Spinach Custard Pie

This recipe was one of those little magazine clippings that tends to float around my “make it now” files for quite a long time. It’s virtually season-less, since it’s based on frozen spinach, so I kept shifting it from one month to the next until I finally decided I’d better try it or get rid of it already.

This dish is fairly simple. It’s mostly spinach and eggs with a little cheese. Okay, so it’s mostly spinach. Really. There’s a lot of spinach in this pie. And I suppose it’s not really a pie, since it doesn’t have a crust of any kind. I did make it in a pie plate, but I think you could make it in just about any small baking dish.

Even though there’s more spinach than anything in this, it holds together very nicely. The pie cut well into wedges and could be served that way without falling apart. I think you could cut it into squares if you use a different dish or cut it into very small squares to serve as appetizers.

I feel like I better tell you one more time that there’s really a lot of spinach in this casserole/pie/whatever. If you don’t like spinach, you probably won’t like this dish. On the other hand, if you do like spinach, this is delicious and satisfying. I liked the addition of a little feta cheese (it wasn’t in the original recipe) along with the Parmesan. I also sprinkled in a bit of freshly grated nutmeg, which somehow enhances spinach dishes. Overall, the rest of the ingredients serve to compliment the spinach rather than overwhelm or hide it.

I wasn’t sure whether Spinach Custard Pie was exciting enough to talk about here, but not everything needs to be a revelation, I thought. A solid, weeknight recipe is a good addition to The Messy Apron archives. Things did get a little more exciting the next day, however, when I learned just how fabulous this is as leftovers. It lost nothing in texture or flavor when I stuck a wedge in my lunch box and heated it up at work. A weeknight/brown bag powerhouse for a family of 2 indeed!!

Spinach Custard Pie

Adapted from Cooking Light Magazine

2 (10 ounce) packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed

1 tablespoon butter

½ cup chopped onion

½ teaspoon salt, divided

3 large eggs

8 ounces sour cream (I used reduced-fat)

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

¼ cup very finely chopped feta cheese

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray a 9-inch pie plate with cooking spray (or grease it using your preferred method.) Set aside.

2. Squeeze as much water from the thawed spinach as you can. Set aside.

3. In a medium-size skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onions and ¼ teaspoon salt. Cook 5-8 minutes or until the onion is soft and just beginning to brown. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

4. In a medium-size bowl, beat the eggs. Mix in the sour cream. Add the spinach and onions and stir well. Stir in the remaining ingredients, including the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt.

5. Transfer the mixture to the prepared pie pan. Spread evenly. Bake at 350 F for about 30 minutes or until the center of the pie is set. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack for about 5 minutes. Cut into wedges to serve.

Makes 4-6 servings. Leftovers reheat nicely.

Other recipes like this one: Quinoa and Spinach Casserole, Chart Tart with Feta Cheese and Olives, Spinach and Feta Souffle

Archive Recipe of the Week: Green Pea Hummus

This is the time of year when we desperately look for Spring wherever we can find it, but aren’t quite optimistic enough to believe in it for real. The snow is gone from our yard, but we know better. Last year it snowed heavily on May 2^nd. I might be putting away my warm sweaters, but you can bet my hoodies aren’t out of reach. Local hot-houses are producing some edible green things, but even the weeds aren’t poking through the brown, matted blanket of debris in the yard and garden.

And then we cheat. We have to. There won’t be green peas in pods for, well, for a long time yet. It’s too depressing to think of just how long. So, while no one is looking, we acquire a bag of frozen peas. They are Spring. They ARE!!

Cheating on the end of winter in such a way is rich and delicious if you make this Green Pea Hummus. It’s like a traditional chickpea hummus with frozen peas (or fresh if you happen to have a crazy bumper crop) instead of the chickpeas. You could season it as you like, but I like the lemon juice, a bit of spice in the form of Aleppo pepper, and garlic. The first time I posted this recipe, I happened to have garlic scapes available, which I used in place of the garlic. Sadly, the season is rather premature for those as well, so I used garlic cloves in my most recent batch.

