Spanakopita (Greek Spinach Feta Pie)

To quote my coworker, "Pretty sure phyllo dough and feta are gifts from the gods."

I saw this recipe on Home & Family on Hallmark over a year ago. I finally made it and it was SO worth it!

The picture is from my phone and it doesn't do it justice. The only change I would make is to not buy the feta in brine. I don't think it matters much and it's pricey in the brine. *REALLY pricey* It's a bit time consuming, but it makes a ton and freezes well. (Here is the link to where I got it originally.)  The only thing I would change going forward is all the buttering and layering. I don't know that it's really all that necessary.

Ingredients:

- 4 to 5 16 oz bags fresh spinach or 4-5 16 oz bags of frozen chopped spinach

- 1 large bunch of fresh dill

- 1/2 of large Vidallia onion or 1 bunch of fresh spring onions

- 6 eggs

- 4 packets (large blocks) of Athenos Feta cheese, or any other kind as long as it is in its brine.

- 1 1/2 pack FILO (phyllo) dough (thaw in refrigerator over night before using)

- 1 1/2 - 2 sticks of salted sweet cream butter

- 1 Pyrex

- 1 pastry brush

Recipe:

1. First thaw frozen spinach by running under hot water in a colander for a bit then squeeze all of the water possible out if spinach and transfer to a skillet pan with olive oil and very lightly saute just to get it warm. If you are using fresh spinach also lightly saute with olive oil.

2. Next finely chop the onion and also saute with olive oil in another skillet. Make sure to saute the onion a bit longer than the spinach.

3. Finely chop the bunch of dill.

4. Place the spinach, onion, and dill in a large mixing bowl.

5. Add the 4 blocks of feta and the 6 eggs and begin to mix until the feta is crumbled and evenly dispersed through and the egg has mixed in and you don't see any yolk anymore.

6. Add a dash of pepper

7. Preheat oven to 350

8. Melt the stick and half of butter on stove top. (I melted it in the microwave.)

9. Next place a 15 by 10 by 2 inch Pyrex on the a table or counter top and roll out the phyllo dough next to it. Make sure the phyllo dough is still slightly cold from the refrigerator but not frozen and not exactly room temperature because it will tear and stick if too cold and break and become brittle if too dry. It's very sensitive.

10. Place 2 sheets of phyllo dough in the Pyrex and brush with the butter to cover the entire surface. Then place 2 more sheets of phyllo dough in Pyrex and brush with butter to cover entire surface again. Repeat this process until you have used 3/4 of the roll.

11. Next spoon the spinach mixture on top of the phyllo and evenly distribute across the Pyrex until finished.

12. Repeat laying and buttering 2 sheets at a time of the phyllo until the have finished one pack of phyllo and used about 1/4 or so of another packet. You can eye ball this really and see if the top layer needs more phyllo or not. Doesn't have to be equally thick on top and bottom.

13. Whatever butter is left over pour over top of completed product.

14. With a perforated knife lightly cut through the spanakopita sectioning it into pieces. The phyllo dough is very fragile and will want to tear so be careful. You have to do this before cooking otherwise all of the phyllo will flake off when trying to cut it after it has been baked. You can cut about 20 pieces.

15. Place Pyrex in the oven and bake for 45 minutes to an hour. Rotate once half way through. You'll be able to tell when it's ready by looking at the upper layers of phyllo dough. When they are lightly golden brown it is ready. Turn off the oven and let it sit in the oven for another 15 minutes. Then take it out and let it cool for another 15.

Cordon Bleu Crescent Rolls

I finally caved and joined Pinterest. Although I try to avoid the recipes for the most part, once in a while one jumps out at me. If you haven't already guess, we like Cordon Bleu anything in our home. I saw these and knew Blaine would be a big fan. Erika happened to be in town, so she was another guinea pig. It got a thumbs up from each of us. Plus, they were pretty good the next day for lunch. Not bad! Here is the original.

