spinach | Mommie Cooks!

Mexi-Chicken Roll Ups

March 23, 2011 By Julie 35 Comments

It’s one of those weeks. My vacuum is broken, and my house is in desperate need of a suction. My husband is missing in action for the next few days with work and, wouldn’t you know, Nicholas is home sick with a fever that won’t seem to go away. We’re expecting a delivery of new bedroom furniture for the boys rooms, but as it stands now, their accommodations are such a disaster that I can barely step foot in them, let alone move heavy furniture around.

I’m starting to feel that all too familiar caress of the “I must have a “Calgon take me away” bath and a large glass of wine IMMEDIATELY” syndrome. When you’re alone in the house with three boys, though, bathes and wine aren’t always an option. Step in choice number two. Which, I might add, ranks right up there with hot water and wine.

I cook up something amazing. A dish that’s both delectable and tummy pleasing; mind calming and sheer comfort food all rolled into one. For me, that’s stuffed chicken. It can be stuffed with just about anything anyone wants to throw in and I’m ready to take it on just so long as one of the accouterments is cheese. Lots of cheese.

This little creation lives up to it’s purpose. With the addition of both cream cheese and jalapeno jack, it’s loaded with everything an overworked mom needs to replenish her sanity for another day on the job. Heck, just looking at that picture and seeing the cheese oozing out of the chicken makes my blood pressure drop a notch.

Grab a large glass of wine and let’s do this.

…

Pasta Yummy

May 25, 2010 By Julie 15 Comments

Whew! It’s been quite a morning. Do you notice anything different? Here, let me twirl around a couple times for you to get a better look. That’s right, my blog has been beautified! I was looking for a change and Emma over at Indiechick designs made it happen. She put up with all my quips and quirks and together we were able to put together the ultimate Mommie Cooks blog. I LOVE the way it looks and I hope you love it too. Thank you Emma!

Now, let’s take this new beauty for a spin and see how she does with a super yummy sausage pasta recipe. I don’t know about your family, but ours loves a good juicy hunk of sausage. Italian sausage, chicken sausage, andouille sausage, chorizo, you name it, we’ll eat it and love every bite of it. I just happened to have a pound of the stuff burning a hole in my freezer the other night and decided to see what I could do with it for a quick and healthy dinner.

Enter Pasta Yummy. Why the yummy you may ask? Well, the entire time my kids were eating this meal they just kept saying, Yummy Mommy! Yep, it’s not earth shattering, but it works. Here’s what you’ll need for this one dish meal:

Ingredients Needed:

8 Oz. of Bowtie Pasta
1 Pd of Italian Sausage, crumbled
1 Pd of Frozen Spinach or 1 Bag of Fresh, Chopped
1 Can of Artichoke Hearts
2 Green Onions
4 Garlic Cloves
11/2 Cups of Chicken Stock
1/2 Cup of Parmesan Cheese
Salt and Pepper to Taste

Heat up a pot of salted water to boil and cook your noodles up al dente. While the noodles are cooking, throw your sausage in a large skillet cooking it on medium high heat.

Once your sausage is fully cooked set it aside, drain the excess fat and add in the garlic to the same pan. Let it cook up for a minute and then add in the broth, spinach, artichokes, and onion.

Cook the mixture uncovered on medium high for about 5 minutes until veggies are heated through. Turn your heat back down to low and add the noodles and sausage back into the pan.

I’m getting a hankering for sausage just looking at this picture! Stir your pan of goodness together, making sure it’s mixed well. Finally add in your parmesan and combine. Give it a minute or two to heat back up and you should be ready to serve up some pasta yummy. Here’s the meal still in the pan.

And here’s the meal just minutes before being devoured my hungry family of boys. Pasta Yummy!

Pasta Yummy

Total Time: 30 min

Ingredients:

8 Oz. Bow Tie Pasta, Cooked
1 Pd. Italian Sausage, Crumbled
1 Pd. Frozen Spinach or 1 6 Oz. Bag of Fresh, Chopped
1 Can Artichoke Hearts
2 Green Onions
4 Cloves Garlic, Minced
11/2 Cups Chicken Stock
1/2 Cup Parmesan Cheese, Grated
Salt and Pepper to Taste

Directions:

Heat up a pot of salted water to boil and cook the noodles up al dente.

