Recipe Rewind: Rigatoni with Grilled Peppers and Onions

Memorial Day cook-outs are all about The Meat. We know this. BBQ chicken, brats, burgers, hot dogs...We load the grill up with all of it, and we go for it. 

But may I suggest that, this year, you leave a tiny bit of space open for some bell peppers and onions, and make this pasta dish to go alongside all of The Meat? I promise you won't be sorry.

I first made this pasta years ago, and it was long overdue for a reappearance here. This is one dish that's every bit as delicious as it is gorgeous. It's hearty enough to serve as a vegetarian main dish, but it's also a perfect side dish. The flavor of the grilled peppers and onions, especially in combination with the basil, is just fantastic. 

This is perfect summer food: It's healthy, simple, and oh-so-satisfying.

Rigatoni with Grilled Peppers and Onions
from Real Simple
  
2 medium red onions, sliced into rings
2 large sweet bell peppers, cut into quarters
Olive oil
Kosher salt and pepper
12 ounces (4 to 5 cups) rigatoni
1 bunch spinach, stems trimmed, or one 5-ounce package
1 cup (about 3 1/2 ounces) grated Parmesan
3/4 cup basil leaves, thinly sliced

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Heat a grill or grill pan to medium-high. In a large bowl, toss the onions, bell peppers, oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Grill, turning occasionally, until tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and cut into bite-size pieces.

2. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking water, drain the pasta, and return the pasta to the pot. Add the grilled vegetables, spinach, the reserved pasta water, and 3/4 cup of the Parmesan to the pasta and toss to combine. Top with the basil and the remaining Parmesan before serving.

Chicken and Spinach Tacos with Creamy White Bean Mash

Since I'm the one who does the grocery shopping and cooking for my family, I'm the one who plans our meals. As a result, I'm the one who usually chooses what we eat. Every once in a while the guys in my life will make a request (Will's is always spaghetti, Andrew's is always pork and asparagus stir fry, and Joe's is always bacon cheeseburger meatloaf), but for the most part, I make the choices.

My choices aren't always met with complete agreement, either. When I told Joe about this particular meal, he definitely gave me the side-eye. The boys looked at it skeptically when they saw their plates, too. But, happily, all three of them loved these tacos once they took their first bite. That's usually the case. You'd think by now they'd have a little more trust in me!

When it comes to mashing, I see no reason why black beans should have all the fun. White beans, with their naturally creamy texture, are perfect for making a mash that is flavorful, velvety, and delicious. With the protein in the beans, the lean chicken, and vitamin-rich spinach, this meal is healthy as well as delicious. These tacos are a tasty and very quick light meal!

Chicken and Spinach Tacos with Creamy White Bean Mash
inspired by Cooking Light

1 can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 small onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons sour cream
Juice of 1 lime
 
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, diced into 1-inch pieces
3 cups baby spinach leaves, thinly sliced into ribbons
3 tablespoons taco seasoning
2/3 cup water

Warmed flour tortillas
Crumbled queso fresco cheese
Salsa 

1. Heat some vegetable oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until softened and translucent. Add garlic and salt and pepper and cook for 30 seconds. Using a potato masher, mash the beans. Stir in the sour cream and heat through. Remove from the heat and stir in the lime juice.

2. Heat some vegetable oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken in a single layer and cook until browned and cooked through. Add the spinach, taco seasoning, and water and stir to combine. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer while the spinach wilts. 

3. To serve, spread some of the white bean mash on the bottom of a flour tortilla. Top with the chicken mixture, queso fresco, and salsa, if desired.

Risotto with Bacon, Caramelized Onions, and Spinach

I often marvel at how differently my kids eat from how my brother and I ate growing up. Don't get me wrong, my mom was an amazing cook -- but we ate a lot of the old-school standards: meatloaf with "scalloped" potatoes, lasagna, shredded chicken sandwiches, hamburger hash...that kind of thing. And while all of those things definitely make an appearance on my menu, I also make a much wider variety of foods for my kids. I don't think I tried Mexican food until I started dating Joe (not even Taco Bell -- really!), and I know that I never tried risotto until I made it myself for the first time, well into my 20s.

As an adult, risotto has become one of my great food loves. I love the whole process of cooking it, how adaptable it is, and how so few ingredients can come together to make something that tastes so amazingly flavorful. Risotto has it all: texture, flavor, epic deliciousness, you name it. And this recipe right here is one of the best versions I've found. This version is loaded with bacon, caramelized onions (cooked in the bacon drippings), and spinach. It's hearty and flavorful and restaurant-quality. It was a huge hit in my house, and I already can't wait to make it again.

