Squash & Spinach Strata

Thank you to my loyal followers, and welcome new readers -- after a long hiatus, Chasing Crumbs returns! The past year has been one of transition for me, as I relocated to start a new job. As I adjusted to a new city, new schedule and new people, I failed to post new recipes and recommendations for all of you. But a new city brings new culinary adventures and I have so many to share, so keep reading.  Bon Appétit!

Ingredients
2 cups sourdough or french bread, diced
1 cup diced zucchini and yellow squash, frozen or fresh
1/2 cup diced spinach
1/4 cup mozzarella
5 eggs
3/4 cup milk
2 tbsp Italian seasoning

Steps
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Combine eggs, Italian seasoning and milk, and mix well.
3. In a baking pan, layer bread, zucchini, squash, spinach and mozzarella.
4. Pour egg mixture into pan, making sure that it distributes evenly throughout.
5. Let pan rest for 30 minutes to allow the egg mixture to soak into the bread.
6. Bake for 1 hour, and let stand for 15 minutes before serving.

Serves 3-4.

Salmon Burgers

Burgers are a summer staple, so my mom and I took my favorite fish and developed a simple, delicious alternative to the classic beef burger. The salmon burgers pair well with a variety of toppings and buns. We served ours on sourdough sandwich rolls with a caesar salad topping. Enjoy!

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs salmon

2 spring onions

1 cup baby spinach

2 tbsp chives

1/4 - 1/3 cup bread crumbs

2 meyer lemons

1 egg white

1 tbsp crushed garlic

1 tsp olive oil

Salt

Pepper

Steps

1. Dice and sauté spring onions.

2. Wash and chop baby spinach into small pieces. Dice chives.

3. De-bone salmon and dice into small pieces.

4. Juice meyer lemons. Combine with olive oil, egg white and garlic.

5. Add salmon, baby spinach and chives to liquids. Mix well using your hands.

6. Add 1/4 cup bread crumbs and salt and pepper to taste. If consistency is runny, add additional bread crumbs until mixture can be loosely held together.

7. Form into 4 burgers.

8. Heat a griddle to medium heat. Cook salmon burgers for about 5-7 minutes per side.

Serves 4

** Thanks to my mom for her help in developing this recipe!

Spinach and Potato Empanadas

Summer Fest 2010 - Herbs, Greens and Beans

This summer I am excited to participate in Summer Fest 2010, a month long food & garden blogging community tribute to the harvest season. Each Wednesday participating bloggers will post recipes highlighting that week's fresh produce pick. The schedule is as follows: 7/28 cukesnzukes, 8/4 corn, 8/11 herbs, greens and beans, 8/18 stone fruit, 8/25 tomatoes.

For this week's herbs, greens and beans theme, I present my Spinach and Potato Empanadas, which incorporate fresh spinach and flat-leaf parsley. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

3 Yukon gold potatoes

1/2 onion

1/4 cup flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped

2 cups spinach, roughly chopped

3 cloves garlic

Olive oil

Cotija cheese, crumbled

Empanada shells

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Chop onion and garlic. Cook in a large sauté pan with olive oil over medium heat until soft.

3. Chop potatoes and add to pan. Cook until potatoes are golden brown.

4. Add spinach to pan and cook until wilted.

5. Let cool in a mixing bowl. Once cool, add cheese and parsley. Mix well.

6. Spoon 1 tbsp of mixture into each empanada shell.

7. Coat a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly drizzle with olive oil. Spread empanadas on cookie sheet. Brush olive oil on top of each empanada.

8. Cook empanadas for 25 minutes or until lightly golden.

Serves 3-5.

For empanada dough, either store-bought dough, puff pastry dough, or homemade can be used. If you want to use homemade dough, my favorite is this Empanada Dough recipe featured in Gourmet Magazine in 2004 and on Epicurious.com.

Light Summer Cannelloni

Ingredients:

12 no boil lasagna noodles

1 egg

1 can tomatoes, stewed or diced

1/2 cup diced onions

1 cup spinach

4 oz sausage

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1 tbsp oregano

1 tbsp garlic

Olive oil

Steps:

1. Cook sausage in a pan, set aside to cool.

2. Boil lasagna noodles, 2 at a time, for 4-5 minutes, until slightly tender. Lay wax paper on a cookie sheet, and place noodles to cool on cookie sheet, so they aren't touching. Another layer of wax paper may be needed.

3. In a bowl crumble sausage into small pieces. Add egg, spinach, onions, garlic and oregano and mix well.

4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Oil a large baking dish.

5. Place a couple spoonfuls of mixture in a lasagna noodle and roll. Place in baking dish.

6. Once all cannelloni are filled and in dish, brush olive oil over them to keep them from sticking together.

7. Bake for 30 minutes.

Serves 3-4

Creamy Vegetable Lasagna

Ingredients:

3 tbsp flour

2 tbsp butter

2 cups milk

1 box lasagna noodles

1 cup ricotta cheese

1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese

1 cup chopped spinach

1 cup chopped artichoke hearts

1/2 cup sliced pear tomatoes

1 egg

Steps:

1. Begin by making bechamel sauce. Heat 2 cups of milk in a sauce pan. In a separate pan melt 2 tbsp butter and mix in 3 tbsp flour to make a thick paste. Slowly mix in milk with flour mixture. Let it come to a boil and thicken. Set aside.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

3. In a bowl mix egg, ricotta cheese and spinach until well blended.

4. Oil a loaf pan. On bottom spread a thin layer of bechamel sauce.

5. Place 1 lasagna noodle on bottom of plan. Spread a thin layer of ricotta cheese mixture. Layer some artichoke hearts and pear tomatoes. Then spread mozzarella cheese and bechamel sauce.

6. Repeat layering until pan is full. Make sure to have a heavy layer of mozzarella cheese and sauce on the top layer.

7. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes.

Serves 4.

Salmon and Spinach Salad

Ingredients:
Salmon:
Two 4 oz Salmon Fillets
Minced Garlic
Olive Oil
Pepper
Lemon Juice
Dressing:Balsamic Vinegar
Olive Oil
Dijon Mustard

Salad:1 bunch Spinach
1 cup Walnuts
1/2 Onion
8 Mushrooms
1/4 cup Goat Cheese

** ingredient amounts subject to your taste
Steps:1. Marinate salmon in minced garlic, olive oil and pepper. Cook adding lemon juice, until done (light pink and firm).
2. In a bowl, mix equal parts balsamic vinegar, olive oil and dijon mustard adding more for desired taste.
3. Toss all salad ingredients into a large bowl and mix with dressing. Top with salmon.

Serves 3-4

Thanks to Danielle for helping create this recipe!!