The Classic Frittata

I love Frittatas!  I love that they are EASY, healthy and the flavor possibilities are endless!  Frittatas are usually served at a brunch, but I have to admit they are one of my favorite dinners, especially in the summer when I crave light meals that require little time in the kitchen.  This basic recipe can be changed to fit your mood and what you have in your fridge at the moment.  I always have spinach (for our green smoothies) but I also love broccoli, kale, zucchini, mushrooms etc..  If you have leftover baked potatoes you can save time by skipping the 10 minute cook time in step one.  Also--if I am using leftover baked potatoes I usually don't use the stove-top at all and just use a pie plate and bake it in the oven.  I have to admit that I prefer the oven method--but both work!  This is basic dish that once mastered, you will use ALL THE TIME!  I hope you love it as much as we do!

Classic Frittata
submitted by Melanie~The Sisters Cafe

2 TB Olive Oil
6 small red potatoes, sliced (or Yukon or 2 baking potatoes)
1 cup chopped fresh spinach (or other vegetables of your choice)
2-3 TB chopped onion
1 tsp crushed or chopped garlic
salt and pepper to taste
6 eggs
1/3 cup milk
1-1/2 cup cheese (we like to do a combination of cheddar, Swiss and Parmesan--whatever are your favorites)
*Sometimes I add chopped cooked bacon or ham if I have it
*Also in the summer when tomatoes are wonderful I like to put tomato slices around the top edge before I pop it in the oven--very pretty and delicious!

There are two ways to cook a frittata--either on the stove-top or bake in a pie plate.  The stove top is a quick and easy method if you are using raw potatoes/ vegetables.  You cook them in some olive oil and then pour on your eggs.  If you are using already cooked potatoes/vegetables (ie leftovers) it is faster to put everything in a pie plate and bake in the oven

Stove-top method:

1- Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Place sliced potatoes and onion (or other raw vegetable such as broccoli) in the skillet, cover and cook for about 10 minutes or until slightly tender but still firm.  Next throw in the spinach, and garlic.  Season with salt and pepper.  Continue cooking for 1-2 minutes until spinach is wilted.

2-In a medium bowl, beat together eggs and milk.  Pour the eggs into the skillet over the vegetables.  Sprinkle with cheese.  Reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 5-7 minutes or until the eggs are firm and set on top.  Serve

Oven Method:

1- Layer slices of cooked potatoes or chopped vegetables of choice on the bottom of a buttered (or cooking sprayed) pie plate.  Pour over the egg and milk mixture and top with cheese.  Season with salt and pepper.  Bake at 400 for 25 minutes or until set.  Enjoy!

Recipe Source: Adapted from several recipes from All Recipescom

Greena Colada Smoothie

Ever since we got the Blendtec a few months ago, we have turned into a green-smoothie-slurping family!  The blender was a gift to my husband from his loving wife... and I will never, not in a trillion, million years, live it down!!   It doesn't matter that he had been saying for a year that he wanted it.  It doesn't matter that he is the healthy one of the family. It doesn't matter that he is very disappointed if he doesn't have a green smoothie every single morning now.  No, none of that matters because the fact remains that I gave him a kitchen appliance for Christmas!!  :)  Of course he was grateful and gracious but I could tell from the look in his eye that I was going to be teased til kingdom come for pulling this!  Kind of like the year he bought me a handgun for Christmas, when I specifically and repeatedly had told him I DO NOT WANT ONE!  Well, pay back is sweet! :) J/k.  I knew he would love his blender and he does (and of course I knew I would love it too, hee hee)! 

So anyway, this is one of our very favorite green smoothies.  It's cool and delicious, light and refreshing.  And there is no way you can taste the spinach in this one.  Personally I love the citrus-y kick from the lime juice, yum!  Just ignore the fact that it's a lemon in the picture.  Occasionally I improvise but it's best with lime!  Greena Colada is a creamy, guilt-free, green twist on pina coladas that you will love!

Greena Colada Smoothie
submitted by Brittany ~ The Sister's Cafe

3/4 cup light coconut milk
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
1/2 lime, juiced
3 1/2 cups pineapple chunks, frozen or well chilled
2 cups spinach
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3 Tb agave nectar
1 cup ice cubes

Add ingredients to blender in order listed.  Blend until smooth and serve.  Makes 4 servings.

*If you don't have a heavy duty blender like Blendtec, you may need to increase the amount of coconut milk, especially if you are using frozen pineapple instead of fresh.

