Spinach

“Spinacia Oleracea” is the botanical name of spinach.  Up to almost 5O years ago, it was believed that spinach contained a very high percentage of iron. Since then, it has been scientifically accepted, that the original researcher had made an error in the decimal point, giving spinach tenfold contents in iron.  Nevertheless, spinach has a very high nutritional value and is rich in vitamins, antioxidants and minerals.

Apparently, when Catherine of Medici of Florence became queen of France, she insisted that spinach was served on a daily basis.  To honour the queen, dishes made with spinach were named “Florentine”, as they still are today.

Spinach is a very versatile vegetable that can be cooked in many ways.   Here are a few. 

AN UNUSUAL SPINACH TART

The addition of pine nuts makes the difference to this spinach tart.

Pastry no 1

360 g (12 oz) self raising flour

180 g (6 oz) cold butter, cut into small pieces

Salt

1 egg + 1 egg white, beaten

1-2 tbsp cold water

  
Pastry no 2
200 g butter, at room temperature
260 g (2 cups) plain flour and a little more 
55 g (1/3 cup) finely ground semolina.
1 tsp salt
30 g (1/3 cup) finely grated kefalotyri or Parmesan
62.5 ml (1/4 cup) brandy
 

Filling

500 g (1 lb) spinach, washed, blanched and chopped

3 tbsp olive oil

3 spring onions, finely chopped

2 tbsp chopped chervil

2 tbsp chopped Mediterranean hartwort, if available

150 g (5 oz) feta cheese, crumbled

350 g (10 oz) anthotyro or ricotta cheese, crumbled

1 tbsp chopped dill or

1 tbsp chopped wild fennel, if available

3 tbsp pine nuts, lightly roasted

4 tbsp kephalotyri or Parmesan, grated

2 eggs, separated, whites whipped into soft peaks

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Butter for the dish

2 tbsp dried breadcrumbs

1 egg yolk beaten with 1 tbsp water

For pastry no 1, process the butter with flour and salt.   Then add the egg and just enough water for the dough to form a ball around the pastry hook.   Cover and refrigerate for an hour.

 For pastry no2, mix all the ingredients together until a smooth, soft dough is obtained.  This pastry can be rolled out immediately.

Sauté the spring onions until transparent, add the spinach and herbs and simmer until the moisture evaporates.  Set aside to cool.

 

 Place vegetables in a bowl with the feta, anthotyro or ricotta cheese, the pine nuts, egg yolks, 2 tbsp grated cheese, salt and pepper and mix well together.   Fold in the whipped egg whites.

Roll out pastry no1, thinly.  Line a buttered 30 cm (12 in) tart dish with 2/3 of the pastry and cover with dried breadcrumbs.   Add the filling and sprinkle evenly with the remaining kephalotyri or Parmesan.   Cut the remaining pastry into thin strips and place over the filling to form a lattice pattern.   Brush the pastry with  egg wash and bake in a moderate oven preheated to 180 C (350 F) for about 35 minutes or until the pastry is crisp and golden.

For pastry no 2, roll out 2/3 of the dough, thinly, following the same procedure used in the first pastry.  Add the filling and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.   Then roll fine pencil-sized cylinders with the remaining dough and form a lattice pattern on top. Then follow the same procedure for baking the tart as for Pastry no 1.

 

 

 

CREPES STUFFED WITH SPINACH

                                      

With some imagination, crepes can be transformed into a gourmet dish! Try stuffing them with mushrooms, seafood, or with a summer Mediterranean combination such as eggplant, tomato, feta and basil   The recipe, given below, is a good way to make children eat spinach.

Crepes:

175 g (1 cup + 1 tbsp) flour

3 eggs, beaten

300 ml (1 ¼ cup) milk

150 ml (¾ cup) water

1 tbsp melted butter

1-2 tbsp brandy or dry vermouth

Salt and pepper to taste

Butter + olive oil to fry the crepes

Béchamel Sauce:

2 tbsp butter

2 tbsp flour

1 bay leaf

250 ml (1 cup) hot milk or more

¼ tsp nutmeg

Salt and pepper

Stuffing:

½ kg (1 lb) frozen spinach or 1 kg (2 lb) fresh spinach

2 spring onions, finely chopped

1 tbsp dill, chopped

2 tbsp butter

Béchamel sauce

10 tbsp grated kephalotyri or Parmesan cheese,

Nutmeg to taste

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to ta
500 ml (2 cups) cream

First prepare the pancake batter.   Place the flour in a bowl and add eggs and mix well and then add milk and water slowly, stirring well.   Stir in the brandy and melted butter, and season with salt and pepper.   Place in the refrigerator for at least ½ hour.

