Pear and Ginger Phyllo Triangles

These are amazing.  Sweet, savory, tart, creamy, crunchy...I really wish they weren't all in the freezer now awaiting reheating for the party.

Meli and I made these, Jezebel sauce, sugar cookies (not yet decorated) and raisin-filled Christmas cookies this evening.  Oh, and dinner.  I'm exhausted, but it's been a great day.

1 egg
1 lemon, zested and juiced, zest chopped finely
8 oz mascarpone cheese
1/4 cup candied ginger, chopped finely
3 oz triple creme goat brie (or regular brie), chopped
2 medium pears, cored and chopped
1 stick unsalted butter, melted
1 pound phyllo dough

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Beat the egg in a medium bowl with a whisk.
3. Add the lemon juice, zest and mascarpone and mix well with a rubber spatula
4. Add the ginger and brie and pears, mix well
5. Make the triangles:
1. Take a sheet of phyllo, lay it on a large cutting board long side up, and brush it with butter
2. Take a second sheet of phyllo, place it over the first sheet, brush it with butter
3. With a sharp knife, cut the phyllo lengthwise into four strips
4. Place a heaping teaspoonful of filling at the bottom of each strip
5. Fold from the bottom right corner over to the left side, then fold the resulting triangle up, then the next resulting triangle over to the right side, then up again.  Continue in this fashion up the strip.
6. Put the triangles on a cookie sheet.
6. Bake them for 20 minutes.
7. If not serving immediately, transfer the slightly cooled triangles into plastic storage containers lined with parchment or wax paper and freeze.  Make sure there is paper between each layer.  Freeze.  They can be reheated for 10-15 minutes in a 350F oven straight out of the freezer.

Spanakopitakia

These have been altered to be Ms. N-friendly...she cannot digest any cow-based dairy products, but is fine with goat's milk.  Frankly, the changes to the traditional mixture make these even better, more savory, lighter and crispier.  The original recipes are from the Grecian Plate, a cookbook put out by the Greek Orthodox church of Durham, NC.  It's an excellent cookbook with detailed instructions on things as esoteric as how to dye a really, really red greek easter egg.

These and the tiropitakia are my favorite make-ahead party foods.  I can make them and freeze them well in advance, and just heat them up straight out of the freezer right before serving.

1 med. onion, minced

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 10-oz. pkg frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained

1/2 cup chopped dill

1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

1 tsp salt

fresh-ground pepper to taste

1/4 lb sheep's or goat's milk feta cheese (make sure the check the label, most commercial feta in the states is made from cow's milk)

1/2 cup chevre cheese

1 egg, beaten

1 lb phyllo, thawed according to package instructions

8 oz goat's milk butter, melted OR you can use olive oil 

1. Saute onions in hot oil until soft
2. Add spinach and salt; saute a few minutes
3. Cool slightly
4. Stir in cheeses and egg, blending thoroughly
5. Prepare the triangles as directed here, using two sheets of phyllo for each set
6. Brush with a little more butter or oil
7. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes

You can freeze them after baking and cooling.  Reheat at 425 degrees for 10 minutes.  I do not recommend freezing unbaked triangles...they tend to stick even if you are careful to layer waxed paper between them.

Mushroom and Brie Phyllo Triangles

Ms. S invited us over for drinks and appetizers last night, after which we called a cab and went dancing. I hadn't been shopping, but I created these delicious phyllo triangles with what I had on hand. The were definitely worth repeating, and a nice change from my usual spanakopitas and tiropitas. I wonder what the Greek word for mushroom is?

1/2 lb phyllo, thawed - I love the Athens brand.
8 oz Baby Bella mushrooms, brushed and chopped coursely
1/4 lb brie, chopped - keep the rind
2 Tbsp chopped fresh dill
2 Tbsp chopped italian parsley
3-4 cloves garlic, minced (~ 1 Tbsp)
1 stick salted butter or 3/4 cup olive oil
salt & pepper
2 eggs

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees


2. Melt the butter (or heat the oil) in a small saucepan, add the garlic and cook gently until the garlic is just golden and fragrant. Remove from heat and cool slightly


3. Combine the mushrooms, brie, herbs, salt & pepper and the egg yolks in a bowl


4. In another bowl, whisk the egg whites briskly until very frothy. Add to mushroom mixture


5. Working quickly, fill and fold the triangles, using two sheets of phyllo and brushing each sheet with the garlic butter. See these directions at the Athens site -- use the Step 3C directions for large triangles, but only use 2 phyllo sheets and only about 1 Tbsp of filling.


