Growing at the Speed of Life - A Year in the Life of My First Kitchen Garden

CRUSTLESS SPINACH



RICOTTA QUICHE

This is a wonderful new way to enjoy spinach,
and the presentation rivals a good small pizza.
SERVES 6

12 cups (a little more than 1 pound) well­
washed fresh spinach or 1 (12-ounce)
package frozen spinach, thawed
2 teaspoons olive oil
½ cup finely chopped onions
1 cup low-fat ricotta cheese
1 cup egg substitute* (or 4 whole eggs), beaten
½ teaspoon dried dill
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Pinch nutmeg
3 plum tomatoes, seeds and juice removed,
chopped (yield 1 cup)
1 tablespoon freshly grated Parmesan cheese

*I prefer Egg Beaters Southwestern Style.

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Grease a 9-inch pie
plate or springform pan.
Steam the fresh spinach about 2 minutes
until just wilted. Frozen spinach won’t need to
be cooked, just thawed. Press the water out of
the cooked or thawed spinach and set aside.
Heat the oil in a small skillet over medium
heat and cook the onions until soft but not
brown. Combine the ricotta cheese, egg substi­
tute, dill, salt, black pepper, and nutmeg in a
large bowl. Add the spinach, tomatoes, and

onions. Mix thoroughly and tip into the pre­

pared pan.

Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the top and

bake about 30 minutes until set. Let the quiche

cool in the pan for 5–10 minutes before slicing

in wedges and serving.

Per serving : 102 calories, 4 g fat, 2 g saturated fat

(18% calories from saturated fat), 7 g carbohydrate,

11 g protein, 2 g dietary fiber, 342 mg sodium. Ex-

changes: 1 Lean Meat, 1 Vegetable

SPINACH SAUTÉ ON RICE

Here we have an unusual fried-rice dish fi lled

with aroma, color, and texture. It’s almost a

wilted salad. Use sun-dried tomatoes that are

dry packed, not marinated in oil.

SERVES 4

2 bunches (about 12 ounces) spinach,

stemmed and thoroughly washed

¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 cup chopped onion

1 garlic clove, bashed and chopped

2 cups thick-sliced mushrooms (⅓ inch)

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 cups cooked long-grain white rice

2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts

Cut the spinach leaves in ½-inch strips and set

aside for later. Cover the sun-dried tomatoes

234 • GROWING AT THE SPEED OF LIFE