It’s fun to bake using Fillo Dough! If you’ve never tried it, now’s your chance. You can find it in the freezer section near puff pastry dough and frozen breads.

Fillo is paper thin pastry sheets, and when layered with butter (or olive oil) and baked, you end up with flaky, crispy deliciousness. The most important part of baking with fillo dough is keeping it moist while preparing your recipe, because it’s so thin, it can easily dry out and you end up with flakes. That’s why, in the recipe below, we place all the fillo dough into one stack while preparing the Spanakopita. You can even take a clean, lightly damp kitchen towel to place on the fillo sheets to keep them moist.

You can use fillo by filling the fillo with a mixture of apples, cinnamon and sugar! They also sell fillo pastry cups, which is great for party appetizers. Fill them with a little brie cheese, a few dried cranberries and a pecan, pop them in the oven to melt the cheese and you’ve got a great holiday crowd pleaser… and super easy!

I hope you’ll give my Spanakopita recipe a try. We enjoyed it as a main course, paired with a Greek salad, but you can make these half the size for a perfect party appetizer.

This recipe makes about 11 ~

INGREDIENTS
1/2 small Onion, chopped
2 cloves Garlic, minced
1/2 tsp Nutmeg
1 Tbsp fresh Dill, chopped
10 oz frozen chopped Spinach
1/2 cup Ricotta Cheese, room temperature
1 cup Feta Cheese, crumbled
8 oz Fillo dough
6 Tbsp Butter, melted

METHOD
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a medium bowl mix together the onion, garlic, nutmeg, dill, spinach, ricotta and feta cheese – set aside.
Unroll half the package of a 16 oz box of fillo dough.
Cut the 9” x 14” rectangle in half, lengthwise, so you end up with fillo sheets 4 1/2” x 14”.
Place the cut sheets on top of each other making one stack of fillo dough.
Take 2 of the sheets of fill dough and brush lightly with the melted butter.
Lay another 2 sheets of fill dough on top and again brush lightly with butter.
Place about 2 tablespoons of the filling at one end of the fillo dough, and carefully fold the fillo over, into a triangular shape, you will fold a total of about 3 times, and then brush more butter to seal edges.
Place the triangular shaped fillo on a baking sheet (lined with foil or use a silpat).
Continue until you’ve used all the filling and all of the fillo.
Bake in preheated oven for about 25-30 minutes, or until lightly golden brown.
Enjoy while warm and crispy!
To take a recreational cooking class in Murfreesboro visit www.TheCuriousKitchen.net and also check out their holiday menu… you can order your complete Holiday Meal, all made from scratch, including your appetizers & pie! Call (615) 956-6077 to place your order.

Quiche is perfect for any meal! I made this for brunch, served with a side salad. Soup is also a great accompaniment, since colder weather is on the way.

Truth be known, quiche is great for using up those few veggies you have in the bin, or leftover cheese. I used Gruyere and Manchego cheese in this quiche because I happened to have some leftover pieces. Any cheese will work. This would be great with cheddar and jack, or Swiss would be delicious! It’s basically an egg pie. So once you get the base of eggs and cream, it’s ready for whatever veggies and cheese you like.

INGREDIENTS
1 Pie Crust (homemade or store-bought)
5 large Eggs
1 cup Heavy Cream (or Half and Half)
2 Scallions, thinly sliced
1 cob of Corn (corn cut from cob)
1 small Red Bell Pepper, diced
2 cups Cheese, shredded (I used Gruyere and Manchego)
1 tsp Granulated Garlic
½ tsp Italian Seasoning
1/2 tsp Salt
Ground Black Pepper, to taste

METHOD
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Get your pie crust ready in the pie pan, and set aside.
In a large bowl beat together 5 eggs and 1 cup of cream (or Half and Half).
Stir in the scallions, corn, red bell pepper, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper to incorporate.
Stir in the cheese of your choice and carefully pour into the pie crust, being sure to distribute the filling evenly.
Bake for approximately 40-45 minutes, or until top is firm and feels set when you gently touch it.
Remove from oven and allow to cool.
Serve warm and enjoy!

Note: if top starts to brown before it is fully cooked, you can place a sheet of tin foil loosely over the pie to keep it from getting too brown.

