Spinach & Feta Pie Recipe

I love spinach and feta pies and am always looking out for various recipes for them. I don't like feta cheese by itself, but you can't beat it when used in a spinach pie. This is quite simple to make and it is very tasty. It was given to me by a friend who had it given to her by a greek lady and as she is an excellent cook, you can be assured this is a great pie.

INGREDIENTS:

200g good feta cheese - crumbled
1 pkt filo pastry - at room temperature
6 - 7 eggs (depending on size)
3 bunches english spinach
1 bunch continental parsley
1/2 bunch spring onions
125g butter - melted
1/2 lemon - for squeezing

METHOD:

Preheat oven to 180C.
Wash spinach thoroughly and remove stems. Place in a large saucepan with the lid on and place over low heat until wilted. Squeeze to remove all the liquid then chop and set aside in a large bowl.
Chop parsley and add to spinach.
Add the crumbled feta cheese, oinions and some sea salt and coarse black pepper to taste. Mix well then stir in lightly beaten eggs.
Butter a large baking dish and working quickly, lay a sheet of pastry over the bottom of dish. Lightly butter the seet and then lay another sheet over this. Keep going until you have 6 - 8 layers of pastry (Keep the filo pastry under a moist tea towel while you work with it to stop drying out).
Spread the spinach mixture over this and press down to remove any air bubbles. Top with more filo pastry, buttering each sheet as you go until you have the same amount of sheets as the bottom.
Butter the top sheet more than the others and bake for 25 - 30 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the pie start to puff up.
Serve warm with lemon wedges on the side to squeese on pie.

Lamb Pie with Sweet Corn Topping

• A girlfriend of mine made this tasty pie for a luncheon we went to and when I sampled it, I decided it was definitely worth adding to my favourite recipes. It is one that the whole family will love, especially the kids. Great for the cold winter months when you want something easy to make and will go a long way.
  
  INGREDIENTS:
  
  2 onions - chopped
  1 tablespoon good oil such as olive or peanut
  750g minced lamb
  1 teaspoon paprika powder
  2 teaspoons ground cumin
  1 cup chicken stock
  2 teaspoons plain flour
  1 tablespoon fresh oregano - chopped
  1 teaspoon sugar
  
  SWEET CORN TOPPING:
  
  1 tablespoon oil
  1 red oinion - finely chopped
  1 clove garlic - crushed (can use bottled)
  420g cans sweet corn kernels - drained
  2 x 420g cans of creamed corn
  1 cup cream
  1/2 cup polenta
  1 tablespoon fresh basil - chopped
  sea salt and black pepper to taste
  
  METHOD:
  
• For Pie:
  Heat oil in a large pan or wok. Add onions and cook, stirring until transparent.
  Add mince and cook over a high heat until browned all over.
  Stir in paprika, cumin and flour and continue cooking for 1 minute.
  Stir in stock and let simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally for a further 8 - 10 minutes. Stir in the oregano and turn pan off while making topping.
• For Topping:
  Heat the oil in a large pan. Add red onion and garlic and cook until oinion is soft.
  Stir in creamed, corn kernels and cream and bring to a slow simmer.
  Gradually stir in polenta, stirring all the time and let simmer for 10 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and polenta is soft.
  Stir in basil and then season with salt and pepper.
  Spoon the mince mixture into an ovenproof dish (12 cup capacity) then spoon corn topping over this and sprinkle with the sugar.
  Cook in moderate 180C oven for about 20 minutes or until the top is a lovely golden brown.
  Stand for about 10 minutes before serving with either a tossed garden salad or some seasons vegetables. It looks great with broccoli, carrots and a couple of baby potatoes.

Bacon, Brie & Zucchini Muffin Recipe

I love muffins and am always on the lookout for new recipes for them. These taste best, straight out of the oven when they are hot but they are suitable to freeze. Try these and I know you will love them also.

INGREDIENTS:

125g brie cheese
2 cups SR flour
2 rashers bacon - chopped
1 cup zucchini - grated
2/3 cup buttermilk (Can use milk if prefered)
125g butter - melted
1 egg - lightly beaten
Sea salt and black pepper to taste

METHOD:

Preheat oven to 180C. Lightly grease or spray a 12 hole muffin tin.
Cut half the brie into 12 small wedges and keep aside. Chop the remaining brie.
Sift flour into a large bowl. Stir in zucchini, bacon and chopped brie.
Combine buttermilk, butter and egg in jug or small bowl. Season to taste.
Make a well in the centre of dry ingredients. Add milk mixture all at once. Mix lightly until just combined. Do not over-mix as this will make them tough.
Spoon into muffin pan holes until 2/3 full.
Bake for 15 minutes then top each muffin with one of the wedges of brie. Bake for a further 10 - 15 minutes or until cooked when tested.
Serve warm with or without butter.