Risotto with Bacon, Caramelized Onions, and Spinach
adapted from A Taste of Home Cooking

1/2 pound bacon, chopped
2 tablespoons butter
1 large onion, sliced into thin rings
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/4 cups arborio rice
1/4 cup dry white wine
6 cups low sodium chicken broth, warmed
1 6-ounce bag baby spinach, chopped
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
 
1. Add the bacon to a large pan over medium heat. Cook until crisp and remove to a paper towel to drain. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the baking drippings in the pot; discard any excess. 

2. Add the butter to the bacon drippings, then stir in the onions. Season with salt and pepper. Stir the onions often so they brown slowly, and let cook for at least 30 minutes. Adjust the heat as necessary to keep the onions from burning. Like my friend Sarah, I added a bit of water to the pan as needed to keep the onions from burning, which also helped to pick up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan.  Remove the onions from the pan and allow to cool before chopping into small pieces.

3. Add the olive oil to the pan. Add the garlic; cook and stir for 30 seconds. Stir in the rice and cook, stirring frequently, for 1-2 minutes. Add the white wine and stir until it is absorbed.

4. Start adding the chicken broth one ladle-full at a time, letting it fully absorb before adding more. This process takes anywhere from 17-25 minutes.

5. Before you add the final ladle of broth, add the caramelized onions, spinach, and half of the bacon. Taste the rice to make sure it's cooked through. Turn off the heat and add the grated cheese. Top each serving with some of the reserved bacon.

Greek Turkey Panini

Very rarely do I have the opportunity to make dinner just for myself. I typically have three other mouths (two of them small, one of them large) to feed. If I do get an evening to myself, I usually just slap a piece of lunchmeat between a couple slices of bread or graze from the fridge throughout the evening. But recently, on an evening when Joe was working late and I gave in to the boys' cacaphonous pleas for Happy Meals, I decided to treat myself to a really, really delicious dinner. I decided to make myself a sandwich, but not just any sandwich: one loaded with Greek flavors, which are some of my favorite flavors. It's not a flavor profile Joe and the boys are crazy about, so I figured it was the perfect opportunity to make something just for me.

Now, if you happen to be without two small boys interrupting you every three minutes, I imagine this would be a very quick dinner indeed. However, since I do have two small boys interrupting me every three minutes and opting to play RIGHT BY ME FEET WHY DO THEY HAVE TO DO THAT, it took me about 35 minutes. But by the time I finally got to sit down to enjoy this sandwich, it was completely worth it. Sun-dried tomato pesto, turkey, olives, feta, spinach, and a tzatziki sauce on the side for dipping...I really need to make dinners like this for myself more often.

Greek Turkey Panini

For the sandwich:

2 flatbreads

2 tablespoons sun-dried tomato pesto

1/4 pound smoked turkey breast

1/4 cup crumbled feta

1 tablespoon chopped olives (I like Lindsay Naturals California Green Olives)

1/4 cup baby spinach leaves, trimmed

For the quick tzatziki:

Half of a cucumber, peeled and shredded

1/4 cup sour cream

1/4 cup Greek yogurt

2 teaspoons red wine vinegar, plus more to taste

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat a panini press or skillet sprayed lightly with cooking spray.

2. Spread 1 tablespoon of sun-dried tomato pesto on each piece of flatbread. Top one flatbread with turkey, feta, olives, and spinach, and the other flatbread. Add to panini press or skillet and cook until both sides are browned and crisp.

3. To make the tzatziki, squeeze excess moisture out of cucumber using a paper towel. Combine cucumber, sour cream, Greek yogurt, vinegar and salt and pepper. Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed. Refrigerate until serving.

4. Slice panini in fourths (for two servings). Serve with tzatziki sauce for dipping.

Mediterranean Chicken Skillet

As longtime readers probably know, most of the food I cook tends to be in the "quick and easy weeknight dinner" category, and something is about to happen to ensure that the food I cook stays in that vein. That's right, folks: Next week, I will officially be a soccer mom. My oldest son starts soccer practice next week, and to say that he is excited about it would be a massive understatement. As for me...I just can't believe my baby is old enough to play soccer.

I'll be shuttling him to and from practice a couple of nights a week, and of course he'll have his games on the weekends, so our evenings are about to get crazy crazier. That's one reason why I'll be making this skillet dinner, and other meals like it, so often in the coming months.

Another reason why I'll be making this one over and over again is that it. is. so. very. good. Filled with artichokes, spinach, tomatoes, and olives, and topped with a generous sprinkle of feta cheese, this Mediterranean-style skillet meal is loaded with flavors my whole family loves. I served ours on a bed of pasta, which worked wonderfully, but brown rice, quinoa, or lentils would be healthy alternatives. The night I made this, Joe was on a business phone call upstairs while I was preparing dinner, so I even cooked this while wrangling two small boys with no assistance -- and it was still effortless. That is definitely my kind of meal.

