From time to time, my husband sends me recipes he finds while scrolling on social media. Of course, this is a subtle way of asking if I might add them to our dinner-for-two repertoire. Never mind that they largely come from one account, a woman named Stella who manages the site Hungry Happens and whose tag line at the end of her videos is “Now Love Your Life”. Ok, Stella, I see you and since you have the attention of my husband I better get cracking in the kitchen.
All teasing aside, her food does look delicious and balanced between healthy, Greek inspired dishes and some more decadent dishes. We have tried her Easy Chicken Gyros that were quite good, prepared in a bread pan of all things and her Cauliflower Wedge “Salad” with Creamy Feta Dressing that was really delicious and can be a main course or side dish. This summer, we tried her Mushroom and Spinach Zucchini Lasagna Loaf. I improvised with the quantities of the ingredients in that recipe, but we really enjoyed it for a lighter, warm weather meal.
Now, truth be told, Stella appears on my social media feed as well as she is pretty popular across the platforms. So when a dish named Spinach, Feta Brownies appeared to my eyes, she caught my attention. The word brownies is definitely misleading here and just representative of how the recipe bakes up and is cut into squares for serving. I offered to bring the dish as a side to a dinner party I attended last weekend and everyone loved it and the hostess told me they ate the last piece after I had gone home!
I made it again this week and it got the thumbs up from you know who, along with some friends I shared the leftovers with the next evening. I even cut up some of the leftovers into tiny bites that my husband served to his high school buddies at their annual reunion. I’m telling you, this is a versatile dish!
So, I am sharing it with you because there are many meals to plan between now and New Year’s and this recipe makes a great side dish, vegetarian main dish or even an appetizer. The only change I made to Stella’s recipe was to alter the number of scallions used (she recommends 4, I used a bunch which is usually 5) and I added almost a full can of artichoke hearts that I had drained and chopped. I used a 9-ounce jar of artichoke hearts the second time I made it and I would say that’s about right. Honestly, you can’t go wrong here.
Saute the scallions and then add lots of baby spinach, cooking it until it is wilted but still has a little bite. Allow to cool. Mix together some flour (I use a gluten free flour), baking powder and salt and combine it with some milk, eggs and cooled, melted butter. Mix together forming a light batter. Add the spinach and chopped artichokes, some fresh dill, feta and mozzarella cheeses and mix. Place everything in a greased pan and top with some Parmigiano cheese. Bake until browned on the top, about 40 minutes and serve. The dish does not puff up, but rather stays fairly level with its original form, so maybe 3/4 inch deep. My pan was roughly 9 by 12. You can cut it into squares for ease of serving, or just allow folks to use a spoon to take what they want.
I hope you give this recipe a try and if you do, please let me know how it turns out! And for any spinach-artichoke lovers out there, consider making Quinoa, Spinach and Artichoke Casserole for a main or side dish!
In the meanwhile, wishing everyone a very happy holiday season.
Until next time…
One Year Ago: Pomegranate Cosmopolitans
Two Years Ago: Food 52’s Italian Jam Shortbread Tart
Three Years Ago: Baklava Crostata
Four Years Ago: Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala
Five Years Ago: Bacon Wrapped Brussels Sprouts
Six Years Ago: Southwest Kingwest Casserole
Seven Years Ago: Cranberry Jalapeno Salsa
Eight Years Ago: Homemade Salt Scrubs
Nine Years Ago: The Bourbon and Bubbles Cocktail
Adapted ever so slightly from Hungry Happens. Great as a side dish, main dish or even cut into tiny squares for an appetizer. Enoy!
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 bunch scallions, diced
- 10 ounces baby spinach, rough chop
- 1 scant can artichoke hearts, drained, rinsed, dried really well and chopped (see note), optional
- 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh dill, more to taste
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (GF flour works as well)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup milk
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1/4 cup (4 Tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 4 ounces shredded mozzarella
- 4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
- 2 Tablespoons grated fresh Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly spray a medium size baking dish with olive oil or avocado oil spray. My pan was 9 by 12 in dimension.
- In a large, deep pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the scallions and saute until they soften which should happen quickly. Add all of the spinach and a good pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper. Saute until it is mostly wilted and then drain the pan into a colander (preferably one with small holes) to allow most of the excess liquids to be removed. Press down on the spinach with a spoon to make sure!
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. In a large mixing cup, whish together the milk, eggs and butter. Add wet to the dry ingredients and mix until combined. Fold in the spinach mixture, the artichoke hearts, dill, mozzarella and feta until just combined. Transfer to your baking dish and spread out evenly.
- Sprinkle the top with the grated Parmigiano Reggiano and bake for 40-45 minutes (mine took 40) or until the top turns golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes before slicing.
Tips from The Kitchen Scout
The first time I made this, I used slightly less than a 14-ounce can of artichoke hearts. The second time, I used a 9-ounce jar of artichoke hearts. Use your judgement - you just don't want to overfill the batter.
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