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Hi Everyone, 

I hope all is well and everyone is adjusting to the end of Daylight savings time and darkness at 5pm. I am personally not a fan. Add that to the cold weather and I am ready to stay in my home until the Spring. 

When the weather gets cold, all I want to do is make comfort meals, but there are just so many soups and stews you can make. I pulled an old recipe from my files that was one of my favorites when I was growing up and I have fond memories of making these spinach croquettes with my mother. I think it was her take on mini-meatloaf.

When I was younger I hated to eat sauteed greens, spinach, broccoli rabe, escarole, you name it. My mother would slowly incorporate these vegetables in other foods to make it more appetizing for me and this is one of those recipes.

You can use any ground meat of your choice although I have never made it with ground chicken. I usually make them with either ground beef or turkey. Lamb might be interesting. The ground meat is mixed with spinach, onions, and seasonings and either stuffed with a mozzarella cube or mixed with shredded mozzarella, breaded and broiled.

A winning combination.

I usually prepare this dish with spinach ravioli and a small salad, either a mixed green salad or a tomato salad with a basic oil & vinegar vinaigrette.

(In the photo, I have a slice of olive bread from the famous Madonia Bakery on Arthur Avenue in the Bronx, NY. If you ever have the opportunity to visit Arthur Avenue- please don’t leave without buying the bread- beyond fabulous).

I hope you review the recipe and give it a try. Let me know if you do and send a photo.

Until my next post, make every day a celebration!

Stay well,

Diane

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Spinach Croquettes

Ingredients:

(1 ½ – 2 lbs.) Ground turkey or beef, or combination beef/pork

1 small onion, diced (shallots can be substituted)

Seasoned breadcrumbs

Grated cheese

Salt & Pepper

No salt organic seasoning (Kirkland brand is the best) – optional

2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

2 garlic cloves, minced

3 tbsp fresh parsley

Fresh mozzarella, diced in small cubes

1 egg, lightly beaten for the meat mixture

¼ cup milk

10 oz pkg chopped frozen spinach, thawed and drained*

(* To drain spinach completely—after the package is thawed, place spinach in a dish towel and ring the towel out and release all the liquid)

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For the Breading:

2 tbsp olive oil

3 eggs lightly beaten

Cornflake or panko breadcrumbs

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Directions

In a large bowl, mix seasoned breadcrumbs, cheese, parsley, garlic, onion, no-salt seasoning, salt, and pepper ……

ADD ground meat, Worcestershire sauce, and 1 slightly beaten egg. Add the drained spinach and gently mix the meat and seasonings –do not overwork the meat

Make ¼ cup size meatballs and put a small cube of mozzarella inside, close and form into an oval croquette shape…complete forming all croquettes before the next step….  or toss meat mixture with 2 cups of shredded mozzarella before forming croquettes.

In a breading tray mix 3 slightly beaten eggs with ¼ cup milk (add additional salt and pepper if desired), 2^nd breading tray, mix cornflake or panko crumbs (and additional grated cheese & parsley if desired)

Dip the croquettes in breadcrumbs, egg mixture and then back to breadcrumbs and place on a cookie sheet drizzled with olive oil. Let croquettes sit for 5 minutes.

Broil for 10 minutes, flip and broil for 5-7 minutes longer until golden brown

(Optional: light fry in a sauté pan before the broiler to get a crispier breadcrumb……I usually do this step).