6. Bake the triangles for 15 minutes

Butternut Squash Soup with Chestnuts & Hazelnuts

The party people are back in town! Hub and I realized recently that we just haven't had a party recently, and were feeling itchy. We spent most of the summer as gym rats and hardly cooked or entertained, instead working on our health and hotness factors. Well, now we're ready to let loose again, so we had a cocktail party last night. It was lots of fun, and the kids are getting to the point where they pretty much entertain themselves, which is a relief.

One of the dishes I made was a lovely winter squash soup -- I had first made it back in 2001 or so for the C's. Since Ms. C can't digest any milk products, this soup is perfect -- very different from most squash soups in that it is entirely vegetarian. I gave her a call yesterday to see if she still had the recipe (I couldn't find it) and she did...but I didn't get it early enough to get some of the key ingredients. Besides, my farm guy had been producing lovely acorn squash that I wanted to use instead of butternut squash. Anyway, I did a few substitutions and it was just as delicious. I'll transcribe both the original recipe and my modifications in italics.

Oh, and smooth soup is excellent for parties with an appetizer motif -- just put the soup out in a crock pot and put small cups out for sipping. It was all gone at the end of the evening, which is kind of too bad since I didn't have any leftover to take over to Ms. C, who couldn't make it to the party.

3 1/2 pounds butternut squash or acorn squash, halved and seeded
6 Tbs olive oil
1 1/4 cups chopped shallots
1/2 cup dry marsala
2/3 cup coursely chopped peeled roasted chestnuts from a jar or pine nuts, not chopped
2 cups plain soy milk
2 cups vegetable broth (I like the Pacific brand)
1 Tbs dry white wine
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme, rosemary & marjoram or 2 Tbs thyme, rosemary and sage
1/2 cup hazelnuts, toasted, husked, coarsely chopped since this is a garnish, I skipped this entirely for a drinking soup

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Brush cut sides of squash with 2 Tbs of the oil. Place brushed side down on large baking sheet. Roast until tender, about 40 minutes. Cool slightly.


• Meanwhile, heat remaining 4 Tbs oil in large pot on medium heat. Add shallots; saute until soft, about 4 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add marsala. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer until all liquid evaporates and shallots are deep golden brown, about 4 minutes. Add chestnuts or pine nuts, saute 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Scoop squash flesh into pot, combine.


• Working in batches, puree the mixture in a blender or food processor (or use a soup wand), adding the soy milk and broth, until smooth.


• Strain the soup back into pot. Stir in wine and herbs. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead -- cool slightly, then cover and chill)


• Bring soup to a simmer. Ladle into soup bowls; sprinkle with hazelnuts.

Quesadillas

We just got back from Ms. T's very, very relaxing pool party. The day was hot, the pool was cold, the kids splashed and played, and the parents drank pomegranite/blueberry mimosas or beer. Ms. T supplied a couple of party platters of very nice cut sandwiches, and everyone else brought a dish -- my favorite was the tomato/basil salad Ms. T's sister-in-law brought. Simple, classic, delicious.

I didn't have much time after church to prepare anything fancy, so I threw together some quesadillas. I've been playing with quesadillas for a while now, and the trick seems to be to get the ingredients fairly dry. This is what I had in my fridge, so this is what went in today...

