Spinach Artichoke Souffle

Our hands-down favorite breakfast item to get at Panera is their Spinach Artichoke soufflé. Though it has both spinach and artichoke and lots of protein from eggs, it is not necessarily the healthiest breakfast choice Panera offers - it has roughly 25% of a day’s worth of calories and 33g of fat - but oh boy, is it tasty! Since we usually end up indulging in one just about every weekend, I figured I ought to try making it at home - hopefully helping both our waistlines and our wallets!

Ingredients: (makes 4 soufflés)

4 large eggs

¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese

2 TBSP reduced fat sour cream or Greek yogurt (I used yogurt)

½ tsp baking powder

Salt to taste

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

¼ cup frozen spinach, thawed (can use fresh chopped, packed)

2 artichoke hearts, chopped

1 TBSP chopped red bell pepper (I didn’t have bell pepper, but I did have pimentos, so I tried those instead)

~4 TBSP additional shredded Parmesan cheese for topping

1 frozen puff pastry sheet, thawed (I used Phyllo dough, it came in a box with 2 large rolls - I ended up using about half of one roll)

Heat oven to 400F.

In a bowl, beat 3 eggs. Add yogurt (or sour cream), baking powder, salt, garlic, bell pepper (or pimentos), and ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, and mix well. Add spinach and artichoke and stir to combine.

In a small bowl, beat remaining egg. Roll out pastry on parchment paper or Aluminum foil and cut into 2 squares/rectangles about 3-4 inches on one side (this ended up being about half of one roll of the Phyllo dough).

Each square will have about 20+ sheets - separate them into stacks of about 10 each, to end up with 4 squares/rectangles of pastry with about 10 sheets in each stack. With each square, gently separate the layers of pastry one at a time to brush with the egg wash. (Note: you can also do the egg wash first before cutting the sheet into squares.)

Carefully lift each pastry square and lay in soufflé cups or baking pan. Spoon 3-4 TBSP of the spinach artichoke mixture into each cup and top with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese. Fold the pastry corners over top of the egg mixture and brush the tips with extra egg wash.

Bake 20-25 minutes, until pastry turns golden brown. Let cool 5-10 minutes before removing from pan.

Dig in and enjoy the Panera-style deliciousness!

~ Karla

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Chicken and Spinach Enchiladas

Happy Cinco de Mayo! Not to be confused with Mexico’s Independence Day (which is in September), Cinco de Mayo (literally “Five of May”) celebrates the Mexican army’s unexpected and unlikely defeat of French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. My husband and I will probably head to the Mexican restaurant near our house, which we frequent almost once a week, usually splitting a giant quesadilla or burrito - or just gorging in their delicious house guacamole, chips, and salsa! In honor of Cinco de Mayo, here’s a recipe for homemade chicken and spinach enchiladas!

Ingredients:

~1½ cups cooked, shredded chicken breast

~10oz chopped spinach (I used frozen, thawed and drained)

~¼ cup chopped onion

2-3 cloves minced garlic

Ground pepper, salt to taste

2 cups shredded Cheddar Jack cheese (or Colby Jack, or any Mexican-style blend)

~10 corn or flour tortillas (enchiladas traditionally call for corn tortillas, but I used flour tortillas)
 

For the sauce:

¼ cup canola oil

2 TBSP flour

Scant ¼ cup chili powder (the seasoning, not ground red chili)

1 8-oz can no salt added tomato sauce

~1½ cup water

Garlic powder

Ground cumin


To make the sauce:

In a saucepan over medium heat, brown the flour in oil. Add chili powder and toast for a couple minutes. Add water and tomato sauce and stir well. Season with garlic powder and cumin to taste.

 

To make the filling:

Saute spinach and onion in a pan over medium heat (you can use a little cooking oil if you like, but it is not necessary). Add chicken and season with garlic and pepper to taste.

Assembling & Baking:

Preheat oven to 375°F. Reserve 1 cup of shredded Cheddar Jack cheese.

 

 

Lay a tortilla flat and put about ½ cup of chicken-spinach mixture toward one side of the tortilla. Sprinkle a bit of the cheese (about ½ - 1 TBSP) over the filling, then roll up tightly and place in a baking dish lined with Aluminum foil. Repeat until all the filling is used up (I was able to use 10 tortillas).

