It's All Greek to Me: Spanakopita with Tzatziki Sauce

I love Mediterranean cuisine and Greek food is at the top of my favorites list. Spinach pie, or spanakopita, is what I usually order whenever I go to a Greek restaurant. It's in the burek (or 'borek') family and if you know me personally, you know that I am crazy for all things burek! 
I made this spanakopita for "The Food Club" dinner (see previous post) and I really liked it. I served it hot with a side of tzatziki sauce: about 1 1/2 cups of Greek yogurt, 1 cucumber (seeded and pureed), 2 cloves of garlic, salt to taste, 2 tablespoons of dill, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, juice from a few lemon slices and a dash of white vinegar. You can adjust the saltiness of the sauce to your liking. I just throw all the ingredients together, except for the yogurt, in my mini-hand-held blender. When I get the consistency I want, which is pretty liquidy, I add the mixture to the Greek yogurt.(This recipe is an amalgamation of the tzatziki from Kalynskitchen.com and allrecipes.com)
I've made this recipe twice, and on the second go-round I added a teaspoon of nutmeg, used organic frozen spinach (because I had it in the freezer) and chopped up 1 leek in addition to the onion and scallions. 
Also, I learned (the hard way) that you need to thaw out the dough...completely. I guess this is obvious to most people, but for some reason I didn't do it the first time around. I was so anxious to get the pie in the oven before my company arrived, that my patience suffered. The dough broke off in pieces instead of being whole sheets.  But not to worry, the taste wasn't compromised. That said, don't forget to let the phyllo thaw out first would have made things easier.
This is really pretty easy to make and it tastes great. As they say in Athens and the Peloponnesse,  Καλή σας όρεξη!

GREEK SPANAKOPITA (Courtesy of Allrecipes.com with a few optional adaptations mentioned above) 
4-6 Servings (more if you used a bigger pan and had a thinner pie)
Ingredients
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 bunch green onions, chopped (I used 4 scallions)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 pounds spinach, rinsed and chopped (I used baby spinach and didn't chop it)
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
8 sheets phyllo dough
1/4 cup olive oil
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly oil a 9x9 inch square baking pan.
Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute onion, green onions and garlic, until soft and lightly browned. Stir in spinach and parsley, and continue to saute until spinach is limp, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
In a medium bowl, mix together eggs, ricotta, and feta. Stir in spinach mixture. Lay 1 sheet of phyllo dough in prepared baking pan, and brush lightly with olive oil. Lay another sheet of phyllo dough on top, brush with olive oil, and repeat process with two more sheets of phyllo. The sheets will overlap the pan. Spread spinach and cheese mixture into pan and fold overhanging dough over filling. Brush with oil, then layer remaining 4 sheets of phyllo dough, brushing each with oil. Tuck overhanging dough into pan to seal filling.
Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes, until golden brown. Cut into squares and serve while hot.

Heidi Swanson's Wild Rice Casserole

My best friend, his husband, yours truly and my husband are going to sit down for dinner tomorrow night. I'm really looking forward to our dinner party. The "Pappies" (as my best friend and his husband have been called for years) have busy schedules and I'm usually homebound by 8 p.m. due to Otis's sleep schedule. The solution: some advanced planning for dinner at our place. So the pressure is on! What will I cook? 

I'm thinking the menu should be delicious, flavorful and light-- nothing too heavy. I want my guests to leave feeling sated, but not overstuffed. I need whole and natural foods...stat! 

Then my doorbell rang. I was elated to see that the delivery was my new, pre-ordered copy of Heidi Swanson's (of 101 Cookbooks fame) cookbook Super Natural Every Day. “Fantastic!” I thought to myself. The delivery came at the perfect time.

In an effort to have dinner ready at a sane hour, I decided to prep ahead of time. The recipe was straightforward and the prep was seamless. The dish looked and smelled so good that I had to have a taste. Yes, just a little taste. It was so good. I almost ate the whole damn pan (before the company arrived). I loved the combination of wild rice, cremini mushrooms, mustard, thyme (or tarragon) and cheese. There isn't too much dairy, just the right amount. It's very subtle.  

If this is any indication of how delicious the rest of the recipes will be then I'm really excited...and hungry. 

