Spanakopita

This recipe is infinitely adaptable - swap in different kinds of cheeses (or leave out mozzarella altogether) or substitute different greens. Spice it up with salt, pepper, and even nutmeg! See more ideas at BrokeAss!

To buy:

• filo dough - DEFROST in advance
• 4 packages frozen spinach
• 2 blocks feta cheese
• 1 ball low-moisture mozzarella cheese
• fresh dill
• 6 eggs

1. Brush big baking pan with vegetable oil
2. Melt 1/2 stick butter with 1/3? cup vegetable oil in microwave
3. Cook spinach on stove for at least 5 minutes, then drain and squeeze out moisture as much as possible
4. Mix crumbled feta, chopped dill, shredded mozzarella, eggs, salt, and pepper in a big bowl
5. Add spinach to mixture, mix well
6. Put a few (4? 6?) layers of filo dough on the bottom of the pan, brushing each one lightly with the butter/oil mixture
7. Spread about 1/3 of the spinach/cheese mixture on top, then repeat until you've used up (most?) of the filo dough and all of the spinach/cheese mixture
8. Cover with a piece of aluminum foil loosely (tented) and bake at 350 for about 45 minutes, then remove foil and bake a while longer (30min?)
9. It gets better the longer it sits out, so ideally an hour before serving

Belgian Waffles

Makes 3-4 waffles

2 c. flour

1 tsp salt (or less)

4 tsp baking powder

2 tbsp sugar

2 eggs, separated

1.5c warm milk

5.5 tbsp butter, melted 

1 tsp vanilla

1. In a large bowl, sift together flour, salt, baking powder and sugar; mix.
2. Preheat waffle iron to desired temperature.
3. In a separate bowl, mix egg yolks, milk, butter and vanilla. Pour the milk mixture into the flour mixture; beat until blended.
4. Fold in egg whites
5. Ladle the batter into a preheated waffle iron. Cook the waffles until golden and crisp. Serve immediately.

ice cream cone cupcakes

2 packages cake mix (one chocolate, one vanilla/yellow)

24+ ice cream cones

(water, oil, eggs for mix)

Cover cupcake pan with tin foil, cut X's into foil to hold cones upright

Fill ice cream cones with cake mix, about 2/3 - 3/4 of the way full

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Bake 15 to 20 minutes

Pour remaining batter into mini cupcake tins, bake for closer to 10 minutes (watch carefully)

Allow all to cool, assemble by topping ice cream cone with the mini cupcake (to add height) - attach together using frosting.

Buttercream Frosting:

4c powdered sugar

.5c butter, softened

1 tsp vanilla

3 tbsp milk

OR

Whipped Cream Frosting:

2c cold heavy cream

6 tbsp powdered sugar

1-2 tsp vanilla

cheesecake with cherries

Another serious winner from smitten kitchen.  

Ingredients:

Crust

15 sheets of graham cracker, finely ground

1 stick melted butter

.5 c sugar

1/4 tsp salt

Filling

5 packages (8oz) philadelphia cream cheese, softened

1 3/4c sugar

3 tbsp flour

1 tsp lemon zest

1 tsp orange zest 

5 eggs

2 yolks

.5 tsp vanilla

Cherry sauce

10 ounces cherries, pitted

2 tbsp lemon juice

1/4 c sugar

1 tbsp cornstarch

.5 c water

Buttered 9.5in springform pan, set in baking pan to catch drips

Crust:

- mix all ingredients together, press into bottom of springform pan, and sides, stopping 1" from top

- freeze while making filling

Filling:

- preheat oven to 550

- beat cream cheese, sugar, flour, zest in mixer until smooth

- add vanilla, then eggs and yolks one at a time, scraping frequently

- pour into pan in baking dish until completely full

- bake 10-12 minutes until puffed, just browning

- lower temp, bake 1 hour+ at 200 degrees (middle will still be vaguely wobbly)

- remove from oven, run knife around cake, cool on rack and then chill in fridge loosely covered for 6 hours 

Sauce:

- mix all ingredients in saucepan, bring to boil

- cook 1-2 min, then cool completely

Cheesecake will keep for up to 2 weeks covered in fridge

Bruschetta

1 container cherry tomatoes, halved

1-2 cloves minced garlic

High quality olive oil (1/4 c)

8 or so basil leaves, chopped

Dash of balsamic vinegar

Salt, pepper

Burrata cheese

Baguette

Broil 3/4" slices of baguette, drizzled with olive oil, for just a few minutes
Remove from oven, top with tomato mixture and burrata cheese, broil again for a few minutes

enchiladas

Ingredients:

2 lbs beef (or ground turkey)

1 lb shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1 can pitted black olives

1 onion

1 jar enchilada sauce (trader joe's)

15-20 tortillas (corn preferable)

taco seasonings (either a packet or a mix of chile powder/flakes, cumin, salt/pepper, garlic, onion, paprika, oregano)

Chop onions, mix taco seasonings, sautee in medium heat with beef until cooked through

Put thin layer of enchilada sauce in bottom of pan, put cooked beef and an ounce or two of cheddar in each tortilla, roll and place seam-side down, top with lots of leftover cheddar and sliced black olives and leftover enchilada sauce

Bake for about 20 minutes at 350 degrees

To make a meal . . .

- add a side dish of spanish rice (using a mix is legit but you can also just add salsa, onion and broth to white rice)

- make guacamole - 2 avocados, 1 jalapeno, 1/2 c diced onion, 2 limes' juice, 3 cloves garlic, 1 roma tomato, dash of salt . . . dice and mix all ingredients

- serve with sour cream

- add black beans and chips and make nachos - top layer of chips in baking dish with beans, leftover beef filling, cheese, olives, bake for about 10 min at around 400 degrees.  Top with salsa, guac, and sour cream for super nachos.

Chocolate Mousse

Chocolate Mousse, 6 servings

8 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup water, divided
2 tbsp butter
3 egg yolks
2 tbsp sugar
1 1/4 whipping cream

- Chill electric beaters and bowl in freezer, then use them to whip heavy cream until very thick and clumpy
- Melt chocolate, 1/4 c of water, and butter in glass bowl in microwave . . . should take a few minutes on half power, but check on it constantly (every 30 seconds) to stir.  Melt until reasonably smooth, although tiny bits of chocolate will add texture if desired.  Cool chocolate mix for 10 minutes.
- Whisk sugar, egg yolks, 1/4 c of water in heavy saucepan, then melt on low heat until temperature reaches 160 degrees F.  Remove from heat, whisk in chocolate mixture, then set entire saucepan into bowl of ice to cool quickly for about 5-10 min.  Fold in the whipped cream, spoon into dishes or chocolate cups, refrigerate for 4 hours

If you live in/near the mission in SF, grocery store duc loi at 18/mission sells beautiful chocolate cups in their baking section, as well as chocolate curls and other fancy decor.  I hit their produce for fresh raspberries to serve with the mousse.

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