Pasta with Sausage, Feta, and Spinach

 So our oven died a few weeks ago and we've been waiting for the new one to arrive. The loss of the oven has forced us to get creative. Normally we make burgers in the winter on a ridged baking sheet. It works great. However, no oven. I wound up outside grilling burgers in the middle of winter. I figured if I had to fire up the grill, I'd throw some brats out there, too. That's how I ended up with this recipe. I had a pack of feta spinach brats I mostly grilled out of spite. You may question the use of brats here, and that's understandable. Most brats I've had have a suspicious texture. The Wife calls it "gritty." My father would say you should never eat "gray meat" and it's a judgement. That said, the brats we got from our local place are magnificent and worked great here. If you can find them or something similar, do it. If not, best of luck. You'll figure it out. I trust you. This one is quick and easy and is pretty damned good, if I do say so myself. As always, notes are in blue. 

Pasta with Sausage, Feta, and Spinach

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped (you can use jarlic if you want. I won't tell anyone)
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
• 4 sausages, cooked and sliced into 1/2" discs (this is open to experimentation. Obviously, Italian sausage would be fine here. Kielbasa? Probably not. I went with a pack of delightful Spinach and Feta Bratwurst from Turasky Meats that I cooked on the grill. If you can find something similar, I'd highly recommend it)
• 1 package (8oz.) frozen spinach, defrosted and squeezed of all excess water
• 4 ounces feta cheese
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1lb. pasta of your choice (I wanted to do rigatoni, but turns out we didn't have any. Wound up using farfalle. I guess use whatever you want. It should be fine. Hell, wrap it all up in lasagna noodles and bake it in alfredo sauce. Go wild.) 
• salt (this is mostly for cooking the pasta. The bratwurst had enough salt that I didn't feel the need to add any. Up to you, though, depending on your tastes)

Directions

1. Cook pasta to according to instructions (looking for al dente), drain and set aside.
2. In a large pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté a minute or so.
3. Add the tomatoes and sauté for 3-5 minutes, until the tomatoes start to break down a bit.
4. Add the spinach and cook to remove any excess water. 
5. Add the feta and sausages. Make sure to keep things moving in the pan so you don't burn anything.
6.  Add in the cream and bring to a simmer. (It's possible that the spinach will soak up a lot of the cream. Feel free to add a bit more if you like a thicker sauce. We used just enough that everything got a light coat.)
7. Add pasta to sauce and toss to combine.

Good times!

Not Exactly Shakshuka

So here we sit, stuck at home for at least another 14 days due to global pandemic. What better time than to go through my notes and put up all the recipes I never got around to posting! This here is a spin on the classic shakshuka. However, I've left out the eggs, added chicken, spinach, paneer, and a bunch of Indian spices. So it's Not Exactly Shakshuka any more. However, it is warm and filling and pretty easy to make. It's also versatile. It is easily modified for vegetarian or vegan diets. As always, notes are in blue. There is a link to the YouTube video of this recipe at the bottom.

Shakshuka with Chicken and Paneer

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon brown mustard seed
• 1 teaspoon grated ginger
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 quarts canned tomatoes (with liquid)
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 dried cayenne peppers
• 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 1 tablespoon dried cilantro
• 10 ounces frozen spinach (no need to unthaw)
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken (we used breast tenders, thighs would work well. Or leave it out if you want to go vegetarian)
• 1 pound paneer cheese (or other firm, white, cheese if you can't find paneer. Or leave out the cheese and chicken and now this is vegan!)

Directions

1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium high heat (we used our trusty 6 quart dutch oven)
2. Add mustard seed, heat until seeds begin to pop
3. Add ginger, garlic, and onion. Reduce heat to medium and sautee for 5-7 minutes or until onions start to brown.
4. Add tomatoes with liquid, chili powder, cumin, cayenne, garam masala, and cilantro. Stir a simmer for a couple minutes.
5. Add the spinach. (if you threw it in frozen, give it a few minutes to unfreeze and everything to come back up to a simmer. If the spinach is already thawed, go on to the next step.)
6. Add chicken. Simmer for about 15-20 minutes.
7. Add cheese. Simmer another 5-7 minutes. 

Good times!

