Recipes

Ingredients:

• 2 (10-ounce) bags fresh spinach or 3 10-ounce boxes frozen spinach, defrosted and drained
• 1 bunch of leeks, white and light green part only, thinly sliced
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 2 roasted red bell peppers, seeded, peeled, and chopped (can substitute a 12-ounce jar in water)
• 2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup light cream cheese
• 3/4cup whole milk
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 cup dry bread crumbs
• 2 tablespoons finely grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Remove large stems from spinach. Tear spinach into 1-inch pieces; place in a colander. Rinse spinach under cold water; drain. Set aside. If using frozen, defrost and squeeze out excess water.
3. Sautee spinach until wilted, about 2-3 minutes; set aside.
4. Place olive oil in pan over medium heat, add leaks, red peppers and garlic, saute for 4-5 minutes or until softened. Add cream cheese and heat to combine. Add spinach, milk, basil, nutmeg, salt and pepper and mix to combine.
5. Place mixture in a 1-quart baking dish coated with cooking spray.
6. Mix bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese and sprinkle over spinach. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Yield:
6 servings (serving size: 1/2 cup)

Nutritional Information:
per serving: 128 calories, 6 g protein, 15 g carbohydrate, 5 g fat, 2.3 g saturated fat, 35% calories from fat, 10 mg cholesterol, 4 g fiber, and 316 mg sodium.

Recipe provided by Kathleen Zelman, MPH, RD/LD

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