Spanakopita...in Rare Form

The first time I tried Spanakopita I was visiting my girlfriends for a weekend getaway in Chicago. Since they all have experience with big city living in one state or another, and I have none at all, they love exposing me to the best that city life has to offer.

(To be honest, I think they just get a kick out of my wide-eyed state of constant amazement: "You mean there's a train in the middle of the city? Stores that just sell...gourmet popcorn only? An H & M Clothing store right downtown?" Oh Dorothy, we're not in Kansas anymore.).

But I digress. The real juice in this story is in the Spanikopita I had at an incredible little Greek restaurant in Chicago. Could you eat a piece of heaven with a fork? Could your head melt with pure food satisfaction? Could you fly me to Greece so I could eat Spanakopita for dinner every day?

When I stumbled upon Ina Garten's recipe for Dinner Spanakopitas in my new Back to Basics cookbook, I knew I had to give them a try. But not without plenty of changes, of course.

Ina's recipe calls for puff pastry--obviously a delicious, buttery, flaky option that would yield delightful Spanikopita results. However, I decided to go with a healthier and more economical option by using up a leftover package of soy eggroll wrappers I had in the fridge.

The creative results? Spanikopita Egg Rolls (to be fair, it's not really an egg roll. More like Spanakopita filling baked into eggroll wrappers). I imagine these would be adorable even smaller, wrapped in wonton wrappers.

These guys sure hit the spot--with feta, spinach, and pine nuts as the base, I got all the spinach-feta fill I needed, minus the heavy load of pastry.

Are you a big-city person, or small-town gal?

Spanakopita Egg Rolls

(Ina Garten inspired this Hungry Spoon creation)

This is a dish in disguise: On the outside--egg roll. On the inside--a little bite of Greek heaven.

Ingredients:

• 1 onion, diced
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• a little olive oil
• 6 egg roll wrappers
• 10 oz. package of frozen spinach, thawed and patted dry
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese (approximately--just eyeball it!)
• 5 oz. package of reduced-fat feta cheese
• 3 TBSP toasted pine nuts
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.

2) In a small skillet, heat a little olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook until softened and lightly browned (about 4 - 5 minutes).

3) Combine all ingredients (except the egg roll wrappers!) in a large bowl and stir to thoroughly combine.

4) Spoon about 1/3 cup of spinach mixture into the center of an egg roll wrapper. Fold up on each short side, then roll the wrapper up (like a burrito). Place seam side down on baking sheet, and repeat with remaining filling and wrappers. Lightly spray the wrappers with cooking spray.

5) Bake for 15 minutes. Flip egg rolls over (the bottoms should be lightly browned) and return to the oven to bake on the opposite side for 3 minutes.

6) Enjoy! These babies are good enough to eat plain, but a dash of marinara sauce for dipping might be fun, too.

Lasagna Lovin' Fool

I absolutely love lasagna.

While the traditional meatless-marinara version is delightful in its own way, tonight I'll introduce you to a company-worthy lasagna that will blow your mind.

That's right: Mind-blowing. Well, let's be honest-- I owed it to you after two nights in a row of celery.

With feta cheese, fresh rosemary, and artichoke hearts, this recipe takes the traditional comfort-food pasta bake, and cranks it up a notch. Or ten notches.

My older sister first made this recipe a few years ago when I was in graduate school. Being the thoughtful sister she is (or, simply pitying my stressed-out, impoverished student lifestyle at the time), she would cook dinner for me on Wednesday evenings. Since the Wednesday night she created this garlicky work of art, I've never found a lasagna recipe that comes close to being this tasty.

This recipe is ideal for a special occasion--birthday, anniversary, good hair day, etc. Tonight's cause for celebration? My friend Alli, who is well on her way to becoming a Physical Therapist Extraordinaire, just completed two big exams and is need of some R & L (rest and lasagna).

I was more than happy to help :)

Suggestion: I actually prepared the lasagna last night (you know, around 9pm when every sane person starts a lasagna), covered and refrigerated it, and then popped it in the oven when I got home from work today. Paired with garlic bread and a side salad, it's easy-peasy gourmet tonight.