Feta and Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breasts

     Can you really go wrong with the combination of feta and spinach? No, you can't. Don't even try to argue with me because I won't listen. It's a great combo and if you don't like it you are obviously defective. Basically, what I've done is make my version of a fairly ubiquitous recipe. I'm sure there are hundreds of similar recipes floating around the internet. Do you know what separates mine from theirs? Theirs suck. Theirs are not made with love. It is entirely possible that theirs were made by Baby-Eating Fascists. Use my recipe and strike a blow for global peace and understanding. If you're not part of the solution, you're obviously part of the problem. I'll stop now. The recipe is simple and delicious and I promise you'll love it. Unless you don't. And then it's your own fault for listening to me. As always, notes are in blue.

Feta and Spinach
Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Ingredients

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 3 ounces crumbled feta cheese
• 4 ounces room temperature cream cheese (we use Neufchatel)
• 10 ounces frozen spinach, defrosted and all water squeezed out
• 1 cup bread crumbs
• 1-1/2 teaspoons Spice House Greek Town seasoning, divided (if you can't get this spice, a mix of salt, pepper, onion powder, oregano and lemon peel. I have no idea what ratios you'd use, so good luck. Or just order the seasoning)
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 egg, beaten

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375F (190C, Gasmark 5).
2. Split the chicken breasts down the length, being careful to not cut completely into two pieces. You're looking to sort of butterfly the chicken.
3. Mix 1 teaspoon of the spice mix in with the flour. 
4. Dredge the chicken in first in the flour mix, then the egg, then finally the bread crumbs.Set on a baking sheet. 
5. In a small bowl, combine cream cheese, spinach, feta and remaining spice mix. Mix well until all ingredients are incorporated. 

   

   You could just take what you have here,
   add some jarred artichokes and you have a hell of an appetizer dip!

6. Fill each piece of chicken with 1/3 cup of the filling.
7. Bake for 35 minutes or until chicken juices run clear.

   

   See? Clear. We're all making it out of this meal alive.

   

   Good Times!

Three Cheese Chicken Spinach and Pasta Bake

     There's been a can of spinach in my pantry for a couple of years now. It sat quietly towards the back. It wasn't bothering anybody. It had to be dealt with. I wound up using it in this recipe I dug out of one of the myriad cookbooks I buy from school fundraisers. I need to stop. The books are overpriced and generally only involve recipes that call for gallons of canned cream soups. This is one of the less offensive recipes, mildly doctored to ensure some flavor. In its defense, it comes together quickly and doesn't use a terribly frightening amount of sodium. As always, notes and changes are in blue.

Three Cheese Chicken Spinach and Pasta Bake
via Kraft Easy Cheesy Meals

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 cups multi-grain penne pasta, uncooked (bah. Regular one grain pasta)
• 1 package, (9 ounces) fresh spinach leaves (none on hand. Not even frozen. Wound up using a 14.5 ounce can of spinach, drained. Popeye would be proud)
• 1 lb.boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 teaspoon dried basil leaves
• 1 jar (14.5 ounce) spaghetti sauce (I used my standby recipe for red sauce. I also only used about 9 ounces)
• 2 ounces Neufchatel, cubed (nice to see people finally using this stuff instead of regular cream cheese)
• 1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese, divided
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon Bronzeville Rib Rub from The Spice House

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375F (190C, Gasmark 5)
2. Cook pasta as directed on package. (If you're using fresh spinach), add spinach to the boiling water at the last minute. If you're using the canned, hang on a second.
3. Cook and stir chicken and basil (and Rib Rub, if you're using it) in a large, nonstick skillet coated with nonstick cooking spray on medium-high heat for 3 minutes (we did a shade over 5. Nobody wants salmonella.) Stir in spaghetti sauce and tomatoes (if you're using the drained canned spinach, it goes in now); bring to a boil. Simmer on low heat 3 minutes or until chicken is done. Stir in Neufchatel.
4. Drain pasta, return to pan. Stir in chicken mixture and 1/2 cup mozzarella. Load into 2 quart casserole or 8" baking dish. 
5. Bake for 20 minutes. Top with remaining cheese. Bake 3 minutes more or until cheese is melted. 

Good times!