 

recipe source: adapted from Blendtec's Fresh Blends recipe book

Apple and Spinach Salad

This is an easy, flavorful salad that has been a favorite of mine for years.  I got the recipe from my mom, who got it from Melanie. I wanted to make it the other day, and so I jumped on the old Sisters Cafe thinking it would be here.  (For some reason it seems to much easier to look it up on The Sisters Cafe than to look in my cupboard.)  It wasn't here... so I thought I'd better remedy that!  I was always amazed that a salad dressing made from just two ingredients could be so good!  Oh but it is. I add blackberries when they are on sale, but most often I leave them out.  Oh and this salad keeps pretty well, too.  I usually eat any leftovers the next day, and it isn't all wilty yet.  (PS Melanie says that she likes to put on more dressing than I have pictured.  Just toss it to your own preference!)

Tip: I don't really like stinking up my whole house for days just to make a little bacon.  Especially if I have company coming over.  So when I need to make bacon, I usually make a lot.  Then I crumble it and freeze it in bags for salads or soups like this one (or this one or this one).  One less step at the busy dinner hour is always a good thing, right?

Apple and Spinach Salad
Submitted by Mindy ~ The Sisters Cafe

1-2 packages of spinach
2 tart apples, diced (I like Granny Smith, but some type of red apple looks pretty and tastes good too)
1/4 red onion, very thinly sliced
1 cup grated Swiss cheese
8 slices bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
1 1/2 cups sliced mushrooms
6 ounces blackberries (optional)

Dressing:
2/3 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup orange juice concentrate

Combine mayonnaise and orange juice concentrate and mix well.  Toss into salad just before serving.

Spinach Twist ~ Rhodes Bake-N-Serv

 

*This post was originally published in 2010, but we've recently added step-by-step photos to illustrate the directions. Enjoy!*

Rhodes Bake-N-Serv company sent each of us sisters a cookbook, Fresh Ideas with Frozen Dough. Wow. It's a great recipe book! I have tried half a dozen recipes from this cookbook already, and have found some real winners. My top recipe so far is this Spinach Twist. It's delicious. I've made it three times already. And honestly, it's pretty simple to make!


Spinach Twist
submitted by Erin ~ www.thesisterscafe.com
printable recipe

8 Rhodes Texas rolls, thawed and risen (or 12 regular dinner rolls)
1 8-oz pkg cream cheese
3 c chopped fresh spinach
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp rosemary
1 egg
1/4 c parmesan cheese
2 c chopped ham
1 c sliced fresh mushrooms
1/2 c chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tbsp butter
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1 egg, beaten
parmesan cheese, if desired

Press rolls together and roll out to a 10x13 inch rectangle. Mix cream cheese, spinach, basil, rosemary, egg, parmesan cheese and ham in bowl. Spread mixture over dough. Saute mushrooms, onion, garlic, butter, salt and pepper. Spread over cream cheese mixture. Starting with the longest side, roll dough up tightly and place seam side down.



Tuck ends under. With a long, serrated knife, cut roll lengthwise in half.



Carefully, roll each half so the cut side is facing out. Twist halves together 3 times and then pinch ends together and tuck under. This will form a long twist. Place on baking sheet sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Brush with egg and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

Cover with sprayed plastic wrap and let rise until double. Remove wrap and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Do not underbake. Cove with foil the last 15 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes before slicing.

Recipe courtesy of Fresh Ideas with Frozen Dough.

Wild Berry Salad and Giveaway

I have happy news to share...remember the beautiful 'Gathering Of Friends' Cookbooks that I absolutely LOVE and have told you about before? Volume 1 here, and Volume 2 here. Well, I am excited to tell you about the brand new Volume 3 that is available now!

I love that The Gathering of Friends cookbooks were "created to introduce food as a love language, enhancing traditions, fortifying relationships and celebrating life."

Once again, this newest volume was obviously made with lots of love. It is full of gorgeous pictures, enticing recipes and lots of inspiring ideas to create beautiful gatherings for those you love. I would highly recommend this book for yourself and anyone else who enjoys creating beautiful meals for their family. This cookbook would make a perfect wedding gift, birthday gift, or Mother's Day present.

Right now on the Gathering of Friends website there is a special running-- Buy 3, get 1 free--it is the perfect opportunity to partner up with a friend or sister, you can both get one for yourself, one for a gift and save a little money while you are at it:) This is a cookbook that you will treasure!

Would you like to win a copy?

We are going to offer a month of 'Gathering of Friends' Cookbook GIVEAWAYS! I am going to share a recipe and offer a giveaway every Monday and announce the winners every Saturday! To enter go the website here check out volume 3 and tell me what gathering you would like to create. For a second entry become a follower of The Sisters Cafe. Good luck!
**This giveaway is now CLOSED. Thank you for all your comments! The winner will be announced on Saturday, April 9th.**

I made this salad last weekend and it was FANTASTIC! I did not have any *pomegranate vinegar, so I used 1/4 cup pomegranate juice and 1/2 cup white wine vinegar instead with great results! This salad was unique and very pretty. We loved it!


