"I'm strong to the finish, 'cause I eats me spinach"

I have two friends who want spinach recipes from me and when I think of spinach I think of Popeye.  Then, when I think of Popeye I think of Robin.
There are so many childhood memories this man is tied to for me and it makes me sad to know that the little people coming up in the world won't get this.  They won't get to see this amazing man who was a literal genius and could turn himself into any character.  They won't partake of the new ideas he had and the lightening speed with which he created.  He was a tornado of genius.  No one, I mean no one is, was and will ever be like him.  He is one of the greats that all the comics for generations to come will look to for inspiration.  He's up there with the Marx Brothers, Laurel and Hardy and Abbott and Costello and I hope and pray they're all together making each other laugh and having the greatest time.



The first recipe I got online two years ago before I had a Pinterest account and now, I can't find it anywhere.  There are a lot of recipes for this dip but I can't find the one that has all of these ingredients so I'm posting it here.  If anyone finds the original, please put the link in the comments below this post.  Thanks!
I eyeball both of these recipes so the measurements are my guestimation of what they should or could be.

Spinach & Artichoke Dip
2 cloves of finely chopped garlic
1/2  chopped yellow onion
2 8oz pkgs cream cheese
1 12oz container of sour cream
1 cup of parmesan cheese
1 cup of mozzarella cheese
1 8oz pkg of chopped frozen spinach
1 can of artichoke hearts or 2 jars of marinated artichoke hearts
1 tsp Red pepper flakes
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper

*You can substitute the dairy ingredients with Daiya products for dairy-free alternatives to this recipe.

 1. In a large pot saute the chopped garlic and onion in olive oil.  When I purchase marinated artichoke hearts for this recipe, I saute my garlic and onion in the oil marinade the hearts come in.  This adds a lot of flavor. Once the garlic and onion are translucent you can put in a couple of shakes of the red pepper flakes.  Letting the red pepper flakes saute for a couple of seconds will bring out a bit of the heat.
2. Defrost the frozen spinach and get out as much excess liquid as possible before adding it to the pot then saute until heated through.
3. Chop the artichoke hearts and then add them to the pot as well.
4. Add in both packages of cream cheese and stir until the cream cheese has melted.
5. Add in 1 cup of sour cream, then stir until well mixed.  Add in the Parmesan cheese and mozzarella cheese until both cheeses are well melted into your mixture.
6. Once your mixture is combined well you can add salt and pepper to taste.

This next recipe is an Ebony original and I've made it in four variations.  The first time I made this one year ago it only had baby bokchoy, tomatoes and chicken.  I actually prefer it this way.  I ran out of bokchoy and substituted spinach a few days later.  Then a month ago I had a dream about a swiss chard and asparagus recipe.  I don't like asparagus, but it gave me the idea to substitute swiss chard for the spinach and add green beans to the below recipe.  The actual pasta dish I dreamt will be in a later post.
When I made this next recipe this week it had the most veggies I have ever put into it.  This is the recipe my friend wants so that is what is below.  You can do any of the variations I have listed above if you like. I have no measurements so again this will be a guestimation.

Popeye Saute
2 heads of baby bokchoy
1 8oz pkg of spinach
1 cup of frozen green beans
3 chopped tomatoes (plum or vine)
3 cloves finely chopped garlic
1/2 chopped yellow onion
Frozen grilled chicken strips (Trader Joe's)
Sea Salt
Pepper
Mrs. Dash's
Italian Seasoning

1, In a large skillet, saute the chopped garlic and onion in olive oil until the vegetables are translucent or a bit caramelized.
2. Add in your baby bokchoy and cook until the white ends are soft and translucent and the greenery is wilted.
3. Add in and saute your spinach and green beans until soft.
4. Add in chopped tomatoes and as many pieces of the grilled chicken strips as you would like.  Add 2tbsps of water, cover and let simmer until the chicken is thawed and has absorbed the juices from your vegetable mixture.  This will be about 3-5 minutes.  If your mixture is drying out, add a bit more water, but the juice from the tomatoes should moisten your mixture well.
5. Add seasonings listed above to taste.


I'm Popeye the sailor man
I'm Popeye the sailor man
I'm strong to the fin-ich
Cause I eats me spin-ach
I'm Popeye the sailor man.