Spinach Squares

Posted on December 17, 2009 by kitchenbelle

This time of year, over and over I find myself  searching for “good” appetizer recipes.  “Good” usually means the following:

  • not too difficult
  • does not require too much time
  • travels well
  • people will actually want to eat it

I recently found myself Googling like crazy and I could not find something that fit the bill.  I have a few go-tos (like this Layered Greek Dip, for instance) but I just get sick of the same thing over and over.  (By the way, if I had a nickel for each time I made that Layered Greek Dip I could buy Greece and all of its feta…and olives…and olive oil…you get the picture.)

After much frustration and interchanging of the words “appetizer” and “hors d’oeuvre” in Google (because technically *I think* an appetizer is something that is served as a plated first course  and hors d’oeuvres are more of finger foody snacks, or at least that’s how I distinguish them) I conceded that Greek Dip it would be.  But then for some reason I remembered to consult my green binder.  My green binder is a vinyl, school binder and it is bursting at the seams.  It contains recipe printouts and handouts and tearouts and recipe cards and papers and clippings from all walks of life.  And there it was:

A little old fashioned recipe card with a little duck wearing a ruffled apron on it and my 8 year-old penmanship staring up at me.  A recipe from the 1980s.  A recipe that reminds me of first communion parties and birthday cookouts and grandparents’ anniversaries.  A recipe that I transcribed from an aunt on June 25.  (It is dated!)

SPINACH SQUARES.  Spinach Squares are the perfect appetizer (or shall I say, hors d’oeuvre).  They travel well, they are versatile, they are delicious and they are straight out of the 1980s–what could be cooler than that!  (That’s almost retro, right?)  I promise never to forget these little bites of cheesy goodness again.   

Spinach Squares:

  • 4 tablespoons of butter
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1 teaspoon dried onion
  • 2 packages chopped frozen spinach, thawed and drained well
  • 2  8-oz packages grated white cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Melt butter in a glass 9 x 13-inch dish.  In a medium bowl, mix the remaining ingredients together and spread into dish.  Bake for 30-35 minutes.  Let stand for 30 minutes before cutting.  Cut into small squares.  May be served warm, cool, or at room temperature.

Filed under: Appetizer, cheese, VEGETARIAN | 9 Comments »

Arugula, Cranberry, and Goat Cheese Stuffed Turkey Cutlets

Posted on November 11, 2009 by kitchenbelle

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This is another delicious and easy weeknight meal.  I made it up in my head on my way home from work based on ingredients I knew we had on hand.  The panko crumbs make the cutlets very crispy, though you could certainly substitute any type of bread crumbs.  The filling is a delicious little surprise!  I think this is a perfect fall meal.  I served with roasted maple and olive oil acorn squash.

Arugula, Cranberry, and Goat Cheese Stuffed Turkey Cutlets:

  • 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 cups fresh arugula
  • 1 leek, rinsed clean and finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • coarse salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1 1/4 cups panko bread crumbs, seasoned to taste with coarse salt and pepper
  • 3 teaspoons of mango chutney (I use Major Gray’s)
  • 2 teaspoons honey mustard (or Dijon mustard)
  • 4 turkey cutlets, rinsed and dried with a paper towel
  • 1/4 cup dried cranberries, roughly chopped
  • 1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese
  • 2 tablespoons grated mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Heat olive oil in a sauce pan over low heat.  Add leek and cook until tender.  Add garlic and cook until soft.  Add arugula.  Add salt and pepper and use a spatula to move arugula around the pan.  Cook until just wilted and then add chopped dried cranberries, goat cheese and mozzarella.

On a baking sheet place a piece of parchment paper or aluminum foil.

In one small shallow bowl combine mustard and chutney.  Mix with a small spoon until combined.   Pour breadcrumbs into a second small shallow bowl.  Dip cutlets, one at a time, into chutney mixture.   Then pat breadcrumbs onto one side of the cutlet.  Place on cookie sheet and scoop 1-2 tablespoons of the arugula filling onto one side of the cutlet.  Fold top portion of cutlet onto filling and secure with a toothpick.  Repeat for remaining cutlets.

Bake for 20-30 minutes or until turkey is done and juices run clear.  Garnish with dried cranberry pieces and goat cheese crumbles.

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I love the beautiful contrast of the fresh arugula and the dried cranberries.

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Scoop filling on the bottom end of each cutlet so that you can easily fold over the top portion.

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Fold over cutlet and secure with a toothpick.

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Oozing with fresh arugula, cranberries, and cheese!