Wild Berry Salad
Submitted by Melanie ~  The Sisters Cafe
Recipe from The Gathering Of Friends Volume 3

•3 heads, hearts of romaine lettuce
•12 oz. feta cheese, crumbled
•1 c. pomegranates
•1-1/2 c. black berries, rinsed
•3/4 c. pistachios

Clean and tear hearts of romaine lettuce into bite size pieces and place in serving bowl. Add berries, pomegranates, pistachios and feta cheese. Finish with Pomegranate Salad Dressing, toss and serve.


Pomegranate Salad Dressing
•1-1/2 c. oil
•3/4 c. pomegranate vinegar (*see note above)
•1-1/4 c. sugar
•1/2 c. water
•1/2 tsp. coarse black pepper
•1/2 tsp. kosher salt
•2 tbsp. dried chives
•2 tsp. Dijon mustard

Combine all ingredients in a blender and mix well. Chill. Pour over salad just before serving.

Chicken Wraps with Creamy Asian Peanut Sauce

I hope you all had a wonderful President's Day yesterday! My husband made plans for us to go ice fishing, which would have been a very new experience for me:) But unfortunately our plans fell through and we ended up salvaging the holiday by getting a big group of friends together to go see the movie Tangled with our kids at the dollar theaters. Have you all seen it already? If not, GO! It is so so adorable. My boys were glued to the screen and I must admit, so was I. So now that you've heard my plug for Tangled...let's talk Chicken Wraps! These chicken wraps are yummy but this creamy asian peanut sauce is amazing! Definitely the highlight of this meal. You can even make it 24 hrs in advance, refrigerate, and serve at room temperature. Anything to make preparing a meal easier is a plus in my book. This wrap is fresh, fun, and different. Hope you enjoy it as much as my family does!

Chicken Wraps with Creamy Asian Peanut Sauce

Submitted by Amy ~ The Sisters Cafe
Recipe Source: adapted from Foster Farms

WRAPS:
3 large boneless skinless chicken breasts
8 leaves Napa cabbage, chopped (about 2 cups packed)
2 cups packed baby spinach (or romaine)
1 medium carrot, grated (about 1/2 cup)
3 medium radishes, sliced (about 1/3 cup)
2 T. rice vinegar
1 T. soy sauce
1 T. canola oil
1 package 10-inch spinach wraps (6)

PEANUT SAUCE:
2 T. canola oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 T. minced peeled fresh ginger
3/4 cup smooth peanut butter
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
1/4 cup chicken stock, or water, or more as needed
1 T. sugar, or more to taste
2 T. soy sauce, or more to taste
1 t. Malaysian chili sauce, sambal oelek or other Asian chili paste
1/2 t. freshly ground black pepper

Cook chicken breasts using your preferred method. A fast and easy way is to cook the chicken is in the microwave on 50% power until fully cooked through. You should flip the chicken a few times as it is cooking.

In a medium bowl mix cabbage, spinach, carrot and radishes. In a small bowl, stir together rice vinegar, soy sauce and canola oil. Pour over cabbage mixture. Let stand for 5 minutes.

To prepare the peanut sauce, heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, garlic and ginger; cook until lightly browned, about 3 minutes, stirring well. Whisk in peanut butter, coconut milk, chicken stock or water, sugar, soy sauce, chili sauce and pepper. Let the sauce simmer until it is thick and richly flavored, about 5 minutes, stirring well. Add more chicken stock as needed-the sauce should be thick but pourable. Taste for seasoning, add more sugar, soy sauce and chili sauce as necessary. Serve at room temperature.

Lay spinach wraps on a clean flat surface. Divide the cabbage mixture evenly over the wraps. Top with chicken. Drizzle peanut sauce over the chicken, about 2 T. for each wrap, or as much or little as desired. Fold in the edges, wrap tightly and serve. Makes 6 servings.

Breakfast Burrito--vegetarian and oh so good!

Oh this was seriously so mouthwatering D E L I C I O U S that I could not wait to share it with you! I loved it so much that I actually made it twice last weekend. My little boys spent lots of time sitting at the bar "helping" me create these gems. In fact my 3 year old who loves to see what is going on in the kitchen at all times, has a problem with not paying attention and he somehow manages to fall off the stools daily--more than once this weekend--ouch! I think I need some of these adjustable bar stools that can sandwich his little legs snugly against the counter top so that he can't possibly flop to the floor no matter how animated his antics are. Luckily there were only a few tears and no real damage done--but we sure did enjoy these creations. And by the way--no my little boys did not want all of the veggies pictured in their burritos. Their burritos were a little plainer, but I LOVED it and hopefully my veggie eating example will rub off! They did have fun helping me whisk and chop everything though!

