Our Canada Day Picnic (...cont'd)

This has been one of my long time favorite pasta salads and I'm glad to get to share it with you...

Greek Pasta Salad

Ingredients
8 ounces rotini pasta
1/3 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 lemon juiced (3 tbsp lemon juice)
2 cloves large garlic crushed
2 teaspoons crushed dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 medium cucumber peeled and cut into 1/4-inch rounds
1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
1/2 cup kalamata olives
1 cup crumbled feta cheese

Directions

Cook pasta according to package directions; rinse with cold water and drain.

In a bowl combine oil, vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper; whisk well and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine pasta, cucumber, tomatoes and olives. Mix with dressing; toss well to coat. Gently fold in feta cheese. Refrigerate until served.

Enjoy!

Yummy...Spanakopita

This was my first time using puff pastry and what better recipe to use than Elly’s Cheater’s Spanakopita. Although it was a lot easier to make than I expected I know for next time I’ll be a little better prepared and have prettier spanakopita to look at ;) Nevertheless it was extremely yummy and fit perfectly into our Greek midweek dinner.

Puff Pastry (Cheater's) Spanakopita

INGREDIENTS

1 tsp olive oil
3 green onion, chopped
2 tbsp fresh dill, to taste
2 tbsp fresh parsley, to taste
1/2 lb. fresh spinach leaves, chopped
4 oz. feta cheese, crumbled
2 eggs, beaten, divided
salt and pepper, to taste
1 box (2 sheets) puff pastry dough, thawed

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 375.

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil until shimmering. Add the onions and sauté until tender. Stir in the spinach and then turn off the heat. The spinach will start to wilt down, but not much.

Meanwhile, roll the puff pastry dough into a square, on a lightly floured surface and then cut each sheet into 9 equal squares by making 2 horizontal cuts and 2 vertical cuts.

To the spinach mixture, add the feta, parsley, dill and salt and pepper to taste. Beat one egg and add that into the mixture. Mix.

Spoon about 1-2 Tbsp. of the spinach mixture in each puff pastry square. Brush the sides of the square with a little water and then being 2 opposite sides together to form a triangle. Press with your fingers to seal. Place on a baking sheet. Beat the second egg and then brush the tops of the triangles with the egg.

Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until golden.

Enjoy!