While the noodles are cooking, throw your sausage in a large skillet cooking it on medium high heat.

Once your sausage is fully cooked set it aside, drain the excess fat and add in the garlic to the same pan.

Let it cook up for a minute and then add in the broth, spinach, artichokes, and onion.

Cook the mixture uncovered on medium high for about 5 minutes until veggies are heated through.

the heat back down to low and add the noodles and sausage back into the pan.

Stir it all together, making sure it's mixed well. Finally add in your parmesan and combine. Give it a minute or two to heat back up and you should be ready to serve up some pasta yummy.

The “Quick, I Need a Healthy Dinner Now!” Quesadilla

May 10, 2010 By Julie 9 Comments

I don’t know about all of you other mother’s out there, but I’m still coming down from my fabulous Mother’s Day weekend high. I like to refer to it as the Mother’s Day hangover. You get me, right? You’ve been pampered all weekend; cooked for, picked up for, massaged. Basically you’ve been treated like the queen you are and you’re not quite ready to get back to the realities of resuming your full time mom job.

Ok, who am I kidding, I still had to cook a meal or two and pick up for myself. I don’t think I remember a massage in there either. I also had to deal with my oldest son drawing me a lovely work of art on his bedroom ceiling (ahhh, no my love, we don’t color on walls, just paper please.) but I did get a really nice dinner paid for by my parents on Friday and an amazing brunch served by one of our top local eateries on Sunday (I had a spinach, artichoke and goat cheese omelette – OH YEA it was good.), so all in all, it was another successful Hallmark Holiday.

That being said, I just don’t feel quite ready to jump into the swing of full on, messy kitchen, dinner just yet. And THAT’s where the quick and healthy quesadilla comes into play. I love quesadillas. They are easy, they’re tasty, and they can be made any infinite number of ways to accommodate the specific taste a person may be craving.

The quesadilla I will be showing you today is vegetarian, healthy, and very tasty! The idea was given to me by my sister-in law who always serves up the most amazing vegetarian dishes. I never turn down an invitation for a meal at her house (love ya Connie!) The fillings we use are sweet potato, cheese, and spinach. I also love to throw some black beans in there for protein, although I didn’t put them in the one below. Here’s what you’ll need:

Ingredients Needed:

8 Flour Tortillas
2 Cups of Shredded Cheddar Cheese
2 to 3 Handfuls of Spinach, Chopped
1 Large Sweet Potato, Cooked
Chili Powder and Cumin to Taste

If you’re thinking this recipe is pretty self explanatory, you’d be right. We’ll go through it regardless so I can shamelessly post pictures (yes, I’m almost as addicted to my camera as I am to my kitchen; almost.).

First up, grab your cooked sweet potato (I usually cook mine up in the microwave. It’s just faster that way, but feel free to bake it as well), cut off a quarter of it, scoop it out and slather it onto one of your tortillas.

Now, go ahead and sprinkle on your chili powder and cumin. I don’t really have a measurement for this. I just kind of like to get good coverage across the entire tortilla like this:

Feel free to sprinkle some cayenne as well if you like things a little bit spicier. Finally sprinkle on your chopped spinach and cheese (and beans if you’re adding them).

Put the top onto your quesadilla and throw it in a large skillet with the temperature set to medium high. The skillet should have a tsp or so of melted butter swirled around in it. Let your quesadilla cook for 2 to 3 minutes and then flip it over letting the other side cook for 2-3 minutes as well. Pull it out, cut it into triangles and serve it up. I like to serve it with guacamole and carrot sticks.

And that’s all there is to it! I simple, quick, and healthy post Mothers Day meal that won’t have you drowning in the kitchen but will still make your family smile. Because mom’s deserve more than one day a year of being honored right? I hope all you moms had an amazing Mothers Day weekend!