These were fantastic and I think they would make a wonderful week night meal or Saturday breakfast picnic. Yum!

PS Every Monday I post my Weekly Menu here

Breakfast Burritos
submitted by Melanie inspired by Sprouted Kitchen

1-2 cups grape tomatoes, cut in half
1/2 small sweet onion, diced
1 tsp olive oil
salt/pepper

4 large whole wheat tortillas (pictures are small ones and the goodness kept falling out--so go for the big size!!)
8 eggs
2-3 Tb milk
salt/pepper/red pepper flakes

grated pepper jack cheese/cheddar cheese
baby spinach leaves
fresh avocado slices

Start out with tossing the tomatoes and onion in olive oil and sprinkling with salt and pepper. Roast in a 400 oven for 15 minutes. There is something amazing about roasting tomatoes. I think the flavor is wonderful with the caramelized onions.

While these are cooking start you scrambles eggs. Crack all the eggs in a bowl, add your seasoning and milk and whisk until well combined. pour into a saucepan and cook slowly at medium heat. Eggs cooked slowly have a wonderful texture and remember you have time with 15 minutes before your tomatoes are done! When the eggs are almost finished cooking remove from heat and they will finish cooking while you get the tortillas ready.

Heat the tortillas in a fry pan on the stove with a teeny tiny bit of butter, for just a few moments on each side. Then put the warm and toasted tortilla on a plate and put the desired amount of cheese down the middle. Spoon on some of your scrambled eggs, roasted tomatoes and onion, spinach and top with slices of avocado. Fold in the ends and roll up burrito style. Enjoy!!

Spinach, Apple and Pecan Salad

This QUICK and EASY salad is a great companion to almost any meal, especially when you don't have a lot of time to spare. So pretty much every night:) I love the toasted pecans in it. Yum! Try and eat it immediately as the dressing wilts the spinach overnight. Enjoy this tasty way to get in those veggies:)

Spinach, Apple and Pecan Salad

Submitted by Amy ~ The Sisters Cafe
Recipe Source: adapted from a Boskovich Farms recipe
Printable Recipe here

SALAD:
1 bag torn spinach leaves-abt. 10 oz
1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
2 large red apples, chopped into bite size pieces
1/2 cup toasted pecans

DRESSING:
2 T. olive oil
1 1/2 T. apple cider vinegar
1 T. prepared mustard
1 T. sugar
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. ground black pepper

Toast pecans*. Whisk dressing ingredients in a small mixing bowl. Just before serving, chop apples and add to a large serving bowl. Next add spinach, red onions, and toasted pecans. Toss with desired amount of dressing until well coasted and serve immediately.

*To toast pecans, measure out pecans. Pour into a skillet over medium heat. Toast, stirring occasionally, until pecans are fragrant and turn a darker brown. Set aside.

Seriously good Chicken Pesto Sandwich

I recently attended a baby shower and this sandwich was served. It was amazing!! Everyone loved it and wanted the recipe and luckily our friend Robin the host was happy to share. I was very surprised that the delicious bread was the refrigerated french bread dough that comes in a canister. It was really good! I think the recipe would work well with a homemade baguette recipe too. I think the key is the olive oil and cheese sprinkled on top and that it is freshly baked! Fresh baked bread is so good! I used rotisserie chicken, although the recipe called for grilled chicken. Robin used the kettle cooked roast turkey breast you buy that are oval shaped and you cut yourself. That was fantastic too! Anyway, this sandwich is seriously DELICIOUS!! I have already made it several times for my family with rave reviews. It comes together so quick and tastes gourmet! Thanks Robin for a great recipe!

Chicken Pesto Sandwich

submitted by Melanie ~ www.thesisterscafe.com

printable recipe here

2 pkgs refrigerated French Bread dough

2 Tb olive oil, divided

3 Tb grated fresh Parmesan cheese

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast, or use kettle cooked turkey breast or rotisserie chicken

salt and pepper

2 medium red bell peppers

2/3 cups mayonnaise (I use Hellmans lite)

