Spinach Pie with Yeast Crust

One of my first uses of the yeasted pastry crust was this spinach pie. I like to think of it as a cross between a spinach pie, where the majority ingredient is spinach and is only bound together with a bit of egg, and a quiche, that deliciously silky dish of eggs and cream, sometimes flavored with a bit of spinach. This pie is light, almost fluffy, green with spinach and kept from boring with a bit of herbs de provence, nutmeg and cheddar cheese. If you have a crust ready to defrost from the freezer it comes together in just a few minutes. I've served it with salad, although that is a bit unnecessary with all the spinach. A light soup might be nice or, you could do what I did, and wrap up a leftover slice and take it to the airport with you- the crust will hold it together - then, when everyone else is buying $9 sandwiches that taste like cardboard, you can unwrap it and enjoy. Recipe after the jump.

Spinach Pie
Serves 6, 8 as an appetizer
Adapted from the Weight Watchers Cookbook

1/2 recipe yeasted pastry crust OR 1 recipe better for you pie crust OR a 9-10 in pie crust of your choice
16 oz (450g) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and water squeezed out
1/3 C low-fat cottage cheese
2 eggs
3 egg whites
1, 12oz (300ml) can fat-free evaporated milk
1/2 t salt
a few grinds fresh pepper
a grate or two of fresh nutmeg
1 t herbs de provance
2 oz. (56g) cheddar cheese, shredded


- Preheat oven to 375. Grease a pie plate or ovenproof skillet. Roll out the dough and inch or two bigger than the baking vessel (just pop the pan on top of your rolled out dough to see if you need to roll it bigger). Gently roll the dough about half with up the rolling pin, starting at the far end and picking up the dough with your finger and letting it roll under the pin as you roll it back. Lift the pin with the dough straight up, drape the loose bit over one end of the pan and roll it across. Press the crust down into the pan and trim the edges so they don't hang overboard. Use the trimmings to patch up any holes that may have occurred.

- Sprinkle the spinach evenly over the crust.

- Place remaining ingredients through the herbs in a blender or blending beaker and wizz the heck out of them, until the mixture is perfectly smooth. [if you don't have a blender just wisk it well by hand, the cottage cheese will remain a bit lumpy but it'll taste fine]. Pour the egg mixture over the spinach in the crust and then sprinkle the cheese on top.

- Carefully place the pie in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or until puffed and very nearly set in the center (test by jiggling the pan slightly- be sure to use and oven mitt). Allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Turkish Style Baked Eggs

I was reading Chocolate and Zucchini the other week and saw Clotilde's link to The New Vegetarian Column in the UK's Guardian newspaper. I was intrigued as I had read about the column's author, Yotam Ottolenghi, on other blog posts as he is the owner of a delicatessen, in the true meaning of the word, in London. I'm always on the lookout for meals that don't involve meat, and Zach and I love getting Turkish food out, so I eagerly read through Ottolenghi's recent columns looking for things to make.

When I had found this recipe and announced to the office that I was going to make baked eggs with yogurt and spinach for dinner, my co-worker S- actually started laughing. I will admit that it might sound a bit strange, but if you think about it like a variation on eggs florentine, with the spinach, yogurt instead of hollandaise and a bit of chili oil on top, it starts to sound a lot more normal.

It only took about 10 minutes to put everything together and it should have only taken another 10-15 to bake but I can never tell when baked eggs are done and cooked them for way too long. The finished dish was still really good though, topped with garlicy homemade yogurt, even if the eggs were overcooked. The chili sauce was a revelation though-- as its very similar to an amazing sauce that Zaytinya, one of our favorite DC restaurants, puts on its manti.

I made a few changes to the original recipe, as I couldn't find arugula and reduced the fat content a bit (per usual) so my version of the recipe is below.

Turkish Style Baked Eggs
Adapted from The New Vegetarian
Serves 2-3 for dinner

1 bunch (300g) fresh spinach
2 t. olive oil
4 eggs
3/4 C (150g) Greek yogurt
1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
2 T (20)g unsalted butter
1/2 t. sweet paprika
1/4 t. red pepper flakes
6 sage leaves, shredded
salt for topping

- Preheat the oven to 300F (150C). Wash the spinach, remove the stems. Head a big frying pan over medium high heat with the oil. Add the spinach and a pinch of salt. Cook until the spinach is wilted and all of the water has evaporated. If you can, use a spatula to squeeze more water out of the spinach.

- Put the spinach in a small, ovenproof dish and make four wells that go almost to the bottom of the spinach. Break and egg into a custard cup (try to keep the yolk whole) and then pour into a well; repeat with remaining eggs. Place in the oven for 10-15 minutes, or until the egg whites set. (you might want to give it a stab with a fork to check doneness as it's very hard to do by sight)

- While the eggs are cooking, mix the yogurt, the crushed garlic and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Leave on the counter till ready to serve.

