BOOK CLUBBED RECIPES

There’s lots of good and bad news to share in Book Clubbed, and lots of new and exciting things to investigate, commiserate over, and celebrate, and Angelica does that with food. Here are her recipes.

Spanakopeta

Ingredients
½ cup olive oil
2 large onions, chopped
2 (10-ounce) packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained, and squeezed dry
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill (or two teaspoons dried dill)
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 (4-ounce) packages feta cheese, crumbled
4 eggs, lightly beaten
salt and pepper
1 (24-ounce) package phyllo dough
¾ pound butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Slowly cook and stir onions until softened (do not overcook). Mix in the spinach, dill, and flour. Cook for approximately 10 minutes, or until most of the moisture has been absorbed. Remove from the heat and mix in the cheese, eggs, salt and pepper. Lay the phyllo dough flat and cut into long strips (about 2” wide); brush with the melted butter. Place a small amount of spinach mixture at the bottom of each piece of dough. Fold the phyllo into triangles around the mixture. Place filled phyllo dough triangles on a large baking sheet. Brush with butter. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until golden brown.

Yield: Varies

Blue Cheese Popovers
2 large eggs
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons butter, melted, plus more to grease the tins
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon sea salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 ¼ ounces blue cheese, crumbled
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, roughly chopped (or 1 teaspoon dried thyme)

In a large bowl, briskly whisk the eggs, milk, melted butter, flour, salt, and pepper until smooth. Whisk in the cheese and the thyme. Place the batter in an airtight container and chill for 2 hours or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Butter the mini muffin pans. Fill each cup to the brim with the chilled batter. Bake the popovers until puffed and golden for 15 to 18 minutes. Repeat until all the batter is used. Serve warm.

Yield: varies.

Cream of Tomato Soup
3 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
5 tomatoes, chopped into pieces
1/2 teaspoon pepper
salt to taste
2 cups water
5 tablespoons cream

Melt the butter in a large fry pan. Add the chopped onion and garlic and sauté until the onions are translucent. Add the chopped tomatoes. Sprinkle salt and pepper. Add the water and let the mixture boil for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and blend the mixture in a food processor or blender to a puree. Transfer the puree back to the pan. Whisk in the cream and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot.

Yield: 2-3 servings

WANT MORE RECIPES?

Lorna’s alter-ego, Lorraine Bartlett, has written two cookbooks: Recipes to Die For (A Victoria Square Cookbook), featuring the characters and their favorite foods and drinks from the Victoria Square Mysteries, and The Best From Swans Nest, highlighting character Kathy Grant’s B&B Swans Nest Inn.

Lorna/Lorraine posts every regularly on the Cozy Chicks Facebook Group Page. The (collective) Cozy Chicks have published three cookbooks, The Cozy Chicks Kitchen, Tea Time With The Cozy Chicks, and (a free download) The Cozy Chicks Picnic. Click this link for more information on these terrific cookbooks, containing recipes from the Chicks’ and their cozy mystery characters.