Greek Spinach Pie

Just go ahead and add this recipe to your try list. This Greek Spinach Pie was so delicious. It is so flavorful, and a great meal for any time. I found this recipe on Pinterest at Crispy Greek-style Pie. I also included some bacon, which added so much more flavor. I paired this with a Caesar salad and finished off the meal with some baklava. You're really going to want to try this.

200 g spinach (one bag plus a handful more)
175 g sundries tomatoes in olive oil
100 g feta cheese
2 eggs
1/4 cup bacon pieces
1/2 pack phyllo pastry

Put the spinach in a large pot with 2-3 Tbsps of water and cook until wilted.

Drain spinach. Allow to cool; squeeze excess water; and then  chop as desired. Add to bowl with feta, eggs, tomatoes, and bacon. Stir.

Place a piece of parchment in pie plate. Layer one piece of fillo into the pie plate. Brush with oil from tomatoes jar.

Add another piece of fillo slightly offset from the first, and then brush that layer with oil. Place one or two more layers, brushed with oil and offset until fillo completely surrounds the pie plate. Spoon filling into the pie plate.

Fold edges over (add one or two more pieces of fillo if you need to). Brush top with olive oil.

Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Slice and serve and enjoy!!!

Chocolate Oatmeal Cake

Chocolate cake with chocolate chips topped with chocolate icing... could this possibly ever be wrong??? No, it isn't, and I assure you, you're going to want to try this cake. It's so moist and chocolatey and delicious. It has oatmeal in it which is part of what keeps this cake so moist. And this icing is amazing. I've never made an icing like this, and it's definitely one to keep in the arsenal for future use. I found this recipe on Pinterest titled: The World's Best Chocolate Oatmeal Cake.

1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 eggs, lightly beaten with fork

1 tsp vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 Tbsps unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup quick cooking oats
1 3/4 cups boiling water
1 12 oz bag chocolate chips, divided

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease and flour or spray with baking spray a 9x13 pan. Put oats in large bowl and add boiling water. Add butter and let sit for 20 minutes until butter is melted. Stir until combined.

Add brown sugar and stir until blended.

Add sugar and stir until combined.

Add eggs and vanilla and stir until combined.

In separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder. Sift into other ingredients. Stir just until combined.

Stir in half the chocolate chips.

Pour into prepared pan and sprinkle remaining chips over cake.

Bake for 30-40 minutes until the cake surface springs back lightly when touched. 

Icing

6 Tbsps butter
6 Tbsps cream
1½ cups sugar

1/2 tsp espresso powder
1/2 to 3/4 cup chocolate chips
1/2 to 3/4 cup mini marshmallows

Melt the butter, sugar and cream in a medium saucepan.

Add the espresso power and mix until combined.

Bring to a boil and boil for 30 seconds. Reduce heat to low and add the chocolate and stir until melted.

Add the marshmallows and whisk until icing is smooth.

Pour icing over cooled cake.

Allow icing to cool and harden, and then enjoy!

Honey Sriracha Chicken

I have spent too many years of my life scared of food. While I'm not exactly at the point of being willing to try anything, I am working at stepping out of self imposed box. Many of you may not think of this type of chicken as "out of the box," but I assure you for me that it is. I tried a pizza at a local restaurant that had honey sriracha chicken on it, and I was floored at how much I like it. So, I went on a search to find a recipe that sounded good and I found this one for Honey Sriracha Grilled Chicken Skewers on Pinterest, and my daughter and I have loved it! I have found another use for this chicken in a pizza variety I'm making of Honey Sriracha Chicken, Spinach Alfredo pizza. Again, this is delicious (blog coming soon) and everyone who has tried it has loved it!

6-8 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into large cubes (I use 2.25-2.5 lbs separated into two batches)
1/2 cup honey or agave
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 cup sriracha chile sauce
1/2 tsp salt

Cube chicken and place chicken cubes into two quart size freezer ziplock bags, set aside.

In a small bowl, combine honey, soy sauce, extra virgin olive oil, garlic, sriracha, and salt; whisk well.

Pour  mixture evenly into the two bags of chicken. Squeeze air out of bag and seal bag, coat chicken with sauce.

Here is where you choose which course you're going to take. If you are planning on cooking a bag of the chicken that day, then marinate it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. A few hours would be better. I generally prep a 5-lb or 10-lb bag of chicken at one time and divide it among multiple bags for freezing. The night before I plan to cook the chicken, I pull it out of the freezer and place it in the fridge. When I get home from work the next evening, I remove the bag from the fridge for an hour or so while I do chores around the house. There is already oil in the marinade, so you don't need extra in your skillet before cooking. Just heat up the skillet on medium-high heat; either drain the chicken in a colander or use  tongs to remove chicken and let the sauce drip off. Either way, once the skillet is heated, add the chicken to begin cooking.

I have found that marinade and other juices tend to build while the chicken is cooking and to get a nice char mark on the chicken this liquid will need to be drained during the cooking process. Keep stirring and draining chicken until you have the amount of browning that you desire. This is one of my 15 minute meals - cook a pot of Minute Rice and a veggie and dinner is served.