Poulet Dijonnaise

This is a fantastic recipe my mom has been making for years and I have always enjoyed it.  I love the richness of the flavour and how easy it is to prepare. It is wonderful because you can make full size portions or appetizer size portions.  This is a great one to make in advance to freeze in whatever portion size you need.  If you are going to freeze them, wrap them individually and freeze them before baking them in the phyllo dough. When you take it out of the freezer, reheat frozen at 425 for 25 minutes.
The recipe below is how to make it in an oven but I have also done this in a crockpot by putting the chicken, dijon, whipping cream, salt and pepper in.  I cooked it on high for about 4 hours and then pulled the chicken breasts apart with forks.

Poulet Dijonnaise

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts1/4 cup Dijon mustardpan juices from cooked chicken2 cups whipping cream salt and white pepper16 sheets of phyllo dough, defrosted1 cup butter1/2 cup dry bread crumbs

1. Season chicken breasts. Place in a baking dish and cover with foil. Bake at 350 degrees F for 40-50 minutes (or until just cooked).  
2. Remove meat, cool, skin and cut into small pieces. 
3. Remove excess fat from pan juices, add mustard and deglaze over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. 
4. Gradually stir in light cream, salt and pepper. 
5. Lower heat and cook slowly until the liquid is reduce by one-quarter. 
6. Add chicken to sauce. Set aside and cool.  (I take out the phyllo pastry at this point)

Rectangular Single Servings

Butter one layer of phyllo, top with a second layer. Butter second layer. and sprinkle with a few bread crumbs. Place one-eighth of filling in rectangle about two inches from the narrow end of phyllo closest to you.  Fold two-inch end over the chicken filling. Smooth right and left-end edges down. Then fold left and right sides up to centre of the rectangle of filling. Butter the new unbuttered sides you have exposed. Sprinkle the same with bread crumbs.  Then finish rolling the individual serving up ensuring that the last edge is placed face down on the cooking sheet. Brush with butter. Bake at 400 degrees for about 15 - 20 minutes.  

Triangles

Butter one sheet of phyllo and sprinkle with bread crumbs. Envision vertical lines at the 1/3 and 2/3 marks of a vertical sheet of phyllo.  Fold left third over the centre third, then fold the right third, over the centre. Place a spoon full of filling into the bottom corner of the new three-layer piece of phyllo.  Fold diagonally, triangle over triangle, as if folding a flag. Place seam side down (Cut off any extra left after the last fold)

Turkey Tetrazzini

We love turkey season in our house because we are able to get several meals out of one bird.  We will often purposely make a bird much larger than we need to feed everyone just so we have lots of leftovers for various leftover turkey recipes.
I think this is one of my favourite recipes to use up the extra meat.  I will sometimes make this a gluten free recipe by using cornstarch instead of flour to thicken the sauce, leave out the bread crumbs and use spaghetti squash in lieu of the noodles.  Regardless of what I use, this casserole gets eaten up quickly without complaints.

Turkey Tetrazzini

1 tbsp butter

1 onion, finely chopped

4 ribs of celery, finely chopped

2 carrots, finely chopped

3/4 cup frozen peas

1 cup sliced mushrooms

pinch of salt and pepper

1/2 cup dry white wine

1/2 cup flour

4 cups broth

1 cup parmesan cheese, divided

4 oz cream cheese

8 oz pasta of your choice (cooked)

2 cups diced turkey meat

1/2 bread crumbs

1. Melt the butter in a pan and sauté the onions, celery, carrots and mushrooms until they are tender.
2. Add the flour and stir until the vegetables are coated.  
3. Add the wine and stir until the flour has been absorbed
4. Gradually add the broth, stirring constantly.
5. Bring the mixture to a boil, and reduce heat.  Frequently stir the mixture while it simmers for five minutes.
6. Remove from the heat and add the cream cheese and 1/2 cup of the parmesan cheese, stirring until they melt.
7. Add the peas, pasta and turkey.  Make sure you combine the new additions well.
8. Transfer the mixture to a oiled casserole dish.
9. Combine the remaining parmesan cheese and the bread crumbs. Sprinkle over the top of the pasta mixture.
10. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes and allow it to rest for 15 minutes before serving.

