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Deedee
Joined: 10 Jan 2005
Posts: 250
Location: Surrey
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 Posted: Fri Apr 01, 05 9:08 pm Post subject: Dehydrating Spinach and swiss chard.. |
 
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I found this on a search for what to do with my everincreasing Spinach Mountain...sounds lovely the spinach pasta seeing as we have that great pasta article now up on the site 
DEHYDRATING SPINACH PLUS SOME RECIPES
From Bernadette at CatholiCity year 2000: Today I decided it was time to start drying the spinach. We have been having fresh spinach and spinach salads everyday for about 3 weeks. The results are as follows:
I picked enough spinach to heap onto the dryer trays (I have five very large trays) and started my spinach to dry at about 10 AM. Right now it is 6:24 PM and I have processed it all and have gotten 12 ounces of my spinach flour.
When you dehydrate the spinach you start with your fresh spinach leaves. Wash them and destem. Place the spinach leaves on your dehydrator trays and dry until crisp and brittle. At this point, since we have electricity, I use a food processor and process into flour (a blender works too). If you don't have a food processor, use a ziploc bag, insert the dried spinach, take out the air, zip and use a rolling pin to make into a powder. Takes a little longer this way, but it does work. Your dried spinach may have little flecks of dried spinach in it and this is fine. It does not all have to be a fine grind like flour.
I then pour the spinach flour into a jar and screw on the lid tightly. I use old pasta jars (any jar with a screw on lid will work fine). I place the jars on a shelf in the dark basement where it is cool all year long. These jars last a very long time. My test was I put items in these jars in 1982 and checked and used them this year.
Here are some recipes for using dried spinach.
Pasta Recipe - makes approximately 1 pound
> > 2 3/4 cups semolina or unbleached all purpose flour
> 1/2 teaspoon salt
> 3 eggs, extra large
> 1 tablespoon olive oil
> > In a bowl mix together the flour and salt. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the eggs. Gently blend with a fork or your fingers, drawing the flour from the sides toward the center. Add the olive oil and mix until dough cleans the sides of the bowl. (IF YOU ARE GOING TO MAKE SPINACH PASTA FROM THE DRIED SPINACH FLOUR NOW IS THE TIME TO ADD 2 OR 3 TABLESPOONS).
Place the dough ball on a lightly floured surface. Knead the dough 5 minutes until it is smooth and does not stick to your hands. It should be one color. Cut the dough into 4 equal pieces with a pasta scraper and let it rest for 5 minutes covered with a piece of plastic wrap. Roll each piece of dough into a ball, kneading gently and flatten with the heel of your hand. Feed the flattened dough through the rollers of a pasta machine, gradually decreasing the space between the rollers by adjusting the notches. I start at 1 and finish at 5 or 6. Roll to desired thickness.
Insert cutting roller heads into the machine and cut the pasta, being careful not to feed it through the cutters at an angle. It is easier to feed the dough through the cutter if the ends are squared off. Dry the pasta until it is dry but not brittle. For longer keeping twice the moist strands into loose loops to dry. They willkeep this way a few days in the refrigerator or up to a few months in the freezer. Cook the pasta until it is al dente or tooth tender in 7 quarts of rapidly boiling water to which 2 Tablespoons of salt have been added. Stir with a wooden fork to separate the strands. Test every 2 to 3 minutes for doneness since fresh pasta cooks faster than boxed. Drain pasta in a colander or lift it from the pot with a fork, shaking off the excess water.
================================================= Creamy Spinach Soup Make a thin white sauce (if you need a recipe let me know) add 3-4 tablespoons of spinach flour and stir Stir well, then let set 30 minutes. After the 30 minutes reheat and eat OR 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter 1 teaspoon onion powder 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (can be purchased whole at herb shop or any good grocery store) 2 chicken bouillon cubes 1 1/2 cups milk 1/2 cups half and half 1/4 cup dried powdered spinach Melt butter in saucepan. Add onion powder, nutmeg and bouillon cubes. Crush and dissolve bouillon cubes adding a little milk if necessary. Add remaining milk and half and half. Heat to 185 degrees (just below boiling). Place spinach power in bowl or blender. Pour hot milk mixture over spinach. Blend well. Serve at once. Yield: 3 small cups of soup as an appetizer or 1 large bowl (2 cups) as a main entree.
=============================================== Spinach Squares 4 tbsp. butter 3 eggs 1 c. flour 1 1/2 cups milk 1 tsp. salt 1 tsp. baking powder 1 lb. grated cheddar 1/4 cup spinach flour 1 tbsp. chopped onion Seasoned salt (opt.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter in 9 x 13 inch baking dish in oven. Remove dish. Beat eggs then add flour, milk, salt and baking powder. Mix well. Add cheese, spinach flour, onion and mix well. Spoon into dish and level off. Sprinkle with seasoned salt if desired. Bake 35 minutes at 350 degrees. Cool and cut into squares.
================================================ Spinach Feta Bread
3/4 cup spinach flour -- 2-1/4 teaspoons yeast -- 3 cups bread flour -- 1/3 cup wheat bran -- 1-1/2 tablespoons sugar -- 1/2 tablespoon salt -- 1/2 tablespoon nutmeg -- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper -- 3 tablespoons oil -- 2 eggs -- 1/3 cup feta cheese -- 1/2 cup water Bring all ingredients to room temperature and add to machine. Select white bread cycle.
