All Entries Tagged With: "Spinach"
Spinach Cake
This is a healthy cake. It has green power. It has the source of Popeye’s power. This cake is great for picky kids who defy vegetables.
The whipping cream makes this Spinach Cake more attractive.
Source: unknown
Prep time: 30 minutes; Bake time: 30 minutes; Yield 1 loaf
Ingredients
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 250g (1/4 pound) spinach, washed, drained
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2.5 cups flour, sifted
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup whipped cream
- 3L Pyrex dish (we used a loaf pan which takes longer to bake because we cant find a Pyrex dish in this kitchen)
Hearty Bean and Barley Soup
I did not get to taste this Hearty Bean and Barley Soup in the South Arm Cooking Club for Seniors as Charlene made this second soup for the seniors to bring home. A mixture of kidney beans and spinach give this soup a triple-punch of nutrition in the form of iron, fiber, and calcium. You can also vary this soup by adding shredded chicken or different vegetables.
This is a great soup to freeze in 1 or 2 cups portions to reheat for the future. If you intend to freeze it, do not add the spinach. You may add the spinach just before you serve the soup after reheating. You may need to add an extra half cup to one cup of water to the leftovers, since the barley will continue to absorb liquid over time.
Ingredients
- 1 (19 ounce) can dark red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 carrot, chopped
- 1 stalk celery, chopped
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons dry rosemary, minced
- 2 boxes less-sodium chicken broth (8 cups broth)
- 1 can diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1 cup pearl barley
- 16 ounces bag spinach
- 1/4 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
- Parmesan cheese to serve, optional
Paul, Chris O’Brennam and Marcel made this hearty soup adapted from Cooking Light.
Prep time: 15 mins; Cook time: 50 mins
Garlicky Spinach Balls
The last appetizer made in the South Arm Club for Seniors is a very healthy appetizer. Instead of something loaded with sugar, butter or cheese, this appetizer is made with vegetable. This Garlicky Spinach Balls recipe is adapted from Taste of Homes and it serves 8 to 12.
These Garlicky Spinach Balls are made with dry bread stuffing and spinach. They are tasty, easy-to-eat vegetable appetizer. You can make these ahead and freeze them, unbaked, in a single layer. Then, simply bake as needed, adding 5 to 10 minutes to the cooking time.
Ingredients
- 2 cups crushed seasoned stuffing
- 1 cup finely chopped onion
- 4 eggs, lightly beaten
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup butter, melted
- 1/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 packages (10 ounces each) frozen chopped spinach
Paul and Frances made with these Garlicky Spinach Balls.
Indian Cuisine: Ground Meat Curry
For the main course, Minoo made a Ground Beef Curry for the Indian theme at the Caring Place Community Kitchen. I did not use beef on the title as most population in India are Hindus who do not eat beef. I do not want to be offensive. You can substitute the beef with other meat like chicken, turkey, lamb or pork.
This Ground Beef Curry is loaded with spices like turmeric, cinnamon, cumin seeds, coriander seeds and dried red chili flakes. Vania, a volunteer for the family services did a research on the benefits of eating spicy food and here are what she found out:
- spicy food helps to prevent degeneration of the brain and nervous system
- helps with prevention of depression and migraine
- helps increase metabolism which is an important factor in weight loss function
- use for pain and inflammation management
- good for blood circulation
- lower blood pressure
- cancer prevention (Capsaicin, an active component of chili peppers, attack and kill cancer cells
- improve digestion
- improve sleep pattern
Creamy Bean Soup with Fresh Herbs and Spinach
The next dish which the South Arm Cooking Club for Seniors made is a bean soup. Soup is comfort food especially in the colder fall and winter. This bean soup is adapted from Cara Brunetti Hillyard and it serves 6. Chris and Paul made this soup.
Chris and Paul made two versions of this bean soup. One is the creamy version while another is the broth version. The creamy version is smooth while the broth version has more texture to it. The soup is very filing too with the beans as a source of protein.
Cheesy Fish and Spinach Casserole
Minoo shared a Cheesy Fish and Spinach Casserole recipe in the Gilmore Park Church Community Kitchen. She also made mash potatoes as the side dish to go with the casserole. This recipe serves 6.
This Cheesy Fish and Spinach Casserole is very simple and quick to make. It is a great recipe for a quick meal when you have a long day and do not want to labour in the kitchen. Kids will love this cheesy dish complete with vegetables and protein. All you need is a side dish of carbohydrate like mash potatoes, home made potato wedges, a simple noodle or rice dish.
Ingredients
- 1 bag fresh spinach (you may use pre-wash baby spinach)
- 1 cup cheddar or parmesan cheese
- 1/3 cup breadcrumbs
- 1 egg beaten
- 1 lb Basa or any while fish fillets like Cod, Sole, etc
- salt and pepper to taste
Mushroom and Spinach Frittata with Smoked Gouda
Someone in the South Arm Cooking Club for seniors suggested to have one cooking session for making brunch. It was a great idea and the organizers (Stella, Minoo and Charlene) came up with a few brunch recipes. Stella also handed out an article on how breakfast may improve memory in healthy elderly for the seniors to read. In this article, a study of 22 men and women 61 to 79 years of age, researchers observed improved performance on memory test 15 minutes after ingestion of pure protein, pure fat or pure carbohydrate beverages following an overnight test, as compared with scores achieved after ingestion of a placebo beverage containing no energy. This study shows that memory may be enhanced by eating any type of breakfast – regardless of whether it is comprised of protein, fat or carbohydrate.
Stella, as a coordinator of South Arm’s seniors, has hands on experience on this matter. Among one of the members in South Arm’s seniors group, Stella noticed a big difference in one of the senior’s performance at certain days. She found that the day this particular senior had a good breakfast, her performance improved on that day.
The first brunch item the seniors made was Mushroom and Spinach Frittata with Smoked Gouda. Frank and Karen made this Frittata. Here we go again with Frank slicing up onions again. Frank seemed to be doing a lot of slicing onions and mincing garlic in the community kitchen.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 medium onion, sliced
- 2 cups sliced mushrooms
- 4 cups packed baby spinach leaves or torn Swiss chard
- 8 large eggs
- 1/2 cup shredded smoked Gouda cheese, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
