Sunday 160 (Boo) and Sunday's Savory: Spinach Rolls

These ghastly gourds line the stoop

in anticipation of the unsuspecting parade

of costumed kids in search of treats

for unbeknownst to them

A trick is in store.

BOO!

To participate or read other samples of this new genre of fiction, 

please visit Monkey Man. The idea behind Sunday 160 

is to write a short piece in exactly160 characters, 

spaces included. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Spinach Rolls

I came up with a recipe, earlier this week, when I had to bring a dish to a mid-morning brunch. What I made was a hit with the ladies and I thought I’d share my recipe with you.  

In today’s recipe, the measurements are approximations. I never measure when I am making up a recipe. I just go with the flow.  A touch here, a dash there, a sprinkle of this, a splash of that. Anyway, to make the 2 dozen spinach rolls, pictured above, here is what you’ll need:

3 cans Crescent Roll dough

A “goodly amount” of fresh spinach (If frozen, thaw and drain) 

Note: I used about 1/3 to 1/2 of a Costco-sized bag of fresh spinach

½ package bacon

6 beaten eggs

½ chopped onion

2-3 cloves minced garlic

¼ cup Feta cheese

A touch of Greek seasoning (oregano, thyme, basil, crushed rosemary)

Salt and Pepper to taste

A couple dashes Signature Spice Blend

A dash or two (or three or four) Red pepper flakes

Cook bacon until done, crumble and set aside.  Drain all but a little of the bacon grease. In reserved grease, sauté onion and garlic until tender. Add a dash of olive oil to the pan and add the spinach. Cook until completely wilted. Drain excess liquid. Add eggs, feta, crumbled bacon and seasonings. Continue to stir and cook until eggs are set. Remove from heat and set aside.

Line 2 greased muffin tins with 1 crescent each, stretched to fit. Fill with a couple of tablespoons of spinach mix each. (I find it easier to line the muffin tins with cupcake liners and fill only one row at a time.) Fold over extra dough. Repeat row by row.  

Sprinkle tops of spinach rolls with a touch of basil and a pinch of spice blend for added color and visual appeal. Bake in a 375 oven for approximately 15 minutes. Best if served warm. Leftovers can be frozen and heated in a microwave for 1 minute as a handy breakfast treat or snack.

Enjoy. 

Spinach and Chicken Enchiladas

These may be a bit time consuming to prepare but the end result is fabulous. My whole family raves about these everytime I make them. To quote LOLCats: Nom, nom, nom, nom, nom!

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup chopped onion

2-3 cloves minced garlic

1 package fresh spinach, rinsed well

5 tablespoons butter, divided

2 cups shredded cooked chicken (I always use left over rotisserie chicken or roast chicken)

1 small can green chili peppers, chopped

2-3 teaspoons cumin

1 teaspoon lime juice

1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper or a few dashes of red pepper flakes

Fresh ground pepper to taste

2 cups shredded cheese, divided (I usually use a combination of cheddar and monteray jack)

1/4 cup flour

1 teaspoon coriander

2 1/2 cups chicken broth

1 cup sour cream

10 - 12 6 inch flour tortillas

DIRECTIONS: THE FILLING

Saute onion and garlic in 2 talbespoons of butter until tender.

Add spinach and toss until wilted.

In a bowl, combine spinach-onion mixture with the chicken.

Add green chili pepper, 1/2 cup shredded cheese, cumin, lime juice, cayenne pepper, black pepper, mix and set aside.

Using same pan that you used for the onion, spinach and garlic, melt 3 tablespoons butter.

Stir in flour and coriander and continue cooking for about 3-5 minutes to ensure a nice golden roux.

Once you have an acceptable roux, slowly add the chicken broth, stirring to blend well.

(Helpful Hint Alert! I like to use one of these gadgets when adding my flour to the butter. No more lumpy gravy or sauces...ever!)

Continue stirring, over medium to medium high heat, until thickened and bubbly...then continue to cook and stir a few minutes longer (this part takes time and patience as I find it takes anywhere from 10-20 minutes to get to the "thick and bubbly" stage that I prefer)

Once thickened, remove pan from heat and gently stir in sour cream and 1/2 cup of shredded cheese until sauce is well blended and smooth. (See? What did I tell you? No lumps!)

Add 1/2 cup of this sauce to your chicken mixture.

DIRECTIONS: PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER:

Add a couple of spoonfuls of sauce mixture to bottom of 13 x 9 baking pan.

Place approximately 1/4 cup chicken mix into tortilla, roll up and place seam side down in pan.

Repeat with remaining tortillas.

Pour remaining sauce over the tortillas and top with the remaining cheese.

Bake in a 350 oven for at least 30 minutes.

To ensure a perfect golden cheese topping, I BROIL the dish for a couple of minutes until cheese is nice and bubbly.

Serve with a side of black beans and rice and you have a perfect "Mexican" meal!

Prep time: 45 minutes

Cook time: 30-40 minutes

A New "Greek" Recipe

Yesterday, while at the endodontist having a root canal, I found a recipe for a Spinach and Feta Pie in a Family Circle magazine. It really looked appealing and the recipe contained several of my favorite ingredients. I knew I had to try it. I, of course, put my own spin on it. And so I present to you, for your culinary pleasure...

Easy "Greek" Spinach Pie

Ingredients:


4 boneless/skinless Chicken breasts
1 large onion
2-3 cloves minced garlic
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 lbs. frozen spinach, thawed and drained
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes

1-2 tbsp. chopped fresh oregano (or 1-2 tsp. dried)
1/2 tsp. Polly's Signatue Spice Blend
1 1/2 cups crumbled feta cheese
4 eggs, lightly beaten
Salt and pepper to taste ( I used 1 tsp. Kosher salt and 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper)
20 sheets 9x13 phyllo dough



Directions:


Take 4 boneless/skinless chicken breasts. Boil until no longer pink. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly before shredding.


Chop 1 large onion. I have to chop mine very finely as dear son is under the silly impression that he doesn't like onion. Saute, along with garlic, in a tablespoon or 2 of olive oil until tender.

Add the shredded chicken, spinach, cheese, egg and spices. Mix well and set aside.

Meanwhile, prepare a 9x13 pan with 10 phyllo sheets, spraying each with cooking spray oil between sheets (Olive oil preferred).

Spread the spinach/chicken/feta mixture evenly over the phyllo sheets.

Top with remaining 10 sheets of phyllo, again, spraying between each sheet. Place in oven preheated to 375 degrees for 45 minutes. The top should be nicely browned.


Cut into 8 individual servings and serve. I served mine with dilled baby carrots (carrots steamed with 1/2 tsp. dill sprinkled over the top...simple and good for you!)

Calories are approximately 425 per serving.