Spinach Lasagna

This spinach lasagna is one of my husband's favorites. This is a time-consuming recipe, but there are plenty of shortcuts you can use to make it easier. While I prefer fresh spinach and cheese I shred myself in lasagna, I usually use jarred pasta sauce and no-bake noodles to make assembly time faster. Regardless, it's still delicious!

Spinach Lasagna
Serves 6

1 box no-bake lasagna noodles
1 jar marinara sauce
5 ounces chopped fresh or frozen spinach
4 ounces part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded. Reserve 1 ounce.
4 ounces Parmesan cheese, shredded
1 15 ounce container of low-fat ricotta cheese
1/2 of an onion, diced
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil

1. Heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook until translucent.
2. Add spinach and cook about 10 minutes more.
3. Combine ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, spinach mixture, basil oregano, salt, and pepper.
4. In a large baking dish, spread some of the pasta sauce. Top with one layer of noodles. Add 1/3 of cheese mixture. Top with pasta sauce and repeat layering, ending with remaining pasta sauce.
5. Cover with tin foil and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove tin foil, top with remaining cheese and cook 15 more minutes.

Strawberry Spinach Salad

I love strawberry spinach salad in the springtime. The traditional recipe uses poppy seeds, which are expensive. I've substituted sunflower seeds here, which offer a better bang for your buck and a unique flavor.

Strawberry Spinach Salad
Serves 4

1 package baby spinach
4 ounces strawberries, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons sunflower seeds
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon raspberry vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar

1. Combine spinach, strawberries, and sunflower seeds.
2. Whisk olive oil, raspberry vinegar, and sugar together. Toss with salad.

I served this salad with ham sandwiches and potato au gratin for a classic spring meal.

Spinach and Bacon Quiche

I made this quiche for my husband's birthday using two of his favorite foods--bacon and spinach. I pre-made the quiche, refrigerated it, and then in the morning heated it up for about 20 minutes at 375 degrees. Since quiche is so heavy, I served this with a fruit salad of bananas, oranges, and strawberries.

Spinach and Bacon Quiche
Serves 8

3 strips of bacon
1 handful of fresh spinach
1/4 of a cup finely diced onion
4 ounces cheddar cheese
4 ounces Monterrey Jack cheese
1 cup half and half
6 eggs
1 pre-made pie crust

1. Cook bacon over medium heat until crispy, about 15 minutes. During the last 5 minutes of cooking, add the onion and cook the onion in the bacon fat.
2. Remove bacon and onion from pan and drain on a paper towel.
3. Place pre-made pie crust in pie pan. Crumble bacon and tear spinach into small pieces. Add bacon, spinach, and onion to pie.
4. Beat 6 eggs in a bowl. Add cheese and half and half.
5. Pour egg mixture over bacon and spinach.
6. Cook at 375 degrees about 40 minutes, or until quiche is set and slightly brown on top.

Roasted Red Pepper and Spinach Pizza

I try to always keep yeast in the house so that whenever I feel like pizza I can whip it up from scratch. If you're pressed for time, Trader Joe's pizza dough works well. I've found the secret to a great pizza dough is to roll it out in corn meal instead of flour. Even if you bought the pizza dough at the store, roll it out in corn meal for a better taste and texture.

Basic Pizza Dough
1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
1 cup warm water
2 teaspoons white sugar
2 cups flour
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup corn meal

1. Mix yeast, water, and sugar together. Let stand about 10 minutes, until mixture has bubbles.
2. In a food processor fitted with a dough hook, mix yeast mixture with all other ingredients until just combined.
3. Put dough in a bowl, cover with a towel, and let rise until dough doubles in size, about 30 minutes.
4. Sprinkle corn meal on surface. Roll out dough until desired shape.


Roasted Red Pepper and Spinach Pizza
Serves 4 

Basic pizza dough
2 roasted red peppers, sliced
1 handful of spinach, sliced
8 ounces fresh mozzarella, shredded

1 6 ounce can tomato sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon basil
Salt and pepper

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Meanwhile, put pizza stone in oven to preheat.
2. Remove pizza stone from oven. Carefully transfer rolled out dough to pizza stone. You may need to adjust the dough to fit the pizza stone. Be careful not to touch the stone!

3. Top dough with sauce, cheese, and vegetables.
4. Bake for 20 minutes, or until golden brown.

Orange Spinach Salad

With oranges full of vitamin C and spinach full of vitamin A, this salad is packed with nutrients. The beautiful contrast in colors makes this a great dish to serve at a dinner party.

Orange Spinach Salad
Serves 4

1 medium orange
1 bag of baby spinach
1/4 of a red onion, sliced
1/4 cup walnuts
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper

1. Slice off 1 quarter of the orange and squeeze juice into a small bowl. Remove any seeds.
2. Add olive oil, salt, and pepper. Whisk to combine.
3. Peal the rest of the orange and cut each piece in half.
3. Combine spinach, red onions, orange pieces, and walnuts.
4. Drizzle with orange juice and olive oil dressing.

Spinach and Artichoke Dip With Red Peppers

Spinach and Artichoke dip is one of my favorite appetizers to order in a restaurant. Serve it at a party with slices of bread, crackers, or pita chips.

Spinach and Artichoke Dip
1 8 ounce package of frozen spinach, let sit at room temperature for half and hour
1 4 ounce can of artichokes, drained
1/2 of a white onion, diced
4 ounces of light cream cheese
1/2 cup light mayonnaise
1/2 cup light sour cream
1/2 cup Monterrey jack cheese, plus more for top
1/4 cup diced red pepper
1 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 teaspoon olive oil

1. Heat olive oil in large pan over medium heat.
2. Add onion and cook until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes.
3. Add spinach and saute about 10 minutes. If spinach is still slightly frozen, it will defrost in the pan.
4. Add spinach mixture, artichokes, cream cheese, mayonnaise, sour cream, 1/4 cup cheese, and ground red pepper to food processor or blender. Pulse until mixture is mixed, but there are still chunks of artichokes and spinach left.
5. Transfer mixture to pretty baking dish. Top with remaining cheese and diced red pepper.
6. Cook at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, or until slightly browned and bubbly.
7. Serve in baking dish with slices of bread, crackers, or pita chips.