Spanakopita

I haven't made these since we took a few cooking classes way back in 2005.  A bunch of us got together and tried out various classes based on menus, brilliant idea here at the Liason College in Kingston.  And you want to know the best part?  You get to sit down as a class and eat the meal you just created!  I took my mom with me to this class, it was all appetizers and we were given Spanakopita for our part in the meal.  These are easy enough to make if you are organized ahead of time.  They will keep (uncooked) in the freezer for 6 months and once they have been baked they will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Hint***Keep your phyllo moist by covering it with a damp paper towel, otherwise you get brittle phyllo that just makes a mess***

Ingredients
1 lb of spinach
2 oz of butter
2 oz of onions, chopped fine
2-3 cloves of garlic, mined *(the original recipe didn't call for it but I consider it a must!  I also added mushrooms once too .... be creative!)
1 oz fresh dill, chopped
8 oz of feta cheese, crumbled
Salt and pepper to taste
12 sheets of pyllo dough
4 oz of melted butter

Trim wash and steam the spinach until wilted
Drain and cool, squeezing out extra liquid and chop fine
Saute onions until soft
Remove from heat and add spinach and dill
Mix in cheese and salt/pepper
Cut phyllo in half lengthwise
Brush one sheet at a time lightly with the melted butter, fold in half lengthwise and butter again

Put 1/2 oz or 15g of the spinach mixture toward the bottom of the strip and fold into triangle pockets ...if you would rather not fold into triangle use the phyllo to create something more suitable, I like these for ease of eating ... better choice for parties!


Place on baking sheet with the loose end of the phyllo on the underside, brush tops with more melted butter
Bake at 375 until crisp, about 20-25 minutes!
Remove from oven, let cool and enjoy!!!!!!!!

Address to a Haggis



Burns Supper - Haggis, Neeps and Tatties

I admit it, I didn't recite the Robbie Burns poem when I came face to face with a plate of the Famous Scottish dish ... I was too focused on mustering up enough courage to taste it! 

We went out to Sir John's Public House (pronounced Hoose in Scotland, say it ... it makes you feel Scottish!) last night to celebrate Robbie Burns Day and we were delighted with the food.  I was hesitant to order the four course Burns Supper in the beginning, but I figured I had enough other options to choose from should the Haggis course go terribly wrong! 

The first course was a Scotch Broth soup that was quite lovely and full of flavour.  The perfect soup starter for this hearty meal (no pun intended) that I was about to eat.  The second course was the Haggis .... unfortunately it wasn't piped in but it's arrival at the table didn't need extra fan fair, I was already nervous enough!  So there I was .... Haggis, Neeps and Tatties sitting in front of me .... and you know what?  It wasn't that bad.  Since it's cooked with seasoning and oats it took my mind and my taste buds off of what I was really eating!  The flavour was mild and I actually enjoyed it but didn't splurge on the neeps and tatties as I didn't want to fill up!  Next came the roast beef, more tatties and my fav, Yorkshire Pudding!!!  It was delicious but the meat portion was enormous, I knew I couldn't make it all the way through so I didn't even try.  I had to save room for the Steamed Whisky pudding, it was very sweet but super moist and full of raisins, and currants.  It was no cheesecake but given the meal and the setting, it was perfect!

We had a great night with a couple of pints and a few laughs.  Steve ordered up a Tennents as it's the only pub in Kingston that has it on tap and I stuck with one of our at home favs, Bellhaven.  Both are great Scottish beers that are tops on our list.  Steve's brother Dave stuck with a Keith's which was an ok choice .... it's from Nova Scotia, New Scotland right????  It was a great night, in a great Kingston pub that is full of history, who wouldn't like a Scottish pub named after Canada's first Prime Minister who was a Scot himself?  The pub is even at what used to be Sir John's law office ... talk about history!

A good night was had by all.

Butternut Squash Risotto with Pecans

This is the side kick to the my friend Lisa's Balsamic Pork Tenderloin .... but of course it can be paired with many other options.  Number one rule when making risotto ... be patient.  Don't skip any steps and allow yourself enough time to do it correctly.  Have fun and Enjoy!

Ingredients
4 cups of chicken stock
2 tbsp of olive oil
1/2 of an onion finely chopped
1 cup of Arborio rice
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cubed into 1/2 inch pieces
2 tbsp of butter
2 tsp of salt
8 fresh sage leaves chopped
1/4 of chopped toasted pecans ***do this ahead of time

In a medium saucepan bring chicken stock to a boil and reduce to low
In a large saucepan over medium heat add olive oil
Add onion and saute for 2 minutes
Add rice and stir for 2 minute, coating with butter
Add garlic and squash, stirring for 30 seconds
Add one ladle full of stock to the rice, stir until liquid is absorbed
Continue to add all of the stock one ladle at a time allowing each to be absorded!!!!
This is where the patience comes in!  Pour a glass of vino, this will likely take 25 minutes or so!
Remove from heat, add butter, sage, salt and pepper, stirring to combine.
Top with the toasted pecans and enjoy .... this is my fav risotto!

Balsamic Pork Tenderloin

While in Vancouver visiting friends back in 2006 I was treated to a delicious meal, Balsamic Pork Tenderloin with Butternut Squash Risotto ... soooo good.  The food was fabulous and I was delighted to share it with friends in an amazing city like Vancouver.  This meal was originally a Valentine's Day Dinner, Lisa and Jeremy take turns year after year treating one another to a homemade meal .... cooked with love!  They each enjoyed the meal so much that it was added to their "go to" menu options when entertaining ... lucky for me!  I loved it and scammed the recipe before I hoped back on a plane for Ontario.

Ingredients
1 or 2 pork tenderloins
2 tbsp of sesame oil
2 tbsp of soy sauce
1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp of brown sugar
1-2 cloves of garlic .... go for 2, the more garlic the better I always say!

Combine marinade ingredients in a shallow dish or plastic ziploc bag and add the tenderloin to the mix
Place in refrigerator for at least a couple of hours to properly marinate the pork.
Remove tenderloin from the marinade and place on a shallow baking dish or cookie sheet
Cook in a preheated 350 degree oven for 45 minutes approximately on until done.