Spiced Apple Chicken

I do love cook books and fingering through them to find inspiration for meals but I two little ones demanding my attention so I am not able to do it as often as I'd like too.  I had some apples that I needed to use up and so I looked to Google to help me create the menu for tonight's meal.
This created a wonderful meal that didn't take hours to make and one that every one enjoyed.  When I use apples in recipes, I prefer to leave the skin on because of the nutritional benefits but if you are going for elegance, it may be better to peel them.  In the future I could see adding the seasonings in this recipe to bread crumbs to make a breaded chicken and serve the apples on top.
This is a flavourful dish that pairs well with pretty much any standard side dish.

Spiced Apple Chicken

2 apples (a sweeter variety is best)

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 tbsp lemon juice

1/4 tsp cinnamon

3 tbsp olive oil, divided

3 tbsp butter, divided

1 1/8 tbsp Herbs de Provence

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 cup chicken stock

zest of one lemon

1. Core and chop the apple into thin pieces and toss in a bowl with the lemon juice and cinnamon.
2. Heat 1 tbsp of the oil and butter together in a skillet then add the apple mixture.  Stir occasionally until the apples are tender and then keep them warm for serving.
3. Place the chicken between plastic and tenderize it with a mallet or rolling pin until it is of uniform thickness (roughly 1/2 inch).
4. Mix 1 tbsp of the Herbs de Provence with the salt and pepper.  Sprinkle this mixture on both sides of the chicken breasts.
5. Add 1 tbsp of the butter and olive oil to the skillet over high heat.  Add half the chicken and cook it through.  Set it aside where it can stay warm.  Repeat with the remaining chicken.
6. Add the broth, zest, remain Herbs de Provence and any juice from the chicken to the pan.  Cook, stirring any brown bits from the side of the pan for about 3 minutes.
7. Spoon the sauce over the chicken and serve beside the apples.

Blackberry Chicken

I love looking to the world wide web for inspirations and ideas for meals, especially when I want to put ingredients together that are not typically paired together.  Our freezer is still full of berries from last summer that we would like to use up before the summer so I decided to hunt for a recipe.  I found a recipe on a great blog called The Gracious Pantry and I modified it a bit based on what I had on hand.  I am sure it is a blog I will return to for more recipe ideas!
 I served it with some roasted vegetables.

Blackberry Chicken

1 onion, sliced into rings

4 chicken breasts

1 cup frozen blackberries

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

1 tbsp minced rosemary

3 cloves minced garlic

1. Make a layer of onions in the bottom of the crockpot and place the chicken over top.
2. Scatter the blackberries over the chicken.
3. Whisk together the balsamic, rosemary and garlic before pouring it over the mixture in the crockpot.
4. Cook on low heat for 6 hours or high for 3.

Stovetop Macaroni and Cheese

As I mom, I know how nice it is to have boxed meals on hand that are easy to make but I also know how much I care about the food I let my little one eat.  I was very happy when I came across this recipe for home made stove top mac and cheese.  It honestly doesn't take too much longer than making a box of the blue stuff and I know how to pronounce everything that goes into it.
I will often put in some frozen vegetables in with the pasta.  You can also get creative with the different types of cheeses you use.

Stovetop Macaroni and Cheese

2 cups pasta, any shape

1 1/2 cups milk

2 tbsp flour

2 cups grated cheese

1/4 tsp mustard or onion powder

salt and pepper to taste

1. Cook the pasta to your desired tenderness and drain.
2. While the pasta is cooking, heat 1 cup of milk over medium heat.  Whisk together the rest of the milk with the flour and mustard/onion powder.  As the milk starts to steam stir in the milk mixture and allow it to thicken.
3. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the cheese.
4. When the sauce and pasta are ready combine them in one pot.  Stir to make sure the sauce coats the pasta before serving it. 

