Vegetable Frittata

This was a last minute dinner thrown together with low expectations, but was such a hit I thought I'd better write it down before I forget.

6 eggs
3 Tablespoons cream (or milk)
1/4 tsp marjoram
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp fresh ground pepper

3 small yellow potatoes
1/3 cup diced onion
1/3 cup diced bell pepper
1 cup chopped spinach
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In medium bowl combine eggs, cream, and spices.

Wash potatoes and pierce with a fork. Cook according to microwave's directions for baked potatoes until soft, then dice. In an oven-proof skillet saute onions and pepper in 2 Tbsp olive oil until onions are translucent. Add spinach and saute until wilted. Turn off heat and add egg mixture and cheese. Stir to combine. Place in oven for about 15 minutes or until eggs are cooked through.

We are this with leftover muffins from the freezer and fresh pears. Not a word of complaint was uttered, and all the food was devoured.

Spinach Stuffed Rolls

I made my own variation on this Spinach Twist from the Sisters Cafe to rave reviews all around. The boys around here were rather surprised that they liked them so much. Drew commented that it was the bacon and salt that made them so delicious, so I won't tell him that there was no bacon and they were still delicious.

While I have made the original version and liked it I made a few variation this time that I think put them over the top. The original recipe called for 8 oz of cream cheese, but I had half a brick of cream cheese and half a log of goat cheese so that's what I used. I think the goat cheese made all the difference in flavor. I also upped the spinach and decreased the meat. Then I opted for the traditional cinnamon roll style because it is easier than the original twist and caused less trepidation for my kids.

1 pizza crust, rolled into a rectangle
3 oz cream cheese
3 oz goat cheese
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp rosemary
1 egg beaten
4 cups fresh spinach
1 cup chopped mushrooms
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped ham (I used deli meat)
2 Tbsp butter
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine cream cheese, goat cheese, basil, rosemary, and egg in a small bowl. Spread over rolled pizza dough. (You may need to soften at half power in the microwave for 30 seconds or so to make spreadable.) Saute onions and mushrooms in butter until translucent. Add spinach and saute until wilted. Add salt and pepper and ham. Spread spinach mixture over the dough. Sprinkle parmesan over top of spinach. Roll up and slice like cinnamon rolls. Place on a lined jelly roll pan and bake for 20-30 minutes.

Spinach Pear Cranberry Salad

Recipe Copied from Epicurious


Dressing

• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 teaspoons whole-grain mustard
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
• Freshly ground pepper

• 1 cup thinly sliced red onion
• 1/3 cup sweetened dried cranberries
• 8 cups lightly packed fresh baby spinach leaves, stemmed if needed
• 2 firm but ripe Bosc pears (do not peel), quartered lengthwise, cored, and cut into long, thin slices
• 2/3 cup hazelnuts, toasted (see Cook's Notes) and chopped (I've used pecans and walnuts)

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preparation

To make the dressing, in a small jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine the olive oil, vinegar, mustard, sugar, salt, and pepper to taste. Cover tightly and shake vigorously to blend. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Set aside.

Place the onions in a medium bowl and cover with cold water. Let stand for 30 minutes. This crisps the onion and takes away the raw onion taste. Drain well and pat dry on paper towels.

In a small bowl, toss the cranberries with 2 tablespoons of the dressing to soften them. Set aside for at least 20 minutes or until ready to serve the salad.

To assemble the salad, place the spinach, onions, and pears in a large bowl. Give the remaining dressing a last-minute shake and pour over the salad. Toss to coat evenly. Arrange the salad in a large serving bowl or divide it evenly among 8 salad plates. Scatter the cranberries and hazelnuts over the top(s). Serve immediately.

Cook's Notes
Try to buy shelled hazelnuts (also called filberts) with the brown, papery skins removed as well. To toast, spread the hazelnuts in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and place in a preheated 375°F oven. Toast for about 12 minutes until lightly browned. If the nuts still have the skins on, transfer them while they’re hot to a clean kitchen towel. (Use a clean towel that is old or you don’t mind washing with bleach, because the skins tend to discolor the fabric.) Rub the nuts to remove most of the skins (they never come completely off).

