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Ok, so that was my sad attempt at an English accent. LOL Did you hear it? Was it close? The other day my friends were giggling at my accent from the video I posted…they said I have a combination of Minnesotan and Spanish accents (Spanisoooodan, hey? hehe)…I dunno. I don’t think I have one. LMAO

Anyway, about those taaaahts…one of the best fillings for pretty much *anything* is the spinach and feta combo. Spanakopita, quiche, tarts, omelettes, bread…I love the way the tangy feta contrasts with the delicate flavor of the spinach. And? It’s practically health food, what with all the calcium, folic acid and other nutrients these little babies provide. The filling is so quick and easy to throw together, too. Now, put this healthy and delicious stuff into some puff pastry…What’s not to love?

I’d also like to submit these little delights to this month’s Monthly Mingle Event (this month’s theme is appetizers) at Mansi Desai’s site, Fun and Food.  This fun event was started by Meeta at What’s for lunch, Honey?.  Go and check out the event and these great blogs!

Just look at that flaky goodness!  Let’s get started making them.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, minced
1 pound (400 grams) frozen spinach, squeezed dry
1 bunch spring onions, chopped
2 tablespoons dill
juice from 1 lemon
1/2 pound (200 grams) feta cheese, crumbled
1 egg
salt and pepper to taste
1 sheet puff pastry, cut into 9 equally sized squares

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350ºF/175ºC.
Lightly oil muffin tins or ramekins with olive oil.
Heat butter over medium heat and saute garlic until golden.
Add onion and saute until soft.
Add spring onion and spinach and stir well.

Remove from heat and add dill, lemon juice and cheese, and then season with salt and pepper to taste.
Stir in egg, beaten.  Look at this filling!

Line muffin tins with a square of pastry, and put a bit of filling on each.
Pinch the corners together, leaving a little breathing space (you can see this here).
Bake about 20-30 minutes or until golden.

Tartaletas de Espinacas

Ingredientes:

2 cucharadas mantequilla
2 dientes de ajo, majados
1 cebolla, picada
400 gramos espinacas congeladas, completamente escurridas del agua
1 manojo cebolletas, picadas
2 cucharadas eneldo
zumo de 1 limón
200 gramos queso feta, desmenuzado
1 huevo
sal y pimienta al gusto
1 lámina de hojaldre, cortada en 9 cuadrados

Elaboración:

Precalentar el horno a 175ºC.
Engrasar unas flaneras individuales con un poco de aceite de oliva
Calentar la sartén y dorar el ajo en la mantequilla.
Añadir la cebolla y sofreir hasta que esté tierna.
Añadir la cebolleta y las espinacas y remover bien.
Retirar del fuego y añadir el eneldo, el zumo, el queso y salpimentar.
Añadir el huevo batido y mezclar bien.
Forar cada flanera con una pieza de hojaldre.
Poner un poco del relleno en cada una y cerrar las puntas.
Hornear durante 20-30 minutos o hasta que estén doradas.

Tags: appetizers, blogging events, cheese, onions, recipes, spinach, step by step, vegetables, vegetarian by nikki
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hehehe I just couldn’t resist that title.  The other day I was over at Tony’s site, Olive Juice.  He had posted this incredible mushroom tart recipe.  My Gawd I could hardly stand it.  Sauteed mushrooms with wine, goat cheese and mascarpone all nestled in a puff pastry shell.  Can YOU stand it?  That’s like heaven right there. 

Who knew that Heaven came in bite sized tarts?  Well, I guess Tony did, since he came up with the concept.  Immediately, I was jotting down the ingredients for the next week’s shopping trip.  Luckily, my food store had the mascarpone this week (score!), so I didn’t even need to make a special trip anywhere else.  Lucky Lucky!    So, I took Tony’s idea and ran with it.  Ran and ran…the concept is similar, but I kind of reinvented it a little, and took some short cuts (Tony, if you’re reading, please avert your eyes lmao), such as purchasing the pastry.  I changed the technique a bit and the presentation is more rustic than his.  I must say, though, that they turned out pretty daaaaayumed good. So, thank you, Tony for the inspiration.  This is going to be one of those recipes that makes it on the party food list.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 spring onion, finely chopped
10 large button mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup white wine
1/2 pound (200 grams) purchased puff pastry
1/4 cup goat cheese (chevre)
1/4 cup mascarpone
salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

First, saute the garlic in the butter until golden.
Add the white parts of the spring onion and continue to saute until soft.
Add mushroom slices and season with salt and pepper.
Cover and cook over medium heat until cooked through and beginning to brown.
Add wine and reduce just a bit.
Remove from heat and toss in the green part of the spring onion, and give it a good stir.