- Wipe out the pan you used for the spinach. Add the butter and turn on the heat. Cook until the butter stops foaming then add the paprika and red pepper. Cook for 1 minute. Add the sage leaves, cook for another minute and turn off the heat.

- Remove the eggs from the oven when they're done. Fish the garlic out of the yogurt mix, then pour the yogurt on the center of the egg dish. Pour the butter mix over the top and serve immediately.

Potato and Onion Tortilla (Spanish Omelette)

Third in the brunch series.

Aside from the muffins and the laban, I thought I needed something a little more substantial for the brunch. I wasn't expecting anyone to come starving because of the time-frame, but I didn't want anyone to leave hungry. A Spanish omlette seemed like the perfect solution, but given my history with them I was a little nervous trying it out for company. The Joy of Cooking book that I'd been using had a recipe for one and I decided to give it a try, with a few modifications along the way...

The recipe called for a substantial amount of olive oil (step number one according to a friend who lived in Spain) and a fairly low egg to potato ratio. It also called for cooking first caramelizing the onions onions, then cooking the potatoes in a skillet on the stove. As I had other things to do in the kitchen that night and as I was making a double recipe and felt like getting to bed before 2am, I decided to tempt fate by cooking the potatoes and onions in the oven. I finely sliced the onion, then peeled and sliced the potatoes as thinly as I possibly could. I spread them out over 2 baking sheets (since I did a double recipe) and liberally poured on the olive oil, salt and pepper. I roasted it for about 35 minutes at 400F, stirring every 10 minutes or so for even browning.

Then I beat the eggs in a large bowl and mixed the potato onion mixture with the eggs. I think this was a key step and once I was definitely missing the last time around. This ensures an even coating and that you won't have a really dry section of the tortilla. I heated up my cast iron skillet and trying to silence my inner monologue about trying to reduce fat, poured about a quarter of an inch of olive oil into the pan. I've had disasters in the past combining eggs and cast iron and really did not want to have one at 10pm that night. Once the pan was nearly smoking, I poured in the egg mixture and then turned the heat down. I could see the oil come up around the sides and was duly horrified but the tortilla slid right out of the pan when it was done.

The next morning I warmed the tortilla in the oven, then cut it into wedges and set it out. Judging from the fact that there were no leftovers, I think everyone liked it.

Potato and Onion Tortilla (Spanish Omelette)

Adapted from The Joy of Cooking: Party Foods

1lb. (450g) potatoes, peeled
1/2 lb. (225g) onion, cut in half and sliced
2 T. (45ml). olive oil (plus more for frying the tortilla)
salt and pepper
5 eggs

- Preheat the oven to 400F. Cut the onion in half and slice it into thin half moons. Peel the potatoes and slice them as thinly and evenly as you possibly can. Spread the potatoes and onions out on a large pan, pour on 2 T. of olive oil and some salt and pepper. Use your hands to mix until everything is evenly coated. Roast for 30-40 minutes, stirring every 10-15 minutes, until the onion is soft and golden, and the potatoes are beginning to brown. Remove from oven.

- Beat the eggs in a medium bowl. Carefully add the potatoes and onions to the eggs and stir to coat.

- Put an oven safe skillet over medium high heat with about 1/4 in. (1/2cm) of olive oil in the bottom. When the oil just started to smoke, pour in the onion mixture. Use a spoon to even out the mixture in the skillet and turn the heat down to low. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until the tortilla begins to set. Transfer the skillet to the oven and continue cooking for 3-4 minutes or until cooked through (no jiggling eggs when you shake the pan. Carefully slide the tortilla out of the skillet and serve, or cool and refrigerate for the future.

Broccoli Frittata

Egg night, once again. I thought about making omlettes but was a bit bored by the idea and then though about a frittata. I could use all the ingredients I was planning to put in the omlettes but in a slightly different form. It had been a while since I had last tried to make a frittata (the last episode ending in a very burnt bottom and runny center) so this time I decided to use the cast iron skillet so it could go under the broiler to finish cooking (most of my pans have plastic handles and are a definite no go for the oven). For the frittata filling I decided to go with a combo that they serve at Kramer's, one of my favorite DC brunch spots.

I chopped up some broccoli and briefly steamed it (for about a minute), then sauteed some onion and Hungarian wax pepper (it's actually way less fancy than it sounds- it just the longish light green pepper that in my grocery store is about a third of the price of bell peppers). While that was cooking away, I microwaved some frozen corn kernels and beat 7 eggs in a bowl and stirred in about an ounce of cheddar cheese that Zach had kindly grated for me (I think he ate about the same amount while he was at it...) and a good measure of salt and pepper. I arranged the broccoli and corn over the onions and peppers in a even layer, then poured in the eggs. After a few minutes over low heat on the stove, I transferred the pan to the broiler and was sort of shocked when, 3 minutes later, I opened the door to find the frittata puffed and golden brown and was so amazed that it looked normal (as opposed to the mess of last time) that I took a picture of it right there before I even took it out of the broiler.

