Spinach and Cheese Pockets - yes, please!

Friday! Of course I have to work all day tomorrow, but there is still something special about Fridays. We typically try to make it a family night as long as I'm not working. After doing some quick shopping at the mall for a gift for a friend of Tiernan's, we watched some Survivor and ate fun food - spring rolls, popcorn and some spinach and cheese pockets that I threw together. They turned out pretty good, if I do say so myself. Hopefully they are just as good when I reheat them for lunch at work tomorrow.

Spinach and Cheese Pockets

1 box frozen filo pastry, thawed

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 tbsp olive oil

6 cups fresh baby spinach

2 large cloves garlic, minced

1 cup ricotta cheese

1 cup parmesan cheese, grated

1/4 tsp grated lemon rind

1/2 fresh nutmeg, grated

salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a baking sheet with some cooking spray.

In a wok heat the olive oil. Add the spinach and garlic, and cook until the spinach is wilted.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, mix together the ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, lemon rind, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Add the cooked spinach and garlic and combine well.

Spread out your thawed filo sheets. Fold one sheet over in half and brush the inside with melted butter. Place a heaping tablespoon of the cheese and spinach mixture in the corner of the filo sheet and fold it up diagonally (any way you want as long as it seals). Brush the outisde of your "pocket" with the melted butter. Place on the baking sheet. Repeat until you have run out of spinach and cheese mixture.

Bake for 15-20 minutes until they start to brown.

This week calls for comfort.

It's been a rough week with Avery being so sick. He's been for blood work and Xrays (and has to go for another Xray in two weeks), he's on antibiotics (although the doctor really doesn't know what she's treating at this point) and a puffer and he's been in the the doctor's twice this week. He spent the past two weeks lying around in bed or on the couch. It's hard to see him like this. I'm hoping we get some answers soon. Because of this, last night was another one of those comfort meals. Unfortunately we didn't have the time to relax while we ate it since Tiernan had to be taken to a playdate and Rhianna and I had to go to the library and then the dance studio for a couple of hours. It was still worth the work, though.

I made a mushroom pie, champ potatoes and some pan fried asparagus (fry them in a bit of olive oil and butter until bright green).

Mushroom Pie

filling:

2 tbsp olive oil

24oz chopped mushrooms (any variety)

5 baby onions, minced

5 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 cup boiling water

1 vegetable bouillon cube

3 tsp corn starch

1/4 cup sour cream

salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

pastry:

1 cup flour

1/2 cup margarine

1 tsp thyme

1/4 cup cold water

Combine 1 cup of boiling water with the bouillon cube and cornstarch until dissolved. Set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the onions and fry for 3 minutes until soft. Add the garlic and continue to cook for another minute. Add the chopped mushrooms and cook until soft. Bring to a high heat and add the wine. Cook until it's reduced by half. Turn the heat to low and add the water/corn starch/stock mixture. Turn heat to low and cook 10-15 minutes.

Meanwhile, mix the flour and margarine until it looks like bread crumbs. Add thyme and a pinch of salt. Combine. Add the cold water, little by little, until a dough forms. You may not need all the water.

Roll into a smooth ball, cover with plastic and place in the fridge for 10 minutes.

Remove the mushrooms from the heat and add the sour cream. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a pie dish.

Cut the pastry into two, one slightly larger than the other.

Roll to fit it into the pie dish. Prick with a fork and put it in the fridge for 10 minutes. Roll the rest for the pie lid.

Pour in the mushroom mixture. Seal the lid on my pinching the sides together. Cut an X into the lid. Brush some milk over the top.

Cook for 25 minutes. Let it sit for a bit before cutting and serving.

My Saturday... squirrels and food - shocker!

I typically love Saturdays, especially now that we have more down time to have our own adventures. Yesterday we had the kids' bowling wind up - ten pin bowling, plaques and pizza. It was fun for all who came. I'm going to miss everyone from the alley - they became such a regular part of our Saturdays! It was also date night last night. Kyle and I watched an episode of Glee, rented 'Unstoppable' (loved it, and found myself screaming at the television on multiple occasions) and ate the yummiest homemade potato chips (from The Vegetarian Meat and Potatoes Cookbook) and onion dip. Not boring old onion dip from a container.. or made with the chemical laden boxed onion soup mix. This was real caramelized onions... and it tasted better than any onion dip I've ever had before. It's not exactly a light dip with the cream cheese, mayo and sour cream, but how many dips can claim they are truly light? I found the recipe on Eat Me, Delicious, and almost kept it same. I decided I didn't need to oil, though... it has enough fat in it! It worked wonderfully. Yummy!

