Spinach & Artichoke Flatbread

With the next several weekends being glued to the TV between the Superbowl and the Winter Olympics, I wanted to create another flatbread recipe since my family really enjoyed the Copycat Olive Garden Caprese Flatbread I made over the summer. It's kind of a Sunday ritual in our house anyway to make a few appetizers and stay home on a Sunday. It's our "family connection day" and we try not to make plans outside of the home. We generally either entertain family or just relax and watch movies while unwinding from the previous week. I decided to make a new experiment and created this Spinach & Artichoke Flatbread; which has a little lemony twist.

Spinach, Pear & Mint Smoothie

We got a Vitamix blender for Christmas! Well technically I should say that my hubby wanted to start making smoothies at home so the girls and I got him one for Christmas, but it's one of those gifts that the whole family loves. My hubby works long hours and hardly has time to eat, let alone eat healthy and get enough fruit and vegetables into his diet. But with the blender, I'm able to make him a fruit or vegetable (or combination of both) smoothie for him to drink on his way into the office like this Spinach, Pear & Mint Smoothie.

Gluten Free Lemon Chicken Spinach Pasta

My family and I do not suffer from Celiac Disease; nor do we follow a Gluten Free Diet. However, I wanted to try gluten free pasta in a recipe to see if there was a difference as we may have wheat allergies; which causes that bloated feeling after eating wheat products found in pasta and bread.

I have to say that not only was this recipe for Gluten Free Lemon Chicken Spinach Pasta delicious, we also all felt great after eating it. The meal was very satisfying and I loved the lemony flavor combined with the grilled chicken and fresh spinach. I did find that the more you stirred the pasta, the noodles broke apart easier and didn't hold their shape like regular pasta, but that could have just been the brand I used. This is a fantastic meal to make during the week and to even speed up your food prep, I would grill your chicken the night before. ~Enjoy!

Spinach & Chick Pea Soup

Welcome to the last day of Soup Week where I've saved the best for last. Well, at least this one was our favorite (3 out of 4 approved!). Not only does this soup contain a mere 6 ingredients (all of which I have on hand at all times), it can be whipped up in 30 minutes or less.

Sauteed Spinach with Dried Cherries

I just love spinach; especially this time of year when it helps boost your immune system with all of it's vitamins and minerals. But when making it as a side dish, you have to purchase quite a bit  to get enough to serve everyone as it shrinks a lot when cooked. I prefer using baby spinach leaves; which are generally tender and a little sweet versus the larger spinach leaves; which tend to be more bitter. Whatever type of spinach you are preparing, remove the spinach from the heat as soon as the leaves start to wilt as they will continue to cook and you want them to be bright green in color.


When making spinach as a side dish, I generally make this Sauteed Fresh Spinach with Garlic, but was in the mood to try a little something different. I had some leftover dried cherries laying around from when I made the Baked Brie, so I added some of those. The cherries gave the spinach a nice, mildly sweet flavor that went well with a pork dish I'll be sharing with you tomorrow. ~Enjoy!


Sauteed Spinach with Dried Cherries
Prep Time: 5 minutes  Cook Time: 3 minutes Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 20oz. Fresh Baby Spinach
• 1/2 c. Dried Cherries

Directions

1. Rinse and dry spinach; then remove any large stems. 
2. Heat oil in a large nonstick saute pan over medium heat; then add the spinach and dried cherries. 
3. Saute until the spinach has wilted; approximately 2-3 minutes. 

Nutrition Facts per Serving

Calories 94, Carbs 13.2g, Fat 2.3g, Protein 3.7g, Fiber 4.4g, Sugar 6g

*Calculations based on ingredients entered into Calorie Count and may not be 100% accurate.

Chicken Florentina

Did you ever go to your local pizza place and look at their menu? Many places serve a lot more than just pizza. They have so many wonderful sounding chicken, veal, pasta and seafood (if you like that kind of thing!) dishes, yet I rarely try anything else on the menu. If I want pizza, I get pizza.

Spinach Risotto

Raise your hand if you have fallen victim to purchasing boxed rice mixes at your local supermarket. I have. See my hand waving! It's convenient and easy, especially when you just don't think you have the time to make anything else. Just throw it all into one pot and in 20-25 minutes, you have a side dish to serve with your meal.