Mediterranean Chicken Skillet

slightly adapted from The Sweets Life

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 large or 4 small boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into small pieces

4 cloves minced garlic

5 roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped

1 14-ounce can of quartered artichoke hearts

1/4 cup sliced green or kalamata olives

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon Greek seasoning

2 cups baby spinach leaves, thinly sliced

Feta cheese, crumbled

Cooked pasta or rice for serving, if desired

1. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium high heat. Add chicken and cook until chicken is browned. Add garlic; cook and stir for 30 seconds.

2. Stir in tomatoes, artichoke hearts, olives, and spices. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.

3. Stir in spinach and cook until spinach is wilted. If desired, serve mixture over rice or pasta. Sprinkle with feta before serving.

Bacon-Wrapped Chicken with Gouda Spinach Penne

Happy 2013, everyone! I hope you all had a blast ringing in the New Year and that you're all as ready as I am to make this year awesome. I have big plans for 2013, and I'm determined to make it great: make great food, have a great attitude, and just have a great time with my family and friends.

Speaking of great food, I'm kicking off 2013 with a really delicious recipe. Sure, it contains both bacon and heavy cream, so maybe it's not the most New-Year's-diet-friendly dish, but it sure is yummy. The flavors of bacon, gouda cheese, and spinach always work so beautifully together, and this meal is no exception. The pasta is so creamy and rich, and topping it with a chicken breast that's wrapped in salty, smoky bacon is the perfect finishing touch. Mushrooms would also be a wonderful addition!

Bacon-Wrapped Chicken with Gouda Spinach Penne

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves, uniform thickness

4 strips bacon

1 pound penne pasta

4 cups baby spinach leaves, trimmed

2 tablespoons butter

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

2 cups gouda or smoked gouda cheese, shredded

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Wrap each chicken breast with one slice of bacon. Heat a small amount of olive oil in a large skillet. Add chicken breasts, with the bacon's seam-side down, and cook until the bacon is crispy and the chicken is cooked through, turning once. Set aside and cover with foil.

2. Meanwhile, cook the pasta in boiling salted water until al dente. For the last four minutes of the pasta's cooking time, add the spinach to the boiling water, 1 cup at a time so as not to crowd the pot, and stir to wilt it completely. Drain pasta and spinach.

3. While the pasta and spinach are cooking, melt the butter in a saucepan. Add garlic; cook and stir for 30 seconds. Add the heavy cream; bring it to a boil and let it boil for 30 seconds until slightly thickened, stirring constantly. Reduce the heat and add the gouda cheese a bit at a time, stirring to melt the cheese before adding more. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste.

4. Add the sauce to the reserved pasta and spinach and stir to combine. Top each serving with a piece of the bacon-wrapped chicken.

Spinach-Artichoke Bites

I've actually made these spinach-artichoke bites a few times now, and I just haven't shared them yet, which is truly a travesty. I first came up with this idea back in March, when I was planning my sister-in-law's baby shower. Inspired by these cheesy corn bites, I decided to fill tortilla cups with spinach-artichoke dip for easy eating. Every time I make these, they are the first thing to disappear, and everyone raves about them.

Spinach-artichoke dip is one of those things I do a little bit differently every time I make it, and this time I added chopped roasted red peppers to the mix (since I was making these for a Christmas celebration, I thought the colors would be festive). I absolutely loved the addition of the roasted red peppers, and I think I'll be adding them to my dip all the time now!

Spinach-Artichoke Bites

2 tablespoons butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can quartered artichoke hearts in water, drained and chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
1 10-ounce box frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
2 roasted red peppers, patted dry and diced
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sour cream
3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1 bag cup-shaped tortilla chips (like Tostitos scoops)

1. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Add garlic and artichokes to saucepan and cook until heated through. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in spinach and roasted red peppers. Add cream cheese and sour cream and stir until smooth and thoroughly combined. Add 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella and the parmesan and stir until melted. Remove from heat.

3. Arrange tortilla cups on the prepared baking sheet. Add about a tablespoon of the dip to each cup. Sprinkle each cup with remaining mozzarella cheese.

4. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the filling is bubbling and the cheese on top is melted. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Recipe Rewind(ish): Creamy Spinach Parmesan Pasta with Chicken

One of the best things about having posted nearly 1000 (!!!) unique recipes in the past four and a half years is that I'm constantly coming across things that we loved that I haven't made for a really long time. This is one of those meals. Since today is National Pasta Day, it seems like the perfect day to revisit one of the best pastas I've ever made.

There is nothing complicated about this pasta; it's actually one of the simplest pastas I've ever made, but the flavor is just so phenomenal. Garlic, cream, parmesan cheese and a hint of nutmeg make a truly luxurious sauce for the pasta. I made a few changes to the recipe this time around: I used minced garlic rather than garlic powder, I chose a short pasta with lines to soak up the sauce, and I topped the pasta with slices of pan-roasted chicken. My changes just served to make this taste even better, and this is surely a meal that I'll make for my family over and over again.

