Recipe Round Up - Spinach

Spinach and Goat Cheese Penne

1 pound penne pasta
2 garlic cloves
4 ounces goat cheese

Juice of 1 lemon
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 ounces fresh baby spinach leaves
1/2 pint cherry tomatoes
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the penne and cook about 12 minutes.
Mince the garlic in a food processor. Add the goat cheese, 3/4 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of pepper, lemon juice, and half of the spinach leaves. Blend until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Set the cheese and spinach mixture aside.
Place the remaining spinach leaves and cherry tomatoes in a large bowl.

Drain the pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid. Spoon the pasta on top 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, with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the Parmesan over and serve.

Spinach and Sundried Tomato Stuffed Chicken Breasts
1 tablespoon olive oil, plus 1 tablespoon
1 clove garlic, minced
6 sun-dried tomatoes(in oil), diced
1 (10-ounce) bag of frozen spinach, thawed and excess water squeezed out
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more for seasoning
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 cup (2 ounces) goat cheese - room temp
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/2 lemon, zested
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

Splash white wine

Preheat oven to 350.

Mix the spinach, goat cheese, sundried tomatoes, salt, pepper, thyme, and garlic together in a bowl.
Use a sharp knife to cut a pocket into the thickest portion of the chicken. Stuff each pocket with 1/4 of the spinach and sun-dried tomato mixture.. Season the outside of the pork with salt and pepper.
In a small bowl combine the chicken broth, lemon zest, lemon juice, and mustard.
Warm  1 tablespoon olive oil 

in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot add the pork. Cook until golden and cooked through, about 4 minutes per side. Put chicken in the oven, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Add the chicken broth mixture to the skillet over medium-high heat. Scrape up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan as the chicken broth simmers. Reduce the broth by half to make a light sauce, about 8 minutes.Keep warm. Spoon some sauce over the chicken before serving.

Asian Salmon over Wilted Spinach(sorry no pic!! was too hungry to stop and take one!!!)
6 cups fresh baby spinach leaves
4 salmon fillets
4 teaspoons peeled and minced fresh ginger
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 cup dry Marsala wine
8 teaspoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 lime, quartered
2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil leaves

Cut 4 (12-inch-square pieces) of aluminum foil. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Working with 1 foil sheet at a time, place the foil sheets on the work surface. Place 1 1/2 cups of spinach in the center of each foil sheet. Top with a salmon fillet. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of ginger and 1/2 teaspoon of garlic, then drizzle 2 tablespoons of Marsala, 2 teaspoons of soy sauce, and 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil over the fish and spinach. Gather the foil sheets over the fish. Fold in the foil edges and pinch tightly to seal. Place the foil packages on a heavy large baking sheet.
Bake until the spinach wilts and the fish is just cooked through, about 15 minutes. Open package and squeeze the lime juice over the fish. Sprinkle with the basil and serve.