Potato-Zucchini Pancakes

I made these a while ago after seeing something similar in BHG. The BHG version had carrots incorporated as well, but I chose to leave them out. This was simple to do, the trickiest part was squeezing the water out of both the potatoes and zucchini. I just used a dish towel and rang the heck out of them until they were dry enough, then put them in a bowl.

I fried them in a little canola oil, and they were a great side dish. These pancakes are easy to adjust to your taste. I thought about adding some parmesan cheese, but didn't have any on hand, maybe next time.

Potato-Zucchini Pancakes

3 medium red potatoes shredded and squeezed dry

2 medium zucchini shredded and squeezed dry

2 eggs beaten

2 1/2 Tbs. AP flour

1/2 and onion finely chopped or (1/2 a cup)

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

salt and pepper to taste

Canola oil

Put shredded potato and zucchini in a medium sized bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix thoroughly.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the canola oil (enough to cover the bottom of the skillet).

Scoop out about 1/3 cup (or more if you want them larger) and put in pan. Flatten with a spatula and let cook until crispy on that side (about 4 minutes).

Turn and let cook on the other side until crispy.

Repeat until mixture is gone and serve.

Mini Spanakopita Triangles

I love phyllo. Seriously, what can be better than buttery, crispiness? For an ornament exchange I went to I decided to make mini spanakopitas, because I had a box of phyllo to use, and there are just so may possibilities when it comes to making apps for a party.

The task of making these little bundles of spinach and feta is laborious, but I actually enjoy that, call me crazy. I made about 40 of them, but you can make them whatever size you wish (I cut the sheets in thirds to make them bite sized).

Mini Spanakopita

(makes around 40)

1 package (1lb) frozen phyllo dough thawed in the refrigerator overnight

2 10 oz. boxes frozen spinach, thawed, and squeezed of excess liquid. ( I do this in a colander)

2 Tbs. chopped parsley

1/2 cup yellow onion chopped finely

1 1/2 Tbs. olive oil divided

1 1/4 sticks of unsalted butter melted

1 cup crumbled feta

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

1 egg

a little nutmeg

Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375

In a saute pan, add olive oil and heat over medium heat. Add onions and cook until translucent, set aside to cool. When onions are cool, add all ingredients to a mixing bowl. Stir to mix evenly.

Unwrap phyllo and lay flat, cover with a damp towel to prevent drying out. Take one sheet of dough and brush with melted butter. Lay another sheet on top and brush with more butter. Cut dough lengthwise in thirds.

Put a little of the spinach mixture on on on the end of one strip,

and fold up like a flag.

Brush with more butter. Keep going (trust me, it will take a little while) until mixture is gone.

Put on baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes until golden.

A Snack for my Husband (and me)

A few weeks ago Chad and I went to a chain asian restaurant (more like fast food) called Mama Fu's. It mostly serves stir fries and noodle bowls, but has a few appetizer items as well. I noticed that they had beef curry egg rolls. I thought that sounded interesting so we got an order to share. They were definitely yummy, but thought I could make them better. Chad loved them. Since I had some left-over egg roll wrappers in the fridge that were going to expire soon I decided to make this "snack" for our dinner tonight. The crispyness of the wrapper, and the spicyness of the beef, potato, pea and carrot filling were a match made in heaven. Although, I think the filling over some rice would be great too (and not as fattening).

Curry Beef Egg Rolls

1/2 lb. lean ground beef

1 carrot chopped finely

1 potato diced small

1/4-1/2 cup frozen peas

1/2 onion grated (I used the food processor and processed the hell out of them)

2 cloves garlic minced

1 Tbs. red curry

1 Tbs. garam masala

2 tsp. cumin

pinch or more of cayenne pepper

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup chicken stock

6-8 egg roll wrappers

oil for frying

Heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Add ground beef and vegetables(except frozen peas) and cook until meat has browned. Add spices and chicken stock. Cook about 12-15 minutes or until potatoes are cooked through. Add peas the last few minutes. Set aside and let cool completely.

