Seasonal Sundays: Spinach for Any Occasion

It's not St. Patrick's Day yet but this week's "Seasonal Seven" recipe collection may just tint us green, spinach green, that is. It's focused entirely on the leafy green spinach, especially handy for anyone who has a bag in the fridge that needs using up (hello, AK) or looks at those giant bags at Sam's and Costo and wonders how anyone would ever go through it all. Turns out, it's not so hard. In fact, it was hard to pick just seven recipes. This is my favorite recipe collection this year!

~ Skip Straight to the Good Stuff ~

~ PIN This ~

Welcome to Seasonal Sundays ...

Seasonal Sundays is 100% written by a real, live human, no blah-blah copycat ChatGPT AI plagiarism, thank you very much. Any awkward phrase, unclear meaning, misspelled word, mistaken fact, bad punctuation or overwrought alliteration is the clean, proud product of my own inadequacy as a wordsmith and oversights as an eagle-eyed editor. But when that human says she's grateful that you're here, reading, well, please know, she really truly 100% means it. PS And if you like this week's recipes, perhaps you'll share this newsletter with a friend or social circle? If you forward this message, others may subscribe for free right here. Thank you!

True story.

"Can you get iron poisoning from eating too much spinach?" He asked this of the doctor, both derision and hope in his voice.

At then 90-something, my dad was still living with us and heaven knows, we did eat a Popeye-level of spinach. He was never one to outright complain but found ways to convey his grievances, alright.

On this day his voice was flush with disdain for spinach, his eyes bright with hope for an "oh my, yes" answer and a reprieve from spinach from his geriatric physician.

I could tell, I thought, that he'd been plotting this moment for a long while.

Instead, the doctor and I just smiled and moved on, leaving me with this sweet memory of my dad gone almost four years now.

But this week's recipe collection was prompted by a giant bag of spinach from Sam's Club. I swear, those bags used to hold two pounds of spinach which wasn't too much of a challenge to use up but the bags are bigger now, a full 2-1/2 pounds.

How could a household of two use so much spinach?

It turns out, it was no problem at all though — truth — my spinach-averse father would likely have been unhappy.

It turns out, my own affection for spinach means there are many, many recipes to choose from here in a now 22+ year collection. It was a real challenge to select just seven!

But seven it is. Maybe this week I'll buy two big bags?!

Just a reminder, click any food photo to navigate straight to the recipe's page, it's especially handy for all of us who do most of our browsing on our phones.

In Praise Of ...

• ... watching the bald eagle Jackie lay her first egg of the season, live! on the Big Bear Valley (California) Bald Eagle live cam, she has just one egg so far and won't incubate continuously until there are more eggs, this ensures the chicks are born close together ... who knew?! I like to leave the window open while I work, the wind in the high tree tops, the snaps of the nest made of branches, they're soothing


• ... staying off social media, especially Facebook, for the past week, it's good for productivity AND mental health

Democracy Matters

FYI first shared back in 2020 ... but even more applicable in 2025.

It's Easy to Despair

And we have reason to despair. Each day, I remind myself that both sides feel despair, both sides worry about the state of our country, both sides seek to protect values held dear.

Each day, my 93 and 3/4 year old father shakes his head, wondering how it's all come to such a false equivalence, how the sacrifice and unity of the Greatest Generation has led to what feels like such an insurmountable divide.

Sharing recipes, well, it seems outright silly in the face of it all.

My sister forwarded this lovely poem ...

"When the evening newscast leads to despair,
when my Facebook feed raises my blood pressure,
when I can’t listen to NPR anymore,
I turn to the sky, blooming like chicory,
its dearth of clouds, its vast blue endlessness."

Continue reading, Poem with an Embedded Line by Susan Cohen by poet Barbara Crooker, first found at The Writer's Almanac, no longer online there

Then get out the onion and garlic. Because ...

"Darkness will not overtake us."

The Words of Wise Women

• "Number of words in Trump's inaugural address about renaming the Gulf of Mexico, renaming Denali mountain and retaking the Panama Canal: 213. Number of words about making housing, healthcare or child care more affordable: ZERO." ~ Senator Elizabeth Warren


• "Trump's furious because as a Bishop, Budde can move as far as she wants diagonally, but as a Russian pawn, he can only move one square at a time." [The Right Reverend Mariann Budde is the Episcopal priest who implored Trump to act with mercy toward those who are afraid of his actions.]