1/3 cup prepared basil pesto

1/4 tsp Lemon Pepper seasoning

2 cups fresh spinach leaves, washed and stemmed

Place dough, seam side down on a large baking stone or silpat covered cookie sheet. Use serrated knife to make 4 diagonal cuts, 1/2 in deep, on top of each. Using a pastry brush lightly brush dough with olive oil and sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 350 for 26-30 minutes or until deep golden brown. Immediately remove bread to cooking rack and cool completely. If grilling the chicken heat grill to medium temperature. Brush chicken with 1 tsp of olive oil season lightly with salt and pepper. Slick bell peppers into 1/2 inch strips ant toss with remaining 1Tb of oil. Place chicken and bell pepper slices on grid of grill. Grill uncovered for 12-15 minutes turning as needed until chicken is cooked and bell peppers are tender. Remove from grill and cool slightly.
**Robin did not grill chicken or peppers. She used the kettle cooked turkey breast and sauteed the peppers in a pan on the stove. It was great--so do whichever method you prefer.** Cut chicken into thin strips. Combine salad dressing, pesto and lemon pepper. To assemble sandwich, cut bread in half horizontally. Spread half of the presto mixture over cut side of bread bottom, cover with spinach leaves. Arrange chicken evenly over spinach; top with bell pepper strips. Spread remaining pesto mixture over bottom half. Cut each loaf into 4 sections. Enjoy!

Serves 8.

Frog Nog (True Green Smoothie Recipe)

 

We absolutely LOVE green smoothies around here. I usually make one with lots of berries which turns it purple or pink camouflaging the greens. When I use fruit that is light colored and the smoothie remains green we call it "frog nog". My boys love the name and the flavor and therefore slurp it down! Watching my children drink up all those healthy greens and fresh fruit makes this mama happy, you know?! And it also makes up for the lame lunch of nachos that I provide sometimes:) 

PPS Also here is my orginal "green smoothie" recipe post

Frog Nog (Green Smoothie recipe)

submitted by Melanie

2-4 cups spinach or other greens (I use 4 cups organic baby/ or kale)

1-2 cups of water (depending how thick you like it)

1-2 bananas (I use 2)

1 heaping cup frozen pineapple chunks

1 cup frozen mango, peaches or other light fruit (I have used strawberries)

1 Tb honey or agave (optional for sweetness)

First I fill my trusty blender (I use the Blendtec) with spinach--lots of it! Then I fill the container up to the 2 line with water filling in around the spinach. Pulse to blend into a bright green water.

Next add your bananas, frozen fruit ans sweetener, if using. I push the 'whole juice' button and the blender purees it all for me into a wonder smooth green drink. What ever blender you have, just be sure to blend it for a good amount of time to make sure it is as smooth as possible. Pour into glasses and serve!

Spinach Stuffed Shells (freezer meal)

Ok I have another super easy and good freezer meal for you! Remember this post from my sister Erin? Well, she inspired me to get back to freezing meals for my family. I used to do that a lot, but I had fallen out of the habit. I have since been filling up my freezer with a variety of muffins for quick a breakfast, pizza dough rounds all ready for toppings, twice baked potatoes to go with flank steak that I froze in the marinade, cookies for lunches and various other meals. It feels so good to feed my family homemade goodness instead of fast food when we are short on time. Freezer meals are a life saver for me. And this is one of my favorites! Spinach stuffed shells are extremely simple but so tasty! My family loves them, they come together fast and freeze beautifully. What is your favorite freezer meal??

( Don't ask me why I have two different dates on my dishes even though they were made at the same time--oops:)

Spinach Stuffed Shells

submitted by Melanie (recipe from friend Lisa)

Printable recipe here

1 pkg jumbo pasta shells

1 jar favorite spaghetti sauce

1 pkg chopped spinach, thawed

2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded

1/2 cup parmesan cheese, shredded

1 lg carton cottage cheese

1 egg white

Thaw spinach and drain well. Cook shells according to package directions (I always slightly undercook them by a minute). Mix in a large bowl;cottage cheese, mozzarella, parmesan, spinach and egg white. stuff mixtre into shells and place in 9x13 baking dish (I usually use 2 smaller sized ones because my family does not eat a whole 9x13 for dinner). I spray the baking dish with cooking spray and pour a little bit of sauce in the bottom. Stuff mixture into shells and place into prepared dish (or dishes). Pour spaghetti sauce over shells. Cover and freeze or you can back it immediatly at 350 for 30-45minutes until heated thru. If you freeze it plan on adding an additional hour to your baking time. I love freezing this meal, but it is also a great recipe to make earlier in the day and keep in the fridge. Then all you have to do it throw it in the oven for dinner.

Spinach Tarragon Quiche

Our mom used to make this for us when we were growing up. I always loved it. It was extra special because she didn't make it that often. I remember requesting this for my birthday dinner when I was younger. It is delicious! Enjoy!