When mixture has cooled put about a Tbs. and a half of filling in the wrapper. (make sure it is perpendicular to a point of the wrapper). Wrap up like a burrito and brush flap so it seals. Repeat.

In the same pan (wash first) heat oil (about 2 cups, 1/4 way up a 10" skillet with 2" sides) until temp. reaches 300 degrees. Fry until golden and drain on a paper towel lined plate. Serve immediately. A yogurt based sauce would be a great accompaniment here, unfortunately I had no yogurt ; )

Moutabal Bathinjan- Baba Ganoush- Eggplant dip

Another favorite of mine. I love eggplant. Grilled, sauteed, broiled, fried, and made into a dip. this recipe is very similar to making a hummus, but instead the star ingredient is eggplant. Very easy to make and great to use as a spread on pita sandwiches, vegetables, or just scooping up with some great pita. You can play around with this recipe to your taste. I don't have very exact amounts because everytime I make this it varies. I'll post a general recipe, but make sure in between pulsing the mixture in the food processor you are tasting. Add as you go along, don't add all at once.

Moutabal Bathinajan- Baba Ganous

1 large eggplant pricked with a fork and leaf of stem removed (not the stem itself)

2 Tbs. tahini

1/4 cup lemon juice

salt

pepper

2 galic cloves halved

fresh chopped parsley for garnish

Heat oven to 400 degrees and while waiting to heat up line a baking pan with foil. Roast eggplant until skin is starting to blister. Turn every once in a while to avoid burning. this should take about 20-30 minutes depending on the size of the eggplant.

Remove the eggplant from oven an let cool. Halve the eggplant or remove skin and chop the flesh. transfer to a food processor and add a tbs. of tahini, couple tbs. of lemon juice, one garlic clove, salt and pepper. Process a minute and taste. Add to it as you see fit. Serve with toasted pitas, or however you wish.

Fattayer Sabanegh- Spinach Pies

Keeping to my "L" club theme of Lebanese cuisine, I decided to make another favorite. See, when I think of eating Lebanese food, I can't just have one meal. It needs to include all the mezze, or small dishes to go with it. I love these pies, the tang of the lemon in the spinach combined with the slight crunch of the pine nuts make them heavenly. Think of these as a Lebanese calzone, without cheese or tomato. Although, using this basic ajeen (dough) for a calzone might not be a bad idea.

Fatayer Sabanegh

Basic Ajeen (savory dough)

4-5 cups flour

1 package yeast

2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. sugar

1/3 cup warm water (100-110 degrees)

1/4 cup olive oil

1 1/2 cups water at room temp (use more if needed)

2 tsp. olive oil

3 Tbs. melted butter

Add yeast and sugar to a small bowl and pour in water and mix together. Wait about 10 minutes until yeast mixture starts to foam. In another large bowl add flour and mix in salt. Make a well and add olive oil and yeast mixture. Add remaining water and mix with a wooden spoon until loosely combined. transfer to a floured surface and knead the dough until elastic.

Put back into clean large bowl that has been oiled with the 2 tsp. of olive oil. Cover with plastic wrap, then a kitchen towel and let rise for about an hour or until double in size. When doubled, punch down and separate into balls a little smaller than a baseball. Set aside for 15 minutes and let rise slightly.

Filling:

3 boxes frozen spinach, (thaw and place in cheese cloth and squeeze as much juice as possible)

1 large onion finely chopped

2 garlic cloves minced

2 Tbs. sumac

2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. pepper

1/4 cup lemon juice

2 Tbs. olive oil

1/2 cup pine nuts

Heat a large skillet over med. heat. Add olive oil and let heat a couple minutes. Add onions and cook about 5 minutes. Add pine nuts and cook until toasted. Add the rest of the ingredients and cook about 5 minutes more. Set aside to cool.

Fill the pastry:

Take ball with floured hands and pat into a circle. Roll with rolling pin until fairly thin.