Creamy Spinach Parmesan Pasta with Chicken

adapted from On Top of Spaghetti... by Johanne Killeen and George Germon

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast halves

1 pound penne pasta

8 cups firmly packed baby spinach leaves, washed and trimmed

2 tablespoons butter

2 cloves garlic

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper

1 cup freshly-grated parmesan cheese

Salt to taste

1. Heat some olive oil in a skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper and cook, turning once, until cooked through. Remove to a plate, cover with foil, and keep warm.

2. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta. Stir in a generous amount of salt and drop in the pasta. After a minute or two, add the spinach a handful at a time so the water doesn't lose its boil at any time. Cook, stirring often, until al dente.

3. While the pasta is cooking, melt the butter in a saucepan. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the cream, nutmeg, and white pepper. Bring it to a boil, but don't let it reduce. Add salt to taste.

4. Drain the pasta and spinach in a collander, reserving about 1 cup of the pasta cooking water. Over low heat, stir the pasta into the cream mixture along with most of the parmesan cheese (save the rest for passing at the table or garnishing). If the noodles absorb too much cream, add pasta water, a tablespoon at a time, until you have the consistency of heavy cream, with each serving having a puddle in the bottom of the bowl.

5. Slice chicken and portion onto each individual serving. Serve immediately.

Crunchy Black Bean and Spinach Tacos

If you're looking for a different and delicious twist on tacos that's slightly healthier than the norm, here's your recipe! I mean, yes, the tacos are still fried in oil -- but they're loaded with black beans and spinach, so I'm of the opinion that all of the good proteins and vitamins in those ingredients outweigh the whole "fried" thing.

I'll be honest: These tacos took a bit of work; they're not nearly as easy to put together as they look. Obviously combining the ingredients was a cinch, but frying them was challenging. The filling wanted to come out when the tacos were flipped, and they had to be fried in batches, meaning that the oil temperature had to be regulated. It was all a little messy, but the delicious result was completely worth it. (If you don't want to mess with it, you could always use hard taco shells, but the flavor of the fresh tortillas is really so much better.)

These tacos are endlessly adaptable, and I have a feeling once I get the method down, I'll find them really simple too. Joe and I both really enjoyed them, so I'll definitely be making them again!

Crunchy Black Bean and Spinach Tacos

adapted from Endless Simmer

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

Half of a red onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon chili powder

Salt to taste

3 cups baby spinach leaves

1 1/2 cups pepper-jack cheese

4 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided

8 corn tortillas

Salt

Salsa, sour cream, avocado, etc. for serving

1. In a small saucepan, heat one tablespoon of the vegetable oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook until translucent. Add garlic; cook and stir for 30 seconds. Stir in black beans, cumin, chili powder, and spinach leaves and reduce heat to low. Simmer until the mixture is slightly thickened and the spinach is wilted. Taste for seasoning and add salt to taste. Mash lightly with a fork or potato masher.

2. In a large, non-stick skillet or cast iron skillet, add the remaining 3 tablespoons of oil (more, if needed to coat the pan) and heat over medium-high heat.

3. Add one corn tortilla at a time and let each get hot in the oil for a few seconds. Then add about 1/4 cup of the bean filling to one half of the tortilla. Top with a sprinkle of grated cheese.

4. Using a spatula, carefully fold the tortilla over so it forms a shell. Press down lightly on the tortilla so it holds its shape.

5. As the first tortilla cooks, move it to the side and do a second one. Depending on the size of your pan, you should be able to get 2 or 3 tacos at once. When flipping the taco to cook on the other side, use a spatula and flip the taco toward the fold so the filling doesn’t fall out.

6. Cook each taco about 3 minutes per side, or until they're nicely browned and crispy. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle lightly with salt. Serve with desired taco toppings.

Chicken with Feta, Roasted Tomatoes, and Garlic Butter Spinach Spaghetti

We had this meal this past Friday night, and it was so fantastic I just couldn't wait to share it with you. It was borne from a surplus of spinach and tomatoes in my fridge, neither of which I had a plan for, and both of which were nearing the end of their freshness. Needless to say, both ingredients found an incredibly delicious home in this recipe.

Both of these recipes are prepared with uncomplicated, basic ingredients, which I'm finding are my absolute favorite kinds of recipes these days. The dishes are simple to prepare, and I'm sharing them together because I think they should absolutely be served together. The chicken, roasted tomatoes, feta and luscious buttery spaghetti all complement each other so wonderfully. My boys and Joe couldn't get enough of the noodles, and we all wanted more (so you may want to increase the amount of spaghetti to at least half a pound!). And not only was this meal delicious; it was pretty healthy, too!