I love making pizza at home. It’s really simple to make the dough yourself. The recipe below is my favorite for pizza crust & flatbread (rolled extra thin) and it turns out perfect every time. However, you always have the option to buy a ready made pizza crust, and there’s lots of great options in the grocery store. Anyway, I think the best part of making pizza at home is topping it with all your favorites… and lots of cheese!

The recipe I’m sharing today has become our new family favorite. The toppings are simple, but the flavor is anything but simple!!

Makes one 12” pizza

INGREDIENTS
For Dough:
1 cup warm water
2 ½ tsp dry active Yeast
1 Tbsp Honey
2 ½ to 3 cups all-purpose Flour
1/2 tsp Salt
2 Tbsp Olive Oil

Pizza Sauce:
1/2 cup Cilantro
1/4 cup picked Jalapeños
3 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 tsp Cumin

Toppings:
2 to 3 cups of shredded Mexican Cheese Blend
2 Roma Tomatoes, diced
1 cup fresh Corn
½ red Onion, thinly sliced
½ cup Black Olives, halved
2 Tbsp Capers
More picked jalapeños, optional (but nice if you like it spicy)

METHOD
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Mix the honey and warm water together in a small bowl.
Add the yeast to the water and let it sit for 15 minutes until a nice foam forms from the yeast growing.
Place flour and salt in a mixing bowl with the dough hook attachment and slowly add the yeast mixture.
Mix on medium-high for about 5 minutes, until the dough becomes elastic and firm.
Remove dough from bowl and rub lightly with olive oil.
Place in a bowl and cover with a clean dry towel.
Let sit in a warm place to rise for 20 minutes (it should double in size).

While the dough is rising you can make the sauce for the pizza.
Blend the cilantro, pickled jalapeños, olive oil, lime juice and cumin together in the food processor until a smooth paste is formed.
Set aside until you have your pizza crust ready to top.

After the dough has risen, place it on a floured surface.
If you want to make smaller individual pizzas cut dough into portions, or use for one large pizza.
Roll out to desired thickness and size, or shape using your hands, gently stretching the dough into the shape you desire.
Place dough onto a lightly greased pizza baking pan.
Spoon the cilantro sauce onto the pizza crust and spread evenly.
Evenly distribute the cheese and toppings on the crust.
Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or so, depending on the thickness of the crust.
Remove, cut into slices and serve.

For a crispier crust, cook your pizza crust for about 7 minutes before topping it with anything! That’s always an option.

People always ask me if I cook at home, since I’m cooking everyday at The Curious Kitchen. My answer is “yes” – because dishes like this one come together in 20 minutes. While the pasta is cooking, I prepare the sauce. A quick tasty side salad of Arugula, Tomato, Shredded Mozzarella with Vinegar & Oil… and dinner is served!

INGREDIENTS
1 lb dry Spaghetti
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
4 ounces Pancetta, cubed
4 Garlic Cloves, finely chopped
2 large Eggs
1 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, freshly grated
1 handful Parsley, chopped (save some for garnish)
Freshly ground Black Pepper
Crushed Red Pepper

METHOD
Prepare the pasta according to the package directions.
While the pasta is cooking, prepare the sauce.

In a heavy saucepan add the olive oil and pancetta.
Sauté for about 3 minutes, until the pancetta is crisp.
Add the garlic into the pan and sauté for less than 1 minute to soften.
In a separate bowl mix the eggs with the Parmesan Cheese, stirring to remove any lumps.
As soon as the pasta is ready, remove it from the hot water using a pasta spoon and add it into the pancetta saucepan (do not throw out the pasta water!).
It is very important that the pasta is really hot; because the heat of the pasta will cook the raw eggs, so stir in the egg mixture in quickly.
Add a little, about ¼ cup, of the reserved hot pasta water to thin out the sauce.
Season pasta with several turns of freshly ground black pepper and a pinch or two of crushed red pepper.
Taste and season with salt, if needed
Mound the Carbonara into warm serving bowls.
Garnish with parsley and serve with additional Parmesan Cheese, if desired.
Enjoy!

I bought some King Crab on sale. I was so excited about the reduced price ($10.00 off per pound) that I bought several pounds. I made crab cakes. I made crab soup. Hmmmm… what to do with the remaining crab? That’s when the thought of crab nachos popped into my head. Oh man, they exceeded my expectations. They were beyond delicious!

