Strata d'epinards et feta avec des noix

Without a doubt, Spinach is my favorite vegetable, so whenever I'm at a loss as to what to prepare for dinner one night, my failsafe is usually Spinach lightly sauteed with Garlic and Olive Oil. Sometimes, though, especially with a lighter main dish, I prefer to make my Spinach into a heartier dish. The last time I did this, I combined the Spinach with Eggs and Cheese and created my Frittata d'epinards, oeufs et trois fromages. While that was delicious, I decided I wanted something lighter and a little tangier this time around. Looking through the fridge for inspiration (this recipe also succeeded in using up several odds and ends), I alighted on Feta cheese with Mediterranean spices that I had bought at Trader Joe's a week before. Although usually served cold in Salad, I decided to try cooking it, to truly excellent results. Finally I added some Walnuts, to keep the texture interesting. This was purely decided by the fact that I had just bought a huge bag of Walnuts, since I normally eat them raw or, if cooked, in cookies. Finally, I've decided to call this a Strata, as opposed to a Frittata, or crustless quiche. A Strata is basically the Italian word for an egg casserole and, therefore, sounds so much more enticing.

This would also make a delicious Brunch dish, I'm sure.

Strata d'epinards et feta avec des noix

• 2 teaspoons Olive Oil
• 2 Leeks, thinly sliced
• 6 Chives, thinly sliced
• 2 cloves Garlic, minced
• 3/4 pound Spinach, roughly chopped
• 3 stalks Parsley, chopped
• 2 ounces Feta (or more to taste), crumbled
• 1 cup Low-Fat Milk
• 2/3 cup Ricotta Cheese (I used the Goat's Milk one leftover from my Salad)
• 1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt, or to taste
• 1/8 tablespoon Pepper, ground
• 1/4 tablespoon Chinese Five-Spice Powder
• 1 large Egg
• 6 large Egg Whites
• 2 slices day-old Bread (I used Whole-Wheat Sandwich Bread), cubed
• 2 tablespoons Walnuts, chopped

Preoven to 400 F.

Heat Olive Oil in an ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add Leeks, Chives and Garlic and saute about 3 minutes, until mostly soft. Turn off heat and add Spinach, Parsley and Feta. Mix well.

Whisk together Milk, Ricotta Cheese, Salt, Pepper and Chinese Five-Spice Powder in a bowl. Add Egg and Egg Whites and continue whisking until well-combined (an electric egg-beater makes this much easier). Pour over Spinach, followed by Bread. Stir. Bake for 12 minutes. Add Walnuts and bake an additional 8 minutes, until the top is lightly golden.

Thoughts: Check out this Hawaiian band I've recently discoverd. Not bad, huh?

Reves: If I ever have a backyard, I want an outdoor Smoker and Grill, like this one.