Spinach Lasagna

Ingredients
1 Tablespoon butter
2 Tablespoons Flour
1 - 2 Cups of Milk
1 bullion cube (stock cube)
1 package frozen spinach
Fresh spinach leaves
1 package no boil lasagna pasta leaves
Sour cream
Grated mozzarella cheese
Aluminum Foil

Preheat oven to 350F/200C
Prep time 15 minutes
Baking time 45 minutes
Cooling time 10 minutes

In a saucepan melt the butter, and whisk in the flour to make a white rue.
Add milk and bullion cube and bring to a simmer. (no need to add salt because the bullion adds the flavor and salt, if making a large lasagna add two cubes)
in the meantime (or prep before) defrost frozen spinach, press out excess water. Then add spinach to the milk mixture. heat, stirring often until the mixture almost boils, and becomes thick and sauce like. Stir often and make sure the bottom of the pan does not burn (can happen quickly).

Spoon a portion of the the mixture into a glass deep baking pan, just coat the bottom. Layer lasagna pasta leaves, then spoon and cover the pasta leaves with another portion of the spinach sauce, add some fresh spinach leaves, then add another layer of pasta leaves. repeat until you get to the top of the pan. On the last layer spoon the remaining sauce onto the top, then spread the sour cream over this and sprinkle the grated cheese over the entire pan covering it. Trick here is learning to judge the right portion of sauce and amounts of layers there is no wrong or right number.

Cover with foil and put in the oven for about 30 minutes (bit longer if it's a really big or deep one). Uncover the foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes so the cheese browns. Remove from oven and allow to cool somewhat before serving and eating.

Serve hot with a green salad.

Enjoy!

Melinda's Chip Dip

Melynda’s Nacho Chip Dip

Ingredients:

1 Container Sour Cream

1 Container Cream cheese

1 bottle of Medium Salsa

1 package shredded cheese (Mexican)

Mix together sour cream and cream cheese.

Spread on bottom of a rectangular serving dish (8x12)

Spread Salsa on top

Cover with cheese

Serve with the Nacho Chips

This was the most favorite item on our appetizer table

During westknits visit. It was literally scooped up very fast.

Raita
1 cucumber, diced
3 tablespoons of lime juice
1/2 t of peppermint extract or chopped fresh mint
1/3 t salt
1 garlic clove minced
1 box of silken tofu
1 - 2 T dark miso
Blend all ingredients in blender except cucumer. Fold in Cucumer. If thinner consistency is desired add a little soy milk. Also good with a little cilantro

Mascarpone Treat / Annelie's Version

Ingredients:
1 jar of sour cherries without stones 1 medium container joghurt plain 250 g Mascarpone (small container) 250 g whipping cream (small container) Juice of one lemon 1 package vannille sugar, or 1 tablespoon vanille extract 1/2 cup of sugar grated chocolate for decoration

Preparation:
Take sour cherries from jar, siphon of the juice
beat whipping cream until stiff, combine with
mascarpone, lemon juice, sugar and vanille sugar - or extract.

Annelie's version: Separate cherries and juice and sprinkle with
sugar and cinnamon. let stand overnight in fridge, then use cherries in the
recipe as follows.

Then alternate the creme and the cherries in a bowl
and voila! The dessert is done and ready to eat.

Indian Potaoes and Peas (Alu Mattar)

This recipe also comes from the Indian Cooking Class in Princeton I attended in 1981
just off the boat from the old country.

Ingredients:
Approx. 1 pound potatoes
Approx. 1 cup of peas (or thereabouts)
2 tbls. of olive oil
1 teaspoon panch phora (recipe given below)
1 onion, finely chopped
2 1/2 tablespoons of coriander finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh mint, optional
1 teasp. turmeric
1 1/2 t salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne powder
1/2 cup hot water
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Preparation:
Heat oil add the panch phora.
when mustard seeds in the panch phora start to pop, add the onions and frey stirring constantly until they are soft. Add fresh herbs, turmeric, salt and cayenne powder.
Add potatoes and peas, sprinkle with water and cover tightly. Cook over low heat for 20 min. or so. Shake pan occasionally so that the potatoes do not burn. Sprinkle with Garam Masala and lemon juice and cook until potatoes are tender.

Panch phora
Panch means 5 in Hindi. This is a combination of 5 aromatic seeds. These seeds are used
whole.
2 tablesps. black mustard seeds
2 tablespoons cumin seeds
2 tablespoons caraway seeds
1 tablespoon fenugreek seeds
1 tablespoon fennel seeds

Spinachballs - Spinatbaellchen/Appetizer

This is a wonderful easy appetizer and has vegetables! I served it at my 25th year wedding anniversary in 2006

Ingredients:
2 packages chopped spinach frozen
2 cups Pepperridge Farm stuffing
1 cup chopped onions, if you have some green onions as well
3 beaten eggs
1 stick melted butter
1/2 cup grated parmesan Preparation:

Defrost spinach, squeeze out liquid and combine with all the other ingredients. Bake for about 15 minutes or until lightly browned in 350 F oven.

Boureka

Comments:

This is a wonderful tasty dish to take to gatherings. I ate it at a get- together (don't know where
anymore) and begged for the recipe.
Ingredients:

1 package Pepperidge Farm puff pastry prepare to directions
150 g reduced fat sour cream
200 g feta cheese crumbled
200 g Monterey or Colby Cheddar cheese, grated
1 egg
1/2 cup of green olives, cut up into small pieces
Roll up and cut slices off, like for cookies
Place the slices side by side in a pan and bake for 1/2 hour.

Bourekas are very popular in Turkey and Arabic Countries and go with many
fillings. Just google Bourekas and wonderful recipes will come up.