Recipe Sifter

I make triangles and leave out the mizithra or cottage cheese (too wet for these). Great appetizers if you make them small.

Italian vegetarian lasagna layered with sherry-sautéed mushrooms, zucchini, spinach, and bell peppers with a three-cheese ricotta-cottage-Parmesan filling. Lighter than meat lasagna, still hearty.

Orzo, spinach and pine nuts, with garlic, tomatoes and a bit of romano cheese makes an elegant side dish.

Cold green vegetable soup with poached fish. Source: Olga Gorechev, St. Petersburg, Russia

Creamy chicken spinach linguine in a Parmesan cream sauce with sundried tomatoes, pine nuts, and fresh basil. Golden floured chicken and wilted spinach make this a restaurant-style, Tuscan-inspired pasta dinner.

Florentine spaghetti bake layers Italian sausage marinara, cooked spaghetti, a spinach-cottage cheese ricotta-style filling, and mozzarella for a baked Italian-American pasta casserole.

Spinach and long white radish soup: a clear beef broth scented with juniper and tarragon, loaded with daikon, potato, and spinach, brightened with lemon and turmeric. An unusual, fresh spring bowl.

Japanese shabu shabu hot pot dinner with paper-thin rib eye, scallops, shrimp, tofu, and fresh vegetables cooked tableside in kombu broth. An interactive meal that turns dinner into an event.

Bay scallops simmered with spinach in a garlicky tomato sauce with fish stock and lemon, served over pasta. A low-fat, low-calorie seafood dinner ready in 30 minutes.

Kashmiri spinach (haak) with asafetida, turmeric, cayenne, and a homemade garam masala of black cumin, cardamom, cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon. A deeply spiced, vegan North Indian side dish.

Traditional Korean namool with seasoned spinach, daikon, soybean sprouts, and fiddlehead ferns in sesame and garlic. A colorful banchan platter of individually dressed vegetables.

Classic Italian lasagna with layers of beef and mushroom tomato sauce, spinach-cottage cheese ricotta substitute, and melted mozzarella. The Sunday-supper bake that always feeds a crowd.

Scallops Florentine with bay scallops baked in a creamy spinach-Parmesan sauce with pasta shells and nutmeg. A rich seafood pasta bake ready in under an hour.

Spinach feta rolls: crisp phyllo wrapped around a lemon-bright spinach, feta, and dill filling, baked golden and sliced into bite-sized pieces. A lighter, healthier spanakopita made with egg-white wash instead of butter.

Warm sauteed apples, pears, and onion rings in a honey-sherry-vinegar sauce served over fresh spinach. A warm-cold salad with sweet fruit and tangy dressing that wilts the greens.

Green pepper, tomato, spinach and peanut butter make a unique quick and easy side dish.