Chicken with Feta, Roasted Tomatoes, and Garlic Butter Spinach Spaghetti

For the chicken:

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded to uniform thickness

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

Salt and pepper to taste

4 roma tomatoes, sliced

Crumbled feta cheese

For the spaghetti:

1/3 pound spaghetti noodles, broken into thirds

3 tablespoons butter

6 cloves garlic, minced

Salt and pepper to taste

2 cups baby spinach leaves, thinly sliced

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Arrange tomato slices on a baking sheet. Sprinkle them with salt and pepper and add one tablespoon of olive oil; toss to evenly combine. Roast tomatoes in an even layer for about 10 minutes, or until softened and beginning to brown. Set aside, covered, until serving.

2. Heat the remaining two tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper and add to skillet. Cook until chicken is well browned on both sides and juices run clear; remove from heat, place on a plate, and cover with foil until serving.

3. To make the spaghetti, cook the noodles in boiling salted water to al dente; drain. Meanwhile, heat the butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. When melted, add garlic and salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the garlic is fragrant. Add spinach to drained noodles and pour the garlic butter mixture over the top. Toss to combine and wilt the spinach.

4. Spoon some of the pasta onto each plate. Top the pasta with a piece of chicken, some of the roasted tomatoes, and sprinkling of feta cheese.

Creamy Spinach Artichoke Pasta

Some ingredients are soul mates, just absolutely meant to be paired together, and spinach and artichoke are definitely two of those ingredients. I know I’ve made something similar to this before, but when Carrie raved about it on her blog, I just knew I had to try this version. I’m so glad that I did. This pasta is creamy, spinachy-artichokey, cheesy deliciousness. The boys just loved it, and didn’t even mind the flecks of green in their pasta. Joe and I really enjoyed this too, and found it to be a hearty, flavorful, meatless meal. And, it seriously only takes about 15 minutes to make. A win-win-win!

Creamy Spinach Artichoke Pasta
adapted from Carrie’s Sweet Life

12 ounces penne pasta
1 tablespoon butter
1 medium onion, chopped
1 13.5-ounce can artichoke hearts in water, drained and chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 cup sour cream
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1 10-ounce package chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

1. Preheat the broiler.

2. Cook the pasta according to the directions on the package. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water before draining the pasta. Drain, return to pot, and keep warm.

3. Meanwhile, heat the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and artichokes and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook until the onions are tender and translucent. Add the garlic; cook and stir 1 additional minute. Add sour cream, cream cheese, and parmesan and heat through until completely melted. Stir in spinach.

4. Add the pasta and 1/2 cup of the mozzarella cheese to the sauce mixture. If the mixture seems to dry, add reserved pasta water a bit at a time.

5. Pour pasta into a greased baking dish and top with remaining 1/2 cup of cheese. Broil 3 to 5 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and cheese is melted.

Mexican Spinach Dip

I mentioned in my meal planning post a couple of weeks ago that a group of my high school friends and I have started a cooking club. The plan is to get together once a month and have a themed sort of dinner, with each of us providing one component (appetizer, main dish, dessert, etc.). For our first meet-up, we had an amazing Mexican fiesta, including blood orange and pomegranate margaritas, fajitas, tres leches cake, and this delicious sopapilla cheesecake-like dessert that I cannot wait to make at home. We had a blast, and there may be a picture of all of us circulating on Facebook wearing Mexican mustaches. That might have happened. We’re all moms, and spending an evening together, reflecting on life and motherhood with women who have known me for so many years, was good for my soul.

My contribution to our fabulous meal was this Mexican spinach dip, which was suggested to me by a lovely reader named Jessi (who is blogless) when I solicited for Mexican appetizer ideas. You guys, this dip is so incredibly delicious. And it’s addictive, too – even after my friends and I had finished our meal and our dessert, we were still eating it. It’s creamy, just a little bit spicy, and has that great earthy spinach flavor. Definitely a winner, and something I’ll be making often in the future! Thanks for sharing this one, Jessi!

(P.S. March’s theme is Italian food, and I’ve been assigned the dessert course. What’s your favorite Italian dessert? Link ’em up in the comments! So far you guys are 1 for 1!)

Mexican Spinach Dip
adapted from Allrecipes

1 16-ounce jar salsa, medium or hot
1 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, diced and softened
1 8-ounce carton sour cream
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. In a medium baking dish, mix together salsa, chopped spinach, Monterey Jack cheese, cream cheese, sour cream, red wine vinegar, and salt and pepper.

3. Bake mixture in the preheated oven 12 to 15 minutes, or until bubbly. Serve with tortilla chips.

Greek Beef Tacos

New favorite dinner alert! We had these on Saturday night, and I just couldn’t wait to share them with you. This simple, delicious, Greek version of tacos was a huge hit in our house and has skyrocketed right to the top of the list of my most favorite dinners, ever.

