Mushroom Spinach & Asparagus Pasta
Are you a creamed spinach fan? Do you also love mushrooms & pasta? Ever wish you could combine all three? Then you'll probably love this! The end result is a very creamy pasta that won't have you slaving for hours in the kitchen. It comes together super quick, and now that I've been through it once, I probably don't need to follow the recipe again! I found some asparagus chilling in my fridge, so I tossed it into the sauce. It added a really yummy crunchy bite to the pasta- and a little more depth.
My only advice is- eat the pasta fast (the sauce starts to thicken up when the heat escapes) and make sure you have someone else to eat it with! No one can be trusted with a pot of this at hand. Maybe you can answer this question for me...All those veggies negate the calories & fat in the creamy sauce, RIGHT?! I thought so!
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Spinach Salad with Fruits & Goat Cheese
I don't know about you, but I've been overdosing on fruit right now. I take all the fruit I have in the house, chop it up, toss it in a bowl and pop it in the fridge to cool! I'll walk pass the fridge during the day and poke my fork in to get a few bites before I start an activity. Yes. I am totally THAT person. Last night I had a bright idea to eat fruit for dinner! I wanted something savory, substantial & simple with what I had left, so here's the salad I came up with.
In this bowl of fruit you'll find kiwis, strawberries, blueberries, mangoes & plums!
I added crumbled goat cheese, a bag of spinach & the remains of the salad dressing used in my Mom's salad to the fruit.
I realized that it was missing a crunch factor. Enter SUNFLOWER SEEDS!
Everything worked really well together! Casey loved it too. WIN!
So here it is. Our dinner. Served with some crusty toasted bread. DEEELISH!
Have you been into fruit too?
Spinach Feta Pocket Pies
Awhile back I made these Chicken Pocket Pies and they were fabulous. The dough worked out perfectly, angels sang, and we left nothing but pie dust in the kitchen. Remember?
I've been "trying" to bring spinach back into Cooper's diet so I thought these Spinach Feta Pocket Pies might do the trick! Plus this momma loves spanakopita, and these are pretty similar (except they're made with cream cheese pastry instead of phillo dough).
I whipped up the pastry dough the night before using light cream cheese instead of full fat. I am soo happy to report that it tastes just fine! A bullet has been dodged, people. We can have a tasty lower fat pie crust and eat it too!
The spinach pockets were super. I was delighted every time I got a chunk of feta in a bite. Next time I am going to add a little more cheese to the filling. Oh man do I love feta! The pies totally satisfied my spanakopita cravings!
Apple Celery Spinach Juice
Another green juice under my belt. This one was amazing!
The sweetness of the apples balances out any bitterness that comes from the celery and spinach.
Honestly, the spinach was barely noticeable in the taste, but look how much green I got out of it!
I was surprised at the amount of juice that was produced with these simple ingredients:
Polenta with Sausage, Mushrooms & Spinach
Hey!
Remember that Breakfast Polenta I made the other morning? Well I decided to make some for dinner a few nights ago!
Fried Egg with Mushrooms & Spinach
Today I got my first produce CSA delivery from Planet Organics! So far, I am happy with the experience although my bill is not what it should have been...Must clear that up!
Spiced Rubbed Salmon with Chickpea Salad
So tonight might be the night we officially say goodbye to summer round these parts. As we sat down to eat, a cool breeze hit us and leaves fell all over the back deck. At one point I contemplated getting a sweater, but I decided to savor this one last time eating outside at night.
Although, this is the Bay Area and we are known for our Indian Summers...so maybe this might be a lil premature. Either way, autumn is coming and I am super excited to start hibernating and make some comfort food!
To celebrate a beautiful day, I made a Sweet & Spicy Rubbed Salmon with a Chickpea Spinach Salad with a Cumin Dressing.
The orange dressing was PERFECT on top of the salmon.
I couldn't think of a better way to celebrate! Soo healthy, refreshing & tasty. I am looking forward to leftovers tomorrow! I bet it will taste even better.
