Blue Cayenne

Greek Rag Pie

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Ingredients

• 3 1/2 ounces soft unsalted butter
• 1 box frozen filo pastry (thawed) (You will use about 10 oz. of the filo)
• 9 oz. feta cheese
• 2 t. grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 t. fresh thyme leaves (or more)
• 2 large eggs
• 5 ounces full-fat milk
• 1 T. sesame seeds
• Good-quality clear honey (I used strong-flavored avocado honey but Greek thyme honey or orange blossom honey would be wonderful)

Instructions

1. Melt butter in a saucepan and then remove it from the heat. Brush the bottom of an 8 to 9 inch square baking pan with butter.
2. Use several sheets of filo to line the bottom of the baking pan with a layer to filo. Arrange the filo in the pan so that it goes up the sides of the pan and hangs over the edges of the pan.You will fold the filo "overhang" over your pie at the end of your preparation. Brush the filo with butter.
3. Use about 1/3 of the filo sheets to partially fill the lined baking pan with filo. This is where you rip or scrunch the sheets into little "rags." You can just wad them up in your hand and place them in the pan. Once you have placed the filo rags into the pan, sprinkle half of the feta over the filo. Then, sprinkle 1 T. of the Parmesan over the feta. Sprinkle the feta/Parmesan cheeses with some fresh thyme leaves. Pour about 1/3 of the melted butter over the filo/cheese filling.
4. Using another 1/3 of the ripped or scrunched filo sheets, fill the baking pan with another layer of the filo. Add feta, Parmesan and fresh thyme as you did to the last layer. Pour more butter over this layer.
5. Finally, using larger pieces of the remaining filo, make one last layer of the pie adding the remaining feta, Parmesan and fresh thyme.
6. Fold the filo that is overhanging the sides of your pan over themselves around the edge of the pan. Pour the remaining butter over the top. (I used a pastry brush to help me distribute the butter.)
7. Use a sharp knife point to make two cuts down and two cuts across the filo-packed tin. You want to create 9 squares. This can get a bit messy, but the filo pie is very forgiving when baked.
8. Beat eggs and milk together and pour over the contents of the baking pan. Sprinkle the remaining thyme leaves and the sesame seeds on the top of the pie. Let the pie sit on your counter for at least 30 minutes at this point. If you want to wait for a couple of hours to bake this, cover the pie and store it in your refrigerator.
9. Bake the pie for 30 minutes at 350 degrees F in a heated oven. Your pie is done when the pastry is golden-brown and puffed and the inside is set. Let the baked pie sit on your counter for about 10 minutes to cool and solidify. Drizzle a generous amount of honey over the top of the pie, cut into servings using a serrated knife and serve warm with extra honey for your guests to add to their portions if they like. Garnish with fresh thyme sprigs.

Nutrition

Calories

2590 cal

Fat

190 g

Carbs

118 g

Protein

96 g

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Penne Alla Vodka

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Ingredients

• 1 28-ounce can whole tomatoes (drained with juice reserved)
• 2 T. olive oil
• 1/4 C. finely chopped onion
• 1 T. tomato paste
• 2 garlic cloves (minced)
• 1/4-1/2 t. red pepper flakes
• Salt
• 1/3 C. vodka
• 1/2 C. heavy cream
• 1 pound penne
• 2 T. chopped fresh basil
• Grated Parmesan cheese (or Asiago)
• Slices of fresh mozzarella