Spinach Tarragon Quiche
submitted by Erin ~ The Sisters Cafe
printable recipe

1 unbaked 9 or 10-inch pastry shell

1 small pkg cream cheese, softened (I use 8oz)

1 c. half and half

½ c. soft bread cubes, lightly packed

¼ c. shredded parmesan cheese

2 eggs, slightly beaten

about ¾ to 1 lb fresh spinach, finely chopped

4 Tb butter

1 medium to large onion, finely chopped

½ lb mushrooms, finely chopped

½ tsp dried tarragon (I use a scant ½ tsp, but you can add more than ½ tsp if you want)

¾ tsp salt 

 

Preheat oven to 400°. Mash cream cheese with a fork and gradually blend in half and half. Add bread cubes, parmesan cheese, and eggs and beat with a wire whisk to break up the bread pieces. Take three large handfuls of spinach (that's my measurement for 1 lb fresh :) ) out of the bag and chop it up; set aside. (The original recipe she gave me said that it would be ~1 c. cooked.) Melt the butter in a frying pan and cook the onion and mushrooms until lightly browned, stirring frequently. Stir in the spinach, tarragon, and salt just before the vegetables become soft; leave on heat for a minute (or less) and then remove from heat. Blend the hot vegetables with the cheese mixture and pour into the pastry shell. Bake in a 400° oven for about 25 minutes or until crust is golden and knife inserted into the filling comes out clean. Let stand 10-15 minutes. Cut and serve.

Amazing Veggie Sandwich

I am not sure if this would be considered a recipe...but I had to share this delicious sandwich. I was trying to decided on a healthy lunch one day for me and a friend when I remembered reading about this little creation on someones blog. It was not a cooking blog, but the writer was so passionate about this lunch she created that she posted a picture and description. So from memory (I must have been hungry when I read about it) I recreated it for myself and my friend Celeste. It was sooo good! I think you should give it a try! So, here is how it goes in order:

Sesame bagel (fresh and soft)-sliced

Hummus (I used jalapeno & cilantro from Publix deli)-spread on both sides of bagel

Feta cheese--sprinkle crumbles on top of hummus

Cucumber slices

Tomato slices

a little salt and pepper, if you want

Purple onion slices

Fresh sprouts

Close it up and enjoy!!

I had this 3 days in a row, until the bagels were gone:)

Thank you so much to whoever came up with this delightful veggie masterpiece and blogging about it! I can't find the actual post, but it made quite an impression on me. If it was you--please let me know and I will give you credit! I loved it!

Spinach Salad with Teriyaki Bowties

I recently saw this recipe on martawrites blog and it reminded me of a recipe I used to make but somehow lost the recipe. I had cut it out of the newspaper and the clipping ended up lost before I had a chance to type it up. I was happy to find it again and made it for dinner that night. My husband loves anything with teriyaki and I remembered that he had loved it! It is simple and easy and I usually have most of the ingredients on hand. Except this time I was out of sesame seeds, and I used a yelow bell pepper instead of the called for red. I think red would look better and stand out more, but the yellow one tasted great. We don't like the craisins with teriyaki combo, so I leave those out. Other than that, we think this salad is great! I think you will love it too! Thanks Marta for the reminder!


Spinach Salad With Teriyaki Bowties
submitted by Melanie www.thesisterscafe.com
printable recipe here

16 oz. Bowtie pasta, cooked and cooled
1 - 2 bags of fresh baby Spinach
2 small cans Mandarin Oranges
1 cup Craisins (I left this out)
1 Red Pepper, chopped (I used yellow)
1 can Water Chestnuts
1 bunch Green Onions, chopped
1 cup Honey Roasted Peanuts or Cashews
1/2 cup fresh Parsley (optional)
1/4 cup Sesame Seeds, toasted (optional)
2 cups torn cooked Chicken (optional)

Dressing:
1 cup Vegetable Oil
2/3 cup White Wine Vinegar
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/2 tsp. Black Pepper
2/3 C. Teriyaki Sauce
5 Tbs. Sugar

Cook bowtie pasta according to directions, drain and cool while whisking the dressing together in a large bowl. Marinate cooked bowtie pasta in the dressing for 1 hour or longer in the fridge. Combine salad ingredients in a large bowl and pour the teriyaki sauce and pasta over the salad, toss together and serve. If it's just a few of you, make individual salad servings; keeping the salad and bowtie sauce separate for the rest of the week (no one likes a soggy salad).

Green Smoothie: Our Family Tradition submitted by Melanie

(I know it does not look green--but those greens are there!)

Since our new home is under reconstruction and I am not quite unpacked enough to be "back' in the normal cooking and baking routine--I thought I would take this opportunity to share with you our families morning tradition. Every morning I whip up a healthful smoothie (full of greens, berries, bananas, flax) for my boys and they LOVE it and I love that they do! Seeing my boys drink up all that heart healthy stuff, makes me very happy!

