SPINACH AND POTATO SALAD (PATATESLI ISPANAK SALATASI)

Super easy, healthy, delicious and versatile (you can serve it as an appetizer with crakers or pita bread or a side dish as salad)... What else can you ask for??  What's interesting about it is..spinach is uncooked.

If you feel, it would be even healthier without the Mayonnaise, try replacing it with crushed garlic.

1 package (250 to 300 gr.) spinach leaves
3 medium sized potatos
1 cup plain yogurt (juice drained)
2 - 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt

• Boil potatos in water.  Everyone has their own way of boiling potatos.  Some people peel and cut them before boiling in salt water.  I like to boil mine whole with skin on.  I drain and let them cook before peeling.
• You only use the leaves for this recipe.  Wash spinach leaves and let them dry completely.
• Drain juice of plain yogurt.  Easiest way to do this is put it in a strainer over a bowl and leave in the fridge for an hour.
• When ready to put it all together, mash the potatos and using a food processor chop spinach leaves very small
• Mix together mashed potatos, spinach leaves, olive oil, salt, yogurt, and mayonnaise
• Put in a bowl and decorate as you please.  I used parsley for my picture

COTTAGE CHEESE PUFFS

My friend Peri served these as an appetizer at our last visit with her family.  She took the recipe from one of her friends at a visit.  I served it as an appetizer for friends last weekend who also asked for the recipe.  I guess this is one of those favorites passed on from friend to friend.  I am sure everyone will add their own touch.  For example, I added the sesame seeds as they were not in the original recipe.  I may even try this with half the butter replaced with plain yogurt for more "healtier" version.  Mix of shapes like stars, circles and hearts or sizes may also be good for fun variations.

2 cups butter (500 gr)

2 cups pressed cottage cheese (see the picture below)

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups flour (500 gr)

1 egg yolk

Sesame seeds for the top (optional)

• If butter is room temperature, then just mush it together with all of the ingredients.  If out of the fridge, you can grade it first into the flour.
• Add in salt.  Please be careful with the salt.  If you are using unsalted butter, you will need 1 teaspoon but if you are using salted butter, you'll need to reduce salt.  Add in the cottage cheese.  You'll get a nice soft dough.
• Roll out to 1.5 cm sheets and cut into shapes with small cookie cutter
• Put on a cookie sheet lined with cooking paper and cover with plastic and leave in the fridge overnight.
• When ready to cook, prepare egg yolk glaze by separating the yolk from the white and mixing it with a teaspoon of cold water.
• Remove plastic.  Glaze puffs with the egg yolk glaze.  Sprinkle sesame seeds.
• Cook at 350 for 15 to 20 minutes until they are golden brown