Mediterranean Food Collection

Spinach Pie

Ingredients

3 cups chopped yellow onions (2 onions)
2 tablespoons good olive oil
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
3 (10-ounce) packages frozen chopped spinach, defrosted
6 extra-large eggs, beaten
2 teaspoons grated nutmeg
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons plain dry bread crumbs
1/2 pound good feta, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 cup pignoli (pine nuts)
1/4 pound salted butter, melted
6 sheets phyllo dough, defrosted

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

In a medium saute pan on medium heat, saute the onions with the olive oil until translucent and slightly browned, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the salt and pepper and allow to cool slightly.

Squeeze out and discard as much of the liquid from the spinach as possible. Put the spinach into a bowl and then gently mix in the onions, eggs, nutmeg, Parmesan cheese, bread crumbs, feta, and pignoli.

Butter an ovenproof, nonstick, 8-inch saute pan and line it with 6 stacked sheets of phyllo dough, brushing each with melted butter and letting the edges hang over the pan. Pour the spinach mixture into the middle of the phyllo and neatly fold the edges up and over the top to seal in the filling. Brush the top well with melted butter. Bake for 1 hour, until the top is golden brown and the filling is set. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.

Classic Tabouli Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 cup cracked wheat bulgar ( or cracked wheat germ)
• 1 tsp. salt, divided
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves
• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1 bunch flat leaf parsley
• 4 tomatoes
• 1 English or hothouse cucumber

Preparation:

1. Put bulgar in a bowl and sprinkle with 1/2 tsp. salt. Add 1 1/2 cups boiling water, cover, and let sit 20 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, whirl olive oil, lemon juice, and garlic in a blender (or, pulse garlic in a food processor until minced, then add oil and juice). Add mint leaves, remaining 1/2 tsp. salt, and pepper. Whirl until mint leaves are minced into the dressing and the dressing is more or less smooth. Taste and adjust salt and pepper.
3. Chop parsley leaves. Core, seed, and chop tomatoes. Peel, seed, and chop cucumber.
4. Drain bulgar, if necessary. Pour dressing over the bulgar and toss to combine well. Add parsley and toss to combine well. Add tomatoes and cucumber and stir to combine. Serve immediately or cover and chill until ready to serve, up to overnight.

Roasted Fingerling Potatoes with Chive Pesto

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 lb. fingerling potatoes, halved lengthwise
• 1 Tbsp. plus 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup (packed) chopped fresh chives, plus more for garnish
• 1/2 cup (packed) chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 2 Tbsp. slivered almonds, chopped walnuts, or pine nuts
• 1 garlic clove
• 2 tsp. fresh lemon juice

Preparation

• Preheat oven to 425°. In a medium bowl, toss potatoes with 1 Tbsp. oil to coat; season generously with salt and pepper. Spread potato halves in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast potatoes, turning occasionally, until tender and golden brown, 25-30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, combine 1/2 cup chives, parsley, almonds, and garlic in a processor. Pulse until finely chopped. With machine running, gradually add remaining oil through feed tube and process until incorporated. Transfer chive pesto to a small bowl. Stir in lemon juice, then 2 Tbsp. water. Season pesto with salt and pepper.
• Transfer potatoes to a platter. Drizzle with half of pesto; sprinkle with additional chopped chives. Serve with remaining pesto

  Lemon-Roasted Potatoes
  

  Ingredients

  • Nonstick vegetable oil spray
  • 4 pounds unpeeled fingerling potatoes in assorted colors, rinsed, halved lengthwise
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 6 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
  • 4 teaspoons finely grated lemon peel
  • 24 garlic cloves, sliced

  Preparation

  • Position 1 rack in top third and 1 rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 375°F. Spray 2 large rimmed baking sheets with nonstick spray. Toss potatoes with 1/2 cup olive oil in large bowl. Sprinkle generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Spread potatoes in single layer on baking sheets, dividing equally. Roast 30 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, whisk extra-virgin olive oil, lemon juice, dill, and lemon peel in small bowl to blend for dressing. Toss garlic and 2 tablespoons dressing in another small bowl. Divide garlic mixture between baking sheets with potatoes and toss; reverse baking sheets and continue to roast until potatoes are tender and brown around edges, about 15 minutes longer.
  • Toss roasted potatoes in large bowl with enough of remaining dressing to coat and serve.