• And just as every week, the activist and organizer Jess Piper gathers just the right words in just the right order. Two things can be true at once. Her piece Juxtapositions deserves a long slow read, a book mark, a subscription, a share. She writes from rural Missouri but she speaks for half the country.

Anyone Redo a Master Bath Recently?

Situations vary, of course, but if you've been through this process, what are the things you are so glad you chose, so wish you might have chosen?

I'm in planning mode and fantasizing about heated floors and heated towel racks like in Finland ...

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THE SEASONAL SEVEN: Spinach for Any Occasion

For this week's collection, I aimed for recipes with winter-friendly flavors and combinations that ...

• ... skew to quick 'n' easy recipes but with a few that might take a little more effort but still, you know me, rarely a huge effort
• ... ideas that cross the day, breakfast to lunch to supper
• ... lean especially on recipes that call for a whole pile of spinach

• THE RECIPE How to Make a Spinach Omelet Quick, healthy breakfast with fresh or frozen spinach.
• ANOTHER TAKE Everything Bagel Breakfast Salad Just minutes to throw together yet filling and satiating.

• THE RECIPE Spinach Salad with Fruity Vinaigrette, Fresh Fruit & Maple-Glazed Pecans A big green salad with a rainbow of fruit. (PIN This)
• ANOTHER TAKE Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing The traditional spinach salad with bacon, hard-cooked eggs, mushrooms. (PIN This)

• THE RECIPE Weight Watchers Spinach & Tortellini Soup Slurpy with fresh noodles from the grocery store. (PIN This)
• ANOTHER TAKE Spinach Soup with Perfect Hard-Cooked Eggs A soup flushed with spring. (PIN This)

• THE RECIPE Green Rice with Spinach & Kale Hello, gateway greens. (PIN This)
• ANOTHER TAKE Healthy Creamed Spinach Generous with spinach, low in fat, still absolutely delicious.

• THE RECIPE Greek Greens (Flash Cook to Eat Later) How to flash cook dark leafy greens to eat later. (PIN This)
• ANOTHER TAKE Greens with Sour Cream Turn tender leafy greens into something completely delicious and decadent, almost like a simpler, earthier version of creamed spinach. (PIN This)

• THE RECIPE Warm Lentil Salad with Spinach & Goat Cheese Way more than the sum of its parts.
• ANOTHER TAKE Chickpeas with Tomatoes, Spinach & Feta How to fulfill cravings for winter comfort food.

• THE RECIPE Spinach Burgers A meaty burger laced with fresh or frozen spinach, moist & juicy.
• ANOTHER TAKE Chicken Burgers with Fresh Spinach, Feta and Garden Tzatziki Sauce Summery Greek-style chicken sandwich with chunky Greek tzatziki. (PIN This)

• THE COLLECTION Spinach Recipes at Kitchen Parade
• THE FAMOUS A-Z of Vegetables at A Veggie Venture

What's Brand-Spankin' New?!

Wondering about a recipe from the last while? Check Recent Recipes from Kitchen Parade and Recent Vegetable Recipes from A Veggie Venture.

• THE RECIPE Easy-Easy Daikon & Pepper Salad On the table in just 10 minutes! (PIN This)

• THE RECIPE How to Cook Quinoa for Meal Prep Just minutes, so handy to have on hand. PIN This
• ANOTHER TAKE How to Cook White Rice Basics done well, for dinner, for the freezer. (PIN This)
• ANOTHER TAKE How to Cook Dried Beans from Scratch (Slow Cooker or Oven Slow-Cooking) Easy, economical, delicious. (PIN This)

• THE RECIPE PB&J High-Protein Overnight Oats Easy make-ahead breakfast with 35 grams protein. (PIN This)
• ANOTHER TAKE Protein Smoothies for Two Maximize protein with everyday ingredients. (PIN This)

Compliments!

Please know, YOU really matter here. Your comments and email (my current address is in the FAQs) encourage and inspire and motivate and some times make me laugh out loud or turn a little teary. It's a good day when I can "see" what you're cooking, "hear" how a recipe worked out, "know" what you're loving.