Add filling and pinch to make an isosceles triangle. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes. Brush with butter after 15 minutes to make it shine. Take a Tbs. or more of filling and put on top of dough. Since you are making a triangle I suggest you put the filling in the shape of a triangle as well. Pinch together to make an isosceles triangle and set aside and cover so they don't dry out.

Bake at 375 for 30 minutes. Brush with butter after 15 minutes to make it shine.

A Different Fried Cheese

Today Chad and I were bums. Didn't get up until around 11:30, watched a couple of movies until about 3. When we finally ventured out we hit the grocery store. I saw that string cheese was on sale, so I bought it with the intention to make fried cheese. When we were in Destin we had this fried cheese at a local restaurant, and Chad had asked if I would make it for him. Well today was his (and mine) lucky day. Since we were being bums, and this is an easy peasy snack, I decided it was a perfect time to make them. I picked up the egg roll wrappers and that was all I needed. Next time I'm going to play around and add more ingredients. They were very good the way they were, but I know I can take them to another level. They are a nice little snack and cook up quickly. Serve with a marinara dipping sauce or another of your liking.

Fried Cheese

Egg roll wrappers

Mozzarella cheese (string, or block cut length wise)

oil for frying

Wrap lay cheese on wrapper with the point of the wrapper hitting the middle of the cheese. Roll up burrito style and seal edges with water. Heat oil to about 350 and fry until golden.

Lol, I think this is the simplist recipe I have ever blogged.

Hummus

Nothing beats the flavor of hummus. So satisfying on a pita, or just about anything. It is rather simple and quick to make to. I used my standby recipe, the one I got from my step grandmother or Sitti. Chad made this tonight. Thank God. I had so much working in the kitchen that him helping me out was a blessing. This is one of his favorite dishes to make so I knew I could count on him to help out.

I made this to go with my Lebanese themed dinner tonight, and it was a great addition. I'm glad I have leftovers, it will make a nice addition to my lunch tomorrow as well.

Hummus

1 can garbanzo beans (drained juice reserved)

2 Tbs. Tahini (sesame paste, add as you go tasting while processing)

Juice of one lemon (again, add as you go)

2 garlic cloves coarsely

pinch of salt

Put ingredients into food processor and process until smooth, you may need to add some of the reserved juice to get it to a smooth consistancy. I usually need to add 1/4 cup. You don't want it runny, so be careful how much you add. To serve put in a shallow bowl or plate and run you spoon around the interior about 2 inches from the edge. Drizzle good olive oil in the groove you have created and sprinke paprika all over. Serve with toasted pita chips or what ever you please.

Fried Wonton Goodness

What do you do when your wonton skins are going to expire? You fill them and fry them up that's what you do!

You really can fill wontons with anything. I generally just browse the fridge for ingredients and fill 'em up. Today I had 3 links of italian sausage, 1/2 a large vidalia, goat, brie, and a monterrey jack/cheddar combo.

Chad doesn't like brie, or goat cheese (weirdo, I know.) so he got his own special wontons. Or you could say that i got MY own special wontons, either way we both win. : )

For mine I carmalized the onion in olive oil and butter, spread a little of cheese on the skin (either brie or goat, not together), topped with the onion (I put a little sausage in some of them), put a little water on my finger to run around the edges, folded them up and finally, I fried them.

For Chad's wontons I mixed sausage a little ranch dressing (like a couple Tbs.) and monterrey jack and cheddar cheese together. I put a little in the center of the skin, and like mine folded them up. I fried both in a little canola oil, but the could have been baked as well.

I made quite a few so I ended up freezing them in a single layer on a baking sheet then when frozen I put them in a ziplock. These will be a tasty treat for a later date.

Cashew Chicken Wonton Cups

This recipe was inspired by bakingblonde of the "What's Cooking" board on the nest. I was having trouble coming up with an appetizer for the Atlanta Nestie Ornament Exchange, and she had suggested wonton cups. I really didn't know what I wanted to fill them with so I sort of made up a cashew chicken recipe.