1 can crescent rolls (biscuit dough would work, too)

4-8 breaded chicken tenders, pre-cooked and cooled

8 slices swiss cheese

8 slices ham

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Depending on the size of the chicken strips, you may need to cut them in half. Smaller works better. Roll out each crescent roll. Place a slice of ham, cheese and a chicken strip on the fat end. Then roll up. Repeat till all are used. Bake on a cookie sheet or baking stone for 12-18 minutes until golden brown. Rest about 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

savory baked meatballs - and BBQ sauce

In an effort to keep my new year's resolution of bringing lunch to work at least 3 days of the week (how sad is that?) I've been spending quite a bit of my break on Pinterest in search of recipes.  Here's one I found, made, and loved so much that I finished it off before I got a picture...so, you'll have to be happy with this one:

1 lb hamburger
2 eggs, beaten with 1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1 cup panko or bread crumbs
1 small onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon salt
freshly ground pepper to taste
1/4 cup minced fresh basil

Mix all ingredients with hands. Form into golfball sized meatballs (mine were a little bigger - about the size of clementines) and place on baking sheet covered in parchment paper. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

I used panko breadcrumbs, which made for a good, solid meatball - but not very moist - so I made some "BBQ sauce" to go with.  I imagine if you used fresh breadcrumbs it would be more moist. 

Here's the recipe - and I use that term loosely - for the sauce:
Start with several good squirts of ketchup and add (to taste): Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, cider vinegar, balsamic vinegar, steak sauce, yellow mustard, chili powder, onion powder, garlic salt, and Tabasco sauce. 

Loaded Baked Potato Salad

Hello, gentle readers! Sorry for the gap in postings, but I'm back now! (You can, of course, feel free to fill any gaps with recipes of your own...)

I found this salad to be very tasty--and easy to make. Can be served when the potatoes are still warm or used as a make-ahead dish and served chilled. Either sour cream or Greek yogurt can be used depending on what you have on hand and how health-conscious you want to be.

4 Russet or Yukon Gold potatoes

1/4 cup mayo

1/2 cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/4 cup finely shopped chives (or 1 T dried chives)

8 strips of bacon, cooked and crumbled*

scant 1 tsp black pepper

salt to taste

Wash potatoes, stab with a fork and pop in the microwave. Bake on the "Baked Potato" setting. (Sorry, I don't know how long. It will vary depending on your microwave and size of your potatoes.) It's OK if they are "fork tender"-still a little firm-as that will help them maintain their shape in the salad.

While the potatoes are cooking, mix the mayo and sour cream/yogurt in a small bowl til completely combined. Stir in cheese, pepper, and half of the chives. Chill in fridge until ready to use.

Once the potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut into cubes or slices. (I cut in half, longwise, then sliced into crescents.) In a large bowl, gently mix the potatoes with the sour cream mixture. Fold in most of your crumbled bacon. Taste and add salt, if desired. Top with remaining chives and bacon.

Serves: 4-6

Note: You could peel the potatoes if you want, but I like the potato skin on a baked potato (and I'm lazy), so I just left it on when I chopped the potatoes.

*Laney showed me this fabulous trick for when you're needing to cook and crumble bacon--cut the bacon into short (1/2") pieces before you toss it in the pan. Not only does it cook faster, but you can cook more at once. Just stir occasionally as it's cooking. Brilliant!

Mango Mint Salad

I can't properly express how much I love this little side salad! I saw the original recipe as topping for rice pudding on sortedfood.com and thought that it would be tasty on it's own. I was right. :) Refreshing, delightful, and easy peasy!

1 mango, peeled and diced
1 Tbsp thinly sliced mint
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1/2 lime, juiced
shelled pistachios, optional

Mix mango, mint, sugar and juice. Garnish servings with pistachios, if desired.
The salad is also delicious without the lime juice if you don't have any handy.
Serves 2-4 depending on the size of your mango.