The meat mixture itself is ground beef, garlic, diced tomatoes, Greek seasoning, and spinach. We topped our tacos with cucumbers, olives, feta cheese, and a tzatziki-like sauce that I made with sour cream, shredded cucumber, and red wine vinegar. The result was very similar to a gyro and equally as delicious, in my opinion.

I don’t really know what else to say about these. They’re just delicious, and you should make them ASAP.

Greek Beef Tacos
adapted from Taste of Home

For the tacos:

1 pound lean ground beef
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
2 teaspoons Greek seasoning
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 cups fresh baby spinach
Splash of red wine vinegar
Whole wheat flour tortillas

For the sauce:

1 cup sour cream
Half of a medium cucumber, peeled, seeded, and shredded
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste

For topping:

Black olives
Feta cheese
Diced cucumber
Minced red onion

1. In a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in the tomatoes, Greek seasoning, garlic and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer for 8 to 10 minutes or until thickened. Add spinach; cook and stir for 2 to 3 minutes or until spinach is wilted. Add a splash of vinegar, if desired.

2. To make the sauce, squeeze as much liquid out of the cucumber as you can. Combine sour cream, cucumber, and vinegar. Add salt and pepper to taste.

3. Spoon some of the beef mixture into each flour tortilla. Top with sauce and desired toppings.

Shrimp Enchiladas Verdes with Jalapeno Cream Sauce

You guys know I'm a sucker for an enchilada, so when I saw this shrimp version on Pinterest I was instantly intrigued. Shrimp isn't something I cook with a whole lot, and Joe loves it, so I thought he'd appreciate this take on enchiladas where shrimp features prominently.

I was intrigued by the filling for these enchiladas; in addition to shrimp, they contain spinach and cole slaw mix. I really liked the flavor and textural combinations that these elements provided. You get the sweetness of the shrimp, the earthiness of the spinach, and the crunch of carrots and cabbage in each bite. The enchiladas are topped with a simple jalapeno cream sauce, which tastes absolutely divine.

I will say that, with all the bold flavors in these enchiladas, the flavor of the shrimp got a little lost. It's such a subtle flavor, and when it was paired with all of the other flavors, it was somewhat overtaken. This could easily be solved by either adding more shrimp or reducing the amount of spices, so keep that in mind if you make these.

I couldn't get the boys to touch these, not surprisingly, but Joe was certainly a fan. So they're definitely husband-approved!

Shrimp Enchiladas Verdes with Jalapeno Cream Sauce
adapted from Gimme Some Oven

For the enchiladas:

2 tablespoons butter
1 pound peeled, devined shrimp
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
Half a white onion, peeled and finely chopped
3 cups cole slaw mix
3 cups fresh baby spinach
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1/2 cup green enchilada sauce
1 tablespoon honey
8-10 flour tortillas
2 cups Monterey jack cheese

For the sauce:

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
3/4 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish.

2. In a large sauté pan, melt 1 tablespoon of butter over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp to the pan in an even layer and let cook without moving, about 1 minute. While cooking, sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of chili powder on top of the shrimp. Then flip the shrimp over and continue to cook until just pink and opaque, 30 to 60 seconds longer. Remove to a plate with a slotted spoon and set aside. When the shrimp is cool enough to handle, roughly chop into bite sized pieces, if desired. Set aside.

3. Melt the remaining butter in the pan. Add the garlic and onion, and cook until just tender, about 5 minutes. Add the cole slaw and spinach, as well as the other 1/2 teaspoon of chili powder, plus the cumin, oregano, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir well, and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes, until the spinach just begins to wilt. Add the shrimp back in and stir to combine. Stir in green enchilada sauce and honey, heat through, then remove pan from heat and set aside.

4. To  make the sauce, melt the butter in a skillet over medium high heat. Add the flour, whisking until golden and bubbly, about 2 to 3 minutes. Slowly whisk the broth into the flour mixture. Stir in the sour cream, whisking if necessary to remove any lumps. Then add the minced jalapeno, and simmer until sauce is thickened. Remove from heat and stir in the fresh cilantro. Season with salt and pepper if needed.

5. To assemble the enchiladas, place a tortilla on a flat surface. Fill the middle of the tortilla with about 1/3 cup of the shrimp/cabbage filling. Then sprinkle some cheese on top, and carefully roll the tortilla and place it seam side down in the baking dish. Repeat with the remaining tortillas. Drizzle the top with about half of the jalapeno cream sauce, then cover the dish with foil and bake for about 20 minutes, or until tortillas are heated through.

6. Remove from the oven, then serve individual enchiladas drizzled with the remainder of the jalapeno cream sauce. Garnish with additional cilantro, cheese, and/or sour cream, if desired.

