BIZZY BAKES

I bought the Kitchn cookbook after being impressed with the site, The Kitchn .  I did not get far into the recipe pages when two dishes jumped out at me, Sweet Potato and Caramelized Onion Hash with Baked Eggs and Morning Egg Bake with Turkey, Red Peppers and Spinach. I do not like the name of either recipe - much too long and specific but they did get my attention.  I think, in general, cooks have started listing too many ingredients in the titles of recipes, and that includes me. I made the latter without the turkey and had a pretty and tasty dish in front of me. I also cut the recipe way back to accommodate my needs. Morning Egg Bake Ingredients: olive oil 3 eggs 1/3 cup of milk salt to taste freshly ground black pepper 1/3 cup Parmesan 1 1/2 ounces goat cheese 2 ounces chopped baby spinach 1/2 red pepper, chopped Method: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 6 inch square pan. In a medium sized bowl, beat eggs and add in mil...

This recipe from Mark Bittman grabbed my attention with the name Meat and Grain Balls.  What grain is he talking about?  It seems, almost any grain would work so I used quinoa; Bittman used bulgur.  The truth is that quinoa is easy to cook and speedy to be finished which is why I chose it.  My guests picked out the quinoa by the taste but I could not do so.  I served these in a sweet and sour sauce and that is what dominated. Meat-and-Grain Balls 2 tablespoons olive oil Salt to taste 1 pound meat  1cloves minced garlic  2 shallots, chopped 1 or 2 shakes of cayenne 1 tablesppon chili powder black pepper to taste 1 egg 2 cups cooked, cooked quinoa 2 cups spinach  Preheat oven to 400F Bring pot of water to boil. Wilt spinach in boiling water for about 30 seconds. Drain it, dry it, chop it. Put spinach in a bowl, along with ground meat.  Add onion, garlic, spices and egg. Add either the cooked q...

This week was my turn to pick the recipe, we are cooking, in Wednesdays with Donna Hay (WwDH).  I knew, I was going to love these from the very first.  I did not disappoint myself.  These were yummy.  Of course, loving spinach and ricotta to start with, helps my admiration for this dish. The recipe was easier than I had thought.  There was no need to roll the dough.  The recipe called for it as it came.  I unfolded it and cut it in half.  I am thinking that it could have been cut into thirds and made a better looking "pie".  It did not call for many ingredients and I had them all on hand, except for the puff pastry. It is a matter of mixing all the ingredients together, plopping this down on the dough and folding it.  Even I, who panics when I deal with pastry dough, relaxed through this. I made half the recipe which gives one two generous pastries.  It was easy to gobble one down.  I can hope, I was more refined than...

Penne with Spinach and Ricotta Usually ricotta does not last long in my house.  There are so many delicious recipes one can use it for.  For some reason, I noted this particular container just sitting there for much too long and was even afraid the date was not going to be good.  Fortunately, the date was fine, the cheese was fresh and the dish, I made with it was delicious. The recipe comes from Hazan's book, Thirty Minute Pasta. .  Often, he adds vegetables to his pasta recipes which makes this lady very happy.  Of course, you can make the dish without the veggies if your family or you are not big on vegetables. My youngest granddaughter begs for two foods, chocolate and peas and I think her first choice is peas.  It is how it is presented.  She also likes anchovies, something I have not given her but her Dad has.  One day, when I was chopping onions, she wanted to taste a piece.  She loved it although, she had trouble chewing it....

I adore Peggy for selecting this  Spinach, Herb, and Goat Cheese Frittata  found on page 228  of Weeknight Wonders.  For me, this was a week day lunch and it could have been a treat for breakfast as well.  Since, I was making this just for one person and that person is me, I didn't completely follow the recipe and I used only two eggs and no egg whites. I  ran out of fresh spinach and subbed in frozen spinach.  I had just cut a red onion for something else so I used that in place of leeks or yellow onions. I think the secret ingredient was the goat cheese because its tangy taste lit up the whole frittata.  It was delicious and I would make this again and would be happy to try sliced bell peppers instead of spinach or maybe I would use both.   I love this recipe and recommend it to you egg lovers.Check out the other cooks and see how their frittatas turned out at Eating with Ellie. Linked to Full Plate Thursday     ...

One never needs an excuse to make mashed potatoes, the ultimate comfort food, in my opinion.  Adding spinach just makes it even more tempting.  Mashed potatoes goes with anything. I remember as a child, when I didn't feel well, my mother made mashed potatoes and carrots.  For years, I say that I should make it and I don't.  I think, although I loved it, it brings back memories of being under the weather. Mashed Potatoes and Spinach Ingredients: 4 potatoes, peeled 1⁄2 cup sour cream 3 tablespoons  butter 1/2 teaspoon salt 1⁄2 teaspoon black pepper 3 cups Baby Spinach  Method: Cut potatoes into quarters. Cover potatoes with salted cold water by 1 inch in a large saucepan and simmer, uncovered, until tender, 15 - 20 minutes. In a small saucepan place sour cream, butter and pepper and bring to a simmer. Drain potatoes. Mash potatoes. Stir spinach into warm cream sauce, Mash potatoe...