Chickpea Salad with Lemon, Parmesan, and Fresh Herbs

 

Ingredients

• 1 15- to 15 1/2-ounce can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed, drained
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small garlic clove, pressed
• 1/3 cup (packed) freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• Coarse kosher salt

Preparation

• Combine rinsed and drained chickpeas, chopped fresh basil, chopped Italian parsley, fresh lemon juice, extra-virgin olive oil, and pressed garlic clove in medium bowl. Add grated Parmesan cheese and toss gently to blend all ingredients thoroughly. Season chickpea salad to taste with coarse kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. DO AHEAD Chickpea salad can be made 4 hours ahead. 
  

  Zucchini Keftedes with Feta and Dill

  

  Ingredients

  • 1 1/3 pounds medium zucchini, trimmed
  • 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
  • 3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
  • 3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel
  • 1 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
  • 1 large egg, beaten to blend
  • 1 cup coarsely crumbled feta cheese
  • Canola oil (for frying)
  • Plain whole-milk or reduced-fat Greek-style yogurt (for garnish)
  • Additional chopped fresh dill (for garnish)

  Preparation

  • Grate zucchini. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon coarse salt; let stand at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour.
  • Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment or foil. Wrap zucchini in towel; squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Place zucchini in medium bowl. Mix in green onions, 3 tablespoons chopped dill, mint, garlic, lemon peel, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Gently stir in panko and egg, then feta. Using 2 tablespoons zucchini mixture for each, shape mixture into 1 3/4- to 2-inch-diameter patty; place on baking sheet. Chill at least 1 hour. DO AHEAD Can be made 4 hours ahead. Keep chilled.
  • Pour enough canola oil into heavy large skillet to reach depth of 1/4 inch; heat over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add patties to skillet. Cook until golden and cooked through, adjusting heat if browning too quickly, 3 to 4 minutes per side.
  • Arrange keftedes on platter. Top each with dollop of yogurt. Sprinkle with dill. 

Sun-Dried Tomato Muffins

Ingredients

1 cup milk

1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
2 cups Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil leaves or 1 teaspoon dried basil leaves
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil, drained
1/4 cup pimiento-stuffed olives

Grated Parmesan cheese

• 1 Heat oven to 400ºF. Grease bottoms only of 12 regular size muffin cups, or line with paper baking cups.
• 2 Beat milk, oil and egg in large bowl. Stir in flour, 1/4 cup cheese, the basil, baking powder and salt just until flour is moistened. Fold in tomatoes and olives. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups (cups will be almost full). Sprinkle with cheese.
• 3 Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately remove from pan to wire rack. Serve warm if desired.

Tips
Keep these savory muffins moist by using the sun-dried tomatoes packed in olive oil. Rehydrated sun-dried tomatoes, although equally delicious, will make for a drier muffin.

Olive-Feta Pinwheels

Ingredients

1 can (8 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated crescent dinner rolls

2 tablespoons cream cheese spread (from 8-oz container)

1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese (1 oz)

1/4 cup chopped pitted kalamata olives

2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano or parsley

• 1 Heat oven to 350°F. Spray cookie sheet with cooking spray. Unroll dough and separate into 2 long rectangles; press each into 12x4-inch rectangle, firmly pressing perforations to seal.
• 2 Spread 1 tablespoon cream cheese spread over each rectangle. Sprinkle evenly with feta cheese, olives and oregano.
• 3 Starting with one short side, roll up each rectangle. With serrated knife, cut each roll into 8 slices; place cut side down on cookie sheet.
• 4 Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Immediately remove from cookie sheet. 

Basil-Red Pepper Muffins

Ingredients

1 cup fat-free (skim) milk

1/3 cup olive or vegetable oil

2 egg whites or 1/4 cup fat-free cholesterol-free egg product

2 cups Gold Medal® all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon sugar

3 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1/3 cup chopped red bell pepper

4 medium green onions, chopped (1/4 cup)

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves or 1 teaspoon dried basil leaves

• 1 Heat oven to 400ºF. Spray 12 regular-size muffin cups with cooking spray, or line with paper baking cups.
• 2 Beat milk, oil and egg whites in large bowl with fork. Stir in remaining ingreidents just until flour is moistened. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups.
• 3 Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately remove from pan to wire rack. Serve warm.