Unfortunately, yesterday had a terrible feeling lingering above it all day long. In the morning, as I was eating my breakfast, I heard a sound that made me leap from my chair and exclaim, "The babies!". I ran out the back door to see the two baby squirrels I was just visiting with were still there... but there were three crows circling overhead crying out a horrible sound. The babies seemed pretty safe for the time being. I ran to tell Kyle about the crows, and he came up while I ran upstairs to get dressed. My plan was to run out and scare the crows off. I had just gotten into my bedroom when I heard him curse and say "The crows got two of them!" I admit that I did not handle this in the most mature manner. I flipped out. I cried. I screamed. I got mad at Kyle (and feel awful about it!). I cried some more. I couldn't breathe. The two babies the crows got were in my neighbour's driveway. They weren't the ones who were in our backyard feasting on seeds, they were the other two in the litter. I assume they were trying to get up to, or down from, their nest since it's in the tree in front of my neighbour's yard. One of the babies was still twitching, and Avery wanted to run out and save it. How heartbreaking! Kyle gathered the bodies in a box, and took them out to the woods at the end of our street. I cried some more. I stood in the backyard in the pouring rain, prepared to chase any crows away. I, with the help of my mother and husband, came up with a plan for saving the remaining two squirrels. In the Fall I got a big cage from the local Humane Society. Kyle pulled it out of our shed and we tried to coax them into the cage with food, but that didn't work. Then I pulled out the kids' nets and tried to catch them that way. I was successful at trapping them, but they both managed to get away. I could barely sleep last night knowing they were on their own. I am determined today to get them to a safe place. I will then call a wildlife rehabilitator and see if they can help me deal with this in the right way. I feel so much for these babies - they're defenseless, having not been taught the squirrel rules yet. I really don't want to fail them; they deserve a fighting chance. Wish me luck today!

Edited to add! Guess what we just did? We caught Stonewall!!! Well, my hero husband caught him! I could not be happier that we finally have him in a safe place. He has some of the rat food, and we plan on buying more food later. We also have water and a bed in there (complete with towels) as well as a bunch of sticks he can chew up. I've been reading that a lot of items from nature should be left in the cage, so we have plans to gather some. Happy, happy, happy! One down, one more to go!

For dinner last night I made a slow cooker Dal from Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker. I served it with basmati rice, naan bread and some samosas I made from Vegan with a Vengeance. I wasn't the biggest fan of the Dal - it was pretty bland for me, but everyone else seemed to really enjoy it. Kyle and Avery both added Rooster Sauce to add some heat. I love, love, loved the samosas. They were just little things, but so very satisfying.

Dal

2 tbsp olive oil

1 yellow onion, cut into pieces

2 cloves garlic, peeled

1 tsp peeled and minced fresh ginger

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp ground cardamom

1/2 tsp dry mustard

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp ground allspice

1 1/2 cups dried lentils, washed and picked over

1-15oz can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

3 cups water

salt and freshly ground pepper

Pour the oil into the slow cooker, and turn the heat the high.

Puree the onion, garlic and ginger in a food processor until smooth. Place them in the slow cooker and put the lid on.

Stir in the spices (but not salt and pepper) and cook, stirring for 30 seconds.

Turn the setting to low and add the lentils, kidney beans and water. Cook for 6-8 hours. Add salt and pepper before serving.

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Samosas

dough:

3/4 cup milk

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

about 3 cups all purpose flour (I only used 2 1/2 cups!)

1/4 tsp turmeric

1/4 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

filling:

3 medium sized russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes

2 tbsp vegetable oil plus more for brushing

1 tsp cumin seeds

2 tsp mustard seeds

1 yellow onion, very finely chopped

1 cup carrots, finely diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp fresh ginger root, minced

1 tsp coriander

1/2 tsp turmeric

pinch of cayenne pepper

1 tsp salt

juice of 1 lemon

3/4 cup frozen peas, water run over them to remove any freezer ice

Boil the potatoes in water for about 20-25 minutes, until tender. Drain and set aside.

