Spinach Dip

It is Friday evening and I long for the days where me and 3 of my best buds would get together and meet at Cheddar's. Fridays after work meant Santa Fe Spinach Dip and mojitos! Lots of them. One of those special individuals is no longer with us and I have probably only had the dip once since his transition. I am thinking of him today...so I am going to have our Friday after work dip my way. I had not changed my eating habits back then and we used to get 3-4 appetizers and almost lick the plates clean! And perhaps it was more the fellowship than the dip but we never found any that could match it.

Though I am no longer eating dairy, I can still enjoy one of my favorite dips without the calories and the allergy trouble afterwards. So I am using Greek yogurt instead of cheese and preparing a cold spinach dip. And because it has been a long week and I don't feel like making any tortilla chips, I am going to eat my dip with fresh veggies. This dip is best on warm pita bread, tortilla chips, vegetables, Melba toast or crackers.

Spinach Dip

10 oz fresh spinach
1 tsp butter
1/4 c sweet onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1 8 oz container Greek yogurt
Dash of lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2-3 tbsp chopped red pepper

Blanch spinach for 1 minute and drain well.

In medium skillet add butter and cook onion and garlic until translucent. Combine all ingredients and mix well. Refrigerate and let stand for 30 minutes. Serve.

All photographs are actual pictures of the recipe listed, prepared by Sweet Treats 'n Good Eats, and cannot be used without the owner’s consent.

Green Smoothie

I know it is hard for some of you to fathom that I went from baking cakes, cookies, pastries and making ice-cream every day to now blogging about weird green stuff in a tall glass. I am almost certain some of my dessert fans may delete me from their bookmarks but I assure you I will still be sharing those recipes as well. But hey, what's wrong with having options? 

So as many of you know, I have fallen in love with kale in just about anything and try to incorporate it into my meals at least once a day. I recently started making a raw kale salad and now I have graduated to using it in green smoothies, my new favorite thing. There are so many smoothie variations you can make. But for the green smoothies I prefer apples or pears, kale or spinach, and ginger. The rest depends on what I have in the fridge. I tend to toss a little flax and a scoop of protein shake powder in there too. Other options for greens include celery, chard, romaine, beet greens, and collard greens. You'll want to leave the skin on the fruits that have edible skin to ensure you get the essential nutrients and vitamins your body craves.

Now I know what you're thinking. Trust me, three years ago you could not have convinced me that I would be raving about a glass of blended fruits and vegetables either. But, with the right combination, you hardly know the veggies are even in there.

Several years back my father was on a health kick and was telling my son that they would be eating beets, spinach, Fuji apples and carrots for breakfast in the form of a shake. Needless to say, those visits became a little bit more infrequent as my son is in love with cows and pigs. Though he did admit that the smoothies were not as bad as he'd anticipated.

Some of the benefits of drinking green smoothies are better digestion, more energy, fewer mood swings, less cravings, stabilized blood sugar, and more radiant skin. Who doesn't want that?
 
So come on...take a deep breath...open your mouth...take a sip...not so bad, is it? Save for the fact that it has this vibrant green color, you would hardly know it is good for you because it really tastes delicious.

 
Green Smoothie

2 c fresh baby spinach or fresh kale, rinsed
1 Granny Smith green apple, cored
1 banana, peeled (optional)
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
1 tsp ground flax seed
1 c plain organic yogurt
Ice cubes, if desired
Almond or soy milk, if desired

Wash and cut fresh fruit, removing core and seeds. Add fruit and grated ginger to blender with kale (or spinach), flax and yogurt. Blend a few seconds. Add ice cubes and blend until you reach desired consistency. Incorporate milk to thin smoothie, if necessary. Drink up!

All photographs are actual pictures of the recipe listed, prepared by Sweet Treats 'n Good Eats, and cannot be used without the owner’s consent.

Mushroom Spinach Crepe

It is the Friday before the 4th of July and there are several people cooking out this weekend. So, just in case I end up indulging in some food that is not necessarily on my meal plan, I figured I'd start the weekend off the right way.

I used to be intimidated at the thought of making crepes - they sound like they would be more difficult to achieve than they really are. But now I am a pro at it. I used to toss at least three or four crepes before getting one good crepe from the batter. Now, I am down to only wasting the first one. Ha! Progress!

Tonight, I was craving something hearty but quick. So I settled on a mushroom spinach crepe. You can make crepes with all purpose flour, whole wheat flour, or you can combine the two. You can also try buckwheat flour for an even healthier, heartier version. You will get a better result with crepes if you allow the batter to sit overnight. If the batter is too thick when you go to prepare them the next day, add a little more milk or water to thin them out.

