Super Spinach Bowls

The Super Bowl is next weekend and what better way to celebrate than with delectable appetizers (the most important part of any party). Of course you have your hot wings, nachos, and beer, but don’t forget to add a “SUPER” food to your table’s spread. SPINACH!!

Popeye grew major muscles from this leafy green….It is loaded with antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. Just to name of few- vitamins A, C, E, and K, as well as minerals such as iron, folate, and calcium.

Super Spinach Bowls

Servings- 24

1 package (10 oz) frozen chopped spinach, cooked and well drained

½ cup mozzarella cheese, low moisture/part skim

1/3 cup light or reduced fat cream cheese spread, room temperature

1 Tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese

1 Tablespoon diced onion

1 glove garlic, minced

24 slices oven roasted turkey breast, sliced thin

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Mix all ingredients, except turkey, until well blended.

Place 1 slice of turkey in each of the 24 miniature muffin pan cups.

Fill each with 1 ½ teaspoons of the spinach mixture.

Bake 15 minutes or until heated through. Serve warm.

Touchdown!!

Note: You can assemble these a few hours in advance; cover and refrigerate until game time. 

Then, uncover and bake as directed. 

Chicken Lasagna Rollatini's

Growing up, Lasagna was a “special occasion” meal usually prepared for Christmas or Easter dinner. I recently got a craving for this hearty Italian dish, but considering Christmas is now over and Easter is quite a few months away- I had to improvise. As I peered into my refrigerator a pack of chicken and fresh spinach stared at me, daring me to get creative. Below is my resulting recipe…hope you enjoy as much as I did. This non-traditional Lasagna is easy enough to make on a week night, not to mention loaded with veggies and lean protein. So glad I didn't have to wait for the next holiday to "roll" around! 

Chicken Lasagna Rollatini

Ingredients

6 dried lasagna noodles

8 ounce package reduced-fat cream cheese (Neufchatel), softened

½ cup milk

¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 ½ cups cooked, chopped chicken (ie: sauté, grill, or roast)

10 ounce package of fresh spinach

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Salt to taste

1 cup marinara sauce

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 

Cook lasagna noodles according to package directions. 

 

Drain noodles. 

Once cooled, cut each noodle in half crosswise and set aside.

2. White Sauce Step- 

In a medium mixing bowl beat cream cheese with an electric mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds. Slowly add milk, beating until smooth. 

Stir in Parmesan cheese and pepper.

3. Vegetable Step-

Saute spinach in olive oil and garlic. Season with salt to taste.

4. Chicken Step- 

Season and cook chicken by method of your choice. 

Examples: grill, roast, bake, or saute...then chop into bite size cubes

5. Filling Step- 

In a medium bowl stir together 1/2 cup of the white sauce, the cooked chicken, and sautéed spinach.

 Place about 1/4 cup of the filling at an end of each cooked noodle and roll. 

 

Sparsely fill the bottom of a rectangular baking dish with white sauce. 

Arrange rolls, seam sides down.

Spoon remaining white sauce over the rolls, then spoon the marinara sauce over the white sauce. 

Cover with foil. Bake for 30 minutes or until heated through.

Mangia!

Cauliflower Pizza Crust

Today I found myself wondering the produce aisles of my local grocery store admiring the vibrant colors that lined the shelves. One of the few white vegetable in the myriad of colors was the lonely cauliflower. Other neighboring vegetables seemed to boast of their bright orange, red, and purple exteriors! But little do they know that cauliflower is just as packed with vitamins and minerals….It is a great source of fiber, vitamin K and C, as well as folate. It is also rich in phytochemicals and antioxidants!

To prove cauliflower is truly a vegetable star, I am sharing with you a recipe that shows off how versatile and delicious this veg can be!

Cauliflower Pizza Crust

Ingredients:

1 cup cooked, riced* cauliflower

1 egg, beaten

1 cup low moisture, part skim mozzarella cheese, shredded

1 tsp dried oregano

½ tsp salt

Marinara sauce 

Toppings of your choice

*Cook, cool, and shred cauliflower with a potato ricer or mini chopper.

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick spray. Combine cauliflower, egg, mozzarella, oregano, and salt. Press evenly on the pan. Bake for 12-15 minutes. Run a knife along the edge to loosen crust. 

Steamed cauliflower

 

Potato Ricer

Riced cauliflower

Cauliflower mixture 

 Pressed onto greased pan

 Just out of the oven

2. Top with your favorite toppings. 

 

I sauteed orange peppers, mushrooms, spinach, green onion, and garlic.

For extra protein I added Italian chicken sausage (with sun dried tomatoes)

Sausage out of casing and crumbled

 Home made marinara sauce

3. Let the assembling begin...

4. Place under a broiler until cheese is melted. 

5. Cool slightly, cut, and enjoy!

 

Chocolate Chip Brownie Cookies

Happy New Year everyone! I hope your holiday was filled with smiles and laughs with family and friends.  Mine definitely was!

January is officially here and the decorations are put away until next year, but I am not ready to let go of Christmas just yet! So tonight I found myself in my kitchen (with Christmas carols humming in the background), baking Christmas cookies.

The cookie recipe I want to share with you holds a special place in my recipe box. This is not only because chocolate is the primary ingredient, but also because it brings back fond memories of my first attempts at recipe development in my mom’s kitchen. 

These cookies started out as brownies, but not just any brownies- this was my mom's special family recipe. After some test kitchen experimentation, I turned it into a COOKIE. Success!

Chocolate Chip Brownie Cookies

Yields 4 dozen

2 sticks of butter, softened

2 eggs

1 1/2 tsp vanilla 

3/4 cups of sugar

3/4 cup of brown sugar, not packed

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup cocoa

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Optional garnish- Peanut butter M&M's 

(you actually will need an entire bag- 48 for the cookies and the rest for snacking purposes)

Directions- 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 

In a large bowl- beat together softened butter, eggs, vanilla, and both sugars. 

In a medium bowl- whisk together salt, baking soda, flour, and cocoa.

Gradually beat dry ingredients into wet ingredients on a low speed until well blended.

Stir in chocolate chips. 

Scoop by round teaspoons onto parchment paper lined baking sheet. . 

. 

Since I am attempting to hold onto Christmas as long as possible, I garnished each cookie with red and green peanut butter M&M’s. But feel free to keep them plain or sprinkle with powdered sugar once cooled.

Bake at 375 degrees for 8 minutes.

Now that I have finished my last batch of Christmas cookies, I can officially say goodbye to the holidays....and look ahead to 2013. New recipes to develop and share!

Hope you enjoy!!!