Preheat oven to 400ºF/190ºC.
Lightly oil 9 ramekins.
Cut the puff pastry into 9 equally sized squares.
Place a square of pastry into each ramekin, and poke the bottom with a fork.
Add a bit of mushroom saute to each cup.

Mix the chevre and mascarpone in a bowl with some salt and pepper.
Top each mushroom cup with a little cheese mixture.

Pinch the four corners together and sort of twist the tart closed, like this:

Place the ramekins on a baking sheet and bake for about 20-30 minutes, or until golden.
Serve hot or at room temp.

Tartaletas de Champiñones:

Ingredientes:

2 cucharadas mantequilla
2 dientes de ajo, majados
1 cebolleta, picada
10 champiñones grandes, en láminas
1/4 vaso de vino blanco
200 gramos hojaldre
1/4 vaso queso de cabra
1/4 vaso queso mascarpone
salt and pepper to taste

Elaboración:

Primero, dorar el ajo en la mantequilla.
Añadir la parte blanca de la cebolleta y sofreir un poco.
Añadir los champiñones y salpimentar.
Tapar y cocinar a fuego medio hasta que estén tiernos los champiñones y están empezando a dorar.
Añadir un chorrito de vino y remover, dejándolo reducir un poquito.
Retirar del fuego, y añadir la parte verde de la cebolleta, y remover bien.
Calentar el horno a 190ºC.
Engrasar 9 flaneras con aceite de oliva.
Cortar el hojaldre en 9 cuadrados.
Poner una pieza de hojaldre en cada flanera y añadir un poco de champiñones.
En un bol pequeño, mezclar el queso de cabra y el mascarpone y salpimentar.
Poner un poquito de queso a cada tartaleta.
Cerrar cada tartaleta uniendo las esquinas y presionando un poco.
Hornear durante 20-30 minutos o hasta que estén doradas.
Servir caliente o a temperatura ambiente.

Tags: appetizers, cheese, mushrooms, onions, recipes, step by step, vegetables, vegetarian by nikki
28 Comments »

Are you guys as addicted to cooking magazines as I am?  I mean, the first thing I do every Monday before I pick up the groceries, is pop into the news stand to see if there are any new food mags to be purchased.  If there are, it may alter the grocery list, depending on what’s inside.  I can’t get a lot of the ones from the States (or any, for that matter, lmfao), but there is quite a variety here as well.  One of the newer mags that has caught my eye is called, “Cocina Viva, el Arte de Comer,” (which means, “Living Kitchen, the Art of Eating”).  This is a great magazine because it provides a variety of different types of recipes in every issue.  There are sections for entertaining, for cooking on a budget, for kids and seasonal dishes.  You can see why I can’t leave this one on the shelf, right?   The recipe I’m posting today is based on a recipe I found in the latest issue.  And guess what?  It’s ready in 20 minutes.  20 minutes!  I would totally serve this dish for guests…it’s elegant and rich, yet affordable and quick.  I served this with fries and a Ceasar Salad (to be posted soon), and almost lost any semblance of charm and grace (that I may or may not have had) whilst trying to mop up every last bit of that sauce.  The meat is *super* tender, and just combines so extremely well with the sauce.  I hope you like this one as much as we did…even the kids went in for seconds!  Including the picky pants “I don’t liiiiiiiike meat” kids.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
6 pork tenderloins
sea salt and pepper to taste
2 cups heavy cream (to skinny it up a bit, use half and half or milk)
1 chicken boullion cube
garlic powder to taste
salt to taste
white pepper to taste
1/2 pound (200 grams) grana padano cheese (half in very thin slices, half grated)

Preparation:

Heat oil over medium high heat.
Season tenderloins with salt and black pepper.
Sear tenderloins on all sides, then reduce heat and cover.
Cook tenderloins to desired doneness.
Meanwhile, prepare sauce.
Heat cream over medium heat.
Dissolve the boullion cube in the cream, then season with garlic powder, salt and white pepper.
When the sauce is nearing a boil, add the grated cheese, stirring constantly until melted, and sauce thickens.
If you like the sauce a bit thicker, add a bit of water mixed with cornstarch to thicken a little more.
Pour a little bit of the sauce onto the serving plate.
Slice each tenderloin into medallions and place on top of sauce.
Place a slice of cheese in between each medallion of tenderloin.
Serve immediately.

