End of Summer is coming!!!

Quote of the Day: "Everyone must take time to sit and watch the leaves turn."  ~Elizabeth Lawrence
 
Last week of Summer... and I have been a wee bit busy.
Signing up for school then getting school stuff gathered(YAY!!!)...  figuring out meals and snacks... getting schedules set,   So I really haven't had the time to write as much as I like, and I have a few recipes I wanted to share from last week's parties,  which was a nice way to break in the house,
with some wonderful people, good conversations and much tasty food. and a couple of very long nights. So I will share some of the recipes over the next couple of days.


  Spanakopita

Ingredients         

1 Package of Phyllo pastry
1 cup of butter
1 cup of Spinach ((Chopped))(fresh,frozen)
1 cup of Ricotta Cheese
1/2 cup of Old Cheddar or fresh Parmesan
(or a 1/4 cup of each)
4 egg yokes
2 cloves of garlic
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup shredded cooked ham (optional)


Directions
1.) melt the butter and add crush one clove of garlic into the butter, set it to the side. preferable in something that will keep the butter warm.. I use a fondue pot and a tea light candle...

2.) Chop the spinach if using fresh, if using frozen, make sure it is completely thawed and squeeze, all the moisture out of the spinach.

3.) Mix the ingredients (though with the egg yolk, I just use two full eggs, it seems a waste to use just egg yolks) the ham is optional, I never put the ham in, my wife prefers it that way.. and one never argues with wives, it's bad for the sleeping arrangements and preheat the oven to

                                         375 degrees F,(190 Celsius)

before mixing

after mixing

4.) now take your phyllo pastry, and set it on a clean towel, and place another clean towel on the top, and moisten the towel with some water.. use a spray bottle. this keeps the Phyllo pastry from getting dry. which if you never used phyllo pastry is a bad thing.

5.) Take one sheet of Phyllo pastry, and brush some of the garlic butter on it lightly. then place a second sheet of Phyllo pastry on top of the garlic butter, Do not try to smooth it out to quickly or forcibly.. this stuff is  delicate.

Step 6

6.) Take a ruler and measure out about 1 to 2 inch sections, never more then 2 inches makes it harder to fold and cook nicely. take then a sharp knife and cut along the marking in a straight line. I use a ruler but each to their own...(use I have a ruler dedicated to the kitchen) separate the sections a bit.

7.) Take a small spoonful of the cheese spinach mixture and place it slightly off center, at the end of the one of the section of phyllo pastry


8.) Then fold the corner up into a triangle shape.. and continue to fold the pastry, in to a triangle.

 9.) Once you have a Triangle, take your brush, and brush a little bit of butter on the last fold to seal the pastry. then place on a tray. do not oil the tray.

10.)  Once the tray is full. brush a little garlic butter on each triangle,  place tray in oven for 10 to 15 minutes or till it starts to brown.

11.) Take them out of the oven, place on a platter serve slightly cooled. very tasty

*Note if you want to pre-make them for later, don't brush the triangles with butter at the end. just place on a flat tray and freeze. once frozen take off tray, and layer nicely in a seal able container. good for about 6 months.
then when you ready to cook them. brush some melted garlic butter on them and place in the oven.

Enjoy
James