Spinach Bread

I've been inspired lately to explore some new recipes:

I made these Lemon Meringue Bars
(I swear there's lemon-y goodness under all that fluff)

my second whole roasted chicken
(which was delicious even though, or perhaps because, I roasted it breast down by accident)

a version of this Butternut Squash and Parmesan Pasta

(the orange is squash, not cheese)and this Spinach Bread.

This bread could not have been easier, and yields lot of bang for your buck in terms of flavor and presentation. You can add cheese, either to the filling or on the top. I wanted to keep mine dairy free.

Spinach Bread
Adapted from allrecipes.com.
Ingredients:
1 ball pizza dough- you can get this in the freezer of your local supermarket, but today I got a fresh ball from our pizza place.
1 pkg frozen chopped spinach. Thaw and drain excess liquid.
4 cloves garlic, chopped. I go by the old Kreiger motto "needs more garlic." You could certainly use less.
Salt and pepper
Olive oil
Garlic powder

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Heat olive oil in a skillet or frying pan over medium heat. Add garlic and saute until soft, about two minutes. Add spinach and cook until liquid has evaporated. Stir in salt and pepper. Remove from heat and let cool.

3. Using a rolling pin or your hands (like I did) form a large rectangle out of your pizza dough.
4. Spread spinach mixture on top of dough. Be sure to leave an inch or so of dough border around the filling.
5. Starting from one long end, roll up the crust to make one large loaf. Pinch ends to seal. Place loaf, seam down, onto prepared baking sheet.

6. Brush top of loaf with olive oil. Sprinkle wit h salt, garlic powder, and parsley flakes.
7. Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown. I suggest serving with some kind of tomato sauce. I made it today as a side dish for a pot-luck, where it flew, by the way. But I think I'll make it again to serve with a hearty bowl of my husband's yummy meat sauce. I'm also inclined to make a similar roll with grilled veggies and fresh mozzarella. Mmmm. Though I mentioned that idea to my aforementioned hubbie and he said just to make the yummy spinach one again. As long as he tells me when it's stuck in my teeth, I'll make the spinach one as often as he wants.