Cucumber Salad with Greek Yogurt, Lime & Honey

2 medium cucumbers (**I used english seedless)
1/3 cup thinly sliced scallions
3/4 cup greek-style yogurt (full fat)
2 Tbsp chopped fresh mint (**I used basil since I don't like mint)
1/4 tsp packed finely grated lime zest
1 Tbsp plus 1 tsp fresh lime juice
2 tsp honey
1/4 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp salt
2 Tbsp coarsely chopped toasted pine nuts (**I didn't add these)

Wash and trim ends off the cucumbers and peel them.  (**I didn't peel mine.)  First cut them in half crosswise into two shorter pieces for easier handling.  Then cut each half lengthwise and scrape out the seeds with a spoon.  Slice the cucumbers across into thin half-moons.  Put the cucumbers and the scallions in a mixing bowl.

In a smaller bowl, whisk together the yogurt, mint, lime zest, lime juice, honey, coriander and salt.  Spoon the mixture into the bowl of cucumbers and scallions and gently fold and mix with a spatula until the ingredients are well combined.  Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with mint sprigs and toasted pine nuts.

From Fast, Fresh and Green by Susie Middleton

Tomato, Summer Peach and Fresh Herb Gazpacho Salad

I got a fantastic new cookbook while back East visiting family.  It's all vegetables - I LOVE it!!  The picture above is from the cookbook "Fast, Fresh & Green" by Susie Middleton.  I'm fairly adventurous and will try food at least once.  This one intrigued me and it ended up being DEEEElicious!

2 lbs Heirloom tomatoes (I used Compari and Pear tomatoes since our Heirlooms weren't good)
1 lb ripe peaches
1/2 small red onion
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp fresh orange juice or mango smoothie drink (add more if needed)
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar (more if needed)
1 tsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp finely grated lemon zest
1/4 tsp kosher salt (**note: I used sea salt)
1/2 cup lightly packed small whole fresh mint and basil leaves (**note: I only used basil)
Edible Flowers, for garnish, optional

Core the large tomatoes and stem any cherry or tiny tomatoes.  Cut the larger tomatoes into large, evenly sized pieces.  To do this easily, first cut the tomatoes crosswise into thick slabs, and then cut the slabs into large dice.  If the tomatoes are very irregularly shaped, just cut them into wedges and then cut the wedges in half.  Cut the cherry or tiny tomatoes in half or into quarters.  Put all of the tomatoes into a large, shallow serving bowl.

Peel the peaches with a paring knife and slice them off the pit into wedges (whatever size you like, depending on the size of your peach.)  Add the peaches to the bowl.  Slice the onion lengthwise as thinly as you can and add it to the bowl, too.

Whisk together the olive oil, orange juice, balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, lemon zest, and salt.  Pour the dressing over the tomatoes and peaches.  Add half of the herbs, season with salt and toss gently but thoroughly.  Taste the juices and add more dressing if you need to.  Before serving, toss again and add the remaining herbs and flowers for garnish.  Enjoy!

**Notes:  I made this for my lunch.  It made 4 1/2 cup servings for me.  The flavors got better each day.

Baked Edamame

1 bag frozen shelled edamame
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup grated Parmesan (like you shake over spaghetti)
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400'F.
In a small bowl, mix the Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper.
Put the edamame in a gallon-size ziplock bag. Add oil and shake to distribute. Add cheese mix and shake to coat.
Spread evenly on a baking sheet.
Bake for 15 minutes until cheese starts to turn golden. Resist the urge to stir halfway through--that will give you a globby mess.
Serve warm.

*I did mine with the edamame still frozen. If you would like to thaw first, you can, just pat the edamame dry before coating with oil/cheese.

Cucumber Dill Salad

1 cucumber
1/2 cup sour cream
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp dried dill (or 1 Tbsp fresh dill, chopped)

Peel cucumber, slice in half lengthwise. Thinly slice crosswise into thin crescents.
Mix sour cream, lemon juice, and dill in a bowl. Fold in cucumber slices until coated. Serve.

