Spanakopita Quesadillas

Posted by . April 9th, 2013 at 3:00 pm. Leave a comment.

Spanakopita Quesadillas

Back when I was living in Budapest, there was this amazing Greek restaurant that I loved to go to. It was right on Danube and had a wonderful patio during the summer and was nice and cozy in the winter. At the time I was also a pescatarian and trust me when I say it can be a challenge to find tasty vegetarian options in a land full of szalámi and gulyásleves. (I never quite understood where fish in a landlocked country came from, so I either didn’t question it or steered clear completely.) Between good veggie dishes and an excellent wine list, it was one of my favorite places in Bp.

I have really had a hankering for Greek food recently. Unfortunately nearly every dish I could think of involved pita or phyllo… While attempting to make gluten-free phyllo dough sounds like a wonderful challenge, unfortunately I just don’t have the time or patience to attempt it.  Being the resourceful type that I am, I took a look around the kitchen and decided to improvise. I made the executive decision that corn tortillas would make a perfect substitute (might sound strange to some, but corn tortillas are a staple in these parts, plus they are gluten-free and are very handy for holding/transporting food).

Spanakopita quesadillas were the perfect (gluten-free) fix for a Greek craving. Not authentic by any stretch, but the flavors were there and they were so, so, so easy to make. I threw in a few chopped kalamatas for fun and I served up these quesadillas with some delicious tomato pasta sauce (Trader Joe’s Roasted Garlic) and some Greek yogurt mixed with dill and a few spices in an attempt to make a totally illegitimate tzatziki. I do kind of , sort of, like tzatziki, but cucumber in general makes my skin crawl, so plain Greek yogurt and dill, garlic powder, pepper and lemon juice was the perfect compromise.

Spanakopita Quesadillas

Spanakopita Quesadillas

Ingredients

  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • 1 large onion, finely diced
  • 4+ cloves garlic, minced
  • 5 cups baby spinach
  • 1/2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper, freshly ground, or to taste
  • 1 pinch red pepper flakes (optional)
  • 4 corn tortillas
  • 1/2 cup grated mozzarella
  • 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
  • 1/4 cup kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
  • cooking spray
  • 1/2 cup prepared pasta sauce
  • 1/2 cup greek yogurt
  • 1 teaspoon dill
  • 1/2 lemon, juiced

Instructions

  1. First make the 'mock' tzatziki. Combine Greek yogurt, dill, garlic powder, pepper and lemon juice. Set aside.
  2. Heat oil in large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. When oil is heated add onion and cooking until translucent and starting to brown, about 6 minutes. Add in minced garlic and cook another minute or two until fragrant. Add oregano, black pepper and red pepper flakes (if using). Stir until mixed.
  3. Next add the baby spinach. Stir to coat and cook until spinach has wilted.
  4. Remove pan from heat and put the spinach mix into a bowl or plate and set aside. Wipe down the pan return to medium heat and spray with cooking spray (you can use a new pan, but why do more dishes?). Place one tortilla in the pan and heat. Flip over when warmed and sprinkle with 1/4 cup mozzarella. Top the cheese with half the spinach mixture, 1/4 cup of the feta and half the olives.
  5. Place another tortilla on top, spray lightly with cooking spray and use a spatula to flip the quesadilla over. Cook until the tortilla is warmed through and slightly crisp, about 3 minutes.
  6. Repeat with the other tortillas to make a second quesadilla.
  7. Serve with pasta sauce and 'tzatziki'.
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Turkey Pot Pie with Gluten Free Cheddar Biscuit Topping

Posted by . March 20th, 2013 at 10:40 pm. Leave a comment.

Turkey Pot Pie with Gluten Free Cheddar Biscuit Topping

 

Way back over New Year’s on my little jaunt up to San Francisco, my friend Nancy made mini-chicken pot pies with her awesome mini pie maker. I’m fairly certain it was the first time I have ever had chicken pot pie and I’ve had pot pie on the brain ever since. I know today is the first official day of spring, but it was sort of cold and super windy here today, so warm comfort food seems fitting.

I was super impressed with how the biscuit topping came out. I really didn’t have high hopes for Bisquick, but there was no way I wanted to try to roll out my own crust. The biscuit topping was the perfect solution. It was quick and easy and ended up being perfectly fluffy and crusty all at the same time. I served my pot pie with garlicky mashed potatoes and delicious roasted asparagus in garlic brown butter (there’s a garlic problem in these parts).