Apple Mustard Chicken

This year we had a pretty good crop or apples to use up and so far we haven't had much luck keeping them over the winter.  We were having some good family friends coming over for dinner and I wanted to feature some of what we harvested this year.  I came across this recipe and thought it would be perfect for dinner.  It was simple to put together and I did the first steps before our guests arrived and cooked the chicken once they got to our house.  I served the chicken with roasted vegetables and a green salad.The result was wonderful!  The flavours went so well together and the chicken was nice and moist.
I made some extra and mixed it with pasta for dinner the next night.
I am sure this would work well with pork chops as well.

Apple Mustard Chicken

1 apple, cored and chopped

1 onion, diced

1/8 cup chopped prunes

4 chicken breasts

3 tbsp butter

1 cup chicken broth

2 tbsp whole grain mustard

1/4 cup cream

1. Melt the butter in a skillet on medium heat, add the apple and onion and cook until soft.
2. Add the chicken broth, prunes and mustard. Allow to simmer for a few minutes.
3. Reduce to low heat and add the chicken breasts.  Cover and poach until the chicken has cooked through (around 15 minutes).
4. Add the cream and allow to simmer until the sauce thickens.

Slow-Roasted Garlic and Lemon Chicken

I have always loved the combination of lemon and garlic.  They go so well together.  I am still on the mend and needing help with my little one.  Today my Mom was out with her and called asking if I could do something with the chicken in the fridge.  After looking around to see what I had to work with I thought of this recipe is one that my Mother-in-law makes and it is absolutely wonderful.
It takes some time but the prep work is not very labour intensive and the end result is definitely worth it.
This recipe can be easily modified to work with chicken breasts if that is your preference.
I have tried this recipe with using both thyme and rosemary, both work wonderfully!
I decided to roast vegetables along side the chicken and they turned out very well.  I put some potatoes, carrots and onions in with the chicken when there was about 45 minutes left.

Slow-Roasted Garlic and Lemon Chicken

1 chicken cut into 10 pieces

1 head garlic, separated into cloves

2 lemons cut into chunks

small handful fresh thyme

3 tbsp olive oil

1 cup white wine

black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 320 F.
2. Put the chicken pieces into a roasting tin and add the garlic cloves, lemon chunks and the thyme. Add the oil, mix everything together and then arrange the chicken pieces so they are flat with the skin side up.
3. Sprinkle with white wine and freshly ground black pepper before covering tightly with foil.  Cook at low heat for 2 hours and allow the flavours to intensify.
4. Remove from the oven and turn the oven up to 425 F. Remove the foil and cook the chicken for another 30-45 minutes.

*Recipe adapted from Nigella Lawson

Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta

One evening I was going through the fridge trying to get inspired from the ingredients I already had.  I really dug around and was pleasantly surprised with what I had found.  I realized I had many ingredients for a recipe I had seen from  Ina Garten.  Since I didn't have all the ingredients I modified the recipe based on what I had in the kitchen one night.
I was really happy with the outcome of this experiment and I will make it again.  This would be a great dish to take to a potluck and the leftovers a great for lunches.  I think it would be fun to experiment more with different types of pasta.  I think it would be very nice with a cheese tortellini.

Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta

Olive oil

1/2 lb pasta of your choice

2 cups grated mozzarella cheese

3/4 kalamata olives

3 chopped roma tomatoes

6 chopped sun-dried tomatoes

Dressing

5 sun-dried tomatoes

2 tbsp red wine vinegar

6 tbsp olive oil

1 garlic clove

1 tsp capers

3/4 tsp ground pepper

1 cup parmesan

2 tbsp dried basil

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil with a splash of olive oil.  Cook the pasta according to directions. Darin and then allow to cool.
2. Put the dressing ingredients into a blender.  Pulse the blender until the dressing reaches your desired consistency.
3. In a large bowl combine the pasta, olives,  mozzarella, tomatoes and sun-dried tomatoes.  
4. Add the dressing and toss before serving.

