Date Night with Spinach & Salmon Delight

I missed the Philippines Independence Day Celebration on Friday. Wanna know why? I had a dinner date! Um... did I also mention that I impulsively suggested it be at MY flat.... that my cupboards and fridge were EMPTY.... that my place needed a deep CLEANING.... that I had to make a HAIR appointment.... and that I desperately needed to do LAUNDRY? And oh yeah.... had to make it look as if I hadn't gone through any trouble. LoL. I'm sure my married friends are gloating as they read this, since they no longer have to worry about these comical dating stressors. Annyways, my dinner date had mentioned he liked spinach, so I went in search for my bulky Mead Trapper Keeper Notebook (circa 1985), that over the years has become a stuffing vessel for odd recipe scraps prolifically collected.



I found what I was looking for - Spinach Pie (a.k.a. "Spanakopita" in Greek). Talk about yummy to the infinite power! After completing all my errands and chores, I began dinner preparations. This is SO easy to make. Check n' see.

Ingredients:

-1 lb thawed Filo dough
-1 stick butter
-3 Tbsp olive oil
-4 boxes of thawed frozen spinach (or fresh spinach)
-fresh onion scallions
-fresh parsley (or coriander)
-fresh dill
-4 to 6 eggs
-feta cheese crumbs
-salt and pepper
-optional seasonings: Accent, garlic powder, sesame seeds



Note: if frozen spinach is used, begin by draining excess juices.



Next, chop up fresh green produces - scallion, dill, parsley (and spinach if fresh) .



Saute' scallions with olive oil and combine parsley (or coriander), spinach, dill, feta crumbs, beaten eggs, and seasonings over med-low heat.

Next, melt stick of butter into a bowl and brush bottom of large casserole dish with first slather. Unroll thawed Filo dough (usually found in the frozen section of the supermarket), and carefully separate thin parchment-like dough onto bottom of casserole dish.

Layer about 10 sheets of Filo dough for the bottom crust, ensuring that EACH layer is thoroughly brushed with melted butter.



After about 15 min cooking time, pour the stuffing over the Filo dough crust.

Ensure stuffing is evenly spread and not runny (beware of excess spinach juices).

Next, layer 10 more Filo dough sheets on top of the spinach stuffing, ensuring that each sheet is thoroughly brushed with melted butter.

Once last layer of Filo dough is coated, place casserole dish on middle oven rack.

Bake Spinach Pie at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes.

My Spinach Pie came out flaky and golden ... and smelling heavenly!

I served with marinated salmon steaks.

Preparations: marinate salmon steaks for 1 hour using 1 cup lime juice, 1 tsp olive oil, 1 tsp minced garlic, 1 cup soy sauce, and a dash of salt and pepper. Bake (or grill) 400 degrees F for 15-20 minutes. Be sure to flip steaks at the 10 min mark.

I topped off the meal with a bottle of Italian white wine; Pinot Grigio, the perfect complement!

And Voila! Dinner was ready with minutes to spare from the doorbell's ring.

Break Glass In Case of Emergency

::How's YOUR day going?::

Just Do It!

I've been thinking a lot about retirement lately. Granted, I still have many many months to go before 2013 rolls around (I did say "many" 2x's)... but it's there. LoL. Taunting me with its tongue sticking out. Pestering me on what I'm going to do with my life after the Canoe Club. Maybe I'll take a year off. Travel. Pick up a hobby. Take fun classes. And little by little, I keep thinking about starting a business. And then it's gone. LoL. And then it's back. Good thing I still have time to decide on what I want to be when I grow up, because all this thinking is maddening! Fortuitously, I came across this inspiring video when my thoughts were warring. For now, I'm back on track with starting a business again. I hope you find this video inspiring too!

Philippines Independence Day Gala

This week-end I attended the Philippines Independence Day Gala sponsored by the Egypt-Philippines Community Association. (Whoa, that was a mouthful!)



Even without the Philippines Embassy in Cairo, there would've been a good showing of Filipinos in attendance. Pinoys inhabit all corners of the planet. LoL.



Prior to the dinner, the association officers sang the Philippines National Anthem in colorful traditional apparel...



followed by talented Pinoys performing a variety of cultural songs and dances.



This little girl was so cute!



The evening wrapped up with a bevy of belly dancers and island ballads performed beautifully.

It was a wonderful way to get some cultural exposure, and to socialize with my Pinoy peeps. Next week-end will be the BIG Philippines Independence Day Celebration at Victoria Park on June 12th. I can't wait to attend and get some more cultural exposure!

Silly, Rabbit, Tricks Are For Kids!

And for my next trick, I'll pull a rabbit out of my hat...