Solomillo de Cerdo en Salsa de Grana Padano en Español:

Ingredientes:

2 cucharadas aceite de oliva
6 solomillos de cerdo (un kilo y medio en total)
sal y pimienta al gusto
2 vasos nata (para hacerlo con menos calorias, sustituir leche o una mezcla de leche y nata)
1 dadito de AveCrem
ajo en polvo al gusto
sal y pimienta blanca al gusto
200 grams queso grana padano (la mitad en lasquitas finas, la mitad rallado)

Elaboración:

Calentar el aceite sobre fuego medio fuerte.
Sazonar los solomillos con la sal y la pimienta.
Dorar los solomillos por cada lado, y a continuación, bajar el fuego y tapar.
Cocinar hasta que estén hechos al gusto.
Mientras tanto, preparar la salsa.
Calentar nata a fuego medio.
Disolver el AveCrem en la nata, y a continuación sazonar con el ajo en polvo, sal y pimienta blanca.
Cuanda la salsa se acera a hervir, añadir el queso rallado, removiendo constantemente hasta que se derrite, y la salsa se espese.
Si te gusta la salsa un poco mas espesa, añadir un poquito de agua mezclada con maicena para espesarla un poco.
Verter un poco de la salsa sobre un plato de servir.
Cortar los solomillos en rodajas, y colocar las rodajas sobre la salsa, poniendo una lasca de queso entre cada medallón de carne.
Servir.

Tags: cheese, pork, recipes by nikki
17 Comments »

The other day I posted an entry for Mochachocolatarita’s Chinese Take-Out Party…(if you guys haven’t checked out her party yet, get over there!  There are tons of delicious dishes to be had!)…Of course, once the round-up was posted, my fingers couldn’t click the mouse fast enough to get to her site.  There are main dishes, rices, noodles, appies, soups and desserts.  There were a couple (ok, ok *more* than a couple!) of dishes that really caught my eye.  The Kung Pao Chicken entries were especially insistent with the powers that be within my grumbling stomach.  Kung Pao Chicken is basically chicken and peanuts, stirfried in a delicious brown sauce.  But take this simple dish and add a bunch of ginger and vegetables, and you have elevated it to something sublime.  The entries on Rita’s page inspired me to go out and make some Kung Pao, go and see what inspires you!

Ingredients:

2 pounds (1 kilo) chicken breast, small dice
1/4 cup cornstarch
salt and pepper to taste
2-3 tablespoons sunflower or peanut oil
1 knob of ginger (about 1-2 inches), minced
4-5 cloves garlic, minced
1 large onion, diced
1/4 head of cabbage, chopped or sliced
1/2 yellow pepper, diced
1/2 red pepper, diced
1-2 ribs of celery, thinly sliced
other veggies at will
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup rice vinegar
a good splash of sesame oil
1 tablespoon sugar (more or less to taste)
1/2 cup water or chicken broth
1 cup peanuts (more or less to taste)
2-3 thai chilis, sliced (optional)

Preparation:

It’s best to prep everything before you get started, so here’s what I’d recommend.
Combine the chicken, cornstarch, salt and pepper in a bowl and reserve.
Chop and mince all vegetables according to the ingredients list.
Whisk sauce ingredients (soy through broth/water) in a small bowl and reserve.
Heat oil in a larger wok over high heat.
When the oil comes to just below smoking point, add the ginger and garlic and stirfry until golden.
Add chicken and toss around until cooked through.
Add vegetables and continue to toss around until desired doneness.
Add sauce mixture and stirfry until sauce thickens.
Add peanuts and serve over steamed rice.

