Spanakopita (σπανακόπιτα)

March 26: National Spinach Day

Our college friend, Christos C. from Crete, hosted a small graduation party for Islander at his house. He cooked a traditional Greek dinner, including oregano lemon chicken, cucumber yogurt dip (tzatziki) and spinach pie (spanakopita). It was a delicious dinner showcasing his culture and cuisine.

Decades later, when we lived in Illinois (the state ranks in the top 5 with the highest Hellenic population in America), we attended the annual Greek festival in our town. Eating their food brought back good memories of the graduation meal.

Once in a while, we still cook those simple dishes that Christos taught us. We transformed his version of spinach pie into triangular dumplings so we can serve smaller spanakopitas at celebrations.  The petite pies are especially perfect on National Spinach Day!

Recipe

(Adapted from Athens Foods)

For the spinach filling

• 1 package (10 ounces) frozen, chopped spinach
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¾ teaspoon pepper
• 1/3 cup ricotta cheese
• ½ cup feta cheese
• 1 teaspoon fresh dill, minced

Directions

Thaw and drain the spinach well. Chop the onion. In a skillet, heat the olive oil. Saute the spinach with the chopped onions. Season with salt and pepper.

Remove from heat and cool for 15 minutes. Stir in the ricotta and feta cheeses. Add the dill. Cool to room temperature.

For the pastry

• 1 package of phyllo pastry sheets (we used Athens brand fillo dough), thawed according to the package directions
• ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

Directions

Remove thawed pastry sheets and slice in half lengthwise. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp cloth/towel to avoid drying out the sheets. Assemble the spanakopita by placing one sheet on a flat surface, such as a cutting board. Brush with melted butter.

Layer 2-3 more sheets on top and brush with butter. Place about 2 tablespoons of spinach filling on the edge of one sheet. Carefully fold the corner diagonally to the opposite edge to make a triangle. Fold again, like a flag, to the other edge.

Continue folding until reaching the end of the sheet and tuck into the triangle. Brush both sides with butter. Place on a sheet lined with wax paper. Continue assembling all triangles. Brush the tops of the spanakopita with butter when the pan is full. Add another layer of wax paper and place more triangles on top. Brush with butter again and cover with plastic wrap/film. Freeze until firm.

Line a baking pan with foil and mist with cooking spray. Place the spanakopitas seam side down on the pan in a single layer. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and serve hot.

Notes

• Cooking spray may be used instead of butter between the sheets of phyllo dough.
• Fond of phyllo? Try lakror, an Albanian meat pie on the Feast Day of St. Basil on January 2.
• Σε ευχαριστώ πολύ. Thanks to Christos C. for the ceramic plate from Crete which we used for the final food photo above.

Melba Toast

March 23: National Melba Toast Day

While recuperating from her surgeries, Islander feasted on ice chips, Jell-O, chicken broth and weak tea before graduating to solid foods, such as crackers and toast. She especially likes the latter when it is made into Melba Toast and the triangle edges of the bread curl up under the broiler. Similar to Zweiback, Melba Toast is fed to teething babies and patients with a belly ache.

Like the dessert, Peach Melba, the toast is named after famed Victorian era opera singer, Dame Nellie Melba, who reportedly ate this type of toast when she was ill.

Once known as a food for maintaining a mild diet, Melba Toast is now mass-manufactured and marketed as a base for hors d’oeuvres for elegant entertaining.  Make Melba Toast to soothe a sick stomach, to serve as sophisticated appetizers at social gatherings and to observe National Melba Toast Day.

Recipe

(Adapted from The Great British Cookbook)

Ingredients

• 2 slices of white bread

Directions

Slice off the crusts of the bread. Lightly brown in a toaster. Remove and slice between the toasted sides to make a thinner piece of bread. Cut into triangles. Place on a baking sheet, untoasted side up.

Bake on the top rack of a preheated oven at 325 degrees F for five minutes, being careful not to burn the bread. Remove from the oven and serve.

Notes

• For more Melba food, see the recipe for Peach Melba which we posted on National Peach Melba Day on January 13.

Beef Broccoli

March 22: We Love Broccoli Day

When Islander and her brother, Kahuna, were little, Daddy would stir-fry some seafood or meat with flavorful brown sauces. He would also throw in a variety of vegetables for his finicky children to try. One dish the family loved was Chinese-style beef broccoli. Daddy still prepares it for us sometimes whenever we visit him and Mommy in Hawaii, although we do know how to make this on the mainland, too! For a blog post on We Love Broccoli Day, we share a family-favorite recipe for Beef Broccoli.

Recipe

(Inspired by Daddy)

For the beef marinade

• 1 pound of beef
• ½ teaspoon of baking soda
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon sherry
• 1 tablespoon oil (vegetable or canola)
• 2 teaspoons oyster sauce
• 1 tablespoon tapioca flour or corn starch

 Directions

Slice the beef into thin strips. In a medium bowl, mix the meat with the baking soda. In another bowl, combine the soy sauce, sherry, oil and oyster sauce. Mix this marinade into the beef.  Sprinkle in the tapioca flour or corn starch to thicken the marinade slightly. Set aside and make the cooking sauce.

For the cooking sauce

• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2-3 tablespoons of chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
• 2 teaspoons sherry
•  1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon corn starch
• 1 tablespoon water
• 2 tablespoons oil (vegetable or canola)

Directions

In a small bowl or measuring cup, mix the soy sauce, chicken broth, oyster sauce, sherry and oil. In another dish or measuring cup, make a paste with the corn starch and water. Set aside. Heat the two tablespoons of oil in a skillet or wok. Brown the beef in batches, adding a little more oil if needed. Transfer the beef to a bowl and keep warm.

For the vegetables

• 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon ginger, freshly grated
• 2-3 cups of broccoli florets (we used pre-cut packaged broccoli)

Directions

In the same skillet or work, saute the garlic and ginger for a few seconds before pouring in the cooking sauce. Stir in the corn starch paste to thicken. Return the beef strips to the skillet or wok and mix well until coated in the sauce. Lower the heat and toss in the broccoli. Cover for about five minutes to partially steam the broccoli until it is still fresh and crisp. Transfer to a serving platter. Serve hot with steamed white rice.

Notes

• Substitutions may include rice wine or sake for the sherry and Chinese broccoli for the regular broccoli.