foodie wednesday: spanakopita (a.k.a. spinach pie)

a few weeks ago, i had a girls' dinner with my old boss and former co-worker.  my boss, barb, made a delicious spanakopita (spinach pie) for dinner filled with veggies, yummy feta cheese and wrapped up in a buttery, flaky phyllo crust.

this past monday was "2 months until i do" so i wanted to make something a little different and a little special for our dinner.  knowing craig would love it, i asked barb for her spanakopita recipe.  i made it, and it was delicious!  so, obviously, my next thought was to share the recipe with all of you : )

here's what you'll need:

1/2 package (approx. 20 sheets) of phyllo dough
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup mushrooms, chopped
16 oz bag of frozen spinach
3 eggs
1 cup cottage cheese
6 oz feta, crumbled
2 tbsp butter, melted
olive oil
salt & pepper
8 to 9 in pie plate

1. preheat your oven to 375 degrees while you prep the filling.

2. saute onions & mushrooms in a drizzle of olive oil.  cook until lightly browned and softened.

3. while veggies cook, defrost spinach in microwave and drain/press out excess water.

4. mix veggies, spinach, feta and cottage cheese together.  in a separate bowl, lightly scramble the eggs and then add them to the filling.  mix well and season with salt & pepper.

5. take a teaspoon of the melted butter and coat pie plate with it.  then layer in 2-3 sheets of phyllo, drizzle with butter (or brush with butter) and then layer on another 2-3 sheets.  continue until you have 10-12 sheets on the bottom.  tip: since the sheets are square, every time you're done with a layer, give the pie plate a 1/4 turn so that it creates an even crust.

6. spoon filling over the phyllo crust and then cover with 2-3 sheets, drizzle/brush with butter, and continue until you use the remainder of the butter and phyllo.  (again, turn the plate as you proceed to create an even covering.)

7. pierce top to allow steam to escape and then bake for approximately 45 min or until top is golden brown and crispy.

8. allow to cool for at least 10 min before serving.

we enjoyed ours with a simple side salad.  and there were plenty of leftovers - enough for dinner again the next night...and a bit left for lunch after that!

enjoy!

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foodie wednesday: mexican stir fry

last night for dinner, i was feeling like mexican, so i whipped up a quick mexican stir fry.  though i love cooking (from scratch), i took some short cuts - like using a boxed rice mix - in order to save time and energy.  overall, the reviews were good, and craig and i both filled our plates more than once!

here's what went down:

1 box goya spanish rice mix - arroz con tomate
1 medium vidalia onion, chopped
2 red lombak peppers (i.e. mild cayenne)
1/2 cup baby portabellas, chopped
1/4 pound lean ground turkey
1 cup chopped romaine (optional)
1 tbsp chopped garlic
1 tsp red curry
salt to taste
olive oil

toppings:
avocado
salsa
cilantro or basil

1. get the rice going according to box's instructions, so it can cook while you prepare the stir fry.

2. saute the onions, peppers and mushrooms in a bit of olive oil.  season with garlic, curry and salt.  continue to saute until onions are translucent and veggies are beginning to brown.

3. create space in the center of the pan and add a bit more olive oil and the turkey.  season turkey with a bit more salt and cook until turkey is cooked completely.

4. allow stir fry to cool slightly and add in some chopped cilantro (i was completely out of cilantro, so i used some basil from our garden, which did the trick nicely!)

5. when rice is done, fluff it lightly before serving.

6. assemble plate: romaine covered with rice & stir fry mixture and topped with chopped avocado and salsa.  yum!

this recipe makes approx. 4 servings.  meaning craig and i both had a hearty dinner and there was still enough for our lunches the next day : )

want some more simply delicious dinner ideas?  check out vegetables & vodka {here}.  a FREE e-cookbook filled with healthy dinners and low-cal cocktails!

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foodie wednesday: blueberry & lemon tart

i was tasked for making the dessert for our girls' night this evening.  i'm meeting up with my former boss and co-worker for an evening of hors d'oeuvres, wine, home cooked dinner, wine, blueberry & lemon tart...more wine?

i tend to be more of a cook than a baker, so i decided to keep it simple.  fresh blueberries, lemon curd and (store bought) pie crust : )

1 pint blueberries
10 oz jar of lemon curd
1 tbsp lemon zest
1 egg
2 pie crusts (yes, two)
1 tbsp sugar in the raw

1. preheat oven to 375 degrees

2. in a bowl, combine lemon curd, egg and zest.

3. fold blueberries into lemon mixture.

4. for a free-form tart, spray baking tray with non-stick spray and create a foil ring to support the crust.  (if you want to make a more traditional tart, use an 8 inch tart pan.)

5. lay both crusts over foil ring and fill indented center with blueberry/lemon filling.  since the filling has a tendency to run, you need two crusts to support it for a free-form.  you could probably get away with just on crust if you're using a tart pan.

6. fold edges of crust up and over filling and "pinch" to secure the folds.  if it seems stable, you can remove the foil ring.

7. sprinkle crust with sugar.

8. bake for 45-50 min until crust is golden brown.

allow to cool before serving.  you can even pop it in the fridge to make sure the filling sets.

i haven't tasted it yet...because i'm bringing it tonight...but it smells divine!  i mean really, you can't go wrong with blueberry & lemon anything in my book.

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foodie wednesday: vegetables & vodka

first off, i want to thank you all for your lovely words of encouragement regarding my (in)decision about taking yogadharma teacher training.  in no small part because of your feedback, i have decided to do it!  by may of 2012, i will be a certified yoga teacher : )  very exciting!

on a different (but no less exciting) note, my cookbook, vegetables & vodka, is complete!  after a lot of contemplation about the best way to distribute it, i've decided to forgo traditional paper printing and am instead offering it as a FREE ebook as a thank to all of you, my wonderful supporters.

the ebook format is much more in-line with lifestyle maven's philosophy: it's green, it's shareable, and it allows you to easily access the blogs of all the fabulous contributors that made vegetables & vodka possible.

i am so excited to share these delicious healthy dinner recipes & low-cal cocktails with all of you.  all i ask is that if you love the cookbook, share it!

cheers, mavens : )

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