Pollo al estilo Kung Pao

Ingredientes:

1 kilo pechuga de pollo, en daditos
4 cucharadas de Maicena
sal y pimienta al gusto
2-3 cucharadas aceite de semilla o de cacahuete
1 pieza de jengibre (2-3 cm), picada
4-5 dientes de ajo, majados
1 cebolla grande, picada
1/4 col, picada
1/2 pimiento amarillo, troceado
1/2 pimiento rojo, troceado
1-2 tallos de apio, picado
otras verduras que te gusten
1/2 vaso salsa de soja
1/2 vaso vinagre de arroz
un buen rocío de aceite de sésamo
1 cucharada de azúcar (mas o menos, al gusto)
1/2 vaso agua o caldo de pollo
1 vaso cacahuetes, mas o menos
2-3 gindillas, picadas (opcional)

Elaboración:

Es mejor tenerlo todo listo para freir antes de empezar, así que esto es lo que recomiendo.
Mezclar el pollo con la maicena, sal y pimienta y reservar.
Picar todos las verduras según la lista de ingredientes.
Mezclar todos los ingredientes de la salsa (desde la soja hasta el agua/caldo), y reservar.
Calentar aceite en un wok sobre fuego fuerte.
Cuando llega a casi el punto de humo, sofreir jengibre y ajo hasta que estén dorados.
Añadir el pollo y saltear hasta que esté hecho.
Ahora, añadir las verduras y saltear hasta que estén en su punto.
Añadir la mezcla de la salsa y cocinar hasta que se espese un poco.
Añadir los cacahuetes y servir sobre arroz al vapor.

Tags: asian, blogging events, chicken, onions, peppers, poultry, recipes, rice, vegetables by nikki
24 Comments »

Yeah, so earlier in the week I had posted about staring at Peter’s (of Kalofagas) delicious Eggs Benedict recipe…Staring at Peter’s recipes is nothing new for me.  His site is a daily read.  He has a wonderful sense of humor, and is a phenomenal cook.  You should SEE some of the delicious things he cooks up!  He is of Greek descent, and, luckily for us, he shares his mouthwatering recipes, and the fun stories of Greece and his heritage that go along with them.  Not too long ago he had posted his recipe for Cheese Stuffed Keftedes (couldn’t you just *die* at how good those sound?)…well, I knew I had to put those on the menu.  I mean, Come ON!  Keftedes?  Stuffed with Cheese?  I may have fainted into my keyboard.  Actually, I’m pretty sure I did, because I had these weird square bruises on my forehead. This week, I could wait no more.  Monday I bought the ingredients to make his hellaciously good recipe. 

I’m not going to post Peter’s recipe, because I actually followed it pretty much to the letter…I had to substitute Gouda cheese (see it trying to escape there? lol) for the Greek cheese, though, since I can’t get the types he recommended for the recipe.

To go along with these delicious morsels of Greek joy, I decided to make a fresh tzatziki (pictured here) and hummus (pictured below).

Tzatziki Ingredients:

2 cups plain Greek yogurt, strained overnight
1 large cucumber, peeled and seeded, diced
1 smaller bunch of mint, minced (about 1/4 cup)
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

Mix all ingredients.
Cover and refrigerate several hours or overnight.
Drain any excess liquid thay may have formed before serving.

The hummus was an excellent dip for both the keftedes and the pitas.  I tell you, this is perfect summer food, you guys. The next time you plan on grilling plain old burgers? Forget that idea, and make these instead! Seriously, they are amazing.

Hummus Ingredients: 

1 jar garbanzo beans (14 oz, 800 grams), mostly drained
2-3 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons tahini
juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
salt to taste

Preparation:

Using a food processor, mince garlic first, then add garbanzos and process until semi-smooth.
Add tahini, lemon juice, olive oil and salt and continue to process until creamy.
*If mixture still seems a bit thick, add a tablespoon or two of water to help it along.

Las Recetas en Español:

Keftedes de Peter (traducido directamente de su página web), Ingredientes:

1 kilo carne molida
2 cebollas, ralladas
4 rebanadas de pan, humedecidas con agua y desmenuzadas
1 cucharadita de ajo en polvo, o ajo fresco majado
2 huevos
1 cucharadita orégano
1 cucharadita perejil picado
1 pizca de comino
sal y pimienta al gusto
queso en lonchas para rellenar (Vlahotyri o Kasseri) (yo utilizé Gouda)

Elaboración:

Mezclar todos los ingredientes en un bol (mejor con las manos).
Formar hamburguesas finas, y reservar en un plato.
Tapar con film transparente y meter en la nevera durante al menos 4 horas.
Antes de asar, dejar que los keftedes vuelvan a temperatura ambiente. Cojer una loncha de queso y
ponerla en el centro de una hamburguesa. Ahora, tapar con otra hamburguesa y presionar por los lados a cerrarla bien.
Procurar cerrar los keftedes muy bien por los lados para evitar que se escape el queso cuando los ases.
Asar a fuego medio unos 5 minutos cada lado.
Servir con mostaza, mayonesa, Boukovo (chilis picantes molidos), ensalada y pan.