Turkey Pot Pie with Gluten Free Cheddar Biscuit Topping

Turkey Pot Pie with Gluten Free Cheddar Biscuit Topping

Ingredients

    For the Turkey Mixture
  • 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 3 cups cooked, shredded turkey
  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 large leek, chopped
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 4 large carrots, peeled and sliced
  • 4+ garlic cloves, minced
  • 10 ounces baby bella or button mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon tomato paste
  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour (I used Gluten Free Bisquick)
  • 1 cup milk, warmed
  • 2 teaspoons dry sherry or dry white wine
  • 2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme
  • Squeeze of fresh lemon juice
  • 3/4 cup frozen peas
  • For the Biscuit Topping
  • 1 1/2 cups biscuit/baking mix (I used Gluten Free Bisquick)
  • 3/4 cup shredded EXTRA sharp cheddar cheese
  • 3/4 cup milk
  • 3 tablespoons butter, melted

Instructions

  1. Heat oven to 400° degrees.
  2. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in the Dutch oven over medium heat. Stir in the leek, onion, and carrots. Season generously with salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and cook, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are just tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. While the vegetables are cooking, shred/cut the turkey into bite-sized pieces. When the vegetables are just tender, transfer to the bowl with the shredded turkey. Return the pot to the heat.
  3. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in the pan. Add the mushrooms, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms have released their liquid, about 5 minutes. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce and tomato paste. Increase the heat to medium-high, stirring often, until the liquid has evaporated and the mushrooms are somewhat browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer to the bowl with the chicken and the vegetables. Return the pot to the heat.
  4. Melt the butter over medium heat. When it is fully melted, whisk in the flour so that no clumps remain. Slowly whisk in the chicken broth, milk and sherry. Bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring frequently, and cook until the sauce thickens. Remove from the heat and stir in the thyme and lemon juice. Stir in the turkey-vegetable mixture and the frozen peas. Adjust seasoning to taste.
  5. For the Biscuit Topping
  6. In a small bowl, combine the topping ingredients; spoon over top of turkey mixture.
  7. Bake, uncovered, for 40-45 minutes or until bubbly and topping is golden brown. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.
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Gluten Free Goat Cheese Soufflés

Posted by . March 19th, 2013 at 1:00 pm. Leave a comment.

Double Cheese Souffles

This was my first attempt at making soufflés and I must say I was quite impressed. I know I have had soufflés in the past, but I only remember them being in dessert form, so I really had no idea what was going to happen once I closed the oven door. I crossed my fingers and hoped for the best. The texture was wonderful, really light and airy with just a little bit of crisp from the top crust. I really like that you could taste the goat cheese in every bite as well.

I think for this recipe to be a success, a scale is going to be necessity. I absolutely adore my small little kitchen scale and it’s definitely one of the most worthwhile investments I’ve made in a kitchen accessory. At the time I didn’t have any one cup ramekins to bake these, so used half cup ramekins instead. I have since found bigger ramekins at Ikea for next to nothing, so next time I will try the bigger cup.

 

Gluten Free Goat Cheese Soufflés

Adapted from BBC Good Food.

Ingredients

  • 25g/1 ounce butter
  • 25g/1 ounce flour (I used Better Batter)
  • 250g/8.8 ounces soft goat's cheese , crumbled
  • 50g/2 ounces Parmesan (or vegetarian alternative), grated
  • 2 Tablespoons chopped chives
  • 5 eggs, separated
  • 250ml/1 cup milk

Instructions

  1. Heat the oven to 400F/200C.
  2. Butter 4 x 250ml/1 cup soufflé dishes. (I used 8 half cup ramekins.)
  3. Melt the butter in a saucepan, stir in the flour and cook for a minute or so. Slowly add the milk, stirring all the time to make a thick sauce. Cook for a couple of minutes to get rid of the floury taste.
  4. Stir in the cheeses and chives then add 4 of the egg yolks, season generously and mix well.
  5. In a clean bowl, whisk all the egg whites until they are stiff and form soft peaks. Carefully fold the egg whites into the cheese mixture and pour into the buttered soufflé dishes.
  6. Cook for 12-15 minutes until the soufflés are risen and golden.
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Smoky Tomato Lentil Soup With Spinach & Olives

Posted by . March 18th, 2013 at 6:43 pm. Leave a comment.

Smoky Tomato Lentil Soup With Spinach & Olives

This soup is phenomenal. It might actually be one of the best things I’ve made recently. And it’s soup-er easy (sorry, just can’t resist a bad pun)! A bit of chopping and boiling and you have a delicious meal. The flavors are just amazing together. Granted paprika, onion and garlic are probably my favorite flavors, but really they were just made to be in this soup together.

The original recipe called for kalamatas. I ran out last week and much to my extreme disappointment, my Costco has decided to stop stocking them… At the rate I go through olives, kalamatas are just too expensive to be bought in any quantity less than Costco-sized bulk. I used green pimento stuffed olives and they were wonderful. Since they are so salty, I made sure to use low-sodium broth and didn’t add in any extra salt. It definitely was not needed.

