The Tuesday Tart: Greek Zucchini Pie

I love Spanokopita, a traditional Greek spinach pie made with phyllo dough, spinach, onions, dill and feta cheese. But I am too lazy to layer sheets of phyllo in wet towels and brushing them with butter so they don't dry out.

Zucchini were on sale for .79 lb and I couldn't resist buying a bunch. I figure I would make some zucchini recipes this week. Kolokithopita is similar to Greek spinach pie, only it uses zucchini (courgettes for you Aussies and Brits) instead of the spinach.

When your zucchini is falling off the vine at the end of the summer, think about making this instead of a greasy zucchini bread! It was delicious!

Instead of using phyllo dough, I have adapted this recipe using what else? Frozen puff pastry sheets. I know, it's not the traditional Greek way, but it tasted wonderful.



Greek Zucchini Pie (Kolokithopita): (adapted from Closet Cooking)

1 sheet of defrosted frozen puff pastry
3 cups of zucchini, shredded, squeezed and drained (leave skins on)
1/2 cup of crumbled feta cheese
1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese
handful of fresh mint leaves, chopped
tbsp of fresh dill
1 small onion, minced
handful of green onions (scallions), chopped
3 eggs, lightly beaten

Start by grating your zucchini and squeezing the moisture out by wrapping the grated zucchini in a dish towel.

Roll out the puff pastry to fit in a square or rectangle tart pan with removable bottom (you can use a round pan, no rules).

Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl and season with salt & pepper.



Pour filling into the prepared pan and fold over the edges of the pastry a bit.
Brush the edges with some egg wash and bake on a baking sheet for 35 minutes at 400F.



Let cool before removing the tart pan and serve warm or at room temperature.

These can be cut up into little squares and served as appetizers or eaten as a main dish with salad.
Delicious!



and in case you are wondering, yes, this is a Tuesday, and yes, this is a tart.

Enjoy!

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L.A. Times Greek Walnut Cake

I have always wanted to make a Greek walnut cake (also known as Karidopita). It is a traditional cake made from ground walnuts and soaked in a sweet syrup.

I've been putting it off out of sheer laziness, but I found this simple version in the L.A. Times Favorite Recipes and figured it was about time.

This makes a large pan size cake, and you can drizzle it with the sweet syrup if you like, or serve with plain Greek yogurt drizzled w/ honey.



This was delicious, and was great all week.

Greek Walnut Cake: (adapted from the L.A. Times)

2 cups sifted flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon allspice
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 cup ground walnuts
3 eggs
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon Champagne vinegar (I used cider vinegar)
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil



1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, allspice, cinnamon and ground walnuts.

3. Mix the eggs into the dry ingredients, 1 at a time, then whisk in the milk, vinegar and olive oil. Beat just until thoroughly combined.

4. Transfer the batter to a greased 13-by-9-inch pan (I lined mine w/ parchment paper).

5. Bake the cake on the center rack of the oven until puffed and golden and a toothpick inserted comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes, it will rise and puff up.

6. Place the pan on a rack to cool 10 minutes before slicing on the diagonal into diamond shapes. Leave in the pan before drizzling with the syrup.

For the Syrup (optional):

1 cup of confectioner's sugar
juice of a lemon
1 cup of water

In a small saucepan, boil the syrup ingredients until sugar is dissolved.
While the cake is still warm, drizzle the syrup over the cake.

I kept my cake in the fridge and it got better each day. I liked it cold with a dollop of the honeyed Greek yogurt. Delicious and super moist.



Enjoy.

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Are You Tired of Asparagus Yet?

Are you tired of all the asparagus recipes this month?
Too bad.

I love it, and I wish I could always buy it locally (or grow it in my garden) all year long, not just the month of May.

The rest of the year I am stuck with the tough stalks from Peru. So embrace it and enjoy it. (and why does it make your pee smell so weird?).



Today's lunch is poached Jersey asparagus tossed with pistou (what the French call pesto). And to make it extra special, a fried egg on top of the ham.



Inspired by Lunch in Paris, A Love Story with Recipes.