What's your favorite way to enjoy pasta?

Spinach Artichoke Lasagna

(recipe from my cooking-genius sister Kendra, who credits AllRecipes.com)

Finally! A flavor-packed vegetarian lasagna that isn't loaded with cream and alfredo sauce. It's definitely a crowd-pleaser for vege-heads and carnivores alike.

Ingredients:

• 9 uncooked whole wheat lasagna noodles
• 1 large onion, diced
• 4 large cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 can (14 oz.) of veggie or chicken broth
• 1 TBSP fresh rosemary (or 1 tsp. dry)
• 1 jar (14 oz.) of artichoke hearts in water, drained and chopped
• 1 (10 0z.) package of frozen spinach, thawed, drained, and squeezed dry
• 1 28 oz. jar marinara sauce (I used a sauteed onion and garlic variety)
• 3 cups shredded mozzarella or Italian cheese blend (I didn't measure, I just sprinkled a little on each layer)
• 1 (4 oz.) package of garlic and herb feta cheese

Directions:

1) Cook lasagna noodles according to package directions. Coat a 13 x 9 pan with cooking spray.

2) Meanwhile, heat a little olive oil over medium-high heat in a sauce pan. Add onion and garlic and cook for 3 minutes, until onion is just tender. Stir in broth and rosemary and bring to a boil. Add spinach and artichoke hearts; reduce heat, cover, and simmer for about 5 minutes. Stir in marinara sauce.

3) Spread 1/4 of artichoke mixture in the bottom of the prepared pan. Top with 3 cooked noodles. Sprinkle with 3/4 cup cheese (I just sprinkled a thin layer on). Repeat layers 2 more times, ending with artichoke mixture and cheese. Sprinkle crumbled feta on top.

4) Cover lasagna and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Uncover and bake 15 more minutes until bubbly. Allow to sit for 10 minutes before cutting and serving.

5) Invite Garfield the Cat over for dinner. He's never had lasagna this good.

Dishwashing and Dinner Salads

Tonight I got to be dishwashing royalty.

Okay, maybe I over-glorified my role just a tad.

Regardless, I had an awesome time suds-ing up the dishes at the Taste of Home Cooking School event that premiered in Morgantown tonight.

Where did I get such a sweet gig, you ask? My mom is undoubtedly the #1 Fan of Taste of Home’s Simple and Delicious Magazine. So, when the local food panel I sit on was asked to volunteer backstage at Taste of Home’s event, I jumped at the chance to bring mom along for some behind-the-scenes fun.

And fun we had.

They cooked up a storm at the event, and raffled off every dish they created for audience members to take home (backstage volunteers excluded unfortunately!). This event was not for the faint-of-heart: For instance, "Upside Down Banana Pecan French Toast" was first on the menu, complete with 2 cups of half and half (even my eyes widened at this one!).

Prior to all the dish-washing mania though, I chowed down on a dinner salad that I knew would power me through the next three hours on my feet, elbow-deep in Palmolive.

This baby was loaded with plenty of stick-to-your ribs fixins.' Let’s be honest: there’s really no other way to eat a dinner salad.

This dish-washing chick is exhausted. Fortunately it's dress-down Friday at work tomorrow.... If only dress-down day meant sweatpants and a hoodie :)

Stick-To-Your-Ribs Dinner Salad

(a very simple Hungry Spoon original)

This salad was quick and easy to throw together, and filled me up with all kinds of happiness. I don't have amounts for anything, because I just threw it all into the mix!

Ingredients:

• Fresh spinach, stemmed and chopped
• chopped avocado
• Chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• chopped broccoli
• chopped fresh tomato
• toasted pumpkin seeds
• Gorgonzola cheese
• Roasted garlic hummus
• Black bean salsa
• A little drizzle of balsamic vinaigrette

Directions:

1) Combine all ingredients in a big bowl, mix together, and enjoy your crunchy, satisfying dinner.

2) Enjoy your Friday!