Hide the Salmon

I found this recipe on the The Lean Green Bean.  It is one of those recipes that you immediately know was put there, just for you.  No ego here….

It has so much of what I like, salmon, spinach, eggs, tomato and feta cheese.  How could I not think, it was just for me?  It is perfect and actually, after making some changes that meet my family’s needs, it was perfect.  If you have a moment go over there and see the original recipe.  I do want to make it that way but I took a shorter route which is what I mean by my family’s needs.

I presented my husband with the plate which is a colorful presentation and he happily was eating.  I wondered out loud, if I should have put the salmon on the bottom or the spinach.  His head popped up and he said, “Did you say salmon?  Is there salmon in this?”  He prodded the vegetables and sure enough, he found the salmon.  He asked, “Why did you hide the salmon?”

Hide the Salmon  (adapted)

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 red pepper, chopped

1/2 an onion, chopped

1 cup frozen spinach

1/2 teaspoon oregano

1 piece of salmon, cooked

3 – 4 eggs

4 slices tomato

1/2 cup Feta cheese

Heat  the olive oil in a large skillet over medium hear. Saute the pepper and onion  for  8 minutes.  Add the spinach (Defrosted) and cook for an additional 3 minutes.

Push the vegetables aside and drop the eggs in the free side of the pan and let them cook to your liking.  I turned ours over but either way is going to be delicious.

I, also put the cooked salmon slice in the pan to heat up.  Yes, I used a very  large skillet.

Now is the creative part but I am not creative so do as follows:

I used a square soup bowl which may work better than a round one.  These are the layers.

Salmon on the bottom

Spinach, onions and bell pepper on top of salmon

Cooked eggs on top of spinach layer

Sliced tomatoes with feta on the very top.

This is a delicious combination.  My husband commented on the many flavors.

Thanks to the Lean Green Bean.

This is linked to Hearth and Soul Hop     Slightly Indulgent Tuesday      Fat Tuesday         Naptime Creations Tasty Tuesday Link Party    The Gathering Spot            All My Bloggy Friends    Trick or Treat Tuesdays

I Will Tell You a Story

Sunday was a 25 hour fast.  It is the second most serious fast day in Judaism.  Usually, we break the fast on an omelet with cheese.  When I asked my husband, what he felt like having, he asked if I would mind making spaghetti pie.  It sounded so right to me.  I make it without meat so it is not a heavy dish.  I was planning on using light cheeses and a plain filling.  Sounds good.

I put up the water for the noodles, cooked them, and went to drain them.  I drained them right into the soapy water.  Klutzy me.

While the pasta was cooking, I made a filling of eggplant, onion and tomatoes from the garden.  I stayed away from seasoning since we were looking for more to the bland side.  As it turned out, the tomato flavor is strong when it is a “real” tomato, just picked and ripe.  I had the filling for the spaghetti pie but no crust.  On another day, I would have very likely cooked more spaghetti but, I was grumpy, tired and hot but not hungry.  I was not in the mood to cook it again and I found a way to blame it on the good husband who wasn’t even in the room.  How do we do that?  Maybe, you don’t.  I did.

Bottom line, my filling became the main course.  We took some leftovers out of the refrigerator.  I had potato salad, Oriental spaghetti salad and a yummy egg salad.  A little bit of this and a little bit of that made for the right meal to break our fast.  That is making the best of what one has.

We had the same kind of happening on Saturday, our Sabbath.  At the last-minute, two more guests joined us for dinner.  I usually cook tons of food for the Sabbath but this week, because of the fast that began Saturday evening as the Sabbath ended, I cut way back and made just enough.  It is truly amazing, whatever food, there was, seemed to expand so that everyone had plenty to eat.  Honestly, I can’t figure it out.

I also had to feed the extra guests before the fast.  Keep in mind, we do not cook food on the Sabbath, so it had to be something ready to eat.  I don’t panic when these things happen but before a fast, I have to admit, I was concerned.  We all had to fill ourselves to get through the next 25  hours with food or drink.  Again, we had enough and I think everyone was full.