First of all I highly recommend this amazing blender the BLENDTEC. It is pricey, therefore it was my Mothers Day/Birthday/ Anniversary present last year. I love it!! It was worth every penny. And even my hubby agrees (now) and that is really saying something!

(I purchase my fresh and frozen greens and fruits at Sams or Costco. We go thru a lot each week and it is much cheaper to buy in bulk!)

Step #1 THE GREENS

Puts lots and lots of greens in there--I usually use fresh organic baby spinach and we love Kale. If you use Kale remove the stem. Next pour some water in --up to the 2 line.
Then pulse until you have a beautiful bright green "water" Now your ready for the fruit...

(i usually add at least one more handful of spinach than is pictured)

Step #2 THE FRUIT

First I always add a fresh banana or two. Then I put in lots of various fresh and frozen fruits, such as:

Fresh:

*a whole organic apple (seeds and all)
**fresh pineapple--do not core it--great fiber**this is my favorite ingredient!

*orange--just remove rind

Frozen:

(sometimes I skip the fresh fruit --but I always add frozen berries)

*Strawberries-the berries are a must for us!
*Blueberries--if you add this smoothie will not be green

*Mixed frozen fruit from Sams or Costco

Step #3 THIS & THAT

I like to add a big spoonful of frozen Juice concentrate, such as orange or pineapple for sweetness. This insures that my boys LOVE it and want seconds!

Sometimes instead of juice concentrate, I add a little Agave --that is a natural sweetener that is very low on the glycemic index.

I also add a scoop of ground flax . You can grind flax seed yourself in a little coffee grinder (my grinder was $10 at Walmart) and keep it in the freezer or purchase ground flax seed at Costco.

Step #4 PUSH THE WHOLE JUICE BUTTON

This is of course my boys very favorite part!:)

ENJOY!!

Baked Pasta with Chicken Sausage

Oh, this dish is yummy. My sister-in-law, Melanie G., (from 'Mel's Kitchen Cafe' ) posted this on her blog about a year ago. (Adapted from Martha Stewart Everyday Food.) The sausage in it is delicious, and we love the combo with tomatoes and spinach. Jed and I especially like how the noodles and mozzarella along the top get a little crunchy while cooking. Mmmm...

I usually freeze half of this for a later dinner. Although it's not as good frozen then cooked as it is served fresh, it's still a delicious dinner when I'm in a pinch, and the convenience of having a pan in the freezer is wonderful! I have only ever tried it with fresh spinach; I would highly encourage using fresh spinach rather than frozen. Frozen just isn't nearly the same; it has a different flavor and texture, and I don't think it would be nearly as good.

I actually have a history with this recipe. We go way back. Or, actually, we go 8 months, 2 weeks, and 3 days back. You see, when I was just about 9 months pregnant with my baby, I decided to make this for dinner one night. (The pic on the right was from this night.) I was being a lazy-bones that week when it came to making dinner, and so I hadn't been expending that much energy in the kitchen for a few days leading up to this. Anyway, after preparing this I felt wiped out, like I had just made this gourmet dinner and had been on my feet for hours. In fact, I was totally physically exhausted from the effort, and it didn't get better after I'd eaten. Oh no, it got worse. I started to feel kind of weird, and do you know what?! Making this meal actually put me into labor! Here's the funny part - From this experience I got it into my head that this was a really labor-intensive meal. Then I made it again a few months later. Nope. It's actually extremely easy. It makes me wonder - Was I really that much of a slug when I was pregnant that I thought making this was such a huge undertaking? Hmmm...

 

Baked Pasta with Chicken Sausage
submitted by Erin

 

Coarse salt and ground pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium red onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 can (28-oz) whole tomatoes with juice, lightly crushed with hands (or crushed tomatoes)

½ teaspoon dried oregano

½ cup heavy cream

1 pound rigatoni

10 oz baby spinach--I double the spinach and use 2 9-oz bags fresh (or 2 10-oz bricks frozen)

12 oz smoked chicken (or Jennie-O turkey) sausage, halved lengthwise and sliced

¼ inch thick

6 ounces fontina (or mozzarella) cheese, 4 oz cut into ½ -inch cubes and 2 oz coarsely grated

¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

 

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion; cook until translucent, about 3 minutes. Stir in garlic. Cook for another minute.Stir in tomatoes and oregano; cook until tomatoes are falling apart, 10 to 15 minutes. Add cream; cook until warmed through, about 5 minutes. Season sauce with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400°. Cook pasta in the boiling water until al dente, according to package instructions. Add spinach, and cook just until wilted. Drain, and return contents to pot.

Add tomato sauce, sausage, and cubed fontina to pot; toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Divide evenly between two shallow 1 1/2-quart baking dishes. Top with grated fontina and Parmesan. Bake until browned and edges are crisp, 20 to 30 minutes.

