Spinach and feta

   Some neighbors were over for dinner last night. I made spinach and feta stuffed mushrooms as an app.. I had more filling than I needed, so as usual, I put it into a ramekin and saved it for today.  Today while I was heating up some leftover potatoes in the toaster oven, I put the Spinach and feta mixture in the oven also. I enjoy that little dish of spinach and feta so much, I decided that I had to share it with whomever might want to make it. It would make a great and unusual vegetable to accompany just about any main course.

   1 bag cleaned and washed spinach
   1/2 bunch green onions, white part only finely chopped
   1 clove garlic minced
   1 tsp. olive oil
   4 oz. crumbled feta cheese
   1 egg lightly beaten
   1/4 cup romano cheese
   fresh ground black pepper to taste

   Cook spinach in a pot with a little water till wilted. Set aside in a colander to drain and cool. In a small saute pan heat the oil, onion, and garlic until softened.  Squeeze out as much moisture from the spinach as you can.Transfer the spinach to a cutting board and chop it fine.  Put the spinach, onion mixture and the rest of the ingredients into a mixing bowl and stir well to combine. Divide the mixture evenly in 4 small ramekins. Bake for 20- 25 minutes at 350. If you need more servings or want to cut down on the cheese just either add another bag of spinach at the start, for more or, use only 2 oz. of feta. You could use frozen chopped spinach, but there's no substitute for fresh. It's like OMG. Enjoy

      Ciao for now,    Garlichut


  

Chowder cookoff

   Well, I was a judge over the weekend for the Oriental Womens club anual chowder cookoff. My fellow judges were, local TV personality, meteorologist Skip Waters, and food writer Eddy Browning. Samples of chowder were tasted blindly, with the only identification being letter association. ABCD.  It was fun to analyse and discuss all the different flavors and textures.
   There was certainly a wide variety of styles. Most were cream based. Afew were southern style with clear broth.  About half of the entries had a specific dominant flavor, be it tarragon, dill, sherry, bacon, red pepper. allthough there were some good examples, all judges agreed that there wasn't any that clearly stood out.
   In the course of conversation, I mentioned a corn salad that I used to make. So for Eddy Brownings' interest in it, here is the recipe.
  
   Mexican Corn salad

   2- 15 oz. cans corn drained - or
   4 cups fresh cooked corn, cut off the cob
   4 oz. diced green chilis
   1/4 tsp. ground cumin
   2 tbs. lime juice
   1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
   1 clove garlic, sauteed in 1 tbs. olive oil to soften the flavor
   salt and pepper to taste

   Combine all ingredients and mix well

   Enjoy

  Ciao for now,  Garlichut

New flavor search

Hello Foodies,
   During this past week,  I was having trouble getting into my freezer, because it was so stuffed. So I took a good look and realized I had two containers of tomato sauce and three containers of chicken stock taking up most of the space. The solution: use something up. Easiest way, make some risotto and get rid of one of the containers of stock. So, yesterday, on my way home, I stopped at the market and stood in the vegetable isle trying to figure out what to put in my risotto. Mushrooms were sounding good, but what to combine with them. I've kind of done mushroom spinach to death, so I wanted something else. I stood there looking and looking, but nothing was hitting me. Then I thought about things I had at home that I might use. Then it hit me. Pancetta, mushrooms, parsley, and fresh basil was the flavor of the day. With a plan in mind and my mushrooms in the bag, I was on my way.
  
   1/4 cup olive oil
   1/4 cup diced pancetta
   8 oz, cremini mushrooms
   1 small onion diced
   1 cup arborio rice
   3 cloves garlic minced
   1 cup white wine
   3 cups simmering chicken stock (approx.)
   1 cup grated pecorino Romano cheese
   1/4 cup chopped parsley
   2 Tbs. chopped fresh basil

   In your favorite risotto pan, heat 3 Tbs. olive oil. Add onion and rice and heat through till the edges of the kernels of rice begin to turn slightly translucent. (about 3-4-min.) Add the wine and stir frequently. Keep cooking till almost all of the liquid has been absorbed. Then add a ladle full of stock and stir occasionally till it also has been absorbed. In the mean time in a separate saute pan, in the remaining oil, heat the pancetta and cook till golden brown. (just like bacon) Then add the mushrooms and cook till the mushrooms have softened. (You might need a little more olive oil if the mushrooms seem too dry) Finish adding stock to the risotto a ladle full at a time till the rice is cooked through, but kernels are still a little firm. Usually this takes about 30-35 min.. Add the pancetta and mushrooms and heat through. Remove from heat and remaining ingredients . Stir well and serve.
   The result was a great dish of risotto.
   Try it and enjoy.
   I had a little Montepulciano D'abruzzo to go with it. Delightful!!!

     Ciao for now,  Garlichut