Spinach

I think I planted this spinach in late October or early November.  You can see the spinach just poking through the ground.  The larger plant is basil and it didn't make it but you can see how good the spinach has been.  When the temperature is around freezing it stunts the growth a bit for a couple of days but takes off once again when it warms up. We have had such a warm winter I can't harvest it enough.  I'm going to plant my lettuce and arugula in the next couple of days. 

Spinach is a great addition to all salads, soups, wonderful sauted with garlic and great for juicing.

Orange Walnut Salad

Sorry for the side view.  I got this recipe from my sister years ago.  This time of the year when navel oranges are so sweet and good, it's a wonderful time to make it.  It is easy and it is a delicious salad.

1 Bibb lettuce or lettuce of your choice (tear into bite size pieces)
1 pound fresh spinach (tear into bite size pieces)
2 oranges, peel and section and cut into chunks
1/2 large sweet onion, slice and separate into rings
1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
2 tablespoons butter

Put first four ingredients into a large bowl.  Saute walnuts into butter until lightly browned.  Add to lettuce mixture and toss with dressing.

Dressing:
1 cup olive oil
1.2 cup sugar
1/2 cup vinegar
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon celery seed
1 teaspoon paprika
1 tablespoon finely chopped onion

Mix sugar, vinegar, dry mustard, salt, celery seed, paprika together and whisk until combined.  Then slowly add olive oil until thick.  Stir in finely chopped onions.

Veggie Skillet Biscuits

I will give the original recipe but I will change these up a bit next time I make them.  I made these biscuits with a home made vegetable soup and they were great.  These are a great accompaniment to any soup!

1/2 small zucchini
1 small stalk broccoli, stem trimmed and peeled, florets broken apart
1 small carrot
2 1/4 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
2/3 cup shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup plain whole milk Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
flaked sea salt

I love broccoli cooked and raw but my husband doesn't.  I will make these again and I will omit the broccoli and use yellow squash and red bell pepper. 

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Use a box grater to shred zucchini, broccoli stem and carrot onto a cutting board.  Using a chef's knife, give the shredded vegetables and broccoli florets a quick chop.  You should have about 2 cups total.  Toss vegetables in 1/4 cup of flour set aside.

In a large bowl stir together the remaining flour, the baking powder and baking soda, 1 tsp.  salt and 1/2 tsp. black pepper. With a pastry blender, cut in the butter until pieces resemble crumbs.  Fold in the vegetable mixture and the cheese.  Gently stir in the yogurt until the mixture is moistened.  In the bowl gently knead until it comes together as a dough.

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface.  Pat the dough to a 1 1/4 in. thickness.  Using a 2 1/2 inch diameter cookie cutter, cut dough into rounds.  Repeat with scraps. Arrange biscuits in a 12-inch cast iron skillet.  Bake 15-18 minutes or until golden.  Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with sea salt.

Wonderful Chicken Pasta Dish

My husband was a great sport a couple of nights ago.  This was dinner and he's not a great Italian fan.  He will eat Italian food but it's definitely not his favorite.  He tried this and said he liked it but I want to say it is wonderful and it also has made great leftovers.

1 1/2 pounds of chicken breast
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon paprika
5 Roma tomatoes cut into medium cubes
2 cups fresh spinach
6 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
6  strips bacon, fried, drained and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 cups half and half
1 1/2 cups parmesan cheese
10 oz penne pasta
1/2 cup parmesan cheese for garnish

Season chicken on both sides and fry in the olive oil and butter.  After chicken is cooked drain on paper towel and fry bacon.  Drain the bacon also.  Then cut chicken into thin strips and the bacon into 1/2 inch pieces and set aside.  The pan that the chicken was cooked in, remove all the olive oil except for 2 tablespoons and add one tablespoon of bacon drippings to this.  Now add the tomatoes, garlic, red pepper flakes, spinach. Stir this several times and let it saute for several minutes then add the chicken and Parmesan cheese and the half and half and continue to stir until everything is incorporated well.  Simmer on low until the sauce starts to thicken.  At this time, taste and add salt according to your taste and sprinkle the bacon and stir several times.  Add cooked pasta and stir until all the pasta is covered with sauce. When you serve garnish with Parmesan cheese.

The Business of Disease

http://thebusinessofdisease.com/

I hope you will take the time to watch this.  It is information that everyone needs to know about.

Wisconsin Cauliflower Cheddar Soup

My daughter mentioned to me that she had made a good cauliflower soup several months ago.  I was having a dear friend down for dinner and was trying to think of something good for our meal and I remembered her soup.  I got the recipe from her and I cannot tell you how wonderful this soup taste. 

It is one of the best soups I've  tasted in a while.  It is easy to make and doesn't take long.  I thought it tasted good before I ever added the cheese.  This soup is a winner.

2 tablespoons butter

1 white onion, diced

2 minced garlic cloves

1/4 cup flour

2 cups milk

3 cups of chicken broth or vegetable broth

2 teaspoons salt

1 head of cauliflower, broken into florets

1 cup shredded pepperjack cheese

2 cups shredded sharp white cheddar

one roasted jalapeno, skinned and seeded

Melt butter in a large pot.  Add garlic and onion and saute until onions are tender.  Add flour and stir until mixture clumps up.  Then gradually add milk and broth stirring until mixture is smooth.  Next add cauliflower, jalapeno and salt.  Simmer for 15 minutes or until cauliflower is tender.  Put the soup in the blender in batches and blend until smooth (be care because it is hot, don't fill blender to the top just half way and hold a dish towel over the top of the blender). Return mixture to soup pot and on low heat add the cheeses and stir until melted and well combined. 

The jalapeno is optional.  My daughter just added it the first time she made the soup.  She thought it sounded good. It is not part of the original recipe.  It adds a little heat and I think it makes the recipe.

Veggie Wrap

This is a recipe from the Pioneer Woman.  This is fast, easy and very tasty.  I changed mine up a little from her original recipe.

Spinach tortilla
hummus
sautéed onions
sundried tomatoes
canned artichoke hearts
mixed greens, dressed with a little olive oil and balsamic vinegar
feta cheese

I sautéed a red bell pepper with the onions instead of using sundried tomatoes.  What I really like about these are that they really taste good, they are healthy and it takes no time to prepare them.