Start the year off right: a look at healthy food trends and what folks will be eating in 2007.
Spanakopita
This Greek spinach pie received a high rating from allrecipes.com users. Makes 5 servings.
Ingredients
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 bunch green onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 pounds spinach, rinsed and chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup Ricotta cheese
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
8 sheets phyllo dough
1/4 cup olive oil
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil a 9-by-9-inch inch square baking pan.
Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté onion, green onions and garlic until soft and lightly browned. Stir in spinach and parsley, and continue to sauté until spinach is limp, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
In a medium bowl, mix eggs, ricotta and feta. Stir in spinach mixture. Lay 1 sheet of phyllo dough in prepared baking pan, and brush lightly with olive oil. Lay another sheet of phyllo dough on top, brush with olive oil, and repeat process with two more sheets of phyllo. The sheets will overlap the pan. Spread spinach and cheese mixture into pan and fold overhanging dough over filling. Brush with oil, then layer remaining 4 sheets of phyllo dough, brushing each with oil. Tuck overhanging dough into pan to seal filling.
Bake 30-40 minutes until golden brown. Cut into squares and serve while hot.
Lentil Salad
This easy Ethiopian salad, called yemiser selatta, comes from recipezaar.com. Makes 4-6 servings.
Ingredients
1/2 pound dried lentils
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
Black pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 jalapeños, stemmed, seeded, minced
Directions
Rinse lentils under running water in a sieve. Drop them into boiling water, enough to cover by 2 inches. Simmer lentils for 30 minutes. Do not overcook. Drain thoroughly and set aside.
Combine vinegar, oil, salt and black pepper in a deep bowl. Mix well. Add the lentils, garlic and jalapeños, and toss gently.
Let sit for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Beef Short Ribs Braised in Chianti
Adapted from Lobel’s Meat and Wine: Great Recipes for Cooking and Pairing. Serves 6.
Ingredients
4 pounds beef short ribs, cut into 2-inch chunks
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/4 cups good-quality Chianti
1 1/4 cups low-sodium beef stock
1 1/4 cups water
1 tablespoon tomato paste
Cloves of 1 head garlic, peeled
2 teaspoons fresh-ground black pepper
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350. Put the beef in a 15-by-10 inch flameproof dish. Sprinkle with salt, tossing to coat.
In a medium saucepan, combine wine, stock, and water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 3 minutes. Ladle a few tablespoons of the hot liquid into a small bowl. Add the tomato paste and stir to dissolve. Return to the saucepan. Stir garlic cloves into saucepan along with 1 teaspoon of the pepper. Pour over the meat.
Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil and place on the stovetop over 2 burners. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Transfer to the oven and cook for 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 250 and continue cooking until the meat is tender but not yet falling off the bone, 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Check the stew every so often to ensure that it’s just barely simmering, and adjust oven temperature if necessary.
Remove meat from oven. Loosen the foil, tucking edges under so that a 1-inch perimeter of the stew is exposed. Return to the oven. Cook, again adjusting the temperature to maintain a gentle simmer, until the meat is very tender and the liquid has been reduced to 1 to 1 1/2 cups, 30 to 45 minutes more, adding more stock if necessary. Turn pieces of meat to bathe them in liquid. Remove from the oven.
Add remaining pepper to the meat and reheat gently on the stove top over medium heat, uncovered. When sauce has thickened so that there is about 2/3 cup in the dish, divide meat into serving bowls. Eat with toasted country bread.
Striped Bass Baked with Potatoes, Onions, Saffron and Paprika
Adapted from La Cocina De Mamá by Penelope Casas. Serves 4.
Ingredients
1 1/2 to 2 pounds striped bass fillets, skin on (you may also use halibut, flounder, or grouper)
Kosher or sea salt
1/2 cup freshly-squeezed lemon juice
5 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound baking potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/8-inch slices
2 cups very finely chopped onions, preferably Vidalia or other sweet onion
Scant 1/4 teaspoon crumbled saffron threads
1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika, preferably Spanish smoked
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
Directions
Sprinkle the fish fillets with salt and arrange in a flat-bottomed bowl or pie plate. Pour on the lemon juice and let sit.
In a shallow ovenproof casserole, heat 3 tablespoons of the oil, add the potatoes in layers, and sprinkle each layer with salt. Turn the potatoes to coat with the oil and sauté over medium heat for 2 minutes. Stir in the onions, 1/8 teaspoon of the saffron, and 1/4 teaspoon of the paprika and sauté for 2 minutes more. Cover and cook over medium-low heat until the potatoes are almost tender, 15 to 20 minutes, lifting and turning the potatoes occasionally.
Preheat the oven to 375. Drain the fish and arrange over the potatoes. Drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons oil over the fish and sprinkle with salt and the remaining 1/8 teaspoon saffron and 1/4 teaspoon paprika. Bake for about 15 minutes, until the fish is just cooked through. You can bring the casserole to the table, or transfer the fish to plates and arrange the potatoes around the fish. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.
Chopped Greek
Salad with Shallot Vinaigrette
For this clever riff on Greek salad, traditional ingredients like feta cheese and black olives get chopped into small pieces, then tossed with a shallot dressing. From Food & Wine magazine; serves 8.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 small shallot, halved
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons canola oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
10 ounces mixed baby greens, coarsely chopped
4 Belgian endives, halved, cored and coarsely chopped
1 English cucumber, peeled, halved, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup coarsely chopped dill
3/4 cup pitted kalamata olives (5 ounces), halved
1/2 pound feta cheese, crumbled (2 cups)
Directions
In a blender, combine the vinegar, lemon juice and shallot and purée. With the machine on, add the olive oil and canola oil and purée until emulsified. Season the dressing with salt and pepper.
In a large bowl, toss the greens with the endives, cucumber, tomatoes, dill, olives and feta. Add half of the dressing, season with salt and pepper and toss. Add the remaining dressing, toss again and serve.
Make ahead: The dressing can be refrigerated overnight.
