Cheesy Spinach Cakes

I am always looking for options for a quick healthy side dish or grab and go breakfast items. A while back, in a local publication (I think that the hospital publishes) there was a recipe for these Cheesy Spinach Cakes. I changed some of the amounts because it called for more spinach than comes in a single bag and I only bought one bag and I wanted more substance so I added more cottage cheese. I also added in some jalapeno to give it a little more kick.

The resulting 'cake' is tasty. My son didn't care for them, my daughter won't eat them because they have spinach in them and my husband didn't try them yet - so at this point, they are all mine!. I enjoyed them and according to Cook'n (the recipe software I use), they are only 55 calories per cake and 6 grams of protein, which I think makes them perfect for an on the go breakfast following my workout or a satisfying side.

Cheesy Spinach Cakes

5 ounces bag, baby spinach
3/4 cup low fat cottage cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 large eggs, beaten
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 jalapeno pepper, finely diced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Chop spinach. Transfer to a medium bowl. Add cheeses, eggs, garlic, salt and pepper; stir to combine.

Coat 8 cups of the muffin pan with cooking spray. Divide the spinach mixture among the 8 cups (they will be very full).

Bake the spinach cakes until set, about 20 minutes. Let stand in the pan for 5 minutes. Loosen the edges with a knife and turn out onto a clean plate.


Disclaimer

Mini Cannoli Cups

I am always on the lookout for easy to make and enjoy treats to be able to put together for a gathering with friends, a nice treat for the family after dinner or treats to take to parties or work. I tried my first cannoli when I was traveling for business in Boston. There was something very satisfying about the crunch of the shell and cool creamy, richness of the filling. I certainly didn't see Cannolis as something that I could undertake, but when I saw a friend share about mini cannoli cups on Facebook, I decided this might be the way for me to recreate this treat at home.

I made them for dessert on Sunday and the family thoroughly enjoyed them. My son even asked to pack one in his lunch the next day. At about 95 calories per cup, they can easily be a portion controlled dessert that allows you to enjoy a treat without too many calories - the bigger challenge is resisting eating more than one.

Mini Cannoli Cups

Yield: 24 cups

Ingredients:
1 box refrigerated pie crust (2 crusts)
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 (15-ounce) package ricotta cheese
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips

Directions:

Strain the ricotta cheese, using a cheese cloth or coffee filter. (you can skip this step, but it will give you a thicker filling) Place the cheese into your mixer bowl and add sugars and vanilla. Mix.

Place in a quart size bag and refrigerate. Filling can be kept in the fridge up to 3 days before using.

Preheat oven to 425.

Roll out pie crusts and sprinkle each all over one side with sugar and cinnamon. Roll over dough with rolling pin gently to push cinnamon and sugar into the pie crust.

Using a cup or biscuit cutter, cut out circles in the dough.

Lightly press the circles into ungreased mini cupcake pans to form a pastry cup. Gently prick the bottoms on the cups with a fork.

Bake for 8-10 minutes.

Remove from oven and cool completely.

About an hour before serving, make a small cut across the corner of the plastic bag to fill cups, squeezing the filling into each cup. Sprinkle chocolate chips on top and dust with powdered sugar.

Disclaimer

dare I say - The Perfect Grilled Cheese

If you had asked me to provide examples of 'recipes' that I would likely never do a post about, I think that grilled cheese might have been amongst them. Sure there are hundreds of ways to make grilled cheese, as you can mix up your bread, your cheese and even add other toppings like tomatoes or ham. I know that there are entire restaurants devoted to the grilled cheese sandwich. (as an aside, there is a cereal restaurant too that allows you to 'custom' mix your choice of cereals - wonder if they are still around)

I have been making myself grilled cheese for years and was very content with my method. It was never as good as those that you would have out, but it was still satisfying and the perfect mate for a bowl of soup on a cool day.

Then, the other day, my friend shared this article with me about how to make the perfect grilled cheese sandwich. So, when I was home with the kids enjoying a snow day, I decided to give it a try. Let me confirm that it did not disappoint. It was crispy and yummy!

So, really at the end of the day, this recipe is less about the components and more about the technique. I have made it with "regular" sliced bread and Italian bread from the bakery. I have made it with American Cheese and Jalapeno Cheddar Cheese. I've left it just cheese and added bacon to my sandwich. I imagine it will work well with most types of bread and cheese. I'm thinking Texas Toast with Feta and Bacon is on my list to try soon.