Spinach and Chicken Tortilla Bake

(Updated with a new photo on January 31, 2013.)

I was going to save this recipe to share with you this spring, when I can make it again and photograph it with the natural light in my kitchen. I know the picture isn’t very attractive. The truth is, some foods just don’t photograph well – especially without natural light. But as much as I love including pretty pictures with my recipes when possible, the point of this blog, for me, is to share the recipes that I love with you – even if I’m not able to get a magazine-worthy photo of every recipe. And this, my friends, is definitely a recipe I love. Is it attractive? Nope. Is it messy? Yes. Does it taste amazing? ABSOLUTELY.

I first saw this on Stephanie’s blog, and I immediately wanted to try it. But for whatever reason, I haven’t really been into ricotta cheese lately. I’m not really sure why. I decided to replace the ricotta with cream cheese, which turned out to be a stroke of brilliance on my part. The cream cheese added a great tangy quality to the recipe. I wouldn’t initially think that spinach and salsa verde would work well together, but it turns out that they’re a perfect match. Although this was too spicy for my boys, Joe and I both absolutely loved it…and next time I make it I’ll be doubling the recipe so we can eat the leftovers for days.

Spinach and Chicken Tortilla Bake
adapted from Stephanie Cooks (and originally from Rachael Ray)

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound chicken breasts
Salt and pepper
1 1/2 cups salsa verde
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
4 large (8-inch) tortillas
3 cups baby spinach
1 1/2 cups shredded pepper jack cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

2. In a large skillet, heat the oil. Add the chicken, seasoned with salt and pepper, until cooked. Remove from the heat and slice thin or shred the chicken.

3. In a small bowl, combine the salsa verde and the cream cheese.

4. In a baking dish sprayed with cooking spray, place the first tortilla. Top with 1/3 of the chicken, salsa/cream cheese mix, spinach, and pepper jack cheese. Top with another tortilla and layer another 1/3 of each ingredients, repeating the process until you end with the final tortilla.

5. Bake 15 to 20 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the top tortilla is crisp. Allow to cool 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Spinach Artichoke Dip Pizza

The thing I love most about food blogging is connecting with others through food. Food is such a universal language, and it’s been so much fun for me to share the recipes my family loves with all of you – and to hear about the ones that you love as well. I get lots of e-mails from readers and friends, recommending a certain recipe or dish to me because they thought it sounded like something I would like. I think that’s so cool! And apparently I am very transparent, because whenever this happens (and it happens a lot!), the recipe is almost always something I’ve already had my eye on for quite some time. Either that, or it’s something I can’t believe I hadn’t already thought of myself – like this pizza.

My friend Jessie e-mailed me about this pizza soon after she tried a version of it at a pizza place. She said she couldn’t wait to share it with me, and that she knew it was something I would love. And as soon as she described it in her e-mail, I knew I would without question be trying it. I put it on the menu that very week.

Spinach artichoke dip. On pizza. It’s...I just...I can’t even, you guys. I can’t describe how amazing this pizza tastes. There are just no words. So, okay, it’s far from the healthiest thing to have for dinner...But it’s the perfect meal for a once-in-a-while indulgence. Give it a try, and tell me it’s not the best thing you’ve ever tasted.

Spinach Artichoke Dip Pizza
inspired by Jessie

1 pizza crust (store-bought or homemade)
1 tablespoon butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can artichokes in water, drained and roughly chopped
1 package frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 8-ounce package cream cheese
1 cup sour cream or mayonnaise
A few tablespoons of milk
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cups shredded Italian-blend cheese, divided
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

1. Pre-bake pizza crust, if necessary, according to the directions on the package or your recipe.

2. Meanwhile, melt butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic; cook and stir for 30 seconds. Add artichokes and cook for a few minutes.

3. Stir in spinach, cream cheese, sour cream or mayonnaise, milk, salt and pepper, and 1 cup of cheese. Stir until completely blended and smooth. Taste for seasonings and adjust as needed.

4. Spread dip mixture on top of pizza crust, leaving a half-inch border around the edges. Top with remaining 1 cup of cheese, parmesan and halved tomatoes.

5. Bake according to package directions or recipe, until crust is browned and crispy.

Garlic Spinach Noodles

When I’m planning meals for the week, the thing I struggle with most is coming up with side dishes – particularly starchy ones. Vegetables are easy, but starches are much harder for me. Usually we have some kind of rice or some kind of potato, but it gets a little bit boring after a while (to me, at least; my husband and sons could eat boxed rice pilaf every day for the rest of their lives and be perfectly happy). When I saw this recipe for garlic spinach noodles, I couldn’t wait to try it. It seemed like a great side dish, and a way to sneak some spinach into my boys’ diet – for which I’m always grateful.

We all really liked these noodles. Their flavor is sweet, tangy, and garlicky – a really nice combination of flavors. Tomorrow I’ll share the chicken I made to go with them.

