Rinse spinach well and trim off tough ends of stems. Plunge spinach in boiling water for 30 seconds. Rinse under cold water and drain well. Spread out wilted spinach on a cutting board, blot up excess water with a paper towel, and cut spinach into inch-wide ribbons. Toast sesame seeds by heating for a few minute in a dry skillet. Reserve a couple of pinches of sesame seeds for garnish and grind the rest in a mortar. Add sugar and blend with ground sesame. Mix sesame-sugar paste in a bowl with soy sauce, sake and sesame oil. Mix well. Layer clumps of spinach in bowl, basting each layer with some of the sesame dressing. Sprinkle rest of toasted sesame seeds on top.
Ricotta Pasta with Spinach
12 ounces pasta, any kind you like
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1/3 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese
Salt and freshly-ground pepper to taste
1 bunch spinach, washed and stemmed
Cook the pasta according to package directions and drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the hot pasta cooking water. Transfer the pasta to a serving container, toss with 1 1/2 tablespoons of the butter or margarine, and cover. In a mixing bowl, combine the ricotta with the reserved pasta cooking water and stir until well blended. Stir into the pasta along with the Parmesan, and season with salt and pepper. Cover and steam the spinach using just the water clinging to the leaves in the same pot used to cook the pasta. This should take only a minute or two. Drain the spinach well and chop coarsely. Transfer to a small serving bowl and toss with the remaining 1/2 tablespoon butter or margarine. Serve at once, topping each serving with some of the steamed spinach.
From www.care2.com.
Quinoa with Snow Peas and Scallops
12 oz scallops, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
4 teaspoons tamari or soy sauce, divided
4 tablespoons canola oil, divided
2 teaspoons canola oil
1 1/2 cups quinoa, rinsed well
2 teaspoons grated or minced garlic
3 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup snow peas, trimmed, diagonally sliced
1/3 cup rice vinegar
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 cup thinly sliced scallions
1/3 cup finely diced red bell pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro for garnish
Toss scallops with 2 tsp tamari in a bowl. Set aside. Place a large skillet with a tight-fitting lid over medium heat. Add 1 T oil and quinoa. Cook, stirring constantly, until quinoa begins to color, 6-8 min. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 min. more. Add water and salt; bring to a boil. Stir once, cover, and cook over medium heat until the water is absorbed, about 15 min. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for 5 min. Stir in snow peas, cover, and let stand for 5 minutes more. Meanwhile, whisk 3 T oil, the remaining 2 tsp tamari, vinegar, and sesame oil in a large bowl. Add quinoa and snow peas, scallions, and bell pepper; toss to combine. Remove scallops from marinade; pat dry. Heat a skillet over med-high until hot enough to evaporate a drop of water upon contact. Add the remaining 2 tsp oil and cook scallops, turning once, until golden and just firm, about 2 min. Gently stir scallops into the quinoa salad. Garnish with cilantro.
From www.delish.com.
Summer Squash Soup
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 pound summer squash, diced
3 teaspoons chopped fresh herbs, such as thyme or oregano, divided
1 14-ounce can chicken or vegetable broth
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup corn kernels
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring, 1 min. Add squash and 1 tsp herbs; cook, stirring occasionally, until the squash starts to soften, 3-5 min. Add broth and salt; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until squash is soft and mostly translucent, about 5 min. more. Transfer to a blender and puree until smooth. Return the soup to the pan and stir in corn. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the corn is tender, 3-5 minutes more. Remove from the heat; stir in lemon juice. Serve garnished with the remaining 2 teaspoons herbs and feta.
Adapted from EatingWell, July/Aug. 2009.