April 2025 – Spinach
Spinach Muffins
Gloria Dougherty, Akron
“You don’t taste the spinach. Delicious!”
- 2 cups flour
- ½ cup brown or raw sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- zest of 1 lemon
- 2 cups fresh spinach
- 1½ cups fresh or frozen pineapple
- 1 to 2 very ripe bananas
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- ¼ cup plain soy or almond milk
- ¼ to ½ cup chocolate chips
Mix flour, sugar, baking soda and zest. Set aside.
In a powerful blender, blend remaining ingredients until creamy. Pour into flour mixture; stir to just combine. (If batter is dry, add 2 to 4 additional tablespoons of milk.)
Spoon batter into a lined muffin tin. Bake at 375°F until pick inserted in center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes.
Makes 12 muffins.
Note: For mini muffins, bake at 375°F for 10 to 12 minutes or until pick comes out clean.
Spinach-Strawberry Salad
Wanda Lyman, Denver
“Healthy & delicious!”
- 8 cups de-stemmed spinach
- 1 pint strawberries
- 1 small Vidalia onion (about ¾ cup)
Wash and drain spinach; tear into bite-size pieces. Wash and slice strawberries. Chop Vidalia onion into small pieces. Place in a large bowl and set aside.
Poppy Seed Dressing:
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 1 to 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1/3 cup sugar
- ¼ cup milk
- 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
Add dressing just before serving.
Experiment with the proportions of strawberries and onions.
Spinach Balls
Rachel Hoover, Ephrata
- 1 large bowl bread cubes (about 1 loaf)
- ¼ cup onion, chopped
- 4 cups spinach, chopped
- ½ cup melted butter (reserve some to pour over top)
- 1½ cups milk (or enough to moisten)
- 2 eggs, beaten
- salt, pepper and parsley, to taste
Mix all ingredients together. Roll into 2” balls and put in a 9”x13” pan. Pour reserved butter over top.
Bake at 350°F, uncovered, for 30 to 35 minutes.
Creamy Spinach Soup
Rachel Hoover, Ephrata
- 10 oz. frozen or fresh spinach
- 4 cups milk
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch (or flour)
- 6 slices white American cheese
Cook spinach several minutes, then blend till smooth. Put back in the pot and add milk, seasonings and butter.
When boiling, mix cornstarch with a little water and add to soup to thicken. Add sliced cheese.
Baked Spinach
Lorraine Stevens, Denver
- 1 stick unsalted butter
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 3 tablespoons flour
- (3) 10 oz. packages frozen spinach, cooked and drained
- 3 eggs, lightly beaten
- 2 cups small curd cottage cheese
- 6 oz. Colby cheese, shredded
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
Preheat oven to 350°.
Melt butter in a 7”x11” dish. Add onion. Stir in flour.
Combine cooked spinach (drained), eggs, cottage cheese and Colby cheese in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon mixture into onion/butter mixture.
Bake, uncovered, for 1 hour.
Spanakopita
Marilyn Bashore, Lititz
Filling:
- (3) 16 oz. bags frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
- 2 onions, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 lb. quality feta cheese, crumbled
- 8 oz. ricotta cheese
- ½ cup chopped fresh parsley
- 5 eggs, beaten
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Sauté onion in oil until soft. Add the spinach and parsley and sauté another minute. Set aside to cool.
In a separate bowl, blend feta, ricotta, eggs, dill, salt and pepper and add to spinach mixture.
Pastry:
- 1 lb. phyllo dough, thawed according to package directions
- ¼ lb. butter
- ½ cup olive oil (EVOO)
Heat the oil/butter mixture.
Grease the bottom of a 9”x13” pan.
Carefully unwrap the phyllo dough. Place two sheets of phyllo in the bottom of the baking pan and brush with oil/butter mixture. Add two more sheets and do the same. Continue in this way adding two sheets at a time and buttering them, until half of the sheets are used.
Spread the cheese/spinach mixture over the phyllo sheets.
Begin layering the remaining phyllo sheets over the filling, two at a time and brushing each layer with oil/butter. Brush final layer with butter mixture and sprinkle with a few drops of water.
Tuck in any excess dough from the sides. Score into squares, but don’t cut through.
Bake 40 to 50 minutes, until phyllo is golden.
Cut into squares to serve.
Spinach Balls
Marilyn Bashore, Lititz
- (4) 10 oz. boxes chopped spinach, cooked, drained and squeezed dry with paper towels
- 4 cups Pepperidge Farm herbal stuffing
- 2 large onions, diced
- 8 eggs
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese
- 1½ cups melted butter
- 1 tablespoon dried thyme
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- salt and pepper, to taste
Mix all ingredients together and chill for at least 2 hours. Remove from fridge and roll into 1” balls. Chill for 1/2 hour on a cookie sheet.
Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes.
Note: These freeze well. Freeze on cookie sheet first, then in bags. Thaw before baking.
Tuscan Farro and White Bean Soup
Marilyn Bashore, Lititz
- 1½ cups water
- ½ cup farro
- salt, to taste
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 15 oz. can cannellini beans, drained
- 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes with juices
- 4 oz. box baby spinach
- ½ cup chopped fresh basil
- freshly ground pepper, to taste
In a small saucepan over high heat, bring water to a boil. Add the farro with a pinch of salt. Reduce the heat to low, cover partially, and cook until the water is absorbed and the farro is chewy, but tender, about 25 minutes.
In a large pot or Dutch oven, warm the olive oil. Add onion and garlic and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low; add farro, beans, and the tomatoes with their juices. Simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Add the spinach and basil, cooking until the spinach is wilted.
Serves 6.
Spinach Pie
Pat Roth, Ephrata
- 2 tablespoons butter, divided
- 2 tablespoons chopped onion
- 16 oz. package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained and squeezed dry
- 3 eggs
- 1½ cups whipping cream or half & half
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ cup shredded Swiss cheese
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Coat a 9” pie plate with cooking spray.
Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a skillet over medium to high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally until they are soft. Add the spinach and cook until it is heated through, about 5 minutes. Evenly spread the mixture into the pie plate.
Beat the eggs and whipping cream in a large bowl. Stir in the salt, pepper and nutmeg. Pour into the pie plate.
Cut up the remaining 1 tablespoon butter and sprinkle, along with the cheese, over the pie.
Bake until set and golden brown, about 25 to 30 minutes.
Spinach Bisque
Pat Roth, Ephrata
- ½ cup chopped onion
- 2 tablespoons melted butter or margarine
- 1/3 cup flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2½ cups milk
- 1 cup water
- ¾ cup cubed processed American cheese
- 10 oz. package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
In a 3-quart saucepan, sauté the onion in butter until tender. Stir in the flour, salt and nutmeg until smooth. Gradually whisk in the milk and water. Add the cheese; cook and stir over medium heat until melted, then add the spinach. Cover and simmer for 4 to 5 minutes or until heated through.
Serve with oyster crackers.
Serves about 5 to 6.
Spinach Salad with Red Potatoes
Pat Roth, Ephrata
- 10 oz. package fresh spinach, torn
- 3 small red potatoes, cooked and diced
- 2 hard cooked eggs, chopped
- ½ cup sliced fresh mushrooms
- 2 bacon sliced, diced
- ¼ cup chopped red onion
- ½ teaspoon cornstarch
- ¼ cup apple juice
- 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons sugar or artificial sweetener equivalent
In a salad bowl, combine the spinach, potatoes, eggs and mushrooms.
In a skillet, cook the bacon until crisp. Remove the bacon and drain on a paper towel.
In the bacon drippings, sauté the onion until tender.
Combine the cornstarch, apple juice, vinegar and sweetener until smooth. Stir into the bacon drippings in the skillet. Bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 1 to 2 minutes, or until slightly thickened and bubbly. Pour over the spinach mixture. Add the bacon and toss.
Savory Spinach Squares
Mary Ann Dell, East Earl
- 4 eggs
- 2/3 cup milk
- ¼ cup melted butter
- ½ cup minced onion
- 2 tablespoons dry parsley flakes
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon thyme
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- 2 cups cooked rice
- 1½ lb. spinach, cooked and drained
- 2 cups shredded, processed American cheese
Beat eggs; add combined milk, butter, onion, parsley flakes, Worcestershire sauce, salt, thyme and nutmeg. Mix well.
Combine remaining ingredients; add to egg mixture and mix well. Pour into a greased shallow 2-quart baking dish.
Bake at 350°F for 40 to 45 minutes.
Cut into squares and serve.
Creamy Spinach Soup
Mary Ann Dell, East Earl
- 8 cups chopped spinach
- 1½ cups water
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
- 1 bouillon cube (optional)
- 4 cups milk
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 2 tablespoons butter
Combine spinach, water, sugar and seasonings. Bring to a boil, then simmer 3 minutes.
Add milk and bring to a boil. Cream together flour and butter. Add to soup and stir until it thickens.
Spinach Quiche
Mary Ann Dell, East Earl
- 4 to 6 strips bacon
- 3 eggs
- 2 cups finely chopped cooked spinach, well drained
- 1¼ cups light cream
- ½ cup shredded Swiss cheese
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
- 9” unbaked pie shell with a fluted edge
Fry, drain and crumble bacon.
Beat eggs briefly.
Squeeze spinach to remove water and add to the eggs. Add bacon and remaining ingredients. Mix and pour into the pie shell.
Bake at 325°F for approximately 30 minutes.
Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.