SUBMISSION Thread for Spinach Challenge, Tuesday, Jan 24, 2023

Meridian Dog’s first submission. I cooked one submission and the next day realized I had another recipe worth posting, so there will be two submissions from me.

This one can be Meridian Dog #1.

Sorry this one is so long. It was an involved preparation and will take two posts to complete due to the Tigerdropping limit on post length,

Chicken and Spinach Saltimbocca with Creamed Spinach Meridian and Spinach Gnocchi



Saltimbocca translates to “Jump In Your Mouth”, which is what this dish does. The traditional meat used was Veal. My version uses Chicken, with spinach added to the recipe.

As you will see, the submission includes three elements:

1 - The Chicken Saltimbocca entrée, served over Creamed Spinach Meridian
2 - Spinach Gnocchi, as a side dish to the entree
3 - Spinach and Mandarin Orange salad

This meal post is lengthy and had to be broken up into two separate postings.

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Making the Spinach Gnocchi
(for 2 - 3 servings)


Ingredients:

1 large Russet potato
4 ounces fresh spinach
1/2 teaspoon salt to taste
1 Tablespoon Heavy Cream
1 cup AP flour (as needed)





Directions:

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degree F. Wrap the potato in foil and bake for 60-90 minutes, until it is tender in the center.







Allow the potato to cool to a point where it can be handled then remove the skin and mash the potato with a fork until it is broken into small pieces. Set aside to continue cooling.





Cook the spinach in a Tablespoon of unsalted butter and a Tablespoon of Heavy Cream until it has wilted.









Process the cooked spinach into a smooth, thick puree in a food processor and set aside to cool.









Add the spinach puree and 1 Tablespoon of Heavy cream to the cooled mashed potato and mix.







Next, add half of the flour and the salt to the mixture.





Using a fork or your hands, mix the gnocchi dough. Add in a more flour as needed, a Tablespoon or two at a time, until a dough forms. It should resemble cookie dough; slightly sticky but easy to handle. If it’s too sticky to handle, add a bit more flour until a fairly dry and workable dough is formed. Work the completed dough into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap and chill for an hour.









After chilling the dough, cut it into four pieces for ease of handling when forming the gnocchi.





Roll each piece into a tube about 1/2 an inch thick. Cut the gnocchi into 1/2 – 3/4 inch pieces, dust in flour, then roll each piece over the gnocchi board to add ridges. Gently toss each rolled piece into flour to ensure that it’s dry and not sticky at any edges. Continue until all of the dough is processed into gnocchi pieces.











The formed gnocchi may be stored (frozen) for up to 2 months. I always freeze mine before using it.





Cooking the gnocchi:

The gnocchi is lightly fried in a blend of olive oil and bacon grease, lightly flavored with chicken fat. To cook the gnocchi, add a few pieces at a time to 350 degree F oil and fry until the pieces turn light brown (to assure flour is fully cooked). At that point, the gnocchi are removed and drained on a paper towel.







The spinach gnocchi is served as a side to the Chicken Saltimbocca, with a little Saltimbocca wine sauce drizzled over it.






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Making the Spinach and Mandarin Orange Salad, with Raspberry Vinaigrette


Ingredients:

4 ounces baby spinach (about 2 cups)
1/4 cup Mandarin oranges
1/4 cup raspberry vinaigrette
Salt and Black Pepper


Directions:

Arrange spinach leaves on a large platter or individual salad plates. Top with mandarin sections and chill.

When serving, pour the dressing over the plated salad and season with salt and pepper.





Note: This post was too long to submit as one post. It will be continued immediately following this.

Wow

I'll allow it

Spinach and Crawfish King Cake



They're a little small right now, but delicious.





Shredded some swiss and some pepper jack for the filling.



Garlic got smashed up with the back of a fork as well



Cream cheese, spinach, crawfish, garlic, salsa, swiss, pepper jack, and a few good glugs of Crystal















My lighting on the counter is a bit blue, so here's more natural light.





In the words of Bayou Tiger Fan Too, got my bartender(s) fed



Bonus flatbread version which got some Mexican cheeses - Not part of my entry

Yum!

How long did you spend in the restroom after eating that meal?

Spinach Artichoke flower with Smoked Salmon Fixings on a bed of sautéed Spinach & Garlic
I decided to go a bit up scale. First I sautéed the spinach and garlic

Then I cleaned the artichoke bottoms.

Then I filled them with softened cream cheese.

Then I plated with baby spinach leaves, red onions, capers, some black pepper, and a nice smoked salmon rosette. I put all that on top of the sautéed spinach.


It was quite tasty.

Butterflied Deer Loin, wrapped in thick cut bacon, stuffed with diced andouille sausage and creamed spinach over the charcoal grill.



Marinated in garlic, soy, Worcestershire, and honey.

Submissions are closed. I completely forgot I had the voting thread to do. It will take me some time to get that together. Feel free to fire me.