Spanakopita (spinach pie)

It's the day after Christmas, and I am sitting on my couch still full from last night. Christmas menu at my parents' house: lamb, beef tenderloin, greek salad, french bread, feta cheese, kefalotiri cheese, green olives, kalamata olives, greek potatoes, greek style green beans & mushrooms, and my contributions - spanakopita (spinach pie) and pastitsio (greek lasagna). 

I spent almost two days cooking for Christmas. The best part about spanakopita (as a pie) is that it can be made two days in advance and served cold or close to room temperature. 

Ingredients:

5 to 6 10 oz. packages frozen chopped spinach

4 - 5 eggs (4 extra-large or jumbo, 5 normal)

1 bunch fresh parsley, chopped

1 bunch fresh dill, chopped

1 package green onions

1 package phyllo dough

2 large containers cottage cheese, large curd (~ 2 lbs)

1 1/2 pounds feta cheese

1/2 C olive oil plus 1 1/2 C for brushing

1 handful rice (~ 1/4 C)

1 stick butter

2 T water

sesame seeds

salt

pepper

Directions:

Thaw spinach and phyllo in refrigerator overnight. 

Rinse the spinach with water and squeeze it to release almost all water. Place spinach in a large pan. 

Chop the parsley, dill, & green onions. 

Crumble the feta into the spinach.

Mix the herbs into the spinach & feta.

Add the cottage cheese and mix. 

Add 1/2 C olive oil and mix.

Boil 1 stick of butter in water. When butter is half melted, add rice.

Boil butter & rice for a few minutes. 

Add rice mixture to pan and stir. 

While mixing, add salt & pepper to taste. 

Beat eggs. Mix.  

Assembly:

Brush a deep dish pizza pan or medium-height baking pan with olive oil.

Coat bottom with 1 layer of filo. Brush olive oil over top and edges.

Continue until there are 8 layers of filo.

Fill about 1/2 way with the spinach mixture.

Cut the filo around the sides and fold in.

Oil sides.

Continue adding filo layers to top. Brush oil on each layer.
Cut excess filo from sides. 

With a sharp knife, cut spanakopita into squares. Cut strips horizontally, then vertically. 

Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Bake:

Bake at 375 degrees for about 1 hour or until top is a golden brown. 

Photo of the assembly: I forgot to fold the bottom layer of the phyllo over the spinach mixture

(shown below - the correct way - first time I made spanakopita with my grandmother). 

This is what you are technically supposed to do. Fold the edges over after you put the spinach mixture into the pan. When you add the top layer of phyllo, cut the edges and tuck them in. Still tastes great but looks better without the edges folded on the top.

Tips & Extras:

Phyllo - I sometimes buy two packages. You will occasionally open up a package of phyllo and find that it is torn and difficult to pull apart. It's always good to have an extra roll or two on hand. 

Salt - If you use imported feta, you can go easy on the salt since it is usually saltier. If you use domestic, you definitely want to make sure you add enough salt to the dish. Taste the mixture before you add the eggs.

Spanakopita Triangles - You will also see little triangles of spanakopita. Those are better served warm because the phyllo is crusty and the spinach/cheese mixture is great to bite into. You can use this mixture if you make triangles. 

Pan - This recipe makes a lot of spanakopita. You might have extra for a smaller pan. Sometimes I make a small pan as a gift or freeze it and bake it later. 

Mixing - Although messy, use your hands to mix! This way you get all the flavors in every bite. Make sure you have a large enough pan for mixing. 

Rice Pudding

When I was little, we would go to my Yiayia Effie's house for Sunday dinners. She usually made a roast and served rice pudding for dessert. Grandparents are the best because they'll let you break the rules. She always made me a miniature serving of rice pudding as a pre-dinner treat. 


This rice pudding is creamy and sweet. It's the perfect end to a large meal and a great dessert for a dinner party. 

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour


Ingredients:
1/2 gallon (8 C) whole milk
1 C water
1 C long grain white rice
1 C sugar
2 eggs
cinnamon


Directions:
Boil 1 C water & 1 C rice in large saucepan until most of the water is absorbed. 
Stir frequently to prevent rice from burning.
Lower heat to low-medium. 
Add 1/3 of the milk.
Stir occasionally to prevent from sticking. 
Keep adding balance of milk until thick (about 1 hr total).
Remove from heat.
Beat 2 eggs.
Add eggs to thickened rice mixture while stirring.
Add sugar and mix thoroughly.
Pour into serving bowls.
Sprinkle with cinnamon to taste.

Tips & Extras


Milk - Use whole milk (organic if possible). I have tried the recipe using 2% and the texture and thickness are not the same. 


