Seasonal Starter: Spinach Strawberry Salad w/ Homemade Dressing

Summer is a great time to experiment with fresh seasonal fruits in salads. Strawberries and spinach are a perfect match. The sweet juice seeping from those red berries mixes so well with fresh spinach, and almonds add a nice crunch.

What's more, you can make your own dressing to go along with it! This recipe calls for a unique combination of sesame & poppy seeds, Worcestershire sauce, paprika and a few other unusual ingredients. Try this one while there are still fresh strawberries at the farmer's market!  

Spinach Strawberry Salad with Homemade Dressing

(makes 4 servings)

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
• 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon minced onion
• 10 ounces fresh spinach - rinsed, dried and torn into bite-size pieces
• 1 quart strawberries - cleaned, hulled and sliced
• 1/4 cup almonds, blanched and slivered

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sesame seeds, poppy seeds, sugar, olive oil, vinegar, paprika, Worcestershire sauce and onion. Cover, and chill for one hour.
2. In a large bowl, combine the spinach, strawberries and almonds. Pour dressing over salad, and toss. Refrigerate 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

Vegetarian Recipe: Spinach Lasagna with Walnut Pesto

Lasagna always makes for a hearty and satisfying dinner, but there's no point in sticking to the same tired recipe when you can spice things up with new ingredients. Why not try a spinach-based lasagna with your own homemade walnut pesto? If you've got basil leaves in your garden, this pesto is the perfect way to utilize them and create a mouthwatering meal that your family and friends will be talking about for days. Bonus: it's vegetarian!

The type of spinach you use in this recipe can be adapted depending on what's most convenient for you! You can sub the 2lbs of fresh spinach for two, 10-ounce packages of baby spinach leaves or two, 10-ounce packages of frozen, chopped spinach, defrosted. No matter what, this recipe is bound to become a favorite for you and anyone who tastes it! 

Spinach Lasagna with Walnut Pesto

(makes 8 servings)

Lasagna Ingredients:

• A little olive oil for the pan
• 2 pounds fresh spinach, washed
• 2 pounds nonfat ricotta cheese or nonfat cottage cheese
• Walnut Pesto (recipe follows)
• 4 large cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/3 cup minced walnuts, lightly toasted
• 1 (24 ounce) jar low-sugar tomato sauce (or your favorite sauce-- or even better, homemade with your own tomatoes!)
• 16 fresh, uncooked green (spinach) lasagna noodles or, if using dried, no-boil noodles
• 1/2 pound low-fat mozzarella cheese, grated

Walnut Pesto Ingredients:

• 3 cups packed fresh basil leaves
• 3 large cloves garlic
• 1/3 cup lightly toasted walnuts
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• Salt and pepper to taste

 Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil a 9 x 13-inch baking pan. If using fresh spinach, chop it fine. If using frozen, chopped spinach, make sure it is thoroughly defrosted and squeeze out all of the excess water.
2. Place the ricotta or cottage cheese in a large bowl. Stir in the spinach, pesto, garlic, salt, pepper, half the Parmesan, and the walnuts. Mix well. Spread half the tomato sauce in the bottom of the pan. Place a layer of uncooked noodles over the sauce. Spoon about 1/3 of the ricotta or cottage filling in dabs over the noodles (you can spread it a little, but not too much) and sprinkle with 1/3 of the grated mozzarella. Follow with another layer of sauce, then noodles, followed by another 1/3 of the filling, and another 1/3 of the mozzarella. Repeat one more time, and then finish up with a final layer of noodles. You will have some Parmesan left over.
3. If you are using fresh noodles, bake uncovered. If you are using dried noodles, cover the pan tightly with foil.
4. Bake for 50 minutes, uncovering the pan (if applicable) during the last 15 minutes, during which time you can sprinkle on the reserved Parmesan. (In the case of the uncovered pan, if the top of the lasagna becomes as brown as you like it before the full baking time is up, cover loosely with foil and continue baking, so it wont get too dark.) Remove from the oven and let cool for about 10 minutes before serving.
5. Walnut Pesto: Place the basil leaves and garlic in a food processor or blender, and mix well.
6. Add the walnuts, and continue to blend until the walnuts are finely ground.
7. Keep the machine running as you drizzle in the olive oil. When you have a smooth paste, transfer to a bowl, and stir in the Parmesan. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
8. If you are not going to use the pesto right away, place in a container that has a tight-fitting lid. Smooth out the top surface of the pesto, and pour on enough olive oil to cover it completely. This creates an air-proof seal that helps preserve it well. Cover tightly and store in the refrigerator.

Appetizer Recipe: Spinach and Artichoke Dip

If you’re looking for an appetizer with a nice mix of color -- and tons of flavor -- then creamy artichoke dip with spinach and roasted tomatoes makes the perfect dish. Put this out on the table for the family, and they’ll be happily dunking pita chips into this piping-hot dip.

The recipe calls for roasted tomatoes, which are easy enough to make yourself. Take about 1/2 cup of grape tomatoes – or more, depending on how much you like them – and cut them in half. Toss the cut tomatoes in a bowl and drizzle them with flavored olive oil – ideally one infused with roasted garlic or herbs – or regular olive oil that’s also tossed with salt and pepper. Use just enough olive oil to coat all the tomatoes. 

Put them on a greased baking sheet and let them cook at 400F for 20 to 30 minutes – just until the skin starts to wrinkle. Set them aside and then later add them to the dip – or, if you’re not a tomato fan, simply leave them out of this recipe entirely.

This dip can also be mixed ahead of time the night before, refrigerated, and then put in the oven the next day to be served fresh for guests.

