{Spanakopita}

This tasty Greek dish was shared at an around the world dinner party. A good friend of mine shared this beautiful dish.

Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart

4 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1/4 c. olive oil
1 lb. frozen phyllo pastry
4 bunches (3 1/4 lbs.) fresh spinach, washed, stemmed and coarsely chopped
1 1/2 c. finely chopped scallion, light-green and white parts only
1 c. finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
6 lg. eggs, beaten
1/2 lb. small-curd cottage cheese
1 lb. feta cheese, crumbled
2 Tbsp. fresh chopped dill
1/4 c. uncooked Cream of Wheat

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a small saucepan, melt better and oil together over low heat. Brush an 11x15x2-inch baking dish with butter-oil mixture. Layer 7 sheets of pyllo in pan, brushing each with butter mixture. In a large bowl, thoroughly combine remaining ingredients, except phyllo.

Spread about 2 cups spinach filling over phyllo in pan. Cover with 2 sheets phyllo, brushing each with butter mixture. Repeat layering 2 cups filling and 2 sheets phyllo, brushing each with butter mixture, until all filling has been used, about 4 more layers.

Top with 7 more sheets of phyllo, brushing each with butter mixture. Press gently around the edges so layers adhere. Prick surface all over with a toothpick.

Bake 15 minutes, reduce heat to 300 degrees, and continue baking until pastry is golden, about 1 hour. Let stand 1 hour before serving.

Tortellini Salad

This recipe is WONDERFUL for baby & bridal showers, in fact the recipe was dubbed by a friend 'baby shower salad' when I received it. This salad reminds me of spring & summer, hope you enjoy it as much as we do at our house!

18-20 oz. cheese filled tortellini
1 lb. fresh asparagus cut into 1-inch pieces
1 lg. yellow sweet pepper cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 tsp. finely shredded lemon peel
1/3 c. lemon juice
1/4 c. olive oil
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 c. finely shredded fresh parmesan cheese
1/2 c. sliced green onion (about 4)
1/4 c. slivered almonds, toasted

Cook the tortellini according to package directions, adding the asparagus and yellow pepper during the last minute of cooking Rinse with cold water to stop cooking and set aside in a bowl.
Meanwhile blend the lemon peel, juice, oil, mustard, sugar, salt and garlic in a blender until incorporated.
Add the dressing to the tortellini mix and toss to coat. Cover and chill in the fridge for 2-8 hours. Just before serving stir in the cheese, onions and nuts.
ENJOY!

Black-Bean Lasagna

When we tried this recipe for the first time I made a few changes that didn't affect the nutrition information (canned chopped tomatoes v. fresh chopped) and one change that did, instead of using full fat Monterey Jack cheese I used reduced fat. So, for nutrition information I have left the recipe with the full fat, but I will continue with he reduced fat myself☺

2 Tbsp. chopped fire-roasted Jalapeῆo peppers (La Victoria)
2 c. chopped onion
1 c. chopped green bell pepper
1 c. chopped red bell pepper
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 c. fire-roasted diced tomatoes (Hunts or Muir Glen)
1½ tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. ground coriander
2 (15.5 oz.) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
3 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
1 (8 oz.) carton light sour cream
1 large egg, lightly beaten
16 oz. chunky salsa
Cooking spray
12 cooked lasagna noodles
6 oz. shredded Monterey Jack cheese (see note above)

Preheat oven to 375°.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell peppers, and garlic; sauté 6 minutes. Add tomato, cumin, and coriander; cook 3 minutes. Add jalapeῆo and beans, and cook 3 minutes. Remove from heat; cool 10 minutes. Stir in cilantro, sour cream, and egg.

Spread 3 tablespoons salsa in bottom of a 13x9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange 4 noodles slightly overlapping over salsa, and top with half of bean mixture. Cover and bake at 375° for 30 minutes. Uncover and add the remaining cheese and bake an additional 15 minutes or until cheese melts. Let stand 5 minutes. Yield: 8 servings.

CALORIES: 452 (25% from fat); FAT: 12.6g (sat: 6.7g, mono: 3.4g, poly: 1.3g); PROTEIN: 21.8g; CARB: 65.2; FIBER: 7.5g; CHOL: 55mg; IRON: 5.4; SODIUM: 559mg; CALC: 262mg