"The Quick I Need a Healthy Dinner Now!" Quesadilla

Total Time: 20 min

Ingredients:

8 Flour Tortillas
2 Cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese
2 to 3 Handfuls Spinach, Chopped
1 Large Sweet Potato, Cooked
Chili Powder and Cumin to Taste

Directions:

Grab your cooked sweet potato, cut off a quarter of it, scoop it out and slather it onto one of your tortillas.

Sprinkle on a little chili powder and cumin. Feel free to sprinkle some cayenne as well if you like things a little bit spicier.

Add on your chopped spinach and cheese (and beans if you're adding them).

Put the top onto your quesadilla and throw it in a large skillet with the temperature set to medium high. The skillet should have a tsp or so of melted butter swirled around in it.

Let your quesadilla cook for 2 to 3 minutes and then flip it over letting the other side cook for 2-3 minutes as well. Pull it out, cut it into triangles and serve it up.

Mahi Mahi + Salad Fixings+ Homemade Asian Dressing

May 7, 2010 By Julie 9 Comments

Put it all together and you have One. Killer. Salad. I have to say, this was some tasty fine dinner. The inspiration for this meal actually came after a last minute decision to head to Le Peep for breakfast after church last Sunday. Going out to breakfast isn’t in our normal routine, but for some reason I was just feeling the need to partake of somebody’s cooking other than my own. And believe me, when the mommy’s got an urge for breakfast, it darn well needs to be honored in this house.

So after consuming more than a few breakfast delights and pretty much rolling ourselves out of the restaurant, my husband proclaimed that a light dinner needed to be in our future in order to counteract the pig out that so shamelessly occurred just a few minutes earlier. Hence, this delicious salad was born.

I know it’s going to sound silly, but my favorite part about this salad is the mandarin oranges. There’s just something about those little orange slices of heaven that get me every time. I could eat them straight out of the can. Ok, who am I kidding, I DO eat them straight out of the can. It’s so bad that I’ll hide them from my kids and eat them when they’re at school just so I don’t have to share. Yes, my name is Julie and I have a mandarin orange problem.

Ok, first up, the dressing. Here’s what you’ll need:

Ingredients Needed:

For the Dressing:

3 Cloves of Garlic, Minced
2 Tbsp of Fresh Ginger
1 Green Onion, Chopped
1/2 Lime, Juiced
3 Tbsp of Honey
1/2 Cup Sesame Oil
1/4 Cup Olive Oil
1/4 Cup of Soy Sauce
/4 Cup of Rice Vinegar

This dressing is so easy peasy, it make me wonder why I don’t make homemade dressing more often. You basically just take everything from the list above, throw it in a blender/processor and hit start. Bango, homemade Asian dressing.

Now, take about a half of a cup of your dressing and throw it in a gallon sized ziploc bag along with your mahi mahi. Close ‘er up, throw it in the fridge and let it marinate for at least an hour if not longer. Be sure to refrigerate your remaining dressing as well. You’ll need that again later on to slather on your finished salad; yum!

Once dinner time is upon you, grab your marinated fish and throw it on the grill until cooked through and then set to the side to keep warm.

Now you can really put anything you’d like in your salad so it is by no means a requirement to have what we used in ours (although, I might disagree with that statement when it comes to the mandarin oranges). Here’s what we threw into our salad:

Ingredients Needed:

For the Salad:

1 Bag of Spinach
1 Bunch of Romaine
1 Handful of Carrots, Chopped
1/2 Pint of Cherry Tomatoes, Halved
1 Handful of Sliced Mushrooms
1 Can of Mandarin Oranges, Drained and Rinsed
1 Small Cucumber, Sliced (or in our case, 1/4 of a really LARGE cucumber)
2/3 Cup of Crumbled Blue Cheese

Throw all your salad fixings in a bowl and voila! Isn’t that beautiful?

To plate your dinner, grab the a plate of salad, toss in a little (or a lot depending on your tastes) dressing and throw a mahi mahi fillet on top. And that’s all there is to it! Grab your wine, grab your salad and enjoy every. last. bite. of your creation. I know we did!