1. Select your bread - whatever is your favorite or you have on hand will work.

2. Butter both sides of your bread. (the second side can be tricky, I usually wait until I have it in the pan to do the other side)

3. Brown both sides on a griddle/in a skillet.

4. Transfer the bread to a sheet pan.
5. Top each side with your cheese.

6. Bake at 350 for about 5-10 minutes, until your cheese melts.

7. Flip one piece on top of the other to build a sandwich.

8. Cut in half (aren't they just better that way).
9. Enjoy!

The resulting sandwich is just wonderful. It is crunchy on the edges. It is soft and gooey on the inside. It has that subtle taste of butter.

I don't think I can return to my old style of making a grilled cheese.

What type of toppings do you like on your grilled cheese? What combination will you try first?

Disclaimer

Pizza Sticks

It always seems that we get stuck in a bit of a rut when it comes to meal planning. It's not that we don't eat a variety of items, it just seems that every few weeks, I get to the point where nothing sounds exciting and I struggle to plan a menu. Which is something that I hate - it really is so much easier to go into the week with a plan than it is to wing it. The good news is that sometimes, those weeks lead to new ways to enjoy familiar food. The other week, as we were trying to clean out the fridge before vacation, was one of those weeks. I knew the things that I had to use up, but we were so busy planning and packing for vacation, that I never really looked at what I had to lay out a menu plan. Fortunately, one night this lead to a new meal/snack for our menu - Pizza Sticks. We paired it with salad for a nice balanced meal, but they would be great for snack time too. I might consider cutting the biscuits and cheese in half and making smaller portions for a snack or appetizer.

Pizza Sticks
1 can refrigerated large size biscuits (we used Grands)
8 servings string cheese
pepperoni, optional
pizza sauce (we make our own with tomato sauce)

Preheat oven to 350.

Flatten the biscuit, long ways. Place a row of pepperoni along the biscuit, if using. Top with string cheese.

Roll the biscuit around the cheese, being sure to seal the seam and to seal the ends.

Place on a baking sheet, leaving space between the sticks. Bake for 18 minutes.

Warm the pizza sauce and serve with the pizza sticks.

(Tried to cut one in half, but realize that it doesn't really show the gooey cheese center very well)

Disclaimer

Roasted Cauliflower Cheese Soup

When the weather turns cooler, I am a big fan of soup. I could eat soup for several meals a week - whether as a side course or a main course. There is just something so satisfying about the warmth of a soup - the steam coming off the bowl as you sit above it eating and the warmth of it in your stomach. When I make it a meal, I love to serve it with a hearty bread (and sometimes I even add butter).

When I added this new soup to my weekly meal plan, I had an ulterior motive. The soup was to be pureed. For years, I have either skipped puree steps for my soup or I have tried to transfer a portion of it to a standard blender to puree. The problem with that is two-fold. Hot liquids seem to seep out of my blender, so I have to cool them some before blending and since you can't puree it all, the texture is never quite right. I decided that since I had some Kohl's Cash and a 20% off coupon, that this time I was going to get something for me. I picked up a stick/immersion blender with my discount. It cost me about $4 plus tax after my discount. A great investment. A specialized tool that is worth finding the space to keep.

Roasted Cauliflower Cheese Soup

Servings 4

1 head cauliflower cut into florets
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon thyme
3 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups White Cheddar Cheese, shredded
1 cup milk
salt and pepper to taste

Toss the cauliflower with 2 tbsp oil. Sperad on a large baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Roast at 400F for 20 minutes. The florets should be lightly browned.

Heat the oil in a sauce pan. Add onion and garlic and saute for about 5 minutes. Add thyme and cook another minute. Add broth and cauliflower to the pan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for about 20 minutes. Puree the soup to desired consistency. Mix in the cheese and allow to melt. Mix in milk and remove from heat. Season to taste.

Notes - I used chicken bouillon and water instead of broth. I garnished my bowl with additional shredded cheese. I recommend leaving a certain amount of chunks in your soup. According to my recipe software, this soup has about 300 calories per bowl (plus any garnish you add). I think I could do the same recipe with broccoli, although I would probably use regular cheddar.

This post shared at the Ultimate Recipe Swap.

This recipe is thanks to the time I spend wandering on Pinterest. You can find the original post on Riches To Rags by Dori here.
Disclaimer