While green peas may seem lighter and less stodgy than chickpeas, a bit of caution may be in order when indulging in this dip/spread. There’s still plenty of tahini in this recipe, which makes Green Pea Hummus deceptively filling. I know. I ate way too much of it on the night I made it. But it was sooooo good. And can you blame me for overindulging in a bit of fresh, green Spring at the end (or what we hope is the end) of such a long winter?

Green Pea Hummus

Adapted from Cooking Light magazine 

10 ounce package frozen green peas

½ cup chopped parsley (I used flat-leaf)
3 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons tahini
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon Aleppo pepper
¾ teaspoon coarse salt
3 cloves garlic or (¼ cup garlic scapes, chopped, if you have them)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the frozen peas and cook about 3 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl of ice water. Drain well. (You could also drain from the boiling water and rinse in cold water until cool.)

2. Place the drained peas and the remaining ingredients except for the olive oil in the bowl of a food processor. Process until nearly smooth, stopping to scrape the sides as needed. With the machine running, pour the olive oil, through the opening in the top of the food processor lid. Continue to process until very smooth.

3. Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed. Transfer to a serving bowl and chill until ready to serve. Serve with sturdy chips, such as pita chips or bagel chips.

Other recipes like this one: Hummus, Asparagus and Goat Cheese Dip

One year ago: Peanut Butter and Chocolate Revel Bars

A Celebratory Pan of Brownies

The new oven is here! I can bake again! You cannot imagine the relief!

Okay, maybe you can. It’s not that unusual to be temporarily without an oven. But it seemed that I was deprived for a long time. And then I was sick in bed the day it was delivered. And then the delivery truck got a flat tire, so it was delivered later than expected. And then I went out of town for the weekend. Finally Monday arrived! But what to bake?

How about some no-brainer brownies? Brownies are kind of a no-brainer anyway, since you can please so many people (including myself) with a pan of them. And these brownies are pretty easy to throw together. They get their chocolate from cocoa rather than melted chocolate, so there’s a step I didn’t have to deal with and I could make them from what I had on hand.

 

But, oh, who would have thought that the stuff I had on hand could be made into something sooooo delicious! Nicely moist. Somewhere between cake-y and fudge-y. Super chocolaty. Definitely worthy of a celebration. We enjoyed them just a bit warm (celebrations like this just can’t wait, you know), and they got lots of enthusiastic thumbs-ups from my fabulous co-workers the next day.

I adapted these from The Ultimate Brownie Book by Bruce Weinstein, barely changing anything. I did add a bit of instant espresso powder, since I’ve become a believer that it really does enhance just about anything chocolaty. I also added a heaping cup of bittersweet chocolate chips. What does “heaping” mean? That’s entirely up to you, but I wouldn’t recommend skimping on a celebratory pan of brownies.

Cocoa Chocolate Chip Brownies

Adapted from The Ultimate Brownie Book by Bruce Weinstein

If you’re an ice cream sundae enthusiast, I really think these could be used to make a fabulous brownie sundae.

1 cup all-purpose flour

¾ cup cocoa powder, sifted so all the lumps are removed

½ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon fine salt

2 teaspoons instant espresso powder

½ pound (2 sticks) butter, softened

2 cups granulated sugar

4 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 heaping cup bittersweet chocolate chips.

1. Prepare the oven to bake the brownie by placing a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheating to 350 F. Prepare a 13 x 9 inch baking pan by greasing it well with your preferred method. I use a Pyrex glass pan and lots of nonstick cooking spray.

2. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder, salt, and espresso powder in a medium-size bowl. Whisk together to combine thoroughly.

3. In the bowl of a heavy-duty stand mixer (or in a large bowl if you’re using a hand-held mixer), combine the butter and sugar. Beat together on medium speed until pale yellow in color. This should take a few minutes.

4. Add the eggs one at a time, thoroughly beating in each egg before adding the next. After adding the last egg, beat for 1 minute. Beat in the vanilla extract.

