Tag Archives: spinach

Bacon Wrapped Mushroom Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

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I’m trying to clean out my freezer and do a little experiment in the process. I have this habit of stocking up on food when things go on sale and putting it in the freezer. What makes it a bad habit is that I forget about thawing something out for dinner and wind up buying more items for dinner, even though I have it in the freezer already!

I came up with this after finding a pork tenderloin in the freezer. I had some fresh spinach and bacon in the fridge I needed to use up, and all I needed to buy extra was fresh mushrooms!

I didn’t really spend time measuring this recipe out like I usually do, so adjust where your taste buds see fit.

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  • 2  1 lb pork tenderloins
  • 3.5 oz shitake mushrooms, finely chopped
  • 4 oz baby portabello mushrooms, finely chopped
  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped
  • 1 cup tightly packed fresh spinach, chopped
  • 2 tbsp minced garlic
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 3 tbsp heavy cream
  • 1 lb sliced bacon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a medium sized skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in mushrooms and garlic and continue to cook 10 more minutes. Salt and pepper to taste.  Add spinach and cook until wilted. Add heavy cream one tablespoon at a time, you may need a little more or less depending on the moisture in your onions and mushrooms, and cook until mixture forms a paste like consistency. Remove mixture and set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, cut a pocket into both tenderloins making sure you don’t cut through the ends of the tenderloin, it helps to hold in the mixture. On a piece of parchment paper lay out bacon, overlapping each piece, with enough pieces to cover the length of the tenderloin. Stuff the pocket with half of the mushroom mixture and roll the tenderloin up with the bacon. Placed on a greased baking sheet. Repeat with remaining tenderloin.

Bake tenderloins for 30 to 45 minutes until cooked through. Allow to rest 10 minutes before slicing into medallions. Enjoy!

Chicken Sausage And Roasted Vegetable Pasta

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“Pasta?” you say? “I thought you were gluten-free?” you say?

Well yes, I’m still gluten-free! Thankfully, several companies make gluten-free pasta so I don’t have to give up that which I so adore!

Since I now have to read ingredient labels to make sure I’m not unintentionally “glutened”, I’ve noticed more and more all of the un-natural additives that goes into food to preserve it. Italian sausage is no different! So I went from the pork variety to the all-natural chicken and its just as yummy if not more so!

I have to apologize for the photo! I seemed to have misplaced the battery for my good camera and have been using the good old iPhone to take pictures for the blog. Though I really don’t think this dish would photograph well either way!

Just trust me, it’s delicious!

Oh, and I should mention that I used a quality jarred sauce for this, but if you have the time and energy, using homemade would not be frowned upon!

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  • 1  lb bulk Italian chicken sausage
  • 12 oz gluten-free tri-colored vegetable pasta
  • 24 oz tomato basil sauce
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 1 bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 large or two small zucchini, chopped
  • 8 oz mushrooms, quartered
  • 2 cups fresh spinach
  • 3 tbsp minced garlic
  • 2 beef steak tomatoes, sliced
  • 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
  • 2 cups shredded mozzarella
  • olive oil
  • salt and pepper
  • dash crushed red pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

On a baking sheet lined with foil, add onions, peppers, zucchini, and mushrooms with a few drizzles of olive oil and salt & pepper. Toss to coat. Roast veggies  for about 20 minutes, stirring halfway through cooking time.

Cook sausage in a large skillet over medium heat, breaking it up with a spatula. While sausage browns, cook pasta to package directions. When sausage is cooked through, stir in tomato sauce. Let heat through, for about 10 minutes. Stir in garlic, spinach, and red pepper flakes. Cook until spinach is slightly wilted, then stir in roasted vegetables, and parmesan cheese. Allow to cook 5 more minutes. Add pasta and stir until well incorporated.

Pour pasta mixture into a greased 13 x 9 baking dish. Top with sliced beef steak tomatoes and mozzarella cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 350, for 25 to 30 minutes. Would be great served with a Caesar salad!

**This holds up well in the fridge. For the three of us, I was able to get two dinners out of one pan.

Potato Chip Salmon With Spinach Cheddar Sauce

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This was one of those “not sure what to make for dinner” nights, and I had a bag of seasoned pepper potato chips in the pantry and leftover spinach dip in the fridge and decided to play with my food. It turned out better than expected! I think not only is this good for salmon, but it would work well with boneless, skinless chicken breasts!

  • 1 1/4 lb salmon fillet, skinned and cut into 4 strips
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1/4 tsp water
  • 2 1/2 cups seasoned waffle potato chips, crushed
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 2 tbsp flour
  • 1 cup milk
  • 4 tbsp spinach dip
  • 3/4 cup shredded cheddar
  • 1/2 tsp white pepper
  • 1/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Combine beaten egg and water in a mixing bowl and pour breadcrumbs onto a plate. Dip each piece of salmon, one at a time, first in egg mixture, then coat with crushed potato chips. Place salmon on a greased baking sheet and bake for 18 minutes, or until salmon is firm and flakes easily with a fork. While fish bakes, prepare the sauce.

To make the sauce, melt the butter in a sauce pan, then whisk in the flour. Cook and stir continuously for 1 minute, then slowly whisk in the milk. Whisk constantly until sauce is thickened, then remove from heat. Stir in the spinach dip, cheese, white pepper and salt.

To serve, spoon about 3 heaping tablespoons of the spinach sauce on to a plate then place a piece of salmon on top. Drizzle the top of the salmon with an extra spoonful of sauce. Serve with a salad and a twice baked potato. Yum!

Spinach And Sausage Stuffed Shells

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Who can deny such a delicious classic? I had been craving some tomato-ey and cheesy comfort food and decided to throw some bulk Italian sausage and a box of drained frozen spinach in to make a complete meal and not have to worry about side dishes. I love shell pasta! It’s great with just cheese, or just beef, or just about any combo you can think of!

  • 1 12oz box, large shell noodles, cooked according to package directions
  • 1 lb bulk mild Italian sausage
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 10 oz package frozen spinach, thawed and drained
  • 1 15oz container ricotta cheese
  • 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 4 tbsp shredded parmesan cheese
  • 2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp pepper
  • 1 24oz jar pasta sauce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add sausage, and break into small pieces with a spoon. When sausage is cooked through and no longer pink, remove to a large mixing bowl.

In the same mixing bowl, add spinach and next 6 ingredients and mix well.

Pour half of the pasta sauce in the bottom of a 13 x 9 baking dish. Discard any torn pasta shells and fill each one with a heaping tablespoon of the cheese mixture.

Pour remaining sauce by the spoonful over the stuffed shells. Sprinkle with additional parmesan cheese, and cover with foil.

Bake shells for 35 minutes. Enjoy!