Creamy Chicken, Spinach, and Mushroom Pasta

 This is a tasty casserole that is quick and easy to make.

Creamy Chicken, Spinach, and Mushroom Pasta

1/2 lb. pasta of choice

4 Tablespoons butter

1 onion, diced

1 tsp. minced garlic

3 Tablespoons flour

2 cups whole milk or half and half

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

pinch of cayenne pepper

8 cups fresh spinach (or a box of frozen, drained)

1 box sliced mushrooms

2 chicken breasts, diced and cooked (I use rotisserie chicken breast)

Cook the pasta to el dente (reserve some of the pasta water- about 1 1/2 cups)

In a large skillet, melt the butter and saute' the onion for about 5 minutes.  Add the mushrooms and cook until done. Add the garlic and cook for another minute or two.  Stir in the flour and cook another 2 minutes. Pour in the milk, whisking until thickened.  Add the spices and some salt and pepper.  Add the spinach and stir and cook until the spinach is wilted.  Add the chicken.  Fold in the pasta, adding as much pasta water as needed to make it smooth and creamy.  Taste to correct seasoning.  Add more salt if needed.

Mexican Spinach Dip

 I made this to add to a taco bar.  It looked suspect but was delicious.  Everyone loved it and went back for more. . . and more!

Mexican Spinach Dip

1 8 oz. package of cream cheese

1/3 cup sour cream

2 cups grated cheese (Mexi blend)

1 15 oz. package of fresh spinach, cut up

2 cans diced tomatoes

1-2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and cut up

1 onion, minced

1/2 tsp. chili powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/3 tsp. cumin

Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 350.  In a large bowl, Stir together the cream cheese and sour cream.  Add the cheese, spinach, tomatoes, jalapeon and onion and mix well.  Add the seasonings.  Put all in a 13 x 9 prepared pan.  Bake for 30 minutes, until hot and bubbly.  Serve warm with tortilla chips.

Garlic Shrimp Pasta

Kristen made this recipe for me when I visited her in Wisconsin.  It is delicious, easy, and low calorie!
Skinny Garlic Shrimp Pasta
8 oz angel hair pasta
4 cups fresh baby spinach
1 1/2 cups halved cherry tomatoes
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 1/2 lb. fresh medium shrimp, peeled, deveined, and tails removed
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
3/4 cup chicken broth
Salt and pepper
3 T. chopped fresh parsley
2 T. butter

Cook pasta in plenty of salty as the sea water.  Drain;  Return to pan and stir in spinach, tomatoes and 2 tsp. of the oil.  Cover to keep warm.

While pasta is cooking, heat remaining oil in skillet.  Add onion and cook and stir until soft.  Add shrimp, garlic, and pepper flakes.  Cook and stir for 2 minutes.  Stir in chicken broth and add salt and pepper.  Cook until shrimp are pink- about two minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in parsley and butter.  Stir until butter is melted.  Add shrimp mixture to pasta mixture.  Toss and serve.

Original Source:  Betty Crocker

Sesame Spinach Salad

This is a very common, nutritious and delicious salad served in Japan.  We had it often at our weekly family home evenings held at the church.  I was always excited to see it on the menu.  It didn't always have the beet greens- only when fresh from the garden. 

2 boxes frozen spinach or 1 1/2 lbs. fresh baby spinach, blanched and drained
Beet greens (optional- they add a pretty red color, but the spinach alone is fine, too)

3 Tablespoons sesame seeds
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
1 Tablespoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon mirin (optional)
2 teaspoons sugar or maple syrup (to taste)
1 teaspoon sesame oil

  Blanche the spinach.  For some reason, the Japanese friend who taught me this recipe said she preferred to make it with frozen spinach. Her reason was lost in the translation, I guess.  Let the spinach drain while you make the sauce:   Toast the sesame seeds in a small pan until they start to pop.  (You can buy them toasted, but they are expensive)  Grind the seeds in a mortar and pestle to make a paste.  If you don't have a mortar and pestle- like I don't- put the seeds (saving out a few for garnish) in a quart-sized freezer zip lock bag.  Close the bag and roll over and over with a rolling pin.  You'll soon have a goma or sesame seed paste.    Add the soy sauce, vinegar, mirin, and sugar right in the bag to make the dressing.  Add the sesame or vegetale oil.  Squeeze the excess moisture out of the spinach and put in a bowl.  Pour the dressing over the top of the spinach.  Mix well. Garnish with reserved seeds.  Easy, nutritious and delicious!  And so Japanese!