I absolutely loved this soup. I definitely plan on making it again, hopefully the poor weather keeps up and it will be repeated sooner, rather than later. Even though this soup was great, I might make a few minor changes. I think the paprika could have used another flavor to combine with. I was thinking a bit of cayenne maybe or a squeeze of lemon perhaps or even a little drizzle of balsamic. Just a little addition could add a whole new layer of depth and deliciousness.

Smoky Tomato Lentil Soup With Spinach & Olives

Adapted from The Punk Post Kitchen.

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 yellow onions, diced
  • 6+ cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 3 tablespoons smoked paprika
  • 1 1/2 cups dried brown lentils (or green lentils)
  • 5 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
  • Fresh black pepper
  • 2 (14.5) ounce cans diced tomatoes
  • 4 cups fresh baby spinach (or chopped spinach)
  • 3/4 cup roughly salty chopped olives (I used green pimento stuffed olives)

Instructions

  1. Heat oil a large soup pot over medium high heat. Saute onions in oil until translucent, about 5-8 minutes. Add garlic and saute about a minute or so, then mix in the thyme and paprika.
  2. Add the lentils, broth, and pepper. Cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn heat to medium and cook for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lentils are almost tender. Add the tomatoes. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to simmer for another 20 minutes or so, or until lentils are very tender. Add spinach and olives and stir frequently until spinach is wilted and velvetty. Add water or more broth to thin, if necessary.
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St. Patrick’s Day Side Dishes: Horseradish & Scallion Mashed Potatoes

Posted by . March 15th, 2013 at 2:59 pm. Leave a comment.

Irish Beef Stew

Look beyond the Irish Beef Stew and let’s talk about the potatoes. I’m Irish. I love potatoes. I’m basically a potato expert. While I have nothing against tried and true, plain mashed potatoes, sometimes you just need to spice things up a bit. I like horseradish quite a lot and horseradish is quite nice with beef dishes. I knew I was going to like these, but I was very pleasantly surprised about how well the horseradish went with the stew. The horseradish really brought out the best of the flavors on the stew. I think these potatoes would be the perfect side dish to any St. Patrick’s Day meal

 

Horseradish & Scallion Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes
  • Kosher salt
  • 1/2 stick softened butter or 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 cup milk
  • Freshly ground pepper
  • 2+ tablespoons prepared horseradish (I think more is better)
  • 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup chopped scallions

Instructions

  1. Put the potatoes in a saucepan; cover with cold water and add 2 tablespoons kosher salt. Bring to a simmer over medium-low to medium heat and cook, uncovered, until tender, about 45 minutes. Drain the potatoes and let sit until just cool enough to handle, then peel and transfer to a bowl.
  2. Add the butter/oil to the potatoes. Add the milk, 2 teaspoons kosher salt, and pepper to taste; mash with a potato masher or large fork.
  3. Fold in the horseradish and half the scallions. Spoon the mashed potatoes into a serving dish and sprinkle with the remaining scallions.
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Mustard Glaze Corned Beef

Posted by . March 13th, 2013 at 9:09 pm. Leave a comment.

Mustard Glazed Corned Beef

 

Even though I’ve posted two beef recipes in a row, I am generally pretty picky about my red meat. I usually only eat red meat on the rare (pun!) occasion I go to a steakhouse (NY strip, medium please). Red meat in general, and steaks to be exact, are the one thing I have yet to find and master a go-to, fail-proof recipe (quality beef is too expensive to experiment with). Brisket would be the one exception to the red meat rule. I can make a mean brisket. I did learn from the best. Mama CC makes the best corned beef I have ever had. Yes, I am completely biased, but really her recipe is wonderful. So wonderful I need to share it.

The special secret to her corned beef is the amazing mustard glaze she puts on top before serving. It’s delicious. There is something about the sweet, slightly caramelized mustard and the combination of salty corned beef that is out of this world. If you really want to impress any St. Patrick’s Day guests, I highly recommend this recipe. I would also recommend serving with a horseradish sour cream sauce on the side. It’s the perfect finishing touch.

Mustard Glaze Corned Beef

Ingredients

    For the Corned Beef:
  • 3-5 pounds corned beef (with spice packet or brine, if included), trimmed of excess fat
  • 12 ounces pale ale/light beer or low-sodium beef broth
  • 1 large onion, quartered
  • 2 large carrots, peeled and cut in half
  • 4 cloves garlic, smashed
  • 2 dried bay leaves
  • For the Glaze:
  • 1/2 cup grainy mustard
  • 1/4 cup packed brown sugar (dark or light, doesn't matter)

Instructions

  1. Place corned beef in a large pot. Add the beer/broth, onion, garlic, carrots, bay leaves, 1 1/2 cups water and the contents of the spice packet/brine, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until very tender and easily pierced with a fork, 2 1/2 to 3 hours.
  2. Heat oven to 375ºF. Transfer the beef to a foil-lined baking sheet.
  3. Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine the mustard and sugar. Brush the beef with the mustard mixture and roast until the sauce has thickened and set slightly, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer the beef to a cutting board and let sit 5-10 minutes. To serve, slice thinly across the grain.
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Thai Turkey Lettuce Wraps

Posted by . February 26th, 2013 at 9:00 am. Leave a comment.

