Do you have kids that are on the picky side and will not eat spinach? I do, but I found a trick. Ok so it isn't so much a trick it is really a couple of YUMMY recipes that are so good your kids won't realize that they are eating spinach. So to celebrate National Spinach Day I am sharing my two favorite spinach recipes with you all! First up, Strawberry Spinach Salad with home made spinach dressing and then a main dish that is Spinach stuffed chicken. Both of these recipes are a good use of the extra spinach you may have if you grow your own spinach. Enjoy!
Strawberry Spinach Salad
ingredients
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon table salt
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup Strawberry Vinegar
3/4 cup olive oil
1 pound fresh spinach, washed, deveined, and torn into pieces (or baby spinach, whole)
1 pint fresh strawberries, hulled and thinly sliced
1-1/2 tablespoons poppy seeds
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon table salt
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup Strawberry Vinegar
3/4 cup olive oil
1 pound fresh spinach, washed, deveined, and torn into pieces (or baby spinach, whole)
1 pint fresh strawberries, hulled and thinly sliced
1-1/2 tablespoons poppy seeds
Strawberry Vinegar
1-1/2 cups hulled and roughly chopped strawberries
1-1/2 cups white wine vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
Place strawberries and vinegar in a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Let stand in a sunny window 3 to 4 days (the vinegar will become bright red). Strain into a small saucepan and discard berries. Stir in sugar and heat over medium heat until mixture comes to a boil. Simmer over low heat about 10 minutes. Cool and pour into a clean bottle. Cover and store in a cool, dry place or in the refrigerator. Yield: about 2 cups.
Spinach Stuffed Chicken:
Ingredients
2 thick, boneless, skinless chicken breasts
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, divided
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups finely chopped mushrooms
3/4 pound fresh baby spinach
1 clove garlic, minced
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
3/4 cup ricotta cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 cup Italian-style bread crumbs
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Oil a large, shallow casserole and set aside.
Halve the chicken breasts and pound the pieces into large, thin cutlets. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium heat, add the onion and mushrooms, stir, and sauté for 5 minutes, or until soft. Add the spinach, garlic, and salt and pepper, to taste, and stir. Cover and cook for 4 to 5 minutes. Uncover and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the excess liquid evaporates.
In a small bowl, mix together the ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, and basil. Add salt and pepper, to taste, mix, and set aside.
Working with one piece of chicken at a time, smear one-quarter of the cheese mixture over the breast, then mound on it one-quarter each of the onion–mushroom mixture and the feta cheese. Fold one side of the chicken over the filling, then roll the chicken into a neat bundle. Brush with the beaten egg and roll in the bread crumbs to coat. Place in the oiled casserole, seam side down, and insert a toothpick through the chicken to secure it. Repeat with the remaining chicken.
Melt the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter and spoon over the chicken. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the chicken is firm, juicy, and no longer pink.
Lemon-Garlic Butter Sauce:
Ingredients
3 tablespoons butter
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat; add the garlic. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until the garlic is very lightly browned. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice, parsley, and pepper, to taste. Serve over the sliced chicken.
I hope you and your family love these as much as mine do!
