Showing posts with label spinach. Show all posts
Showing posts with label spinach. Show all posts

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Baked spinach and feta penne


Oh boy, is this a whole lot of reward for very little work!

Just what I'm all about these days. Life is biz-zay.

Anyhow, I mixed some al-dente cooked baby penne (the big ones freak me out) with a box of thawed and drained frozen spinach, a block of danish feta, 150ml cream, salt, pepper, a dash of grated nutmeg and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes. I then topped it with grated cheese and baked it in a 180C oven for 20 or so minutes while I fed the baby and put her to bed. I browned the top under the grill. Amen.

I ate it the next day for lunch too, and although it wasn't as creamy, it was still awesome. The only problem was I had to eat it with a wooden coffee stirrer stick because I forgot a fork, and you have to pay for the plastic ones at the uni cafeteria. That sucks the big one. I soon got the hang of spearing it and getting it to my mouth without incident... in fact, I only dropped one piece in my lap, and even almost managed to hide it from my lunch acquaintance. Classy.

I'm teased constantly by my husband for being a gumby while eating. I have the best table manners of anyone I know, I eat tiny bites with even tinier cutlery, and I STILL manage to spill at least something.


Tell me - am I normal? Do you spill stuff too? I don't mean to! Argh!

Friday, December 30, 2011

Spinach and Mint Dip




Don't you just love this time of year? Even if you're not into Christmas, or NYE fireworks, it's usually when the weather is balmy, you (hopefully) have some time off work to (theoretically) relax, the mood is jovial and I spend a great deal of time giving myself permission to keep reading instead of mopping the floor. It's holidays, I justify.

Something about this weather makes me just want to nibble on lots of different things, and if there's one thing I love it's a cheese plate. Add some interesting dips and a beverage with lots of ice, and there's a good chance you won't hear from me for a while. Sometimes I'm asked to bring a dip somewhere, or I want to bring one... whether Christmas or the beach, or a new year's eve party, and I like to make one with what I've already got. That's how this spinach and mint dip was born.

The first person tried it and pronounced it "to die for". Very kind, I thought... I quite like it too.
A latecomer took a bite and pronounced: "to die for!". So I believe it's now been independently verified! Either/or, it's easy and good.

Ingredients:
2 frozen packets spinach
1 large handful mint
1 small garlic clove, minced
1/4-1/2 cup greek yogurt
a squeeze of lemon
a generous pinch of salt

Directions:
1. Thaw spinach, and squeeze as much water as you can out of it.

2. Add to food processor with mint, garlic, yogurt, lemon and salt. Whiz to your liking.

Have a foolproof dip? Remember the french-onion-soup-and-sour-cream concoction from your youth? What do you always take?