canarygirl.com

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.

There are so many awesome Greek food bloggers out there on my regular reading list…Peter, Elly and Valli spring immediately to mind….seeing all their delectable dishes, and hearing wonderful stories of Greece and the Greek language spark my desire to visit the idyllic islands even more….Greece is my dream vacation spot…I have wanted to go for years and years….and will probably have to wait years and years before I actually get the chance to go. :(  In the meantime, reading all about these lucky folks and their fabulous food, I’ve been craving Greek.  While this is certainly not Greek, it does have Greek flavors….the idea was to use Spanakopita filling nestled within a chicken breast.  The pictures this time are disappointing…I’m still adjusting to the new kitchen, and am finding it more and more necessary to get to work constructing a photo box, because the dreary overhead fluorescent light and the auxiliary halogen lamp are just not cutting it. :P  I miss my kitchen window!  Wah!  Ok, ok….enough whining for this post. lol  The rice is something I just threw together….sort of like a pilaf, I guess…sauteed garlic, onions, bay and oregano with rice, chicken broth and sliced almonds…a little lemon juice squeezed on to serve and there you have it.  I hope in spite of the photos the recipe will appeal to you guys as much as it did me….even my picky pants kids loved it!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds (3/4 kilo) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thin fillets
2-3 tablespoons butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, minced
1 pound (400 grams) frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
juice of one lemon
2-3 tablespoons dried dill (more if using fresh)
salt and pepper to taste
1 egg
1/4 pound (100 grams) Greek feta, crumbled

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 375ºF/170ºC.
Melt butter over medium high heat and saute garlic first.
Add onion and saute until translucent, and remove from heat.
Toss in spinach, lemon and dill, and season with salt and pepper.
Allow mixture to cool slightly, then add egg and feta and mix well.
Place spinach mixture at center of each chicken fillet (amount will depend on size of fillets), and roll up.
Lightly oil the bottom of a baking dish (with a lid) with olive oil and place rolls seam side down.
Cover and bake about 20-30 minutes.
Garnish with paprika if desired.

Now for the Pilaf thingie. lol

Ingredients:

2-3 tablespoons butter
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, minced
2 cups short grained rice
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon oregano
salt and pepper to taste
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup sliced almonds
chopped parsley to taste
lemon to garnish

Preparation:

Melt butter over medium high heat.
Saute garlic first, then add onion and saute until translucent.
Add rice, bay and oregano, then season with salt and pepper and stir around for about 2-3 minutes.
Add broth and bring to a boil.
Boil over medium high heat for 5 minutes, then cover and reduce heat to low.
Cook an additional 10 minutes (without removing the lid), then remove from heat and allow to rest 5 minutes before lifting lid.
Add almonds and parsley and toss about.
Serve with a bit of squeezed lemon juice.

Minestrone is such a great soup for winter, isn’t it?  It has a little bit of everything in it, and is so versatile.  The ingredients can be changed up to fit anyone’s tastes, whether you like it with bits of ham or bacon, with cheesy tortellini (as I’ve done here), or easily made vegan as well.  This is a great recipe if you have a bunch of odds and ends in the refrigerator that  you’re looking for ways to use, too.  Don’t be frightened by the long list of ingredients, this is one of the easiest things in the world to make, and not only that, it’s hearty, delicious, and warming for those icky cold winter blahs.

Ingredients:

2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3-5 cloves garlic, minced
1 large onion, chopped
1 bell pepper of choice, chopped
1 16 ounce (400 grams) can plum tomatoes, crushed
1/2 head cabbage, roughly chopped
2-3 ribs celery, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and diced
a generous handful of green beans, trimmed and cut
a generous handful of pinto beans, shucked
2-3 potatoes, peeled and diced
1 sweet potato, peeled and diced
1 small acorn (or other) squash, peeled and diced
2-3 zucchini, washed and chopped
1 large bunch spinach, washed and chopped
1 cup peas
1 cup corn
3 quarts vegetable broth (or more to generously cover vegetables)
oregano, basil and thyme to taste
salt and pepper to taste
1 bay leaf
2 cups tortellini

Preparation:

Using a large stockpot, saute garlic in olive oil until golden, then add onions and stir around a bit.
Add remaining ingredients except tortellini and bring to a boil.
Cover and reduce heat to low.
Cook about an hour then add tortellini.
Bring back to a boil, then cover and remove from heat.
Allow to stand about 30 minutes (to cook tortellini).
Serve with freshly grated parmigiana if desired.

Winter is upon us, and with the cold temps and gloomy days, soup is always a great way to warm up your insides, and comfort the soul.  You may already know that I’m a soup junkie…and have been known to eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner. So?  You got a problem with that?  I didn’t think so.  lmao ;)  This one is my daughter Ellie’s favorite.  “Soup with cheese,” she calls it.  I know immediately what she wants when she asks for “Soup with cheese,” even though it sounds vague….that’s bein’ a mom for ya.  This one pays frequent visits to our table, not only because it’s delicious, but because it is a fabulous way to pack the veggies into your kids without them even realizing it. LOL  I could put one of every veggie in this soup and the kids would gobble it up.  One thing I need to mention…the fried bread?  You must add it.  It’s not optional.  No sirree.  You will be SO glad you took the time to make it, because man…those crispy little bits contrasting with the silky soup?  There’s just nuthin’ like it.

 

Ingredients:

1 large onion
2 garlic cloves
4 zucchini (about 3-4 cups)
1/2 pound frozen spinach, thawed and drained
1 sweet potato
3 large potatoes
2 double bouillon cubes (Knorr)
water (about 1 1/2-2 quarts)
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper
8 triangles laughing cow cheese
1 (12 ounce) can evaporated milk

Preparation:

Heat olive oil in a large soup pot.
Saute sliced garlic until golden, then add remaining vegetables and toss around for a few minutes.
Add water, bouillon cubes, salt and pepper.
Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to med-low.
Simmer for about 20-30 minutes until vegetables are tender.
Remove from heat, add cheese and evaporated milk.
Using an immersion blender, puree soup until smooth (or alternatively, use a blender and puree in batches).
Adjust salt and pepper.
Serve with grated cheese and fried bread cubes.
*to make fried bread cubes, heat a small amount of olive oil in a skillet, toss in bread cubes and toss around until golden.