Baked Quinoa with Spinach and Cheese

This is an adaptation of recipe from one of my latest favorite blog finds, Culinary in the Desert.
I changed some things up based on what I had in the house and also just some taste preferences.
I was really happy with how it turned out -- light but satisfying. Makes a good side dish or even a light main dish.

3/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped mushrooms
6 ounces baby spinach (I used fresh that had been frozen)
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (somewhat optional, I think)
2 garlic cloves, minced
garlic salt and fresh ground black pepper

4 cups cooked quinoa (I used Inca Red variety)
2 large eggs (egg whites work just as well I think)
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese (for my lactose free version I used American-style SmartBeat and it was still good)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Heat a medium skillet over medium heat with 1 tablespoon oil. Add onion and mushrooms - cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add spinach, season with salt and fresh ground black pepper - toss together, then remove from the heat.

In a large bowl, beat together eggs and season with garlic salt. Stir in cooked quinoa, spinach mixture, and 1/2 cup of the cheese. Season with fresh ground black pepper and scoop mixture into a 2 quart baking dish coated with cooking spray. Scatter remaining cheese over the top and drizzle with a tablespoon of olive oil if desired. Place dish into the and bake until golden on top, about 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for at least 5 minutes before serving.Makes about 4 to 6 servings.

Gnocchi with garlicky spinach and butternut squash

This isn't so much a recipe for gnocchi as it is a recipe for a side-dish made with already-made gnocchi. :-)

Anyway, I threw it all together last night and was very happy with the results.

1 package gnocchi (I find it at Trader Joe's and even SuperTarget)
~1 Tbsp olive oil (Pam works ok too but things do end up a bit drier)
2 tsp minced garlic
3/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup spinach, chopped (I used fresh spinach that had been frozen in the freezer)
1 cup butternut squash cubes, cooked (in oven at 400F about 30min)

1. Heat oil in skillet, add onions and garlic. (Heat should be ~medium)
2. Add gnocchi and cook until browned and slightly crispy on the outside.
3. Stir in spinach until wilted, add butternut squash and cook until heated.
4. Salt and pepper to taste.

Additional comment added 2/16: Made this again over the weekend, but added cooked bacon to it and it was delicious!

Spinach and Bacon Salad with Sweet-and-Sour dressing

This is my favorite salad and salad dressing -- my mom has made it for years, and it really goes well with a wide variety of foods.

SPINACH SALAD WITH SWEET-SOUR DRESSING

fresh spinach
crumbled bacon (amount to taste)
croutons
3 or 4 hard cooked eggs, chopped

DRESSING

1 Teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 medium onion, chopped (can use ~2-3 Tbsp dried minced onions)
1/2 teaspoon celery seed (celery salt can work in a pinch)
1/3 cup cider vinegar
1/3 cup oil
1 & 1/2 teaspoon prepared mustard
1/2 - 2/3 cup sugar

Mix torn spinach leaves, bacon, croutons, eggs in bowl (croutons get soggy if not being used right away).
In blender or a shaker, mix together dressing ingredients. Pour over salad. Serves 6-8 persons or more.
NOTES:
Dressing keeps well in refrigerator for several weeks.
Can make lots of good variations:
Can omit eggs and/or add sliced mushrooms, tomatoes, pecans, dried cranberries, dried cherries, onions, chicken, etc, etc!

Chipotle Spinach and Artichoke Dip

I got this recipe from Coconut and Lime and made some adjustments to it to make it spicier and a little chunkier...it was indeed spicy but it turned out pretty well I think!
I also made this a little healthier by using low-fat (not fat-free) cream cheese, mayo, and sour cream. You really couldn't tell the difference at all, and the texture was still quite creamy.

Ingredients:
4 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
4 oz defrosted frozen artichoke hearts, chopped
3/4 cup (1 box) frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and drained
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 shallots, sliced (or 1.5 Tbsp dried minced onion)
3 chipotle chiles in adobo with 1 teaspoon of the adobe sauce
1 tablespoon key lime juice
1/2 teaspoon salt

In a food processor, blend together the cream cheese, sour cream, mayo, onions, lime juice, salt, chipotle, and adobo sauce until very smooth. Stir in spinach, artichokes until just combined. Serve chilled, with pretzel sticks, crackers, carrots, or bread wedges.