It’s been a lot of fun and games around the blog, hasn’t it? Pepperoni Pizza Puffs, Coconut Banana Bread, and Baked Buffalo Chicken Pasta…my, oh my, it’s been swell.
But there are vegetables in my life. I promise. Lots of’em. I puffy heart the green things…nearly as much as baked doughnuts and all things buffalo saucy. Nearly.
The farmer’s markets opened last weekend and while there was no question in my mind that I would be stopping by, it was Mr. Prevention who suggested it as a Saturday morning activity. We ended up with organic, local, grass-fed cheeses (one low-fat and low-salt that it amazing…and the other is a garlic cheddar – yum!), a loaf of cranberry walnut bread that Mr. Prevention has all but polished off (I was good for a nibble here and there – I’ve been enjoying the Coconut Banana Bread I made on Saturday 🙂 ), and a HUGE bag of spinach (nearly a pound) for $2!! And this was sure some fine-looking spinach.
We came home to have spinach salads and grilled chicken for lunch and the following morning I knew this recipe from Cooking Light would help put to good use all that fresh spinach. These are packed with spinach and are a protein-rich, nutrient-dense, low-calorie start to your day. They also reheat really well in the microwave, so they’re a perfect make-ahead breakfast for busy weekday mornings!
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Spinach and Parmesan Souffles from Cooking Light June 2011
Cooking spray
1 1/2 Tbsp dry breadcrumbs
1 (6-ounce) package fresh baby spinach
2/3 cup fat-free milk
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup (2 ounces) freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
2 large egg yolks
4 large egg whites
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
Directions:
Place a baking sheet in the oven. Preheat oven to 425 F.
Coat 4 (6-ounce) ramekins with cooking spray; sprinkle evenly with breadcrumbs, tilting and turning dishes to coat sides completely.
Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Lightly coat pan with cooking spray. Add spinach; cook for 2 minutes or until spinach wilts, tossing constantly. Place spinach in a colander; let stand 5 minutes. Squeeze excess liquid from spinach. Coarsely chop spinach.
Combine 2/3 cup milk and the next 4 ingredients (through black pepper) in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Cook for 2 minutes or until mixture is thick and bubbly, stirring constantly. Spoon mixture into a large bowl, and let stand for 10 minutes. Stir in spinach, cheese, and egg yolks.
Combine egg whites and cream of tartar in a large bowl, and let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes. Beat with a mixer at high speed until medium peaks form (do not over-beat). Gently stir one-fourth of egg whites into spinach mixture, and gently fold in the remaining egg whites. Gently spoon mixture into prepared dishes. Sharply tap dishes 2 or 3 times on counter to level. Place dishes on preheated baking sheet; return baking sheet to 425 F oven. Immediately reduce oven temperature to 350 F; bake souffles at 350 F for 21 minutes or until puffy and golden brown. Serve immediately. Yield: 4 souffles.
Nutrition Information (per souffle): 163 calories; 6 g. fat; 115 mg. cholesterol; 405 mg. sodium; 14.6 g. carbohydrate; 1.4 g. fiber; 13.2 g. protein
Result: These were very good and perfect for the spinach-lover! Mr. Prevention commented that there was a lot of spinach, but in a good way. There is the perfect balance between the savory cheese and hearty spinach and eggs. They weren’t exactly a breeze to make…in that, I dirtied a lot of dishes! Worth it! Enjoy!
[/print_this]It’s hard to believe it’s the end of May already, isn’t it? Time flies, but it’s going to be one fun summer!
Question: What’s your favorite way to eat spinach?
Hump Day already…weee! Meetings, clinic, and class – it’s a busy one! Off I go!
Be well,
You always make the cooking light recipes that I mark RIGHT away when I get the magazine!! 🙂
Author
Ha! I love it! 🙂 Great minds think alike~!
Oooh, I saw those souffles in Cooking Light! Nice to know they are pre-approved 🙂 I will get them in my Recipes To Try Folder, which is now less of a folder and more of a binder! So many recipes…so little time… 🙂
Author
Pre-approved they are! Enjoy! And don’t worry, I have the same problem! Somehow, though, half of the recipes I want to try are desserts. Tisk, tisk, Nicole!!
“But there are vegetables in my life. I promise.”
Sometimes I feel like I have to say that, too!
I used to only like spinach sauteed, but now I seem to prefer it as a base for salad above any other kind of lettuce mix….
Author
I can’t have people questioning my RD-ness!! 🙂
That’s like music to my ears when I hear a guy say, “that’s a lot of spinach, but in a good way!”. This is a great recipe, clearly! The crappy thing about the farmer’s markets around here is that they are on SAturday mornings, when I work, and then Wednesday evenings, when I work as well 🙁 I work until 7 on Wednesday and they are over by then. It really SUCKS!
Author
Well if you ever need anything, let me know! I mean, you can’t beat a pound of local, organic spinach for $2!!!!
These look delicious!
You made souffle! You’re my hero.
I need to get some of those ramekins so I can try making a souffle one of these days.
Author
They weren’t hard, don’t let me fool you 😉
I like to hide my spinach in smoothies of lasagna like this that I made last night… http://wealthshealth.blogspot.com/2011/05/zucchini-lasagna.html
Author
That recipe looks amazing…adding it to the list! Thank you!!
Yes! We all know you still eat healthy! All your recipes alwyas have a nice healthy twist! I love them! Haven’t tried those pizza puffs yet this week but I have all the ingredients! It’s only a matter of when!
Author
Haha, thanks 🙂 I snack on only fruits and veggies, so most of my 5-9 a day don’t necessarily come from my meals. That can be very misleading if only basing my intake on my blogged recipes 🙂
Oh boy do these look good! I saw them in CL and was thinking of making them — now I know I need to!
Author
Fo…sho!
Looks delicious!! I love eating spinach in green smoothies and frittatas. Yum!
Author
Frittata…now that is something I need to try!
This looks delicious. I love anything thats packed with spinach like that.
I can’t wait to try those, I love spinach!
Spinach Enchiladas… by a mile.
Author
Do you have a favorite recipe? Those are something I have always wanted to try!
I usually wing it… but this recipe is fairly close (although in my RD tinerking mode I would increase the spinach, use fresh spinach if available, and use our reduced fat pepper jack for the cheese).
http://www.lynnskitchenadventures.com/2010/03/spinach-enchiladas.html
This is totally gonna be in my head to cook now!
I love that last photo – nice!
Wow these look good, I love spinach. In answer to your question, I love spinach sauteed with olive oil and fresh garlic.
Oh these look absolutely yummy…I am a big fan of spinach. Just this morning, I made a huge eggbeater omlette with spinach, reduced fat feta and fresh tomatoes…YUM! but ya know, what I am really looking for here are those red velvet cookies! lol
These look amazing! I am always looking for new breakfast ideas. And I do LOVE spinach!
Yum! Spinach and cheese is such a great combination! 🙂
This looks so yummy and easy to make. I love having spinach in a quiche or stuffed in a chicken breast 🙂
Author
It is great stuffed into chicken breasts, you’re right. With some feta…mmm!
Can my favorite way to eat spinach be not at all!??! =) What a great recipe though. I love when I can make dishes in individual serving sizes. It helps to keep me in line!
Author
Hehe, it’s okay! There’s quite a few green guys I don’t like either! But yes, the individual ramekins are portion control at their finest! Only 2/3 cup each…perfect!
The hubs is in love with you through me for the recipe for coconut banana bread – the realtor wants to kill me for cooking it so much “not everybody wants a baking smell” ummmm tough – I still have to live here