• HE LIKES IT "This has become a go to for us! It’s also nice for me because I work at home and I can pop a bowl in the microwave while working and feel fulfilled. I always have to save some for my bff as well because she loves it too. The green chilies add a perfect tiny kick. Thank you" ~ Jeff Whelan on Pinterest
• THE RECIPE Quick Corn Soup with Coconut Milk Fast and flexible, all pantry ingredients. (PIN This)

January: Reader Favorites

• THE "RECIPE" Quick 'n' Easy Raw Salad My own "healthy habit" that I hope will inspire yours, too. (PIN This)
• YOU'LL NEED A LITTLE DRESSING My Everyday Creamy Herb Salad Dressing Never the same twice.
• ANOTHER TAKE Nutrition GPA All-Day A+ Salad Five servings of veggies, legumes, 14 grams of protein, omega-3s and more.

• THE RECIPE Spinach Brownies A savory spinach square for a healthy grab-n-go breakfast. (PIN This)
• ANOTHER TAKE On-the-Run Breakfast Bars Homemade oat bars studded with bacon, cheddar & dried fruit.

Trending NOW ...

• THE RECIPE Creamy Oatmeal Three tricks for the very best oatmeal, all easy! (PIN This)
• ANOTHER TAKE Microwave Creamy Oatmeal with Peanut Butter Try it with half a banana and a few blueberries, morning heaven!

• Vegetables 101 What Are Bitter Greens? Everything you'd like to know, including a comprehensive list and recipes. (PIN This)
• Vegetables 101 What Are Crudites? How to create a colorful Instagram-friendly platter of raw vegetables.

January: Recipes Lookin' for a Little Love

• THE RECIPE Winter Pesto with Spinach Familiar pesto with a spinach twist. (PIN This)
• ANOTHER TAKE Leek Sauce for Pasta A Quick Supper, pasta hugged by a gentle leek sauce. (PIN This)

• THE RECIPE Spin Dip Baked Eggs Eggs baked in everyone's favorite spinach and artichoke dip.
• ANOTHER TAKE Spinach Curry Such an easy, healthful and unexpectedly delicious vegetarian supper! Or side dish ...

The Kitchen Parade Almanac: Looking Ahead ...

• January 29th (Wednesday) - Lunar New Year
• February 2nd (Sunday) - Groundhog Day
• February 9th (duh, Sunday) - Superbowl Sunday!
• February 14th (Wednesday) - Valentine's
• February 17th (Monday) - President's Day
• March 1st - Alanna's Unofficial First Day of Spring
• March 2nd (Sunday) - Academy Awards
• March 4th (Tuesday) - Mardi Gras / Shrove Tuesday / Pancake Night
• March 5th (Wednesday) - Ash Wednesday / Beginning of Lent
• Fridays During Lent - Friday Fish
• March 9th (Sunday) - "spring forward" time change
• March 14th (Friday) - Three-One-Four Day, a Celebration of All Thing St. Louis (314 is our area code!)
• March 14th (Friday) - Pi Day
• March 16th (Sunday) - St. Urho's Day
• March 17th (Monday) - St. Patrick's Day
• March 20th (Thursday) - First Official Day of Spring
• March 22nd (Saturday, 8:30pm your local time) - Earth Hour
• March 25th - Equal Pay Day (2024 was March 12th, way to go, ladies!)
• March 27th (Thursday) - Baseball Opening Day!
• April 20th - Easter (yikes! so late!)

Looking Back ...

THIS WEEK, YEARS PAST
• 2020 Late January (Week 5)
• 2022 Late January (Week 5)
• 2023 Leaning into Lentils (Week 5)
• 2024 The Art of Winter Salads (Week 5) (PIN This)

RECENT WEEKS
• Project Cooking (Week 4) (PIN This)
• Snow-Day Suppers (Week 3) (PIN This)
• Feeding Our Vegetable Cravings (Week 2) (PIN This)
• Best of 2024 (PIN This)

Soups & Salads Especially for January

• RESETTING AFTER THE HOLIDAYS Seasonal Soup & Salad Recipes for January, tons of ideas!
• BUT REALLY, DON'T MISS THIS Lasagna Soup with Fresh Spinach Hearty & high protein.
• OR THIS Rustic Tomato Basil Soup Left chunky for a change of pace.
• READY TO MOVE ON? Seasonal Soup & Salad Recipes for February Still more recipe ideas!

Good to Know!