Garlic Spinach Noodles
adapted from Recipes Straight From the Kowboys Home

8 ounces penne pasta
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced
4 large cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon white sugar
2 cups fresh baby spinach leaves
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Rinse with hot water; drain and keep warm.

2. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, in a small bowl stir together chicken broth, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper. Add spinach to pan along with vinegar mixture; reduce heat to medium-low and cook until spinach is hot. Stir in pasta and heat through. Remove from heat and toss with cheese.

Kicked-Up Carbonara

I came across this dish on Krista’s Kitchen a while ago, right after I adapted her recipe for Southwestern bacon mac and cheese. It was one of the suggested recipes at the bottom of her post, and it looked delicious. Then I read her post and saw that she and her family didn’t like it, at all. She thought this was probably because of her wine choice, so I thought I’d go ahead and give the recipe a shot. I wouldn’t be in danger of using cheap wine since I don’t drink wine very often and very rarely buy it just for a recipe (other than risotto -- wine is a must in risotto recipes, in my humble opinion).

So I made this, replacing the wine with chicken broth, and we all really enjoyed it. Joe especially raved about it, and kept saying, “This is really, really good” between bites. He was right. This is basically pasta alla carbonara, with a few more ingredients thrown in to make it even more delicious. The sauce is silky, creamy, and yummy, and every bite of this pasta is loaded with flavor.

Kicked-Up Carbonara
adapted from Krista’s Kitchen

12 ounces linguine or thin spaghetti
5 pieces thick-sliced bacon, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 finely chopped red bell pepper
1/4 cup chicken broth
4 eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup half-and-half
1 cup fresh baby spinach
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
Freshly ground black pepper

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, reserving 1 cup cooking liquid. Return pasta to pan; keep warm.

2. Meanwhile, in large skillet, cook bacon until crisp; remove bacon with slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Reserve 1 tablespoon drippings in skillet; discard remaining drippings. Add garlic and red bell pepper; cook and stir until bell pepper is slightly softened. Add chicken broth and bring to boiling. Reduce heat; boil gently, uncovered, 3 minutes or until most of the liquid has evaporated.

3. In medium bowl whisk together eggs and half-and-half. Add egg mixture to skillet and cook, stirring constantly, 1 to 2 minutes or until egg mixture coats a metal spoon. Do not scramble.

4. Add egg mixture to pasta along with bacon, spinach, and parmesan cheese. Cook over medium heat 1 minute just to heat through, tossing with tongs to combine. Add reserved pasta cooking liquid to pasta mixture as needed to make creamy. Top with black pepper and additional parmesan cheese and serve immediately.

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Foil Packet Tacos

I’ve been really excited to share this recipe with you, because it’s probably one of the best meals to come out of my kitchen lately. My husband and I and both of the boys really, really enjoyed these sweet potato and black bean foil packet tacos.

These tacos have a lot going for them, and I really can’t think of a single negative thing to say. The ingredients are cheap, the recipe is easy and comes together relatively quickly, and they’re incredibly healthy and quite filling for a vegetarian meal. The combination of black beans and sweet potatoes is just such a good one, and the flavors work so well with Mexican seasonings.

Using three sweet potatoes and one can of black beans, I got six foil packets, which was enough for all four of us to make tacos with and for me to have plenty of leftovers to freeze for a later meal. I wrapped each one individually for freezing. They didn't last long, though; Joe had them for lunch every day the following week,  he loved them so much.

Corn would be a great addition to the filling, as would cooked rice, and I wish I’d had a sprinkle of cilantro for the top -- but they were absolutely perfect and delicious as-is. We used flour tortillas for our tacos and topped them with salsa and sour cream, and all four of us were loving life the night we had these for dinner.

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Foil Packet Tacos
adapted from Perrys’ Plate

1 packet of taco seasoning
1/2 cup tomato sauce (4 ounces)
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 6 cups total)
3 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups chopped fresh baby spinach
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Sour cream, salsa, cilantro and/or guacamole for garnish
6 12-inch long pieces of aluminum foil

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2. Add beans, taco seasoning, and tomato sauce to a skillet. Cook until heated through and set aside.

3. To assemble packets, spray the foil with non-stick spray. Place 1 cup sweet potato cubes in the center of each piece. Top with a small piece of butter (about 1/2 tablespoon). Sprinkle some chopped spinach over the sweet potatoes, followed by about 1/3 cup of the beans and a sprinkle of cheese. Fold the sides in, then bring the top and bottom ends of the foil together in the center and fold, sealing the packet.

4. Repeat with remaining ingredients, placing the packets on a rimmed cookie sheet. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until the sweet potatoes are tender.

5. Sprinkle with cilantro, if desired, and serve with sour cream, salsa, and/or guacamole.