Spinach and Artichoke Dip

Ingredients           

• 8 ounces of reduced fat cream cheese (softened)
• 1/4 cup reduced fat mayo (or substitute Greek yogurt or sour cream)
• 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup reduced fat sour cream
• 3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 can of artichoke hearts in water, chopped and drained (or equivalent of marinated artichoke hearts for bolder flavor)
• 1 package of frozen spinach (thawed, drained, and squeezed)
• 4 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 1/2 cup of roasted tomatoes (optional; see above for instructions)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Crushed red pepper to taste (about 1 teaspoon) 

Directions

1. Thaw the frozen spinach in the microwave for about three to four minutes and drain.
   
2. Combine the cream cheese and mayo or yogurt in a large bowl (substituting extra sour cream for the mayo works, too).  Then, add the freshly grated Parmesan, mozzarella, and chopped garlic.
   
3. Season with salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper. Fold in the roasted tomatoes.
   
4. Wrap the drained spinach in a paper towel and squeeze out as much liquid as you can.  Break up the spinach and add it to the mixture, too.
   
5. Add the drained and chopped artichokes, then the sour cream.
   
6. Mix, taste, and adjust the seasonings accordingly. Then, put the dip mixture into a casserole dish (something close to 6.5 x 10.5 inches works great) that has been greased with cooking spray. 
   
7. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees F for about 25 to 30 minutes, or until lightly browned and bubbly around the edges. 
   
8. Serve with pita chips, tortilla chips, bread, or even vegetables.
   
9. Enjoy! 

Classic Greek Recipe: Spanakopita

There's something special about spanakopita. It's a perfect combination of bold flavors mixed with a perceived delicacy from a beautifully flaky crust. We wanted to try out this great Greek dish, but so many of our attempts came out flat and soggy, and the feta absolutely overpowered the dish.

To fix these problems and perfect the dish, we used fresh spinach and cooked it before draining it of excess water. This helped out the sogginess issue with the surprising bonus of boosting the flavor of the spinach. to mellow the flavor of the feta without completely dulling it, we mixed in some Greek yogurt. Because phyllo dough is so tricky to make, and we didn't want to over-complicate the recipe, we finally cracked and used store-bought phyllo, thawed overnight in the refrigerator. Keep reading below for this great recipe...

Spanakopita (Greek Spinach Pie)

(makes 6-8 servings)

Ingredients

• 20oz curly leaf spinach, rinsed
• 1/4 cup water
• 12oz feta, crumbled into fine pieces
• 3/4 cup whole-milk Greek yogurt
• 4 medium scallions, sliced thin
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 1/4 cup minced fresh mint leaves
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh dill
• 3 medium garlic cloves, minced
• 1 red onion chopped
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 7 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1/2lb phyllo, thawed over night in the refrigerator
• 3/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano

Directions

1. Place the spinach and water in a large microwave-save bowl. Cover the bowl with a large dinner plate. Microwave on high until the spinach is wilted and decreased in volume by half (about 5 minutes). Carefully remove the bowl from the microwave and keep covered for 1 minute.
2. Remove the plate and transfer the spinach to a colander in the sink. Using the back of a rubber spatula, press the spinach against the colander to release the excess liquid. Transfer the spinach to a cutting board and roughly chop. Wrap the spinach in paper towels and squeeze to remove excess water. Transfer the spinach to a large bowl. Add the remaining ingredients up to and including the cayenne pepper to the bowl and mix until thoroughly combined.
3. Preheat the oven to 425F. Grease a pie or cake pan with melted butter. Lay one phyllo sheet on the buttered pan, pressing the dough into the corners and letting the edges hang over the edge of the pan. Repeat with 9 more phyllo sheets, brushing each with butter until you have a total of 10 layers of phyllo.
4. Spread the spinach mixture evenly over the phyllo. Fold the edges of the bottom layer of phyllo over the filling. Add 6 more phyllo sheets to the top, brushing each with butter and sprinkling each with 2 tablespoons Pecorino cheese. Add 2 final phyllo sheets, brushing them with butter but not sprinkling with the Pecorino. Trim the edges, then use a spoon to neaten the edges of the pastry case.
5. Use a sharp knife to score the pie through the top 3 layers of phyllo into 8 even pieces of pie. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, or until the phyllo is golden and crisp. Let cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.
6. Enjoy!

Flavorful Salad Recipe: Mandarin Orange, Goat Cheese and Spinach Salad

Sometimes people feel like they have to force themselves to eat salad and the salads in question just aren’t that appetizing. We’re happy to report that that is not the case with this one! This mandarin orange and spinach salad is really nice because it’s got zest and bite from the onions and goat cheese, while being complemented by the oranges and dried cranberries, which add a touch of sweetness. Spinach is great for you and dressing it up like this is fun because it makes your lunch or dinner interesting and you end up actually craving more of this light and healthy salad!

Mandarin Orange and Spinach Salad

(Serves 4-6)

Ingredients 

Salad:

• 6 oz. fresh spinach
• 1 (11 oz.) can mandarin oranges, drained
• 1-2 small red onions, sliced
• 1 1/4 cup goat cheese, crumbled
• 1 cup dried cranberries
• 1 cup almonds, lightly toasted

Dressing:

• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 1 orange, juiced
• 1/2 lime, juiced
• 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons champagne vinegar
• 1 tablespoon honey
• salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Directions

1. In a large bowl, toss together the spinach, oranges, onions, dried cranberries and almonds. Set aside. The juices from the oranges will release and help flavor the salad.
2. In a separate bowl, start with the citrus juices and pour in the olive oil, then add in the champagne vinegar and honey. Make sure to mix well so that the dressing is well combined. Season with salt and pepper and adjust accordingly.
3. Pour some of dressing over salad, reserving the rest of it for people to dress their own, and toss well. Add goat cheese crumbles and refrigerate for 20 minutes or serve immediately.