Preheat oven to 375.

To make the dough:

Pour the wet ingredients into a mixing bowl. Add two cups of the flour, turmeric, baking powder and salt. Begin kneading the mixture, adding more flour gradually until a smooth not sticky dough is formed, about 10 minutes.

Set dough aside and cover with a wet cloth. Begin preparing the filling.

To prepare the filling:

In a large skillet (I used our wok) over medium heat, add the oil, cumin seeds and mustard seeds. The seeds with begin to pop. Allow them to pop for 1 minute, but be careful not to get hit by these popping seeds. Add the carrots and onions and saute for 7-10 minutes until the onions begin to brown. Add the garlic, ginger, coriander, turmeric, cayenne, salt, and lemon juice and saute a minute more. Add the potatoes and mash it all together. Heat it through, and then add the peas and mix well. Set aside.

Divide the dough in half and roll it out thinly. Using a cookie cutter, or a glass upside down, cut 3 to 4 inch circles out of the dough. Place about a 1 or 1 1/2 tsp of the potato mixture into each dough circle and fold it over so it becomes a half circle. The recipe says to wet the dough with water around the edges to make it stick, but mine didn't need it. Continue with the rest of the dough.

Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Place the samosas onto the tray, and lightly brush oil on both sides of them.

Cook about 12 minutes on one side, flip them, and cook another 8 minutes. Allow them to cool about 5 minutes before serving.

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Oven Baked Potato Chips

3 Yukon Gold potatoes

salt

Preheat the oven to 375. Spray 2 baking sheets with cooking spray.

Wash the potatoes and then slice them paper thin (very important!). Put them into a bowl of cold water for about 5 minutes to remove some of the starch. Lay them out on a towel, and dry the slices completely.

Place them onto the prepared baking trays, taking care not to overlap any of them.

Cook them for 10 minutes on one side, flip them all, and cook another 1o minutes on the other side. They should be starting to brown and be crisp. Serve them right away as they are best eaten this way.

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Pan Fried Onion Dip

2 yellow onions, cut in half, and then sliced into 1/8 inch half rounds

4 tbsp butter

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

4 oz cream cheese, left on the counter for 15 minutes to half an hour

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup mayonnaise

Heat the butter over medium heat, and cook the onions, cayenne, salt and freshly ground black pepper for 10 minutes. Lower the temperature and continue to cook for another 20 minutes until the onions are browned and caramelized. Allow the onion to cool.

Mix the cream cheese, sour cream and mayonnaise with an electric mixer. Blend well until there are no lumps. Add the onion and mix well.

Vegetable Studel.

I am quickly becoming one of those bird watching people. When I wake up in the morning I quickly check to see if anyone is visiting my feeder. When I have a few minutes to spare, I sit on the porch with my camera to see if I can find some new birds out there. I get downright giddy when I do discover a new one. You should have seen me when I saw my first (and so far only) cardinal perched on my feeder. I was running around jumping through the house with excitement. Then when these little goldfinches (as seen in the photograph) came I had a repeat performance. Happily, these little tweeters come to my feeder often.. at least a half dozen times a day (that I notice). They have the most beautiful song! My feeder makes me smile. A lot.

Dinner tonight was not a failure (unlike yesterday!)! It was a new recipe that I found in my Essential Vegetarian cookbook, and it turned out fantastic. I tweaked it a bit... of course... and every single one of us felt it was a hit. I love it when that happens. I see many different options for changing it up, too. I was going to make a caesar salad with this, but the day got away from me, so we settled for watermelon on the side. It was the perfect addition because it was pretty hot and muggy out.

Vegetable Strudel

2 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, thinly sliced

1 red pepper, cut into strips

1 green pepper, cup into strips

2 medium zucchini, sliced

6 cloves garlic, minced

6 sheets filo pastry, thawed

1/4 cup butter, melted

1/3 cup basil leaves, finely sliced

3/4 cup old cheddar cheese, grated

2 tbsp sesame seeds

Preheat oven to 400. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.

Heat the olive oil in a wok and fry the onion until it's tender (3-5 minutes). Add the red pepper, the green pepper, the zucchini and the garlic, and cook with the onion for another 5 minutes until soft. Set wok aside so the vegetables will cool.