Instructions

1. Put half of your tomatoes in your food processor or blender and blend until smooth. Chop remaining tomatoes into 1/2-inch pieces (discard cores). Using a large measuring cup, combine blended and chopped tomatoes. Add reserved juice from the tomatoes to the cup until you have 2 cups of tomatoes and liquid.
2. Saute onion and tomato paste in oil over medium heat in a large pan. You want the onion to be soft and the whole mixture to be slightly browned. This will take 5 to 7 minutes. Add the minced garlic to the hot pan along with the pepper flakes (to your taste--a little goes a long way here) and cook briefly until the garlic is fragrant.
3. Add tomato mixture and salt to the pan with the onion mixture. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in vodka. Return the pan to the heat and simmer at medium-high heat for 8 to 10 minutes--until most of the alcohol is cooked off. Add the cream and cook for about one minute until the creamy sauce is hot.
4. Prepare penne. You want it to be cooked al dente. Reserve about 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water and drain the pasta. Return the drained pasta to the pot and toss the pasta with the sauce. Cook over medium heat for a few minutes to let the penne absorb some of the sauce. Add (or not) reserved pasta water to adjust the consistency of the sauce.
5. Stir in basil. Season with salt and pepper. Top with grated parmesan and slices of fresh mozzarella . Cover the dish with foil that has been sprayed with vegetable oil spray and bake in the oven for a few minutes until the mozzarella melts.
6. Garnish with chopped basil or chopped parsley.

Nutrition

Calories

1873 cal

Fat

83 g

Carbs

204 g

Protein

41 g

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Stir-Fried Tofu with Vegetables and Noodles

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Ingredients

• 1/2 pound firm tofu (sliced)
• 3 T. soy sauce
• 2 t. brown sugar
• 3 T. peanut oil
• 3 t. hoisin sauce
• 2 t. sesame oil
• 1 yellow bell pepper (seeded and cut into 1-inch squares or strips)
• 1 red bell pepper (seeded and cut into 1-inch squares or strips)
• 1 green bell pepper (seeded and cut into s1-inch squares or strips)
• 1 T. minced fresh ginger
• 2 large garlic cloves (minced)
• Dried red pepper flakes to taste (I used 1/4 t.)
• 4 scallions (white and green parts, cut into 1/2-1 inch lenghs)
• 6-8 ounces brown mushrooms (sliced)
• 1/2 C. fresh bean sprouts
• 1 Cup bok choy (sliced into 1 inch pieces)
• 8 ounces linguini noodles or Chinese rice noodles
• Chopped roasted peanuts for garnish
• Green onions for garnish

Instructions

1. To prepare the tofu, drain it and dry it. Wrap the tofu in a piece of cloth and place a cutting board (or something heavy) on top of the tofu to dry it further by pressing it. Let it sit for about 15 minutes under the weight. Slice the tofu into pieces measuring about 1/2 inch thick and 1 by 2 inch wide and long.
2. Mix 1 T. soy sauce, 1 t. brown sugar and 1 T. peanut oil in a bowl. Add the sliced tofu to the bowl and let the tofu marinate in the sauce for about 10 minutes.
3. Mix 2 T. soy sauce, 1 t. brown sugar, 3 t. hoisin sauce and 2 t. sesame oil together in another bowl. I think the amount of brown sugar and hoisin sauce can be increased to your taste. Set aside.
4. Boil noodles in salted water. Drain, toss with a little oil (not sesame) and set aside.
5. Heat your skillet or wok over high heat. Add the remaining 2 T. peanut oil and reduce the heat to medium high. Add the peppers to the pan and stir-fry for a couple of minutes. You want the peppers to begin to soften. Add the garlic and ginger to the hot pan and stir-fry for about 20 seconds. You want the ginger and garlic to begin to smell fragrant. Add the marinated tofu (and sauce) to the pan along with the dried red pepper flakes, bok choy, sliced mushrooms, bean sprouts and the green onions. Stir fry for a couple minutes. Add half of the sauce to the mixture. Cover the pan and cook for about two to three minutes. Remove the lid from the pan and stir and adjust seasonings.
6. Add rest of the sauce (or to your taste) and the noodles to the pan and stir to mix well. (I held some of the noodles back so that I could get a two-toned effect when I plated the dish.)The noodles will absorb the sauce. Arrange the stir-fry attractively on a serving dish and garnish with chopped peanuts and chopped green onions.

Nutrition

Calories

4257 cal

Fat

119 g

Carbs

634 g

Protein

144 g

Click Here For Full Nutrition, Exchanges, and My Plate Info