You can substitute unsalted cashews for the hazelnuts. Toast cashews, as directed above for hazelnuts, for 8 to 10 minutes until lightly browned.

Do AheadThe dressing can be made up to 1 day in advance, covered tightly, and refrigerated. Remove from the refrigerator 2 hours before serving. The nuts can be toasted up to 1 day in advance; store at room temperature in an airtight container. The onions and cranberries can be prepared up to up to 4 hours in advance. Set aside at room temperature.

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Spinach-Salad-with-Bosc-Pears-Cranberries-Red-Onion-and-Toasted-Hazelnuts-355430#ixzz1cOqOrwyH

Spinach and Goat Cheese Salad

I love a warm goat cheese salad, but they are a lot of work to bread and cook the cheese. This method was soooo much easier! It came together in 5 minutes. Drew, Isaac, and Eli all ate every bite; I don't think that has ever happened with a salad before. The only changes I made were: added a diced tomato, used garlic powder b/c I was out of cloves, and I didn't measure anything.

Recipe copied from Allrecipes

Ingredients

• 8 cups baby spinach, rinsed and dried
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1/4 cup plain bread crumbs
• 6 ounces goat cheese, sliced
• 8 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 8 tablespoons olive oil

Directions

1. Arrange the spinach on four plates.
2. In a skillet, melt butter over medium heat, and add crushed garlic. Cook and stir until slightly golden. Stir in breadcrumbs. Drop the goat cheese slices into the breadcrumbs a few at a time, and turn to coat in the breadcrumb mixture.
3. Place a slice or two of goat cheese on each serving of spinach, and drizzle the salads with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Pesto Pasta Salad

• 3/4 pound fusilli pasta
• 3/4 pound bow tie pasta
• 1/4 cup good olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups pesto
  
• 1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry
• 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 1/4 cups good mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 1 1/2 cups frozen peas, defrosted
• 1/3 cup pine nuts
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Cook the fusilli and bow ties separately in a large pot of boiling salted water for 10 to 12 minutes until each pasta is al dente. Drain and toss into a bowl with the olive oil. Cool to room temperature.

In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade, puree the pesto, spinach, and lemon juice. Add the mayonnaise and puree. Add the pesto mixture to the cooled pasta and then add the Parmesan, peas, pignoli, salt, and pepper. Mix well, season to taste, and serve at room temperature.

Recipe from Ina Garten/ Food Network

Mushroom Panini

This is a much less time-consuming version of this sandwich.

Sliced mushrooms
Sliced yellow onions
1 T butter and 1 T olive oil (or more if you are making several sandwiches)
Fontina cheese (I think Swiss and Provolone would be good too.)
Fresh baby spinach leaves
Foccacia bread (or other artisan bread), sliced

Saute mushrooms and onions in butter/oil.

Layer--bread, mushrooms/onions, spinach, cheese, bread. Brush exterior with olive oil. Grill on panini maker until cheese is melted and you have some good grill lines.

Nie's Mexican Lasagna

This is the first vegetarian meal of 2009 with enough thumbs up from the family to be included in the "12 that my family likes, not merely tolerates" category.

Recipe from Nie's Mexican Lasagna

1 cup fresh cilantro leaves
4 scallions, coarsely chopped
Coarse salt and ground pepper
10 ounces fresh baby spinach
Nonstick cooking spray
8 (6-inch) corn tortillas
1 (15.5 ounces) pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup prepared salsa (mild or medium)
8 ounces pepper Jack cheese, grated (about 2 cups)
Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a food processor, combine cilantro, scallions, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper with as much spinach as will fit; pulse, adding remaining spinach in batches, until coarsely chopped.
Coat an 8-inch square baking dish with cooking spray. Lay 4 tortillas in bottom of dish (they will overlap slightly). Layer with half of beans, salsa, spinach mixture, and cheese; repeat with remaining ingredients, ending with cheese and pressing in gently.
Cover dish with foil; place on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until bubbling, 25 to 30 minutes; remove foil, and continue baking until golden, 15 to 20 minutes more. Cool 5 to 10 minutes before serving.