Yesterday I shared my friend Natalee’s apple ham panini with you. Now it’s time to talk about the second panini flavor she shared with me, which was equally delicious.

Enter the spinach mushroom panini with feta. This is a nice vegetarian option that is full of flavor. There’s a little prep work involved, but it’s still easy, I promise! And the flavors are all just so yummy together. Mmmmmm. Natalee made these paninis for our friend Ana, who is a total foodie. Ana said it was the best panini she ever had. Now that I’ve set your expectations really high…whoops…here is the recipe!

Spinach Mushroom Panini with Feta

 

Print

From my friend Natalee

Author: Jane Maynard

Recipe type: Main Dish, Panini

Ingredients

• around 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• Sliced mushrooms (8 or 10 ounce package)
• Small bag of spinach (6-10 ounces or so)
• Crumbled feta cheese
• Salt and Pepper
• Sliced bread of your choice

Instructions

1. Sautee the mushrooms in olive oil in a large sautee pan, until moisture is released and mushrooms are cooked through. Add spinach, tearing up the leaves a bit as you add them to the pan (if you feel like you need another swig of olive oil added to the pan, go ahead and add it). Cook until spinach has wilted, then add feta to taste – we found adding a lot of feta was better. Sprinkle evenly with salt and pepper, to taste, and stir.
2. Use mushroom mixture as filling for the panini and cook paninis as you normally do, in a press or with two frying pans.

3.2.2429

I’ve decided to start a new category here at This Week for Dinner – Simple Side Dishes. I don’t always put much thought into side dishes, and I would guess that I’m not alone.  Sometimes all it takes is for someone to remind me of a side or point out an easy way to prepare a vegetable and I’m good to go.  So, whenever I discover or re-discover a simple (e.g. fast, minimal ingredients, easy prep) side, I’ll be sure to share it with you!

How about a nice salad today?

Simple Side Dishes: Spinach Salad a la Lindsay

 

Print

From Lindsay Rutman

Author: Jane Maynard

Ingredients

• Spinach
• Candied pecans (yes, candy-ing them is pretty easy, but to keep it really simple, jut buy them!)
• Feta cheese
• Strawberries, sliced
• Poppyseed Dressing (or Brianna’s Blush Wine Vinaigrette)

Instructions

1. Mix together!

3.2.2807

Poppyseed Dressing

 

Print

From Lindsay Rutman Feel free to just buy poppyseed dressing (Brianna’s is AWESOME, by the way)”¦but if you WANT to make your own, this is some dang good dressing

Author: Jane Maynard

Ingredients

• ¾ tablespoon poppy seeds
• ⅓ cup vinegar
• ⅓ cup sugar
• ¾ cup vegetable oil
• ¾ tablespoon grated red onion
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• ⅓ teaspoon dry mustard

Instructions

1. Mix all the ingredients, and preferably let it sit a few hours before serving so the flavors can combine.

3.2.2807

Today’s featured recipe is one of my favorite pasta dishes ever. It was No. 3 on the menu at American Grill, a restaurant in SLC, UT that has been out of business for some time now (sadly). Our family always just calls it No. 3 or Green Noodles, and we all love it. You’re gonna love it to.

PS to you parents out there…Cate, my 3-yr-old who has been quite picky about food lately, ate two servings of this tonight!!

Featured Recipe: No. 3 (aka Green Noodles)

 

Print

Author: Jane Maynard

Recipe type: Main Dish, Pasta

Ingredients

• Spinach Fettuccine, 8 or 9 oz package
• 1 boneless/skinless chicken breast, cubed
• ~3/4 of a package of mushrooms, chopped
• ~2.5 ounces prosciutto, chopped
• Knorr Garlic & Herb sauce mix OR Cream + Basil Pesto
• Feta cheese

Instructions

1. Saute chicken & mushrooms in a bit of olive oil until chicken is cooked through and mushrooms have released all their fluid and it has cooked off.
2. Cook fettuccine as directed on the package (I use fresh pasta). Drain and set aside.
3. Pour about 1 pint of cream over the chicken and mushrooms and add basil pesto, about 1 small container. Alternatively, you can use the Knorr Garlic & Herb sauce mix - just follow the directions on the back but use about ⅓ more milk (so 2 cups instead of 1½ cups, for example).
4. Let simmer until sauce thickens. Add the cooked fettuccine, stir well to coat, then add the prosciutto and feta cheese.
5. Bon appetit!

3.4.3177

I’ve been using your summer meal suggestions and have not disappointed yet! I am so glad I did that ‘Call for Recipes’…you guys know what you’re doing. 🙂

We had this Asian Spinach Salad on Sunday. It really was the perfect summer dinner.

All I have to say is…YUM. Thank you, Kristy, for sharing the recipe!

Featured Recipe: Asian Spinach Salad

 

Print

This asian spinach salad is perfect for summer!

Author: Jane Maynard

Recipe type: Side Dish, Salad

Cuisine: American

Ingredients

• 1 small bag of spinach
• 8 oz. bowtie pasta (cook, strain, cool)
• 2-4 Tbsp. Sesame seeds
• ½ C. Sunflower seeds
• 1 can sliced water chestnuts
• 3 chicken breasts – season heavily with lemon pepper, grill and cut into bite size pieces
• (I didn’t have lemon pepper, so I cooked the chicken on the stove top with olive oil, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, S&P and that worked nicely as well)
• 1 C. bean sprouts
• (I also added green bell pepper and green onion b/c I had them and they were yummy)
• Dressing:
• ½ C. Canola oil
• ½ C. sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 3 Tbsp soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp Seasoned Rice vinegar (unseasoned works too)
• ½ tsp sesame SEED oil
• 1 tsp grated fresh garlic

Instructions

1. Toss together salad ingredients. Then mix all dressing ingredients and store in fridge. Return to room temp before combined.

3.2.2265