---------------------------- Spinach Casserole 1 pint cottage cheese 4 eggs, beaten 3 tablespoons flour 1/4 lb. cheddar cheese cubed 1/2 cup spinach flour 3 - 4 tablespoons of butter dash of salt Mix together cottage cheese, eggs and flour. Add cheese. Cut butter into pieces and combined with mixture. Add salt. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 1 hour.
--------------------------------------- ----- Spinach and Mushroom Quiche 2 medium onions, white or yellow, chopped 1/2-1" size 8 ounces mushrooms washed ond sliced 1/2 to 2/3 cup spinach flour 2 or more cloves garlic, minced 3 or 4 eggs beaten with about 1/2 cup milk 1 cup grated mozzarella cheese 1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese 1 nine-inch deep dish pie crust 1-2 tbs butter Herb for garnish and flavor, such as Rosemary, Summer Savory, Marjoram Salt and pepper to taste
Bake at 350 F for one hour or until no longer juicy inside. Melt the butter over medium heat, saute onions and add garlic in a skillet. When onions are translucent add the mushrooms and cook out the juice. Then add the spinach flour and extra milk if needed and mix together. Add your salt and pepper. Place the pie crust on a cookie sheet or something similar. Transfer vegetable mixture to the pie crust and spread evenly. Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese on top, then sprinkle on the cheddar cheese. Separately gently beat the eggs adding the milk. Salt and pepper can be added to the eggs, add the herb 1/2 tsp. Slowly pour the egg mixture over the cheese and veggies. Sometimes its too full so don't use all the egg. Clean any spilled egg off the cookie sheet and put the quiche back on the pan, sprinkle with additional herbs. Place pan in the lower part of the oven for the first 30 minutes and then transfer to the upper half to finish baking.
------------------------------------------------------------ ----- SOLAR VEGETABLE SOUP which serves about 6 3 medium chopped tomatoes 1 chopped red onion 1 chopped leek 1 chopped celery stalk 2 small chopped zucchini or other squash 1/3 cup spinach flour 2 1/2 to 3 cups flour basil to taste which is optional dill to taste which is optional, but good Combine vegetables in a bowl. Mix in water, basil and dill. Pour into your dutch oven and leave in the sun 4 to 6 hours before serving.
====================================== Cheese Tomato Omelet 1 Tablespoon dried parmesan cheese 1 Tablespoon chopped dried spinach 1 tablespoon dried broken tomato slices 1/8 teaspoon dried powdered onion To make the omlet use 1/2 cup powdered eggs 1/4 cup water 1/4 cup water and add 3 tablespoons nonfat dry milk 1/8 teaspoon pepper 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, apricot oil or soy oil Mix together first four ingredients. Melt butter or oil in a 6 or 7 inch frying pan. Pour in egg mixture. Now sprinkle the above dry ingredients over egg mixture as it is browning in the frying pan.
=============================================== Carrot Salad 2 cups grated dried carrots, soaked about five minutes in 2 cups warm water 1 cup drained, crushed, unsweetened pineapple 1 cup raisins 1/2 cup chopped walnuts 1/4 cup salad dressing or mayonnaise 2 tablelspoons unsweetened pineapple juice 12 to 16 lettuce cups, if desired 1 tablespoon chopped dried spinach leaves Mix carrots, pineapple, raisins and walnuts. Chill. Blend salad dressing or mayonnaise and pineapple juice; pour over carrot mixture. Toss and arrange in lettuce cups. Sprinkle with spinach leaves. 12-14 servings.
========================================== Creamed Spinach 4 cups chopped dried spinach 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 1/2 tablespoons freshly ground whole wheat flour 1 cup milk 1 1/2 cups half and half 1 teaspoon dried powdered onion 1/4 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper Pour hot water through spinach in a colander; set aside. Melt butter in saucepan. Add flour, stirring constantly; gradually add milk. Cook until thickened. Add remaining ingredients and spinach. Heat through. 4 servings.
============================================= Spinach-Cheese Pie 6 cups chopped dried spinach 2 cans (10 1/2 ounces) cream of mushroom soup, undiluted 4 eggs beaten Soy oil or apricot oil (any health food store) 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese To reconstitute spinach, pour hot water through spinach in a colander. Mix together spinach, soup, and eggs. Oil a 10-inch pie plate well: sprinkle oiled plate with 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Pour in spinach mixture; sprinkle top of spinach mixture with remaining Parmesan cheese. Bake 375 degrees about 1 1/4 hours or until sharp knife inserted in custard comes out clean. (if using a dutch oven the time will be about 1 1/2 hour if your coals are hot enough). Cut into wedges to serve. 10 - 12 servings.
============================== Texas Yellow Neck Squash 2 tablespoons butter 3 tablespoons chopped fresh onion 1 1/2 cups sliced dried yellow neck squash reconstituted in 1 1/2 cups hot water for 10 to 15 minutes, drained 2/3 cups grated cheddar cheese 1/3 cup cooked crumbled bacon 1 tablespoon dried crushed spinach, if desired Cook onions in butter in frying pan slightly. Turn off heat. Arrange squash in a layer. Sprinkle with cheese, bacon, and spinach. Cover tightly. Heat 2 to 3 minutes or until cheese melts and dish is hot. 4 servings
DEHYDRATING SWISS CHARD TOP
Try dehydrating swiss chard for adding to chicken soup in the winter. I wash the whole leaves and take the stems out then lay the leaves on the tray. The stems can be chopped and dried also. Then crumble the dry leaves into the jars. A lot sure fits into a jar! |
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jema
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Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 28242
Location: escaped from Swindon
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