Tomatillos

Until now I've been scared of cooking with tomatillos. They've always looked intimidating with their weird husks and sticky coating but, last night I made a homemade tomatillo salsa for the first time. Before I reveal the recipe here are a few tips about buying/using tomatillos:

Tomatillo Tips:

1. Always buy firm tomatillos that sit tightly in their husk.

2. When cooking with tomatillos buy a few extra than the recipe calls for because under the husks there are always some duds.

3. After removing the husks, don't be alarmed by the sticky coating simply wash the tomatillos and begin your cooking prep.

Photo courtesy of indieogdenutah.com

Tomatillo and Roasted Poblano Salsa

Ingredients:

7 tomatillos

2 medium poblano peppers

1/2 medium red onion

1 tablespoon cilantro

1 tablespoon olive oil

salt and pepper

1. Start by washing & drying the poblanos. Place them on a baking sheet as is and broil them in the oven. There is no need to use any olive oil here.

2. Roast the poblanos for 20 to 30 minutes flipping regularly. The peppers are ready when most of their outer skin has charred. Let the peppers cool then peel off the outer skin.

3. Roasting the peppers is the only actual "cooking" in this recipe. Now, finely chop the tomatillos, the peppers, about a tablespoon of cilantro and about half of the red onion.

4. Combine all chopped ingredients with a tablespoon of olive oil and salt and pepper to taste.

Tomatillos are in season from Summer to early Fall. I've been finding them at my weekend farmer's market and definitely recommend giving them a try. They make a salsa that's a bit tart and beautiful to look at.

THE SOOTHING SOUNDS OF A MONOCHORD

For my birthday, my friend Cristina wanted to buy me a session with the Monochord. A woman she knows was administering the class and since the proceeds were going to Breast Cancer I was all for it.  The only problem was I had no idea what a Monochord was. 

After a little more research I learned that the monochord is basically a human-sized guitar that uses its vibrations to heal.  You actually lie down on the table and the practitioner plays the strings underneath you. Leave it to the Germans to invent this device, the perfect combination of music and engineering. 

Courtesy of: globalsoundhealing.net

My session lasted about an hour and I actually really enjoyed it. I found the humming sound completely soothing and was able to zone out and reach a semi-meditative state. I felt the vibrations travel through my body during the session and felt energized as I left the table.  Since I'm such a scatterbrain my mind wandered during parts of the session but every time my mind wandered I focused on the humming sound to bring me back to focus.

I don't know if I would jump at the opportunity to lie on the monochord again. In reality I'm more of a massage/yoga kind of girl but hey I'll try anything once. My thought process is anything that aids in healing can't be that bad.

SPINACH PIE

For my first post I thought it was fitting to use one of my favorite recipes. I grew up watching my father make Spinach Pie or Spanakopita for every big family occasion. Over the years I've experimented with his recipe and created my own Nikki-ized version. I tend to like more spinach and less cheese in my version, which is the more traditional Greek way. My family thinks the more cheese the better.

INGREDIENTS

1 Package of Phyllo Dough (thawed)

2 Large bags of frozen spinach

1 Large white onion

2 Blocks of feta cheese

1 Container of parmesan cheese

2 Eggs or egg substitute

2 Tablespoons of fresh Dill
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil

PREPARATION

1. Start by unwrapping the Phyllo Dough from plastic lining. Let it get to room temperature while continuing other preparation. If the dough is frozen let it thaw for about 3-4 hours before use. 
2. Chop 1 large white onion and saute it in light olive oil. Set aside after the onion has browned.
3. Place frozen spinach in strainer and thaw with hot water, make sure to squeeze spinach with hands and paper towels to remove all extra water.
4. Chop Feta into bite size pieces. You could also use the pre-crumbled Feta here but I'm partial to the full blocks.
5. Mix the dried spinach, chopped feta, parmesan cheese, sauteed onion, chopped dill and two eggs together in a bowl.
6. Remove phyllo dough from package. Handle gently as phyllo dough breaks easily. 
7. Grease a 9x12-baking dish (I use olive oil) and place a sheet of dough at the bottom. Brush lightly with oil and place another sheet on top of it until half the dough is used. If your dish is slightly smaller you can always cut the excess phyllo dough from the edges.
8. Scoop the entire filling on top of the phyllo dough lining the pan. Top the spinach mixture with remaining dough layered while brushing oil in between sheets.
9. Bake at 350 degrees for about an hour, until top is golden brown. After baking, let the pie cool before cutting (it may fall apart if you don't wait).