Tzatziki, Ingredientes:

2 vasos (de Nocilla) yogur Griego, escurrido durante una noche
1 pepino grande, pelado y con las semillas retiradas, en daditos
1 manojo pequeño de hierba huerto, picadito
2-3 dientes de ajo, majado
sal y pimienta al gusto

Elaboración:

Mezclar todos los ingredientes.
Tapar y dejar en la nevera varias horas o una noche.
Si se haya suelto algo de líquido, escurrirla antes de servir.

Homus, Ingredientes:

1 bote de garbanzos (800 gramos), escurridos
2-3 dientes de ajo
2 cucharadas tahini (crema de sésamo)
zumo de 1 limón
2 cucharadas aceite de oliva virgen
sal al gusto

Elaboración:

Poner todo en el robot de cocina y procesar hasta que esté cremoso.
Si te parece un poco espeso, añadir unas cucharadas de agua para ayudarlo.

Tags: appetizers, beef, burgers, cheese, cucumbers, dips, garbanzos, legumes, recipes, salads, side dish, vegetables by nikki
17 Comments »

Ok, so that’s fun to say, isn’t it? lol Fun to say, and fun to eat! Looking for something simple and packed with flavor? This is just the ticket. Active work time is only about 15 minutes, the rest is just bake time. Empanadas are great for lunch, or for a snack, and are great the next day…perfect to take with you wherever you need to go. They’re even good cold, so are perfect picnic fare! When we had the sailboat, I’d make these all the time to take with for a day out on the water. You can make them up ahead of time, and they keep really well. Empanadas can be made into a pie, like I’ve done here, or if you’re feeling feisty, go ahead and make them into individually sized empanadas, for a quick bite, or a great party appetizer.

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 large onion, diced
1 red pepper, diced
3 sprigs thyme
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 cups tomato sauce (or pure)
1 pound (1/2 kilo) light tuna, drained and flaked
pastry for 2 pie crusts (either homemade or store bought)
1 egg, beaten

Preparation:

Heat oil and saute garlic first until golden.
Add onion and pepper and saute until tender.
Add thyme, bay and tomato sauce and season with salt and pepper.
Cook about 5 minutes on medium heat.
Add tuna and stir until combined.
Remove from heat and remove thyme sprigs and bay leaf.
Spread half of the pastry on a baking sheet.
Cover with tuna mixture, leaving a 1″ border.
Top with remaining pastry and seal edges.
Brush pastry with beaten egg and poke a few ventilation holes.
Bake at 400ºF/175ºC for 20-30 minutes or until golden.

Y en español:

Ingredientes:

3 cucharadas de aceite de oliva
3 dientes de ajo, majados
1 cebolla, picada
1 pimiento rojo picado
3 ramos tomillo
1 hoja laurel
sal y pimienta al gusto
1 1/2 vasos tomate frito (salsa de tomate o puré de tomate)
2 láminas de masa quebrada
1 huevo, batido

Elaboración:

Calentar el aceite y dorar los ajos.
Añadir la cebolla y el pimiento y freir hasta que estén blandos.
A continuación, añadir el tomillo, laurel y salsa de tomate.
Salpimentar.
Cocinar unos 5 minutos.
Añadir el atún escurrido y desmenuzado y mezclar bien.
Extender 1 lámina de masa y cubrir con la mezcla de atún, dejando unos centimetros al border.
Tapar con la segunda lámina de masa y cerrar bien por los lados.
Pintar con huevo batido, y abrir unos agujeros en la superficie.
Hornear a 175ºC durante unos 20-30 minutos, o hasta que esté dorada.

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To enter, please click and leave a comment HERE.

Tags: fish, seafood, onions, peppers, recipes, spanish, tapas, vegetables by nikki
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