Make the béchamel.   Melt butter, add the bay leaf, the flour and stir for 2-3 minutes over medium heat.   Add the milk in portions, stirring all the time, until the sauce bubbles and thickens.  Add salt, pepper and nutmeg and discard the bay leaf.

Meanwhile prepare the stuffing.   Melt the butter in a saucepan and add spring onions and then the spinach and cook over low heat, stirring from time to time, until the spinach is cooked, and most of the liquid has evaporated.  Cool a little and chop finely.  Stir in the béchamel and the grated cheese (reserving 2 tbsp of the grated cheese for further use) and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg and set aside.

Then make small crepes.  Spread each crepe with the stuffing, roll up and place in a buttered baking dish.   Pour the cream over and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Place the crepes in a hot oven 230 C (450 F) until cheese melts and bubbles..  Do not overcook (about 15 minutes).

SPINACH BISQUE

This is a lovely winter soup, tasty and comforting

1½ kg (2¼ lbs) fresh spinach washed and chopped, or

500 g (1 lb) frozen spinach, chopped

1 tbsp olive oil

2 leeks, sliced

2 spring onions, chopped

1 cup béchamel sauce

1 litre (4 cups) vegetable or chicken stock

2 sprigs of dill, tied together

Salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste

Béchamel Sauce:

2 tbsp butter

1 bay leaf

2 tbsp flour

1 cup hot milk (not 2)

Salt and pepper

Cream for serving

First prepare the sauce.  Melt the butter, add the bay leaf and flour, stirring for 3-4 minutes, until well combined.   Pour in the milk in portions, stirring well between each addition, until the sauce bubbles and becomes thick and smooth. Discard the bay leaf.

Sauté the leeks and spring onions in olive oil and a little water, and simmer very gently until the onions are transparent.   Stir in the spinach in thirds, allowing it to wilt until adding the next portion. When all the vegetables are sauteed, add the chicken stock, the dill and the nutmeg.   Simmer for about 20 minutes until the vegetables are cooked.

Add 1 cup of the cooking liquid to the béchamel sauce, to thin it down and reserve.

Discard the dill, blend the soup with a hand blender and sieve it back into the saucepan.  Add the thinned béchamel and blend until smooth.  Taste and add salt, pepper and more nutmeg if necessary.  Cook for 5 minutes and serve with a tablespoon of thick cream.

SPINACH AND CHEESE  PIE

                                                       

 Even if you hate spinach, try this pie!

1¼ kg (2½ lb) spinach, blanched, drained and chopped

1 large onion, grated

3 spring onions, finely chopped

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp chervil, if available, finely chopped

2 tbsp Mediterranean hartwort, if available, finely chopped

1 tbsp dill

2 cups feta (if salty, soak in water for 10 minutes), cubed

1 cup Graviera Naxou or Cheddar, grated

2 eggs, lightly beaten

10 sheets phyllo pastry

2 tbsp dried breadcrumbs

110 g (about ½ cup) butter, melted

2 tbsp olive oil to mix with the butter (optional)

Sauce:

3 tbsp butter

3 tbsp flour

1 bay leaf

1½ cup hot milk

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Little salt

Nutmeg, to taste

Sauté the onions in olive oil until transparent.   Add the spinach and herbs, pepper and a little salt and simmer uncovered, stirring from time to time, until the liquid evaporates, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile prepare the sauce.   Stir the flour in melted butter, add the bay leaf, and cook for 2-3 minutes.  Pour in the milk and simmer, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens.  Season with pepper, a little salt and nutmeg, simmer for 7 minutes more, and set aside to cool.  Discard the bay leaf.    In a big bowl, combine the eggs and the two cheeses with the sauce and mix well together.  Stir in the spinach mixture.  Taste and add salt, pepper and nutmeg, if necessary, and set aside to cool.

Line a buttered baking dish with 5 sheets of phyllo pastry, brushing each sheet lavishly with melted butter and sprinkle the last sheet with bread crumbs.  Spoon in the filling,  level the surface and fold the overhanging pastry over.   Place the remaining 5 buttered sheets of pastry over, trim the excess phyllo and tuck it neatly into the sides of the dish.  Brush the pie with butter, score it into portions, sprinkle with water, and bake in a moderate oven preheated to 190 C (375 F) for about 1 hour.  