Roasted Garlic and Acorn Squash Strudel

I have been looking for the perfect opportunity to try this recipe for a while now and it finally came.  My inlaws were coming for dinner and they are always up for trying something new. They also don't mind keeping the little one entertained while I work in the kitchen.  Plus they were the ones who grew the squash I used.
This recipe will be a fall staple for me in the future I am sure, especially in years where I have a lot of squash to use up.  I will likely double the recipe and freeze half of the filling for later because it will not add much extra time.  The time consuming part of this recipe is preparing the phyllo for the filling to go into.  Depending on how patient you are and how flakey you like your strudels will be the main determinate in how long the last step takes you.
It is a very versatile strudel that could be use for many different purposes depending on the portion size.  This recipe could easily be adapted to use different types of squash or different spices.

Roasted Garlic and Acorn Squash Strudel

1 head roasted garlic

2 small acorn squash

olive oil

salt and pepper

1/4 cup fresh chopped sage leaves

1/4 tsp grated nutmeg

1 cup ricotta

1/3 cup toasted pine nuts

1/2 box phyllo dough, thawed

1 tbsp butter

3 tbsp olive oil

1. Preheat the oven to 350.  
2. Cut and gut the squash. Place in a baking dish cut side up and sprinkle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Have a quarter inch of water in the dish to help prevent the squash from drying out.  Bake for about an hour or until the squash flesh is cooked through (You can roast the garlic at the same time as you bake the squash).
3. Scrape the insides of the acorn squash out with a fork and mash it well with a fork.
4. Squeeze the garlic cloves out of the paper into a bowl and mash it with a fork.  
5. Place in a frying pan over medium heat and add the sage leaves.  Fry until fragrant and then add the squash.  Once this mixture is cooked through set it aside to cool slightly.
6. In a bowl, combine the squash mixture, nutmeg ricotta and pine nuts.  Stir well and add additional seasoning if desired.
7. Preheat the oven to 400. 
8. Melt the butter and olive oil together.  On a clean working surface lay out your first sheet of phyllo and brush the butter mixture over it.  Alternate the phyllo and butter mixture until you have about 10 layers.  
9. Spread roughly a third of the squash mixture into the centre of the phyllo.  Make sure to leave about an inch on the edges.  Then roll up from the long side and tuck the ends in.  Transfer onto the baking sheet and repeat with the other two.
10. Bake for 20 minutes or until they are golden and crispy.  

Zucchini Gratin

This dish is a great way to use up some zucchini.  If it is a larger zucchini I would recommend seeding it and cutting it into quarters before slicing it for the dish.
The gratin taste marvellous and it is even a dish zucchini skeptics can enjoy.  It is very simple to prepare and one that you can prep in advance and cook later.  The dish is filling enough to serve as a main but would also work as a side for a roast.
I am sure you would be alright to substitute swiss cheese for Gruyere.

Zucchini Gratin

6 tbsp butter

3 large onions, sliced

4 small zucchinis, sliced

1 tsp salt

1 tsp ground pepper

1/4 tsp nutmeg

2 tbsp flour

1 cup milk

3/4 cup bread crumbs

3/4 cup Gruyere cheese, grated

1. Melt the butter in a large sauté pan (large enough for the zucchini and onions to all go in, a wok will work if you don't have a big enough one) and cook the onions until they are soft and translucent.  You do not want them to brown.
2. Add the zucchini and cook it covered for 10 minutes.
3. Add the salt, pepper and nutmeg.  Uncover and cook for another 5 minutes.
4. Whisk the flour into the hot milk and pour over the mixture.  Cook over low heat until the remaining liquid is more like a sauce.
5. Pour the mixture into a 8 x 10 inch baking dish.
6. Combine the bread crumbs and Gruyere and sprinkle it on top of the zucchini mixture.
7. Cut the 1 tbsp of butter into small pieces and dot it on top of the crumble top.
8. Bake at 400 for 20 minutes or until the it is bubbly and browned.

West African Vegetable Stew

One of the girls I group up with and I have started to cook together once a week to try out some new recipes and techniques.  The was a recipe she picked out for us to make and it turned out so nice.  It was very nice served over quinoa.