Potato Salad American Style Recipe

This recipe was given to me by a girlfriend who lives in the states. Her mum made it for me when I was staying with them and it was so delicious I had to have the recipe for it. I am sure you will love this way of making potato salad. It is just delicious.

INGREDIENTS:

1 kilo potatoes - peeled, cooked and roughly cubed
2 - 3 hard boiled eggs - chopped
2 - 3 rashers bacon - cooked and chopped
4 spring onions or 1 leek - thinly sliced
1/2 cup of good mayonnaise
1/2 cup light sour cream
2 tablespoons horseradish sauce
chopped fresh parsley
Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Mix potatoes, eggs, bacon and onions together lightly in a large bowl.
Combine other ingredients and mix together until blended and smooth.
Pour over the potato mixture and chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Spicy Sweet Potato Mash Recipe

I love sweet potato and am always seeking new recipes that feature them. Sweet potato has a low GI so is a good alternative to white potatoes and you can often substitute them. This calls for both white and sweet potatoes but you could leave out the white potatoes if you prefer. I like to serve this with caramelized onions as a side dish with grilled porterhouse steak. It is simple to make and tastes great.

INGREDIENTS:

500g potatoes
500g sweet potato
1 clove garlic (can use bottled)
40g butter - melted
1 tablespoon powdered curry spice
fresh parsley and extra butter to serve

METHOD:

Peel and coarsly chop all potatoes. Place in large saucepan of boiling water. Add the garlic and some salt and boil, uncovered until potatoes are tender. Drain well and transfer to a large bowl.
Mash until smooth. Stir in butter and seasoning and mix well.
Serve mash, drizzled with the extra melted butter and garnish with parsley.

Diabetic Veal in Mushroom Cream Sauce Recipe

This recipe was given to me by my mother-in-law Amy who is diabetic. We often like to try out diabetic recipes that are given to us to see if they pass our taste test. This is a very easy recipe to make and it is quite tasty as well. You can substitute the lamb for chicken or beef if you prefer them. If you are following weight watchers points system, each serve has 5 points if using veal, and 1373 kilojoules (328 cal) This recipe will serve 4 so halve it if cooking for 2.

INGREDIENTS:

4 x 150g lean veal steaks
500g fresh mushrooms - sliced
2 pkts lite mushroom & chive cup-a-soup
1/2 cup sliced shallots
2 tablespoons parsley - chopped
2 tablespoons brandy (optional)
1 x 375ml tin light evaporative milk
1 teaspoon crushed garlic (jar or tube)
1 teaspoon cornflour
cooking spray

METHOD:

Spray a non stick pan with cooking spray and saute mushrooms, brandy and garlic for about 2 minutes.
Combine the flour and soup mix with milk and add to pan, together with the parsley and shallots.
Bring to boil and simmer until mushrooms are cooked. Put aside.
In another non stick pan, spray with cooking spray and fry the steaks until tender and just cooked. Do not overcook veal.
Pour the sauce over and serve with some steamed vegetables such as broccoli, carrots and parnsnips.

Bread Pudding Recipe

Most english people have their own version of this traditional pudding. I have asked several people for their favourite one and this one although having a lot in it, I think is really lovely. It may be a bit off track to the original style of making this but once you have tried it I am sure you will like it too.

INGREDIENTS:

8 slices of stale bread (wholemeal or granary)
2 eggs
110g sultanas and currents mixed
110g raisins
55g glace cherries - halved
55g mixed peel
110g dried apricots - chopped
80g dates - chopped
2 teaspoons nutmeg
2 teaspoons cinnamon
55g chopped almonds (optional)
sprinkling of brown sugar

METHOD:

Place bread in a large bowl, cover with cold water and leave overnight.
Squeeze out the water (next day)
Beat eggs, one at a time and stir into the bread.
Stir in fruit, nuts and spices.
Spoon mixture into a lightly greased deep pie dish.
Sprinkle with sugar and a pinch of extra spice.
Bake in a moderate oven of 175C for about 1 1/2 hours or until firm but still soft.
Serve hot with some whipped cream or custard.