Spanakopita - No Eggs!

'The sheaves of phyllo are laid flat,
Uncurling the folded edges.
Smooth and powder dry,
It feels like holding Nana's hand.
Violet talc and buttered rich,
A pocket full.
Smells of kitchen cutting boards and sharpened knives,
I cut my heart in two.' - Annie




I make these whenever I think of my Grandma Elva, especially for celebrations like weddings and birthdays.


In a large bowl, blend together 2 lbs firm and well drained ricotta, 1 1/4 lbs feta, well drained and crumbled, and 1 1/2 lbs well drained frozen spinach.









Mince and brown one sweet yellow onion in olive oil and then add to the bowl. Blend well.

Layer three sheets of phyllo, each well buttered, and cut in half the long ways. Scoop two tbls of filling in the bottom corner. Flag fold, tucking in the edge.

Lay on a buttered pan. Bake in a preheated oven at 380* for 25 to 28 minutes.

Cool on a wire rack.

Garlic stuffed Olive Herbed Focaccia and Spinach-Ricotta Dumplings in Red Pepper Sauce

I led a class on Italian cooking yesterday and felt honored to be surrounded by such a lovely group of ladies.

We made this delicious focaccia!

2 1/2 tsp yeast
1 cup warm water
2 tbls olive oil
3 cups flour
1 tsp salt
2 tbls thyme and oregano

Olives stuffed with garlic cloves
Olive oil for brushing onto surface and sprinkle with salt.

Proof yeast. Mix with flour and olive oil. Mix, adding a little flour until a soft elastic ball forms. Place in an oiled bowl and cover until doubled in size. Divide and pull into round disk shapes. Place in cake pans, dimpling the surface. Insert olives into one or both, which ever your prefer. Bake until golden brown. approximately 15-20 minutes. Pop out of pans and bake for five more minutes. Best served still warm.

4 large, fleshy red bell peppers
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 small red onion
2 cloves garlic
1 cup water
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley 5 fresh basil leaves salt and freshly ground pepper 2 tablespoons yogurt


Cook on a high heat and use an immersion blender to make smooth.

For the Dumplings:
3 bunches spinach, stems removed
3 eggs or yogurt
3/4 cup freshly grated Italian parmesan cheese, plus cheese for garnishing
3/4 cup freshly grated pecorino romano cheese
 2 cups ricotta cheese
3 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour, plus flour for dredging
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper 2 tbls sage 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted









We ended up putting these in a large, well oiled pan and under the broiler to bake when boiling our dumplings led to half results, sometimes this mix isn't quite firm enough to handle boiling. Baking it produced beautiful little rounds of hot cheese and spinach.

Photos courtesy of Kate Goehrig Scott.

Day 15 - Chicken Tetrazinni

Breakdown cost of this meal.

Spaghetti from Pasta Peddler $7.50
1 1/2 tsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt and pepper
2 tbls butter
1/4 cup chopped onion $0.25
5-6 cloves of garlic, minced $0.10
1/2 cup of ricotta cheese from Sorrento $1.00
1/4 cup of milk $0.50
2 cups shredded cheese $1.99
2 cups cooked and cubed chicken $1.15
2 tbls chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup diced sweet pepper $0.65

Total cost for 4 servings = $13.14

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cook spaghetti according to package directions, add oil and salt to cooking water. Drain.
In large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat, melt butter. Add onion and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, 2 minutes. Add cubed chicken, salt, pepper milk, and 1/2 cup of the ricotta cheese. Cook and stir until cheese melts and mixture is smooth. Then the other 1/2 cup of ricotta and stir until smooth. In a large bowl add spaghetti, parsley, peppers and 1/2 cup of shredded cheese. Mix well. Transfer to 2-quart baking dish. Cover with the rest of the cheese and then lid or a layer of foil.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
Remove foil or lid and continue baking 2 more minutes until cheese melts and just starts to brown.