Thai Turkey Lettuce Wraps

I made these wraps a few weeks ago when I was getting over a cold/throat/lack-of-functioning-tastebuds type of thing. Since I had gone for about a week without being able to really taste anything, once I was feeling better I wanted flavor and lots of it. These lettuce wraps did not disappoint. Apart from being super, super fast and easy to throw together, I really liked how the flavors worked together. They all combined to create an amazing dish, but you could still get little hints of the individual flavors in every bite.

As for the lettuce, I would stick to Bibb or large butter lettuce. In these parts it’s usually sold as ‘living’ lettuce with the roots still attached in a little plastic box. Or iceberg. I know iceberg has no nutritional value apart from practically being water, but I love it. It’s got a great crunch to it. The iceberg also helped tame the spice from the turkey. It ended up being a good balance.

Thai Turkey Lettuce Wrap

Thai Turkey Lettuce Wraps

Adapted from Tablespoon.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/4 lb ground turkey
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 6 green onions, chopped
  • 4 Tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 3 limes, juiced
  • 2 Tablespoons fish sauce
  • 3 Tablespoons peanut butter (I used chunky)
  • 1 Tablespoon garlic and red chile paste (use less if you don't like spice)
  • 1 cup shredded carrots
  • 1/3 cup chopped salted peanuts (can omit if using chunky peanut butter)
  • 12 medium lettuce (Bibb, Butter or Iceberg) leaves, rinsed, patted dry with paper towel

Instructions

  1. In large nonstick skillet, cook turkey over medium-high heat. Sprinkle with garlic powder and the juice of one lime. Stir frequently, until thoroughly cooked; drain and return to skillet. Stir in green onions, cilantro, lime juice, fish sauce, peanut butter, and chile paste. Cook 3 to 4 minutes longer or until hot.
  2. To serve, spoon 2 heaping tablespoons turkey mixture, 1 tablespoons carrot and 1 teaspoon peanuts (if using) onto each lettuce leaf; wrap around filling. Serve warm.
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Baked Salmon with Garlic & Dijon

Posted by . February 23rd, 2013 at 9:00 am. Leave a comment.

Baked Salmon with Garlic & Dijon

I had this post all ready to go and then forgot to hit schedule… Oops. I’m back in school again and I’m still trying to figure out a blogging schedule that will work with school, life, and my addled brain. But let’s move on to the salmon now. 

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I don’t like salmon. I love fish, but salmon is generally just too fishy for me. There are of course a few exceptions (I’m looking at you delicious Pesto Salmon). I think I have found another exception!

The main reason I like this recipe is that it is so easy. It’s basically foolproof. And secondly, the flavors! It’s difficult to go wrong with garlic and Dijon. We made this for a luncheon (lunch party? Doesn’t sound as good as dinner party) and ended up doubling the recipe. We had a tons of salmon, two whole fillets. If I was using this much salmon again, I would probably triple the marinade. Even with less salmon, I would still keep the garlic mixture doubled, but I’m a saucy person. We made the salmon ahead of time and served it cold at the lunch. I will admit I did sample a small bit of the salmon when it first came out of the oven and I was in love at first bite. It was just as delicious cold.

Leftover idea! We made two whole fillets and had the smaller one left over. I made an amazing salmon salad for lunch the next day. I took about a quarter of the leftover salmon and mixed it with 1 Tablespoon Dijon, 3 Tablespoons greek yogurt, 1/4 red onion, 3 sprigs fresh dill, a squeeze of lemon juice & salt and pepper. I had it with some crackers.  It was a tasty and super fast lunch.

Baked Salmon with Garlic & Dijon

Ingredients

  • 3 pounds salmon (this was wild sockeye salmon)
  • 4 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
  • 5 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/4 cup mild olive oil
  • 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
  • Lemon slices, for garnish

Instructions

  1. Heat oven to 450°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with tinfoil and set aside.
  2. In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients except for the salmon and lemon slices. Mix well.
  3. Place salmon skin side down on lined baking sheet.
  4. Generously brush all sides of your salmon with the marinade and top with fresh lemon slices.
  5. Bake at 450°F for 12-15 minutes or until just cooked through.
  6. Cut salmon into pieces and serve with lemon slices.
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