I do want to share this eggplant dish with you.  The tomato was the dominant flavor of the dish.

The Dish That Wasn’t

1/2 eggplant cut into 1/4 inch pieces

1 – 2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 onion, chopped

1 large tomato, chopped

1/4 cup chopped cheddar

Heat olive oil in large skillet.

Put eggplant and chopped onion in skillet and keep gently mixing them around.  The eggplant browns quickly.

When onion is translucent and eggplant, slightly brown(about 6 minutes), add the chopped tomato and cheddar cheese and cook for an additional 2 minutes until tomato is hot  and cheese is melted.  If  you would like the tomato to really permeate the other ingredients, cook for another then minutes.

You could fill a taco or tortilla with this.  You could use it as a filling in a spaghetti pit.  You could use it in a sandwich.  You could use it as a sauce for rice, pasta or meat.  Feel free to spice it up.  I would have if we weren’t purposely keeping it bland….it really wasn’t.

 

As you can see, the photo, is not clear.  This is still in the skillet.  I apologize but I think, at least, this gives you an idea of what it looks like.

Spaghetti Pie

Years ago (15 ish) the school, I worked for then, bought all the administration, planners.  We got the Franklin Covey planner,  which is quite comprehensive in how you use it and what is included.  We were “requested” to do it their way and someone came to speak to us about how to do that.  My organizations skills went to work and I did it “their” way and it was the best year, for me, organizationally speaking.  I, even, recommend it to someone who wants to organize his/her life and is willing to commit.

I love the school year, when I am pretty sure, what I will be doing at most times of the day.  I know what I can get done before and after school.  My day is organized without my planner, simply because I am employed.  I am comfortable with having a schedule.  I get more accomplished with those guideposts standing straight and tall.

This brings me to the summer, when I don’t live by regular commitments.  Sure, I may have an appointment or lunch with a friend but that does not routinize the day and certainly not the week.  In the mornings, I basically know what I want to do and I do it when it is convenient, rather than when it has to be done.  It is nice for a while but I doubt, I would be happy, doing this throughout the year.

This leads into cooking.  When my children were young, I could not have cooked, as I do today.  I have no idea how the young bloggers with children manage to make some of the fancy dishes, they present on their blogs.  I admire them for being able to accomplish so much.

Chopping and sauteing is time consuming and for me, the me with young kids, I wanted something that took little time, with few steps that was edible.  It did not have to be pretty and it did have to taste good……good not great.  Spaghetti with canned sauce (I am not sure they had bottles of sauce then), no spices, maybe some browned chopped beef was a good meal.  Shepherd’s Pie was another but it was a lot plainer than the one, I make now.  You get the idea.

You may ask, what am I talking about?  I am thinking about tonight’s dinner, Spaghetti Pie.  I made that years ago.  The recipe, I made today is from another blogger’s site.  It is probably different than the one I made years ago.  I remember using cottage cheese, not even knowing what Ricotta was.  For this pie, I did use Ricotta.  Things have changed.

Spaghetti Pie  Adapted from REC(ession)IPES

• 8 ounces gluten-free spaghetti
• 2 large eggs
• ½ cup parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes with roasted onion
• 1 small onion , chopped
• 1 teaspoon oregano
•  10 ounce  package frozen spinach
• 12 ounce container part skim ricotta
• ½ cup shredded mozzarella
• Black pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put water on to boil. Lightly grease a 10 inch pie plate with olive oil or cooking spray and set aside.

Dice onion. Cook in 1 tablespoon olive oil until onions are just translucent, approx. 5-8 minutes. Add diced tomatoes with their juice, along with oregano.

Thaw spinach, then drain in colander. Place ricotta in bowl and combine with spinach by removing small clump of spinach from colander, squeezing vigorously to remove remaining moisture, and then adding to ricotta. Add a few grinds black pepper and stir to combine.

Cook spaghetti until just al dente, drain and toss in large bowl with one teaspoon olive oil. Whisk eggs with a fork in a small bowl with 1/3 cup shredded parmesan. Toss with spaghetti.