Enjoy some May asparagus........June is right around the corner!

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Grillin' Chicken & Mango Skewers

Want something light, easy and delicious for the holiday weekend?

Make these simple chicken and mango skewers as part of your Memorial Day BBQ and everyone will love them!

Just for the record: I hate peeling and cutting up mangos, so if you can find them already cubed, then life is good. Whole Foods sells cut up mango in the refrigerated section and so did my local supermarket.



Chicken & Mango Skewers: (adapted from Williams Sonoma Grilling)

6 Tbs. olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
Zest of 1 lime
1 tbsp. chili powder
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 Tbs. sugar
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into 1-inch cubes
3 ripe but firm mangoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch cubes
1 red onion, cut into 2" squares

In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lime juice, lime zest, chili powder, cayenne, salt and sugar. Add the chicken and mangoes and stir gently to coat with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate 4-8 hours.



Prepare a hot fire in a grill.

Remove the chicken and mangoes from the marinade and thread onto metal skewers, along with a piece of red onion, alternating the pieces and dividing them evenly.

Arrange the skewers on the grill and cook, turning once, until the chicken is nicely charred and cooked through, 6 to 10 minutes. Transfer the skewers to a warmed platter and serve immediately. Serves 4.

Garnish with fresh lime wedges & cilantro.



The leftovers make for a great chicken salad the next day.

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Pickle Me Elmo: Red Onions

I love pickled anything. Eggs, grapes and now these delicious easy pickled red onions.

You can pickle anything really, by just adding some spices and vinegar to the objet and simmering for a minute.



These onions were delicious with leftover brisket and mixed in with my tuna sandwich. On a hamburger or grilled cheddar cheese. They make everything better.
They keep for a month or so in the fridge, and take only a few minutes to make.



Pickled Red Onions: (adapted from many different recipes)

2 medium size red onions, peeled & sliced thin
3/4 cup cider vinegar
5 whole cloves
1 bay leaf
3/4 cup white granulated sugar
dash of hot pepper flakes

Add the sliced onions, vinegar, spices and sugar to a stockpot and simmer for a minute, until the onions are blanched and the sugar and vinegar dissolve. Transfer to a glass bowl or jar.

Place in the fridge until ready to use.



See how easy that was?

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Leftovers: Orzo w/ Chicken, Artichokes & Pesto

I almost didn't post this, because this is really just a meal made from leftovers.

Those seem to be the best kind lately.
I love making a pork tenderloin, then having pork sesame noodles the next night. A roast chicken turns into great chicken salad sandwiches the next day, and a brisket becomes my favorite brisket chili.

I made those wonderful stuffed artichokes and had some leftover grilled chicken breasts from last night's dinner.



Cut up some leftover cooked chicken & artichokes and toss them with slivers of sun dried tomatoes and orzo. Spoon some prepared basil pesto on top and dinner for tonight is served.

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Carciofi Ripieni: Stuffed Artichokes

My dream when I grew up was not to be a doctor or lawyer (or antique dealer/food blogger), but to be an Italian.

I always thought I could pull it off.

If I learned the language, married an Italian, wore an Italian horn around my neck in high school to ward off the evil eye (aka "maloik" or "malocchio"), then maybe it would happen.


I cooked the sauce, made Pasta con Sarde on St. Joseph's day, watched my friend's moms stuff zucchini flowers and enjoyed the Feast of the 7 Fishes on Christmas Eve.
But it didn't happen.

I still have hope that I will find out some day that my great grandmother's sister was a Roman or Venetian Jew. Hey, you never know.

Why am I telling you all this? Because I think preparing artichokes correctly and artfully is in the genes. Italian genes.

The Cucina Ebraica (Hebrew cooking) of Italy showcases artichokes in almost every meal.
The Carciofi Guidia (Artichokes Jewish style) is the specialty of the Jewish ghetto in Rome. My friend just got back from Rome and told me how amazing the artichokes tasted in season in that part of Rome. They enjoyed them every which way. Fried, baked, thinly sliced, with and without breadcrumbs. My mouth was watering listening to her tell me about them.