5. Stir the flour mixture into the butter mixture using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon. Stir gently just until all the dry ingredients are moistened. Try not to beat the mixture and deflate it. Stir in the chocolate chips.

6. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan. The batter will be thick. Gently spread it to the edges of the pan.

7. Bake at 350 F in the lower third of the oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached.

8. Cool in the pan on a wire rack. For best results, cut into squares and serve from the pan with an offset spatula. Between you and me, these can be enjoyed while still a bit warm when the chocolate chips are still a little melted.

Other recipes like this one: Peanut Butter and Chocolate Revel Bars, Mulled Wine Chocolate Cake

One year ago: Butter Pecan Pancakes

Millet and Rice Salad with Sweet Chile Dressing

I made this salad to test the concept of Thai sweet chile sauce, which you can find in larger supermarkets alongside the other Asian condiments, in a vinaigrette over a grain salad. Why grain salad? Because I have plenty of whole grains in my pantry that aren’t doing anybody any good just sitting there. Why Thai sweet chile sauce? Because I love it.

For a condiment with the word “chile” in its title, Thai sweet chile sauce isn’t really all that spicy. I had hoped it would pack a bigger punch in this salad, but I really liked this salad anyway. If you’d like something spicier, you could always add some kind of hot sauce to the dressing. The short grain brown rice and millet that I used here can take in a lot of flavor, so I kept adding chile sauce and rice vinegar until I thought the flavor was right. The result is hearty, as rice and grain salads tend to be, but lightly sweet, tangy and refreshing.

I really like the combination of scallions, red bell pepper and peanuts as additions to the rice and millet, but different seasons could certainly call for different vegetables. I’d especially like to add diced cucumbers, peas or snap peas, or even diced radishes or some little snips of toasted nori. The peanuts could also be replaced with sunflower or sesame seeds if you avoid peanuts, and, while I really like the flavor of the roasted peanut oil in the dressing, you could replace that with canola oil or some other neutral-tasting oil.

I start the recipe instructions with uncooked millet and rice, but if you already have some cooked grains on hand, you could, of course use those instead. I chose these grains because they needed to be used up, and I like the combination. The short grain brown rice has a pleasantly floral fragrance and the chewy millet fills in the spaces between the rice grains. The flavor of neither grain is very strong, so they’re great as a foundation for this flavorful salad.

Millet and Rice Salad with Sweet Chile Dressing

The cooked rice amounts to a generous 3 cups and the millet about 2 cups. You can start with these measurements if you happen to have cooked grains on hand.

You could certainly use a different kind of rice or a different grain than millet to make this salad. Just adjust cooking water and times as needed.

1 cup short grain brown rice

½ cup millet

3 cups water, divided

½ cup diced red bell pepper

½ cup finely chopped scallions

3 tablespoons roasted peanut oil

1 tablespoon dark sesame oil

¼ cup rice vinegar

3 tablespoons Thai sweet chile sauce

¼ teaspoon salt

½ cup chopped peanuts (I used lightly-salted cocktail peanuts)

1. In a medium saucepan, combine the rice and 2 cups water. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and boil gently until the rice is tender and the water is absorbed. Meanwhile, combine the millet and remaining 1 cup water in a small saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and boil gently until the millet is tender and the water is absorbed. Transfer both of the cooked grains to a bowl to cool. Stir gently occasionally to keep from getting too sticky.

2. When the rice and millet have cooled to room temperature, stir together along with the red bell pepper and scallions.

3. In a small bowl, combine the peanut oil, sesame oil, rice vinegar, chile sauce and salt. Whisk until well combined and slightly thickened. Pour over the rice mixture and stir to coat. Stir in the chopped peanuts.

Makes about 6 servings. Leftovers will last a few days in the refrigerator, but the peanuts will likely soften upon storing.

Other recipes like this one: Black Rice Salad with Snap Peas and Avocado, Chicken and Rice Salad with Spicy Peanut Dressing, Sweet Asian Salad Dressing