I ended up marinating the chicken overnight and then sauteed the veggies and chicken the next day. They really came out great. They look so cute, and there are endless possibilities of what to fill them with.

Cashew Chicken (My amts. are approximate, I really just threw this together.)

The marinade:

• 2 large boneless/skinless chicken breasts
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1 Tbs. oyster sauce
• 1 tbs. honey
• 2 garlic cloves roughly chopped
• 1/2 " of ginger peeled and grated
• Pinch of red pepper flakes
• couple dashes ground red pepper
• few drops sirracha (asian chili sauce)
• 1 tbs. ketchup
• 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar

Combine all ingrediens together and pour over chicken in a large zip lock bag. Let marinate at least one hour or overnight for more flavor. When finished marinating cut into small pieces.

Putting it together

• 1 Tbs. peanut or canola oil
• 1 1/2 cups crimini mushrooms small dice
• 1 cup water chestnuts small dice
• 1/2 red onion small dice
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 1 red pepper small diced
• 1 cup unsalted roasted chashews
• 1 Tbs. hoisin
• 1/2 cup chicken stock or broth
• Pepper
• chopped parsley for garnish

Heat oil in a large skillet over med. heat. Add chicken and cook until no longer pink about 5 minutes. Add veggies (except garlic) and saute for 5 more minutes. Add garlic, hoisin, pepper, and stock and bring to a simmer. simmer for about 20 minutes until sauce has reduced by half. Mix in cashew and fill wonton cups with filling. Top with chopped parsley.

• Wonton cups
• wonton wrapper
• cooking spray
• mini muffin tin

Preheat oven to 350. spray muffn tin with cooking spray, and fit wonton wrappers in the cups. Spray the wontons with cooking spray and cook in oven for 7-8 minutes or until crispy

Last minute Dip for a bbq

• My mother was throwing a bbq birthday party for my step-dad and a close family friend. She asked that everyone bring their favorite steak, and a side. I was having trouble deciding what to bring since veggies, salad, potatoes, and dessert were covered. The lovely ladies of the "What's Cooking" board on the nest gave me great ideas, but I decided to wing a dip recipe.
  
  I went to the grocery store and bought a couple of red peppers, fresh basil, cream cheese and Italian blend shredded cheese. I thought I would throw this together with some other ingredients and make a dip. Instead of chips for dipping, I wanted to do something a little different. I got the idea to do a fried farfalle from a restaurant called Copeland's.
  It all came together quite nicely, and we had a blast at the party! Happy Birthday Daddy!!!
  
  Roasted Red Pepper Dip
  
  2 Roasted red peppers
  3 roasted cloves of garlic
  1/2 C. Mayo
  1 block plus 3oz. of cream cheese softened (I used a little square of the Philadelphia brand)
  3 Tbs. Fresh basil cut into a chiffonade
  1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
  1 tsp. dried minced onion
  olive oil
  salt and pepper
  1/2 cup-1 cup Italian blend cheese
  
  Preheat oven to 375
  Roughly chop red peppers. Arrange on foil lined baking sheet and add garlic cloves in their skin. Add about 2-3 tbs. olive oil and add salt and pepper. Toss a bit to coat. Roast in oven for 20-25 minutes.
  
  While peppers and garlic are roasting, combine cream cheese, mayo, minced onion and basil together in a bowl. When peppers and garlic are done roasting transfer to processor and process until you have a puree.
  
  Add to cream cheese mixture and toss in 1/2 to 1 cup of Italian blend cheese. Bake in oven (375) for 15 minutes.
  
  Fried Farfalle
  
  1 lb. farfalle
  2 cups bread crumbs
  3 eggs
  splash of milk
  Oil for frying
  
  Boil pasta according to package directions. Let cool. Combine eggs and milk and whisk together. Dip pasta in egg, then bread crumbs. Over medium high heat in a large skillet with 2" sides fry in oil until golden.