Well what if I told you that you could make a rice side dish without all of that added sodium, using fresh ingredients and it tastes even better than the boxed variety? Well you can! AND it still only takes 20-25 minutes...bonus! I LOVE making my own risotto because then I can control what I add to it and it's also a great way to use up leftovers or small amounts of something, like fresh spinach, that you might not have enough of to make something else. Besides, homemade always tastes much better!


Spinach Risotto
Cook Time: 20-25 minutes           Serves: 6 (as a side dish)

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 1/2 c. Arborio Rice
• 4 c. Light/Fat Free Chicken Broth
• 1 c. Water
• 3 c. Fresh Baby Spinach, packed
• 1/4 c. Romano Cheese, grated

Directions

1. In a large, non-stick saute pan, heat the oil over medium heat and stir in the rice. 
2. Stir until the rice turns slightly brown, then add the chicken broth one cup at a time, allowing the liquid to evaporate after each addition. Add the water and when that has evaporated halfway, stir in the spinach and cheese. 
3. Mix until the spinach has wilted and the rice is creamy in texture. 

Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts 

Calories 155, Carbs 26.8g, Fat 3.3g, Protein 4.3g, Fiber .2g, Sugar 0g

*Calculations based on ingredients entered into Calorie Count and may not be 100% accurate. 

Spinach Risotto Shopping List

If you love risotto like my family does, check out some of my other varieties too. There are even more in my cookbook! 

1. Balsamic Risotto with Grilled Chicken, Spinach & Sun Dried Tomatoes
2. Portobello Mushroom, Zucchini & Sage Risotto
3. Roasted Garden Vegetable Saffron Baked Risotto
4. Basil, Leek & Asiago Cheese Risotto
5. Lemon Thyme Pesto Risotto
6. Pumpkin & Sage Risotto
7. Chorizo, Peas & Colby Jack Risotto

Cream of Spinach & Artichoke Soup

This recipe was created recently after dining out with my kids one evening after having ordered Spinach Artichoke Dip as an appetizer. They just love it! I've made Spinach & Artichoke French Bread Pizza before so I thought I'd experiment with the same flavors in a soup since I had some leftover spinach from dinner the previous night. 

I really liked the flavor of this Spinach & Artichoke Soup, but the kids weren't fond of it. I even sent it into my hubby's work so that other's can try it as well, but he left  it in his car that day and it never made it inside the office. So you will have to be the judge and let me know what you think when you make it! 

Cream of Spinach & Artichoke Soup
Total Time: 45-50 minutes    Yield: 7 cups   Serving Size: 1 cup

Ingredients

• 1-10oz. Frozen Chopped Spinach, defrosted and drained
• 1/4 c. Red Onion, chopped
• 1 Garlic Clove, chopped
• 1 tbsp. Butter
• 4 Artichoke Hearts, chopped
• 4 c. Vegetable Broth
• 2 c. Water
• 1 c. Milk, heated (I used 2%)
• 1/2 c. Pecorino Romano Cheese, grated
• 3 tbsp. Cornstarch + 3 tbsp. Cold Water, if needed

Directions

1. Heat butter in a large pot over medium heat then add the onion and garlic. Saute for 2-3 minutes; then add in the spinach and artichokes. 
2. Add the vegetable broth and water. Mix well and bring to a boil. 
3. Reduce heat to low and allow to simmer for 30 minutes; then mix in the milk and cheese. 
4. Use your immersion blender* to blend all of the ingredients together until the mixture is smooth. 
5. If the soup isn't thick enough for your liking, mix together the cornstarch and cold water; then add it to the mixture and simmer for an additional 3-5 minutes.

Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts

Calories 127, Carbs 7.2g, Fat 7.2g, Protein 5.5g, Fiber 1.3g, Sugar 3.6g

*Calculations based on ingredients entered into Calorie Count and may not be 100% accurate. 

Cream of Spinach & Artichoke Soup Shopping List

*If you do not have an immersion blender, simply pour the mixture into a regular blender and puree until smooth. Just be very careful not to fill it too much to the top as it will be extremely hot and you don't want to pop the lid off of your blender.

