Spinach is for more than just salads and dips! Besides adding spinach to these dishes, did you think it was possible to put spinach in baked goods? Adding spinach to breads and pastas not only enhances the nutritional profile of these foods, it’s also incredibly easy. We’ll tell you how with this simple recipe for Spinach Hamburger Buns…
You’ve probably eaten a wrap sandwich on a spinach wrap or green pasta before, right? If so, you’ve tried a baked good made with spinach. When you make these things at home, you can guarantee that you are getting a really healthy dose of spinach in your bread product. Also, you know that there are no artificial colors or flavors added, which can be an issue with store bought items.
This recipe for Spinach Hamburger Buns has an entire package of spinach in it! When spinach is cooked and steamed, it packs down considerably. So, even though these Spinach Hamburger Buns don’t have an overly spinach-y flavor, they are full of all the vitamins and minerals that make spinach a super food. Don’t forget that there is also a big serving of iron in these Spinach Hamburger Buns too. Follow the recipe below to make these green beauties for your family.
1 10 oz. box frozen chopped spinach (organic if possible)
2 tbsp. butter, room temperature
1 egg
3/4 cups warm water
3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3 tbsp. cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. active dry yeast
For the Topping
1 egg, beaten
1 tbsp. sesame seeds
Instructions
Thaw spinach according to directions. Let cool then use a towel to squeeze out all the excess moisture.
Use a stand mixer or bread machine on the dough setting to make the dough.
If using a bread machine, add ingredients according to manufacture's instructions and set to dough setting.
If using a stand mixer, first combine wet ingredients (spinach, butter, egg and water) until incorporated.
Mix together dry ingredients in a separate bowl and add them to the wet ingredients, until a sticky dough is formed. Add more flour if the dough is too sticky to handle.
Remove dough, and form 8 small, slightly flattened balls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Cover and let rise for 1 hour.
After the dough has risen, brush with the beaten egg and top with sesame seeds. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Serve hot with a lean ground beef burger or salmon filet!
We are back with part two of our egg sandwich lunch ideas! Last week, we featured a Simple Egg Sandwich recipe. This week, we have a two for one special. This recipe for Egg Salad with Spinach features both of our May Foods of the Month, eggs and spinach! This yummy recipe can be made using the same hard boiled eggs that you made last week. If you cooked them up in bulk, you will have plenty to supply this Egg Salad with Spinach recipe.
The combination of egg and spinach is usually found in breakfast foods like omelets. But, since spinach is a powerhouse of nutrients, we think that it should be added to dishes whenever possible. Thanks to the spinach in this recipe, you get a good serving of Vitamin A as well as some fiber. Also, don’t you think that the green color makes this recipe extra beautiful? We do! Spinach and eggs really do go together so well. We always have a container of fresh baby spinach leaves in our kitchen to throw into recipes like this Egg Salad with Spinach sandwich, as well as other sandwiches and salads. In addition to the nutritional benefits of spinach, these fresh leaves also add a nice crunch to any meal.
To hard boil the eggs, use a small pot to boil just enough water to cover the eggs. Carefully (we use a spoon) add the eggs to the boiling water and cook for 12 minutes. Let cool then peel.
Use a mixing bowl and spoon to mix together the spinach, mustard, mayonnaise and salt and pepper. Add the whole hard boiled eggs, and use the same spoon to break them up inside the spinach mixture (they will be soft enough that a spoon can easy break them). Mix well to combine all ingredients.
Transfer the mixture to each piece of toast and enjoy open faced like the photo or eat like a regular sandwich. Enjoy!
Are you in a deli meat lunch rut? If your daily turkey and cheese sandwich habit is getting boring, try having eggs for lunch! Typically a breakfast food, eggs are also an excellent idea for lunch. In May, eggs are a Foods of the Month. We will showcase two different ways to have eggs for lunch this month. First up is this Simple Egg Sandwich recipe. They key for having eggs at lunch? Hard boil them! When hard boiled, eggs feel more like a lunch food and make for a tasty and nutritious sandwich base.