Add spaghetti to prepared pie plate. Shape into crust shape by using fingers to flatten center  and press up the sides of the plate. Add spinach-ricotta mixture to middle of crust. Top with tomato sauce and bake, uncovered, 25 minutes.

Top with shredded mozzarella and remaining shredded parmesan. Bake an additional 5 minutes, until cheese is melted. Remove from oven, let cool 10 minutes, then slice into 8 wedges and serve.

This is l inked to

Allergy Free Wednesdays     Gluten-Free Wednesdays     Cast Party Wednesdays     DJs Sugar Shack   Whatcha Whipped Up Wednesdays?

Real Food Wednesdays

Chocolate Dream

This can be put into a chocolate crust but I like desserts better than pie so I  made this dessert to delight in, every spoonful.

Chocolate Dream

Ingredients:

1    cup semisweet chocolate chips                                                                                              
1 teaspoon instant coffee
1 teaspoon hot water
3/4 cup sour cream

1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup baking cocoa

Method:

When you remove, the almost melted chocolate, stir until it is smooth.  Melt 1 cup chocolate chips in a the microwave or on the stove.

If it needs additional microwave time, put it back for only 5-10 seconds.  

Stir again.  Continue until smooth. 

Combine coffee granules and water in medium bowl. 

Add sour cream, granulated sugar and vanilla extract; stir until sugar is dissolved. 

Stir in melted chocolate until smooth.
Beat cream, powdered sugar and cocoa in small mixer bowl until stiff peaks form.Gently mix this into other chocolate mixture.Refrigerate or freeze, depending on your preference.  It is wonderful frozen as it melts in your mouth.  It is creamy when it is refrigerated.  

This is linked to What’s Cooking Wednesday                    Tastetastic Thursday         Full Plate Thursday      Something Swanky

Italian Cauliflower Bake

I came across a recipe for an Italian Zucchini Bake and planned to make it for dinner with a main course salad.  Off I went to the kitchen and pulled out all of the ingredients and set them, on the counter.  I, then went to get out the zucchini, but the cupboard was bare.  No zucchini.  What is a woman to do?  

Substitute, of course……  Now, what to substitute?  What is like zucchini?  Nothing came to mind.  I thought onions and I knew, I would love it but I would probably  be the only one.  I jumped to tomatoes and I do want to try it but it was too far from zucchini.  Then, I noted the fresh cauliflower just sitting there, crowding the shelf and I knew, this was it.  My Zucchini Bake became an Italian Cauliflower Bake and I even used pizza cheese to keep to the theme.

The recipe came from  Jam’s Corner, a brand new blog to me and one, I want to visit often.  There is something about the spirit of the blog that speaks to me.  I bet, you would like it too.

Italian Cauliflower Bake

2 cups chopped cauliflower

1 large onion, chopped

2 cloves  garlic, minced

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 eggs

1/2 cup  grated Parmesan

1/8 cup  chopped fresh parsley

1 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh basil

1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1/2 cup  shredded  Pizza Jack cheese

2 tablespoons cream cheese

 Method:

1. Saute garlic, onion and cauliflower in olive oil until tender
2. Meanwhile, chop the basil and parsley.
3. When the cauliflower mixture is done, remove from the heat.
4. Whisk the egg, basil, parsley, tarragon, Parmesan cheese and salt together in a large mixing bowl. After mixing well, add the cauliflower mixture, cream cheese and the Pizza Jack cheese. Mix well.
5. Add the mixture to a greased 1 quart baking dish  and bake at 350 for 25  minutes or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.
6. Let it cool slightly.  Cut into wedges and enjoy.

Too Hot To Cook Omelet

 

The hot weather almost prohibits cooking.  I locked myself in our bedroom, closed the door, turned on the air conditioner and lay down.  I don’t think, I moved for  30 minutes.  It was still hot, oppressively hot, but I was pretty sure, I would throw together something simple so we would have dinner.  Who could eat that much, anyway?