Slow Cooker Spinach Artichoke Dip

     Now and again I take requests on what to cook. My only limitation is that I must have the ingredients on hand if I'm going to actually go ahead and cook it. I got lucky this time and had a request for spinach-artichoke dip. I actually had all the ingredients I figured I would need. I was doing this recipe totally from scratch. I had no previous recipe to work from. The end result? Holy shit, was it good. I'm talking restaurant good. I can say with some level of confidence that if you have this recipe on hand, you'll never need to order it in a restaurant again. Unless you want to. See if I care. As always, notes are in blue.

Slow Cooker
Spinach Artichoke Dip

Ingredients

• 1 10-ounce box frozen spinach, defrosted and squeezed of excess water
• 1 12-ounce can marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
• 8 ounces cream cheese (I always use neufchatel to keep the fat down) cubed
• 1 10-ounce can cream of chicken soup
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 cup shredded Swiss cheese

Directions

1. Load all ingredients into a small slow cooker (we used a 1.5 quart cooker)
2. Cover and cook on LOW 2-3 hours, stirring half way through the cooking and again at the end.

Good times!

Corn Muffins with Gouda, Kale and Sweet Pickled Peppers

     I'm really enjoying my Sunday baking. Each week I dig around trying to find something new to make. Sometimes, I can't find exactly what I want. This was one of those days. I knew I wanted to do something with a jar of sweet pickled peppers I had in the fridge, but no recipe I had calls for that. I wound up finding a recipe for Spinach Corn Muffins in (don't be shocked now,) Taste of Home Everyday Light Meals.  I wound up taking the basic muffin recipe and swapping out several ingredients. The result was fantastic. The muffins had just the right amount of sweetness and a nice flavor from the pickled peppers. I'll set you up with the original recipe and, as always, changes and notes are in blue.

Corn Muffins with Gouda, Kale and
Sweet Pickled Peppers
originally boring and dusty old Spinach Corn Muffins

Ingredients

• 1 cup cornmeal
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 1 cup fat-free milk (you should know by now that I used 2%)
• 2 tablespoons canola oil (didn't have any. I used an equal amount of vegetable oil)
• 1 cup chopped fresh spinach (I used kale instead. I loves me some kale.)
• 3/4 cup shredded reduce-fat cheddar cheese (I went with Gouda. I figured the taste would complement the sweet peppers)
• 2 jalapenos, seeded and chopped (normally I wouldn't wave off jalapenos, but it wasn't what I was looking for. I went with a scant 1/4 cup of chopped sweet pickled banana peppers. I'm not sure where you're going to find these, I canned these myself last year. In a pinch, if you could find bread and butter peppers, it would work. I imagine bread and butter pickles might be fun, too!)

Directions

1. In a large bowl, combine, the cornmeal, flour, brown sugar, baking powder and salt. 
2. In another bowl, beat the egg, milk and oil. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened.
3. Fold in the greens, cheese and peppers (I used the Kitchenaid to do steps 2 and 3. No harm done as far as I can tell.)
4. Coat muffin cups with nonstick cooking spray; fill 2/3 full with batter.
5. Bake at 400F for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean (mine took 22 minutes on the nose.) Cool for 2 minutes before removing to a wire rack. 

These made 11 muffins for me. Depending on the size of your muffin cups cooking time and yield will vary. 

Good times!

Potato Spinach Pie

     I don't know where I'd be without the Taste of Home: Everyday Light Meals cookbook. This has become one of the most used and abused sources of recipes and inspirations in my kitchen. I think I've only found one dud so far. I especially like that they have recipes that can serve as the entree or side. This Potato Spinach Pie is one of them. It came together easily and was pretty tasty. I think the next time I make it I'll do it in the cast iron pan. I used the pie pan, as instructed, and the potatoes did not cook evenly. It may not actually be the pie pan, though. Any number of factors may be responsible, including the fact that I'm a moron. Regardless, here's the recipe. I did this one with very few changes.

