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Taste Autumn With a Colorful Salad

YumSugar — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 08:00:39 -0800

I know I just said that I don't eat the seeds of pomegranates, but after the vast majority of you said "Why bother?" I proceeded to give it another try. Guess what? It's not so bad — it lends a textural crunch and grittiness that needs some getting used to, but I'm starting to like it.

I decided to embrace the seeds by tossing together a simple and straightforward Fall fruit salad. The result was a brilliantly-colored melange of persimmons, pomegranates, onions, and spinach with an equally bright flavor profile. To get excited for the season,

Monday's Leftovers: Warm Spinach and Sausage Salad

YumSugar — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 06:45:00 -0700

If you have sausage on hand, this warm salad is a great go-to recipe for a busy Monday night.

The sausage and egg are a hearty break from the typical salad, and the warm citrus dressing adds a brightness that cuts through the richness of the salad. To enjoy a different salad for dinner,

Delilicious: Spinach Fritters

babysugar — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 10:00:00 -0700

One of the best things about leftovers is that they make great kid-friendly food the next day. Inspired by Rachael Ray's Everyday magazine, I made some tasty spinach fritters and pork chops the other night. Rather than cooking up another meal the following evening, I zapped small portions of the previous night's dinner for my daughter. Much to my surprise, she LOVED the spinach fritters. Corn, carrots, zucchini and green beans have all been staples in her diet, but spinach, — forget it! I relished in her veggie delight, especially knowing that it didn't take a sneaky chef to convince her to eat a healthier, yet tasty, option.

To see how to make these yummy treats,

Sunday Slow Cooker: Vegetable Casserole

YumSugar — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 06:00:00 -0700

This casserole of polenta and vegetables uses canned beans and store-bought pesto to cut down on preparation time, but the slow cooker does all the hard work.

The recipe calls for an Italian cheese blend and specific vegetables, but feel free to mix things up with an American or Mexican cheese blend and different beans and vegetables, if you like.

To learn more about this easy-to-make, one-pot meal,

Fast & Easy Dinner: Ginger Pork Chops With Spinach Salad

partysugar — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 06:46:34 -0700

Savor the last of Summer's strawberries with this flavor-packed meal. The berries add a delightful sweetness to both the salad and sauce. The pork chops are seasoned with fresh ginger, and the scrumptious sauce combines juicy ginger with the plump berries.

An unexpected ingredient, frozen lemonade concentrate, brings a syrupy tartness to the sauce. Served atop a bed of spinach, this meal is balanced and filling, so get the recipe and

'Wich of the Week: Avo Spinach Panini

YumSugar — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 14:00:42 -0700

Not all of you were loving my last vegetarian sandwich, so I thought I'd try again with a recipe inspired by a recent trip to San Francisco's (appropriately named) Panini. Perfectly pressed in a warm panini grill, this sandwich taught me several lessons about making smushed sammies. First, I never think to put avocado on a hot sandwich, but it held up well in the heat and added a deliciously creamy texture. I was also astounded at how much spinach was piled onto the massive sourdough slices — seriously, like a cup of spinach — but after a few minutes in the press, the spinach had wilted and the bread had flattened so that the sandwich was very compact and manageable. The contrast between the earthy greens and smooth avocado make for a delectable combo. To learn how to re-create it at home,

Monday's Leftovers: Sautéed Chicken with Spinach

YumSugar — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 06:45:33 -0700

This one-plater is the ideal no-fuss, no-muss meal. Not only does it get rid of leftover chicken breast, but it's on the table in no time — just what I need on a Monday night. It's healthy yet hearty, with straightforward flavors that even the most finicky eater will appreciate. To increase servings, simply add an additional chicken breast for each extra person, and increase the measurements accordingly. To make the recipe tonight,

Reader Recipe: Spinach Salad With Candied Walnuts

YumSugar — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 15:15:03 -0700

Whether it's the overdone combination of gorgonzola and greens or the excessively fruity vinaigrette, I don't usually spring for spinach salads. However, when I saw Le Etiana's recipe, I was suddenly interested. Her dressing contains poppyseeds, which add extra texture. The cheese is a grated, mild Swiss, not the crumbled blue cheese I'm so tired of seeing in my salads. The candied walnuts add a subtle hint of roasted sweetness. Thanks to her appetizing recipe (and photo!) I think I'm ready to give spinach salads another chance. To see how she whipped up this healthy creation and check out the pictures of the beautiful table she served the salad on,

Fast & Easy Dinner: Pork Chops Stuffed With Sundried Tomatoes and Spinach

YumSugar — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 07:45:19 -0700

Stuffed pork chops. When I see those three little words, I get weak in the knees. And when the stuffing involves sundried tomatoes and goat cheese, I am pretty much powerless to resist the stuffed pork chop's charms. So when I happened to catch Giada de Laurentiis making this recipe on TV a few Sundays ago, I had my dinner idea for the night.

Despite a fancy-sounding name and a surfeit of decadent ingredients, this pork recipe is incredibly simple to make. It starts with frozen spinach, cooked in a skillet with sundried tomatoes then mixed with goat cheese and cream cheese for the filling. Simply slice a pocket in the pork chops and cook on the stove until golden brown. As a bonus, the leftovers made great next-day sandwiches. To get the recipe,

Fast & Easy Dinner: Chicken Tenders With Apricots and Sauteed Spinach

partysugar — Fri, 16 May 2008 10:30:09 -0700

Tonight use chicken breast tenders to create a rapid yet delicious meal. The kid friendly tenders cook quicker than whole chicken breasts, making them perfect for a Friday night.

Apricots make a thick, syrup-like sauce, and crisp, just wilted spinach rounds out the dish. Although the recipe calls for canned apricots, fresh ones would be equally scrumptious. To look at the recipe, which was created by our friends at MyRecipes.com,