Creamy Avocado Chicken Salad

This is a really tasty salad.  One of the variations is serving the salad in a half of an avocado instead of dicing up the avocado and mixing it in.

1 c chicken breast, cooked, shredded
1/2 c corn
1/2 c black beans, cooked, rinsed, drained
1/4 c green onions, chopped
1/4 c tomatoes, diced
2 T. dried cilantro
2 T. vinegar
4 T. Mayo
1 T. lime juice
Salt & Pepper to taste
2-4 avocados, halved, peeled, pitted, diced

In a medium bowl toss the chicken, corn, black beans, green onions, tomatoes and cilantro together.  Mix vinegar, lime juice & mayo together.  Mix into the chicken mixture well.  Add the avocado and mix together gently to not mash up the avocado.  Serve immediately. 

Guacamole

The first rule of good guacamole is that it does NOT have mayonnaise in it.  Now that we've gotten that out of the way, we'll get onto the guacamole goodness!  This recipe will make roughly 4 cups of guacamole.  You can scale it down or increase it based on your needs.  You want to be very conservative with the seasonings, sour cream and salsa.  You can always add more, but you can't take away.  The amounts below are a rough estimate.  It depends on the size of your avocados.  Once the flesh is mashed up you should have about 3 1/2 cups of avocado. 

6-8 ripe Avocados, halved, peeled, seeded
1/4 - 1/2 C Salsa, mild
2-4 T. Sour Cream
1/2 T. Garlic Powder
1/2 T. Onion Powder
Salt to taste
Fresh Lime juice of 1 regular lime or 2 key limes

In a medium bowl place the avocado flesh and mash them until mostly smooth.  Add 2 T. sour cream, lime juice and seasonings.  Mix thoroughly.  Add 1/4 cup salsa.  Taste and adjust the seasonings/additions as needed.  Then serve and enjoy.  If you have any extra guacamole left over, store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.  To keep the guacamole green, add extra lime juice to the top before putting the lid on.

White & Green Bean Zucchini Salad

This salad is light but filling.  It's really refreshing and perfect for a warm summers day.  Blaine tried it warmed up in the microwave and liked it both ways.   

Ingredients:

2 15 ounce cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
2 small zucchini, quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced
6 ounces thin green beans, trimmed and sliced (or haricot verts)
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves torn OR 1 Tablespoon dried basil
2 lemons, juiced and zested
1 T olive oil
Salt and Pepper to taste

In a medium bowl combined white beans, green beans and zucchini.  In a smaller bowl combine lemon juice, lemon zest, olive oil & bail.  Mix well and pour over beans and zucchini.  Mix well.  Season with salt and pepper. 

Couscous Salad

 

This is a fresh and perky little side salad.

5 cups cooked couscous
6 green onions, chopped
2 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 cup cucumber, seeded and chopped
1 can garbanzo beans(chickpeas), rinsed and drained
1 cup parsley, chopped

Mix all ingredients together and toss with the following dressing:

3/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup lemon juice
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp ground coriander, or to taste
1 tsp salt
freshly ground black pepper

It is best to chill overnight before serving so the flavors can meld.

Spaetzle

The first time I had Spaetzle was eating a meal a German coworker made.  They were delicious!  The wonderful family I married into is very fond of German food as well.  I decided to be brave and make spaetzle from scratch - SO EASY!!  The hubs even thinks they're better than restaurant.  The picture above was made without a ricer/spaetzle maker.  I have since acquired a ricer and it's even easier.  If you don't know what a ricer is, check here.

Ingredients:
1 1/2  C. All Purpose Flour
1/2 tsp Salt
2 Eggs
1/2 C. Whole Milk
1/2 tsp White Pepper
1/2 tsp Nutmeg
3 Tablespoons butter (for sauteing) 

Combine the flour, salt, pepper and nutmeg together in a mixing bowl.  Scramble the milk and eggs together.  Add milk and egg mixture to flour mixture and mix until a dough ball forms.  Let the dough rest for 15 minutes.