Filed under: arugula, cheese, cranberry, Fall, Main Dish, mozzarella | 10 Comments »

Pumpkin Seed Pesto and Squash Sauce over Fresh Pasta

Posted on October 18, 2009 by kitchenbelle

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My colleague takes part in a community garden in Jamaica Plain where she grows all sorts of herbs and vegetables.  I believe we are closing in on the basil season here in the northeast because yesterday she very generously offered to give me a gigantic amount of basil from her garden.  And I mean a gigantic amount–I think she gave me nearly an entire bush!  I have been wanting to make pesto for a while now, but I don’t have my own basil plant and I would have to buy about 25 of those plastic snap containers (you know how basil is sold in grocery stores?) to get a half cup of pesto.  A free bush of basil is almost exciting as dark chocolate Reese’s peanut butter cups! I couldn’t wait to make pesto! 

However, basil is so summery to me. I wanted to put an autumn spin on our dinner.  It immediately clicked on how I could do it: Use PUMPKIN SEEDS instead of PINE NUTS!  Perfect.  I also wanted to incorporate some squash and fresh pasta.  Using these ideas and ingredients I sequestered myself in the kitchen and I pretended to be on Top Chef.  (I am really enjoying that show lately–I love all of the discussion about  “notes” and “building flavor.”) 

The result was awesome.  This was one of those meals that while I was eating it I got super excited and giddy!  It was so delicious.   Not just delicious but so much more delicious than I ever expected.  (Don’t you love when that happens?)   And it was easy and didn’t take very long to make.  My favorite part was the contrast of the mild creamy squash sauce with the sharp garlicky saltiness of the pesto.  They really worked well together. The fresh chewy pasta was a major asset as well–it really jived with the creamy squash sauce.  The risk of using all of these ingredients, which could have been overkill, really paid off.  And this made for a pretty fall plate.  The green of the spinach pasta with the orange sauce on top was very cool.

Although I tried to keep track of my methods and ingredients, I didn’t measure everything.  If you want to try to replicate this feel free to email me.  That said,  it was pretty easy and I don’t think you could go wrong with such a delicious cast of flavor characters.

Pumpkin Seed Pesto and Squash over Fresh Pasta:

 

  • 1 pound fresh spinach pasta (If you are feeling ambitious, make your own!  I bought some from Whole Foods for $4.99)

Pumpkin Seed Pesto

  • several bunches of fresh basil
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • ~3/4 cup fresh shredded parmesan reggiano cheese
  • 3/4 cup pumpkin seeds, toasted
  • ~ 3/4 cup olive oil
  • salt and pepper to taste

Squash Sauce

  • 2 cups squash (you can use canned or fresh)
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 3/4 cup chicken broth (use vegetable broth instead and this dish is vegetarian)
  • 1.5 teaspoons nutmeg
  • a handful of fresh shredded parmesan reggiano cheese

Boil water for pasta.  Be sure to add salt to the water.

Make the pesto

Toast pumpkin seeds in a large pan over medium heat.

In a food processor chop basil, garlic, cheese, and all but two tablespoons of the pumpkin seeds.  While food processor is running, pour olive oil into food processor in a steady stream.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Set aside.

Make squash sauce

In the same pan in which you toasted the pumpkin seeds, cook squash, milk, and chicken broth and stir together until smooth and creamy.  Add nutmeg and cheese.  Continue to stir until heated through and cheese has melted.

Add pasta to boiling water.  Cook until done and drain.  Immediately add pasta to pan containing squash sauce and toss to coat pasta.

Portion pasta into individual bowls.  Scoop about two tablespoons of pesto on top of each serving.  Garnish with reserved pumpkin seeds. Serve immediately.

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Filed under: basil, cheese, Fall, Main Dish, pasta, pumpkin, squash, VEGETARIAN | 9 Comments »

Game Day Loaded Quesadillas

Posted on October 5, 2009 by kitchenbelle

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The New England Patriots are a big deal in our household.  Autumn Sundays revolve around the game and I love that it gives me a reason to cook hearty and delicious food.  My husband made a request for some quesadillas yesterday (I love when he makes specific requests!) and I was excited to deliver.

Quesadillas are simple and versatile.  They are an easy go-to and they are an especially great way to use up leftovers.  Do you have some grilled veggies you want to reincarnate? Toss them in a quesadilla.  Leftover roasted chicken?  Do the same.  You can create a last minute masterpiece of a dinner by simply digging through your fridge.  My philosophy about quesadillas is similar to that of tarts.  The options are endless! 

Game Day Loaded Quesadillas:

  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon coarse salt
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  • 4-6 thinly sliced chicken breasts*
  • 4 wheat wraps or tortillas
  • 1-2 cups shredded Mexican cheese (about 1/2 cup per quesadilla)
  • 1 avocado, cubed
  • 2 tablespoons canned or fresh chopped chiles
  • 1 cup salsa (make your own or doctor up jarred salsa by adding fresh cilantro, black beans, and/or corn kernels)
  • 1 bunch scallions, finely chopped
  • dollops of sour cream or non-fat Greek yogurt

Combine first three ingredients.

