I made this up yesterday since I wanted to use up some ingredients in my freezer and had fresh tomatoes from the garden. Pie is savory and moist without being mushy and the Parmesan and mozzarella cheese with crispy bacon add that extra umph we all crave. This is a pretty dish that would do well at pot lucks, for vegetarians (without the bacon of course) and at parties served as an appetizer cold, hot or in between.

Ingredients:

o Be lazy - Use 1 pre-made pie crust unbaked - if frozen, allow to come to room temperature
o 2 large beefsteak tomatoes or four plum tomatoes - could also use grape or cherry, simply slice in half.
o 1/2 packaged Box of frozen spinach thawed and completely drained of its juices
o 1 cup shredded mozzarella
o 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
o 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
o 1-1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
o fresh cracked pepper
o 4 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled
o 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
o 1/2 cup milk 2 percent or whole
o 4 jumbo eggs (or 5 medium/large eggs)
o Pie pan
o Working oven preheated at 350 degrees
o 1/3 cup flour - all purpose
o 2-3 tablespoons of tomato paste
o 2 tablespoons shopped minced onions (for color and optional)
o red chili flakes (optional)
o Clean tea towel to help squeeze out water from thawed spinach

Directions:

* Preheat oven at 350 degrees
* Place and unroll unbaked pie pastry into pie pan.
* Slice bacon and cook up in skillet while performing other tasks.
* Once spinach is thawed (I used my microwave for 1-2 minutes on medium strength) place half of the boxed thawed spinach into a clean tea towel and grab corners to create a bundle.
* Over sink start squeezing - and squeeze some more, loads of water will come out - you really want to get all the water out, and after opening back up your dish towel, the spinach will easily pop out of your dish towel.
* Fork pie pastry all over on bottom with holes to prevent buckling
* Sprinkle at least 3 tablespoons parmesan cheese on bottom of pie pan on top of pie pastry.
* Sprinkle three tablespoons of the flour on top of the parmesan cheese - this will prevent your pie from being too drippy of tomato juices
* Slice if using beefsteak tomatoes or plums into 1/4 inch slices and arrange in circles over lapping slightly in pie pastry. Sprinkle a little salt all over the tomatoes.
* Sprinkle about half of the shredded mozzarella cheese over the tomatoes.
* In bowl, crack your eggs and add mayonnaise, whisk till completely combined and thick.
* Add freshly cracked pepper, tomato paste, 1/2 of the remaining parmesan cheese, remaining flour, optional shakes of chili flakes and half of the nutmeg to egg mixture.
* Stir again then add spinach - stir till combined.
* Pour egg mixture over tomatoes.
* Once bacon is done, drain any extra fat and place on top of egg mixture and add additional shredded mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese.
* With hand or back of spoon, slightly press cheeses and bacon into egg mixture to get them wet.
* Sprinkle the top with the remaining nutmeg.
* Add optional diced green onions.
* Place pie pan carefully into preheat oven and allow to bake for 40 minutes.
* When checking for doneness, insert knife - which will come out a little wet, but not gloppy.

Let Pie/tart set up for at least 10 minutes before slicing. This can be served hot, cold or warm - it was super delicious cold late last night when I was struck with a little hunger after watching Craig Furgenson! Yes, I KNOW! - lol

Leah Quinn, a multi-media artist and writer whose work specializes on food, health, feng shui, and self-improvement.

http://www.leahquinn.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Leah_Quinn

Have dinner ready in a flash with these quick and easy recipes. These tasty dishes will have them asking for more!

1. Linguine with Tomato and Garlic Sauce: Boil 1 lb. linguine until tender. Sauté 3 cloves of chopped garlic and 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet for one minute. Add two cans of Italian seasoned, chopped tomatoes that have been drained. Heat through. Add 1/4 cup parmesan cheese. Serves 6.

2. Chicken Taco Salad: Crumble 8 oz. tortilla chips in a large serving bowl. In a smaller bowl combine 1 can drained black beans and 8 oz. salsa. Spread mixture on top of tortilla chips. Add 12 oz. of pre-cooked chicken. Top with a small can of drained, sliced olives (black or green), and shredded cheddar cheese. Serve with sour cream. Serves 4.

3. Pork Tenderloin with Raspberry and Horseradish Sauce: Grill or oven-bake pork tenderloin according to package directions. In a small saucepan combine 1 tablespoon of horseradish and ½ of a jar of seedless raspberry preserves. Heat until preserves are melted and sauce has a smooth texture. Serve sauce with pork tenderloin and add store bought potato salad as a side dish. Servings vary according to tenderloin size.