SPINACH ROLL WITH CHEESE FILLING AND MUSHROOM SAUCE

                 

This sounds complicated but it’s not, and the result is rewarding.

Béchamel sauce

60 g (4 tbsp) butter

50 g (3.5 tbsp) flour

500 ml (2 cups) milk

1 bay leaf

Nutmeg, salt and pepper

Filling:

1 onion grated and sauteed in olive oil

Béchamel sauce (2 tbsp reserved)

100 g (a good 3 oz) anthotyro crumbled or ricotta cheese

150 g (5 oz) feta cheese grated

1 tbsp Parmesan cheese grated

Extra milk if needed

Salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste

Mushroom sauce:

500 g (1 lb) fresh mushrooms cubed, stalks reserved

1 garlic clove, bruised

1 onion, grated

2 tbsp olive oil or

2 tbsp butter

2 tbsp flour

l tbsp brandy

125 ml (1/2 cup) tasty mushroom stock (made with mushroom stalks and  

                                                          trimmings)

250 ml (1 cup) cream

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Nutmeg

For the roll

500 g (1 lb) spinach, blanched, drained very well and chopped

3 spring onions, chopped

60 g (2 oz) chervil, blanched and chopped, if available

1 tbsp chopped parsley

½ tbsp chopped dill

The reserved 2 tbsp béchamel sauce

5-6 eggs, separated

2 tbsp grated cheese, kasseri and kephalotyri, or Gruyere and Parmesan

First prepare the béchamel sauce.   Melt the butter, add the bay leaf and the flour and stir for 3 to 4 minutes.  Add the hot milk, a little salt and freshly ground pepper whisking all the time, until the sauce bubbles and thickens, discard the bay leaf, and set aside to cool.

For the filling mix all but 2 tbsp of the béchamel sauce with the sautéed spring onions,  3 cheeses and simmer gently until smooth.  Taste and add a little salt, if necessary, sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper and nutmeg, and add a little milk, if needed. It should be soft enough to spread.

Prepare the mushroom sauce.  Sauté the onion and garlic in butter or olive oil, stirring until the onion is transparent.  Add a little salt and stir in the mushrooms.  Cook until quite dry, sprinkle with flour, stirring constantly for 2 to 3 minutes. Pour in the mushroom stock and the cream, whisking, until the sauce bubbles and thickens.  Taste and add the pepper and nutmeg, also a little salt, if necessary.  Add more stock if you prefer a thinner sauce.

For the roll, blend the spinach with the spring onions and herbs, and then add the egg yolks and the remaining béchamel sauce and continue blending for 1-2 minutes.  Add the cheese, taste for seasoning and adjust with salt and pepper, if necessary and transfer to a large bowl.  Whip the egg whites stiff and fold into the spinach mixture.  Line a 33 x 23 cm (13 x 9 in) Swiss-roll dish with buttered backing parchment, and spoon in the spinach  mixture  and level  the surface.   

Bake in an oven preheated to 180 C (350 F) for about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and lay a piece of baking parchment on top, and invert on a flat surface.  Wait for a moment, remove the baking  tin and discard the baking parchment from the top.   

To assemble, spread the spinach with the hot cheese filling and roll it up like a Swiss roll and place on a heated serving dish.   Cover with hot mushroom sauce and serve immediately with mashed potatoes or chips.   

SPINACH WITH RICE

 Σπανακόρυζο

This dish, with a slice of feta and crusty brown bread, is a healthy light meal, which I really enjoy eating.

1½ kg spinach, trimmed and chopped

2 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

4 spring onions, thinly sliced

1 tbsp chopped dill

180g (6 oz) rice

1 ripe tomato, peeled, de-seeded and cubed

500 ml (2 cups) water or vegetable stock

Salt, freshly ground pepper

Nutmeg

A knob of butter

60 g (2 oz) grated kefalotyri or Parmesan for serving

Sauté the onions in olive oil until soft. Add the spinach in portions, cover the saucepan and cook for 3-4 minutes. Add the dill, seasoning and the stock and bring back to the boil.  Stir in the rice, place the tomato cubes on top and simmer, covered, until the water is absorbed and the rice cooked. 

