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. 

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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. 

Monday Musings: July 12, 2010

Dear Daffy,

I made your Daffy Dip last week. I decided, instead of using it as a dip, to incorporate it into our meal. I diced potatoes and spread them, along with fresh green beans, onto my stoneware cookie sheet. I then drizzled them with olive oil and sprinkled them with a bit of Kosher salt and pepper. After which tossed it together with the dip and roasted the veggies at 400 for about 45 minutes or so. Can I just say yum? YUM! Thanks for sharing your RECIPE.

A stuffed 5th

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Dear Female Jogger (who passed me on my morning run),

Oh, you so delighted me this morning! I wish I had your courage. I am being completely serious and sincere about this. You were quite brave to venture out in the purple paisley tank top, the black and white striped shorts and the rainbow socks. You rocked the look! I wish that I had your kind of "devil may care" attitude. Thanks for my morning smile! 

A tickled 5th

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Dear Chick-fil-A,

Your annual Cow Appreciation Day was a complete success. The Sister "herd" bedecked themselves in appropriate cow costuming attire. The free meal, generously given to those brave enough to come in costumed, was very much appreciated.

A very "mooved" 5th

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Dear David Slade (Director of The Twilight Saga: Eclipse),

Your direction was much more enjoyable than Catherine Hardwicke's Twilight and Chris Weitz's New Moon. Is it Academy Award material? No. But adding more action and a little self deprecating humor definitely was a benefit to the story line and has made me look forward to the 4th movie installment.

A matinée lovin' 5th

PS: Team Edward or Team Jacob? Neither...Team Jasper for me!

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Dear Feral Shoes,

I tired of always tripping over you on the garage steps. I grew weary of you being haphazardly strewn about the place. You now have your own resting spot. Hopefully the rest of the sister clan will learn to kennel you when not being worn. 

It's amazing what a few cinder blocks and planks of plywood can do.  And everyone has their own shelf. Sometimes it's the simple things that bring the most pleasure.

A satisfied 5th

PS: I have decided I am going to go ahead and add the 2 additional shelves our plywood planks have allowed us to. Both I and Mr. Sister have too many shoes!

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Dear Michelle (from Musings of a Catholic Lady) and Weezer (from Weezer's Haven),

Thank for the lovely new "Versatile Blogger Award" award! It is very meaningful to me that you took the time to recognize my blog within your own. I know there are a few rules attached but, lately, I've been a rule breaker. I will simply give you my sincerest gratitude. I also encourage people to check out your blogs as well.

A grateful 5th

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Dear Tugce and Jingle,

I wish to thank you for sharing your awards with your followers as well. I gratefully accept your generosity. Tugce is my Turkish girlfriend who I can always count on for a friendly nod of encouragement. I wish I understood her native language but, thankfully, she speaks fluent English. I adore her blog: Boulevard of Broken Dreams and hope that, one day, fate will allow us to meet. The award she has shared is the "Sweet Blog" award and it is just too precious not to accept.

And Jingle, dear sweet Jingle, is so generous with awards. I decided to accept the offer of grabbing one of the awards offered by invitation. I chose to accept The Most Intelligent Poet Award for obvious reasons, as that is my goal to be someday. Thank you Jingle for your continued generosity and support!

Please visit the blogs highlighted. I am sure you won't be disappointed.

An appreciative 5th

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That's all the musings for today! Have a wonderful and blessed day.

A Different Approach

To Leftover Turkey


I don't know about you but I'm not big on turkey soup or turkey tettrazini or turkey casserole, etc. I decided to try a slightly healthier dish to use up some of our Thanksgiving leftovers. I decided to use my Easy "Greek" Spinach Pie as the base recipe. 


I did not have any phyllo dough to use so my substitution was to use 2 cans Pillsbury Crescent Recipe Creations:

(a favorite short cut of mine and no, I am not receiving 

any reimbursement for this product endorsement)

 I used one can of Pillsbury Recipe Creations 

for the bottom of my spinach pie.

I rolled it out and placed it in a greased pie dish.  

Just before adding my filling, I baked the crust 

for approximately 8 minutes at 375 degrees. 

Next, after adding the filling, top with the 2nd can

of rolled Recipe Creations dough.

Using tines of a fork,
poke the crust all over to allow steam to escape.

Brush the crust with lightly beaten egg white,

reserving the yolk to fry up and serve to the dog.

(Daisy's not spoiled at all, is she!)

 Place in a 375 degree oven.

Bake until a golden brown, about 15-20 minutes.

Slice, serve and enjoy. I know we did!

Chicken Divan

Want an easy recipe that can be put together in 20 minutes or less and ready in another 45?
If so, this one is for you.

First layer some frozen or fresh broccoli in the bottom of a greased casserole or pie plate.

Next add some cooked shredded chicken over the top. This is a great way to use up leftovers or you can boil and shred a couple of chicken breasts. I often times use leftover turkey from Thanksgiving with wonderful results.

In a mixing bowl blend 1 can of cream of chicken soup, about a cup of mayonnaise, a third cup of sour cream, a splash of lemon juice and a squirt of mustard.  I then add the following seasonings to taste (clockwise from bottom left): my Signature Spice Blend, cardamom, coriander and curry powder. I find you don't need any extra salt but some freshly ground black pepper is a nice touch.

Blend the seasonings into the soup mix and spoon over the top of the chicken and broccoli.

Now top with grated cheddar, some chopped, fresh parsley and maybe another dash or two of my Signature Spice Blend for added color.

Bake in a 350 oven for about 45 minutes (until golden and bubbly).

Allow to rest approximately 5 minutes before serving.

Yum! Pure comfort on a plate!
Enjoy!

End of Harvest Salad

I had a few items, left over from my 1st ever garden, that made for a delightful salad the other night.


I believe I shall call it "Summer's End Salad". What do you think?
It is very simple and, therein, lies the beauty.

Summer's End Salad


Ingredients


2 large tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded and chunked
1 yellow pepper, sliced
Several basil leaves, chopped
1/2 onion, diced
A drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
A splash of vinegar (any variety will do)
A few dashes each of my Signature Spice Blend
A pinch or two of kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper


Directions


Combine gently and serve. 


Serves 4-6

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.

Easy Shrimp in Creamy Basil Sauce

INGREDIENTS

4 tablespoons butter, divided
1 lb. frozen shrimp, thawed, shelled and deveined
2 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper
3 cloves (or more if you like) minced garlic
1 1/2 to 2 cups half and half
2 tomatoes coarsely chopped
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
1 lb. your favorite pasta, prepared al-dente
Basil leaves for garnish

COOKING DIRECTIONS

Prepare pasta according to package instructions for al-dente.
Meanwhile, in large non stick pan melt 2 tbsp. butter over medium-high heat.
When butter is sizzling, add the shrimp, sauteeing until almost done.

Remove shrimp from pan and set aside.
Add the rest of the butter to the pan, along with the garlic.
When melted, add flour, salt and pepper forming a roux.
Add 1 1/2 cups half and half stirring constantly. If sauce becomes too thick, you may add an additional 1/2 cup half and half
When thickened to desired consistancy, stir in tomatoes and basil.
Return shrimp to pan and allow to finish cooking (another 2-3 minutes)
Serve over warm pasta and garnish with basil leaves.
Eat and enjoy!