West African Vegetable Stew

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 cups onions, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch half slices
1 large tomato, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup water
1 can chick peas, rinsed and drained
4 cups coarsely chopped spinach or kale

1.  Heat oil in skillet. Add onion and garlic. Cook until onion is tender.
2. Add potatoes and tomatoes. Cook 5 minutes. 
3. Add raisins, cinnamon, red pepper, broth and water. Heat to a boil. Cover and cook over low heat 15 minutes.  
4. Add chickpeas and spinach/kale. Heat through. 
5. Serve over cooked rice or couscous, if desired.

Gluten Free Chicken Pot Pie Filling

In today's consumer society it can be very hard to buy affordable presents for people.  Usually if people want something they go out and get it for themselves when they see it instead of waiting to get it as a birthday or Christmas present.  I am as guilty as anyone of this so I can't really complain but it can make it difficult when you are trying to find a present for someone.
A couple of years ago my in-laws instated a gift giving rule where gifts they received had to be consumable.  This was such a great idea and provided me with a revelation because I love to bake and cook.  I have many family and friends who love my creations in the kitchen plus it meant I wouldn't have to spend hours in the store looking for the perfect gift for them.
I have two family members who need to eat gluten free diets but love chicken pot pies so I decided that for one of their presents I would make them gluten free chicken pot pies.  I started searching and I found this recipe.  I even enjoyed the filling (which says a lot because I am usually not a fan of things made gluten free).  So far everyone who has tried it has really enjoyed it as well. I am only posting the filling because I haven't found a pastry recipe that I am happy with yet but when I do I will post it.
A great thing about this recipe is it tastes great how it is but I am sure if you felt like adding other vegetables it would only add to the flavour.  Next time I try it will probably add some mushrooms to it.

Gluten Free Chicken Pot Pie Filling

3 tbsp olive oil

3 cups cooked chicken, diced

3 medium carrots, finely chopped

3 celery sticks, finely chopped

1 1/2 cups green beans, chopped into about 1 inch lengths

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 shallot minced

1/2 tsp salt

sprinkle of pepper

1/2 tsp thyme

1 cup white wine, divided

4 cups chicken broth, hot

2 tbsp all purpose gluten free flour

1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot.  Add the vegetables, salt, pepper and thyme to the heated oil and sauté until the vegetables are beginning to wilt and begin to caramelize.
2. Deglaze the pan with 1/2 cup of white wine.  Add the hot chicken broth and stir to combine.
3. Add the chicken to the mixture.
4. Add the flour to the other 1/2 cup of white wine and whisk to combine.  Add to the hot broth mixture and stir until it begins to boil and thicken.  Remove from heat.
5. Preheat the oven to 375.
6. Place equal portions of the mixture into pie dishes or individual ramekin dishes and set them on a baking sheet.
7. Top the pie(s) with dough circles.
8. Bake for about 35-40 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. Cool slightly before serving.

Carrot Pesto Lasagna

I made this dish years ago but I lost the cookbook in a move since then.  Being six months pregnant, I am getting those weird food cravings and surprisingly this was one of them.  I decided to use my trusty pal Google to see if I could find a recipe that looked similar to the one I had made in the past.  I was very happy to find this recipe.  I decided it was going to be a good dish for a Friday night meal.
As a heads up, it is one that takes a longer time to prepare but it is easy and well worth the wait.  I had to stop my husband from trying to lick the bowl while it was baking.  Once he tried it he mentioned that it was one that I will have to make again, soon.  I don't know about soon but I will add this recipe my favourites list for future use.