An omelet was what I had in mind but the new me automatically thinks vegetables so my omelet had to have eggs.  This is where the mandolin came into play.  What a difference.  It is not that chopping vegetables is hard work but the mandolin makes them fly from its blade into the skillet.  I took anything, I could find that was already cut or that I had an abundance of.  Yellow squash, green pepper, tomato, carrots, onion, all fell into the pan which had a little vegetable broth in it, enough to cover the bottom.  While they cooked, I made a smoothie to go with it.  Funny, how a smoothie fills me up. 

Both of us were full, after the combo omelet-smoothie dinner.  I guess hot weather is made for dieters.

Veggie Omelet

Ingredients

1 cup vegetable broth, no salt

5 eggs, beaten

1/4 onion sliced thin

1/4 green pepper, sliced thin

1 yellow squash, sliced thin

1 tomato, mushed up to get the juice into the pan to mix with the broth

1 carrot, thin sliced

1/2 cup broccoli florets, broken into smaller pieces

1/2 cup Mexican blend cheese

Procedure

Heat 1/2 cup broth in medium skillet.  Keep on low flame until you are ready to add vegetable.

Slice vegetables into broth and raise heat to medium.

Add the rest of broth as the original liquid evaporates.

Cook 3 – 4  minutes.  The rest of the broth will evaporate in that time.

Add the eggs and cook slowly for about 3 minutes.  Top with cheese, pushing gently down so it is inside slightly.  Cook until top is firm and flip.  Cook other side of omelet for two minutes or until slightly browned.

Crustless Pizza – Nigella Lawson

I was excited when I came across this recipe.  When, I read what was in it and how it was made, I had doubts about it coming out, like pizza, and I was correct.  It did turn out to be a delicious dish and I would make it again with a few changes.  I would put the vegetables in the batter and possibly add just a bit of oil.  I would start with half a tablespoon.

Crustless Pizza  (adapted from Nigella Kitchen by Nigella Lawson.)

Ingredients:

• 1 egg
• 2/3 cup gluten-free brown rice mixture
• Salt
• 1 cup milk
• Olive oil cooking spray Cheddar
• 1 tomato, sliced thin
• 3 scallions, chopped
• 1/2 green pepper, chopped

Method:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

In a small bowl, beat the egg with the flour, salt, to taste, and milk to make a smooth batter.  (Mine was slightly lumpy)

Spray a round ovenproof  dish, then stir half the grated cheese into the batter, before pouring it into the dish.

Bake for 30 minutes. Take the dish out of the oven, sprinkle with the remaining cheese, and tomatoes, bell pepper and scallions. Return the dish to the oven and cook for another 2 or 3 minutes to make sure it’s heated through.

Once the cheese on top is melted  take it out of the oven and serve, cut into slices. A green  salad on the side would not be a bad idea…

Although, it is not like pizza, it makes a nice casserole.  

This is linked to

Real Food Wednesday        Success U-Wednesday Link-up                Whatcha Whipped Up           Made from Scratch Monday

Broccoli Quiche with Hash Brown Crust

I don’t like making pie crusts for two reasons.  I am not good at it and I get frustrated.  I think twice before using so much fat in a dish.  I do like pies, though and keep discovering ways to make them, with alternative crusts.  This is one of the best because the crispy potato crust brings added flavor to the quiche.

I started the process, shredding the potatoes but as time went by, my hand began to tell me, I was foolish and I took out the mini processor and finished up, in the machine.  How quickly that goes.  For the next step I threw the onions and cheese in also, and everything speedily blended and I had the makings of my filling.

I chose broccoli but there are many other good choices for a filling.  A spinach quiche is good…..mushroom and onion , fried is even better.  Sour cream in the filling makes it creamier as does a bit of cream cheese.  Gouda is a good sub for the cheese.  This is a recipe to be creative with.

Ingredients

3 cups shredded hash brown potatoes (I used three potatoes to get the necessary amount)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup  broccoli, chopped
1/4 cup chopped onion
3/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1/4 cup smoked cheese
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
salt and pepper to taste
 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).

