Spanakopita

Spanakopita (spinach and feta pie)

This dish is really delicious, and great for dinners at home as well as parties. It can be served as an appetizer or as part of a complete meal with a salad and other small dishes on the side.

Ingredients:

1 lb spinach

5-6 finely chopped scallions

1/2 cup finely chopped parsley

1 lb feta cheese, crumbled

1/4 cup milk

4 eggs, beaten

salt and pepper

1/4 cup melted butter + 1/4 cup olive oil

2/3 lb ready-made filo pastry

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Blanch the spinach in boiling water for one minute, then drain and squeeze out as much water as possible.

Chop the spinach, and mix with the scallions, parsley, cheese, milk, eggs, salt and pepper.

Melt oil and butter together, and brush a thin coating of it onto a 14-inch baking pan with a pastry brush. Layer half of the filo sheets into the pan, brushing the oil & butter combo between each layer.

Spread the spinach filling evenly on top, then cover with the remaining filo sheets, again brushing each sheet with oil & butter.

Score into 12 serving pieces, sprinkle with a little water, and bake for 1 hour or until golden brown. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Spiced Lentil-Coconut Stew

This is the delicious dinner that Bill and I enjoyed tonight. It was so good, I decided to share the recipe with all of you...

The dish is great served over basmati rice...








Spiced Lentil-Coconut Stew

1 Tbspn olive oil
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 small carrot, thinly sliced on a diagonal
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 small hot chile, seeded and minced
1 tsp peeled and minced fresh ginger
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1/8 tsp turmeric
3 cups vegetable stock or water
1 1/2 cup dried brown lentils, picked over and rinsed
1 large waxy white potato, peeled and diced
2 cups well-washed spinach
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
salt & freshly ground black pepper

1) Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, garlic, chile, and ginger, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes. Stir in the cardamom, mustard, allspice, and turmeric and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds.
2) Pour in the stock, add the lentils and potato, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the lentils and vegetables are soft, about 45 minutes. About 10 minutes before the end of the cooking time, stir in the spinach, coconut milk, and salt and pepper to taste; add more stock if the stew is too dry. Serve hot.