the unprocessed life

The whole family loves this vegetarian dish!  Many people eat this with plain yogurt on top.  My husband and kids like eating vanilla yogurt with it!

Ingredients:

1 large white onion

2 16oz packages frozen spinach

6 tablespoons olive oil

8oz crumbled feta cheese

1 5.3 oz container of plain or vanilla greek yogurt

3 eggs

1 cup milk (pretty much any type of cow milk, soy milk, or almond milk will work)

1/2 cup water

1 package of 13 x 18 inch fillo dough sheets (these are sold frozen, so remember to thaw it – ideally by putting it in your refrigerator the night before you make the recipe)

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

On the stove in a pan sauté 1 chopped onion with 3 tablespoons olive oil.

Heat up 2 packages of 16 oz frozen spinach (in microwave or on the stove — I prefer the stove).

In a large bowl mix the sauteed onions, cooked spinach, 1/2 tablespoon salt, and 8oz of crumbled feta cheese (you can increase or decrease the amount of cheese based on how cheesy you want it).

In a medium bowl mix the yogurt, milk, water, and 3 tablespoons of olive oil.  Add in 2 of the eggs, and then just the white part of the third egg.  Keep the yolk from the third egg in a separate bowl.  Mix everything together.

Take the thawed filo dough (if you forgot to thaw it, you can thaw it in the microwave. It’s not ideal — it will likely break apart while you lay it on the pan, but you do your best).  Grease a large 13 x 18 inch pan with olive oil.   Lay three layers of the filo dough on the pan.  Using a spoon, cover the filo dough on the pan with a thin layer of the yogurt mix.  You want to cover it enough that the filo dough is all wet.  Then lay another 3 layers of filo dough.  Cover it with the yogurt mix.  Then lay another 3 layers of filo dough.  This time, instead of the yogurt mix, cover the filo dough with the spinach mix.  Lay another 3 layers of filo dough.  Cover it with the yogurt mix.  Lay the final 3 layers of filo dough.  Mix the egg yolk you had set out with the remaining yogurt mix and then pour that all onto the top of that final layer of filo dough.

Burek is similar to lasagna that you can be flexible about how many times you put 3 layers of fillo dough on the bottom and the top.  The main point is that you have the spinach mix in the middle.

Place in the oven for 25 minutes and then start checking it. Once it is golden brown you can take it out.  Let it cool before cutting it.  One tip for cutting the burek is to put a wood cutting board on top of the pan, flip the pan over, and let the burek fall out onto the cutting board.  Then you can cut it easily without worrying about scratching the pan.

One alternative to greasing the pan is you can line the pan with parchment paper.

Enjoy!

 

Easy to make, healthy and a hit with the whole family!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cook 1 cup of quinoa in chicken broth (follow the quinoa instructions).  Mix 2 eggs, 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon paprika, and 1/2 teaspoon onion powder in a large bowl.  Add in the quinoa, 2 cups of chopped broccoli florets and 1 cup of shredded sharp cheddar cheese.  Mix together.  Pour into a greased muffin pan.   Bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees.  100 calories per quinoa bite if you make 12 of them.  Enjoy!

Healthy, vegetarian, and enjoyed by my husband, kids and myself!  Used the recipe here:

https://www.thespruceeats.com/vegetarian-quinoa-and-black-bean-burgers-3028771

but instead of frying on a pan, I broiled each side on high for 5 minutes.  I also didn’t use green onions or paprika, because I didn’t have them, and it turned out great!  I calculated each one to be about 150 calories each.

Many people in my family have different preferences.  I am vegetarian, my kids eat chicken and fish, and my husband is not a fan of fish after a bad experience he had one time with food poisoning.    However, he loves scallops.  So whenever I make fish for the kids, I make sea scallops for him.

Fill a frying pan with a layer of olive oil.  Take the little tags (side muscles) off of each scallop.  Pat each one with a little salt and pepper and then lay them on the pan in the olive oil.  Cover and cook on medium for about 4-5 minutes.  Once the side in the olive oil is golden brown, flip them, and then cook on medium for another 3 minutes, but check periodically.  Once the second side is golden brown (as in the picture), remove them.  Yum!

I try to make fish for my kids once a week, because it’s good brain food, and thankfully Chilean Sea Bass is a quick and easy dish to make.  When at the grocery store, I try to pick out 8 oz pieces from the widest part of the fish.  I look for pieces that are all white, but if there’s an occasional brown spot, it’s okay – I just cut it out.

Put the oven on the highest level of broil (for my oven that’s level 1).  Soak each side of each piece of fish in olive oil for about 5 seconds and then lay them on their side on a cooking tray lined with parchment paper.  Cook one side for 8 minutes, then flip and cook the second side for 8 minutes.  This is if the fish is about 1 inch thick.  Cook a little longer if the fish is thicker.  The fish should be golden on the edges, like in the picture, and when you cut into it, the pieces should flake away.

I’m super paranoid about my kids eating fish bones, so after I cook these, I mash them up and look for bones before giving them to my kids.  For adults, I present it as is in the photo, with a veggie on the side.

The olive oil gives the fish a buttery delicious taste.  Enjoy!