Potato Kielbasa Skillet

The recipe for this tasty potato and sausage skillet is one that my niece posted in our recipe group awhile back and I've just gotten around to trying this week. The original recipe calls for baby spinach, which I didn't have, but I did have some cabbage and I knew from other recipes that cabbage works great with sausage and potatoes; it did with this recipe, as well. The spicy-sweet flavors of brown sugar, vinegar and Dijon mustard combined with the sausage, potatoes, bacon and cabbage is very good. I served the dish with cornmeal muffins; a new recipe that I will post tomorrow. This is simple comfort food for a chilly winter day. Blessings...

Recipe:

1 lb. potatoes (any kind will do), peeled and diced into bite-sized pieces
3 tbsp. water
3/4 lb. smoked Kielbasa cut into 1/4-inch slices (I used turkey)
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. brown sugar, packed
2 tbsp. cider vinegar
1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/4 tsp. pepper
4 cups fresh baby spinach or 3 cups thinly sliced cabbage
5 slices bacon crisply fried and crumbled

1. Place potatoes and water in a microwave-safe dish. Cover and micro-cook on high for 4 minutes or until tender; drain and set aside.
2. In a large skillet, saute Kielbasa and onion in oil until onion is tender. Add potatoes; saute 3-5 minutes longer until lightly browned.
3. In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, vinegar, mustard, thyme and pepper; stir into skillet. Simmer uncovered 3-5 minutes.
4. Add spinach and bacon; cook and stir until spinach is wilted. (See note if using cabbage).

Yield: 4 servings
Note: If using cabbage, add to skillet; cover and cook for about 3 minutes or until the cabbage is wilted.

Spinach Rice Bake

I first found this recipe years ago in San Francisco A La Carte, a cookbook produced by the Junior League of San Francisco, only the dish was called Herbed Spinach Bake. The recipe I use now is an adjusted version that was submitted to Taste of Home by a reader. This cook changed some of the herbs and added nutmeg, which is a wonderful addition with the spinach. We love this dish alongside meat, poultry and fish in place of potatoes. I've served it here with Chicken Parmesan posted on 10/23/2013. Blessings...

Recipe:

1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach
1 cup cooked long grain rice
1 cup (4 oz.) shredded medium cheddar cheese
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/3 cup milk
3 tbsps. finely minced onion
2 tbsps. minced fresh parsley
2 tbsps. butter, softened
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp. dried thyme, crushed
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

1. Cook spinach according to pkg. directions; drain well by pressing the spinach with the back of a large spoon in a fine mesh strainer.
2. Place all ingredients in a large bowl and stir to combine.
3. Transfer mixture to a greased 8 x 8-inch baking dish.
4. Cover with foil and bake in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes. Uncover; bake 20 - 25 minutes more or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.

Yield: 4 - 6 servings
Note: The casserole can be prepared in advance, covered and stored in the refrigerator until time to bake and serve.

Orzo Pasta Salad with Feta Cheese

The recipe for this very tasty salad comes via the post of a friend in our recipe group. It is one of the most unusual pasta salads that I have ever made in that it has fresh spinach added to the hot pasta so that the spinach wilts. The combination of Feta cheese and sun-dried tomatoes with the pasta and spinach almost make it a main dish salad. In fact, because my husband and I have eaten this salad twice in the last two days, I cooked a chicken breast this morning, chopped it up and tossed it with the last of the salad for dinner tonight. We'll see how that goes in a few hours. I'll report back tomorrow. Blessings...

Recipe:

1 lb. orzo pasta
1 cup Girard's Olde Venice Italian Dressing
1 6-oz. pkg. baby spinach
1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained and diced
4 oz. Feta cheese
1/2 cup toasted pine nuts (I used toasted pecan pieces, very good)
3 tbsps. fresh chopped chives

1. Cook orzo according to pkg. directions.
2. Drain pasta and combine with the spinach leaves to wilt the spinach.
3. In a large salad bowl, combine all of the ingredients and toss. Serve.

