Spinach and Feta Puffs

I was looking for something new to make for football Sunday and checked my fridge and started pulling stuff out.  I always have puff pastry in my freezer and everything else just kind of fell into place.  Everyone else wanted to see these little numbers every Sunday from now on.  I happen to agree.
You could make these easily the morning of any get together and just pop them in your oven when your guests arrive...this is my kind of recipe!

Here's What You Need:

1 package Frozen Spinach, defrosted
1 cup Feta, crumbled
1 small Onion, small dice
3 cloves Garlic
½ teaspoon dried Rosemary
½ teaspoon dried Thyme
Pinch of Red Pepper Flakes
2 eggs, one for the filling and one for the egg wash
Puff Pastry, thawed

Preheat oven to 400℉.
Let's get the filling taken care of first...caramelize your onions, garlic and spices with a tablespoon of butter and some olive oil.  Don't forget a little salt and pepper please.  Thank you.  This will take approximately 20 minutes on low.  Put this mixture aside to cool.
Squeeze the spinach of it's water with a dish towel and add it to a bowl with one egg, feta and the now cooled onion mixture.  Mix everything well.
Now take your puff pastry and roll it out a bit, keeping the rectangular shape.  Cut the pastry into 12 squares, trying to keep them as equal as possible.  Spray a muffin tin (regular sized if you please) and place a square of pastry in each tin.  Press the puff pastry up the sides as best you can and then fill each with about 2 tablespoons of your filling.
Pinch up the four corners and don't worry if some of your filling is showing...it will look nice once it's baked off.  Brush the "Puffs" with the egg wash and place it in the oven for  18-20 minutes.
Once they are golden brown place your pan on a cooling rack and let it be for 3-5 minutes to set up.  They should pop right out and in no time they will be devoured!

Bon Appetit...it's time to eat!
Kathi

Frittata with Cheddar

Frittata's are one of my "I Have No Idea What I'm Making For Dinner And Have 3 Hungry Children Demanding Food Or They Will Die" meal.  I make it for everything...breakfast, appetizers for play dates, lunch with a salad, dinner with salad, side and grilled bread.  Name it...this works for it.  Unless it's a dessert party.  This would suck for that.
So this was the other request I had gotten from the largest one after she had to have 4 teeth extracted to make room in her mouth for big teeth and eventually braces.  The dentist tells me she has a small mouth but she sounds so freaking loud at home that I really had to sit back and question his degree.  I may have to go online and find out if he graduated from  an accredited school or an online version.  I'm not joking.
She also requested Risotto.  I made that too!  My poor baby!
Notice that adult beverage in the background?  My husband and I fight over who gets the pink straws...tonight I lost the battle but he was the one making the Vodka Tonics so I really didn't mind too much!  I'm not very happy with the picture but until I make it again, this is the best I can do for you.  My bad.

Here's What You Need

• 1 Tablespoon Butter
• 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• ½ Onion, I use Vidalia or a sweet type usually
• 1 Large Portabella Mushroom, chopped small
• 1 Medium Zucchini, quartered and sliced
• 1 Bunch Beet Greens, about 3 cups chopped
• ¼ Cup Parsley
• 10 eggs, beaten
• ½ Cup Milk
• 1 Cup "Seriously Sharp" Cheddar

Preheat your stove to 350˚.

As usual I start with a large pan, oven safe this time, butter, olive oil and onion.  Stir them around with some salt and pepper for a few minutes and then add in your mushrooms.  After a few minutes of these two getting to know one another add in the zucchini and saute them all until they are to your liking.  Personally I like mine with some color.  Next comes the beet greens...if you are afraid of them add in something else like spinach, arugula or kale.  I will say beets and their greens are some of my favorite things on the planet.  No joke.  While the veggies are working their magic crack the eggs, add the milk and whisk away.  I like to get a little bit of air into them.   Once your green of choice has wilted down enough to your liking (spinach will take no time, while kale will still keep it's body) spread the filling around the pan evenly and add in the egg mixture gently so as to not disturb the filling.  I keep the heat on medium/low to medium.  This is when you add your cheese...spread it around the top of the mix and just leave it.  Wait until the edges are just set, the middle will still be liquid and then put it on the middle rack of your stove.  This is where the oven proof pan comes in handy.  You will have to wait 13-15 minutes or just until the middle is set and not jiggling.

We cut ours like a pie and have hot sauce on the table.  If you're serving the frittata as an appetizer I cut it into 16th's.  If it's a main meal I cut it into 8th's and I serve it with a salad or other side.

Bon Appetit...it's time to eat!!!

Grilled Zucchini Rolls

I've talked to you all before about my friend, Elizabeth, who has Fat Moon Farm.  She has a ton of pea shoots right now and I am in PS heaven!  I had been wanting to make a different version of grilled zucchini since my Grilled Stuffed Zucchini and this was a perfect spring time option!  I don't have much to say today...this recipe has almost left me speechless.  Almost.

Here's What You Need:

• 3-4 medium Zucchini, sliced thinly, lengthwise
• 5.5 ounces Goat Cheese, room temperature
• 2 Garlic Scapes, chopped
• 5 Basil Leaves
• 2 Tblsp Parsley
• Pepper
• ½ Lemon, juice and zest
• Pea Shoots (or other baby green like arugula or even baby spinach)
• Garlic Pepper Oil

Pea shoots didn't make it in this shot...they were getting washed.  Oops!