Salmon with Sweet & Spice Rub
(recipe Ellie Krieger- The Food You Crave)
-Cooking spray -2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar -1 tablespoon chili powder -1 teaspoon ground cumin -1/8 teaspoon salt -1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper - 6- 5 ounce salmon fillets, skin & bones removed - 1 tablespoon olive oilDirections:
Coat your grill with cooking spray and preaheat over medium heat. While the grill is heating, combine the brown sugar, chili powder, cumin salt & pepper. Brush each salmon filet with 1/2 teaspoon of oil then rub each fillet evenly with the spice mixture.
Grill salmon, flesh side down, until charred, 4 to 5 minutes. Flip the salmon and cook for 5-6 minutes for medium doneness. Transfer to platter and serve immediately.
Chickpea Spinach Salad with Cumin Dressing
(Recipe Ellie Krieger- The Food You Crave)
-1 15 oz. cans chickpeas drained & rinsed -2 tablespoons chopped flat leaf parsley -1/4 cup diced red onions -2 tablespoons olive oil -2 tablespoons lemon juice -1/4 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest -3/4 teaspoon ground cumin -Pinch cayenne pepper -Salt & Pepper to taste -3 tablespoons plain nonfat yogurt -1 tablespoon orange juice -1/4 teaspoon grated orange zest -1/4 teaspoon honey -2 cups lightly packed baby spinach leaves -1 tablespoon chopped fresh mintDirections:
In a medium bowl, combine the chickpeas, parsley, & onion. In a seperate bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, oil, lemon zest, cumin, cayenne salt & pepper. Pour the dressing over the chickpea mixture and toss to coat evenly. In another small bowl, stir together the yogurt, orange juice, orange zest, and honey.
Serve the chickpea salad over a bed of spinach leaves. Top with the yogurt sauce and garnish with mint.
Mushroom & Spinach Tart with Goat Cheese
Today is a sad day. It is my last day on maternity leave. booo!
To help me through this "rough" time, I decided to treat myself to a special "going away lunch"-if you will.
I had my eye on this recipe for AGES. So I figured I should get my special lunch fix in while I can. Casey isn't too keen on mushrooms so this is all mine baby!
Or maybe I'll share some with the neighbors. That would be the neighborly thing to do.
I have to say that this was pretty easy to complete...Very flaky, hearty and tasty. Totally satisfying on an overcast day like today. I paired a slice with an arugula salad dressed in a honey mustard vinaigrette.
Come on! ANYTHING on top of puff pastry HAS to be good.
Cooper cried a little bit through the endeavor, but I think it's because he REALLY wanted the corner of that puff pastry crust. Someday son!!! I guess that's what momma gets for attempting this sooo close to nap time. The nerve...
Mushroom & Spinach Tart
(recipe via EVERYDAY FOOD)
Ingredients
Serves 4
-Flour, for rolling out puff pastry
-1 (from a 17.3-ounce package) sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed according to package instructions
-1 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced
-2 tablespoons olive oil
-Coarse salt and ground pepper
-2 packages (10 ounces each) white mushrooms, trimmed and thinly sliced
-1 packages (10 ounces) fresh baby spinach
-2 ounces soft goat cheese, crumbled
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. On a floured surface, roll the puff pastry out to a 16-by-10-inch rectangle. Trim uneven edges. Place the pastry on a baking sheet. With a sharp knife, lightly score dough to form a 1-inch border. Using a fork, prick dough inside the border every 1/2 inch. Bake until golden, rotating pan once, about 15 minutes or until tender.
2. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan with a tight-fitting lid, toss onion with 1 tablespoon oil. Season with salt. Cover and cook over medium heat until onion begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir. Continue cooking with cover on for 15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes. Set aside.
3. In a large saucepan with a tight-fitting lid, heat remaining oil. Add mushrooms; cover and cook until tender and all liquid has evaporated, about 10 minutes. Fold in spinach; season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook until wilted, about 5 minutes more. Drain any liquid.
4. Top dough with mushroom-spinach mixture. Scatter onion and goat cheese on top. Bake until cheese is lightly browned, about 15 minutes.
