Recipes

CREAMED SPINACH GRATIN (posted by Amanda, from Cooking Light)

I served this to a dude and he loved it.  That should be all the incentive you need to try this recipe.

Ingredients

* 1 (10-ounce) bag fresh spinach
* Cooking spray
* 2/3 cup chopped onion
* 1/4 cup tub-style light cream cheese
* 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon pepper
* 1 cup (1/4-inch-thick) sliced tomato
* 1/4 cup dry breadcrumbs
* 2 tablespoons finely grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375°.

Remove large stems from spinach. Tear spinach into 1-inch pieces; place in a colander. Rinse spinach under cold water; drain. Set aside.

Place a large Dutch oven coated with cooking spray over medium heat until hot. Add onion; sauté 3 minutes. Add spinach; cover and cook 2 minutes or until spinach wilts. Add cream cheese, oregano, salt, and pepper. Uncover and cook an additional minute or until cream cheese melts. Spoon spinach mixture into a 1-quart gratin dish or shallow casserole coated with cooking spray. Arrange tomato slices in a single layer on top of spinach,and sprinkle with breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese. Bake at 375° for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Nutritional Information (per 1/2 cup serving – serves 6)

Weight Watchers Points: 1

Calories: 72 (35% from fat)
Fat: 2.8g (sat 1.4g,mono 0.3g,poly 0.3g)
Protein: 4.2g
Carbohydrate: 8.5g
Fiber: 2.8g
Cholesterol: 7mg
Iron: 1.8mg
Sodium: 265mg
Calcium: 105mg

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REALLY EASY SPINACH (posted by Carrie)

Lots of fresh spinach (like, half a bag)

Honey (just a drizzle … maybe 1/2 tsp.)

Feta Cheese (a little bit … maybe 1 or 2 Tbs.)

Add spinach and a teeny bit of olive oil (or whatever oil you like) to a skillet and cook on low heat until wilted. At the end of your cook time, add a drizzle of honey and give it a good mix. Serve and garnish with feta.

This is super simple, which is one reason I really like it. (All my “recipes” will be easy because I am lazy … if you actually like cooking, Amanda will be a breath of fresh air for you.) I like that it’s a little sweet because of the honey and a little salty because of the feta. It’s a full serving of vegetables that isn’t shackled to a starch, which is awesome, and spinach is very iron-rich, which, as a vegetarian, I love. I hope you like it!

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HONEGAR (posted by Carrie)

1 Tbs. Honey (local is best)

1 Tbs. ACV (Apple Cider Vinegar)

1 c. (or so) Water

Add water to your honey and ACV until thoroughly mixed. This is easiest if you use hot water, but cold is okay too if you want to do a little extra stirring (or add a bit of hot to mix, then ice it).

I drink this morning, afternoon, and evening. It’s a general health tonic (specifically relieves nausea and joint pain, two things I struggle with) that I believe regulates my sugar so I don’t crave the refined stuff. That’s just a theory though, so make of it what you will. It’s relatively low-calorie, I think it tastes good, and my great-grandpa (who lived into his 90s) used to take it (so did Amanda’s grandma!), so I think it’s safe.

Hey, it’s worth a try, right?