Place one sheet of filo pastry on the counter and brush with the melted butter. Layer with another filo sheet, and brush it with butter. Continue until all the the filo is stacked up. Place the vegetables on one half of the filo pastry, leaving 2 inches at each end. Add the basil leaves and cheese. Fold the filo ends in to the middle (I used a bit of butter on the ends, too) and then fold the pastry over. Place it seam side down on your prepared baking sheet. Spread with remaining butter, and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Bake for about 20-25 minutes until it's golden brown. Serve immediately.

St Paddy's Day Feast.

I was lucky enough to be able to make dinner for our little family as well as my sister, her husband and their three kids. This was unexpected, but very welcomed! I love cooking for people. There's something about making people happy with comfort foods that keeps me happiest. I love nothing more than seeing people smile and say "mmmmm" as they taste my kitchen creation.

For St Patrick's Day, I had decided on three items from the latest Vegetarian Times magazine. In some ways I enjoy making new recipes, but at the same time... it means I haven't had time to alter the recipe into something that suits me. Making three brand new items can be a bit intimidating! The first item was an Irish Stew which I think needed more zing to it. The idea was good - full of different types of veggies which is typically something that appeals to me, but the the main flavour was too bland for me. I know they say "Irish food is bland", and I am mostly Irish.. but I like spices! The second item was cornish pasties which everyone loved! The dough was a bit finicky to make it stick, but I found if I didn't brush the edges of the pasties with the egg wash first, it stuck so much easier. The first half of them looked terrible, but the second half (no egg wash) was great! The final item was potato bite fries (which we always make here during brunches!) with a sugar/malt vinegar dipping sauce. I loved the sweetness the sugar added to the malty taste. Yum. Plus... potatoes? Bring them ON! In that way, I am very, truly and completely Irish.

Irish Stew

(as it is in the magazine... I suggest adding more pizzazz to it since I know it has potential!)

2 tbsp vegetable oil, divided

8oz cremini mushrooms, quartered (it suggested button or shiitake)

4 cloves garlic, minced (it suggested 2 cloves, but I always add more!)

1 medium leek - white part only, diced

3 small red potatoes, cut into small cubes

2 medium carrots, sliced

2 medium parsnips, sliced

1 1/2 tsp tomato paste

15 oz crushed tomatoes

1 1/2 cups vegetable broth

2 sprigs fresh thyme + 1 tsp chopped fresh thyme

1/2 cup lager beer (I used Paddy's red Irish ale)

1 1/2 tbsp quick cooking tapioca

1 cup shredded cabbage

1 tbsp white miso

2 tbsp chopped parsley

Add the first tbsp oil into a large pot and saute mushrooms and garlic for about 8 minutes until the mushrooms are browned. Remove them from the pan and add the other tbsp of oil. Add the leek and cook for 5 minutes. Add potatoes, carrots, parsnips and tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes, broth and thyme sprigs and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for about 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the beer, tapioca, and mushrooms and cook for 10-15 minutes until thickened, stirring often. Remove thyme sprigs, and add the cabbage and miso. Simmer 4-5 minutes, or until cabbage softens. Stir in chopped thyme and parsley and season with salt and pepper if desired.

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Cornish Pasties

Dough:

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour

1/2 tsp salt

5 tbsp cold margarine, cut into cubes

Filling:

1 tbsp vegetable oil

1 small onion, finely diced

1 stalk celery, finely diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 small rutabaga, peeled and diced

1 small potato, finely diced

carrot, finely diced

1/2 tsp thyme

2 large eggs

1 tbsp spicy brown mustard

1/4 cup grated Gruyere cheese

To make the dough:

Stir the flour and salt together, and cut the margarine in. Mix until it makes a coarse meal. Stir in 6-8 tbsp ice cold water. Pinch dough together - if it sticks, it's wet enough. Form into a disk, wrap in saran wrap and chill in the fridge for 1 hour.

To make the filling:

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion, celery and garlic and cook 5 minutes until lightly browned. Add rutabaga, potato, carrot, thyme; cook 3 minutes, then add 1/2 cup water. Reduce the heat, cover and steam vegetables 10-12 minutes, or until tender.

Whisk 1 egg with mustard in a large bowl. Stir in vegetables and Gruyere cheese and season with salt and pepper, if desired. Whisk remaining egg with tbsp of water in a separate bowl and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350.

