Showing posts with label Feta. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Feta. Show all posts

Tomato-Spinach-Dill Quiche w/ Potato Crust

FRIDAY, AUGUST 20TH, 2010

4 stars (out of 5)

I found this recipe on the same blog as the salad from the previous entry for the spinach salad (http://fortheloveofcooking-recipes.blogspot.com/2010/06/tomato-spinach-and-dill-quiche-with.html). The blogger looks like she has some pretty good recipes on there. This one appealed to me because I thought that the shredded potato pie crust was funny, and also because I haven't made a quiche for a long time (oh, and I was craving dill!).

Ingredients:

1 package of shredded hashbrown potatoes*
Garlic powder (optional)
1 tomato, diced
1/2 cup fresh spinach, chopped
2 tbsp red onion
2 tsp dry dill**
1/4 cup feta cheese
7 large eggs
1/4 cup milk
Salt & pepper
Olive oil

{*Note. Available at IGA. In the original recipe, she actually grated the potatoes herself. I don't really have the time, nor the patience to do this, so I "cheated" and just bought the pre-shredded version. If you have a nice evening that you would like do it from scratch, I recommend looking at her blog. But, if you're like me, you would much prefer to sip on a glass of wine and read a book than stand around shredding potatoes.}.

{**Note. I also added about 2-3 tbsp of fresh dill, and really recommend doing this. Even with this much dill, I think it could have used some more!}.


Preheat oven to 375F.

1. First, I patted the shredded potatoes dry, and spread them in a pie dish. I pressed them down fairly hard and then sprinkled with salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste. I then placed it in the oven for about 12-14 minutes. It's not very finicky on this count - you can leave it in for a bit longer without it burning (which I did as I prepared the other ingredients).


2. As the pie crust was cooking, I crumbled the feta, diced the tomato, sliced the spinach, and chopped the red onion.


3. I then beat the eggs, milk, and dill together in a separate bowl.




4. When everything was prepped, I removed the pie crust from the oven, and added the tomato, spinach, red onion, and 1/2 the feta cheese.


5. I then poured the egg mixture over top, and sprinkled on the remaining feta cheese.


6. I popped it in the oven for an additional 30-40 minutes, and let it stand for a few minutes before serving.




Overall, this was pretty simple to make, and very stress free. I originally searched for it because I was craving something fairly healthy which had dill in it. I think that the dill could either be increased, or I could have added more salt, which would have made the dill flavour pop more. One note, I would make the potato crust very very thin, or even mix some flavours right into it before setting it in the pie place. Surprisingly, it did make a very good, sturdy crust (and simple!), which I was pleased to see. I will make this recipe again (leftovers were even good for breaky the next day!), probably just adding more dill and salt. SB really liked it, and it was a nice change from our other meals.

Eggplant-Feta Rolls - Appy

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 16TH, 2009

4.5 stars (out of 5)

This was another great recipe shown to us by my sister during her visit last September. I think that they're a fabulous addition to my appetizer collection, and provide some very unique flavours. They are a bit time-consuming, but worth it in the end!

Ingredients:

1-2 large eggplants, cut into thin slices (~10 slices each eggplant)
1 red chili, cut into tiny pieces*
2-3 tbsp fresh mint, chopped
3/4 container of feta cheese, crumbled
Juice of one small-medium lemon
Olive oil
Black pepper

{Note. We could not find a red chili, so we substituted this with 1 tsp red pepper flakes (adjust to your own level of spiciness). Also see the previous post about how we used this recipe as part of the main course}.

1. First, we took our eggplants and sliced them length-wise into thin slices (see thickness in the second pic below).




2. As we heated a medium skilled over medium-high heat, we cut up the mint into small pieces. This is a bit time-consuming with a knife, so using kitchen scissors may be a good idea.


3. Then, in a medium-sized mixing bowl, we crumbled the feta, and added the lemon juice, mint, and red pepper flakes, and mixed well.




4. When the skillet was hot, added some olive oil and then grilled each side of the eggplant slices for about 2 minutes per side. You want them to be golden and medium soft (tender).


5. Once done, we added a heaping spoonful of the feta mixture to the end of each of the strips (do as they come off the grill).


6. We then rolled them up...


7. ...and stacked with the seam facing down on the plate.


Overall, these had such a different taste than many other appy's I have had, and spiced things up a bit. And they were very delicious! The only changes I would make was to use less oil (they were a bit oily sometimes), and to somehow make them easier to eat (quite messy, which might not be great at a party). We ended up eating them as appy's one night, and then as part of our main dish another night, and they worked well as both (see Caramelized Mushroom & Onion Mashed Potato post). Another great treat from Ash!