I’ve been in the mood of a summery salad, and there’s nothing more summery than Kiwis and Strawberries. At first I thought of this as a very sweet fruit salad, but when combining them with the salad and the vinaigrette, it’s perfect!

Kiwi, Strawberry and Spinach Salad
Servings: 2

Ingredients:
2 kiwi, cubed
4 medium strawberries, cubed
1 cup spinach leaves
6 tablespoons Balsamic Vinaigrette

Directions:

1. Cube the strawberries and kiwis.
2. Wash the spinach leaves, dry them with a paper towel and cut off the stems.
3. Toss the Spinach leaves with the balsamic vinaigrette.
4. Add strawberries and kiwis on top.

Note: You can also add croutons for an extra crunch. Make sure you add those right before serving, so they won’t get soggy.

I am always looking for ways to sneak vegetables in our everyday cooking, not only so my daughter eats them, but for us too.  This recipe gives us a very tasty and different way to have our spinach.

Spinach Loaf

Adapted from whatsforlunch, honey.com
Yields: 1 loaf

Ingredients:
1 bag fresh spinach
1 cup of sliced mushrooms
1 cup chopped tomatoes
1/4 of a white onion
1 oz butter + a little bit of olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4  teaspoon nutmeg
2-4 teaspoons sesame seeds
1/2 + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
3 eggs
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup luke warm milk
1/2 cup of any cheese you have at hand. It can be parmesan, gruyere, mozzarella.

Procedure:

1. Preheat the oven at 350 F. Grease a loaf tin.
2. In a large pan heat the olive oil and 1 oz butter until melted. Add the onion and the spinach and sauté for a couple of minutes, just until the spinach slightly falls together. Add the mushrooms and tomato. Sprinkle salt, pepper and the nutmeg and allow to cook for approx. 5 minutes.
3. Add 1 teaspoon of the sesame seeds to the pan and cook for a further 5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
4. In a mixing bowl mix together flour and baking powder. Add the eggs and rigorously beat with a whisk. Drizzle the oil and the warm milk into the batter, beating constantly. Add the grated cheese and fold in. Now add the vegetable/herb mixture to this and mix well.
5. Pour out into the loaf tin, sprinkle with the remaining sesame seeds and bake for 45-50 minutes. The cake is done when a toothpick is inserted into the middle of the cake and it comes out clean.Take out and allow to cool. Take out of the tin and cut thick slices. Enjoy with your favorite spread, or as a side dish.

I had the opportunity to make some baby puree for Ninna, my downstairs little neighbor.  She’s almost 8 months old, and her mom has been giving her homemade foods. I wanted her to try some of my combinations, and I was glad to see she liked them! 

So, here’s the recipe so she can have some more!

Ninna’s Vegetable Puree

Yields: About 4 servings

Ingredients:
1 carrot
1 zucchini
1 1/2 cups fresh spinach leaves (I just grabbed a bunch, but to give you an idea of the amount)
¼ white onion
1 garlic clove
Special equipment: A steamer

Procedure:

1. Peel the carrot and cut into large chunks, also cut the zucchini in large chunks (you can leave the peel on). Add the onion and the garlic clove to the water you will use in your steamer.
2. Place your vegetables on the top part, and steam for about 20 min or until the carrots are soft.
3. Transfer the vegetables to the blender.
4. Don’t turn the heat off! You’ll use the pot and the same water to quickly steam your spinach. Add your spinach and let it cook for about 5 minutes.
5.  Transfer it to a blender to join the carrot and zucchini.
6. Add the onion, throw away the garlic and use the infused water to blend the vegetables.
7. Puree until desired consistency is achieved.

Add a little thyme and oregano, if your pediatrician approves spices for your baby.

Note: You can cook your vegetables in a regular pot with boiling water, but it is best to use a steamer.

This is a great recipe for a special dinner, or lunch. It can easily be doubled or tripled if you are serving more people.

Chicken breasts stuffed with Mozzarella, Mushrooms and Spinach

A  recipe from The Foodies’ Kitchen

Yields: 2 chicken breasts
Serves: 2

Ingredients:
2 boneless chicken breasts
1 bag of spinach leaves
2 garlic cloves, minced
¼ cup red onion, chopped
Salt
Pepper
A pinch of nutmeg
1 Portabella mushroom, sliced.
¼ cup Mozzarella cheese, enough to sprinkle on the chicken breast
Powdered Thyme
Olive oil

Sauce:

½ cup chopped shallots
1 cup white wine
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup chicken stock
Salt and pepper to taste
1 bay leaf

Procedure:

To make the filling and assemble the rolls:

1. In a large pan, heat olive oil. Add the garlic cloves, red onion and spinach. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste, add a pinch of nutmeg. Nutmeg can overpower and ruin a dish, so use only a pinch! You can always add more if you want.Once the spinach has cooked, set it aside.
2. Open up the chicken breast, and use a meat pounder (or wooden rolling pin) to thin it out.
3. In the middle of the opened chicken breast, place the spinach, two slices of portabella mushroom, sprinkle the cheese, drizzle a little bit of olive oil, sprinkle thyme, salt and pepper to taste.
4. Roll the chicken breast and secure it with a toothpick.
5. Heat oil in a large skillet, brown the chicken rolls on all sides, about 4 minutes per side. Remove the rolls from the pan and set aside.

For the sauce:

1. In the same pan you used to brown the chicken rolls, add a bit more oil, about 1 tablespoon, then add the chopped shallots, let them cook for about 3 min. Add the wine and let the alcohol evaporate for a few minutes,  scrape the pan to get all the flavor, then add the cream, chicken stock, bay leaf, salt and pepper to taste. Let the sauce cook for about 8 minutes, uncovered.
2. Cut the chicken breasts into slices and assemble on a plate, drizzle sauce over them.

Serve with asparagus, and mashed potatoes.

I had a big package of feta cheese at home and didn’t know what to do with it. I wasn’t in the mood for a greek salad, so I looked for recipes and this one caught my eye.  It is very good! And easy to make. I did substitute de cheddar cheese for mozzarella cheese, though. And I made the pie crust, this link will lead you to the Martha Stewart’s recipe. It is also very easy to make.

Spinach and Feta Cheese Tart

Original Recipe Yield 1 – 9 inch quiche

Ingredients
½ stick of butter
3 cloves garlic, chopped
3 shallots, chopped
10 oz spinach (1 bag)
1 cup portabella mushrooms, roughly chopped
1 (6 ounce) package herb and garlic feta, crumbled
1 (8 ounce) package shredded Cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste
1 (9 inch) unbaked deep dish pie crust
4 eggs, beaten
1 cup milk
salt and pepper to taste

Procedure:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. In a medium skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Saute garlic and onion in butter until lightly browned, about 7 minutes. Stir in spinach, mushrooms, feta and 1/2 cup Cheddar cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon mixture into pie crust.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs and milk. Season with salt and pepper. Pour into the pastry shell, allowing egg mixture to thoroughly combine with spinach mixture.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Sprinkle top with remaining Cheddar cheese, and bake an additional 35 to 40 minutes, until set in center. Allow to stand 10 minutes before serving.