Wild Rice Casserole (Courtesy of Super Natural Every Day, by Heidi Swanson)

Ingredients

2 large eggs

1 cup/ 8 oz cottage cheese

1/2 cup/ 4 oz sour cream

1 teaspoon Dijon-style or whole grain mustard

Fine-grain sea salt

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil or unsalted butter

8 oz cremini mushrooms, chopped

1 large onion, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

3 cups cooked wild rice (see below for cooking instructions), at room temperature

1/3 cup/ 0.5 oz freshly grated Gruyere cheese

1 teaspoon chopped fresh tarragon or thyme

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F with a rack in the top third of the oven.  Rub a medium-large baking dish with a bit of butter or olive oil.  (I used a 9 x 13-inch dish.)

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, cottage cheese, sour cream, mustard and 1/2 teaspoon salt.

In a large skillet over high heat, combine the olive oil with a couple pinches of salt.  Stir in the mushrooms.  After the initial stirring, leave the mushrooms alone until they release their water and the water evaporates, about 5 minutes.  Continue to cook and stir every couple of minutes until the mushrooms are browned.

Add the onion and cook until the onion is translucent, another 2 or 3 minutes.  Stir in the garlic, cook for another minute, and remove from the heat.  Add the rice to the skillet and stir until combined.

Add the rice mixture to the cottage cheese mixture, stir well until combined and turn into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with two-thirds of the grated cheese and cover with aluminum foil.

Bake for 30 minutes.  Remove the foil and bake for another 20 to 30 minutes, until the casserole takes on a lot of color.  

The finished casserole should be hot throughout and golden along the edges.  Serve sprinkled with the chopped tarragon or thyme and the remaining grated cheese.

Cooking Wild Rice: Use a ratio of 1 part wild rice to 3 parts water, plus a good dose of salt. {2 cups dry will yield 6 1/2 cups cooked. I make 2 casseroles at a time.} Bring water, salt and rice to a boil and then simmer for about 50 minutes.  All of the water should have been absorbed and most of the rice grains should have split open.  

Baked Brooklyn's Absolutely Amazing Cheesecake

Believe me when I tell you that this is one of the best cheesecakes I have ever tasted and certainly the best one I have ever made at home. I am not being hyperbolic here. Trust me, I know cheesecake. And this one really is that good. 
My insider's tip is that the best New York style cheesecake is in the Kingsbridge section of the Bronx, not far from where I grew up. S&S Cheesecake is hands down the most delicious cheesecake you can buy on the open market. Their factory doesn't have the most convenient hours, but everyone "in the know" knows that you can get their classic cakes on 238th Street (in the Bronx), at the local bodegas right off Broadway.  
This cake(recipe below), is my No. 2 pick. That's really saying something. The cheesecake is another out-of-this-world recipe from Baked, Brooklyn. It's thick, rich, and has a hint of lemony-citrus. The graham cracker crust is perfection and it was very easy to make.  
This cheesecake requires a bit of time--not actual work time, but time to bake, cool and then refrigerate. You also need to get the cream cheese to room temperature. If it is too cold it will require excessive beating, which could add too much air to the mixture and lead to cracking (though this doesn't affect the taste). So my advice to you, make this the day before you want to eat it. 
Upstate Cheesecake (Courtesy of Baked: New Frontiers in Baking)
Yields 1 cake (This is such a rich cake, you really only need a small slice. We got more than 12 servings out of this cake, but figure out your own portion-size preference based on a 9 inch cake.) 
For the Simple Graham Crust
2 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (about 20 crackers in crumbs)
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
For the Cream Cheese Filling
40 ounces (five 8-ounce packages) cream cheese, softened
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest (from about 1 lemon)
1/4 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
5 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup sour cream


Make the Simple Crust:

• Lightly spray a 9 inch springform pan with nonstick cooking spray.  (I used my traditional 9 inch pie pan.)  
• Put the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and butter in a large bowl.  Beat, by hand, until well combined.  Press the mixture into the bottom and all the way up the sides of the prepared pan.  Put in the refrigerator while you make the filling. 