Sauteed Spinach

I love spinach- always have.  I think it's because of Popeye.  If you don't know what and who I mean, you are young.  My mom always boiled it in salt water and served it in little glass bowls with butter and vinegar.  I love it that way, but sauteed may even be better.  It takes less than five minutes- is easy and healthy.

Sauteed Spinach
Put a couple of Tablespoons of olive oil in a hot skillet.  Add some crushed or minced garlic to the oil and cook for about a minute.  Add several huge handfuls of spinach. Fill your pan.  It really cooks down.  Sautee until the spinach is wilted. It will just take a couple of minutes.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper and squeeze a bit of fresh lemon juice overall.  So yummy!!

Spinach Strawberry Salad

This is one of my favorite springtime salads.  It is delicious and so easy to make.  I got the recipe from my friend, Becky.  

Strawberry Spinach Salad

1 bag spinach, torn, (about 10 oz.)

1 quart strawberries, sliced

1/2 cup sugared almonds ( recipe below)

1 bunch green onions

Poppy seed dressing (store bought or recipe below)

Feta Cheese, optional

Sugared Almonds

In a small saucepan or skillet, mix together the almonds (they can be sliced or slivered) with about 1/4 cup of sugar.  Cook and stir on medium heat, until the sugar melts and clings to the nuts.  Remove from heat and spread on waxed paper to cool.

In a salad bowl, mix together the spinach, strawberries and green onion.  Add the nuts when cooled. Add some crumbled Feta cheese, if desired.  Top with Poppy seed dressing.

Poppy Seed Dressing

In a cruet or jar, mix together:

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 cup white vinegar or red wine vinegar

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon finely minced onion (or dried)

Shake all together and pour over the salad.  Toss and serve immediately.

Fancy Chicken

This is one of the best new recipes I've tried in a long time.  It is just delicious.  Both my husband and I LOVED it.  I served it over mashed potatoes, but I think it would be delicious over pasta as well.  Bonus:  It's easy!  And it's easy to make bigger or smaller based on your family size.  You're gonna like this one:

Fancy Chicken
2-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced very thin
4-8 thin slices of prosciutto or ham
Bag of baby spinach (you won't use the whole bag)
8 oz. fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 envelope Recipe Secret's Savory Herb and Garlic (with the dry soups)
1/2 cup (more or less) chicken broth
1/4 cup olive oil
Shredded Mozzarella cheese

Heat your oven to 375.  Spray a 13 x9 pan.  Put the sliced chicken in the bottom of the pan.  Season with a little of the Herb and Garlic mix.  Next layer thin slices of prosciutto or ham over the chicken.  (Prosciutto is delicious, but expensive.  I think thin ham would work, too)  Then layer with a good thick layer of spinach, filling the pan almost full.  Sprinkle on salt and pepper.  Top with the mushrooms.  In a small bowl, whisk together the chicken broth, olive oil and seasoning packet.  Pour overall.  Cover pan with foil and bake it for about 30 minutes.  Remove the foil and sprinkle the mozzarella cheese over all.  Return to the oven and bake until the cheese is melted and bubbly.  Serve with mashed potatoes or cooked pasta.
So, so yummy!!!!

Pantry Pick of the Month- Sun Dried Tomatoes/Hot Spinach and Sun Dried Tomato Dip

Here is my pantry pick for March.  On impulse, I picked up a bag of Sun Dried tomatoes at Costco and they've been sitting in my pantry for a couple of months, waiting for inspiration on what to do with them.  I googled Sun Dried tomatoes and decided to try this hot dip.  It is very similar to Spinach- Artichoke dip.

Spinach and Sun Dried Tomato Dip
2 8 oz. packages cream cheese (you can use light)
1 10 oz. package frozen spinach, thawed and drained (I used leaves, but I think next time I'll buy the chopped)
1/3 cup chopped sun dried tomatoes
2/3 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
1 heaping Tablespoon garlic (crushed or finely minced)
A couple of splashes of Worcestershire Sauce
Salt and Pepper

Place all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well with a wooden spoon.  Spray a pie plate and spoon the mixture in and smooth.  Bake at 350 for about 25 minutes.  Serve hot with chips, crackers, or, my favorite- french bread slices that have been broiled.  Man, that's yummy!