A Fabulous Entree Into Vegetarianism

This is a delicious call to all of us fine foodies and wine lovers to eat more vegetables.  Granted, I supe my veggies up with healthy amounts of butter and olive oil — then serve them with a lovely, rather large glass of wine but to each his own.

This is a recipe for a Spinach and Cheese “Filo Pie” and accompanying cucumber salad that I very lightly adapted from the amazing Jamie Oliver’s incredible book, Meals in Minutes.  Really, its his recipe but I like goat cheese.  A lot…

The “Meals in Minutes” title might convey some kind of schlocky, second tier cooking frenzy but nothing could be further from the truth.  Entire meal menus and easy to follow instructions help even the most exhausted of us foodies bravely face the dinner hour no matter how hectic our days.  I don’t even make the entire suggested menu — I just pick an entree and a side, skipping desserts totally.  Because too many sweets makes one fat.  But veggies do not.

 Spinach & Cheese “Filo Pie” (starting on page 70)

• 2/3 cup pine nuts
• 5 eggs
• approx 14 oz Cheese (I mix Feta, shredded cheddar and goat cheese chunks)
• dried oregano
• 1 lemon
• butter
• 16 oz (1lb) bag of pre-washed spinach
• 12 sheets phyllo pastry, thawed if frozen
• cayenne pepper
• 1 whole nutmeg for grating

Thaw phyllo dough!! I forget this step and end up with shards of phyllo dough instead of the lovely sheets of perfectly toasted phyllo crust.  It doesn’t affect the taste any but it looks odd.

Heat oven to 400’F.  Put a medium, ovenproof frying pan on medium heat for 1-2 minutes to warm.  Then add pine nuts, toasting them carefully. Remove nuts to a separate bowl.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk eggs, cheese, pinch of pepper, 2 pinches oregano (or 3), zest of one lemon, pine nuts, and one glug of olive oil.

In the medium pan, melt two tablespoons butter with another glug of olive oil and add half of the spinach.  Wilt over medium heat and then add the second half. Remove from heat.  *You want some crunch still in your greens so do not over cook. They will cook more in the oven.

Lay out a sheet of parchment paper so its a large rectangle.  Rub olive oil on it and crinkle it up with your hands, then lay flat again.  Arrange 4 sheets of the thawed phyllo dough over it and rub more olive oil over their tops. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and a pinch of cayenne.  Repeat this process until you have three layers.

Note: If you’re like me and forget to thaw the dough in time, it will shatter into chunks.  No matter: Use it the same way with copious amounts of the shards making up each layer.

Add wilted spinach to the egg mixture and mix.  Grate in 1/2 of the nutmeg. Stir again.

Wipe the inside of the frying pan with a paper towel to remove any bits left from the spinach.  Carefully slide the parchment paper into the frying pan so the phyllo dough is roughly centered.  Pour in egg mixture and spread it out.  Fold the phyllo sheets over the top and let them fall.  I trim the excess parchment paper here so it’s not unattractive.

Put the pan on medium heat to cook the bottom of the egg mixture for a few minutes and then slide it into the oven on the TOP shelf.  18-22 minutes or until golden and crisp.

We place a pretty trivet on the table to serve directly from the warm pan…

Minty Cucumber Salad

• 1 hot house English cucumber (I like 2)
• 10-15 pitted kalamata olives
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 3-4 scallions
• 1/2 lemon
• 1/2 fresh red chili (sweet or spicy, its up to you)
• 1 handful fresh mint leaves
• good olive oil

Score the sides of your cucumber with a fork.  Halve and quarter it and then cut the quarters into 1/4″ chunks.  Place this into a pretty serving bowl.

Coarsely chop your olives and put them into a small bowl (something you’d make your dressings in.)  Pour the vinegar over them and use the fork to mush them down a touch.  Jamie says the vinegar pulls out their saltiness. Trim and finely slice the scallions, adding these to the olives. Then add approx. 1/4 good olive oil and the juice of 1/2 a lemon to the olive mixture and stir well.  Set aside.

Seed and coarsely chop half a red chili and add to the cucumber.  Wash and coarse chop the mint leaves (ONLY the leaves) and add to the cucumber as well.

The “Pie” should be ready! Take it from the oven and place on your table for serving.  The “Pie” needs to stand for 3-5 minutes to cool before serving.  Toss the salad and bring to the table as well.

This takes less than an hour total and Dinner — as well as tomorrow’s lunch — is delicious and healthy.