Carrot Pesto Lasagna

2 oz butter

1/3 cup flour

3 1/4 cups milk

1/2 cup sour cream

1 tsp black pepper

1/4 lb grated cheese, old cheddar or gouda, grated

4 eggs, beaten

2 tbsp pesto (more for a stronger flavour)

1 3/4 lb carrots, grated

oven ready lasagna noodles

1/2 cheese (same as before), grated

1. In a large bowl, combine the pesto and the grated carrots.
2. In a heavy bottomed pot, melt the butter.  Add the butter and stir over a low heat until the mixture is golden and bubbling.
3. Combine the milk, sour cream and black pepper in a bowl.
4. Gradually add it to the pan, while stirring until the mixture is smooth.
5. Stir constantly over medium heat for 5 minutes or until the mixture boils and begins to thicken.  Boil further for 1 minute and then remove from the heat.
6. Stir in the cheese and allow the mixture to cool slightly.
7. Gradually add the beaten eggs, stirring constantly. Mix well.
8. Pour two thirds of the mixture over the carrots and pesto, stirring to combine. Reserve the rest for later.
9. Starting with a layer of the carrot mixture, alternate the carrot mixture with the pasta for three layers (you should end with a pasta layer).
10. Let sit for 15 minutes before cooking (allows the noodles to soften).
11. Preheat the oven to 300.
12. Bake for 30-40 minutes for it to set and to be firm to touch.
13. Cover and set aside 10 minutes before serving.

Turkey Casserole

In my family we often will do a Christmas in November for the family members that cannot make it to actual Christmas.  We had ours this past weekend so I had turkey leftovers to use up.  There was a fair bit so instead of just making a turkey soup I decide to do a turkey casserole as well.  I love making casseroles because it is easy to make twice as much so you can freeze one for later and that is exactly what I did.
The recipe I have posted is for enough for one large casserole dish or it can be divided into two smaller ones.  I hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

Turkey Casserole

1 package egg noodles

3 tbsp butter

3 tbsp flour

3 1/2 cups cold milk

1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup

1 cup diced bell peppers

1 onion

1 tsp garam marsala

1 tsp dried tarragon

1 cup grated pepperjack cheese

3 cups cubed skinless turkey

enough crushed potato chips to cover the top

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook egg noodles in boiling water, stirring occasionally until almost cooked through and still firm to the bite, about 4 minutes. Drain.
3. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour; cook, stirring, until mixture is light golden, about 3 minutes.
4. Pour milk into butter and flour mixture, whisking constantly. Stir in cream of mushroom soup, red bell pepper, green bell pepper, green onions, garam masala, and dried tarragon. Bring mixture to a simmer, cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
5. Stir in pepperjack cheese until cheese is melted and incorporated.
6. Stir pepperjack cheese mixture, turkey meat, and noodles in a large bowl until evenly incorporated. Pour mixture into a large casserole dish. Sprinkle chips on top, pressing down slightly with the tines of a fork. Bake in the preheated oven until casserole top is golden brown and sauce is bubbling, about 30 minutes.

Mushroom and Broccoli Crustless Quiche

Last week my husband and I ate out a couple times and we didn't get through all the produce that we usually do so today my task was to use it up before it went bad.  What I usually do when I am in this situation is type one of the ingredients I have to use in a search bar and start looking through the recipes it comes up with.  I was excited to find this recipe because it contained all of the ingredients I had to use up.
When making a recipe for the first time I try to be good and follow the recipe to the letter, today was one of the days where I had to make a minor substitution but I don't think it changed the overall flavour of the dish.  Where the recipe calls for bread crumbs, I used wheat germ simply because I didn't have any bread crumbs.  It worked well so if you are in the same predicament for this or another recipe give wheat germ a try as a substitution.
This is a great dish that you can freeze, I doubled the recipe and put one in the freezer to have on a busy night when I am not up for cooking.  If there are any leftovers and you do not feel like having them the next day you could also freeze portion sized servings to take for lunch.