• HOW WE DID A Laundry Room Refresh on a Budget What we did, why we did it, what we love, how it streamlined our laundry routine. (PIN This)
• TEN THINGS I Love About Our New Kitchen What we did, why we did it, what we love, what we've changed. Now updated after ten years! (PIN This)

Silly (But Fun?!) Food Holidays

• January 27 — Chocolate Cake Day (Easy-Easy Chocolate Sheet Cake)
• January 28 — National Blueberry Pancake Day (Cornmeal Pancakes with Warm Blueberries)
• January 31 — Eat Brussels Sprouts Day (Brussels sprouts recipes)

The Best No-Recipe Recipe I Made This Week

Greek Yogurt + Syrup + Tangerine = Before-Bed Protein Hit

I bought a couple bottles of lower-sugar syrups from Portland Syrups at HomeGoods last fall, the Hibiscus Cardamom is just lovely with Greek yogurt and some tangerine sections stirred in.

Sam's Club Test Kitchen

Wow. We roared through this chilled (not frozen) lasagna from Sam's Club, the Giovanni Rana Beef & Sausage Lasagna, six servings for under $15, just 20 minutes in the oven. Unlike so many commercial pasta thingies, it's not overloaded with pasta and the ingredient list is about as clean as you can find. I thought there would be leftovers but not after my husband's before-bed snack and second breakfast. And -- 20 grams of protein per serving which means that I got 100 grams of protein into my apparently lasagna-loving husband in 18 hours.

If I were a lasagna-making cook (sorry, I'm just not), I would consider giving it up. I think you could even transfer this to your own dish for baking, two might fit a 9x13.

Not sponsored! Just me sharing something that works here ...

A Quick Peek Into a Real-Life Kitchen

Just so you know, everything's not all pretty pictures around here, in the background is a pile of dirty dishes. And just like many (all?) of us, come five o'clock, I too draw a blank about what to make for supper, despite so many recipes I so dearly love. Here's a quick peek from this week.

• THIS WEEK It must've been my week for cooking things twice because, yep, I made these twice. So so easy. So good!
• THE RECIPE Easy Spinach Nests Eggs cooked in nests of spinach.

• THIS WEEK This recipe really should show up in my "real-life kitchen" every single week, it's that easy, it's that adaptable, it's that dang good. I actually made it twice this week, both times my husband was over the moon but because it's so changeable, he didn't realize and me, I was just happy to put a really good dinner on the table two nights. The first night, I used capers and bbq sauce in the sauce, two nights later, it was a wonderful first-time use of pickle juice and chopped up pickled. So good! PS I do think it's a recipe for one or two versus four, unless you can do two skillets at the same time. It'd be worth the extra pan, however.
• THE RECIPE Chicken Sybil My favorite Quick Supper, the multiple personality chicken. (PIN This)

• THIS WEEK Once again, I cooked a skillet of spinach twice this week! Both times, I used it as an "under" — once for Chicken Sybil and then again for some oven-roasted fish. (I sooooo owe you that recipe!) So good!
• THE RECIPE Jubilee Greens How to sauté leafy greens like spinach, chard, kale & more. (PIN This)

Just Updated!

• THE RECIPE Lemon Crinkle Cookies with Poppy Seeds Bright and lemony, really charged with lemon flavor.
• ANOTHER TAKE Easy Lemon Poppy Seed Cake How easy? It starts with a cake mix.

• THE RECIPE Gingerbread Muffins Low-fat and low-calorie molasses-y muffins with a moist and delicate crumb. (PIN This)
• ANOTHER TAKE Gingerbread Pudding Cake Layers of cake and pudding. It's magic!

Don't Be a Stranger ...

I'd love to hear from you. Comment, send me a quick e-mail (my current address is in the FAQs), dot-dash in Morse code, build a fire for smoke signals, launch a message in a bottle, send a Christmas letter, get the dog to yip, toss me a note wrapped in a rubberband, write a message in the sky, scratch a note in the sand, listen to a seashell, tuck a question into a plastic Easter egg, whatever.

• Any advice for Seasonal Sundays?
• Just one thing that would make it more useful for you?
• Anything else? Chime in, chat away.

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Kitchen Parade is written by second-generation food columnist Alanna Kellogg and features fresh, seasonal dishes for every-day healthful eating and occasional indulgences. Quick Suppers are Kitchen Parade favorites and feature recipes easy on the budget, the clock, the waistline and the dishwasher. Do you have a favorite recipe that other Kitchen Parade readers might like? Just send me a quick e-mail, you'll find my current address in the FAQs. How to print a Kitchen Parade recipe. Never miss a recipe! If you like this recipe, sign up for a free e-mail subscription. If you like Kitchen Parade, you're sure to like my food blog about vegetable recipes, too, A Veggie Venture. When you make my recipes, I'd love to know your results! Just leave a comment below or better still, on the specific recipe's page.

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