Recipe ReRun: Hot Creamed Spinach Dip

Welcome to another edition of Recipe ReRun, where I give new life to some of my favorite recipes! 

Today I'm sharing one of my family's favorite dips. This Hot Creamed Spinach Dip was first created back in March 2012 when I was experimenting with another recipe for Goat Cheese Stuffed Figs and wanted to have a back up plan just in case the figs weren't a hit. Turns out, everyone loved them, but they also LOVED this 5 ingredient, quick hot dip as well. We served them with tortilla chips, but some nice toast rounds or crackers would work well also. 

Enjoy! 

Spinach, Mushroom & Brie Stuffed Tomatoes

If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. Such is the case with these Spinach, Mushroom & Brie Stuffed Tomatoes. I first experimented with these about 2 weeks ago because I had a small piece of Brie, a handful of spinach and some ripe tomatoes that needed to be used up. The recipe was AMAZING and the family devoured them. However, sometimes my photo skills aren't quite what I'd like them to be and this is the photo I wound up with. I made them too late in the day and the natural lighting was gone as it started raining. And, they just didn't look appetizing. I tried. I really did.

So being a food blogger, what did I do? 

I made the ultimate sacrifice and made them again of course. Just for you. 

Oh who am I kidding...I was happy to make them again! 

This time, my preteen had her friend over for dinner so I had her as an extra taste tester as well. She started out with half because she wasn't sure she would like them, but then quickly returned for the other half. That speaks volumes in my book! I told you...AMAZING!

The first time I made this recipe I used Roma tomatoes, which are my preference. However, they didn't have hearty ones this time around at my local market, so I used a standard, round garden tomato. I also had to purchase more Brie, so I'll have to use that up in a new recipe next. Any suggestions or requests?


Spinach, Mushroom & Brie Stuffed Tomatoes
Prep Time:  15 minutes                     Yield: 4
Cook Time: 15-20 minutes                Serving: 1 each
Total Time:  30-35 minutes

Ingredients

• 4 Fresh Garden Tomatoes
• 1 c. Mushrooms, small dice
• 2 Cloves Garlic, minced
• 1 Scallion, chopped
• 1 c. Packed Baby Spinach, washed, stems removed and torn into smaller pieces
• 1/2 c.+/- Italian Breadcrumbs
• 2 oz. Brie Cheese, small dice
• 1 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
2. Place your tomatoes on a flat surface, slicing a thin slice off of the bottom if necessary so it sits flat; then take a sharp knife and cut a circle in the top of the tomato. Remove the inside and even out the inside of the tomato shell. 
3. Chop the tomato pulp and place in a bowl; then add the mushrooms, garlic, scallions, spinach, breadcrumbs and cheese. Mix well. (You may need to adjust your breadcrumbs if the mixture is too dry/moist, it depends on how much tomato pulp/juice each tomato yields). 
4. Stuff the tomato mixture into the tomato shells and place in an oven safe baking dish. 
5. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the breading is lightly brown. 

Enjoy! 

Nutrition Facts

Calories 164, Carbs 16.8g, Fat 8.6g, Protein 6.3g, Fiber 2.2g, Sugar 1.3g

*Calculations based on ingredients entered into Calorie Count and may not be 100% accurate. 

Enjoy! 

Spinach, Mushroom & Brie Stuffed Tomatoes Shopping List

Shared on Thursday's Treasures 8/8/13

Vegetarian Roasted Tomato, Spinach and Chick Pea Soup

Whether it's Winter or Summer, there is nothing like a nice bowl of hot soup on a rainy day! I started off making this Vegetarian Roasted Tomato, Spinach and Chick Pea Soup for lunch one afternoon. It looked fantastic with the chunks of roasted tomatoes, fresh wilted spinach and whole chick peas, but it tasted a little on the bland side. I didn't want to add salt or cheese, so I pureed all of the ingredients instead.

It's amazing how just pureeing something can give it an entirely new flavor. Everything blended nicely together and this recipe turned into a heart healthy, creamy soup I could put in a cup and drink instead; which is a HUGE time saver when I'm trying to do other things at the same time!