While the dough is resting, bring a large pot of salted water to boil.  Have a strainer/colander nearby set on a dish to collect water.  Once the 15 minutes are up and the water is boiling, scoop approx. 1 cup of dough into the ricer and press into the boiling water OR if not using a ricer, drop dough by small teaspoon fulls into water.  The dough is ready to be removed to the colander once it's floating at the top.  About 2-3 minutes depending on the size of the noodles.  Repeat until all the dough is cooked. 

Once the dough is all cooked, heat a skillet on medium and melt 3 Tablespoons butter.  Once butter is melted, saute the cooked spaetzle until golden brown all over.  About 5 minutes. 

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I sauteed half a chopped onion and 3 medium zucchini's diced up while boiling the spaetzle.  Then I mixed it all together.  Spaetzle is great as a side dish for Schnitzel as well.  I'll have a recipe for Chicken Schnitzel up soon ;)

Kale Chips

We have a dehydrator that I have been having fun with trying new recipes.  My favorite thing to make with it thus far is Kale Chips.  You can use regular kale - I prefer the Lacinato or Dino Kale personally.

I haven't been able to find lacinato at the regular grocery store, but I can find it at Whole Foods and for those in Texas - Central Market.

1 Bunch Lacinato/Dino Kale
1/2 cup olive oil
pastry brush
wax/parchment paper
Dehydrator or Oven set to 350 F (if you use a dehydrator it's considered "raw" still)
seasonings of choice (I prefer sea salt and garlic powder)

Wash the kale and pat dry with a towel.  Strip the leaves from the stem. To do that, just grab the leaf at the bottom with one hand, wrap the other hand around the base in a loose grip/fist and pull stem and leaf in opposite directions.  I forgot to take a picture showing this.  It's really easy.  You can save the stems to juice if you have a juicer.  You can slice the leaves into smaller pieces or tear them into the size you prefer or leave them whole.

Brush the chips with the olive oil then sprinkle with the seasonings - be sparse with seasonings - dehydrating them makes them stronger.  You definitely need to cover them with oil or you'll just end up with wilted kale - not crisp chips.  I found that out the hard way :D

Arrange the leaves on the drying tray.  Once all are done, stack the trays and turn the dehydrator onto 110 F for 2-4 hours.  Check them periodically and rotate the trays so they dry evenly.  If you're baking them, line a non-insulated cookie tray with parchment paper and bake each batch for 10-15 minutes.(I've never baked them but they turn out similarly from what a friend says.)

Once they're done, eat and enjoy!  I've eaten them plain, with tuna and with hummus - not tuna and hummus together ;)

Orange Rolls

A friend of mine posted this on her blog and we really liked it.  The standard recipe is not very sweet.  They're a light dinner roll basically.  They also translate well to a sweet roll/cinnamon roll, too.

Mix and let stand:
1/2 c warm water
2 T yeast
1 T sugar or honey

1 c milk, scalded
1/2 c butter, melted in the milk
1/3 c sugar or honey
2 t salt
2 eggs, well beaten
4 1/2 c flour (I used white whole wheat and they were super light and fluffy)

Mix and add into yeast mixture.  Beat in 4 1/2 c flour.  Let mix for several minutes.  The dough will be very sticky.  Cover and put it in the fridge overnight.  Put it in something that is high enough because it'll rise in the fridge.

Two hours before eating, knead dough on a clean dry surface and divide in half.  Roll out each half into a rectangle.  Melt 1/2 c butter and stir in the zest of an orange.  Spread half melted butter on dough, roll up, and cut into 12 rolls. 

Put the rolls in muffin tins and let rise for 45 mins or doubled in size. Then bake in a 425 degree oven for 10-15 minutes.  