Spoon enchilada sauce over the top and spread to cover everything evenly. Sprinkle the remaining cup of cheese on top.

Bake at 375°F for 15-20 minutes until cheese is completely melted and a little crispy at the edges. Enjoy!

~Karla 

 

 

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Stuffed Chicken Breast

Over the years, I’ve seen many, many pictures of delicious meals such as chicken cordon bleu, braciola (Italian stuffed beef), and several varieties of stuffed pork tenderloin. The pictures always made my mouth water, and most recipes seemed fairly straightforward, save one thing: my lack of a meat mallet. Marriage to the rescue! When my husband and I got married, a meat tenderizer was among our presents. Three plus years later, I finally used it while making a simple baked stuffed chicken dish! I used ingredients I already had on hand and topped the chicken off with a simple breadcrumb mix for a nice crispy accent.

Ingredients:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

~1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

~1 cup feta cheese

~1½ - 2 cups fresh spinach

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

For breadcrumb topping

~¼ cup grated parmesan cheese

~¼ cup panko breadcrumbs

1 tsp garlic powder

dash of ground pepper, thyme, marjoram

Preheat oven to 350°F.

To make the filling: Place cheese, spinach, and minced garlic in bowl. Microwave on high for 1 - 1½ minutes in ~30sec bursts to wilt spinach and soften cheese, stirring in between.

To make the breading: Combine parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs. Season with garlic powder, thyme, marjoram, and ground pepper.

Assembly: Butterfly chicken breasts and use the flat side of a meat mallet to tenderize/thin the chicken to about ½ inch thick. Spread filling on one side, roll up and secure ends closed with toothpicks, and place on a baking sheet.

Finishing: Sprinkle the tops of the chicken rolls with breading mixture. Bake at 350°F for 45 minutes.

Remove the toothpicks, slice and enjoy!

~Karla

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Baked Spinach Artichoke Chicken Dip

One of my husband’s favorite appetizers is spinach artichoke dip - two healthy greens turned into somewhat of an indulgence with warm, gooey, garlicky melty cheese. Sometimes, if we are not particularly hungry, we’ll split an order of spinach artichoke dip for a meal, and we always run out of dip before we’ve used up the chips that come with it! I had never really thought about trying to make my own spinach artichoke dip. While I usually have frozen spinach on standby in the freezer, artichoke almost never makes it to my weekly shopping list. I had tried using fresh artichoke once before, many years ago, and it was pretty disastrous. Recently, however, I started experimenting with soufflés and have regularly gotten canned artichokes - much easier to work with! With both spinach and artichoke on hand, I decided it was time to give this favorite appetizer a try. For additional substance, I tossed in some shredded chicken breast to make it a little more meal-worthy.

Ingredients:

1 can artichoke hearts (about 8-10 hearts), coarsely chopped

~10oz chopped spinach (I used frozen, thawed & drained)

~1.5 cups chicken breast, cooked and shredded

8oz cream cheese (I used reduced fat)

~6oz plain Greek yogurt (I used fat-free)

~½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese

~1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese

3-4 garlic cloves, minced

Heat oven to 375°F.

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients. Mix until cream cheese and yogurt are incorporated, but no need to make it a homogenous mixture - pockets of melty cheese are wonderful when eating!

 

Transfer the mixture to a baking dish and bake for 20-25 minutes, until the cheese at the edges begins to brown. Allow sufficient cooling time to prevent burned tongues, top with more parmesan, then dig in with crackers or chips!

 

~Karla

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One Pot Macaroni With Creamy Spinach Sauce

Pasta might not be considered the healthiest of foods, but a nice weekend workout deserves some warm, comforting pasta with a delicious creamy sauce. Especially so, if you are able to sneak in a lot of nutrition in the pasta meal! Here’s one way of doing that - this creamy one pot pasta is cooked in the sauce itself. The starch from the pasta helps thicken the sauce without having to add any cheese or cream. Pureed spinach adds a good dose of vitamins and a bright pop of color to the meal. I used broccoli and corn, but any other vegetables can be added to the pasta. To complete the meal with protein, serve it with boiled eggs or grilled chicken.