2. Press hash browns onto the bottom and sides of a pie plate or shallow baking pan. Drizzle with olive oil. Bake  for 20 minutes, or until beginning to brown.  (The rim browned first.)

3. In a small bowl, combine broccoli, onion and shredded cheese and put aside

4.  In another bowl,combine eggs, milk, salt, pepper .   Add broccoli and cheese and mix together.

5. Spread broccoli mixture on the crust and return to oven, lowering it to 350 degrees F.

6.  Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes, or until filling is  golden brown.

This is linked to Cast Party Wednesday           Inspire Me Monday

Pennywise Platter Thursdays 

Scrumptious Sunday Link Party 

Inspire me Monday

Cream Cheese Pasta with Veggies

The familiar voice of my husband reached me, “Are we having lunch today?”  That is his way of not asking me to make him lunch but hinting at it.

If I am busy, he will prepare lunch without a whimper but he is a lot happier, If I respond, “On my way.” Good thing for him, that I love to cook and experiment and a good thing for me, he is willing to try my concoctions.

When I asked what he wanted, he mentioned the possibility of pasta and cheese.  That is easy enough so I took out some elbows (the pasta – not the body parts).  I also found a single zucchini, some tomatoes, an onion (actually a lot of onions) to go along with the pasta.  What I made was easy and we both gave it an A for taste.

Cream Cheese Pasta with Veggies

8 ounces elbows

1/4 cup water from the cooked pasta (secret ingredient)

1 zucchini, roughly chopped

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

8 grape tomatoes, chopped

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons whipped cream cheese (the secret ingredient)

Procedure

Cook elbow pasta according to directions, keeping 1/2 cup of cooking water.

While pasta is cooking, heat olive oil in skillet and add zucchini, onion and tomatoes.  Cook until onions and zucchini are soft.

Add elbows to vegetables, keeping burner on low.

Add two tablespoons cream cheese and 1/4 cup of cooking water.  Add more water to get desired consistency.  These two turned this dish into a creamy concoction.  Mix it until the macaroni is coated.

I served this with a scoop of guacamole on top which I mixed in.  It does not have to have the guacamole.  I tried it both ways and liked it both ways.

This is linked to Mangia Mondays     Savory Sundays   This Week’s Cravings     Tuesdays at the Table    http://www.jamhands.net/

Baked Rigatoni with Brussels Sprouts, Figs and Blue Cheese – The Food Matters Project

I have been a big fan of Mark Bittman for a number of years.  I particularly like his ability to convey to the cook many ways to make the same recipe.  This attitude was great for me tonight when I thought I was baking the above recipe, only to find that I could not get most of the ingredients.

I have not seen gluten-free rigatoni so I subbed in penne.  Although, I am sure, kosher blue cheese is available, I have not seen it locally.  We are not fans of figs so I subbed apples which were great.  Finally and unbelievably, the local stores were out of brussels sprouts.  I called my daughter and asked her to look around and she also could not locate any.

I guess, I proved that you can  change the ingredients and come out with a facsimile of the original.

I feel particularly bad because this is the first time, I cooked with the foodies of The Food Matters Project.  This group is cooking their way through Mark Bittman’s, The Food Matters.   If you are interested, get the book and join us.

Marcia from Twenty by Sixty chose the  Baked Rigatoni with Brussels Sprouts, Figs, and Blue Cheese (page 221), in The Food Matters.   You will find the recipe on her blog.

Marcia shares her hesitation selecting this recipe which about describes my initial reaction.  Figs? Blue Cheese? Pasta? and Brussels Sprouts?  They just shouldn’t go together but I gather they did and did so beautifully.

My combination of broccoli, Monterey Jack, Apples and Penne also worked although I didn’t believe it.  The almonds seemed to disappear into the dish and it was not until the end that I found one. This is unique but trusting Mark Bittman helps.  I had to believe the recipe was good.

Check out the other cooks at The Food Matters Project.