Posts
New Year's Eve Brunch; When you sleep late, this works!
Eggs Benedict Florentine with sliced bananas, apples and yogurt, spanakopita, and coffee. Add beverage of your choice including fresh juice.
Eggs Benedict
Fresh eggs, I use large
tomato bouillon
3-4 leaves fresh spinach
1-2 slices Buddig corned beef, or other thin meat, including Canadian bacon, ham, sausage patties or bacon
Hollandaise sauce, organic packet, other mix, or home made
One slice multigrain toast of English muffin
One large bar European chocolate, broken into pieces
Poach three eggs in rapidly boiling water flavored with bouillon. Remove when done and drain. Egg should be firm, white, and quivering.
On the piece of toast, assemble meat, leaves of spinach and eggs. Top with one generous tablespoon of Hollandaise sauce.
On a large plate, arrange sliced apples, bananas, yogurt, eggs Benedict, spanakopita, and chocolate
Serve on holiday china or paper plates :) Provide beverage of choice; I like Hot coffee.
*************************************************************************
Spanakopita
Just to review, I found a recipe on Recipes.com, but then, my mother's spirit took over and I rolled with the way we made it at home.
1 lb. package filo dough
about ounces fresh spinach; use your judgment
2-3 eggs
chopped onions or chives
about 4 ounces cottage cheese
6 ounces feta cheese crumbles
oregano
salt and pepper to taste
about 2 thirds of a pound butter
In a 9 or thirteen inch square metal or glass pan, spray the bottom with olive oil Pam cooking spray or other brand. Lay one layer of filo dough, brush with butter that has been melted. Alternate about six filo leaves brushed with butter.
In a small pan, sauté in one tablespoon olive oil, onions and spinach When onions clarify, remove, drain, and cool. Put in a bowl with cottage cheese, eggs, and feta crumbles, oregano, salt, and pepper, and mix well.
Spoon over filo, cover with more filo leaves, about two, and brush each with butter. Add another layer of the spinach-cheese mixture, add more filo layers, about four, brush each layer with melted butter.
Cut in diagonals or squares before baking.
Bake for 35 or 40 mins at 350 degrees. Watch closely, and remove when top layer turns golden brown.
For Tiropita [cheese pastries] Omit sautéing spinach with onions. Double the cheese mixture, and sprinkle in finely chopped onions. Repeat procedure with filo and melted better. Bake at same temperature for the same amount of time.
******************************************************************
Salmon a la Mom, Mediterranean Style
3-4 hard boiled eggs
one half small, thin sliced tomato
about 1 cup spinach leaves
2-3 portions Salmon, fresh
6-8 boiled shrimp
salt and pepper to taste
dried chives, oregano, basil or Herbs de Provence
chopped green onions
tomato bouillon
one to two pats butter
about one cup water
Spray the bottom of a glass baking dish with cooking spray. Add salmon; fill with water about half way. Stir in tomato bouillon. Cover and scatter spinach leaves, sliced tomatoes and onions. Mushrooms are good, too. Add shrimp, tails off. Capers are good in this as well. Add salt pepper, other spices like oregano or basil, some dill or Herbs de Provence is great.
Bake uncovered at 35 degrees till salmon turns light pink. Watch to see it has enough water.
After you plate it, garnish with sliced hardboiled eggs. It is good with a side of very fresh linguine, just sprinkled with shredded parmesan chees. Pair with a nice, chilled white wine.
******************************************************************************
One Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs Florentine
1 package spaghetti
1 small bottle Italian Vodka sauce, or other tomato based sauce. You can make your own, too.
About 12 meatballs, I used Sicilian brand, with red pepper, which turned out to be very hot and spicy. Any brand works, or if you have time, make your own.
About 2 cups spinach
Salt, pepper, oregano, chopped garlic, if you like, basil, dried chives, to taste.
Boil spaghetti per directions and drain. Return to pot. Add vodka sauce to pot. Add spinach and a little water, and stir very well. Heat on low. Add meatballs. Stir till hot enough to serve.
Serve in bowls with fresh salad as a side. Sprinkle spaghetti with freshly grated cheese.
***********************************************************************
Easy Pizza!
I package small, about 6 inch, ready made pizza crusts, made in Italy. Similar to Boboli. In a large cookie sheet or round pan sprayed with Pam, lay out crusts. Brush with any kind of pizza sauce, and cover with cheese. I used slices of Havarti. Add toppings, I used sliced green olives on one, fresh spinach leaves on another, thin sliced roast beef and olives on another. Cover topics with more sliced Havarti. I also used sliced American cheese on the roast beef one. Dollop with more sauce and sprinkle with oregano. Bake at about 375 degrees for 6-8 minutes till pizzas are crisp. Enjoy!
I also made Baklava, and bough Christmas cookies, and made some. I assembled small, colorful plates using Holiday paper plates and containers and covered them with foil, tied with a Christmas ribbon and topped with a Xmas card as gifts. If time is not your friend over the holidays, try these ideas.
Merry 7th Day of Christmas and Happy New Year!!
Found on Amazon.com