Once Upon a Tine

Saturday, March 01, 2008

Greek Salad



It's no secret, I am completely obsessed with the new WHOLE FOODS store that just opened in Scottsdale at 101 and Scottsdale Road, just 2.7 miles from my eastside residence. This store is a virtuous circle entwining the food chain, human beings and Mother Earth: each is reliant upon the others through a beautiful and delicate symbiosis. Walking through the door sends me right into that Zen Place that I aspire to always reside in. One of the more delicious finds this week, and my current obsession is the Greek Salad found in the Bistro Bar for a mear $11.99 a pound. Yikes! Sick of paying out the nose for tomatoes and feta, I reproduced their recipe today with good results! Here's what I came up with:


Country Feta and Tomato Salad

Saláta Horiátiki


2 firm cucumbers
3–4 ripe tomatoes, cored and cut into bite-sized slices
1 large green pepper, seeded and cut into bite-sized pieces
1 small red onion, peeled and thinly sliced
4–6 ounces Feta cheese, cut into cubes
1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano leaves
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
sea salt, to taste
ground pepper, to taste
Peel cucumber and cut in half lengthwise. With a small spoon, scrape out seeds, then cut into bite sized chunks. Place in a large bowl and gently combine with tomatoes, green pepper, onion, Feta cheese and olives. In a small bowl combine oregano and vinegar and whisk in olive oil. Pour half the dressing over salad and season with salt and pepper. Serve with remaining dressing on the side.



A taste extravaganza! It's all just Greek to me.................

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posted by Jules at 6:28 PM 0 comments

Thursday, February 21, 2008

Spanakopita


Ingredients:

2 lbs. fresh spinach
3 lg. eggs
1 tsp. saltPepper to taste
1/2 tbsp. nutmeg (may omit)
1/2 lb. Feta cheese
6 oz. cottage cheese or Ricotta
1/2 lb. butter, melted
1 pkg. phyllo dough
1 onion, finely chopped

Directions:

Wash spinach; discard stems. Dry thoroughly as possible on absorbent paper; cut in pieces. Saute onion in butter until soft. Cool. Add spinach, scallions, eggs, cheeses, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Mix well. Place 6 or 7 layers of phyllo pastry sheets in an 11 x 14 x 2 inch pan. Brush each sheet well with melted butter. Add spinach mixture, then place 7 or 8 layers of phyllo pastry sheets on filling, again buttering each sheet with melted butter. Cut (squares like) through the top layer. Bake in 350 degree oven for 1 hour until brown and crisp. Cut after 5 minutes. Can freeze uncooked Spanakopita. Can also be used as an appetizer.

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posted by Jules at 7:04 PM 0 comments

Friday, February 15, 2008

Chicken and Pistachio Pate'

My french mother-in-law used to make the most God awful Pate' and I choked it down holiday after holiday. Hers had pockets of some gelatin like substance that I would pick out and set aside for later scrutinity. I do love a good pate' and have attempted to bake my own without the mystery goo. This is the result of my experiment.


    INGREDIENTS

  • 2 pounds boneless chicken meat
  • 1 (6-ounce) skinless boneless chicken breast
  • 2/3 cup fresh white breadcrumbs
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1 egg white
  • 4 scallions, finely chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
  • 3 ounces cooked ham, cut in 3/8-inch cubes
  • 1/2 cup shelled pistachio nuts
  • 3 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon
  • pinch ground nutmeg
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon pepper
    DIRECTIONS

  1. 1. Trim all the fat, tendons and connective tissue from the 2 pounds chicken meat and cut into 2 inch cubes. Put in a food processor fitted with a metal blade and pulse to chop the meat to a smooth puree in two or three batches. Or alternatively pass the meat through the medium or fine blade of a food mill. Remove any white stringy pieces.
  2. 2. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Using a sharp knife, cut the chicken breast fillet into 3/8 inch cubes.
  3. 3. In a large mixing bowl, soak the breadcrumbs in the cream. Add the pureed chicken, egg white, scallions, garlic, ham, pistachio nuts, tarragon, nutmeg and salt and pepper. Using a wooden spoon or your fingers, mix until very well combined.
  4. 4. Lay out a piece of extra wide strong foil about 18 inches long on a work surface and lightly brush oil on a 12 inch square in the center Spoon the chicken mixture onto the foil to form a log-shape about 12 inches long and 3 1/2 inches thick across the width of the foil. Bring together the long sides of the foil and fols over securely to enclose. Twist the ends of the foil and tie with string.

  5. 5. Transfer to a baking dish and bake for 1 1/2 hours. Let cool in the dish and chill until cold, preferably overnight. Serve the pate sliced with a green salad and a crusty loaf of french bread.


http://www.grouprecipes.com/39838/chicken-and-pistachio-pate.html

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posted by Jules at 9:44 AM 0 comments

Sunday, January 13, 2008

Waldorf Hysteria



A crunchy, sweet and hearty salad of apples, celery, nuts and mayonnaise. This salad can easily become a summer luncheon main dish by adding cooked, diced chicken. You will probably need to add a little more mayonnaise. Another nice variation is halved grapes in addition to the apples, or pears as a replacement for the apples. Add fresh chopped vegies of your choice.



WALDORF SALAD

1 1/2 cups apples, diced

Grapes (whatever is in season - seedless)

3 tablespoons French salad dressing

3/4 cup celery, sliced

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons of walnuts, coarsely chopped*

lettuce

Miracle Whip salad Dressing, ** see note


1. Wash, quarter, core, and pare apples, and then dice.
2. Mix thoroughly with French dressing.
3. Add sliced celery, salt, and coarsely chopped English Walnuts.
4. Toss with a fork to coat all ingredients with the French dressing.
5. Arrange on lettuce leaves.
6. Garnish with mayonnaise or cooked salad dressing if desired.

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posted by Jules at 12:22 PM 0 comments