I am planning on a relaxing holiday weekend, doing a lot of nothing. Perhaps a visit to the pool...but definitely lots of good eating and catching up with some old friends.

Mushroom Spinach Crepe

Crepe:
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 egg
3/4 cup soy milk
1 tbsp melted unsalted butter, plus more for pan

Mix the flour and salt together. Combine wet ingredients in a mixing bowl with a hand mixer. Add dry ingredients and mix, just until blended. Brush saute pan with butter and heat at medium temperature. Pour just enough of the batter to cover the bottom of the pan. Tilt and turn the pan so the mixture evenly coats the pan.

Cook the crepe until golden brown on the bottom, about 2 minutes. Flip and cook the other side until golden brown. Keep warm in a 200 degree oven.

Filling:
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon butter
1 onion, sliced
1 red pepper, sliced
8 oz sliced mushrooms
4 oz spinach
1 tbsp thyme
Kosher salt and pepper to taste
4 whole wheat crepes
1 handful goat cheese or slice of Swiss cheese

Reduce the balsamic vinegar in a small saucepan.

Heat the butter in a saute pan. Add the onion, mushroom and red pepper and saute for 5-7 minutes. Season mixture with thyme and salt and pepper. Add the spinach and saute just until it wilts. Remove from heat.

Assemble the crepe by adding the filling and topping it with cheese. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar, fold and serve.

All photographs are actual pictures of the recipe listed, prepared by Sweet Treats 'n Good Eats, and cannot be used without the owner’s consent.

Crustless Spinach Quiche

I had a really productive Saturday but did a lot of running and got home and didn't  feel like cooking dinner. Turns out, I happened to be in luck. I made a quiche this morning for tomorrow's breakfast and suddenly it started to look like a great meal for this evening's dinner. One of my friends calls that the "turnaround" when her family eats breakfast food at dinnertime. So, Turnaround Saturday it is, though quiche can be eaten for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

This quiche recipe is so easy to make and can be made with salmon, asparagus, bacon, green peppers, onions, tomatoes, whatever you are in the mood for. Surprisingly it tastes just as good when reheated in the microwave or the oven. I didn't make mine with a crust today but if you prefer a crust, have at it. It tastes great either way. With Valentine's Day coming up, this would be a great way to surprise your sweetheart...breakfast on a tray with some fresh fruit to accompany the quiche and a mimosa...I'm just sayin'.     

I'm feeling a little like Popeye as I have spinach in the quiche but am also putting spinach on my plate as a side salad with strawberries, bacon bits, toasted walnuts, cranberries, blue cheese and balsamic vinegar. It sounds a little much but trust and believe, I am quite content right about now. I have my quiche, my salad, Miles Davis playing in the background...all I need now is a glass of Moscato...perfect Saturday evening.

Crustless Spinach Quiche

3 large eggs (or 4 medium sized eggs)
1 ½ c milk or heavy cream
½ lb. Jimmy Dean hot sausage, optional
¼ tsp pepper
½ tsp kosher salt
¼ tsp nutmeg
¼ tsp ground mustard
1 tsp parsley
½ c mild cheddar cheese
1 tbsp butter
2 c spinach, cut into pieces
½ c mushrooms, optional

In a large pan over medium heat, cook the sausage until browned. Drain on paper towels.

Add butter to medium sized saucepan and sautée mushrooms and spinach for 3-5 minutes. Drain so all of the excess water is removed.

In a medium sized bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients. Pour into casserole dish or pie pan and bake for 35-40 minutes, at 350 degrees, until the top is puffed and golden and the middle is almost set. Let it set for 15 minutes before slicing.

Crust

1 1/4 c all-purpose flour
1 stick frozen unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
4 to 6 Tbsp ice cold water

In a food processor, combine flour, salt, and sugar and pulse. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add water, one tablespoon at a time, and pulse. If you are able to pinch the dough and it holds together, it is ready. If not, add a tad more water and pulse again.

Remove dough from processor and place on a clean surface. Shape dough into a disc. Do not over-knead. Wrap disc in plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour. Remove disk from the fridge and allow it to sit for 10 minutes before handling. Roll dough out, sprinkling with additional flour, if needed. Gently press dough into the pie dish. Line pie crust with foil and fill with pie weights, rice or dried beans. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes, then remove the weights and foil and bake for 5 to 7 minutes more, until lightly golden. Then add egg mixture and bake as instructed above.


All photographs are actual pictures of the recipe listed, prepared by Virtually Everything Sweet, and cannot be used without the owner’s consent.