Ingredients: (Serves 2)

2 tsp olive oil

2 cloves of garlic - minced

1 cup chopped broccoli

¼ cup corn

4 oz elbow macaroni - uncooked

1 cup water

1 cup packed spinach

½ cup skimmed milk

Salt, ground black pepper, chili flakes (to taste)

2 boiled eggs (optional)

Parmesan cheese (optional)

Lemon juice (optional)

Heat oil over medium heat. Add the veggies and garlic, saute for a couple minutes to let the garlic cook. Add the uncooked pasta, and saute for a minute. Add 1 cup of water, deglaze the pan, add salt, pepper and/or chili flakes and cook covered for 2-3 minutes. While pasta is cooking, add the spinach and milk to a blender and puree until smooth. Add the pureed mixture to the pasta, and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally until pasta is cooked. Add more water or milk if required.

Serve hot topped with boiled eggs. Sprinkle fresh lemon juice and grated Parmesan cheese if desired.

~Gayatri

Note: 
Other one pot pastas you might like -
Spaghetti in a tomato based sauce with spinach and mushrooms
Pasta with creamy garlic sauce

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Portobello Mushroom Strudel

I’m always looking for quick weeknight dinners, but throwing salads together, making sandwiches or an omelette quickly gets boring. However, with some time spent prepping on the weekend (and store bought pie crusts!) weeknight dinners can be a breeze. One such dish is a simple strudel. Here’s one of our recipes for a chicken strudel, and if you’d like a vegetarian version, follow along for a crispy but moist and cheesy strudel recipe using Portobello mushrooms, asparagus and spinach. The veggies can be cooked ahead of time and refrigerated to speed up the process. You could even assemble the strudel, cover it with plastic wrap and keep it in the fridge until ready to bake.

Ingredients:

1 small onion - chopped

8-10 asparagus stalks - chopped

2 cups packed fresh spinach - chopped

3 large portobello mushroom caps - sliced about ½ inch thick

4 tsp oil

Red wine vinegar or lemon juice (optional)

Salt, black pepper

1 pie crust

3 provolone cheese slices

Egg wash (optional)

Mix 1:1 parts water and beaten egg

Mushroom Sauce (optional)

~⅓ cup dehydrated wild mushrooms- soaked in hot water for half hour

1 tsp oil/ butter

2 tsp flour

¼ tsp thyme leaves

1.5 cups water/vegetable stock/milk

Salt, black pepper to taste

Spinach, asparagus mixture

Heat 1 tsp oil over medium high heat. Add the onions and garlic, cook until onions are translucent. Add the asparagus and spinach, season with salt and pepper and cook until spinach is wilted (1-2 min). Add lemon juice or vinegar, take off the heat and set aside.

Portobello mushroom slices

Slice the mushroom caps about ½ inch thick. Heat the remaining oil over medium heat. Place the mushroom slices in a single layer. Once they are browned on the bottom, turn them over. Add some lemon juice or vinegar if using, and let the mushroom cook until the other side is browned.

Assembling and baking the strudel

Preheat oven to 425 F.

Roll out the pie crust on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Using the back of a knife, gently mark vertical lines on the pie crust approximately dividing it in thirds. Using a sharp knife, make horizontal cuts on the outer sections as shown.

Place the cheese slices slightly overlapping each other in the middle third of the pie crust. Top it with the spinach asparagus mixture. Lay the portobello slices on top of the mixture.

Fold over the sides and press them together to seal. Seal the ends of the strudel, and brush the top with egg wash (optional).

Bake for 30-40 minutes until the top is browned.

Mushroom sauce

While the strudel is baking, prepare the mushroom sauce. Roughly chop the rehydrated mushrooms. Heat oil/butter over medium-low heat and add the mushrooms. Sauté for a minute, then add flour and cook, stirring continuously, for a couple minutes. Add the water that the mushrooms were soaked in (and/or vegetable stock or milk). Season with salt and pepper and let the sauce reduce to the consistency of your liking.

Slice the strudel and serve it topped with the mushroom sauce for extra deliciousness!

~Gayatri

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Portobellow mushroom, spinach and asparagus strudel with a creamy mushroom saucehttp://cooksofcakeandkindness.blogspot.com/2016/04/portobello-mushroom-strudel.html

Posted by The Cooks of Cake and Kindness on Monday, April 11, 2016