caramelized onion and spinach olive oil quick bread

Yum, yum, yum!  The name of this recipe may be a mouthful, but you won't complain when you actually get a mouth full of this delicious quick bread.  With olive oil as its base, it's got plenty of Omega 3's in every bite.  It's the first recipe in my dinner party series, and it's an absolute winner!  (My guests liked it so much they ended up splitting the leftovers and taking home doggie bags.)  :-)

I found this recipe on Tasty Kitchen, submitted by cookincanuk.  The original Cookin' Canuck blog post is wonderful.  Her photos make me swoon.  Check it out...I'm sure you'll swoon, too.

First, peel a yellow onion and cut it in half through the root.

Then, turn each half on its side and cut the onion into slices.  Try not to cry like I did...this darn onion ruined my mascara!

Saute the onions in 2 teaspoons of olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt for about 10 minutes.  Turn the heat to medium low and continue cooking until they are a nice golden brown.

Add 2 cloves of minced garlic and 2 cups of fresh spinach to the skillet.  Cook and stir for about a minute until the spinach is wilted.

In a separate bowl, combine 2 1/2 cups flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.

In another bowl, whisk together 2 eggs, 3/4 cup milk, and 2/3 cup olive oil.  Is it me, or does it look like my bowl is ogling me?

Stir together the liquid ingredients and dry ingredients until they are just combined.  Be careful to not over stir - we don't want the batter getting too stiff!

Add the spinach and onions to the batter along with 1 ounce of feta cheese.  Carefully fold these in until they are evenly distributed.

Grease or butter a loaf pan.  Put some flour in the pan and tap it around to coat the oil (throw out any excess flour).

Fill the pan with your batter, smoothing over the top as best you can.

Bake at 350 for 35 to 40 minutes.  The top should be golden brown and beautiful!

Let your bread cool in the loaf pan on a wire rack for about 15 minutes before removing it from the pan and slicing it.  Serve plain or with softened butter.  I imagine that an herb butter would be fabulous on this bread!

Caramelized Onion & Spinach Olive Oil Quick Bread 
from Cookin' Canuk

3 tsp olive oil, divided
1 large yellow onion, cut in half through the root, and thinly sliced
1/2 tsp kosher salt
2 cups (packed) fresh spinach leaves
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup 2% milk
2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 oz. crumbled myzithra (or feta) cheese
Butter and flour for pan

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in a large skillet set over medium heat. Add the onion to the pan. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook for 10 minutes, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook until the onions are golden brown, about 10 additional minutes.

Add 1 teaspoon olive oil to the onions, then stir in garlic and spinach leaves. Stir until the spinach is wilted and bright green, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. In a large bowl, combine eggs, lightly beaten, milk, and extra-virgin olive oil. Whisk well until combined.

Pour the flour mixture into the eggs mixture and stir until just combined. Do not overmix or the bread will become tough. Add the spinach mixture and myzithra cheese, and stir until just combined.

Butter a loaf pan. Spoon 1 tablespoon flour into the pan and tap the flour around the pan. Shake out the excess. Scoop the batter into the pan and smooth the top.

Bake until the top is light golden brown and a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out dry, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool in pan for 15 minutes, then remove the bread from the pan, and cool on a wire rack. Slice and serve.

Makes 1 loaf of bread.

Nutrition (1/12 of loaf): 239 cal, 15g fat, 3g sat fat, 0g trans fat, 39mg cholesterol, 302mg sodium, 22g carbs, 1g fiber, 2g sugars, 5g protein, 11% vit. A, 4% vit. C, 10% calcium, 9% iron.


Linked up to the very first edition of Gold Star Wednesday!  Be sure to come check out all of the winning recipes.  Also linked with Foodie Friday.