Spiral Spinach Tart

Okay, this thing is SERIOUSLY amazing. You should just ignore everything I am about to write, scroll to the recipe and make it yourself... It's that good (and my writing is that bad).
I originally saw it a while ago on some Food Porn site, and the recipe was in Romanian or something, and the Google Translator didn't translate some words, so it didn't make too much sense. So I just decided to make something that looked like the picture, rather than learning Romanian just to make some spinach tart thing.
Also, watch Due Date... its hilarious (and I'm watching it again right now)


1 Package Frozen Puff Pastry (Like Tenderflake)
1 Package Frozen Spinach (chopped or whole leaf, it doesn't really matter... although Chopped might be a teeny bit easier... OR use Fresh... just make sure you wash it really well)
2 gloves of Garlic (minced)
Fine-grated cheese...(I used marble, but whatever you want. Amount needed depends on how much you like cheese... I grated a bunch and then kept the grater and cheese out and easy to grab if I wanted more)
Seasoning (I used a little seasoning salt and some garlic powder)
Flour for dusting
Spring form pan


Start with the spinach... Defrost (if using frozen), then squeeze as much of the moisture out of the spinach as possible (with your hands). Add the minced garlic to the spinach, and mix together with a fork. Add in whatever seasonings you choose.
Pre-grate your cheese too.
On a lightly floured surface, Roll out the puff pastry to a thin-ish rectangle
Then cut the rectangle into long thin rectangles

Put spinach mixture and then cheese , Roll up like a snake. (you can see completed "snakes" in the back of the photo)

Arrange the "snakes" in a spiral in the Spring form pan. I forgot to take a photo of the spiral before I put the cheese on top, But I start in the middle of the spiral and work my way out. Then press everything together in the pan with your hand.

Bake at 350 F for about 15-30minutes. (i forgot how long it was in there). Basically until the puff pastry is lightly browned and golden.


Let cool for 5-10 minutes and then move from the spring form pan to a plate.


ENJOY!!! It is delicious fresh from the oven, or later on, once it is cool.


The Spinach "snakes" really show up too:

Cheese Men

It is currently after midnight, and I have to be up in 6 hours to go to work...

And I can't sleep. Counting sheep won't work. Poking the snoring boyfriend in the ribs doesn't help for long either. Plus Wilson keeps encroaching on my side of the bed... and He might be a little dog, but he takes up a hell of a lot of room. Plus, Ava keeps getting up to drink water, and she is a loud little drinker.

So I'm going to post my Cheese Men recipe... They don't have to be Men... they could be whatever shape you want them to be. Originally they started out as a Cheese Straw recipe, but I wanted to play with my new mini gingerbread men cookie cutters too. The Cheese Men, ended up much better and flakier than the Cheese straws (more rolling helped that I'm guessing)

Cheese Men

2 cups All Purpose Flour
2 cups shredded Sharp Cheddar (I used Marble cheese for this one)
3/4 cup Butter
1 tsp. Baking Powder
1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 cup water


Preheat Oven to 375 F. Line cookie sheet(s) with parchment paper

Whisk flour, baking powder, cayenne pepper, and salt together

Cut in the butter until well combined

Stir in cheese

Add water a little at a time to make a very stiff dough

On a lightly floured surface, roll out pieces of dough very thin. Dip cookie cutter in flour, and cut out men... Continue until all the dough has been used up. (to make Cheese straws, roll the dough into fat-pencil sized shapes, about 4-5 inches in length)



Arrange your army of cheese men on the baking sheet and Bake about 5 minutes or until lightly browned.


Below, Cheese Straws. Yummy, but I preferred the Cheese-Men

Pull Apart Bread

Yesterday, I woke up in a very Martha Stewart mood... I was cooking, cleaning, and baking... AND watching TV online (we hooked the computer up to the TV, so instead of watching everything on my little laptop screen, I can see from far away again)
I might've had a little help in the cooking/baking/cleaning too.... This is our little Dog.... Isn't he sweet??? and isn't my floor dirty? This pic is from the cleaning part of the morning, when we were moving furniture and sweeping dust out from under things... Its much better now!

I found a recipe for Pull Apart Cheesy Herb Bread.... But since I didn't have any fresh herbs, I changed the filling and made them Pull Apart Garlic Tomato Cheesy Bread.
It was really simple, And I might make some more today, Taking into account what I learned on this loaf. I also forgot to take a picture of it out of the oven before we ate the whole thing (It was that good!). So all you get was the before photos (sorry).

Ok, so getting on with it. I didn't add many "making of" photos since there are a ton of them at the blog where I found this recipe. And you should go check it out, because I have a list of things on her site that I want to try - This was at the top of my list.
A Little Bit of Everything - Pull Apart Cheesy Herb Bread

Although it seems a bit monotonous, since i haven't changed this recipe at all (apart from my filling) I will add it here. But all the credit should go to Green Girl at A Little Bit of Everything, and not me.

Ingredients

4 cups all-purpose flour

1 package dry yeast

1 1/2 cup lukewarm milk/water

4-6 oz cheddar cheese

fresh dill and parsley

1 egg for brushing

Cream yeast with a little of the milk. Once yeast has dissolved, add in rest of milk and mix to combine.
Slowly add flour, mixing until the dough comes clean from the side of the bowl (you might not need all 4 cups... mine only took 3 1/2 cups before it was a good dough.)
Place in a greased bowl and cover. Let rise at room temperature until doubled in size.
Once risen, divide into 10-12 balls and flatten them. (I got 12 balls, and i think next time, I will leave some out, because it was so packed that I couldn't "pull apart" my pull apart bread)
To make the filling shred the cheese and chop the herbs. Mix them. Place about 1-2 tbsp of the cheese-herb mixture on the flatten dough.

(My filling, i chopped a tomato, took out the middle, dried with paper towel, and then diced it in small pieces. I added a few cloves of minced garlic (I have this really cool garlic mincer that I got for Christmas a few years ago that works amazing). and some Parmesan cheese (not the real stuff... good ol' Kraft). I also had some grated cheese... Marble, because that is what I had in the fridge.

Above= my filling
Below = my filling on my flattened dough ball

Seal the pocket with a fork or with your fingers and place it in a greased loaf pan. Do the same with the rest. Leave again to rest at room temperature. When risen brush with egg wash and bake in preheated oven, at 375F, for about 35-40 minutes.
(I completely forgot to do the egg wash thing... oops)

I REALLY wish I had a competed picture for you too... because It was really pretty!!! And the combination of tomato and garlic and cheese really went well together! Would definitely be good for a pasta night. I also thing this would be great for a garlic bread, instead of just putting garlic butter on bread and serving it (garlic bread a la my mom)

Anyway, I definitely recommend trying this! It was delicious, and I think I am going to go make some more dough so We can have this for dinner again tonight.
Take Care!