Spinach Chicken Salad

 Taste of Home Spinach Chicken Salad

Ingredients:

7 oz. spiral or elbow pasta, cooked

5 c. cubed cooked chicken (3 breasts)

2 c. green grape halves

1 c. snow peas

2 1/2 c. sliced celery

1 can artichoke hearts, drained

1 can mandarin oranges

2 c. packed torn spinach

1/2 large cucumber, sliced

3 green onions, sliced

Dressing:

1/2 c. canola oil

1/4. c sugar

2 Tbls. white wine vinegar

1 tsp. salt

1/2. tsp dried minced onion

1 tsp. lemon juice

2 Tbls. fresh parsley

Directions:

 

In a large bowl, combine the salad ingredients. . In a small bowl, whisk the dressing ingredients. Cover and refrigerate.

The oranges added in are Heid's addition.  I don't use this dressing.  I use Skinny Girl's Poppy seed dressing.  I also love to layer this salad to take to work. Start with 1/8 cup of dressing then layer in order of ingredients listed

Chicken, Spinach and Artichoke Soup

Ingredients:
2 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 (8 oz. ) pkg of cream cheese
1 pkg Italian Dressing Mix
1 10 - 12 oz pkg frozen spinach, thawed and drained
1 can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
12 oz. sliced fresh mushrooms
4 cups chicken broth

Directions:
Place all ingredients in a 6 qt slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or HIGH for 3-4 hours. Remove chicken and shred with two forks.  Return to slow cooker and stir. I used fresh spinach and cooked it down in a frying pan AND I only used one pkg of cream cheese.  It was good and easy!

Spinach Apple Salad

Ingredients:

 10 oz Baby spinach
1/2 cup Cranberries, dried

• 1/2 Red onion, small

• 1 cup Pecans, toasted

• 4 oz Feta cheese

• 3 Small gala apples, thinly sliced

Dressing:

2 tsp Dijon mustard

2 tbsp Maple syrup, pure

• 1/4 tsp Black pepper, freshly ground
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• 1/4 cup Apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup Olive oil

Directions:

In a large bowl toss together spinach, apples, pecans, feta, cranberries and red onion.  Drizzle desired amount of dressing over salad and toss to coat.

Spinach and Cheese Manicotti

Ingredients:

1 onion, chopped

2 t. minced garlic

lots of sliced/chopped mushrooms

lots of spinach
2 T. Italian Seasoning

2 c. cottage cheese

3 oz. cream cheese

8 oz. mozzarella cheese, divided

3 oz. parmesan cheese, divided
1 jar of spaghetti sauce

Directions:

In  a skillet saute' chopped onion, garlic, and sliced mushrooms in olive oil.   Add fresh chopped spinach and cook till softened.  Meanwhile mix cheeses together in a bowl with the Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.  Combine the cheese and vegetables and stuff the cooked and cooled manicotti by spooning in a teaspoon at a time being careful not to tear the shells.  

1. Pour half of spaghetti sauce in bottom of 9 x 13 inch baking dish.  Arrange shells over the sauce and top with remaining sauce. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove from oven , uncover and sprinkle remaining cheeses over top. Return to oven until cheese melts.

Italian Sausage Zoodles

Ingredients:

2 - 4 pre-cooked sausages, any flavor
2-3 medium/large zucchini (no kiddin')
1-2 T Olive Oil
1-2 cloves of garlic, pressed
1/4 t. kosher salt
1/8 t. black pepper
6 marinated artichoke hearts, roughly chopped
1 c. fresh spinach, roughly chopped
1 T. toasted pine nuts
1 T. feta cheese

Directions:
Slice and warm sausages in a pan or microwave, set aside. Cut or spiralize zucchini noodles and set aside. Saute garlic in olive oil in a large saute pan 20-30 seconds.  Add zucchini, saute about 2 minutes, add spinach and stir to wilt slightly.  Remove from heat and stir in artichokes and sausages.  Divide into two plates and top each with feta and pine nuts.

***This recipe is on Our Best Bites and they use a spiralizer to make the zucchini noodles.  It costs about $29 so I just use my large grater.  You can also remove the water from your zucchini using salt if you start early.  I buy the pre-cooked sausages from Sam's that come in different flavors.  This isn't a recipe you want every week, but twice in the summer is yummy.

Lasagna Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 lbs Italian sausage
• 1 c chopped onion
• 2 TB minced garlic
• 2 c chopped carrots
• 2 c mushrooms
• 1 sm can tomato sauce 
• 1 can chicken broth 
• 1 14oz can crushed tomatoes
• --------------------------------------------
• 1 c broken lasagna noodles
• 2 TB fresh basil
• 2 c fresh spinach
• mozz cheese

Directions:

1. Brown sausage, drain and saute onion
2. Add all ingredients, except noodles, basil, spinach, and cheese
3. Boil 20-40 min (or however long in crock pot)
4. Add noodles, cook till done
5. Add basil and spinach 10 min before serving
6. serve with grated mozz cheese

I got this recipe from Leslie Wheeler at a church pot luck.

Spinach Quiche

Ingredients

• 9-12 eggs, beaten
• about 2/3 cup cottage cheese
• about 1 cup grated cheese (cheddar/jack)
• 2 Roma tomatoes chopped
• 2-3 cups fresh spinach, torn
• 2-3 green onions chopped
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1.  mix together and pour into greased 9" round ciche dish.
2. bake at 350 degrees until the eggs are set.