Joe’s Special

I know eggs, ground beef and spinach may not sound like a winner, but his old-school San Fran restaurant item is ridiculous. And by ridiculous I mean effing great.

Makes 1-2

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• ½ cup white onion, diced
• ¼ pound ground beef
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 4 ounces cooked chopped spinach (squeeze out liquid)
• Kosher salt and pepper
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 2 tablespoons grated parmesan
• Baguette or any bread of your choice

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat oil in a small skillet over low to medium heat, add onions and cook until soften about 5 minutes
2. Add the beef, breaking it up along the way
3. Just when beef is almost done, add the garlic, cook until fragrant
4. Add the spinach and mix in well, season with salt and pepper
5. Add the eggs to the pan, cook slowly, stirring often making sure the eggs don’t stick to the pan
6. When the eggs are about halfway done, mix in parmesan and continue stirring until eggs are cooked though but still creamy
7. Serve with baguette.

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Chicken Soup with Rice, Dill & Spinach

Simple simple simple.

Makes about 8 cups

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 3 ribs of celery, each sliced lengthwise down the middle then crosswise into thin pieces 

• 1 small yellow onion, diced small

• 8 cups chicken broth

• 1/2 cup rice, uncooked

• 2 cups shredded, cooked chicken

• 3 ounces (roughly 2 cups) packed fresh spinach leaves, rough chopped

• 3/4 ounce chopped fresh dill

• 1 teaspoon Kosher salt

• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

• Lemon wedges for serving

DIRECTIONS

1. Put olive oil, celery and onion in the bottom of a medium pot

2. Cook until softened - about 5 minutes

3. Add broth (carefully cuz it'll steam) and bring to a boil and add rice

4. When it comes to a boil again, turn down to a simmer and cook about 10 minutes or until rice is softened

5. Add chicken, spinach and dill - stir and let simmer about 5 minutes more

6. Season with salt & pepper

7. Serve in bowls with a lemon wedge squeezed on top

WATCH ME MAKE THIS

(in the video I use leek instead of onion, but you don't have to) 

Quick polenta with Spinach & mushrooms & fried egg

Under 15 minute and only approx 300 calories, gets you a healthy and totally delicious breakfast... I think it's worth it, for school mornings or before work. Honestly, the time could easily be wasted going to drive-thru.

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup polenta
• 2 cups water
• 1 tablespoon salted butter
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 3/4 cup Crimini mushrooms, sliced
• 1 clove, finely diced garlic
• 4 big handfuls of spinach
• 2 eggs
• Kosher salt
• Fresh ground pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. In a bowl, add polenta, salt, water, mix well, cover with cling film, microwave high 8 minutes
2. While that cooks do the rest....
3. In hot pan, add 1/2 teaspoon oil, mushrooms, cook 2 minutes, turn down heat, add garlic, cook 2 minutes 
4. In another medium heat skillet/wok, add 1/2 teaspoon oil and spinach, cook 1 minute
5. Season spinach and mushrooms with pinch Kosher salt and 3 grinds fresh pepper
6. Fry 2 eggs over-easy
7. Remove polenta (careful of the steam!!) whisk polenta until smooth, season pinch Kosher salt, 5 grinds fresh pepper, add butter, mix well
8. Serve it up! Polenta, spinach, mushrooms and top with fried egg (or Poached if you want to be super healthy). 

WATCH ME MAKE THIS... 

VEGETABLE BENEDICT WITH SRIRACHA HOLLANDAISE

Serves 2

You don’t always need ham or something meaty in a benny – I promise. And this veggie version with the Sriracha Hollandaise, is so damn good it won’t matter anyway.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 large green heirloom tomato, thickly sliced
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 6oz fresh spinach
• pinch garlic powder
• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon vinegar 
• Challah Bread, thickly sliced

Hollandaise

• 3 egg yolks
• 1/2 lemon, juice
• 8 tablespoons melted butter
• 1-2 teaspoons Sriracha
• pinch Kosher salt 

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat broiler to high
2. Simmer water in medium pan add vinegar 
3. Cover two tomato slices with olive oil, season each with Kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper and fresh garlic, broil for 8-10 minutes 
4. Preheat wok on medium heat, add oil, add spinach. Turn heat to low, cook until wilted and most moisture dried out. Season with Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper and pinch garlic powder
5. In blender, add egg yolks and lemon juice, mix on high for 1 minute or until pale yellow. Change to low setting, slowly pour in melted butter, season with pinch of kosher salt, add Sriracha then blend for 30 seconds
6. While you butter and toast Challah Bread, poach your eggs – whisk water into a vortex and gently drop in each egg into center and cook for 4 on low, or until whites are just firm
7. Get building... bread, tomato, spinach, egg and plenty of sauce... OMFG!

SPINACH, RICOTTA & FETA SOUFFLÉ

Serves 4

This Greek inspired side dish is a most delicious light and puffy soufflé. 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1 lb spinach leaves
• 3/4 cup ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup feta, crumbled
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• Kosher salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 375
2. Heat oil in a large pan or wok and cook onion until softened, about 3 minutes then add garlic & cook for another minute 
3. Add spinach to wok and cook until fully wilted and no more moisture remains - about 5 minutes
4. Put in a large bowl with both cheeses, red pepper flakes and eggs - season well with salt & pepper
5. Mix well to combine everything and pour into greased 8" cast iron pan or oven proof dish
6. Cook for 40 minutes, or until puffy and beautiful
7.  Οπα!

White Pizza with Spinach & Garlic

Makes One 12 inch pizza

This is not your usual pizza. There's no red saucey stuff, there's three kinds of cheese and all kinds of flavor. And isn't flavor what it's all about?

Ingredients

• 1 ready made pizza crust
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic roughly chopped
• 2 - 3 ounces Feta cheese, crumbled
• 1 - 8 ounce bag of fresh spinach leaves
• 1 package sliced Provolone cheese
• 1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese

Directions

1. Lightly rub or brush the crust with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil
2. Heat a pan on the stove and cook garlic in the olive oil about 30 seconds
3. Add the spinach to the garlic and stir until wilted - this won't take more than about a minute
4. Sprinkle Feta over the crust, it's ok if there's gaps
5. Spread the garlic and spinach over the Feta and top with slices of Provolone (it's still ok if there's gaps between the slices)
6. Top with the Mozzarella
7. Bake at 425 for about 15 minutes, or until the crust starts to brown and the cheese gets all melty

Mushroom Spinach Grilled Cheese

Makes 2 sandwiches

This was the crew's favorite when we shot Grill Cheese Day – and for good reason. It's crazy delicious...

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound cremini mushrooms, sliced
• Olive oil
• 3 ounces (about 1/2 bag) spinach
• 1 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/3 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
• 3 tablespoons crumbled goat cheese
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 4 slices whole wheat bread
• Softened butter

Directions

1. Cook mushroom in a little oil over medium heat until nicely softened - about 5 minutes
2. Add garlic and stir about a minute until fragrant - then add spinach
3. Cook another 4 minutes or so until spinach wilts way down and put in a bowl
4. Add jack cheese to spinach and mix well
5. Spread Dijon on two slices of bread, add 1/2 the spinach mixture to each, then goat cheese to each and finally top each with 2nd slice of bread
6. Spread top slice with butter, and grill in a non-stick pan until nicely browned - repeat with 2nd side
7. Eat