fritters, popeye style

Now that the holidays are officially over, and I've had my fill of the rich and decadent, I find myself craving green. Somewhere back in my ancestry, a certain Grandfather "Pop" Eye must be lurking.  I adore spinach, but my forearms aren't that big.

The very first recipe I made from my new I Know How to Cook  by Ginette Mathiot was this lovely side dish.  They are vibrant jewel-toned green, crisp and creamy delicious inside. Actually, I would say they were more of a fritter than a croquette. A pinch of flour to the mixture might make them a bit fatter.  I served them as a brunch side dish, but they would be delicious with just about anything.


Spinach Croquettes

1 cup Béchamel sauce (mother of all sauces, a basic white sauce)
1 3/4 pounds cooked, drained and pressed spinach (two 10 oz. bags of fresh to start)
2 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup grated Gruyère cheese, 1/2 cup butter scant

Make the Béchamel sauce. Process the spinach in a food processor until smooth, and mix with the sauce. Add the eggs and cheese. Heat the butter in a skillet. When it is hot, drop spoonfuls of the spinach mixture gently into the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side, until browned.  Serves 6.  Note: make sure you press all the cooking liquid from the spinach.  I twisted it in a clean tea towel.

you say kebab, I say kabob

Last week I made the best kebabs ever. Apparently, I am the only
one on the planet who spells it "kabob". Anyway, I served them
with chili-lime corn on the cob and grilled pita bread with roasted
pepper and walnut spread. You guessed it. Yum-o. In fact, I'm
picking up some more flat iron steak and pitas to make them again
this weekend. Huge, huge hit at the manor.

Cumin-Scented Beef Kebabs

1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp finely chopped oregano
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp cayenne
2 lb sirloin flap steak or flatiron steak, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces

Mix all ingredients, add meat and marinate, chilled, at least 2 hours.
Thread on skewers and grill. Easy peasy.

Chili-Lime Corn on the Cob

Cook fresh corn in boiling water for 5 minutes. Pour off water and
add butter to hot pot. Return corn and coat. Sprinkle with salt,
pepper, chili powder and a squeeze of fresh lime. HEAVEN!!


Roasted Red Pepper and Walnut Spread

2 8 oz jars roasted red peppers, drained (okay, my sauce is yellow
since I only had roasted yellow peppers on hand)
1 cup coarse fresh bread crumbs (from baguette)
1 cup walnuts
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp cumin
1/8 tsp cayenne
1/4 olive oil

Puree all except oil in food processor until almost smooth.
With motor running, add oil in a slow stream until incorporated.

Can be made ahead and refrigerated. In fact, I thought it was
even better the next day. Fabulous with the kebabs, as well as
grilled garlic and oregano pita breads.

two of my favorite things

I love fresh corn and tomatoes, so I didn't have to think twice about
this wonderful summer dish. It's another one of those quick and
easy recipes from Gourmet magazine's July issue. Simple and
delicious.

Corn-and-Tomato Scramble

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp vinegar (I used rice vinegar)
1 pound tomatoes cut into bite size pieces
1 bunch scallions, finely chopped, keeping greens separate
2 Tbsp butter
4 cups corn kernels (from about 8 ears)

Whisk together oil, vinegar. Toss tomatoes to marinate.
Cook white parts of scallions in butter until golden, add corn
and 3/4 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper and cook until tender, about
five minutes. Transfer to bowl and cool. Toss together, tomatoes,
corn and scallion greens. Serve room temperature.

overheard at the grocery

Okay, I admit it. I was eves dropping in the veggie section at Kroger.
One lady was telling another about a fabulous salad she makes with
roasted asparagus, peppers and almonds. It sounded so delicious, I
picked up the ingredients and found the recipe online. You're gonna
love it, too!

Roasted Asparagus and Yellow Pepper Salad

2 lbs fresh asparagus trimmed and cut into thirds
4 yellow, orange or red bell peppers seeded and cut into wide strips
1/4 cup olive oil
1 medium red onion, sliced thin
1/2 cup toasted almond slices
1 cup coarsely grated Parmesan cheese

dressing

1/2 cup olive oil
3 tbsp Dijon mustard
3 cloves garlic, minced
juice of one lime
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp hot sauce (I used Louisiana Roasted Garlic)
salad seasoning to taste (I used a pinch each of salt, onion powder,
fresh ground pepper, basil and oregano)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss asparagus and peppers in oil
and arrange in a single layer on the baking sheet. Roast 8 to 10
minutes turning to prevent burning. Be careful to not over cook!
Cool completely.

Toss together the asparagus, peppers, onion, almonds, and cheese
in a large bowl.

In a separate bowl, mix the 1/2 cup olive oil, mustard, garlic, lime
juice, sugar, hot sauce and salad seasoning. Pour over salad and
toss to coat.