[senior citizen]

Originally Posted by graciegirl

I had such a good experience asking for input on eggplant parmesan that I am going to ask what you do with a bag of fresh spinach?

I saute it in a little oil that has had a lot of garlic gently fried in it and sometimes I sprinkle with sieved hard cooked eggs and a little vinegar, salt and pepper..

Some people put a cream sauce on it and some make it into a quiche and some put it on pizza..........

If spinach isn't interesting, please switch vegetables that are a hit with your bunch.

VillagesPl has caused me to think about vegetables.

p.s. GREAT SUMMERTIME SPINACH SALADS.......

First one, Mandarin Orange Spinach Salad is always a hit.....
Next one, with bacon & mushrooms....both can be altered to suit tastes.
Ingredients

• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup white vinegar
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• SALAD:
• 3/4 cup slivered almonds
• 4-1/2 teaspoons sugar
• 7 cups torn romaine
• 7 cups chopped fresh spinach
• 1-1/2 cups sliced celery
• 1-1/2 cups sliced green onion
• 3 cans (11 ounces each) mandarin oranges, drained

Directions

• In a jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine the first five ingredients; shake well. Set aside. In a skillet, cook and stir the almonds and sugar over medium heat until sugar is melted and almonds are coated. Spread on foil to cool completely.
• In a large salad bowl, combine the romaine, spinach, celery and onions. Add oranges and sugared almonds; toss gently. Shake dressing; drizzle over salad and toss to coat. Yield: 24 servings.

ANOTHER MANDARIN ORANGE SPINACH SALAD....A BIT MORE SPICY, WITH FRESH MUSHROOMS AND SOME CRUMBLED BACON.......
Ingredients

• 1 package (10 ounces) fresh spinach, torn
• 1 can (11 ounces) mandarin oranges, drained
• 1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
• 3 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
• DRESSING:
• 3 tablespoons ketchup
• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 1-1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons chopped onion
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• Dash pepper
• 1/2 cup canola oil

Directions

• In a large salad bowl, toss the spinach, oranges, mushrooms and bacon; set aside.
• In a blender, combine the ketchup, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, sugar, onion, salt and pepper; cover and process until smooth. While processing, gradually add oil in a steady steam. Serve with salad. Yield: 4-6 servings (about 3/4 cup dressing).

CREAMED SPINACH :

If you don't want the convenience of Stauffer's creamed spinach souffle, here is a good copycat recipe............I've made this with the frozen spinach from the freezer.....and tastes just as good.......just remember to thaw it and squeeze it dry............
Ingredients

• 1/4 cup diced onion
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1-1/4 cups fat-free half-and-half
• 4 ounces fat-free cream cheese, cubed
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 1 package (16 ounces) frozen leaf spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
• 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon shredded Parmesan cheese, divided

Directions

• In a large nonstick skillet, saute onion and garlic in butter until tender. Stir in flour until blended. Gradually whisk in half-and-half until blended. Bring to a boil over medium-low heat; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until slightly thickened.
• Add the cream cheese, salt, nutmeg and pepper, stirring until cream cheese is melted. Stir in spinach and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese; heat through. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately. Yield: 5 servings

PPS....
I also add fresh spinach to my minestroni soup in the winter time.
Also, I add it quite often to my lentil soup. It wilts down.

[senior citizen]

Originally Posted by graciegirl

I had such a good experience asking for input on eggplant parmesan that I am going to ask what you do with a bag of fresh spinach?

I saute it in a little oil that has had a lot of garlic gently fried in it and sometimes I sprinkle with sieved hard cooked eggs and a little vinegar, salt and pepper..

Some people put a cream sauce on it and some make it into a quiche and some put it on pizza..........

If spinach isn't interesting, please switch vegetables that are a hit with your bunch.

VillagesPl has caused me to think about vegetables.

Gracie: When you have time to spare BEFORE the holidays and want to make something "ahead of time" to pop in the freezer but not bake until your family arrives from Ohio.........try this Spinach Pie.

You need two nine inch spring form pans....the kind you make cheesecake in.....that the sides come off of.

Makes TWO SPINACH PIES......you can bake one to eat now, instructions below......and pop the second into the freezer to bake LATER.



This "SPINACH PIE" COMES FROM BOTH THE GREEK & THE ITALIAN CULTURE.... it's really excellent.

This Greek-style dish can be assembled and then frozen for up to three months. When you're ready to bake, it can go straight from the freezer into the oven.

To assemble the pie, press the spinach mixture into the pans, making even layers; then cover the filling completely with phyllo dough slices.

Prep Time 25 minutes

• Total Time 1 hour 45 minutes
• Yield Serves 12

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil (SAVE THE HALF CUP OLIVE OIL FOR LATER TO TOSS ON THE PHYLLO DOUGH). Use the 2 T. to saute with.)
• 4 medium onions, chopped
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 6 packages frozen chopped spinach, (10 ounces each), thawed and squeezed dry
• 1 pound feta cheese, crumbled
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup plain dried breadcrumbs
• 2 teaspoons dried dill
• 8 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 8 ounces frozen phyllo sheets, thawed and thinly sliced

Directions

Make the filling: In a large nonstick skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat. Add onions, and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Add garlic and 2 teaspoons salt; cook until garlic is tender, 1 to 2 minutes.

Transfer mixture to a large bowl; stir in spinach, feta, Parmesan, breadcrumbs, dill, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Fold in eggs until combined.

Divide mixture evenly between two 9-inch springform pans or two 9 1/2-inch deep-dish pie plates; press firmly to flatten.

Make the topping: In a large bowl, gently toss sliced phyllo to separate, then toss with remaining 1/2 cup oil until coated.

Divide phyllo between pies, covering the tops evenly and completely. (To freeze, cover pies tightly with plastic wrap, being careful not to flatten topping. Bake within 3 months; do not thaw first.)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake until heated through and topping is golden brown, about 1 hour 15 minutes for frozen pie (30 minutes for unfrozen pie).

[Ohiogirl]

All of these sound good, but Gracie, what is Villages PI? I have a feeling it is something I read already, but not sure where.

I already make a couple of these dishes, but also wanted to say that sometimes (depending on what's in the fridge) I just use spinach in place of lettuce - on sandwiches, in salads (lots of times mix spinach with other lettuces).

[senior citizen]

Originally Posted by Ohiogirl

All of these sound good, but Gracie, what is Villages PI? I have a feeling it is something I read already, but not sure where.

I already make a couple of these dishes, but also wanted to say that sometimes (depending on what's in the fridge) I just use spinach in place of lettuce - on sandwiches, in salads (lots of times mix spinach with other lettuces).

The simpler the better use of the fresh spinach....for sure.

As you said, great on sandwiches, such as thin rare roast beef.

We all love raw spinach. Simple.

Mixing fresh raw spinach with fresh romaine makes a great salad...

Now that strawberries are in season......they are GREAT on spinach salads as well.......

[graciegirl]

Honest to heavens Senior, I don't know what you did before in your life but what you should do now is write a cookbook or better still, take over one of the not too hot restaurants here.

and Ohiogirl, VillagePl is a person who writes a lot about health on here.

It is confusing...I was thinking they were the same and they are not... There is a woman named VillagesFl and she has an avatar, a cute gal and sweet too and a guy named VillagePl which I take to mean village place and he has NO avatar and is concerned about the health or lack of it here in TV.

So...I love vegetables even though I am not a vegan or a vegetarian and I thought that it would be fun to hear how other people fix their vegetables.

Another one of my favorite vegetables and one that is sweet as sugar is Parsnips. They look like carrots but are light yellow and are always included in our yummy, over the top feasts as a side.

Does anyone fix parsnips?

I have never fixed collards. Would love to know more about their preparation. Are they like kale?

Please continue on with spinach or add one of your favorite vegetable dishes.

[senior citizen]

[QUOTE=graciegirl;522666]

Honest to heavens Senior, I don't know what you did before in your life but what you should do now is write a cookbook or better still, take over one of the not too hot restaurants here.

So...I love vegetables even though I am not a vegan or a vegetarian and I thought that it would be fun to hear how other people fix their vegetables.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Actually, I never cooked at all until we were married in 1965.
Worked as a private secretary but still had to commute home to make supper. At first, all I had was a Betty Crocker cookbook. If you can read, you can learn to cook.

There were no processed foods back then except for t.v. dinners, which I did not use.........I cooked from scratch.

I made my first Thanksgiving dinner as a newlywed......for my parents and friends, etc.

We entertained a lot and I made all types of appetizers and desserts.

Later, once the children arrived, you beginning cooking "family meals" and I added to my huge cookbook collection..........plus, remember the old "stained" recipe card box???? Mine was huge....shared by friends and neighbors and family members.

Now, it's just the two of us except when they all come "home".

I wouldn't want to own a restaurant at all. Once you go down to cooking for two, it really isn't fun anymore......but then a restaurant would be too much at our age.

My generation was the "stay at home" mom, baking the cookies for when they returned on the school bus..........sending them off with a hot breakfast.......and a big supper at suppertime. We always ate together.

Now, it appears that some families use the drive up windows a lot.

I even learned to bake French bread (baguettes).........now the breads in the supermarket are awful..........but again, for just the two of us, it isn't worth the bother.

We used to think that the delicious French baguettes at a local historical inn were made in the "kitchen" by some top chef baker.........then we found out he was using Schwan's frozen pre baked French Bread Loaves.
They are really good........so now I cheat.

You could have fooled us......they'd come out of the kitchen looking just like he baked them......and were excellent. Perfect outside crust and nice soft inside.....but not the gluey bread of today.

They come in a bag of three for the freezer. Great "with dinner" or for a sandwich.

Our pet peeve is all the GLUEY MUSHY bread in the supermarkets since they took the trans fats out.......whatever else they did to the bread, it is awful.........I buy "artisan" breads at the supermarket in the bakery section........they are peasant Italian breads, rough and crusty....have holes in them......but at least they have texture........

