That being said, instead of the southern traditional meal above, we had the second of five meals in the "5 Dinners on a Budget" article in the January 2010 issue of Parents Magazine. It included the Cheese & Spinach Tart with Glazed Carrots.
I have to admit that I went into this meal knowing that my husband had early indicated his feelings towards spinach in the same sentence as mentioning that we have frozen chicken pot pies in the freezer. I also know my daughter had yet to really try spinach on its own. She's had it in pizza and liked it so I was hopeful as far as she was concerned.
The meal is easy to make and the instructions straightforward. There is a little bit of a juggling act time wise to watch out for since the spinach has to be thawed, the onions cooked and cooled and the pie crust cooked and cooled. If you want both pieces to come together at the same time, just keep that in mind. The fridge helps.
The only weird thing was that the salt and pepper needed to be divided. The salt was easy since it was 1/2 teaspoon divided into two 1/4 teaspoon portions. The pepper on the other hand; that was a little weird. The total amount was 3/8 teaspoon and 1/4 of that went into the tart leaving some algebraic amount for the carrots. I guessed since exact measurements matter in baking but not so much in this kind of dish.
When the rubber met the road, Doug had two pieces of the tart and said he'd definitely enjoy having it as a meal again. I loved it as well. Sophie, on the other hand managed to down the four bites we made her eat and refused more. All three of us liked the carrots very much and that'll be a side dish that shows up again. Easy and tasty.
So, meal two is done and although it wasn't the all-around hit that the stir-fry yesterday was, it did work out well and definitely made 8 portions if people aren't extremely hungry. Another good job Chef Uehlein. Thank you.
Cheese & Spinach Tart with Glazed Carrots
from Parents Magazine, created by Chef Scott Uehlein
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 cups diced onion
1 9-inch frozen pie shell
1 cup reduced-fat milk
3 large eggs
1 cup part-skim shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
5/8 teaspoon black pepper, divided
1 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and water squeezed out
1 12-ounce bag frozen carrots
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon butter
3 tablespoons brown sugar
Preheat oven to 350. Heat oil in a skillet. Add onions and saute on medium-high for 10 minutes, or until they're caramelized (browned and sweet). Remove; let cool slightly.
Prick pie shell with a fork; bake 10 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk milk, eggs, cheese, garlic powder, Worcestershire, 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Add onions and spinach.
Pour egg mixture into cooled pie shell and bake 45 minutes, or until an inserted knife comes out clean.
Place carrots, water, butter, brown sugar and remaining salt and pepper in a skillet, bring to a boil, and cover. Cook in medium heat for 7 minutes. Uncover and cook another 10 to 12 minutes, until liquid is evaporated and carrots are soft, stirring occasionally. Serves 8.