Spinach Artichoke Babka Food

SPINACH AND ARTICHOKE SHAKSHUKA

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large, high-sided skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic, chile pepper, cumin, coriander, salt, and black pepper and cook for 30 seconds more.
• Add half of the spinach and cook, stirring, adding the rest of the spinach in a couple of batches as it wilts and there is room in the pan for more. Stir in the lemon juice. Once the spinach is all wilted but still bright green, stir in the artichoke hearts and cook for 1 minute more.
• Spread out the mixture evenly in the pan.
• Break one of the eggs into a small ramekin or bowl. Form a well in the mixture and transfer the egg into it. Repeat with the remaining three eggs, creating separate wells for them. Scatter the cheese around the surface. Cover and cook until the egg whites become opaque and the yolks are still slightly runny, about 4 minutes. Serve garnished with dill, seasoned with additional salt and pepper to taste, with the pita alongside.
• Serving Size: 1 egg, 3/4 cup vegetable mixture, and 1 pita
• Per Serving: Calories 400; Total Fat 17 g (Sat Fat 5 g, Mono Fat 7 g, Poly Fat 2 g); Protein 19 g; Carb 47 g; Fiber 2 g; Cholesterol 205 mg; Sodium 785 mg; Total Sugar 6 g (Added Sugar 0 g)
• Excellent Source of: Calcium, folate, magnesium, manganese, phosphorous, protein, riboflavin, selenium, thiamine, vitamin A, vitamin B6, vitamin C, vitamin K
• Good Source of: Fiber, iodine, iron, molybdenum, niacin, pantothenic acid, potassium, vitamin B12, vitamin D, zinc

CHOCOLATE BABKA

Steps:

• Make the dough: Sprinkle the yeast over the milk in a liquid measuring cup; add a pinch of sugar and set aside until bubbly, about 7 minutes. Combine the flour, the remaining 1/3 cup sugar, the eggs, yeast mixture, salt, vanilla, nutmeg and lemon zest in a large bowl. Stir with a wooden spoon to combine. Turn the dough out onto a work surface and knead until soft and smooth, about 5 minutes. Knead in the butter in three additions, dusting the dough with flour if it's too sticky. Transfer the dough to a large bowl; cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature, about 1 1/2 hours. Punch down the dough, re-cover with plastic wrap and let rise in the fridge overnight.
• Make the filling: Heat the sugar, heavy cream and salt in a saucepan until scalding. Pour over the bittersweet chocolate chips, butter and vanilla in a bowl. Whisk until smooth and shiny. Let cool to room temperature.
• Make the topping: Whisk the flour, sugar, cocoa powder and salt in a separate bowl; work in the butter with your fingers until the mixture is sandy and chunky. Stir in the mini chocolate chips; set the topping aside.
• Form the loaves: Cut the dough in half with a bench scraper or chef's knife. Using a rolling pin, roll each half into a 12-by-16-inch rectangle. Using an offset spatula, spread the filling on both dough rectangles, all the way to the edges. Starting from a long side, tightly roll each rectangle into a log. Wrap each log in plastic wrap and refrigerate 15 minutes. Unwrap the logs; cut each in half lengthwise with a bench scraper or chef's knife. Twist the halves together a few times, starting from the middle. Coat two 9-by-5-inch loaf pans with cooking spray and line with parchment, then spray the parchment. Place a dough twist snugly in each pan. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise 1 1/2 hours.
• Finish and bake the babka: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Brush each loaf with butter and sprinkle with the topping. Bake until browned, about 45 minutes. Meanwhile, make some simple syrup: Combine the sugar and water in a saucepan; simmer, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Let cool. Pull the loaves out of the oven and immediately poke a bunch of holes in each with a wooden skewer. Pour 1 1/4 cups simple syrup evenly over the loaves.
• Let sit 10 minutes, then remove the babka from the pans, remove the parchment and let cool completely on a rack.

SPINACH AND ARTICHOKE PASTA BAKE

Steps:

• Microwave the spinach according to the package instructions, then allow to cool slightly. Squeeze out the excess water with a kitchen towel and set aside.
• Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Add the rigatoni and cook 2 minutes less than the package instructions. Reserve 1 1/2 cups of the pasta water before draining.
• In a large room-temperature saucepan, add the olive oil and garlic. Turn on the heat to medium and allow the garlic to cook until lightly browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the crushed red pepper flakes, then add the spinach and artichokes and saute 2 to 3 minutes. Add about 3/4 cup pasta water and the cream cheese and dried basil to the saucepan and allow the cream cheese to melt, 3 to 4 minutes. Add 1/4 to 1/2 cup more of the pasta water if necessary to thin out the sauce, and season with salt and pepper. Stir in the grated Parmesan.
• Add the rigatoni to the sauce and stir to coat. Transfer to a 9-by-13-inch baking dish (if your pan is oven-safe, you can skip this step). Top with the shredded mozzarella. Broil on high until the cheese is bubbly and golden brown, about 5 minutes. Serve immediately.

