Spinach And Rice Alfredo Food

SPINACH ALFREDO PASTA

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil to cook the pasta. Once boiling, add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain the pasta in a colander.
• While the pasta is cooking, prepare the sauce. Add the butter and minced garlic to a deep skillet or pot and sauté over medium heat for 1-2 minutes, or just until the garlic is soft and fragrant, but not brown.
• Turn the heat down to medium-low. Add the milk to the skillet along with the cream cheese (cut into chunks). Heat the milk and cream cheese while whisking, until the cream cheese has fully melted into the milk.
• Whisk in the grated Parmesan cheese and continue to whisk as the sauce comes up to a gentle simmer. When it reaches a simmer, the sauce will thicken. Turn the heat down to low to keep the sauce warm. Season the sauce with 1/4 tsp salt and a generous amount of freshly cracked pepper.
• Add the fresh spinach to the sauce and stir it in until it has wilted and become limp.
• Finally, add the cooked and drained pasta to the spinach alfredo sauce and stir to combine. Serve immediately.

SPANAKORIZO - GREEK SPINACH RICE

Steps:

• Rinse the rice well a few times until the water runs clear. Put the rice in a bowl and add water to cover it by 1 inch. Let is sit to soak for 20 minutes or until you are easily able to break one grain of rice between your fingers.
• Heat ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil in a braising pan. Add the onions and cook for 5 minutes, stirring regularly, until soft and golden brown. Add the spinach, lemon juice, garlic, tomato paste, and a big pinch of kosher salt and black pepper. Sautee the spinach until just wilted. Stir in the mint and dill weed.
• Drain the rice well and add it to the pan. Add 1 ½ cups of warm water. Bring to a boil for 3 minutes until the water reduces a bit. Turn the heat to low and cover.
• Let the rice cook undisturbed for 20 minutes or until the rice is tender and fully cooked through and all the liquid has been absorbed.
• Once cooked, let the rice sit covered for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
• When ready, fluff the rice with a fork and garnish for feta and parsley, if you like.

CHICKEN ALFREDO MANICOTTI

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• For the Alfredo sauce: Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat until crisp and brown, 7 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and reserve.
• Add the garlic and leeks to the skillet with the remaining bacon fat and cook until translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the half-and-half, Parmesan, crushed red pepper and lemon juice and bring to a simmer. Add the cream cheese and cook until the sauce is thickened and the cheese is melted and fully incorporated, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in the parsley and season with salt and black pepper.
• For the filling: Add the spinach, ricotta, chicken, Italian blend cheese, crushed red pepper, lemon juice, 1 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of black pepper to a large bowl and mix until fully combined. Transfer the mixture to a large disposable piping bag (or resealable plastic bag) and snip a large hole at the end of the bag.
• For the pasta: Spoon 1 cup of the sauce on the bottom of a flameproof (not glass) 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Pipe the filling into both ends of the uncooked manicotti shells until filled and arrange them in the baking dish. Top with the remaining sauce, reserved bacon and Italian blend cheese. Cover with foil and bake until the sauce is bubbly and the pasta is cooked, 30 to 40 minutes.
• Remove the baking dish from the oven and remove the foil. Turn the oven to broil. Broil until the top is golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Sprinkle with more chopped parsley.

SPINACH ALFREDO PASTA BAKE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the pasta in the boiling water, draining it about 2 minutes before the time on the package. It should still be a bit firm. Rinse it in cold water to stop the cooking process and set aside.
• Mix the ricotta with the parsley and lemon zest in a small bowl and set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with 1 tablespoon of the butter.
• In a large deep skillet over medium-high heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter. Add the mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Cook until the mushrooms have given up their liquid, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the spinach and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until the spinach has wilted. Remove the vegetables and set aside, leaving any liquid in the skillet.
• Add 2 tablespoons of butter to the skillet. Pour in the wine and let it bubble up and reduce for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Add the half-and-half and cream, season with salt and pepper and cook, whisking, until it's all combined. If it gets too thick as it cooks, you can thin it with a little vegetable broth. When the sauce looks good, remove it from the heat and stir in 3/4 cup of the Parmesan.
• Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a small pan. Remove from the heat and stir in the breadcrumbs and remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan.
• In the buttered baking dish, stir together the pasta, vegetables and sauce. (Add a splash of broth if needed). Add spoonfuls of the ricotta mixture, pushing them a bit into the pasta. Sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture over the top of the pasta. Cover and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and cook until the top is brown and the mixture is bubbling, about 20 minutes more.

CHICKEN ALFREDO LASAGNA

Steps:

• For the chicken: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Sprinkle the chicken breast with the Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a pan and cook the chicken on medium heat until it registers 165 degrees F in the middle, about 5 minutes on each side. Cube the chicken and set aside.
• For the alfredo sauce: In the same pan that the chicken was cooked in, melt the butter over low heat. Add the minced garlic and cook until the garlic has softened, about 2 minutes. Add the flour and whisk until smooth. (Be careful not to brown the roux.) Add the milk and heavy cream a little at a time, making sure to whisk until smooth after each addition, and let thicken, about 5 minutes. Add the nutmeg and pepper. Whisk to combine. Turn off the heat and mix in 2 1/2 cups Parmesan. Stir until all the cheese is melted. Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Layer 1 cup of the alfredo sauce on the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan. Add 3 lasagna noodles. Spread another cup of alfredo, a third of the chicken, a sprinkle of parsley and a quarter of the mozzarella. Then add 3 more noodles and repeat the layering two more times, ending with alfredo sauce, the remaining mozzarella and 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan.
• Bake until browned on top, 40 to 50 minutes. Remove the lasagna from the oven and sprinkle with parsley. Let the lasagna rest for 10 minutes before cutting into it.

SPINACH RICE

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large pan, add the onion and gently cook until softened but not coloured. Add the spinach and half the dill. Cook on a high heat, stirring regularly, until the spinach has wilted down and all the liquid has evaporated.
• Stir in the rice and add 600ml water, then bring to the boil. Turn the heat right down again to a very gentle simmer, cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid and cook for 25-30 mins or until the rice has cooked and absorbed all the water. Give it a stir after 15 mins to ensure even cooking, adding a drop more water as required.
• When the rice is cooked, stir in the remaining dill, season well, squeeze over the lemon juice to taste, and serve.

SPINACH RICE

Steps:

• In a saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat; saute onion until tender. Stir in water, parsley, salt and pepper; bring to a boil. Stir in rice; top with spinach., Cover; remove from heat. Let stand until rice is tender, 7-10 minutes. Stir to combine.