Ginas Spinach Salad Recipes

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic, carrots, celery and onions, and cook until the vegetables begin to soften, about 4 minutes. Sprinkle the flour into the saucepan to toast the flour, stirring constantly, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Gradually whisk in the stock, and then the milk and beer. Stir in the potatoes and bring the soup to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer the soup until the potatoes are tender, 20 to 30 minutes.
• Remove the saucepan from the heat and, using an immersion blender, puree the soup until smooth. Return the soup to low heat. Add 1 cup of the Cheddar, a handful at a time, stirring until melted and smooth after each addition. Add additional chicken stock if necessary to adjust the consistency. Sprinkle with hot sauce, Worcestershire, salt and pepper. Divide the soup among bowls and top with the remaining Cheddar, sour cream, bacon and chives. Serve with Gina's Spinach Salad with Spiced Pecans.
• For the pecans: Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Stir in all the spices and the pecans. Stir and toast the pecans for about 5 minutes. Transfer them to a plate to cool.
• For the salad: Whisk together the balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard and shallots in a small bowl. Drizzle in the olive oil in a continuous stream, whisking to emulsify. Season with a pinch of sugar, salt and pepper.
• Add the spinach to a large serving bowl. Toss the greens with the prepared dressing, the bacon, blue cheese, cherry tomatoes and spiced pecans.

Steps:

• Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Once it foams, add the shallot and garlic, and saute until softened, about 3 minutes.
• Add the flour and cook while stirring until it becomes a light blonde color.
• Slowly stir in the heavy cream, and the drained spinach, and simmer until it starts to thicken, about 5 minutes.
• Stir in the artichoke hearts, tomatoes, and cheese and cook until the cheese is melted. Remove to a serving bowl and serve with tortilla chips.

Steps:

• In a medium skillet, cook the bacon over medium-high heat until just crisp. Drain on paper towels and crumble when cool enough to handle. Set aside.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, salt, pepper and garlic.
• Wash the spinach leaves very well and spin dry. Tear the leaves into small pieces and place in a medium salad bowl. Add the mushrooms and bacon, and toss to combine. Pour 2/3 cup of the dressing over the salad (reserve the rest for another use) and toss again. Serve immediately.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the pecans on a baking sheet and toast in the oven until golden and fragrant, 6 minutes; roughly chop.
• Preheat a grill to medium-high heat on one side and medium heat on the other. Lightly brush the peaches with oil and grill over medium until nicely marked, about 4 minutes per side. Meanwhile, place a flat cast-iron skillet on the grill over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook until crisp; transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate.
• Combine the spinach, red onion, grilled peaches, pecans and bacon in a large bowl.
• Make the dressing: Mash the blue cheese with a fork in a bowl. Mix in the buttermilk, sour cream, sugar, and salt and pepper to taste. Toss with the salad just before serving.
• Photography by Miki Duisterhof

Steps:

• Put dressing ingredients into blender, and puree -- toss with salad Ingredients and that's it!
• Hint: You can prepare double the amount of the salad mix then save 1/2 the dressing and have 2 meals. This makes a great big salad.
• Hint #2 : Don't put the dressing on until right before you eat if you want it to stay crisp!

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the penne and cook until it is tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 12 minutes.
• Mince the garlic in a food processor. Add the goat cheese, cream cheese, 3/4 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of pepper, and half of the spinach leaves. Blend until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Set the cheese and spinach mixture aside.
• Meanwhile, place the remaining spinach leaves in a large bowl.
• Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Spoon the pasta atop the spinach leaves in the bowl. Scrape the cheese and spinach mixture over the pasta mixture and toss to coat, adding enough reserved cooking liquid to moisten. Season the pasta, to taste, with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the Parmesan over and serve.

Steps:

• Whisk first 4 ingredients until sugar is dissolved., In a 13x9-in. dish, layer half of each of the following: spinach, onion, mushrooms and eggs. Repeat layers. Drizzle with dressing; top with bacon.

Steps:

• Spinach Salad: Toss ingredients together. To toast nuts, put nuts in 400 degree oven for 5 minutes and remove as soon as you can smell them. Dressing: Boil together 1/2 cup white vinegar and 1 cup sugar and remove from heat to cool some. Add remaining ingredients and mix.