Recipe(tried): Greek Taverneta Fare for a Chilly Night - Spinach and Lentil Soup, Spanikopeta, Greek Salad

Brrrr Everyone!

Ooooh, it was 16 in my backyard this morning, had to help my DH wash down the windshield on his truck as it had ice on it. I later noticed ice on some of the stems of some of the plants. Curiously, the rosemary bush has escaped any damage, in fact, it has bloomed as well as the pink and red azaleas. I guess they thrive in cold weather.

The rosemary bush is what inspired tonight's menu: Mediterranean in flavor, and still with the soup theme...it's pretty cold lately! The soup for tonight is a hearty potage, Addas Bi Hamoud in Arabic. It is redolent with the aroma of lemon and garlic. Along with that, my favorite, Spinach Feta Pie and a Greek Salad.

Keep Warm! Gina

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Spinach and Lentil Soup
serves 8

1 1/2 c. lentils
2 1/2 qts. water
1 T. salt
1/4 c. olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 med. potato, scrubbed and diced with the skins left on
10 oz. fresh spinach, chopped or 10. oz. frozen and thawed
1 t. ground coriander
1/4 c. fresh lemon juice
1 t. chopped rosemary

Wash and drain the lentils. Put them in a large pot and add water. Bring to a boil and add the salt. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, til tender, 45 min to 1 hour.
Heat the oil and saute the onions and garlic over med. heat til soft and golden. About 6 minutes. Add this to the lentils, add the potatoes, spinach, 1 T. lemon juice, coriander, rosemary and a sprinkle of pepper if so desired.
Simmer covered, stirring often, if the soup seems to thick, thin out with water.

Just before serving add the remaining lemon juice, taste to correct seasonings.

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Spanikopeta

This recipe is so old... when we lived in New York back in the 60's, we had a landlady who was Greek and she hardly spoke English yet we coaxed her into giving us the secret... here it is, it's the best!!

1 large onion, chopped
4 tbsp. olive oil
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 pkgs. (10 oz. each) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
2 eggs beaten
2 cups cottage cheese
1 (8 oz.) pkg. feta cheese, crumbled
1 tbsp. fresh chopped fresh parsley
1 tbsp. chopped fresh dill
Salt and pepper to taste
2 sticks (1 cup) butter, melted
1 pkg. frozen phyllo sheets

Saute the onion in the olive oil till golden, at the last minute throw in the garlic and saute for 1-2 minutes more.

Put thawed and drained spinach into the skillet with the onion mixture to sop up flavors.

In a bowl, mix together the eggs, cheeses, parsley, dill, salt and pepper. Add the spinach mixture and stir well to blend thoroughly. Set aside.

In a 9x13-inch baking pan, brush bottom of the pan with melted butter. Start layering phyllo sheets in the pan, brushing each sheet with butter. Layer up to 12 and then spread filling on; layer again 12 sheets, brushing each one with butter.

When done, with a sharp knife or razor blade, (I use the razor blade) cut the top layers through into squares.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes.

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Greek Salad
serves 6

crisp lettuce leaves
4 tomatoes, cut into medium wedges
2 cucumbers, peeled, seeded and medium sliced
1 med. red onion cut into 8ths and separated
1/8 c. olive oil
1/2 t. dried oregano, crumbled
juice of 1/2 lemon
salt and pepper totaste
1 c. crumbled feta cheese
1 c. greek kalamata olives

wash and dry lettuce and tear into bite-size pieces. Arrange in center of pretty platter.

Cover lettuce with tomatoes, cukes and onion. Drizzle the olive oil over then sprinkle with the oregano, salt and pepper and lemon juice. Top with crumbled feta and olives.