Yield: 8-10 servings
Note: The flavor was still good the next day although the pecans had softened some. We didn't mind the texture at all. As with most salad recipes, I cut the recipe in half for two of us.

Overnight Tossed Green Salad

When I was a new bride of five months, my husband and I moved from our hometown to Santa Cruz, Ca. This move might as well have been to the moon for me. At that time, I did not make new friends easily at all and I never even considered that I would not live near my family. Little did I know that there would be a time when I would be leaving California, and even further from family and friends.

Early in our time in Santa Cruz, a wonderful and very kind woman befriended me at our new church. We became instant friends, as did our husbands. Thankfully, for me, she was a wonderfully gifted cook and she shared recipes for the dishes that my husband and I enjoyed in their home.

Years ago, overnight green salads were very popular. I had tried many and was not pleased with any of them, until Chris served this one for one of our dinners together. Preparing the salad for a large gathering the night before the meal takes some of the last minute stress out of the meal preparations as guests are arriving. It's so nice to have as much of the meal prepared in advance as possible in order to free up time to enjoy being with our friends and family. Blessings...

Recipe:

1 medium head iceberg lettuce (romaine can also be used)

1 10-oz. pkg. fresh spinach

1/2 cup sliced green onion

1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

1 10-oz. pkg. frozen petite peas, thawed

1 lb. pkg. bacon, diced, cooked and drained

Dressing:

1 cup mayonnaise

1 cup sour cream

2 tbsps. fresh lemon juice

1/2 tsp. oregano

1/4 tsp. basil

1/4 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. pepper

1. Tear lettuce and spinach into bite-sized pieces into a large salad bowl.

2. Layer onion, tomatoes, peas and bacon over greens.

3. Combine dressing ingredients. Spread over top like frosting, being sure to seal out air. Refrigerate overnight.

4. Toss and serve

Yield: 10 servings

Apple Citrus Salad

The other evening when we had guests over for dinner, I prepared the Ham and Cheese Pies and the Cranberry Relish that you see on the plate and our guests brought a Caesar Salad. Our meal and time together were wonderful. I will be posting the recipe for the pies and the relish in the next few days, but today I want to share with you this dinner salad that we had last evening with our leftover pies. This is a recipe that we have enjoyed many times over the years. The salad is a wonderful combination of fresh spinach, apple and orange slices, and cashews all topped off with a lovely dressing that is made with pink lemonade, of all things. Blessings...

Recipe:

1/4 cup frozen pink lemonade concentrate, thawed
3 tbsps. honey
3 tbsps. vegetable oil
1/2 tsp. poppy seeds
2 apples, cored and sliced
2 oranges, peeled and sectioned
6 oz. bag fresh baby spinach
1/2 cup cashew pieces

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the first 4 ingredients for the dressing and set aside.
2. Pick over spinach to remove any old pieces and stems, and tear into bite-sized pieces, if you like. Add sliced apples and oranges. Add dressing to your taste and top with cashews. Toss and serve.

Yield: 4-6 servings

Yummy Spinach Salad

The recipe for the vinaigrette for this yummy salad comes from Smuckers.com. via my local newspaper a few weeks ago, the salad idea comes from what was in my pantry and fridge when I needed to get dinner on the table the other night. The recipe creator at Smuckers gives several different suggestions using their jams; I just adapted to what I had on hand. Blessings with your creativity!

Recipe for basic vinaigrette:

2 tbsps. balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp. water
1-1/2 tsps. Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. minced garlic
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/8 tsp. salt
1/4 cup olive oil or oil of choice

1. Whisk together first 6 ingredients.
2. Slowly pour oil into dressing ingredients whisking all the while until thoroughly combined.

For this spinach salad, whisk in:
1/2 cup apricot preserves
1 tsp. minced crystallized ginger.