Remove the fire, stir in the butter, and cover the saucepan with a kitchen towel, to prevent the steam from escaping.   Serve sprinkled with grated cheese.

2014

Every New Year arrives with hopes, dreams and aspirations.

  

We pray for health, love and progress for those whom we cherish.

We dream of a better world, where peace, sanity and prosperity prevail.  

We hope for new wonder drugs that will cure fatal diseases. 

We trust that this will be a year without credit crunches or natural disasters.     

We might be asking for Utopia but, at the beginning of each year, we certainly have the privilege of dreaming.

As for aspirations, just like last year, I still intend cultivating a small vegetable patch in my garden.

On New Year's Day, I invited my sisters-in-law, Dolly and Cleo, and a few dear friends over for lunch.  I served old fashioned dishes, to match our years.  Here is the menu:

                     

                        
                                                Prawns and Mushrooms in Shells
                                                               
                                                               
                                                             ---------------
                                                        
                                                         Chicken with Tarragon
                                                             Smashed Potatoes
                                                                Glazed Carrots
                                      
                                                               ----------------
                                                            
                                                           Cheese and Biscuits
                                         
                                                                ----------------
      
                                                               Chocolate Dessert
                               
                                                                     ----------

                                                                     Βασιλόπιτa
                                                       
                                                                       

      PRAWNS AND MUSHROOMS IN SHELLS      

This is a lovely first dish for a dinner party.

12 scallop shells, buttered

1.250 kg (2½ lbs) prawns, shelled and de-veined,  heads and tails reserved

500 g (1 lb) fresh white mushrooms, sliced

Court bouillon:

500 ml (2 cups) tasty chicken stock

500 ml (2 cups) dry white wine

4 sliced shallots or spring onions

3 celery stalks with leaves, cut into pieces

6 parsley stalks

1 bay leaf

The reserved heads and tails of the prawns

Sauce:

120 g (4 oz) butter

1 bay leaf

75 g (2½ oz) cornflour

The reduced court bouillon

250 ml (1 cup) hot milk

¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg

250 ml (1 cup) cream or a little more

4 eggs, separated, whites whipped to the soft peak stage, with a pinch of salt

1 tsp lemon juice, to accentuate the taste

Salt if necessary

White pepper

60 g (2 oz) or more grated Gruyere and Parmesan, in equal amounts

First make the court bouillon.  Bring the ingredients to the boil over high heat. Then reduce the temperature and simmer for 20 minutes.  Strain the stock into a large, deep frying pan.  Add the prawns and mushrooms and simmer for 5 minutes, then remove them, with a slotted spoon, and place them on kitchen paper to dry.  Boil the court bouillon over high heat and reduce it down by half, about 500 ml (2 cups) and reserve.

For the sauce, melt the butter, over medium heat, add the bay leaf, and when the foam subsides stir in the cornflour and cook for 3-4 minutes.   Do not brown.  Add the hot court bouillon, the milk and the nutmeg, and keep on stirring constantly, until the sauce comes to the boil and thickens.   Then remove from the stove.  If the sauce is too thick, thin it down with a little cream   In a bowl, mix the egg yolks with 4 tsp of cream.  Very slowly stir 2 cups of hot sauce to the eggs.  Pour this mixture back into the saucepan with the hot sauce, stirring constantly, and simmer for 2 minutes.   Remove from the heat, discard the bay leaf, stir in the remaining cream and mix well, add the lemon juice and stir again.  Add 2 tbsp of grated Gruyere, sprinkle with white pepper, stir and taste.   Add a little salt, if necessary

Place the prawns and mushrooms into a bowl, add enough sauce to coat them, and divide the mixture, evenly, into the shells.   Fold the egg whites into the remaining sauce.  Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary.  Mask the prawns and mushrooms with the sauce, sprinkle with cheese and bake in an oven, preheated to 180 C (350 F) for about 20 minutes or until puffed and golden.  Serve immediately.

CHICKEN WITH TARRAGON

This is an easy and light dish, very popular with almost everyone.  You may use any fresh herb that's available. We love it with sage.