Make the Cream Cheese Filling:

• Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the cream cheese, sugar, flour, lemon zest and lemon juice.  Beat on medium speed until just combined, being careful not to overbeat (too much air can cause the cheesecake to crack).  Add the eggs and egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Add the cream and beat until incorporated.
• Pour the mixture into the chilled crust and bake for 10 minutes.  Open the oven door to let out some heat, and lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F.  Bake until the cheesecake is set around the outside, but still slightly wobbly in the center, 45 minutes to 1 hour, rotating the pan every 15 minutes.  Remove from the oven and spread the sour cream over the top of the cheesecake.  Return to the oven for 5 more minutes.  Turn off the heat, crack the oven door, and let the cheesecake cool completely in the oven (about 1 hour).  
• Chill the cheesecake in the refrigerator for 8 hours or overnight.  When ready to serve, loosen the sides of the crust from the pan with an offset spatula, then remove the springform sides and serve.  (I just cut a slice with a sharp knife and served!) 

Ottolenghi's Mushroom Lasagna

Yotam Ottolenghi's new cookbook, Plenty, is absolutely terrific. I'm a long-time fan of Yotam- the London restaurateur , Guardian columnist and cookbook author. His cauliflower cumin fritters with lime yogurt dressing are a staple in our house. And this is another recipe I really enjoyed. I’ve posted a mushroom lasagna recipe before, but I felt compelled to add this one too.

This lasagna is definitely not for anyone who is lactose intolerant or who otherwise has an aversion to dairy. It contains 5 cheeses (Italian Fontina, Feta, Ricotta, Parmesan and Gruyere), lots of mushrooms, in addition to fresh herbs …which makes this cheesy gooey mushroom lasagna the ultimate comfort food that is perfect for winter.

Mushroom Lasagna (Courtesy of Plenty: Vibrant Recipes from London's Ottolenghi)

Serves 8

Ingredients

1 1/4 oz dried porcini mushrooms

1 3/4 cups lukewarm water

5 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 tablespoon thyme leaves

1 3/4 pounds of mixed fresh mushrooms, sliced if large (I used portobello, cremini, and white)

2 tablespoons chopped tarragon

4 tablespoons chopped parsley

salt and white pepper (I used black because that's what I have in the spice rack)

5 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 small shallot, chopped

scant 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

2 1/3 cups milk

13 fl oz ricotta

1 large egg

5 oz feta, crumbled

6 oz Gruyere, grated

1 pound dried spinach lasagna (I used regular lasagna noodles. I wasn't able to find spinach.)

5 oz fontina cheese (or mozzarella), grated

1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Directions

•   Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Cover the porcini with the lukewarm water and leave to soak for 5 minutes.  Drain in a sieve set over a bowl, squeezing the mushrooms to remove all the liquid; reserve the liquid.

•   Melt the butter in a large heavy-based saucepan.  When foaming, add the thyme, porcini and fresh mushrooms.  Cook for 4 minutes, or until the mushrooms have softened and exuded some of their liquid, stirring occasionally.  Off the heat, stir in the tarragon, parsley and some salt and pepper.  Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

•   Use the same pan to make a béchamel.  Put the butter and shallot in the pan and cook on medium heat for about a minute.  Add the flour and continue cooking, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes; the mix will turn into a paste but shouldn't color much.  Gradually whisk the milk and porcini soaking liquid, leaving any grit in the bowl.  Add 1/2 teaspoon salt and continue whisking until boiling.  Simmer on low heat, stirring constantly, for about 10 minutes, or until the sauce is thickish.  Remove from the heat. 

•   In a small bowl mix together the ricotta and egg, then fold in 3 tablespoons of béchamel and the feta.  Add the Gruyere to the remaining béchamel in the pan and stir well to get your main sauce.

•   Pour boiling water over the lasagna noodles (do this a few at a time so they don't stick together) and soak for 2 minutes; remove and dry them on a tea towel.

•   To assemble the lasagna, pour one-fifth of the sauce over the bottom of an ovenproof dish that is about 10x14 inches.  Cover with lasagna noodles.  Spread one-quarter of the ricotta mix on top, scatter over one-quarter of the mushrooms and sprinkle with one-quarter of the fontina.  Make three more layers in the same way, then finish with a layer of pasta covered with sauce.

•   Sprinkle the Parmesan on top and cover loosely with foil (don't lay it directly on the surface of the lasagna).  Bake for 40 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbling around the sides.  Lift the foil and bake for a further 10 minutes, or until the top turns golden.  Remove from the oven and leave to rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Serve this with an arugula and tomato salad! 

Little Boy Blue: Late Winter/Early Spring

Taking a few minutes away from recipes and all things food...

Here are some recent photos of Otis watching birds in the yard  (very pensive) and walking around in his "blue suit."