1 tbsp butter

1 cup sliced mushrooms

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 1/2 cups small broccoli florets

1 clove garlic, minced

1 cup milk

3 eggs

1 cup grated cheese (old cheddar, swiss, mozzarella)

3/4 cup soft bread crumbs (or wheat germ)

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp basil

1/4 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4 diced red pepper (optional)

1 tbsp parmesan cheese

1. In a large skillet melt the butter over medium heat.  Add the onion and mushrooms and sauté until the moisture has evaporated.
2. Add the garlic and broccoli and sauté until the broccoli is bright green (about 2 minutes).  Spoon the mixture into a lightly grease pie plate.
3. In a bowl whisk together the eggs and the milk.  Stir in the bread crumbs, salt, pepper, nutmeg, basil and cheese.
4. Pour over the mixture in the pie plate and gently stir to combine.  Sprinkle with the diced red pepper if you are using it and the parmesan cheese.
5. Bake at 400 F for 25-30 minutes and let it rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Leek Tarts

I didn't discover the versatility of leeks until the past few years.  Before I didn't really use them for anything but soups, but as I have explored cook books and tried out new recipes I have found many new ways to use them.  I still have a couple recipes that I am still waiting to try.  This year I didn't have much success growing them but I hope next year will be better so I will have a better supply to experiment with.
Last Christmas I was given a mini pie maker and I love how easy it is to use.  It only takes between 8 - 10 minutes for me to make four pies.  If I know I will like a recipe for the filling I am making I will often make a double or a triple batch so I can freeze the rest to enjoy for lunches or dinner on nights when I do not have time to make a healthy meal.
I came across this recipe through a google search and I found it very straight forward to prepare.  I will give the recipe so you can make it as a regular tart in the oven because I am sure that few people actually have a mini pie maker.
One time I made it with leeks and onions because I didn't have enough leeks around to satisfy the what I needed.  The onion substitute worked out great!

Leek Tart

5 medium leeks

2 tbsp butter

1/2 tsp salt plus more to taste

1/2 -3/4 cup half-and-half or cream

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 recipe tart crust

1/2-3/4 cup freshly shredded cheese - parmesan, gruyere or similar

1. Preheat oven to 375. Clean the leeks by removing the root end and dark green leaves, halve them lengthwise and cut them into thin slices.
2. Melt butter in a large frying pan over medium heat.  Add the leeks and sprinkle them with salt. Stir occasionally while cooking the leeks until they are very tender, about 10 minutes.
3. Add the cream (or half-and-half).  Reduce the heat to low and let it cook to blend the flavours and reduce the liquid for about 5 minutes.  Take it off the heat and stir in the pepper.  Taste it and add more seasonings if you wish.
4. Lay crust in a 9-inch round tart pan and spread the leek mixture so it forms and even layer.  Sprinkle it with the cheese.
5. Bake for 35 minutes or until it is golden and bubbly.
6. Let it sit for a while before cutting into it.  Serve it at your preferred temperature.

The original recipe can be seen here.

Spinach Bake

This recipe is one that I learned from my mother years ago and it is one she first made out of necessity but then started to make it regularly.  It all started when she was trying to prepare a spinach quiche for a potluck she was going to.  She had prepared the filling but when she went to grab the crust from the basement it was not there.  Instead of going to the store to grab another crust she decide to just put it in a dish and bake it as is.
The great thing about this recipe is that there are so many things that you can add or leave out depending on what you like and what you have available.  This dish freezes really well so I will often make a lot more than I plan on using and freeze the rest either as individual slices or in smaller dishes to use later.
I will give you the basic recipe and then at the bottom list some things I have added in the past.  The basic recipe does not call for many eggs but if you would like it to be more like a quiche just add more eggs.

Spinach Bake

2 packages chopped frozen spinach (thawed and squeeze out as much excess water as you can)

1 onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

4 eggs

3/4 and 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

1 tbsp dill

1 can tomato paste (optional)

1. In a frying pan with a bit of olive oil, sauté the onion until it is soft. (Sometimes I will caramelize them).
2. Add the garlic, dill and spinach to the pan. Stir to combine and take off the heat.
3. In a large bowl, beat the eggs.  Add the spinach mix as well as the 3/4 cup of feta. Blend these together until they are thoroughly combined.
4. Grease a casserole dish and spread the mixture out evenly.  Bake at 375 F for about 40 minutes.  Take it out of the often and spread the tomato paste on top and sprinkle with the remaining feta cheese.  Return to the oven and bake for another 10 minutes.

*** In the past I have added things like peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes and celery.  I am sure it would taste great with other additions to.