Michelle's Chicken and Spinach Manicotti

by Michelle

   To my taste, I find most manicotti quite bland. The standard offering is simply ricotta cheese mixed with parmesan, mozzarella, parsley, salt and pepper. I wanted more; to boost the flavor and add more texture. After two decades of various modifications, I have stopped tinkering and have settled on the recipe below. I hope you like it as much as I do.
   When I make this recipe, I make a big batch. If I'm lucky, and often I am, there will be a friend or a family member lending me a hand with stuffing the manicotti shells with the filling. If I find that I am on my own, squeezing the water from wilted spinach, or facing a mountain of filling and fifty shells, I pass the time letting my hands do the busy work while my head is absorbed in listening to an audiobook on my iPod. It's a multi-tasker's dream come true.
  The prepared shells freeze beautifully - no defrosting required - before popping the marinara coated manicotti in the oven. While the manicotti heat to bubbling bliss, all that is left to do is to quickly assemble a salad and slice a crusty baguette. Manicotti may just be the perfect Friday night meal when you opt to stay at home, but you don't feel like cooking. You'll be happy to know that a hearty, delicious, homemade dinner is waiting in the freezer just for you, and yours.

Wilted Spinach

by Michelle

   Fresh spinach enjoys a high water content. To prevent spinach from diluting a cheese sauce, or flooding a Greek pizza, spinach must be "dehydrated" before using. The process for wilting spinach is easy; it is the final pressing, or squeezing, that takes most of the effort. You can save the cooking step (in the recipe below) if you choose to use frozen spinach that has been defrosted. However, you will still need to squeeze the heck out of the spinach to remove all the excess water.

Wilted Spinach

1 pound pound spinach leaves = 1 cup wilted spinach (loosely packed, about 5-ounces). I typically purchase prewashed baby spinach available in a bag. If you buy a "bouquet" of spinach, you will need to thoroughly wash the leaves and discard tough stems. There is no need to dry the spinach before cooking.

Ingredients:
baby spinach leaves, washed, and larger stems removed and dicarded
water

Equipment:
a large, deep heavy-bottom pot with lid
colander
cheesecloth, optional

Procedure:
1. In a large colander, rinse the prepackaged baby spinach leaves. The leaves need the spritz of water to reduce properly in the pan. If you are using spinach that has not been prewashed, take some care with the cleaning. Dirt likes to hide in the crevises of the leaves, so give a good rinse under running water. You may want to let the leaves soak in a bowl of water and then gently agitate. You can lift the leaves from the water, leaving the dirt and debris to sink to the bottom of the bowl. Change the water between batches of leaves.

2. Place the wet spinach leaves into a larg, deep heavy-bottom pot and fill to the brim with leaves. Cover with the lid and turn the heat to medium high. You will soon see condensation on the lid created from steam. As the spinach begins to condense, remove the lid and give the leaves a stir, every 30 seconds or so, until the leaves are completely wilted, about 2 minutes. Transfer the leaves to a colander, and let drain. Repeat as many times as needed for the amount of spinach required for your recipe.

3. When the spinach is cool enough to handle, you will need to remove as much water from the leaves as possible. I typically just squeeze handfuls with my fingers to remove the water, but using cheesecloth is better for processing larger batches, such as when I wilt 5 pounds of spinach for my Chicken and Spinach Manicotti.

4. Once you have removed the excess water from the spinach, you will have bundles of spinach. With your fingers, gently pull the bundles apart. If needed, with a chef's knife, chop through the pile of separated spinach a couple of times. The spinach is now ready to use in recipes, such as Greek Pizza, Creamed Spinach, or sauteed in olive oil with some diced shallots, minced garlic and a little salt and pepper and maybe a few chili flakes tossed in for a little kick.

Palak Paneer - Spinach with Indian Cheese

  
This recipe is essentially Creamed Spinach Indian-Style. It is a speciality of the Punjab state in Northern India. We like to serve this delicately seasoned side dish with Chicken Tikka Masala and Roti.

Palak Paneer - Spinach with Indian Cheese

   In this particular dish, it is much easier to use defrosted frozen spinach than fresh. For guests, we use heavy cream, but for everyday cooking, milk or half and half can be substituted. Various recipes use different spices, such as ground coriander and garam masala, in addition to minced garlic and a finishing squeeze of fresh lemon juice. The dish gives you room to experiment.

2 large tomatoes peeled, seeded and diced
1/3 to 1/2 pound paneer, cut into bite-size cubes
1/2 to 1 cup oil for frying
2 Tbsps ghee or oil

1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp tumeric
1/2 tsp red chili powder
1/4 to 1/2 tsp red chili flakes
1 Tbsp grated ginger
2 10-ounce bags frozen spinach, defrosted and drained
2 Tbsps all-purpose flour mixed with 2 tablespoons cold water
1/3 to 1/2 cup heavy cream
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Procedure:

1. To peel the tomatoes: Place a saucepan, 3/4 full of water, over high heat and bring to a boil. Cut a shallow X over the bottom of the tomatoes. Carefully transfer each tomato to the boiling water and let cook for 30 to 60 seconds until the peel starts to curl. Remove to bowl to cool, or run the tomatoes under cold water to quickly cool and to remove the peel. Core the tomatoes, dice and set aside.

2. To prepare the paneer: Heat oil in a high-sided pan to prevent oil spattering you or the stove. When hot, lightly fry the cubed cheese until lightly golden brown, about 2 minutes. Remove cheese from oil and let drain on a paper towel lined plate.

3. For the spinach: Heat the ghee in a pan or large skillet over medium heat until hot. Lightly fry the spices and ginger until fragrant - 1 to 2 minutes. To the pan and the spinach, stirring to incorporate.
4. Add flour and water mixture along with heavy cream. Season with sea salt and pepper. Stir to incorporate. Let it cook for about 8-10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add diced tomatoes, leaving seeds behind, and cook for another few minutes. Add paneer. Cook for another few minutes and serve. Serves 8.