Girl's Night In

Dear Ms. TF
Oh Girl, you don't have to tell me about four different laundry receptacles. My most favorite is the corner that holds balled-up damp towels employed for face shaving. It's carefully hidden behind the bathroom door and is usually discovered when I'm scrubbing the floor. That would be semi-okay (meaning not yell worthy), but it's always the good towels- the ones saved for COMPANY. Seriously, the only reason I don't actually BUFAD (break up for a day) is that B is the ONE who does the laundry. For this reason I get down on my knees, thank God and then go make dinner-

I baked a toothsome Beef and Spinach Pie this evening. Not allowing the pedestrian name fool me, I chose it from the cookbook Casserole Crazy: Hot Stuff for Your Oven by Emily Farris. A gift in the mail from my Mom, I've always turned to it when I want something "oh so good, but bad for you".

B was late at work and was going out for drinks afterward- so I wanted to make something new, something that I'd love, and something that would taste good to B after he had been drinking. Also, I was hoping that I could mix it all together, stick it in the oven and then watch an episode of My So-Called Life while it cooked. It worked out exactly as I wanted.

Beef and Spinach Pie
1 pre-made 9-inch frozen pastry
1/2 large white onion
2 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1/2 cup sliced baby portobello mushrooms
1/2 pound lean ground sirloin
pinch of cayenne powder
pinch plus an extra of chili powder
1 teaspoon of oregano
salt and pepper
1 cup of pureed tomatoes
2 tablespoons of fresh chopped basil
3/4 cup of frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1/2 cup ricotta
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F.

Bake pie shells according to package directions. I used whole wheat 365 brand.

In a large skillet over medium heat, saute the onion and garlic in the olive oil until the onions are translucent. Add the mushrooms, beef, cayenne, chili powder, oregano, and salt and pepper to taste. When the beef is cooked through, add the tomatoes and 1 tablespoon of the basil. Set the heat to high and cook stirring occasionally, until the sauce is boiling, then reduce heat to low. Let simmer 5 to 10 minutes.

In medium bowl, mix the spinach, ricotta (I used cottage cheese because it's cheaper and better for you) and 1/2 cup of the mozzarella. Spoon the spinach mixture evenly into the bottom of each cooled crust, then cover evenly with the meat sauce. Top with the remaining mozzarella and basil. Bake, uncovered, for 35 to 40 minutes or until the mozzarella begins to brown and the pie is hot throughout.

Let stand 5 to 10 minutes before serving.


Sadly, we didn't have leftovers and I had to take veggies for my brown bag lunch instead of a piece of pie.

I will send you a surprise in the mail if you can tell me what these are? and what do you do with them?


B needs the computer so I gotta go. Let me know when the application process is over. B and I just started our "Bangladesh Here We Come" savings account.

Love,
TT