Parmesan Spinach Cakes

From EatingWell: September/October 2008 — Subscribe Now!

If you like spinach-cheese pie, try these simple but elegant-looking little spinach cakes.

READER'S COMMENT:

"These things are delicious! I made a batch yesterday and they are gone already. I used frozen spinach and cottage cheese and they turned out wonderfully! "

4 servings, 2 spinach cakes each

Active Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Nutrition Profile

Ingredients

12 ounces fresh spinach, (see Note)
1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese, or low-fat cottage cheese
1/2 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish
2 large eggs, beaten
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400°F.
Pulse spinach in three batches in a food processor until finely chopped. Transfer to a medium bowl. Add ricotta (or cottage cheese), Parmesan, eggs, garlic, salt and pepper; stir to combine.
Coat 8 cups of the muffin pan with cooking spray. Divide the spinach mixture among the 8 cups (they will be very full).
Bake the spinach cakes until set, about 20 minutes. Let stand in the pan for 5 minutes. Loosen the edges with a knife and turn out onto a clean cutting board or large plate. Serve warm, sprinkled with more Parmesan, if desired.

Tips & Notes

Make Ahead Tip: Equipment: Muffin pan with 12 (1/2-cup) muffin cups

Note: Baby spinach is immature or young spinach—it's harvested earlier than large-leaved mature spinach. We like the sturdy texture of mature spinach in cooked dishes and serve tender, mild-flavored baby spinach raw or lightly wilted. Baby and mature spinach can be used interchangeably in these recipes (yields may vary slightly); be sure to remove the tough stems from mature spinach before using.
Weights & Measures
10 ounces trimmed mature spinach=about 10 cups raw
10 ounces baby spinach=about 8 cups raw

Nutrition

Per serving: 141 calories; 8 g fat (4 g sat, 3 g mono); 123 mg cholesterol; 6 g carbohydrates; 13 g protein; 2 g fiber; 456 mg sodium; 560 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin A (170% daily value), Folate (46% dv), Vitamin C (40% dv), Calcium (30% dv), Potassium (16% dv).

1 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1 vegetable, 1 1/2 medium-fat meat