So I decided to find my pretend roots and prepare some carciofini.

Marie recently sent me a great recipe from Mario Batali to try, sans breadcrumbs.
The preparing of the artichokes takes a little time, but it's worth it in the end.



You have to slice the garlic cloves razor thin (or "Goodfellas thin") and make a bath for the artichokes. Boil them first in lemon juice and water, then bathe them in the garlic cheese oil, then bake them for 40 minutes.

We ate these beauties for dinner with bread. No meat was needed.



Carciofi Ripieni: Stuffed Artichokes (from Marie and Mario)

4 jumbo artichokes or 9 baby artichokes
2 lemons, juiced
10 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
2 bunches chopped Italian parsley leaves, to yield about 1/2 cup
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a large saucepan, combine 4 quarts of water the lemon juice and bring to a boil. Add the artichokes and blanch for 20 minutes, until tender. Drain, cool, and set aside.

Remove the outer layer of leaves from the artichokes and cut the artichokes in quarters. Use a small knife to remove the spiny choke.



Preheat the oven to 375F.

Mix the sliced garlic, Parmigiano, parsley, and extra-virgin olive oil loosely.

Season the cavity of each artichoke with plenty of salt and pepper and stuff in and around the leaves with cheese/garlic mixture.



Put the artichokes in a shallow baking dish, place in preheated oven and bake for 45 minutes. Remove and let rest 10 minutes. Serve immediately, or serve at room temperature.

Like Anthony Bourdain says "doesn't everyone want to be Italian?".



There is hope for me yet.

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Random Bites in May & Cookbook Winners

Ok, so we've established that it's finally f@#!*ng spring!
It took long enough to get here.

We know that the freshest spring leeks, ramps, artichokes, fiddlehead ferns (why?), peas, favas, asparagus and radishes (rhubarb for dessert) are on the menu.
Gorgeous baby carrots are begging me to roast them! (ok, you know it's weird when produce starts talking to you).



My beautiful once a year roses (Zepherine Drouhin) are in full bloom despite being waterlogged from all the rain we have had. Stunners.



Here are some random bites for the glorious month of May.

The 2 winners of Heidi's new cookbook Super Natural Everyday are: Erin, who has been a long time reader and loves Kim Boyce's Good to the Grain baking book; and Rachel, who has never tried quinoa and doesn't like tofu either.
Please contact me asap with your addresses so I can mail out the books! Congratulations!

Keeping up with my healthy eating......more quinoa cakes, but this time with a fried egg on top. No more skipping breakfast.




My cute neighbor Emilie had her first lemonade stand! She is such the little entrepreneur!




We shared a delicious tarte tatin at Raoul's French restaurant in Soho. You scoop it out of the hot cast iron skillet and devour it over 2 scoops of vanilla ice cream. Now that's what I'm talkin' about.




If you have bad allergies, then New Jersey is the place to be this spring.
Sinus pressure, sneezing, wheezing and watery itchy eyes. Lovely.
This is the border that emcompasses my entire driveway and lawn. It is a 12" border of lovely yellow pollen.

Achew! God bless you.




I cracked up when I read this snarky review by a female commenter on YELP about a Jersey City restaurant.

"Wow.
The Thursday lobster/cod/shrimp/scallop burger special was redic delish.

The mixed meat platter was plentiful, although the meats weren't sliced as thin as I'm used to eating in Italy.

Tons of wine and bottled beer (even draft) options.

Being surrounded by attractive gay and lesbian patrons made me feel hip.

The one downer was also being surrounded by stroller moms...ugh....move to the 'burbs you dinosaurs".

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Spring Lunch: Pretty as a Picture

No real recipe here.
I visited a local farmer's market yesterday and asparagus was the star of the show. The first beauties of the spring market. :)



Here is just a nice lunch made with local blanched Jersey asparagus and grated hard boiled eggs over greens.



Tossed with a lovely lemon vinaigrette and sprinkled with those beautiful chive flowers from my garden.



Wish I had some tiny quail eggs, that would've been even prettier. I'll have to work on that.

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