Sandwich!

Cheese meets English Muffin meets Onion meets Rosemary meets Pear meets Spinach


My first sandwich here! I remember someone telling me a really bad joke about sandwich in third grade. Something about a witch. Actually I don't think 3rd humor was at this level yet, but I just thought maybe it was about a beach-y witch. Ahah, get it?

Kay, anyhow. I got this idea from here . Except regular onion instead of red. Pear was not ripe, sad story and not grilled, which would have been better. The laughing cow cheese is bomb. I most definitely recommend.

Eat this like this .

-Amanda

Bake Vs. Gratin

I say bake. This seems simple but actually takes quite a bit of leg work. Got it from here.

Swapped the rice for barley, just cause. Didn't feel like buying rosemary, so that go nixed. I must say I do like the idea of using the chard stalks.



Impressive NY Times. I clap for you. Just a little bit.

-Amanda

Boil, Barley, Boom!

This is really simple and made up. Boil water, rinse barley, put barley in water. For about a 1/2 c. of barley in 2 cups of water that took like 35 minutes. Then chop some carrots, de-stem some spinach, chop some scallions, take the leaves off some thyme and sauté with salt and pepper and a little white cooking wine. Add barley and some grated gouda.

And Bam!




-Amanda

Don't Burn the Nuts!

That's what I did. Not pretty, but still yummy. I left out the green onions and dried cranberries recommended in this recipe. The green onions because ours had gone bad and the cranberries just because I'm not a fan.


Also I would have used less feta. But yummy dressing. I didn't feel like getting my hands garlic-y smelling so I just used a nice dose of garlic salt instead.

I've been waiting so long for this.



-Amanda

Salad in the Grass

I wish these, the fruit, had grill marks.

This called for peaches, but some of my peaches are mushy so I used cheap mangoes from Jons.

Anna introduced me to Jons. It's a lovely adventure. They have rosewater and halvah and cheap mangoes and cheap lavash and cheap tahini.
Magic, except their spinach isn't bomb, but that's okay.

I roughly copied this except: mango instead of some of the peach and spinach instead of lettuce.

Good flavor party in your mouth. Be reserved with your feta use.
I think it's the grass.

-Amanda

Forgotten Pizza

We made this a while ago, hopefully Anna will post the quinoa cakes since I didn't get any shots of them. This pizza has a harrowing past. First it was supposed to be grounded by some whole wheat pita bread.
Unfortunately the pita bread had mold on it. We went to Trader Joes though and per Anna's suggestion got whole wheat lavash instead. It turned out a lot better than I think the pita would have--so thin and crispy.

Also originally this was going to be based on a healthy living sort of Martha Stewart recipe of asiago cheese, ricotta, red onion, and mushrooms, a top some sort of whole wheat flat bread. Instead we decided to use leftover spanakopiropita (we've been wrong all this time apparently, spanakopita is just spinach and no feta; however this had ricotta and not feta, so I'm not 100% sure, but anyway) filling. We still grated some of the asiago cheese on top and put a few sliced mushrooms too.



So good. I really want to make this again. Maybe this on a warm summer night?

-Amanda

Boy Bait: Conquering Phyllo

Spinach Dill Pie/Make-shift Spanakopita



I made Martha Stewart's "quick spanakopita" last week. That was quick, and this one may take the same time or longer. This is also Martha Stewart actually. I'm not sure what that says about me that all my spanakopita recipes are coming from her. Anyway, I think I like this recipe better:

a) it uses ricotta instead of feta
b) It takes a shorter time to prepare the filling.
c) It uses cumin!
d) Less oil/butter.
e) I learned you can just spray the phyllo sheets with cooking spray so you don't have to melt better and pat it on with your hands!

Also, I had a lot of filling leftover with this, so Anna and I made a pizza with it, mmm, that will be posted soon. And another thing, Instead of using whole 12 by 17 inch sheets of phyllo, or whatever the dimensions are for a full sheet, I used a pizza slicer and cut them in half. AND instead of putting all eight on the bottom, I think I put three on the bottom and three on the top.

You always want a crunchy top.


Is this too tight for you? That's right, I hope you're reading this foodgawker.

It's the summer; you could listen to this while you eat it outside.

-Amanda

Martha Goes Greek-Super Speed Style

Phyllo takes like a day to thaw, or overnight-ish (in the fridge). You've been warned.

I made dinner for Gigi, I think I liked it better than she did. I put grapefruit in the salad, that was a no-no. I also made a spanakopita à la Martha Stewart. It was quick. I used frozen spinach even though she didn't okay that (Martha not Gigi). You should make it too. I used whole wheat phyllo dough cause I'm cool like that. I used less phyllo dough than she called for, which made it even speedier.

I win.



I think it looks like a mystical spinach compass.

Speedy Spanakopita
3 TBL olive oil--I used 2ish, we have fancy olive oil that I'm not supposed to waste
1 onion (apparently if you chill onions before you cut them, they won't make you cry-I did not do this. It was bad. I'm glad I don't wear mascara.)
3 cloves garlic
1 lb spinach
(It called for 1/4 c. parsley, but I'm not a fan.)
1/4 c. dill
6 ounces crumbly feta
Salt!!
Pepper!
3 sheets thawed phyllo dough (haha she called for 10-winwinwinwinwin)
1/4 stick of butter/margarine melted

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Chop your onion. Flick off people who make fun of the fact that you're crying. Heat up your skillet with oil, sauté the onion for eight minutes. While that's going on mince your garlic. Your hands will smell gross. Once the onion has cooked its eight minutes, add the garlic and cook one minute. Then add your spinach gradually. If you're using frozen, it should be thawed P.S. and also if its frozen + thawed make sure to squeeze out excess water as you go along. Cook for about 5 minutes. Set aside.
2. Add the egg, dill, salt, pepper, and feta. Stir.
3. Get a baking sheet. Put parchment paper on it. Unwrap your phyllo. Lay it all out flat and get a towel and make it damp, but not too damp. Put the damp towel on top of the phyllo sheets whenever you're not using them, otherwise they'll dry out.
4. Take one sheet of the phyllo dough and put it on your baking sheet. It might be too big-that's okay, just fold the edges. Use your hands and dabble the sheet with butter. It's yucky, but necessary. Do this two more times (i.e. three sheets in total, each coated with butter. You'll probably have butter left over.)
5. Put the filling in the center. Fold the outer phyllo on top of the filling, crumple it however you want. Maybe you can make a swan? Someone should try that.
6. Bake for about 30 minutes-maybe a few more.



If you eat this outside this song should go well, maybe.

Also I made salad, mmm: herb salad mix, pears, persian cucumbers, grapefruit.


-Amanda