Horseradish Balsamic Vinaigrette Salad Dressing

For a little zing with a roast beef or salmon salad, mix together well two ounces of olive oil, two ounces of balsamic vinegar, 1 teaspoon minced parsley, 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon prepared horseradish.

Crustless Spinach Portobello Pie

I decided to try my hand at culinary improvisation. I'm not a huge fan of pie crust. I get that you need something to act as a foundation for all the good parts of pies, but I usually bypass the top crust of double-crust pies and start digging in at the level of the filling. And, working with phyllo dough is off-the-charts annoying. So, I conjured up the idea of using portobello mushrooms as the foundation for a spinach pie.
Ingredients:

4 portobello mushrooms, stems removed

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, separated

1 small chopped onion

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 pkg chopped spinach, thawed, squeezed dry

1 egg, beaten

1 tablespoon Greek seasoning mix (thyme, dill, mace, cinnamon, basil, fennel, rosemary)

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1/2 cup low fat Ricotta cheese

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Infuse 2 tablespoons of the olive oil with a parmesan herb mixture to brush on the portobellos. I broiled them cap side up on an uncoated cookie sheet, just long enough to dehydrate them, about 10 minutes.
Saute the onion and garlic in the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and set aside.

Mix together the egg, seasoning mix, Ricotta cheese and lemon juice. I added the sauteed onions and garlic to the spinach, added the egg mixture and stirred to blend well.
Arrange the portobello mushrooms on the bottom of a pie plate and spoon the spinach mixture on top. Top with the Parmesan cheese and bake in the oven at 350 degrees until heated through and cheese is melted.


Disclaimer: I'm an amateur cook, novice gardener and frustrated writer... photography is not my gig — at all. But, I also don't believe in misleading my readers. The picture is my actual pie. Trust me, it tasted a lot better than it looked. I just wished I had thought to include artichokes! If you try that, let me know how it turned out.

Green Pea Salad

A family favorite, green pea salad always signaled the arrival of spring, as it was always served at our Easter gathering. Two cups of frozen peas are blanched or steamed, just until slightly tender, then quickly cold shocked in icy water. Add to the peas, diced cheddar cheese, onions, sweet pickles, hard-boiled eggs, shredded lettuce and about two tablespoons of preferred salad dressing. Add diced ham for even more flavor. This salad keeps well in the refrigerator for several days, but never lasts that long at my house.