Potato Spinach Pie
via Taste of Home Everyday Light Meals

Ingredients

• 3 cups coarsely shredded and peeled potatoes (as always, I didn't peel the potatoes)
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil, divided
• 1 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1/3 cup chopped onion
• 1 package (about 10 ounces) frozen, chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry (pro tip: if you thawed the spinach in the microwave, give it a couple of minutes before you squeeze it dry unless you're a huge fan of scalding the crap out of your hands)
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded reduced-fat Swiss cheese
• 1/2 cup fat-free evaporated milk (didn't have fat-free, just used regular)
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 egg whites, lightly beaten
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions

1. In a bowl, combine the potatoes, 4 teaspoons oil, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Press onto the bottom of a 9-inch pie plate coated. Bake at 425F for 20-25 minutes until crust is lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack. Reduce heat to 350F.
2. In a nonstick skillet, saute onion in remaining oil until tender. 
3. In a bowl, combine the spinach, cheese, milk, eggs oregano, onion and remaining salt. Pour into crust.
4. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until top begins to brown and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Good times!

Recipe Monday: Pesto Roasted Salmon with Spinach and Orzo

     This particular meal came about as a last minute change. I had originally planned on making a very rich pasta dish for dinner. I decided to go with something lighter because I ended up going out to breakfast at Huddle House and eating two sausage, egg and cheese biscuits. That burned through about half of my allotted calories for the day. The orzo still gave me my pasta fix, which was nice. I wound up substituting a pistachio-basil pesto I canned last season for the pesto mentioned in this recipe. It came out wonderfully. I'll definitely be making this again. I do so love a nice piece of fish.

Pesto Roasted Salmon with Spinach and Orzo
(via McCormick & Schmick's Seafood Restaurant Cookbook)

Ingredients
• 1 pound salmon fillets
• 3/4 cup pesto (I used a pistachio-basil pesto)
• 1 1/4 cups orzo pasta
• 5 oz. frozen, no-salt-added spinach
• 1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1/4 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Lemon slices

Pesto
• 1 cup fresh basil
• 1/4 cup freshly chopped garlic
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/4 cup Extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Combine and blend thoroughly in a blender or food processor

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. 
2. Cut salmon into 4 portions and rinse. Set aside while preparing pesto. 
3. Lightly coat baking dish with cooking spray. 
4. Pat fish dry with paper towels. Cut each salmon steak in half, removing as much of bone, cartilage and skin as possible. 
5. Coat fillets in pesto and roast for approximately 8 minutes or until the fish flakes. 
6. Meanwhile, cook orzo and spinach according to package directions. Drain pasta well. 
7. Squeeze out excess moisture from spinach then combine together with pasta. Stir in nutmeg, cheese and pepper and combine with pasta. 
8. Divide onto 4 plates. Place salmon portions on top of pasta.

Good times!

Monday Recipe: Gratin of Greens via Relish.com

     I'm going to stick with Thanksgiving-related recipes right through the holiday. Today's selection is another well-received side dish. Gratin of Greens. It's not a terribly difficult dish to cook. The only substitution I made was to replace the chard with leeks. For whatever reason, chard just tastes dirty to me. I think the leek gives a nice flavor. Basically you've just got six pounds of assorted greens. You could fairly easily swap in and out. I imagine kale would work well in this. In any case, it's a nice change from the traditional green bean casserole and is a visually appealing dish as well. Good times!

Gratin of Greens via Relish.com 

          Ingredients

• 2 pounds spinach, chopped 
• 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided 
• 2 pounds Swiss chard, chopped (Leeks can be substituted)
• 2 pounds zucchini, diced 
• 1/2 teaspoon salt 
• 1 cup hot cooked rice 
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped 
• 6 eggs, well beaten 
• ¼ cup fine bread crumbs 
• ¼ cup finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

          Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Wash and dry spinach. Heat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil. When hot, add spinach and cook just until wilted. Remove spinach from pan. Cook the chard in 1 tablespoon oil until just wilted. Remove from pan. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil; add zucchini and cook until just tender.
3. Stir cooked vegetables together with salt, rice and garlic. Transfer to a well-oiled heavy baking dish. Bake 20 minutes.
4. Remove pan from oven and stir in eggs. Sprinkle with bread crumbs and cheese. Return to oven and cook about 15 minutes, until eggs are just set. Serves 8.


Nutritional Information
Per serving: 220 calories, 11g fat, 160mg chol., 13g prot., 21g carbs., 6g fiber, 610mg sodium.