1½ kg (3 lbs) chicken, skin removed, cut in 8 serving pieces

4 tbsp plain flour, seasoned with ¼ tsp salt, freshly ground white pepper and a 1/8 tsp    

                                                                                                             ginger powder

1 tbsp butter

1 tbsp olive oil

2 large-sized onions, peeled and sliced

525 ml (¾ of a bottle) dry white wine

250 ml (1 cup) hot chicken stock

2 tbsp fresh tarragon leaves, chopped

½ cup light cream

Dredge the dry chicken pieces in seasoned flour and shake to remove the excess flour.  Over moderate heat, sauté the chicken in butter and olive oil, until it is  slightly browned, on all sides.  Add the onions, stir and simmer very, very gently, covered, for 10 minutes.  Pour in the wine, add the tarragon and cook, uncovered, for 3-4 minutes, until the alcohol evaporates.  Place the lid on the saucepan, lower the heat and simmer very, very gently, for about 35- 40 minutes, turning the chicken frequently and adding hot chicken stock, if required.  

Check the chicken breasts, and if cooked, remove them to prevent them from hardening. Cover the saucepan, simmer the remaining chicken until tender, and remove the pieces.   Reduce the sauce a little, sieve through a fine strainer, pressing with a spoon to extract all the taste of the onion, and pour it back into the saucepan.  Add the chicken pieces, check the sauce for seasoning, and adjust accordingly. It should have the thickness of single cream, so add more chicken stock or hot water to thin it down, if necessary.  Simmer until the chicken is piping hot.  Then add the cream but do not boil. 

 Serve with saffron rice or smashed potatoes and garnish with a tarragon sprig. 



I had promised the following recipe in the Christmas post.

CHOCOLATE DESSERT

You can prepare this delicious dessert, drenched with a chocolate cream sauce garnished with strawberries or any other fruit of your choice.   You can, also serve it as a cake, just dusted with icing sugar.

200 g (6 2/3 oz) good quality dark chocolate cut in small pieces

200 g (6 2/3 oz) butter

6 eggs, separated, whites stiffly beaten with a pinch of salt and 4 tbsp sugar

300 g (10 oz)) caster sugar

1 scant tsp vanilla

100 g (3 1/3 oz)) self-raising flour mixed with

1 tsp baking powder

Chocolate Cream Sauce:

100 g (about 3 1/3 oz) dark chocolate, cut into small pieces

100 g (about 3 1/3 oz) cream

1 tsp honey

Melt the chocolate and butter over simmering water and stir until thoroughly blended.   Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

Beat the egg yolks with the remaining sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy, and pour in the cool chocolate and butter mixture and stir well.   Add flour and baking powder, and stir the batter lightly, until well combined.  Carefully fold in the whipped egg whites and pour in a cake tin, lined with baking parchment.

  

 Bake in an oven preheated to 180 C (350 F) for about 40-50 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the middle of the cake, comes out clean. Reverse the cake and set it aside to cool.

For the sauce, place the chocolate pieces in a bowl.  Heat the cream just below boiling point and pour over the chocolate, add the honey and stir very well together until the sauce is cold, smooth and glossy.

     

Place the cake on a platter, spread the chocolate sauce evenly over the top, and garnish with either fresh strawberries dipped in melted chocolate or marrons deguises, or chocolate curls or nuts.

NEW YEAR’S CAKE

  Βασιλόπιτα

     This cake is usually prepared for New Year’s Day.   It is customary to insert a coin in the vassilopita, and whoever gets the coin has good luck all the year round.

600 g (4 cups) strong flour

1 tbsp dried yeast

180 ml (¾ cup) warm milk

4 eggs

180 g (¾ cup+ 2 tbsp) sugar

The freshly grated rind of 1 orange

½ tsp mahleb seeds, crushed

½ tsp powdered mastic

125 g (½ cup) butter, at room temperature

1 tsp salt

1 egg beaten with 2 tbsp of water, and reserved

1-2 tbsp halved almonds

     Place all the ingredients (except the butter and salt) in a mixer and beat for 2-3 minutes. Then add the butter gradually, and the salt and beat until the dough is smooth and shiny.     Remove the dough from the mixer, cover it with a cloth and let it rise, in a warm place, until doubled in bulk.

     Punch the dough and place it in a deep, round baking dish, 30cm (12 in) in diameter.  Cover and let it prove for 30 minutes, until almost doubled in bulk.

     Brush the cake with the reserved egg wash and form the number of the year with the halved almonds, or butter icing.   Bake in an oven, preheated to 290 C (375 F) for about 45 minutes or until golden brown.   Don’t forget to insert the coin.