We had it piping hot for dinner, but it's also really good leftover or even at room temperature on a sandwich. The corn adds a bit of sweetness and the broccoli great color but you could mix it up and really add just about anything you have on hand- just cook the veggies about 70% through before you add in the egg mixture.

Tortilla Española

Yesterday, after a rather futile attempt at the gym, I came home starving. It was 10am so I thought 'omlette', only we had nothing but cheese to fill it will. Then my eye landed on the leftover baked potato and 'omlette' shifted to tortilla española, otherwise known as Spanish omlette.

Spanish omlette is an egg and potato dish, usually layered high in a deep sided pan, but as I only had one potato and 5 eggs, mine turned out rather more trim. I sauteed some onion and added some smoked and hot paprika for flavor before added the potatoes. When they were warmed through, I poured in the beaten eggs and turned the flame down to low. To finish it off, the pan went under the broiler for a minute or two, to firm up the top of the eggs and I sprinkled on a garnish of parsley for a little color. Truthfully, it turned out a little dry, which may have been due to the potato's extended stay in the fridge. Also- when I conferred with a friend who used to live in Spain, she said that the Spanish usually use quite a bit of oil in their tortillas, which I definitely did not. This needs a bit of fine tuning before my next attempt, which will hopefully turn out well enough to post the recipe of.

Breakfast Redux

Last week I posted our weekday breakfast of steel cut oats so I thought I might put up a weekend breakfast as well. A few years ago I was visiting a friend in Cologne and on Sunday morning she and her mother made a lovely breakfast tray of coffee, bread, cheese, cured meats, jam and Nutella and we all sat outside on the balcony and enjoyed a leisurely breakfast. It's not quite warm enough to sit outside yet here (and even if it was, it's not like we have a balcony or patio) but sometimes it is nice to sit over breakfast.

We were sadly lacking in the cheese department and only had 3 slices of bacon left from another recipe so I decided to try making individual baked eggs in the silicon cupcake forms my dad gave me. I put a little cream cheese at the bottom of each mold, carefully poured in an egg (that I first broke into a custard cup- much easier to fish out fragments of shell that way) then topped it off with a few dried tomatoes and some smoked paprika. I baked the eggs in a bain marie (fancy way to say pan with water half-way up the sides of the molds) for about 20 minutes at 350F and out they came.

Tasty, and a very pretty presentation, although next time I will definitley give the molds a light coating of olive oil first as the egg didn't quite slide out of the molds, as I had hoped.

Omlette

The other night I was contemplating the idea of having pasta and a veggie burger for dinner (my usual standby on nights that I am home alone or when the fridge is running on empty) when I decided to open the fridge to see if by some miracle, there was something good to eat. Jam, yogurt and a box of eggs confronted me when I had the sudden idea- why not make an omlette?

Well- it turned out to be a pretty good idea. There was a little Gruyeres cheese left and a bag of spinach too, so I got them out to. I remembered from my foods class in 8th grade that you should add 1 T. of water to the eggs when making omlettes, so I did and very lightly greased the pan with butter as there is nothing worse than making yourself eggs and only being able to eat half as the rest are stuck in the pan. Instead of plopping the cold spinach into the omlette, as per my usual, I decided to arrange it on a plate and microwave it for a few seconds. The happy result was warm, slightly wilted spinach that worked out much better than the raw, slightly crunch variety.

The omlette was infinitley more satisfying that pasta would have been, especially as I have just discovered that you can flip the omlette over when serving it (to hide the part that I always seem to rip in the pan when making the fold) and adding a few grinds of the new pepper that my dad had given me.

Omlette

Makes one medium sized omlette

2 eggs
1 T. water
10 baby spinach leaves (more or less to your taste)
1/4 cup finely shredded Gruyeres cheese
a little butter to grease the pan
salt and pepper to taste

- Heat a 10" non-stick frying pan over medium low heat

- Beat the eggs and the water until foamy

- Arrange the spinach in a flat layer on a plate (use the one you will serve the omelette on for less cleanup) and microwave on high for 30 seconds

-Add the eggs to the pan. Wait a moment for them to start to cook, the begin slightly pushing around the cooked bits and let a layer form. Gently lift one edge and tilt the pan so the uncooked eggs run under the cooked part. Repeat this until the eggs on top are still slightly wet but not really runny

- Sprinkle the cheese over half the cheese and arrange the spinach on top. Carefully use a spatula to loosen the other side of the omlette and flip over top of the spinach.

- Slide or flip the omlette out onto a plate, add a few grates of pepper, and serve.