What are the health benefits of eggs? To start, eggs are packed full of protein. One egg has 12% of the daily recommended amount of protein. They are a great way to add more protein to your diet, especially if you are a vegetarian. If you can, choose eggs with added omega 3 fatty acids. You can easily find these eggs at the supermarket, just look for “omega 3” on the label. Omega 3 eggs taste just like regular eggs. The only difference is that the hens who laid these eggs have been given a diet with flaxseeds. The omega 3’s in the flaxseeds are then transferred to the egg yolk, so when we eat them we can get the health benefits.
When making this Simple Egg Sandwich recipe, consider hard boiling up a batch of eggs in advance, since that is the most time consuming part of this recipe. You can store hard boiled eggs in the refrigerator and simply peel off the shell and slice them when you are ready to assemble your sandwich.
To hard boil the eggs, use a small pot to boil just enough water to cover the eggs. Carefully (we use a spoon) add the eggs to the boiling water and cook for 12 minutes. Let cool then peel.
Slice the eggs into thin slices, then top one piece of toast with them.
Add the tomato slices, chive, spinach and cheese on top of the egg. Season with salt and pepper then top with the other piece of toast to complete the sandwich.
We love the versatility of nuts! There are so many different ways to cook with nuts, especially if you are a vegetarian or vegan, nuts are an excellent way to get protein into your diet. Nuts can be added to salads instead of croutons, used as a breading for chicken instead of breadcrumbs… the possibilities are endless. We love this recipe for Energy Nut Balls because they are a fun way to snack with nuts.
Nuts are an April Foods of the Month. Nuts include things like peanuts, cashews, walnuts, almonds, macadamia nuts, and pistachios. This Energy Nut Balls recipe uses peanuts, but you can get creative and add others if you wish. However, remember that when cooking with or eating nuts, moderation is key. Because they are high in fat, enjoy nuts as a treat vs. a regular snack. One serving size of nuts its usually about 1/4 of a cup. Expect to find about 180 calories and 15 grams of (good!) fat in this same serving. The great news is that the fat in nuts is the healthy, heart friendly kind (monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat).
For this Energy Nut Balls recipe, keep this serving size suggestion in mind. Limit yourself to one of these energy balls per day to keep you feeling full while also providing your body with good nutrition.
Fava beans are a type of fresh bean, which is an April Foods of the Month. Fava beans are also one incredibly healthy food! Most times, people bypass them at the grocery store because they don’t know how to use them. In Italy, this Fava Bean Pasta recipe is a popular lunch option since it is simple and easy to make. And, anytime you mix vegetables with noodles and cheese, you get a kid-friendly dish!
Fava beans are close relatives of legumes like black beans and split peas. Unlike other dried beans and peas, you will most likely find fava beans in the frozen vegetable section of the grocery store, along with green beans, lima beans and edamame. To prepare them, simply boil on the stovetop, like you would with green beans (another type of fresh bean).
This Fava Bean Pasta dish is a nutritious lunch or light dinner option. Fava beans are full of folate, which is an important nutrient to keep the cells in our body working. Fava beans are also a good source of fiber, iron and manganese. We recommend serving this Fava Bean Pasta dish with a nice serving of freshly grated cheese for some added calcium. Enjoy!
1 14 oz. package frozen fava beans (use lima beans if you can't find fava beans.)
1 tbsp. whole wheat bread crumbs
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
Drizzle of olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
Cook spaghetti according to instructions, set aside.
Meanwhile, boil peas (fresh or frozen) for about 5 minutes, until they are tender. Drain and add to pasta mixture. Next, shell the fava beans and cook in boiling water for 3 minutes.
Let the beans cool and remove the outer skin.
Mix in with the pasta and peas, add the whole wheat bread crumbs, a drizzle of olive oil and salt and pepper, to taste and the freshly grated cheese. Enjoy!
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