Divide dough in half and roll one half out on a floured surface to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut out 5 inch disks. Fill the circle with a tbsp of filling and fold it over in a half circle shape and pinch together. Use a fork to crimp edges. Repeat with remaining dough and filling. Brush the tops with egg wash, and sprinkle with salt & freshly ground black pepper.

Bake on a baking sheet for 25-30 minutes.

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Salt and Vinegar Potato Bites

6 medium red or yellow potatoes, cut into 1 inch cubes

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1 cup malt vinegar

3 tbsp sugar

Soak potatoes in a large bowl of cold water for 30 minutes. Drain and pat dry.

Preheat oven to 400.

Toss potatoes with oil on a baking sheet, and spread in a single layer. Roast 45 minutes, or until golden and crisp, turning a few times. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.

Meanwhile, bring vinegar and sugar to a simmer in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook 15 to 20 minutes, or until liquid is reduced by half, stirring occasionally.

Serve as a dipping sauce, or sprinkle over potatoes.

Saturdays are busy days.

Saturdays are pretty busy in our household. Between bowling, soccer drills, and a soccer game, there really isn't much time to come home afterwards and cook a wholesome dinner. Instead, I prepare a crock pot dinner at 8am and leave it to cook all day. That's why we call it Slow Cooker Saturdays! This morning I put on a casserole dish from '125 Best Vegetarian Slow Cooker Recipes', so it was ready to go when we came home from Avery's 4pm soccer game. I served it with a spinach salad & the remaining Maple Mustard Dressing from the other day.

Cheesy Rice and Mushroom Casserole with Spinach

1 tbsp cumin seeds

1 tbsp vegetable oil

1 onion, finely chopped

4 stalks celery, thinly sliced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp gingerroot, minced

1 tsp salt

1 tsp crushed black peppercorns

2 cups long grain brown rice

1/4 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped

1 (28oz) can tomatoes, juice included, coarsely chopped

3 cups vegetable stock

2 large portobello mushrooms, stems removed, cut into cubes

8 oz fresh baby spinach

2 cups cheddar cheese, grated

In a dry skillet over medium heat, toast the cumin seeds until they release their aroma and just beginning to brown. Transfer to a mortal or spice grinder and grind coarsely. Set aside.

In a skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions and celery and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, gingerroot, reserved cumin, salt, peppercorns and rice and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add sun-dried tomatoes, tomatoes with juice and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil.

Place mushrooms in the slow cooker stoneware. Pour rice mixture over mushrooms and stir to combine.

Place two clean tea towels, each folded in half across the top of slow cooker stoneware. Cover and cook on low for 7 hours or on high for 4 hours, until rice is tender and has absorbed the liquid. Remove the tea towels. Stir in spinach and sprinkle cheese over the top of the mixture. Cover and cook on high for 20-25 minutes, until spinach is cooked and cheese is melted.

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Saturday evening is also a Date Night in for Kyle and I. We play board games, catch up on shows from the week, watch movies, or just sit and chat. We also get to munch on a yummy appetizer or dessert. :) Tonight we had a small date night since Kyle's not feeling too hot right now having caught a cold. I'm watching a documentary called 'Mine' (heartbreaking, but so good!)and updating my blog while Kyle sleeps on my lap. Ha! We did still get to eat some goodies, though....

Hot Mushroom Turnovers

8oz cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 1/2 cups flour

3 tbsp butter

1/2 lb button mushrooms, minced

1 onion, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp thyme

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

2 tbsp flour

1/4 cup sour cream

Using an electric mixer, mix cream cheese, 1/2 cup butter and flour until a soft dough forms. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill for an hour.

In a large skillet, melt 3 tbsp butter. Saute mushrooms, onion and garlic until tender. Add salt, pepper, thyme and flour. Remove from heat, stir in sour cream and then chill.

Preheat oven to 400.

On a floured surface, roll out half of the dough very thinly in a large circle and cut out 20 2 3/4 circles with a glass. Add scraps to the other half of dough. Add a tsp of filling to the centre of each circle and fold the dough over. Press the edges together with a fork and prick the top to let out any steam.

Repeat with remaining dough and ingredients.

Bake turnovers for 12 minutes or until golden.