I take the goat cheese out of the fridge to soften and turn the grill on (or use a grill pan) while I am slicing the zucchini.  Using a mandolin would be exceptional here but since I don't have one (yet!), I just use my trusty chefs knife.  I find it easier to stay straight with it rather than something small like a paring knife, but that's just me.  Use whatever works for you!
Once the zucchini is sliced I put it in a zip top type of bag and add a few tablespoons of the garlic pepper oil.  If you don't have it ready or don't want to make it, it won't be a deal breaker here.  Just use regular olive oil or an already flavored one of your liking.  I hope my husband reads this to see that I can in fact be pretty easy going at times!  Close the top of the bag getting as much air out as you can, then rub the bag around to get the zucchini coated well.  To the grill you go...it just takes a couple of minutes per side since these are thin zucchini we're using here.  Get some pretty grill marks then put them on a plate to cool a bit and work on your filling if you didn't get it done it earlier.
In a small bowl add in your goat cheese, garlic scapes (or regular garlic if you don't have Fat Moon Farm around the corner!), basil, parsley, pepper and lemon.  Give it a good mix to incorporate everything and set up an assembly line, it just makes it easier!
Start with your zucchini and add about a teaspoon of your herbed cheese to one end.

Top that off with your pea shoots or other green.

Annnnnnnd roll.

We had these as an appetizer before our Pea Shoot Pesto (yeah, I'm slightly obsessed with them right now!), and they were devoured by everyone!  Look for more recipes involving pea shoots to come in the next few weeks thanks to Elizabeth!  ❤
I think I am off to the kitchen store to score a mandolin now...I'll be making these all summer!
Bon Appetit...it's time to eat!

Grilled Stuffed Zucchini

I was having some of my favorites, Bianca and Paula, come over for a "Mama Lunch" today,  and decided I was going to make them my personal taste testers and help me out with this blog.  If you're a Mother I would hope you know what a Mama Lunch is...for those of you who are newly "Mama'd" or not "Mama'd" let me explain.  A Mama Lunch involves alcohol.  Wine.  Beer. Vodka.  Whatever.  We get together for a midday meal, laugh, blow off steam, talk about our kids (or anything but) and have some cocktails.  Don't judge us.  I also do these lunches with non-Mama's and have an equally great time, yet I still call it a Mama Lunch.  I don't like change.  Deal with it.
So this recipe was inspired by an appetizer The Husband and I get from one of our few favorite chain restaurants, Burton's Grill.  It's as copy cat as I can get it and it's amazing if I do say so myself.  It can be an appetizer, side dish or light lunch with a salad.  Love the versatility!  You can feel free to use a jar sauce or your favorite recipe.  If you don't have a favorite, try mine.  It's pretty freaking good My Version of Tomato Sauce, if I do say so myself.
Sadly only Paula was able to make it, one of Bianca's babies ended up being sick.  Poor baby...see why we need Mama Lunches?!?   On the upside...I have another serving sitting in my fridge right now waiting for me to devour it.  Is that wrong?  Yeah, a little bit.  It's just so damn good!

Here's what you need

• 1 zucchini per person you are feeding
• Alouette, Garlic and Herb Cheese
• Sauce, jarred or homemade
• Mozzarella, shredded, 1/4 cup per dish

First start your grill and get it smoking hot.  I have gotten pretty comfortable with my grill this spring season...not sure why I have been afraid of it until now?  I'm bad ass.  LOL!

You are going to need to cut your zucchini lengthwise, I can usually get 4 good middle slices out of mine.  The ends wind up being my little snacky snack!

I put the slices into a zip top bag and add salt, pepper and a few tablespoons of olive oil.  Zip it up and make sure you take most of the air out then rub the bag in between your hands to spread everything around all nice.  

Lay the slices out all pretty on the grill and shut the cover.  

Leave them alone for 2-3 minutes to get some delicious grill marks on them...I love this part!  Flip them over and do the same thing to the other side.  

Once they are gorgeous and all grill marked put them on a plate or cookie sheet to cool before stuffing them.  

I used a cutting board to assemble mine.  Preheat your oven to 375˚ and add a few tablespoons of sauce to the bottom of your oven proof dishes.  This prevents the zucchini from sticking and later when the zucchini is sitting in your stomach you have something to dip your bread in.  Always think to the future people.  Side note...yes that is a Ziplock bag with my sauce in it, and yes, I label it "Mama's Sauce".  Too funny!

Lay a zucchini slice down and place 1 1/2 teaspoons of the Alouette cheese at the end of the slice.  

Then roll it up in a cute little package.  Ignore the red spots on my fingers...it's permanent marker so you may see it again!  LOL! 

and place it in your oven proof dish...oh happy day!  It looks good already doesn't yet?  Just wait.

I put a few more tablespoons of my sauce on top of the goodness that is the stuffed zucchini

and then pile on the Mozzarella.  Grated Parmesan or Fontina would also be good here.  OMG cheese! It looks insanely good even though the pic is upside down.  I tried fixing it.  And gave up.  

I covered the dishes individually and placed them on a cookie sheet.  It made it easier to get them in and out of the oven.  After 20 minutes check to see if they are bubbly and the cheese is melted.  If you're good to go, leave the foil off and blast them under the broiler for a minute to brown the cheese up a bit.

Mmmmmmm cheesy goodness...that's it!  I'm going back down to the fridge and eating that last serving!  Sorry Bianca!

Bon Appetit...it's time to eat!  Again.