4. Stuffed Chicken Breasts: Sprinkle 4 thin sliced chicken breasts and 4 quartered potatoes with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. On each chicken breast layer chopped scallions and shredded cheese. Roll up each breast and secure with toothpicks. Arrange chicken and potatoes in a greased or sprayed cooking pan. Spray all with cooking spray. Bake for 45 minutes or until done. Remove toothpicks and slice chicken. Serve with potatoes. Serves 4.

5. Beef Barbecue: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Brown a 3 lb. rump roast, sliced lengthwise in 2 tablespoon of vegetable oil. Remove to a greased or sprayed casserole dish. Combine a 15 oz. jar of salsa, 1/2 cup brown sugar and 1/4 cup water. Mix until combined. Pour over roast. Cover and bake for 2 hours. Serve with rolls and pre-made coleslaw. Serves 8.

Mary Crowther is a writer, webmaster and cook. Visit her successful website KitchenTerms.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mary_Crowther

Jamaica is a Carribean island that has become well known for its cuisine. Many Jamaican dishes are fiery and popular with people who love spicy food. Do you like the sound of that? If you've never tried Jamaican food, perhaps you ought to give it a try?

Perhaps the most famous of Jamaican dishes, are jerk dishes. These are meat dishes where the meat has been prepared by marinading it in Jamaican jerk spice, which is actually a mixture of several different spices. The traditional meats in Jamaica that are cooked in this way are pork and goat, however among the Jamaican diaspora and overseas, you will find that jerk chicken is especially popular, and you may also encounter jerk being used for other meats such as turkey, as well as for fish and even tofu.

The main secret to good jerk dishes, is the jerk spice. This is a mixture of Jamaican allspice (also known as "pimento" or "pimenta"), Scotch bell peppers, and other spices such as cloves, cinammon, garlic, and nutmeg. Additionally, chopped onions or scallions may be mixed into the spice. The meat is prepared by lighting cutting the surface, rubbing the jerk spice into it, and if possible allowing the spice to marinade in the spice over night.

Once the meat has been prepared, the meat is ready to cook. You can cook jerk dishes by roasting in a regular kitchen oven, but you will get best results by cooking on a charcoal grill. If possible, try putting some pimento wood or berries, or failing that hickory or apple, on the hot coals - as this can add to the flavor.

By S. Tanna. Discover Jamaican Recipes including Jerk Recipes at http://www.downloadfocus.com/cat_recipes_jamaican.php

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sunil_Tanna

Ingredients:

* 6 tb soy sauce

* 6 ts sesame oil

* 375 g tofu; cut into cubes

* 6 tb olive oil

* 3 leek; cut into thin strips

* 3 carrot; cut into thin strips

* 225 g mangetout; cut into thin strips

* 6 cloves garlic; chopped

* 3 ts fresh root ginger; chopped

* 375 g button mushrooms; sliced

* 1 1/2 ts five spice powder

* 225 g beansprouts

* 3 ts cornflour

* 3 ts salt and freshly ground black pepper

* 2 tsp Matcha powder

* 3 200 g pack Spring Rolls Sheets

* 120 g solid vegetable oil; melted

Prep Time: 30 min

Cooking Time: 15-20 min

Instructions:
In a bowl, mix the soy sauce, sesame oil and 6 tablespoons cold water and add the tofu and marinate for approx 30 minutes.

Heat the oil in a frying pan or wok and stir fry the leek, carrot and mangetout strips for 2-4 minutes.

Add the garlic, ginger and mushrooms and cook for a further 3-5 minutes.

Add the tofu (reserving the marinade) with the five spice powder and beansprouts.

Blend the cornflour, the marinade and matcha powder and pour over the vegetables and cook gently until thickened, add seasoning and leave to cool.

Lay out spring rolls sheets to cooking sheets. Place a spoonful of vegetable mixture at one end of the sheet and roll up gently, folding the sides in.

Brush the other end with a little more vegetable oil to seal the pastry. Repeat for the remaining spring rolls.

Deep fry the spring rolls in hot oil preheated to 180 C, 350 F for approximately 5 minutes until golden brown. Drain well on absorbent kitchen paper.

Ingredients:

* Koshur salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

* 1 teaspoon Italian parsley, minced

* 1 1/2 pounds spinach (about 2 bunches), coarse stems discarded and the leaves washed well and drained

* 5 tablespoons low-fat margerine, melted and kept warm

* 7 sheets of phyllo (each about 17 by 12 inches), stacked between 2 sheets of wax paper and covered with a dampened kitchen towel

* 6 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan

* 1 teaspoon dried rosemary

* 1 teaspoon dry green tea loose leaves, crushed

* 1/2 cup very thinly sliced red onion

* 2/3 cup finely crumbled Feta cheese

* 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

Prep Time: 10 min

Cooking Time: 20 min

Instructions:
In a kettle cook the spinach in the water clinging to the leaves, covered, over moderate heat for 3 to 4 minutes, or until it is just wilted, refresh it under cold water, and let it drain well in a colander while making the phyllo crust.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Brush a baking sheet lightly with some of the margerine, put 1 sheet of the phyllo on the margerine, the brush it lightly withy some of the remaining margerine. Sprinkle the phyllo with 1 tablespoon of the Parmesan and Italian parsley, put another sheet of the phyllo on top, and press it firmly so that it adheres to the bottom layer. Margerine, sprinkle, and layer the remaining phyllo in the same manner, ending with a sheet of phyllo. Brush the top sheet lightly with the remaining margerine and bake the crust in the middle of the oven for 5 minutes.

Arrange the spinach evenly on the crust, leaving a 1-inch border all around, crumble the mint, green tea leaves, over it, and season the spinach with Koshur salt and black pepper. Scatter the red onion over the spinach, sprinkle the pizza with the Feta cheese, and drizzle it with the olive oil. Bake the pizza in the middle of the oven for 15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted, and with a pizza wheel or sharp knife cut it into squares. Serves 8.

Ingredients:

* 1/2 cup white sugar

* 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour

* 1 pinch sea salt

* 1 tablespoons matcha powder

* 2 cups non-fat milk

* 2 egg yolks, beaten

* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

* 1/2 cup shortening

* 1 cup green tea (sencha works very good)

* 1 cup all-purpose flour

* 1 pinch sea salt

* 4 eggs

Prep Time: 10 min

Cooking Time: 40-50 min

Instructions:
Custard:

In a small saucepan, combine 1/2 cup sugar, 5 tablespoons flour, a pinch of salt and a 1 tablespoon of matcha powder. Stir in milk, a little at a time, until smooth. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil 60 seconds, then pour a small amount of hot liquid into the 2 egg yolks, and stir. Then return now heated egg yolks to saucepan and stir, over heat, until mixture starts to bubble again. Remove from heat, add vanilla. Cover and chill in refrigerator. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. This step is done first so that custard can be properly chilled by the time the pastry is ready for filling.

Pastry:

In a medium saucepan, combine shortening and green tea and bring to a boil. Sift together 1 cup flour and a pinch of salt and pour all at once into boiling mixture. Stir vigorously until mixture forms a ball. Remove from heat, and add eggs, one at a time, stirring vigorously after each addition. Drop by spoonfuls onto baking sheet, or pipe into desired shape.
Bake 10 minutes in the preheated oven, then reduce heat to 400 degrees and bake 25 minutes more, or until golden. Cool completely, split, fill with custard, and replace tops.

Ingredients:

* low-fat margerine

* flour

* non-fat milk

* 1 (11 oz) canned whole kernel sweet corn

* eggs

* Japanese bread crumbs (panko)

* korokke sauce

* Japanese mayonnaise

* Jthinly sliced cabbage

* olive oil

* Koshur salt

* freshly ground pepper

Prep Time: 40-50 min

Cooking Time: 15 min

Instructions:
Place 3 large unpeeled potatoes in cold water, bring to a boil, and cook for about 40 minutes or until done. Test potatoes with a skewer to see when done. Place them in a bowl, then peel while hot.

Press the potatoes through a strainer while still hot. If potatoes are cool they will be sticky, making it difficult to pass them through the strainer.
Season with salt and pepper. Mix these ingredients with the mashed potato. Mix well, and cool.

Meanwhile, melt margerine in a frying pan then add flour.
Add the milk and stir until the sauce becomes creamy.
Wait until the sauce thickens, then add the canned corn and mix them well. Refrigerate the sauce in a bowl for several minutes.

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a frying pan. Add sauce and mix it with the mashed potato. Season with salt and pepper.

Form potato mixture into patties, and dredge patties in the flour until they are coated evenly, dip in beaten egg then coat evenly with panko.

Deep fry the korokke pieces until they are golden brown. Then place on paper towel to absorb extra oil.