Cooking - I usually keep the heat on low to medium. You do not want it to boil because it will boil over the top. When I initially add the milk, I will turn the heat to medium and then back to low when it starts to thicken. You will know if you burn the bottom because goldish brown pieces will show up floating around in your rice pudding. It still tastes good but you may or may not want to serve it (depending on who your guests are). 


Vanilla - Add a tsp of vanilla for more flavor. If you do this, add the sugar gradually and taste to make sure you have the right balance of sweetness.


Sugar - Sometimes I only add 3/4 C of sugar, especially if I'm planning to eat this for breakfast. Depending on your preference, you can add a little more than 1 C if you like things super sweet. 


Cinnamon - Leave a few of the serving cups plain. Some people do not like cinnamon or only want a tiny bit. 


Serving suggestions - I usually make this before dinner, pour it into dessert serving bowls, and serve it warm. It's also delicious cold if you want to make it the night before and refrigerate. However, the rice pudding sets into whatever you pour it into. I think it generally looks better to serve it in individual dishes rather than a large bowl. Your guests will love having their own little servings. 

Greek Chicken & Rice

Greek chicken & rice is my all time favorite comfort food. It is so flavorful and makes me feel warm & cozy inside. I'm spending Thanksgiving with my husband's family, so I had a mini Thanksgiving with my parents on Sunday. When I told them I was going to make this, they could not have been happier.


My Yiayia Sugar (mom's mom) used to make this for me and my cousins growing up. Her name isn't really Sugar, it's Zacharoula. Zachari in Greek means Sugar, hence her nickname.


The ingredients are very simple, but Yiayia Sugar unfortunately never measured anything (you will see this trend in future blog postings). I tried my best to translate "half a cereal bowl of oil" into cups. Enough background. Here's the recipe:

Ingredients:
1 cut up chicken with bones & skin
2/3 C olive oil
1/4 C lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
1 T oregano
salt & pepper
1 C long grain white rice
1 T butter


Directions - chicken:
Salt & pepper chicken generously.
Combine olive oil, lemon juice, and oregano.
Beat with a fork until color lightens.
Place the chicken in a bowl and cover with the marinade.
Mix chicken with the marinade so that all pieces are covered.
Cover with saran wrap and place in refrigerator for at least 2 - 3 hours or overnight.
Arrange chicken and juices in a large metal pan.
Cover with aluminum foil.
Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.
Turn heat up to 425 and bake for another hour.
Rotate chicken every 20 minutes while baking.
Broil chicken on each side for 3 - 5 minutes or until it turns a golden color.
Remove pan from oven and place chicken pieces on a serving dish.
Add a few tablespoons of juice to the top of the chicken.
Cover serving dish and chicken with aluminum foil.
Save pan with juices.


Directions - rice:
Skim fat from the top of the chicken juices and add to a saucepan.
Add 1 T butter.
Boil fat from juice with the butter.
When boiling, add rice and mix.
You should here a "tss" sound when the rice hits the oil.
Stir rice for about 5 minutes.
Strain remaining juices and measure.
If you have 2 C of juice, you are done.
If not, rinse pan with water, strain, and add to juice to make 2 C.
Add 2 C of juice to rice and boil.
Add salt & pepper.
Reduce heat to a low simmer, cover rice and cook for 15 - 20 minutes or until done.
Remove any excess fat from top of rice when done cooking.

Tips & Extras:


Pan -  I cover the pan with aluminum foil for easy clean-up. 


Rice - If you don't have enough juice from the chicken, you can use chicken broth. 


Serving suggestions - I serve this meal with greek salad, bread, & feta cheese. 


Oregano - When adding the oregano to the marinade, crush it between your hands. It releases the oils and adds more flavor. 

Chicken Marbella

When I got married, my aunt (a wonderful cook) gave me a handwritten cookbook with all of her favorite recipes. I always loved her chicken marbella, but this is my first time making it. It's a really simple recipe (although you have to marinate it overnight). My husband looked at the ingredients and said "gross." He's not a big fan of prunes, capers, or olives. However, they come together in a beautiful way in this dish (and he agreed).

Ingredients:
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 T oregano
4 chicken breasts, salted
1/4 C red wine vinegar
1/4 C olive oil
1/2 C sliced pitted prunes
1/4 C sliced pitted green olives
1/4 C capers with a bit of juice
2 bay leaves
1/2 C brown sugar
1/2 C white wine


Directions:
Combine garlic, oregano, vinegar, oil, prunes, olives, capers, & bay leaves.
Add chicken to marinade and coat. 
Cover and marinate, refrigerated overnight.
Remove chicken from refrigerator and arrange in a baking pan.
Sprinkle with the brown sugar.
Pour the white wine around the chicken.
Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.
Serve with juices.

