Nava Atlass Spinach Leek And Potato Matzo Gratin Food

SPINACH AND LEEK GRATIN WITH ROQUEFORT CRUMB TOPPING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F. Melt 3 tablespoons butter in medium skillet over medium-high heat. Mix in 2 tablespoons mustard, then breadcrumbs. Sauté until breadcrumbs are golden, about 5 minutes. Cool briefly. Mix in cheese.
• Toss 1 1/2 bags spinach in large nonstick pot over high heat until wilted, about 3 minutes. Transfer to sieve set over bowl. Repeat with remaining spinach. Press on spinach to drain.
• Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in same pot over medium-high heat. Add leek; sauté 4 minutes. Add cream, remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons mustard, and spinach. Toss until thick and blended, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to 7x11-inch baking dish. Top with breadcrumb mixture. Bake until bubbling, about 10 minutes.

POTATO, LEEK, AND SPINACH SOUP

Steps:

• Put leeks in a bowl with enough water to cover completely. Soak until you're ready to cook them.
• Heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Fry bacon in hot pot until crisp, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon to a plate lined with paper towel to drain. Remove all but 2 tablespoons bacon drippings from the pot.
• Drain leeks and shake vigorously to dry. Fry leeks and garlic in the reserved bacon drippings until translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir potatoes with the leeks; add bay leaves. Pour the carton of chicken stock over the potatoes; bring to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Season soup with salt and pepper.
• Scoop about half the potatoes, leeks, and garlic into a food processor bowl with enough liquid to cover; process until pureed. Stir puree, bacon, spinach, and half-and-half into the soup; continue heating until again hot, 1 to 2 minutes. Add chicken broth from the can or half-and-half to achieve your desired consistency.

NAVA ATLAS'S SPINACH, LEEK AND POTATO MATZO GRATIN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Cook, bake or microwave the potatoes in their skins until just tender. When cool enough to handle, peel and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices.
• Cover the cashews with 1 cup of boiling water in a heatproof bowl and let stand for at least 15 minutes. Drain the cashews, then combine with the avocado and lemon juice in a food processor. Process until smoothly puréed; drizzle enough water through the feed tube while the processor is running to give the mixture a thick, creamy texture.
• Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the leeks and sauté over medium-low heat until golden. Add the spinach in batches, covering and cooking until wilted to make room for all of it. Stir in the cashew cream, dill and matzo meal. Season with salt and pepper.
• Break each matzo in half, and place in a shallow container. Cover with room-temperature water in a shallow container until slightly pliable (don't let them get mushy), about 2 minutes; drain. Lightly oil a 9- by 13-inch casserole dish.
• Layer the casserole as follows: line the bottom with a layer of matzos, using two matzos per layer. Follow with a layer of potato slices, half of the spinach mixture, and another layer of matzos. Repeat, ending with a layer of matzo.
• Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until top is golden with spots of brown. Let stand for 10 minutes, then cut into squares to serve. If you will be topping with pine nuts, sprinkle them over the top about 10 minutes or so before the gratin is done, to allow them to get lightly toasted.

SPLEEK TO ME: SPINACH AND LEEK GRATIN WITH BLEU CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Melt 3 tablespoons of the butter in a medium sized skillet over medium-high heat. DO NOT burn. Mix in half of the horseradish and 2 tablespoons of the Dijon mustard. Then add the breadcrumbs.
• Saute the breadcrumbs until light golden, about 3-4 minutes. Cool slightly. Stir in the cheese.
• Toss half of the spinach leaves in a large non-stick pan on high heat just until wilted, about 2-3 minutes.
• Transfer the wilted spinach to a sieve set over a bowl and press down with a spatula to release the moisture. Repeat again with the remaining spinach, draining as directed.
• Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in medium-high heat in same pot you used to cook the spinach. Add the cut up leek and saute about 4 minutes.
• Add the cream, the remaining horseradish and mustard, and finally the spinach. Toss until the mixture is thick and blended, about 2 minutes total. DO NOT burn.
• Season with salt and black pepper.
• Transfer the spinach/leek mixture to a 7 x 11 inch baking dish. Top with the toasted breadcrumbs.
• Bake until bubbly, about 10 minutes.
• Serve with a cheesy grin.