I made these once before and I didn't learn my lesson or more to the point, I didn't leave myself a note, not to add the spinach.  Even though I chopped it into small pieces, it was still too big to fit easily into the batter.  It caused some of the patties not to adhere easily.  As you can see, I could not get nice round patties.  They tasted fine despite this. Baked Southwestern Style Salmon Cakes adapted from Cook's Illustrated Ingredients: 2 cups flaked cooked salmon 1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped fine  3/4 cup frozen corn, thawed 1 cup chopped baby spinach 4 scallions minced 1 teaspoon dried cilantro  1 cup dried Panko crumbs  1/4 cup mayonnaise  1 large egg Salt and ground black pepper to taste Method: Preheat oven to 350 degrees In a small bowl combine  the breadcrumbs with the eggs, mayonnaise, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.  Mix well. Ge...

There are  certain vegetables, I purchase without any plans for them such as mushrooms and eggplant.  I usually have them on hand and decide what to do with them, as I am cooking. This time, I also had some spinach in the refrigerator.  It was not enough to make a full casserole for company but enough for the two of us to enjoy.  I suggest adding garlic to this recipe.  I didn't because of hubby's reaction to it but it would enhance the whole dish. I buy spinach, usually two pounds at a time and spread it out in many dishes.  It is amazing how some greenery makes a dish look better as well as adding flavor.  What I used in this dish was those last two cups from the large package. Kale is even better because it maintains a shape and does not shrink down to very little.  I don't like cleaning kale though and I like the taste of spinach better so you will find more spinach in this blog. Dairy Spinach and Mushroom s  Ingredien...

Three cheers for Gaye!!!! Gaye selected Shrimp Creole on page 184 on Weeknight Wonders. Shrimp, not being an option for a kosher cook, I substituted chunks of chicken. I was fortunate to find two cooked chicken breasts in my freezer and cut them up and we had a fabulous creole with them. I cut the amount of canned tomatoes down also. I thought it would be a soup, if I used the recommended amount. Hubby commented on how much he liked it twice. That is a really good sign. I agree with him. It was tasty and had everything needed for a meal in the dish. You can check what our other members made by going to Eating with Ellie website. Eating with Ellie is a group of cooks who enjoy Ellie's healthy and yummy recipes. There are no requirements to participate. Just link up the choice for the week. The book we are using, Weeknight Wonders, has a diversity of recipes and the real challenge is selecting with so many good choices. Linked to:         ...

Usually, I have little to say about my weekly Donna Hay recipe for WwDH (Wednesdays with Donna Hay) except that the dish was yummy, easy to make and used available ingredients. This week is a different story, thanks to Gaye who selected the Spinach Ravioli with Basil Oil found in Donna's book, Seasons, on page 174.  It was not easy for me, nor did I have all the ingredients, nor did I think to use them, even when I did have them.  Great way to start. Ravioli to me is an Italian dish with tomato sauce - boring probably but good. To make ravioli with Vietnamese paper rolls and lemon juice sounded out of kilter to me.  The cheeses were right (Oy vey, I forgot the Mozzarella).  Just another mistake in this recipe for me.   Give me credit, I did use Ricotta and Parmesan.  What's a little Mozzarella?  I started off feeling lost and never caught up.  I didn't have the paper rolls so I used so I used rice paper which should have worked beautifully...

I like the colors of this salad, the golds, greens and wine colored.  They make for a pretty plate to present. Spinach and Butternut Squash Salad with Nuts and Cranberries Ingredients: 2 cups butternut squash, peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 tablespoons butter 2 tablespoons brown sugar ½ cup walnuts 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar 2 teaspoons honey salt and pepper to taste 4 cups of baby spinach ½ cup dried cranberries Method: Roast or boil squash cubes.  I boiled them and some overcooked so I recommend roasting. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat.  Once the butter bubbles, stir in brown sugar, followed by walnuts.  Sauté nuts; stir frequently until coated with mixture, 6 minutes.  Remove from heat and allow to cool completely.  Whisk vinegar, honey, remaining 4 tablespoons olive oil, salt and pepper to taste in a small bowl.  Combine spinach, sq...

This week, for Eating With Ellie, Kayte chose a delightful salad, Tuscan Kale Salad, found in Ellie Krieger's book, Weeknight Wonders , a book, I love.  So far, every recipe was a success and was healthy and delicious to eat.  Page 41 is the page to find the recipe or here. I did not have kale so I subbed in baby spinach and in place of pine nuts, I used almonds.  I followed the rest of the recipe and although this is an easy recipe, cutting the spinach into thin strips took some time.  It looked pretty this way. You can check out what the other members did with this recipe by going to the Eating with Ellie website.  We welcome new members.  There are no requirements other than to love to cook and explore Ellie Krieger recipes.  Just make the week's recipe and add your link to the site's page. Thank you Kayte for a wonderful choice.  I served it with spicy salmon with caramelized onions and mango rice.