Salad:

1 bag (10 oz.) fresh baby spinach
4 green onions, sliced
1/4 - 1/2 cup cashew pieces, to your taste
1/4 - 1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese, to your taste
1 can (10 oz.) mandarin oranges, drained

Combine salad ingredients in serving bowl and add desired amount of dressing. Toss and serve.

Yield: 6-8 servings

Potato Soup, Florentine Style

This is another of the many recipes for the slow cooker that come from Mable Hoffman's excellent book, "Crockery Cookery", that are a regular part of our dinner menus. This soup is a meal-in-a-bowl for a busy weeknight dinner. A crusty Italian bread for dipping into the broth is a wonderful accompaniment. I prefer the chopped ham over the ham hocks for less fat and be sure to get the spinach out of the freezer to thaw while the soup cooks. The spinach isn't added until the last 15-20 minutes of cooking time. Blessings...

Recipe:

4 medium potatoes, peeled and diced (about 4 cups)
1 cup chopped onion
1 smoked ham hock (about 1 lb.) or 1 cup chopped ham
4 cups chicken broth
1 tsp. dry mustard
1/2 tsp. seasoned salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 (9-oz.) pkg. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained (see note)
1 cup (4 oz.) shredded Jarlsberg or Swiss cheese

1. In a slow cooker, combine potatoes, onion, ham hock or ham, broth, mustard, seasoned salt and pepper.
2. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours or until potatoes are soft.
3. Remove ham hock; chop meat and discard fat and bone. Return meat to cooker.
4. Turn control to high. Add drained spinach. Cover and cook on high for 15-20 minutes.
5. Spoon hot soup into soup bowls and sprinkle with cheese. Yummy!

Yield: 7-3/4 cups
Note: Place frozen spinach in a mesh strainer over a bowl and let sit to thaw. When thawed, press out excess water with the back of a wooden spoon. This makes the job so much easier.

Sweet Spinach Salad

This recipe for spinach salad is one of my absolute favorites. The recipe comes from one of my "Taste of Home" cookbooks and I have been making it for several years with great success. Many spinach salads have the addition of oranges of one type or another, but not with a dressing that is also orange in flavor. When my granddaughters were here visiting I found that using a sweeter dressing in combination with fruits, nuts and greens, dinner was a much more pleasant time. If you have family members that aren't crazy about the color green on their plates, you might try this recipe. Blessings...

Recipe:

3 tbsps. orange juice concentrate
2 tbsps. sugar
2 tbsps. cider vinegar
1-1/2 tsps. minced onion
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1-1/2 tsps. poppy seeds
1 pkg. (10 ounces) fresh baby spinach, picked over
1 can (15 ounces) mandarin oranges, drained
2/3 cup slivered almonds, toasted

1. In a blender, combine the orange juice concentrate, sugar, vinegar, onion and salt.
2. While processing, gradually add oil in a steady stream. Stir in poppy seeds. Refrigerate dressing for about an hour or until chilled.
3. In a large salad bowl, combine the spinach, oranges and almonds. Drizzle with as much dressing as needed.

Serves: 6
Note: I use "Almond Accents" brand Butter Toffee Glazed flavored sliced almonds. We love them in salads.

Easy Cran-Raspberry Spinach Salad

Here's another very easy salad recipe for one of those busy weekday evenings when everyone's hungry and you need something fast.

Recipe:
1 6-ounce package fresh baby spinach or the amount needed for your family
1/4 cup dried cranberries, more or less to your taste
1/4 cup broken pecan pieces, more or less to your taste
Raspberry Pecan Fat-Free Salad Dressing or your favorite

Tear spinach leaves into bite-size pieces, if desired. (I prefer to do this because I don't like spinach stems hanging out of my mouth.)
Add desired amount of cranberries and pecans and toss salad with dressing. Adding other kinds of lettuce to the spinach also makes for a wonderful variation.

Packaged honey glazed almond slices or candied pecans also work great, and drained mandarin orange slices in place of the cranberries are a nice addition.