Summer Spinach Salad

This vibrant and fresh summer salad is simple yet totally satisfying! Featuring good-for-you baby spinach, sweet strawberries and blueberries, a tangy sweet poppy seed dressing and some creamy, salty feta to finish it off. 

Ingredients:

5 oz baby spinach leaves

1 cup halved strawberries

1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced

1/4 cup crumbled feta

3/4 cup blueberries

Poppy seed dressing:

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

3 tbsps light olive oil

1 1/2 tbsps honey

1/2 tsp Dijon mustard

salt and pepper to taste

1 1/2 tbsps poppy seeds

First slice the onion and soak the slices in cold water for 5-10 minutes. This will mellow the onion out. Then combine the spinach, strawberries, blueberries and onion. Whisk the dressing ingredients together and when ready to serve toss together. Sprinkle crumbled feta on top. Serves 6 

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Creamy Rotini and Greens

If you tried my Meal Prep Chicken then you're halfway there to making this comfort food casserole. You can also use leftover roast chicken or rotisserie chicken instead.

Ingredients:

2 cups rotini (I used whole wheat here)

2 1/2 tbsps butter

3 tbsps flour

3 cups milk

salt and pepper to taste

pinch of cayenne

2 tsps minced garlic

1 tsp dry minced onion

2 cups chopped kale (or spinach)

1/2 cup parmesan cheese, divided

1 cup cooked chicken

See Meal Prep Chicken recipe:

https://www.hotandcoldrunningmom.ca/2024/08/meal-prep-chicken.html

 

First cook and drain the rotini in a colander, rinsing in cold water. Set aside.

In the same pot the rotini was cooked in heat the butter to medium high. Add the flour and stir 1 minute. Whisk in the milk, cayenne, garlic, minced dry onion, salt and pepper and cook 2-3 minutes to thicken.

Next add the kale and pre-cooked chicken with 1/4 cup parmesan. Stir in the cooked rotini.

Oil a 10" square baking dish and spoon the mixture in topping with the remaining 1/4 cup parmesan.

Bake at 425°F for 30 minutes.

Serves 4

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Spinach Cauliflower Rice

Sometimes simple is best. This nutritious side dish takes a grand total of 10 minutes from prep to the table!

Ingredients:

2 cups cauliflower rice (frozen)

1 1/2 tbsps olive oil

2 tsps garlic powder

1 tbsp butter

salt and pepper to taste

1 cup packed baby spinach leaves

6 basil leaves, chopped

Heat the olive oil to medium in a skillet and add the cauliflower rice, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Cook 3-4 minutes. Add the butter to melt then remove from heat. Toss in the spinach and basil to wilt then serve.

Serves 2

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Chicken Spinach Gnocchi Soup

Finally got around to trying this Olive Garden copycat! A creamy, rich broth loaded with chicken, spinach, carrots and pillowy soft gnocchi. It's a meal in a bowl!

Ingredients:

2 tbsps olive oil

1/2 cup shredded carrots

1/2 cup shredded onion

1 tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp celery seed

1/4 cup flour

4 cups chicken broth

3/4 - 1 lb cooked, chopped chicken (I used rotisserie)

500g (1 lb) gnocchi (tricoloured used here)

2 cups milk

2 cups chopped and packed spinach

salt and pepper to taste

fresh parsley and/or baby spinach leaves to garnish

Heat oil in a large pot to medium. Add the carrots and onion and cook until onion is translucent. Add the smoked paprika, thyme and celery seed and stir together. Whisk the flour into the broth, add to the pot and bring to a boil. Stir 1 minute then reduce heat back to medium and add the chicken. (Using rotisserie chicken is a big time saver!) Simmer 10 minutes. Next add the milk, gnocchi and spinach. Bring back to a simmer for 5-10 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve garnished with parsley and spinach leaves.

Makes 6 servings

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Classic Ricotta Stuffed Shells

These jumbo stuffed shells are a classic Italian comfort food with a creamy, cheesy spinach filling and a full bodied tomato sauce. Serve them with a big, old Caesar salad or with Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore Drumsticks. (See the link at the end of this post)

Ingredients:

1 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

3 tsps minced garlic

2 tsps dry oregano

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 tbsp tomato paste

salt and pepper to taste

28 oz can diced tomatoes

1 3/4 cups passata (strained tomatoes)

pinch of sugar

26 jumbo pasta shells

1/2 tbsp olive oil

200g (6 cups) packed fresh spinach

1 cup ricotta

2/3 cup shredded mozzarella

2 tsps minced garlic

handful of fresh basil leaves, chopped

1/4 cup parmesan or romano cheese

salt and pepper to taste

Start with the sauce. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large saucepan and add the onion cooking 3-4 minutes until translucent. Add garlic and oregano for 30 seconds then pour in the diced tomatoes and passata along with the balsamic, salt, pepper, tomato paste and sugar. Simmer 15-20 minutes.

For the filling heat 1/2 tbsp olive oil in a large pot. Add the spinach and about 1/4 cup water and stir just to wilt, 1-2 minutes. Drain off the hot water and let the spinach cool. When cool enough to handle squeeze the liquid out by wringing it in a clean dishtowel then return to the pot or a large bowl. Add ricotta, parmesan, garlic, basil, salt and pepper to spinach.

Cook the pasta shells to al dente, maybe 5 minutes less cooking time than actually required on package. Drain and rinse with cold water.

Pour the sauce into a 13 X 9" baking dish and preheat the oven to 350°F. Fill each shell with about 2 tsps of filling. Do not overfill or the shells may split, but once you've filled each shell you may go back and add a little more here and there.

Sit the stuffed shells in the sauce and top with shredded mozzarella and more parmesan cheese. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes.

Serves 6

Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore Drumsticks:

https://www.hotandcoldrunningmom.ca/2023/11/slow-cooker-chicken-cacciatore.html

Adapted from: thelastfoodblog.com

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