Here’s my recipe, no measuring required for the nachos.

INGREDIENTS
Corn Chips
Mexican Cheese Blend, shredded
Crab Meat
Scallions, sliced thin
Corn
Pickled Jalapenos (I used Uncle Gary’s Candied Jalapenos)
Bechamel Sauce, recipe below
Fresh Cilantro, chopped

METHOD
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Place some tin foil on your baking sheet.
Start off with your favorite corn chips and place a generous layer on the baking sheet.
Top chips with a sprinkling of cheese (this will keep the chips from getting soggy).
Evenly distribute crab across the chips and cheese.
Generously cover crab with cheese.
Top with scallions, corn, and pickled jalapenos.
Place in oven for 20 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly.
Remove from oven and pour the warm Bechamel Sauce over the nachos.
Top with fresh cilantro.
Enjoy!

Pepper Jack Bechamel Sauce

INGREDIENTS
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Tbsp Butter
2 Tbsp Flour
1 cup Milk
2 slices of Pepper Jack Cheese
1/4 tsp Salt

METHOD
Place olive oil and butter in a small saucepan over low heat.
Quickly whisk in the flour.
Whisk in the milk, a little at a time, until a smooth consistency is achieved.
Cook over medium low heat until it comes to a low simmer, stirring occasionally.
Place the pepper jack cheese into the hot mixture and stir until melted, combined and thickened.
Stir in the salt.
Remove from heat.
Use in the above recipe for Crab Nachos.
Enjoy!!

Caprese Salad is a salad made of fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, fresh basil, olive oil, and salt. I love all the components on their own, but put them together and you have a spectacular taste sensation. The creamy mozzarella with the freshness of the tomato and the sweet bite of basil. Yum!

The better the ingredients you use, the better the salad will taste. Fresh basil is a must, extra virgin olive oil (first cold press), and definitely sprinkle a little salt on it. But whether you stack it, or spread it out on the plate, this is my favorite salad! Sometimes (actually most times) I’ll drizzle balsamic across the top of the salad and enjoy it with some hot crusty Italian Bread, other times I just crave the pure taste of the mozzarella cheese.

I love experimenting around and creating variations of this salad. I’ve served it on Crostini.

Baked it on puff pastry.

I’ve even made it into a Tomato Tart with Black Pepper Parmesan Crust.

No recipe is required, and here are some nice additions you could add to the plate: olives, capers, red onion, pesto, cucumber, Italian peppers, etc.  Any which way you make it, it’s gonna be delicious. Enjoy!

The other day while going through some old recipes, I found a hand written recipe that I had perfected years ago… it was for the Cheddar Bay Biscuits at Red Lobster. Even though I haven’t been to a Red Lobster in years, the one thing I remember liking at the restaurant is their biscuits. I think what I really loved about the flavor of the biscuits was the Old Bay Seasoning, … which is why they call them Cheddar “Bay” Biscuits.

We enjoyed them with a cup of Homemade Tomato Soup. It was perfection!

INGREDIENTS
For Biscuits:
2 cups Flour
4 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
3/4 tsp Salt
¼ tsp Garlic Powder
4 Tbsp Butter, cold
1 cup Buttermilk, chilled
1 cup Cheddar Cheese, shredded

Butter Topping:
3 Tbsp Butter, melted
2 cloves of Garlic, minced
1 tsp Parsley Flakes
½ tsp Old Bay Seasoning

METHOD
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
In a large bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, garlic powder, and butter.
Be sure your butter is cold, and working quickly with your hands, work the butter into dry ingredients until mixture gets crumbly.
Add the chilled buttermilk and cheddar cheese.
Stir just until the dough comes together.
The dough will be wet.
Drop the biscuits into an approximate ¼ cup mound onto a baking sheet.
Continue the process until all the dough has been used.
Bake for about 15 minutes, or until biscuits are lightly golden.
While the biscuits are baking you can prepare the butter topping.
In a small saucepan melt the butter, garlic, parsley, and old bay seasoning.
Allow to simmer for a minute or two, until the garlic is tender.
Set aside.
When the biscuits are done baking, remove from oven and immediately brush with the butter mixture.
Enjoy warm.