Vegetarian Roasted Tomato, Spinach
and Chick Pea Soup

Prep Time:   15 minutes                        Yield: 5

Cook Time:  20 minutes                        Serving: 1 c. 

Total Time:  35 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 Beefsteak or Heirloom Tomato, chopped
• 2 tsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1/4 c. Red Onion, chopped
• 1 Garlic Clove, chopped
• 1 tbsp. Fresh Basil, chopped
• 1-150z. Can Chick Peas, rinsed and drained
• 2 c. Fresh Baby Spinach, rinsed, stems removed
• 2 c. Fat Free Vegetable Broth
• 1 c. Water
• Kosher Salt, to taste
• Fresh Ground Black Pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. 
2. Season tomatoes with salt and pepper and place on a baking sheet. Bake 10 minutes until they start to soften. 
3. Heat the oil  in a nonstick saute pan over medium heat; then add the onion and garlic. Saute 2-3 minutes until the onion starts to turn translucent. 
4. Add in the basil, spinach, chick peas and cooked tomatoes and saute for another 2-3 minutes. 
5. Stir in the broth and water, bring to a boil; then reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. 
6. If you like a "brothy" soup, leave whole. If you prefer it blended (like I did), use your immersion blender to blend all of the ingredients together until smooth; approximately 1-2 minutes. 

Nutrition Facts

Calories 94, Carbs 14.3g, Fat 2.4g, Protein 4g, Fiber 2.9g, Sugar 1.8g

*Calculations based on ingredients entered into Calorie Count and may not be 100% accurate. 

Enjoy!

Herb Creamed Spinach (Family Favorites)

The next recipe I wanted to revisit from the cookbook for my Family Favorites theme was this Herb Creamed Spinach. My kids LOVE creamed spinach; however, my husband can't eat the store bought variety that comes in the frozen section. His tongue starts to swell so I think there must be something in there that he is allergic to. 

I actually prefer this variation better as it has that extra garlicky flavor. This vegetable goes perfectly with just about any main entree you're serving or you can mix it in with your favorite pasta too.  Your family (or guests) will think you were slaving in the kitchen for hours, but don't tell them how easy it really was and maybe they'll offer to do the dishes! :)

Herb Creamed Spinach

Prep Time:  10 minutes                        Yield: 4

Cook Time:   7 minutes                         Serving: 3oz.

Total Time:  17 minutes

Ingredients

• 1-10-oz. pkg. Frozen Chopped Spinach
• 6 Large White Mushrooms, sliced into 1/4” slices
• 2 tsp. Canola Oil
• 3 tbsp. Alouette® Light Garlic and Herb Cheese Spread
• 1/4 c. Dry White Wine
• 1 tsp. Garlic Powder
• Kosher Salt, to taste
• Fresh Ground Black Pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Defrost spinach and drain excess liquid.
2. In a large nonstick sauté pan, heat the oil and add the mushrooms. Sauté until they soften; then add the remaining ingredients.
3. Mix well and simmer over low heat until most of the liquid has been absorbed. 

Nutrition Facts

Calories 90 , Carbs 5.8g, Fat 4g, Protein 4.6g, Fiber 3g, Sugar 1.6g

*Calculations based on ingredients entered into Calorie Count and may not be 100% accurate. 

Enjoy! 

You can find this recipe for Herb Creamed Spinach, along with 180 other recipes in my cookbook available at many online retailers like Amazon, BN.com and IndieBound. 

Signed copies or a hardcover versions available, email carrieexpktchn (at) optonline (dot) net for more information.  

 Carrie's Experimental Kitchen: A Collection of Mediterranean-Inspired Family Meals

Purchase cookbook for that special person in your life!

• Father's Day
• Your favorite Graduate (they will have to learn to cook for themselves eventually!)
• Birthday's
• Anniversaries
• Wedding or Bridal Shower
• Or anyone just looking for some new inspiration in the kitchen! 

Speaking of family favorites....
I'm a Great Aunt! Congratulations to my nephew, Greg and his wife, Jess on their first born. Brayden James was born Tuesday, May 14th, 2013 at 4:02pm, weighed 4lbs. 14oz. and 19" long. <3