If you freeze half in a 9x9 pan, you can put it straight from the freezer into a 400° oven for about 45 minutes, or until browned and hot throughout.

Spinach Pasta Salad with Toasted Pinenuts and Feta

Lately I have been feeling like a Greek-type salad with feta and calamata olives. I also wanted to use spinach and bacon and most of all toasted pinenuts. So last night I came up with this recipe... and it is delicious! It is a perfect meal for this nice weather, light but filling. My husband LOVED it and didn't even notice for once that the main course wasn't meat of some sort. That means it was really good! I served it with herb focaccia which I will post soon.

Spinach Pasta Salad with Toasted Pinenuts and Feta

submitted by Brittany

2 c fresh spinach, chopped

1/2 lb penne pasta, cooked

1/2 cucumber, chopped

20 pitted calamata olives, halved length-wise

3/4 c feta cheese, cubed or crumbled

1 roma tomato, chopped

1/2 c pinenuts, toasted

1/2 lb bacon, cooked crisp

1/4 red onion, sliced thinly in wedges

First chop all the veggies while the pasta is boiling. Then toast the pinenuts in a pan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. (Watch them carefully to avoid burning) Slice the bacon in 1/2 inch pieces then cook until very crisp. (Slice the bacon when it is half frozen- it works great) Let pasta and bacon cool. Toss all ingredients together with Greek Vinaigrette (I used Good Seasonings Light Greek Vinaigrette) and serve immediately.

*Note: I reserved some bacon and pinenuts to sprinkle on top before serving.

Spinach and Mushroom Sautéed Salad

This wilted spinach salad is fantastic. I like to serve it as a first course, followed by something like Shrimp Scampi or Asian Ginger Tilapia. This warm salad tastes deliciously wholesome, and I love the feta in it. Credit goes to my friend Eugena, who tossed this together and came up with something wonderful!

 

Spinach and Mushroom Sautéed Salad
submitted by Erin

½ lb mushrooms, sliced

olive oil

½ sweet onion, slivered

2 cloves garlic, pressed

2 fresh tomatoes, cubed

1/3 cup feta cheese (or more, to taste)

Three large handfuls of spinach

 

Sauté mushrooms in olive oil. Stir until you have some mushroom juices in the pan, and add onion and garlic. Cook the onions until they are done enough for your taste. Add tomatoes. Add feta cheese and spinach. Cook until the spinach is just wilted.

Chicken and Spinach Stuffed Shells

These are the best stuffed shells I have ever tasted. They are absolutely delicious. I like to serve them for company or when I need to take someone dinner and feed my own family at the same time, because this recipe makes a lot. This is a guaranteed delicious dinner, and when I get compliments I forward them on to my sister Brittany because she is the cooking genius that gave me this recipe. :)
These shells can be time intensive if you don't break up the prep work. I like to make the filling the day before and then cook the shells and stuff them the day-of. The recipe makes two 9x13 pans. I always do one 9x13 and two 8x8 pans, and freeze one of the smaller pans for a later dinner. And the other night when I made this I used some extra spaghetti sauce that I had in the fridge, which made it more saucy, but it's good with just the one jar too. Be sure to buy two boxes of Jumbo Shells for this recipe, as you'll need nearly 1 1/2 boxes.
Try serving these with the Macaroni Grill Bread on our blog. That's how I served them yesterday for our company and they went together perfectly. But usually I make bread sticks to go along, and the recipe Melanie posted already is a great one.


Chicken and Spinach Stuffed Shells
Submitted by Erin (Brittany's delicious recipe. :) )

44 uncooked jumbo pasta shells (That’s about one and one-half 12-oz boxes)
2 c chopped cooked chicken
2 c fresh chopped spinach
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (15oz) container ricotta cheese
2 (8oz) packages cream cheese, softened
1 (5oz) package shredded Parmesan cheese (about 1 2/3 c.)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 Tb dried parsley flakes
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 c shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1 (26oz) jar prepared spaghetti sauce (any variety)

Cook shells according to package directions (be sure to stir every once in awhile so they don't stick to the bottom of the pan and tear apart); drain and set aside.
Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly grease 2 13x9x2inch baking dishes.
In a large bowl, combine chicken and all the rest of the ingredients except mozzarella and spaghetti sauce. Stir in 1 cup mozzarella. Spoon into shells. Spread half of spaghetti sauce into prepared baking dishes. Arrange shells over sauce; top with remaining sauce. Cover tightly with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Bake, covered, for 40 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with remaining 1 cup mozzarella. Bake for 5 to 10 more minutes.
Makes 8-10 servings.