Anyway, anyone can cook if they can read...........however, nowadays, it seems everyone is either lactose intollerant or following some type of restricted diet..............but, like you, I've always loved my veggies and am not a vegan nor vegetarian.........everything in moderation.

I married a guy who only ate corn and green beans and peas out of a can........so I introduced him to fresh and frozen veggies.......as I did all my friends........our kids eat everything, were never fussy, and are both thin and healthy..........they eat and enjoy all types of ethnic foods from all over the world..........again, I baked every single day as back in those days "it was what we did"..........it wasn't rationed, yet they grew up thin and healthy.

It was fun going to parties and pot lucks in those days........again, no one was on any type of restricted diet....and we all shared recipes.

A recent wedding we attended was super nuts as NO ONE could eat ANYTHING. The menu was huge for all the other meals as well, but nothing on the menus was acceptable.

It's become quite a craze. Actually, it's taken the pleasure out of "dining out".....or "cooking in".

You open the restaurant and we'll come by...........

What I'd like from you is an authentic German Potato Salad recipe.
Our dear friend who was like a grandmother to our children, would make the best "warm" German potato salad.....yes, it had bacon in it...
I've tried to duplicate it over the years since she's been gone, but although good, the recipes aren't quite the same as hers. She had some type of "seeds" in it. It had vinegar and oil, but no MAYO. Onions, yes.

[Bonny]

All sounds delish ! I love spinach.
All I do is wet it, cover in a pan and steam it. When it's done I put yummy butter and salt on it.

Personally I don't think spinach CAN be fixed!

[zcaveman]

Open the can and put in a sauce pan and heat. Put it into bowls and eat.

For variety add a little flour and butter and salt and pepper and make it creamed spinach. Put it into bowls and eat.

For uncooked spinach, de-vein it, cook up some bacon and crumble it (save the grease), hard boil some eggs and slice them, add mustard and vinegar to the bacon grease and combine it. Mix it all together and put it bowls and eat.

Love my spinach!!!

Z

[batman911]

If you like spinach, you may want to try Bok Choy. We steam baby Bok Choy and use a balsamic vinegar dip. Great for stir fry as well. The stem part of the leaves hold up better when heated than spinach.

http://www.delish-blog.com/2009/06/s...y-with-garlic/

http://steamykitchen.com/2112-bok-ch...ry-recipe.html

[skyc6]

My husband's grandmother, from Cincinnati and very German, made great German warm potato salad. I did have her recipe, but I don't know where it is now! The seeds are celery seeds, and the dressing had vinegar in it, and I know there was onion and bacon in it. Should try to do it sometime soon!

[uujudy]

Originally Posted by senior citizen

. . . If you can read, you can learn to cook. . .

I have heard this quote so many times from talented cooks. Senior Citizen, I don't mean to be disagreeable, but it's not true for some of us. It's like someone saying if you can read you can draw realistic portraits... or drive a car... or swim in the ocean... Nope. Doesn't work for me. I've been reading cookbooks all my life & I have drawers stuffed with 'fool-proof' recipes, but my success rate is still way below normal.
Just sayin'
Judy the Fool
PS: I'll bring the cheese & crackers and the ice!
PPS: I just put spinach in the steamer & steam it for a few minutes, then add butter.

[Shimpy]

Originally Posted by jane032657

I will have you over for my world famous (ok my Pacific Northwest famous) spanakopita when I get to TV. People who hate spinach ask me to make this for them. It is amazing. You can try it too, but you have to be able to work very quickly with the phyllo dough, and if butter is an issue, it'll kill ya, but what a way to go!

My mother was greek and we had spanakopita often but called it pita for short. I'm proud of mine and I use olive oil between layers of phyllo dough instead of butter and I can't taste the difference. I do it in a pizza pan and like it thin. Sometimes I just roll it into a couple sheets of phyllo like an egg roll. You got me hungry for it again.

[senior citizen]

Originally Posted by skyc6

My husband's grandmother, from Cincinnati and very German, made great German warm potato salad. I did have her recipe, but I don't know where it is now! The seeds are celery seeds, and the dressing had vinegar in it, and I know there was onion and bacon in it. Should try to do it sometime soon!

YES, THAT'S WHAT THEY ARE.........CELERY SEEDS.
Sounds like my friend's German Potato Salad........simple but delicious.

My mom made her potato salad with mayonnaise but my dad had one particular fussy sister who would only eat her potato salad if it had vinegar in it.......she wouldn't touch mayonnaise.

So, my mom made two versions, one for my aunt and the mayo type as well.

Not sure if the Italians make their own type of potato salad...........but I did love the warm German variety. She was a great cook and the entire neighborhood misses her dearly.......she also made a mean saurbraten, which I have made in the past..........delicious.

[lovsthosebigdogs]

Gracie, did you ever try this?
Peel and cut your parsnips into long french fry shapes and toss with oil. Season with coarse salt and pepper (and rosemary if you like that). Cover a baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray. Bake in a preheated 450 oven for about 15 minutes, turn and bake another 15 minutes or until browned and tender.