French Quarter Nachos

March 19, 2010 By Julie 6 Comments

In the spirit of March madness, I felt the impending need to concoct a big, fattening, ooey gooey, forget the diet, mound of nachos. Because, as we all know, despite our year in and year out efforts to get the perfect college tourney bracket, we will once again forgo the $10 ante in favor of a losing team that shouldn’t have lost in the first place (dang you Georgetown!) and be left with nothing to show for it but a lighter wallet and a bracket lined with crossed out loser teams. But I digress.

In thinking about what type of nachos I wanted to make, I dug deep into the depths of my freezer and discovered a pack of Trader Joe’s chicken andouille sausage. And from there the idea for French Quarter Nachos was born. These nachos were delightfully delicious and did a great job of dulling the pain of yet another inevitable losing year. Here’s what you’ll need for your nachos:

Ingredients Needed:

1 Pound Andouille Sausage, Chopped
1 Tbsp of Olive Oil
1/3 Cup of Salsa
1/2 of a Medium Onion, Chopped
1 Clove of Garlic
2 tsp of Cilantro
1 tsp of Cumin
1 tsp of Chili Powder
1 tsp of Corriander
1 Bag of Tortilla Chips
1 Can of Black Beans
1 Chopped Tomato
1 Chopped Green Onion
2 Cups of Chopped Green Spinach
2 Cups of Cheddar Cheese

A few notes before we begin. First off, I put lettuce in the shot above, but I’ll be honest, I didn’t end up using it for these nachos. I’m always trying to sneak a little bit of healthy in, so if I have the choice to use spinach over lettuce, I’ll do it. That being said, I know lots of people who prefer lettuce to spinach, so feel free to make your own choice on this one! Second, another mommie brain moment, but I put salt in the picture instead of olive oil. I know, I know, not at ALL the same thing. Finally, see if you can find Waldo in the picture above. He insisted on hiding in the background.

Alright, let’s get started. Heat up the oil in a large skillet on medium high heat. Throw your chopped sausage in and let it cook for about 3-4 minutes. Add in the onion and continue to cook about 4 minutes more. Finally, add in the cumin, coriander, chili powder, garlic, cilantro, and salsa. Stir to combine and let cook for one minute more. While your mixture is cooking, preheat your oven to 375 degrees and throw your bag of chips in a large oven safe dish. Once your meat mixture is finished, dump it on top of the chips making sure it is evenly distributed. Next add your black beans, spinach (or lettuce if you prefer), and finally the cheese. Place your dish into the oven and cook it until it is heated through and the cheese is bubbling; about 8-10 minutes. Pull it out, sprinkle your chopped tomatoes and green onions on top and serve it up. You’re done! Here’s the finished product:

I like to serve mine with guacamole and sour cream and I’ll put my quickie guacamole recipe up tomorrow for those that are interested. Happy Eating and may your bracket bring you good fortune!

French Quarter Nachos

Total Time: 30 min

Ingredients:

1 Pound Andouille Sausage, Chopped
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1/3 Cup Salsa
1/2 Medium Onion, Chopped
1 Clove Garlic, Minced
2 Tbsp Fresh Cilantro, Chopped
1 tsp Cumin
1 tsp Chili Powder
1 tsp Coriander
1 Bag Tortilla Chips
1 Can Black Beans
1 Tomato/span>, Chopped
1 Green Onion, Chopped
2 Cups Green Spinach, Chopped
2 Cups Cheddar Cheese, Cheese

Directions:

Heat up the oil in a large skillet on medium high heat. Throw your chopped sausage in and let it cook for about 3-4 minutes.

Add in the onion and continue to cook about 4 minutes more.

Finally, add in the cumin, coriander, chili powder, garlic, cilantro, and salsa. Stir to combine and let cook for one minute more.

While your mixture is cooking, preheat your oven to 375 degrees and throw your bag of chips in a large oven safe dish.

Once your meat mixture is finished, dump it on top of the chips making sure it is evenly distributed.

Next add your black beans, spinach (or lettuce if you prefer), and finally the cheese.

Place your dish into the oven and cook it until it is heated through and the cheese is bubbling; about 8-10 minutes.

Pull it out, sprinkle your chopped tomatoes and green onions on top and serve it up.