Note:  I glazed mine with extra orange syrup.  That'll be in the post with the Orange French Toast.  I also made cinnamon rolls out of the second half of dough.  They're really yummy!

Vegetable Gratin

6 zucchini, thinly sliced
6 tomatoes, finely chopped
6 garlic cloves, crushed, chopped
1 cup finely chopped basil or parsley
1 leek sliced, cleaned, towel dried
Salt and Pepper to taste
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 egg
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 shredded parmesan or italian blend cheese

Preheat the oven to 350 F degrees.  Butter a 12 inch baking dish or 13 x 9 inch dish.

Arrange half the zucc in a layer in the prepared dish.  Top with half the tomatoes and leeks.  Sprikle with half the garlic and basil.  Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with oil.  Top with remaining zucc and cover with the reamining tomatoes and leeks.  Sprinkle with the remaining garlic and basil.

Beat the egg and cream and season with salt and pepper.  Pour over the vegetables and then sprinkle the top with cheese.

Bake until the vegetables are tender, 50-60 minutes.  Serve hot.

Veggie Risotto

For the basic risotto recipe go here.  I made a variation that I like even more than the original!

1 c arborio rice
2 zucchini squash finely diced
1 yellow squash diced
1 bermuda (purple) onion diced
1 T cumin
1 tsp poultry seasoning 
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp curry powder
2-3 cups warm chicken broth

In a large pot heat the olive oil till it glistens, then saute the onion until it's soft.  Add garlic and spiced.  Saute for 1 minute.  Add the rice and stir to coat the grains with the oil, onion, garlic and seasonings.  When the rice turns opaque, add the stock 1/2 cup at a time.

When the stock has been absorbed by the rice, add the chicken stock 1/2 cup at a time, continuously stirring the rice.  You will most likely use all the chicken stock. (Note: It depends on humidity, etc. the amount of chicken stock you'll use.  In Phoenix, I almost always had to add extra stock.)  Once the rice is about halfway done, add the squash.  (The rice is softening, but still has come crunch.)

The risotto is finished when the grains of rice are still separate and al dente.  Remove the pan from the heat and add salt and other seasonings to taste if necessary.  Serve immediately.

Finger Foods #3 - Ham and Swiss Twists

1 package refrigerated pizza dough or 14 ounces fresh dough
6 very thin slices smoked ham
6 very think slices swiss cheese
Black Pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper.  Unroll dough on cutting board or clean work surface; press into 16 x 12 inch rectangle.  Arrange a single layer of cheese slices over half of dough, cutting slices to fit as necessary.  Top with ham slices; sprinkle with pepper.  Fold remaining half o dough over ham and cheese layers, creating 12 x 8 inch rectangle.  Cut dough into 1/2 inch strips wide about 8 inches long.  Twist strips several times; place on prepared baking sheets.  Bake about 14 minutes or until golden brown.  Serve warm.  Makes about 22 twists. 

Varitions:
Spread a thin layer of honey mustard on dough before layering ham and swiss. 
Use thin strips of pear and gruyere as substitutes. 
Substitute mozzarella and strips of sun dried tomatoes and dried basil. 

Finger Foods #2 - Roasted Red Potato Bites

1 1/2 lbs red potatoes (about 15 small) **Note: we've used small yukon golds as well. Both are good.
1 c shredded cheese of choice
1/2 c mayo or sour cream (we prefer sour cream over mayo)
1/2 c sliced green onions
10 slices bacon, crisp cooked and crumbled
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. On large baking sheet arrange potatoes and bake 35 minutes or until tender.  Let stand until cool enough to handle.  Cut each potato in half, then cut thin slice from bottom of each potato half.  With small melon baller or spoon, scoop pulp from potatoes leaving 1/4 inch shell.  Place pulp in medium bowl; set shells aside.  Lightly mash pulp.  Stir in ingredients.  Spoon or pipe potato filling into potato shells.  Arrange filled shells on baking sheet and broil 3 minutes or until golden and heated through.