Scrumptious Spinach

In looking over my blog, I've realized that most of my postings are entrees... I'll post some sort of protein and then just have some random veggie side.  Since going paleo, Curt and I have been eating a TON more veggies.  Needless to say, steamed broccoli or green beans, although delicious, can get somewhat boring.  I've had to get a bit creative and try new recipes to make sure I don't get bored! Here's one of my new favorite sides!  Spinach!  I was never a huge fan of spinach, but I had this in a tapas restaurant once and LOVED it, so I tried my hand at it... super simple and super delicious!

Sauteed Spinach with Raisins and Pine nuts

* 1 bag baby spinach

* 1 shallot, minced

* 1/4 cup raisins

* 1/4 cup pine nuts

* 1 Tbs butter

So this recipe is so easy that anyone should be able to do it!  First, I melted the butter in a pan, then I added in the shallots.  I let the shallots cook for a few minutes to soften up a bit.  Then, I added in the pine nuts and raisins.  From here, I just let everything saute and heat through. 

 Easy so far, right?!

Next, I added in the entire bag of spinach.  I'll warn you that it looks like a lot, but spinach really cooks down to nothing.  If you are cooking for 2 people who like spinach, you should definitely double the recipe!  I let the spinach cook through and heat up.  This really only takes about 2 minutes to cook.  Just make sure you stir the whole mixture together so that the spinach is cooked (I either like mine cooked or raw... not half way wilted... I feel like that's a bit to indecisive for me!)

Voila! There you have the easiest spinach dish ever.  I did see a few recipes that asked for some sherry cooking wine to be added.  I tried this with and without and didnt' notice much of a difference... but if you have some sherry on hand, go ahead and throw in a bit (1 tbs or so) to see if you notice a difference!

So there you go... super easy, right?  It's also done in just a few minutes, making it the perfect side for a quick last minute meal!  I think I paired this one with a hamburger patty or something of the sort.  Does anyone have any yummy spinach recipes?

Rosemary Proscuitto Chicken

I find it ironic that I'm not a huge fan of Rachel Ray, however, I've posted about 3 or 4 of her different recipes!  I bought some chicken thighs from the grocery store and wanted to do something with them.  Usually, I grill them and throw them on my salads... this time, I just wanted to make something a little different.  I went to foodnetwork.com and searched for chicken thighs and found this incredibly easy recipe by Rachel Ray... it was totally paleo and totally easy!

Rosemary Prosciutto Chicken Thighs

* 8 chicken thighs

* 2 tbs fresh rosemary, chopped

* 1/4 lb thinly sliced prosciutto

* 5 cloves garlic

* 1/4 cup olive oil

This shouldn't take long at all to make!  First, you chop the rosemary and the garlic.  Then throw it in a dish and pour the olive oil on top and mix it all together.  I added in some salt and pepper (which just so happens to be my new favorite spice- highly underrated!!!).

Next, you throw in the chicken thighs and coat them in the herb/oil mixture.  You want to make sure the chicken thighs are evenly coated.  You could let the chicken marinate for a while and just bake/grill it as is... however... I wanted to add that extra touch :) Hence... prosciutto!

 

You take each chicken thigh and wrap it in the prosciutto.  The prosciutto was sliced perfectly to wrap around the chicken thighs.  Next, you need to place it, seam side down to rest for a bit.  It didn't take long to wrap the chicken.  I liked how neatly packaged these little flavorful chicken parcels were. :) 

 

You can bake the chicken, but I wanted to use my cast iron grill.  This is the same one that I have a love/hate relationship with.  Sometimes it's great... othertimes, its a smoky burnt marinade mess... this time, however, it was a love experience.  I heated up the grill pan and greased it a bit with some bacon grease that I always have on hand.  Next, I just placed the chicken thighs on the grill and let it cook.  You want to make sure the chicken is seam side down, that way, it sort of seals the prosciutto so it won't open and the chicken won't spill out.   After the chicken had cooked for a few minutes and the prosciutto had crisped up, I flipped them over and cooked the other side. Then, after only about 10 minutes, the chicken was done!  As my students would say, it was "easy peasy lemon squeesy" (I teach 5 year olds!).

I'd love to say that this chicken was delicious.  I'd love to say that it was cooked perfectly and seasoned well.  I'd love to say that the rosemary flavored the chicken really nicely and complemented the prosciutto.... unfortunately, Curt ate it all before I had a chance to try it.

 

Of the 8 pieces, I had packed 6 for Curt's lunch.  I paired it with some steamed broccoli and a salad.  The very next night, the GIANT tupperware came home empty.  Curt had eaten it all in one day.  I had placed the last 2 pieces in a tupperware for me to eat with some broccoli.  I forgot it in the fridge on that first day.  The next morning, I reached into the fridge to grab my lunch for the day and found that my lunch had been kidnapped!  So, sadly, I have no idea how this dish tasted.... but judging by the fact that Curt ate all 8 pieces of chicken within 2 days is probably a good sign!