tamasin Day-Lewis, on saveur.com, 4/14
Gumbo Z
1 bu. collard greens*, chopped
1 bu. kale*, chopped
1 bu. spinach*, chopped
½ c. extra-virgin olive oil
7 garlic cloves, minced
½ c. whole wheat pastry flour
2 lg. yellow onions*, diced
2 lg. red bell peppers, diced
2 celery ribs, halved & chopped
¼ t. cayenne pepper
6 c. vegetable stock
1 T. minced fresh thyme
1 t. filé powder*
1 T. “hot” apple cider vinegar*
2 lg. scallions, thinly sliced for garnish
Stir in the thyme and simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in the filé and the hot apple cider vinegar, and set aside to cool for 10 minutes.
Lively Up Yourself Lentil Soup
Serves 6 to 8
-2 c. black beluga lentils (or green French lentils), picked over
and rinsed
-1 T. extra virgin olive oil
-1 large onion, chopped (use CSA onions)
-1 t. fine-grain sea salt
-1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
-2 c. water
-3 c. of leafy greens (chard, kale, beet greens, etc.), rinsed well,
ribs removed and finely chopped
Saffron Yogurt
-a pinch of saffron (30-40 threads)
-1 T. boiling water
-two pinches of salt
-1/2 c. 2% Greek yogurt
Bring 6 cups of water to a boil in a large saucepan, add the lentils, and cook for about 20 minutes, or until tender. Drain and set aside.
While the lentils are cooking, make the saffron yogurt by combining the saffron threads and boiling water in a tiny cup. Let the saffron steep for a few minutes. Now stir the saffron along with the liquid
into the yogurt. Mix in the salt and set aside.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a heavy soup pot over medium heat, then add the onion and salt and sauté until tender, a couple minutes.
Stir in the tomatoes, lentils, and water and continue cooking for a few more minutes, letting the soup come back up to a simmer.
Stir in the chopped greens, and wait another minute.
Taste and adjust the seasoning if need be. Ladle into bowls, and serve with a dollop of the saffron yogurt. Enjoy!
From 101cookbooks.com, 1/08… Read the rest
Curried Eggplant with Chickpeas and Spinach
Serves 4
-2 large garlic cloves, minced
-Sea salt, to taste
-2 t. Madras curry powder
-1/2 c. vegetable oil
-1 medium eggplant (about 1 1/2 pounds), peeled & cut
into 3/4-inch pieces
-1 large onion, cut into 1/2-inch wedges
-One 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed & drained
-1/4 c. finely julienned fresh ginger
-Freshly ground pepper, to taste
-1-2 bu. spinach
-Warm naan, for serving
-Plain yogurt, for serving
Preheat the oven to 425°. On your work surface, mash
the garlic to a paste with a pinch of salt.
In a large roasting pan, mix the garlic paste with the curry
powder and vegetable oil. Add the eggplant, onion, chickpeas
and ginger, season with salt and pepper and toss well.
Spread the vegetables in an even layer and roast for about
30 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the eggplant and
onion are tender.
Stir in the spinach and roast just until wilted, about 2
minutes. Serve with warm naan and yogurt. Enjoy!
Adapted from Grace Parisi, Food & Wine, 2/10
Parmesan Spinach Cakes
Makes 8 cakes
-12 oz. fresh spinach
-1/2 c. part-skim ricotta cheese or low-fat cottage cheese
-1/2 c. finely shredded Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish
-2 large eggs, beaten
-1 clove garlic, minced
-1/4 t. salt
-1/4 t. freshly ground pepper
Preheat oven to 400°.
Pulse spinach in three batches in a food processor until
finely chopped. Transfer to a medium bowl.
Add ricotta (or cottage cheese), Parmesan, eggs, garlic,
salt and pepper; stir to combine.
Coat 8 cups of the muffin pan with cooking spray. Divide
the spinach mixture among the 8 cups (they will be very
full).
Bake the spinach cakes until set, about 20 minutes. Let
stand in the pan for 5 minutes.
Loosen the edges with a knife and turn out onto a clean
cutting board or large plate.
Serve warm, sprinkled with more Parmesan, if desired.
Enjoy!
From eatingwell.com
Hortopita
Serves 12
-4 c. all-purpose flour
-1 t. salt
-2 t. baking powder
-1 1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil, plus additional
-2 leeks, white parts only, well washed, split, and cut into 1/4-inch slices
-1 small onion, finely chopped
-4 scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced
-1 1/2 lbs spinach, well washed (try adding kale, chard or dandelions to the mix), dried, and roughly chopped
-1 c. parsley, finely chopped
-1/2 c. mint, finely chopped (optional)
-2 T. dill, chopped
-2 1/2 c. feta cheese, crumbled
-1 t. black pepper, freshly ground
-salt, to taste
Place the rolled dough seam-side down on the baking sheet, bending each piece to form a spiral. Brush with olive oil, and prick the surface here and there with a fork to allow steam to vent. Reduce the oven temperature to 375° and bake until golden, 35-40 minutes. Remove from the oven, and cool slightly, cut, serve and enjoy!… Read the rest
Quinoa Chowder with Spinach, Feta, and Scallions
Serves 4 to 6
-3/4 cup quinoa, any color or variety
-8 cups (2 quarts) water, plus more as needed
-2 T. extra virgin olive oil
-1 medium garlic clove, finely chopped
-1 jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped
-1/2 lb. Yukon Gold potatoes (about 1 large potato), peeled and small dice
-1 t. ground cumin
-1 t. kosher salt, plus more as needed
-1 bu. scallions, thinly sliced (white and light green parts only)
-3 cups thinly sliced spinach leaves (from about 1 bunch)
-4 oz. feta cheese, small dice (about 1 cup)
-1/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
-freshly ground black pepper
-1 hard-boiled egg, peeled and finely chopped
Rinse quinoa in a strainer under cold water until the water runs clear.
Bring quinoa and 8 cups of water to a boil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer until the white outer casings on the quinoa have popped, revealing translucent little beads, about 10-15 minutes.
Strain quinoa through a fine-mesh strainer set over a large heatproof bowl. Measure the quinoa cooking liquid and add water as needed to make 6 cups; set quinoa and cooking liquid aside.
Heat olive oil in a large, clean saucepan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add garlic and jalapeño, cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add potatoes, cumin, and measured salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes begin to soften, adjusting the heat as necessary so that the garlic doesn’t brown, about 3 minutes.
Add reserved cooking liquid and half of the scallions and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 12 minutes.
Add the cooked quinoa, spinach, and remaining scallions and simmer until the spinach just begins to wilt, about 3 minutes. Remove pan from the heat and stir in the feta and cilantro. Taste and season with more salt and pepper as needed. Top with the chopped egg and serve.
Adapted from “Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone” by Deborah Madison … Read the rest