Rinse and pat dry chicken.  Rub both sides of each piece of chicken with cumin/salt/pepper mixture. Grill each piece of chicken until done.  Remove from heat and cut into thin strips. Set aside.

In a non-stick pan place one tortilla.  Top with some cheese then chicken strips, avocado chunks, chiles, a few tablespoons of salsa (not too much or your quesadilla will be soggy), fresh scallions and then more cheese.  Place another tortilla on top.  Press down along edges of tortilla to seal it.  Serve with dollops of non-fat Greek yogurt (or sour cream) and salsa.  Garnish with scallions.

*I purchase fresh chicken that is labeled “thinly sliced breasts.”  I find they cook very quickly and save me the time of pounding or slicing full sized breasts myself.  

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Filed under: Appetizer, cheese, chicken | 2 Comments »

Butternut Squash with Goat Cheese

Posted on October 2, 2009 by kitchenbelle

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It has been a difficult week in the land of Kitchenbelle.  While enjoying the weekend at BlogHer Food ’09 in beautiful San Francisco (at the fabulous cocktail party hosted by The Mushroom Channel, to be exact) I learned of the unexpected death of a dear friend of ours.  He was a regular visitor to this blog and each time we were together he inquired about it.  Also, he was quite the prankster and his silly comments on this blog (one claimed “I made this meal [tuna noodle casserole] the other night and it was wonderful.  Me and my cat await your next masterpiece.  Meow!”) will be sorely missed.  He will be sorely missed and my words here will not do him  justice. 

Though I try to keep Kitchenbelle.com a place of cheer, happiness, and inspiration I couldn’t not mention this loss.  I am sure you would have sensed it anyway.  For me food is something I can control and something I can look forward to.  So I guess it is natural that in times of despair, I find myself baking and cooking more often.  The methods and rhythms soothe me.  The smells provide comfort.  Sitting across the table from my husband over a warm home-cooked and nutritious meal, on a dark cool night, especially during my favorite season of the year, ground me.  They give me hope and encourage me to be thankful.

My husband has had an especially difficult few days prompting me to want to do nothing more than to take care of him.  The best way I know how to do that is to shower him with love and dinner.  It is a feeble attempt at easing the pain, but it is what I know. 

Our friend was buried yesterday, one of the first beautiful breezy sunny autumn days in the northeast.  I found myself thinking of those verses from Ecclesiastes (I remember being struck by them while studying the Old Testament during ninth grade humanities class) that the Yardbirds spun into that popular song:  “To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven…a time to weep, a time to laugh, a time to mourn, a time to dance…a time to get, a time to lose…”  Autumn is already a nostalgic season. 

After all was said and done we took a ride to a pumpkin stand and purchased some gourds and a pumpkin for our stoop.  In hopes of capturing the season as well as offering some respite from a heartbreaking day, I decided to make squash for dinner.  I adjusted this recipe quite a bit and I have noted those changes below. 

Changes and Notes:

*Original recipe called for sage.  My grocery store was out of sage so I used chives.  Sage with squash is a more traditional flavor combination, however, the chives were just fine.

*Original recipe called for blue cheese.  I don’t eat blue cheese so I substituted goat cheese.  Delicious.  I love goat cheese.

*Original recipe was vegetarian. I wanted to add some bulk so I added grilled chicken breasts.

*This is a simple and nutritious (also low calorie, I think) weeknight dinner that could be easily un-healthified (as in, bumped up a notch for company) with the addition of some heavy cream and cheddar.  Email me if you would like to discuss how this could be achieved.

Butternut Squash with Goat Cheese:

  • 5  cups  (3/4-inch) cubed peeled butternut squash (about 2 pounds)
  • 1  (1 1/2-ounce) bread
  • 4  teaspoons  olive oil, divided
  • 2  cups onion, finely chopped
  • 4  tablespoon  chopped fresh chives or 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
  • 3 chicken breasts, grilled and torn into pieces
  • 1/2 cup chicken broth
  • 1/2  teaspoon  salt
  • 1/4  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
  • Cooking spray
  • 1  cup crumbled goats cheese (or 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese)

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Steam squash until tender, about 10 minutes.

Place bread in a food processor, and pulse until coarse crumbs measure 1/2 cup. Transfer to a small bowl and add 2 teaspoons oil, and toss with a fork to combine.

Heat remaining 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion to pan; saute 5 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Transfer the onion mixture to a large bowl. Add butternut squash, chicken (if using), chicken broth, chopped herb, salt, and black pepper to bowl, and toss gently to combine.  Spoon squash mixture into an 11 x 7–inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400 F for 20 minutes. Sprinkle crumbled cheese evenly over squash mixture, and sprinkle evenly with breadcrumb mixture. Bake an additional 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted and crumbs are golden brown.

Adapted from MyRecipes.com.

Filed under: cheese, chicken, chives, Fall, Main Dish, Side, squash | 4 Comments »

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