Spinach Artichoke Pizza

5 Tbsp olive oil
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 Tbsp chopped parsley
salt and pepper to taste
2 c chopped spinach
1/2 pint halved cherry tomatoes
1 can quartered artichoke hearts
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
freshly grated Parmesan cheese
pizza dough

Shape pizza dough into a large rectangle and place on a baking sheet.

Combine oil, garlic, parsley, salt and pepper. Use 3 Tbsp of oil mixture to spread on prepared dough. Toss remaining oil mixture with spinach, tomatoes and artichokes. Sprinkle cheeses over dough and top with vegetable mixture. Sprinkle a little more Parmesan on top.

Bake in a 450 degree oven for about 20 minutes or until crust is golden brown.

NOTES
Originally from Rachael Ray.
My favorite pizza, easily customizable. I like to add black olives and red onion, and often use tomato slices or skip tomatoes entirely. Often out of laziness I'll use thin slices of mozzarella instead of shredded.

Butternut Squash with Baby Spinach

2 1/2 lbs butternut squash, cut into 1" cubes
2 large red onions, peeled and chopped (about 4 c)
3 Tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1 (6 oz) pkg fresh baby spinach
3/4 c sweetened dried cranberries

Combine squash and onion in large shallow pan; drizzle with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss lightly.

Roast 55 minutes at 350 degrees or until tender and brown. Add spinach and dried cranberries; toss and serve.

NOTES
From Wegmans.
Pretty good.

Spinach Balls

2 (10 oz) pkg frozen spinach, thawed, drained and dried
1 1/2 c grated Parmesan cheese
2/3 c seasoned bread crumbs
6 beaten eggs
1/2 c melted butter
1 c chopped onion
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp garlic powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients and shape into balls. Bake 20-25 minutes on greased cookie sheets, until golden.

NOTES
I think this is from Mr. Food.
Untried, but sounds similar to a delicious recipe my mom makes.

Spinach and Sweet Potato Risotto

risotto
chicken or vegetable broth
1 medium sweet potato
olive oil
2 c fresh chopped spinach
salt and pepper
grated Parmesan cheese

Prepare risotto according to package directions; use broth to cook risotto.

Peel sweet potato and cut into small cubes. Saute in olive oil until soft and browned (about 10 minutes). Add spinach and toss gently until spinach wilts. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Stir spinach and sweet potato into risotto; top each serving with Parmesan cheese.

NOTES
Original source unknown.
This used to be a favorite of mine but I haven't made it in a long time due to the time-consuming nature of risotto.
I use yams instead of sweet potatoes in virtually every recipe.

Pasta Verde

2 c orzo
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 bunch asparagus, sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pinch thyme
10 oz frozen peas
5 oz baby spinach
1/2 tsp grated lemon peel
1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp lemon juice
feta cheese
mint

Cook orzo according to package directions; drain, reserving 1 1/4 c cooking water.

Heat oil in large skillet; add asparagus and cook for 2 minutes. Add garlic and thyme; cook 30 seconds. Stir in peas, spinach, lemon peel and reserved water. Bring to a boil. Stir in orzo, butter and lemon juice; remove from heat.

Top with crumbled feta cheese and chopped fresh mint.

NOTES
I think this originally came from Parents magazine.
I make many variations on this, using any green vegetables I have on hand, and any type of pasta. Usually skip the lemon peel though.

Spinach Artichoke Dip

1 (10 oz) box frozen cut or chopped spinach, thawed
1 (14 oz) can artichoke hearts, drained and roughly chopped
2-4 cloves garlic minced (to taste)
1/2 c cream cheese
3/4 c sour cream
1 c grated Cheddar cheese
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
tortilla chips or sliced French bread

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Squeeze the spinach between paper towels to remove excess moisture. In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients. Scrape into a small oven-safe baking dish. Bake until lightly golden and heated through, about 15 minutes. Serve warm with chips or bread.

NOTES
From Real Simple, adapted.
This is the best basic recipe I've found for this dip, and it's pretty forgiving if you want to play with the amounts of various ingredients.