1 bag tortillas (6)
1/2 block monterey jack cheese, shredded
1/2 round queso fresca, shredded
8 quarters of marinated artichoke hearts, chopped and rolled in a paper towel to remove some moisture
2 handfuls salad greens, dried and chopped
1 big squeeze of cilantro in a tube (I would have used fresh if I had it)

1. Heat a griddle
   
2. Combine the grated cheeses in a bowl
3. Combine the other fillings in another bowl
4. On one tortilla, spread out a layer of cheese, a layer of filling, and a little more cheese on top
5. Press another tortilla on top
6. Spray lightly with oil
7. Toast gently on the griddle until the cheese starts to melt, then spray the other side and flip it
8. After you take them off the griddle, let rest for a few minutes before cutting into wedges.

Minted Lamb meatballs

As mentioned in the previous post, I'm in a minty mood lately and have been buying and using a lot of it. Tonight I made minted lamb meatballs, which I served separately from pasta with a fresh tomato sauce (which I'll put in the next post, sort of trying to keep a recipe index thingy going here). The reason I kept them separate is for Kiddo's sake, they could be thrown in. Also, I froze the leftovers for use as an appetizer for Saturday's big 3-year birthday party. Which I'm starting to stress out about. I did a preliminary count tonight and we are expecting at least 25 kids, plus their parents. What was I thinking?

1 1/2 lb ground lamb
2 cloves garlic
1 t kosher salt
3 T mint
1 egg
1/2 cup bread crumbs

1. Toss all of the above into a food processor (or bowl, in which case, mince the garlic)
2. Mix it up.
3. Fry in olive oil, turning frequently
4. Drain on paper towels
   

Dolmades (Stuffed Vine Leaves)

I follow a recipe from A Little Greek Cookbook by Rena Salaman, with a few modifications.

At least 16 oz preserved vine leaves (I usually need a bit more than one jar)
3/4 cup long-grain rice
2 oz pine nuts (at least)
10 oz onions (one large) and 3-4 spring onions, green and white parts
3 T fresh dill
2 T fresh mint (at least)
3 T fresh parsley
1/2 cup olive oil
2 lemons
1 cup hot water
salt and black pepper

Instructions - this is where I veer off-recipe:

1. Carefully reach into the jar and squeeze the roll of leaves up to the side of the jar. Wiggling back and forth, ease them out.
2. Put the leaves into a colandar, put the colander into a big bowl. Run hot water over them and set aside.
3. Measure the rice into a fine strainer, put that in a bowl. Run cold water over it and set aside.
4. Toast the pine nuts in a dry frying pan. Be careful! I have a terrible tendency to forget about them and burn them. When done, set aside to cool slightly.
5. If you feel like it, chop the onions, spring onions, dill, mint, parsley and pine nuts by hand. If not, throw them all in a food processor and use on/off pulse to get them chopped. Do not liquify!
6. Strain the rice and put into a bowl. Add the chopped ingredents. Add 1/4 cup of olive oil, and juice of one lemon. Stir.
7. If you're tired at this point, set it in the refrigerator...you can roll them tomorrow. Or just make pilaf.
   
8. Rinse the grape leaves. On a cutting board with a drippings trough, start rolling the grape leaves, as follows - you are never going to read this in a cookbook. If I remember, I'll take pictures the next time I do it. I learned on my momma's knee.
   
1. Select a whole leaf without too many holes. Set aside very tough or very torn ones. Use them to line the bottom of a large, heavy pot (Le Creuset is really the best for this that I've tried so far). Remove any long stems.
   
2. Veins up, stem at the bottom, place about a teaspoonful of filling near the stem - the amount will depend on the size of the leaf. Spread it out horizontally a bit.
3. Fold the right bottom section in on an angle, then the left bottom section
4. Fold the right entire side vertically towards the middle, then the left side.
5. Roll up from the stem, tucking as you go if you need to
6. Put the roll into the pot (if you have your layer of bad leaves) or into the trough with the edge down.
7. After you've tightly packed one layer, put another layer of bad leaves on and keep on going.
   
9. When you have all the parcels tightly packed into the pot, pour over the other 1/4 cup of oil, the juice of the other lemon, some salt and pepper and the cup of hot water.
10. Place a small plate in the pot on top of the dolmades.
11. Simmer gently for 50-60 minutes (the Le Creuset takes 60 minutes, a regular pot usually 50)
12. Let stand for a while before attempting to remove, or you will burn your fingers.