Tips

Accompanying these muffins with tapenade—a Mediterranean olive spread—instead of butter makes these muffins even more of a treat!

Stirring muffin batter gently—just until dry ingredients are moistened—results in perfectly shaped muffins.

Savory Pull-Apart Bread

Ingredients

10 sun-dried tomato halves, (not packed in oil)

2 cups Original Bisquick® mix

1 package (8 ounces) feta cheese, coarsely crumbled

3/4 cup milk

3/4 cup roasted red bell peppers, from 7-ounce jar, drained and finely chopped

1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano leaves or 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves

1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil leaves or 1 teaspoon dried basil leaves

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil

• 1 Heat oven to 425°F. Grease square pan, 9x9x2 inches. Cover dried tomatoes with boiling water. Let stand 10 minutes; drain. Finely chop tomatoes.
• 2 Mix Bisquick mix, tomatoes, half of the cheese and the milk in medium bowl until dough forms. Mix remaining cheese, the bell peppers, oregano, basil, garlic and oil in small bowl. Drop half of the dough by tablespoonfuls closely together in irregular pattern in pan. Spoon half of the cheese mixture over dough. Drop remaining dough over cheese mixture. Top with remaining cheese mixture.
• 3 Bake about 20 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.

Tips

Add 1/4 cup chopped Kalamata olives with the cheese mixture used to top the bread for even more Mediterranean flavor. 

Impossibly Easy Spinach-Parmesan Pie

Ingredients

1 tablespoon butter or margarine

4 medium green onions, sliced

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed to drain

1/2 cup small curd creamed cottage cheese

1/2 cup Original Bisquick® mix

1 cup milk

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon pepper

3 eggs

3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

• 1 Heat oven to 350ºF. Grease 9-inch pie plate. Melt butter in 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Cook onions and garlic in butter 2 to 3 minutes or until onions are tender. Stir in spinach; spread mixture in pie plate. Spread with cottage cheese.
• 2 Stir Bisquick mix, milk, lemon juice, pepper and eggs until blended. Pour into pie plate; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and nutmeg.
• 3 Bake about 35 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes. Sprinkle with additional sliced green onions, if desired. 

Fresh Seafood Stew

Ingredients

3 pounds uncooked clams in shells

6 cups water

1/3 cup white vinegar

1 large onion, chopped (1 cup)

1 cup Progresso® chicken broth (from 32-ounce carton)

1/2 cup dry white wine or Progresso® chicken broth

1 tablespoon tomato paste

2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano leaves or 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves

1 teaspoon fennel seed

1/8 teaspoon saffron threads, if desired

1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne)

2 large tomatoes, chopped (2 cups)

1 pound red snapper or whitefish fillets, cut into 2-inch pieces

3 cups cooked white rice

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

2 teaspoons grated lemon peel

• 1 Discard any broken-shell or open (dead) clams. Place remaining clams in large container. Cover with water and vinegar; let stand 30 minutes; drain. Scrub clams in cold water.
• 2 Cook onion, broth, wine, tomato paste, oregano, fennel seed, saffron, red pepper and tomatoes in Dutch oven over medium heat about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onion is tender.
• 3 Stir in clams and fish. Cover and cook 5 minutes. Stir in rice. Cover and cook about 3 minutes, removing clams as they open, until all clams have opened. Discard any unopened clams. Return clams to stew. Mix parsley and lemon peel; sprinkle over stew.

Tips

Use the oval, greenish brown fennel seed in both sweet and savory fare. Their licoricelike flavor gives tomato-based dishes, such as this one, a sweet, slightly spicy flavor boost.

Tropical Fruit Dip for Cookies and Fruit

Ingredients

1 cup vanilla yogurt

1/4 cup flaked coconut, toasted if desired

1 can (8 ounces) crushed pineapple in juice, drained

2 tablespoons packed brown sugar

2 nectarines, sliced

16 strawberries

8 small bunches grapes

16 fudge-striped cookies

• 1 In medium bowl, mix yogurt, coconut, pineapple and brown sugar.
• 2 Serve dip immediately with fruit and cookies, or cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour.