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