HOT ARTICHOKE AND SPINACH DIP II

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a small baking dish.
• In a medium bowl, mix together cream cheese, mayonnaise, Parmesan cheese, Romano cheese, garlic, basil, garlic salt, salt and pepper. Gently stir in artichoke hearts and spinach.
• Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish. Top with mozzarella cheese. Bake in the preheated oven 25 minutes, until bubbly and lightly browned.

AMAZING SPINACH ARTICHOKE CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Place garlic cloves in a small oven-safe dish, and roast in the preheated oven until softened and fragrant, about 20 minutes. Set roasted garlic cloves aside to cool.
• Place the spinach in a large mixing bowl, and stir in the artichoke hearts.
• Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat, and cook and stir the mushrooms until softened, about 10 minutes. Mix in the green onions, and cook and stir until onions are soft, about 5 more minutes. Transfer the mushrooms, green onions, and butter from the skillet into the bowl with spinach mixture.
• Remove cream cheese from wrapping, place into a microwave-safe bowl, and cook in the microwave until warm and very soft, about 1 1/2 minutes. Stir the softened cream cheese into the spinach mixture, and add the sour cream, water chestnuts, Parmesan cheese, mayonnaise, garlic salt, and lemon juice. Squeeze the roasted garlic out of the garlic skins, and mix thoroughly into the spinach mixture. Spoon the casserole into a round 2-quart baking dish.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the casserole is hot and bubbly, about 30 minutes. Spread French-fried onion rings over the top, return to the oven, and bake until the onion rings are lightly browned, 5 to 10 more minutes.

THE BEST SPINACH ARTICHOKE DIP

Steps:

• Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Spray a 1-quart baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
• Put the cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise and garlic in a large bowl. Mix vigorously until combined and smooth. (If you prefer, you can use a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.) Add the spinach to the cream cheese mixture, breaking it up as you add it. Add the artichokes, mozzarella and 1/2 cup of the Parmesan, mixing to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish and top with the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan.
• Bake until the dip begins to bubble, 20 to 25 minutes. Turn the oven to broil and continue to cook, keeping an eye on it so it doesn't burn, until the top is golden brown, about 5 minutes. Serve warm with crackers, chips or toasted bread.

SPINACH ARTICHOKE DIP

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring until it's softened and fragrant, about 30 seconds.
• Add spinach to pot one handful at a time, letting each handful completely wilt before adding the next. Add crushed red pepper, if using, and season with salt and pepper. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until most of the liquid from the spinach has evaporated (no need to drain), about 3 minutes. Add artichokes and season with salt and pepper. Cook for a few minutes, just to take the raw edge off the artichokes.
• Reduce heat to low and add cream cheese and mozzarella. Using a wooden spoon or spatula, stir until all the cheese has melted, about 3 minutes. Stir in sour cream and pecorino, and season with more salt and pepper. You can certainly eat this dip straight from the pot (or transferred to a serving bowl), but running it under the broiler for a crispy top is also an excellent option. To do so, transfer dip to a small ovenproof skillet (6 to 8 inches). Place in oven and broil until the top is golden and the dip is bubbling, 5 to 8 minutes. Let sit a minute or two before serving.

BAKED SPINACH AND ARTICHOKE TOASTS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat (such as Silpat®).
• Cut bread into 1/2-inch slices. Transfer onto the prepared sheet and brush very generously with melted butter until well soaked.
• Bake in the preheated oven until light golden brown, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool before topping. Increase the oven temperature to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
• Add cream cheese, Gruyere, provolone, 1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, garlic, green onion, pepper, salt, cayenne, nutmeg, spinach, and artichokes to a mixing bowl and mix until thoroughly combined.
• Use a spoon to top each piece of toast with at least a 1/2-inch thick layer of the cheese, artichoke, and spinach mixture. Grate some extra Parmigiano-Reggiano on top of each toast if desired.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the tops and bottoms are nicely browned, about 25 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

SPINACH ARTICHOKE DIP

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Mix together Parmesan cheese, spinach, and artichoke hearts.
• Combine remaining ingredients and mix with spinach mixture.
• Bake for 20-30 minutes.
• Serve with crackers or toasted bread.