Smoked Gouda Rice Bake

This was our dinner last night... it took everything I had to make this casserole instead of smoked gouda mac & cheese, but I'm glad I went this way because it was DELICIOUS.  (I think I end up saying that a lot on this site, yes?)  I considered adding tomatoes, but decided I liked the idea of a white sauce for a change.  It took a while to make because in addition to this being my inaugural run at this concoction, I also hadn't done ANY prep work in advance. In order to save time, make sure your your gouda is already shredded, your mushrooms are already sliced, your spinach is already thawed, and go ahead and cook the rice while you're making the sauce.

1 yellow onion, chopped
1/2 tsp sugar
3 tbsp butter
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup low-fat sour cream
14 oz vegetable broth
2 cups smoked gouda, shredded
16 oz. fresh mushrooms, sliced, stems removed
12 oz frozen spinach, thawed
3 cups brown rice, cooked
olive oil
1/2 cup white wine (I used Pinot Grigio)
The rest of the bottle of wine to sip on as you cook.  :)

Cook the rice first!

Saute your onions and sugar in the olive oil until onions are clear.  Add garlic and mushrooms and cook over medium heat until mushrooms are soft and brown.  Set aside.

Melt butter and whisk in flour.  Let brown for 2 minutes, continuing to whisk.  Add veggie broth, then sour cream, stirring slowly.  Stir in gouda, spinach, onion mixture, and wine.  Whisk  well to break up the spinach.  Simmer until bubbling, then remove from heat.  Stir in cooked rice.

Pour into a non-stick baking dish (or spray with Pam before adding the food) and bake at 400 for 25-30 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbling.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Spinach Nuggets

My daughter loves these and I haven't made them in a a while, so it's her surprise for dinner tonight.  These are quick and easy, and they're great for meals or just munching.  I prefer to use flax seed as an egg substitute, but if you don't, you can replace the flax seed and water with 3 whole eggs or 5 egg whites.

2 cups frozen spinach
1/2 cup chopped frozen broccoli
1 cup whole wheat bread crumbs
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
3 tbsp flax seed mixed with 1/2 cup water
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp parsley
1/2 tsp paprika


Preheat oven to 375.  Boil spinach and broccoli together, then drain.  Add remaining ingredients and mix well.  Shape into nuggets on non-stick baking sheet.  Bake for 15 minutes, flip nuggets, and bake for 10 minutes.  Allow to cool before serving.

Spinach and Mushroom Couscous with Feta and Black Beans

This pretty much hits all my staples in one go.  It's the assimilation of two recipes with a little of my own personal touches thrown in.


1 1/2 cups couscous
1 12-oz. pkg frozen spinach
1 lb chopped mushrooms
1 14-oz can low-sodium black beans
2 1/4 cups vegetable broth
1 cup onion, chopped
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp garlic & herb Mrs. Dash
1 pkg low-fat crumbled Feta cheese


In a saucepan, combine the couscous and 2 cups of broth and cook as directed.


In a separate skillet, cook onion, mushroom, black beans and garlic until tender.  Stir in lemon juice, remaining broth and Mrs. Dash.  Add spinach and simmer.  Stir couscous into vegetable mix and sprinkle feta on top.