Tips & Extras


Side - I served this with rice. It absorbs the juice and makes it a complete meal.


Prepare in advance - The recipe can be prepared & thrown into a zip lock bag and frozen. Then just thaw and add the brown sugar & wine and bake. 


Brown Sugar - If you don't want the dish as sweet, only use 1/4 C brown sugar. 

Sally's Banana Bread

One of my favorite things to do on the weekends is bake. It's football season, which means my husband is glued to the couch for college football on Saturdays, NFL on Sundays, and Monday night football. It gives me free rein of the kitchen and makes the house smell wonderful. This weekend I went for banana bread.


My friend Beth's mom made the best banana bread growing up. She shared the recipe with me and it is my favorite - very moist and sweet. I always end up eating too much because I consider it "healthy" bread. It has fruit in it, right? This recipe is great because you can make it in 3 small loaf pans and give it away as gifts (so you won't eat it all)!

Ingredients:

1 1/3 C vegetable oil

3 C sugar plus 1/2 C sugar

4 eggs

6 ripe bananas

1 C sour cream

4 C flour

1 1/2 t salt

1 1/2 t baking sodea

2 t vanilla

1 C chopped pecans

Directions:

Beat eggs in small bowl.

Combine oil, 1 C sugar, beaten eggs, bananas, & sour cream and mix.

Add vanilla and beat until combined.

Add salt & baking soda while beating.

Gradually add flour 1/2 C at a time and beat on low.

Pour into 3 loaf pans (not more than 2/3 full).

Sprinkle mixture of 1 C pecans and 1/2 C sugar over top before you bake.

Bake at 325 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour. 

Tips & Extras

Bananas - I always buy a bunch of bananas and never eat them all. There's usually a pathetic wounded soldier sitting on my counter in about a week.  I put these overripe bananas in the freezer. When I have enough bananas, I make banana bread. You just have to defrost them for about 30 minutes at room temperature. 

Pan - You don't have to grease the pan but I like to spray a little vegetable oil cooking spray so it slides out nicely. I halved the recipe and only used one pan. I filled it a little too high (big mistake - ended up pouring over a bit in the oven). Make sure you only fill the pan 2/3 full!

Recipe size - This makes a LOT of banana bread. I cut it in half sometimes (as I did here) or make a loaf of bread and some muffins. 

Cooking time - Check the bread with a toothpick or thin knife to make sure it's cooked. If it comes out clean, the bread is ready. If you make muffins, make sure you monitor the cooking time on the muffins so they don't dry out. Check the oven at around 30 minutes. 

Stuffed Green Peppers

When I was on vaca in Greece this summer, I ordered stuffed peppers or tomatoes whenever they were on a menu. Although I love tomatoes, I think peppers add more flavor.  This was my grandma (Yiayia) Effie's recipe. 


Ingredients:
6 green peppers
1 yellow onion
2 cloves garlic
1/2 T butter
1/2 T olive oil
1 can tomato sauce
1 can water
4 T chopped parsley or 2 T dried
4 T chopped mint or 2 T dried
1 T dried oregano
salt & pepper
1/2 cup white rice
1 lb. ground beef
1/4 t cinnamon 


Directions:
Cut off tops of peppers & discard seeds & fiber. Rinse in cold water.
Heat olive oil & butter in pan over medium heat. 
Add onion & cook for 7-8 minutes. Add garlic and cook for another 2 minutes until fragrant.
Add meat & cook until brown (break up meat while cooking).
Add 1/2 can tomato sauce, 1/2 can water, parsley, mint, oregano, salt & pepper, cinnamon, & rice.
Stir and lower heat. Cover and cook for 30 minutes.
Mix 1/2 can tomato sauce & 1/2 can water. Pour in dish.
Fill peppers in dish. 
Drizzle with olive oil.
Cover dish with aluminum foil. Bake in 350 degree oven for 1 hr & 20 min.

Tips & Extras


Ground beef - My grandmother only used ground chuck. I try to go for 90/10 in an attempt to be healthy. You can even mix chuck with sirloin for a little bit of both worlds.


Cinnamon - The original recipe calls for 1 t of cinnamon. That might be a bit much for a non-greek (my husband), so add to your taste. 


Extra - If you're feeling adventurous, you can add some crumbled feta cheese to the tops of the peppers. My grandfather (Pappou) used to like them this way. 


Sauce - The sauce takes on all of the flavors from the peppers. You can serve it with the peppers or toss it on some spaghetti for an extra meal. If you use a bigger pan, you can double the juice and add some potatoes to the pan and cook. 


Serve with a big chunk of bread.