Do you think "boring" when thinking of adding veggies to your menu? I hope not! These power packs can be so underrated! Mouthwatering and good for you is what you should be thinking! Now, lets' shake things up and get this veggie party started!
We all love the old favorite of sauteed spinach with garlic and lemon but have you ever tried a spinach cake! It's awesome! It's everything we already love but done in a new way! Baked with ricotta, parmesan, garlic and black pepper these muscle makers (remember Popeye....) are especially satisfying when served warm! The crusty baked top yields to a chessy spinach filling with the first bite! SO Good!
And what about mushrooms, carrots, zuchini, broccoli and cauliflower??? Traditional side dishes in your house???? No more! They are the star of the show in this recipe for Baked Vegetables Au Gratin! Think loads of veggies with sauteed mushrooms and onions in butter and topped with parmesan! This gives new meaning to comfort food! This is comforting, savory, cheesy and completely guilt free! Go ahead.... have seconds.... you're gonna love this dish!
Bon Appetit!
Spinach Cakes
* 12 ounces fresh spinach (10 ounces trimmed mature spinach = about 10 cups raw, 10 ounces baby spinach = about 8 cups raw)
* 1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese, or low-fat cottage cheese
* 1/2 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish
* 2 large eggs, beaten
* 1 clove garlic, minced
* 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
* 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Pulse spinach in three batches in a food processor until finely chopped. Transfer to a medium bowl. Add ricotta (or cottage cheese), Parmesan, eggs, garlic, sea salt and pepper; stir to combine.
3. Coat 8 cups of the muffin pan with cooking spray. Divide the spinach mixture among the 8 cups (they will be very full).
4. Bake the spinach cakes until set, about 20 minutes. Let stand in the pan for 5 minutes. Loosen the edges with a knife and turn out onto a clean cutting board or large plate. Serve warm, sprinkled with more Parmesan, if desired.
published by Sunflower Markets
Vegetables Au Gratin
Ingredients
* 1 tb Olive oil
* 1 tb Butter
* 1 md Onion; chopped
* 1 c Sliced mushrooms
* 1 lg Sliced carrot
* 1 Zucchini; sliced into long
* 2 1/2 c Grated cheddar cheese
* 1 sm Head broccoli; sliced into
* 1 sm Head cauliflower; sliced
* 3 md Potatoes; sliced into long
* 2 tb Butter
* Salt
* Black pepper
BEAT TOGETHER WELL
* 2 c Milk
* 3 Eggs
TOPPING MIX TOGETHER
* 1/4 c Parmesan cheese
* 3 c Breadcrumbs
Preparation
Melt butter into oil, swirl to mix and add onions. Saute until light golden and add mushrooms. Cook another 2 minutes and remove from heat. Heat oven to 375F. Butter a large deep casserole dish. Wash vegetables (any combination of those mentioned or whatever you have on hand.) Slice all vegetables into thin slices, the length of each vegetable. Lay one layer of carrot and zucchini, sprinkle with half of the onions and mushrooms, one-third of the grated cheese, and salt and pepper, lay down a layer of broccoli and cauliflower, sprinkle with remaining onions and mushrooms, one-third of the grated cheese and salt and pepper. Lay down a layer of potatoes and sprikle with salt and pepper. Dot with butter. Mix together milk and eggs and pour over mixture. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for 15 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining one-third of the cheese, breadcrumbs and Parmesan mixture and bake another 15 minutes.
Food has to look good, taste good and in the 21st century be wholesome and pure. Glad to see your veggie ideas, hope that the restaurant business will make it easier for us to eat healthy in their establishments. They have traditionally feed us a lot of salt and other things that tasted good but were not health.
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