Spanakotiropita (Greek spinach and feta pie)

I love this pie and it is so easy to make with a shop-bought filo pastry. This is my version of it with the addition of a bit of cinnamon, strange for a savoury pie but I can guarantee you that it works pretty well.

Recipe (24x24 square tray, serve 6/8 starter portion)

1 kg spinach

200gr feta

2 shallots (finely chopped)

Bunch of fresh dill

1 tsp nutmeg

2 tsp cinnamon (or to taste)

Salt and pepper to taste

1 egg beaten

1 pack filo pastry (12 sheets)

Olive oil for brushing

Wash the spinach drain them and put in a large wide pot on medium heat and cover with a lid. Let them cook 5 minutes than drain them into a colander (Important: try to squeeze out as much water as possible) then roughly chop and set aside.

In a large pan heat a tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil and add the finely chopped shallots, cook them for 2 minutes than add the cooked spinach, chopped dill, nutmeg, cinnamon and chunks of feta, mix well together over a medium heat 2 minutes than remove from heat and add salt and pepper to taste.

 

When cool add the beaten egg and now you are ready to make the pie.

Put 6 sheets of filo pastry at the bottom of the tray brushing each one of them with olive oil then pour over the spinach and feta mixture and add on top the remaining 6 sheets of filo pastry again brushing each one of them with olive oil

 

Cook in the oven at 180^oC for 30-40min or until golden brown and Enjoy

 

Smoked trout and mint light quiche

Fast and easy.
My interpretation of a recipe from the French television. A quiche without the pastry.

 

Recipe (x10 muffin size)

250ml milk

100gr flour

100gr gouda cheese (coarsely grated)

100gr cream cheese (Philadelphia)

3 eggs

2 fillets smoked trout

Bunch of fresh mint

 

Mix well milk and flour add the cream cheese and whisk until soft consistency than add the beaten eggs and mix well, finally add the grated cheese and chopped mint.  N.B.the mixture is quite liquid at this stage but you want to see the coarsely grated cheese and mint.

Pour the mixture in the buttered mould (3/4 full) and add chunks of trout on top and put in the oven at 180^oC, 12-15 minutes

 

Delicious served warm for a fluffy texture soufflé-like or cold for more of a bite accompanied by a salad.

 

Asparagus Omelette

There is nothing faster than making an omelette. This recipe require just few minutes more to sauté the other vegetables and steam the asparagus. You can go full vegetarian or you can add same slices of ham (or any sliced meat you prefer) like I usually do.

 

Recipe (x2 Big)

165gr spring onions   

200gr asparagus                                       

1 red pepper        

4 eggs (2p/p)

6 ham slices

Extra-virgin olive oil

Salt (if you don’t use the ham)

 

Sauté the chopped red pepper and springs onion in little olive oil and set aside.

Steam the asparagus and set aside.

 

Add a bit of cooked spring onions and red pepper on a small hot pan pour over 2 beaten eggs (use salt here if you are not adding ham later) and make your omelette.

 

Now add the ham slices and the asparagus

 

Fold it and enjoy

 

 

 

Le Pâté Lorrain

Lately I have watched a lot of French television and I particularly like programs that are able to bring to the general public traditional recipes. Well this is one of them, apparently is one of the most ancient recipe coming from Baccarat in the Lorraine region in France.

It is basically a pie with pork and veal meat marinated in herbs and white wine and then encased in puff pastry. Very easy and delicious cold or warm.

Recipe (x4)

400gr puff pastry

250gr pork meat

100gr veal

2 shallots

2 garlic cloves

Parsley

Salt and pepper

200ml white wine

1 egg (for brushing)

Finely chop shallots, parsley, garlic and meat. Put it in a bowl, sprinkle some black pepper no salt pour over the white wine just enough to keep it moist, cover with cling film and marinate overnight in the fridge.

The next day remove the excess liquid, add the salt and pour the mixture onto the puff pastry

 

Fold the side of the pastry to make a little parcel brush the side with the egg and add on top more pastry

 

Now score it make two little holes on top and brush with the remaining egg wash.

 

Put in the oven at 180^oC for 1h and 30 minutes, you may want to remove from time to time the cooking juices.

And enjoy

 

 

 

Globe artichoke cooked on ashes

This is an ideal recipe for a barbeque because the best way of cooking them is on an open fire strait onto the ashes. But can be adapted using the kitchen oven and wrapping them in foil although the experience of cooking and eating them on a open fire is far more rewarding!

But when the craving calls you have to answer it so this is my adaptation indoor

Recipe (x2)

2 globe artichokes

1 garlic clove (finely chopped)

1 bunch of parsley (finely chopped)

Extra virgin olive oil

Pinch of salt

Chilli flakes (optional)

 

 

Open up the artichoke by hitting the artichoke head on a flat surface. Push inside the artichoke heads the chopped garlic and parsley, pinch of salt, some chilli flakes if you like it hot and a good drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

Now ideally if you are having a barbeque you could put them strait onto the ashes (~ 20 minutes).

This time I did it in my kitchen oven so to achieve the same result you need to wrap them tight in foil and cook them at 200^oC for 30 minutes.

That’s the result

 

 

So now start pealing the artichoke leaf by leaf and savouring each little soft bite at the bottom… (you cannot eat the upper part of the leaf is very hard to chew)

 

 

…until you reach the heart, the best part

 

 

Box of Chocolates

First of all to make your own filled chocolates  you need to temper the chocolate (heat it up and cool it down) to a certain temperature depending on the type of chocolate you are using.

Type of Chocolate	bittersweet/ dark	milk or white
Melting temperature	55oC -58oC	45oC - 50oC
Cooling temperature	31oC –32oC	30oC –31oC milk 27oC –28oC white

          What you’ll need (~35 filled chocolates) 

 

 

        300 gr dark chocolate

 

        1 digital thermometer

 

1 flexible spatula

 

 Chocolate moulds

 

 

Heat some water in a pan and pop the bowl on top of the pan (bain-marie).

Chop your chocolate evenly and put about two-thirds of it in a heatproof bowl. Make sure that the bottom of the bowl is not touching the water. Water is the worst enemy of chocolate so try to wipe out the drop of water that possibly forms at the side of the bowl. Allow the chocolate to melt slowly on a very low heat.

 

Check the temperature and remove from the bain-marie when it reaches the desired temperature (58^oC). Now add the remaining chopped chocolate, pop the thermometer in and stir the chocolate until it reaches the desired cooling temperature (32^oC).

This will take a while. You can accelerate the process revolving with a spatula and if you have a surface where to spread the chocolate is even easier. When ready wrap the bowl with a tea towel to help keeping the right temperature.

 

Start to fill the moulds this is the fun part and try to cover all borders of the mould and discard the excess chocolate back in the bowl. Blast chill 5min in freezer.

Now add your fillings of choice. I used glacé cherries, Nutella, homemade dulce the leche (caramel) and chestnut puree. Put the remaining chocolate on top and shake to fill all gaps and remove air bubbles.

 

Blast chill 5-10 minutes and your chocolates are ready.

Enjoy them yourself or wrap them as a nice present for your friends