You probably know that I love, love , love spinach so when I found a recipe for a spinach kugel for Pesach, I jumped to make it.  I had forgotten that I had previously made it which makes no difference.  This is a good kugel. I hope to make if often in the future throughout the year. Spinach Kugel adapted from Taste of Pesach Ingredients:  16 oz. frozen chopped spinach, thawed  2 tbsp. oil  2 onions, diced  2 tbsp. mayonnaise  2 tbsp. water  2 eggs  1 tbsp. potato starch  1 tsp. salt   ¼ tsp. onion powder  Method: Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Heat oil in a large skillet.  Add onions and sauté until translucent. Drain  liquid from spinach.  Add spinach to onions and cook 15 minutes.  Remove from heat.   Cool slightly, and then add mayonnaise and water.  Beat eggs in a small bowl, and then add to skillet, stirring constantly....

I fell in love with recipes by Ellie Krieger in our original group CEiMB and have done that again in our new group Eating with Ellie, EwE.  I probably say this every week but that is what happens with true love.  Ask my hubby. This week, I chose a simple vegetable recipe which had spinach and corn, two of my favorites and zucchini which fits anywhere.  I made this about a month ago and all I remember is that we liked it.  It is an uncomplicated  side dish, won't be spectacular but it should be good to eat and goes with everything. To see what the other gals did this week, stop by Eating with Ellie (EwE )

I try to stay away from processed meats and salt so why use sausage?  I am going to stick to the old adage "All things in moderation and moderation in all things".  We have sausage a few times a year because it is so good but honestly, I usually put it in the freezer and forget about it until I clean the freezer or when I see a really good recipe using sausage. The idea of potatoes and sausage and of course onions and spinach seemed to be too good a combination so I put it together and we had a hearty soup. Potato Sausage Soup Ingredients: 1 tablespoon olive oil 3 sweet sausages, diced 1 onion, chopped 1 teaspoon dried basil 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes  1 teaspoon herbs de provence   salt and pepper, to taste 2 cups chicken broth (from the freezer - mine) 3 Idaho potatoes or potato of choice 2 cups baby spinach, rough chopped 1 cup Rice Milk Method: Heat oil in a large saucepan.   Add sausage and cook unt...

At first, I was making a plain spinach kugel but when peering in the refrigerator, I saw a little chimchurri dip left.  We do not waste if we can help it so into the kugel, it went.  I have no idea what chimchurri tastes like so it is hard for me to evaluate the dish.  I know, I liked it. Chimchurri Spinach Kugel Ingredients: 4 - 6  cups fresh baby spinach 1 teaspoon of olive oil 1 large onion, diced 1/4 cup chimchurri dip (store bought)1 tablespoon flour 2 eggs (I think 3 might have worked better) 1 teaspoon onion powder salt and pepper to taste 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg Method: Saute onion in heated olive oil.   In a large bowl, place spinach and add cooked onions. Add chimchurri dip, flour, eggs, nutmeg, onion powder, salt and pepper, Mix all ingredients together, mixing well. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 - 45 minutes.  It should be dry when you put a knife into it. Eat and enjoy. Linked to:    See Ya at the Gumbo ...

Usually when I am looking for a recipe, I check out Epicurious, Allrecipes, Food Network, Eating Well of any of those generalized and wonderful sites.  In reality, it is a lot more fun to check blogs that are new to me.  Not only do I get a new recipe, I get a new blog to view and possibly a new online friend. This time, I came across, Gimme some Oven  , written by an upbeat blogger Ali who wants to make cooking easy, healthy and delicious.  She not only enjoys cooking, she enjoys people and puts the two together.  She sounds delightful and I think you might like to meet her. Potato Soup Ingredients: 3 tablespoons butter 1 cup diced  yellow onion 1/4 cup gluten-free flour 2 cups vegetable stock 2 cups milk, warmed 1 1/2 pounds potatoes, peeled  and diced 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese 1/2 cup sour cream salt and pepper to taste 2 handfuls of baby spinach, sliced 1 shredded carrot Method: Place butter in a large soup pot .   Ad...

This title tells what I made but not what the group made.  The correct dish is  White Fish with Pine Nut Brown Butte r .  Ok, mine is  fish and has the butter but my changes were major.   When I ran out of pine nuts, a few months ago, I did not replace them because of the price.  That is where the almonds come in; they are my replacement in this recipe.  I was planning on picking up white fish in the store but it has been so cold, I opted out of facing the ice and freezing temperature and settled for salmon which was already, in the house. I admit, I am not at all sorry, because I love salmon and almonds are as good as pine nuts, in my opinion.  This quick dish was delightful.  It was mild flavored and on spinach, it seemed perfect. The ingredients were few, butter, almonds, lemon juice, salmon and spinach.  I added a little water when I put the spinach in the pan, for the last two minutes.   It came together easily a...