The Benefit of a Really Good Vacation & the Beauty that is Pinterest

Dinner for a household of 7 is a challenge.


Even more of a challenge after coming home from four days on vacation.


A bigger challenge?  Trying to figure out a menu for those 7 appetites that will make everyone want to actually eat dinner.


For the most part, cooking for the kids is easy.  Chicken nuggets & fries.  Home made chicken soup.  Tacos.  Veggie dogs.


Easy.


For mostly vegetarian palates ... not eating the same thing over and over can be difficult.  You can quickly find yourself in a rut.


Going on vacation can change that frame of mind ... since you end up being exposed to different types of cooking.  And with that new point of view, you end up considering foods that may never before have crossed your mind.


Which brings me to today's question ... what to cook for Kelly & I after having been on vacation for four days.


The kids' dinner was easy ... home made chicken soup.  For us ... I didn't hit the jackpot until I stumbled across a posting for an easy leek quiche while looking for an Italian cheesecake recipe.


Gotta LOVE Pinterest.  


A quick PIN and I was off to the market ... ready to create something amazing!


Here's the recipe ... and it's versatile enough to add other ingredients.


Chunky Pesto - Makes about 1 cup

2 1/2 cups fresh basil
1/4 pine nuts, toasted
1 clove garlic
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

Place basil, pine nuts and garlic on cutting board.
Use a mezzaluna or a large knife, finely chop the ingredients.
Place in a bowl, add parmesan and oil.
Mix to combine.
Season with salt and pepper.
Cover with plastic wrap.
Can be refrigerated up to 2 days.

Use the pesto to make:

Leak, Pesto and Ricotta Pie - Serves 6 to 8

1 large leak, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 large eggs
2 large egg whites
4 tablespoons cream
1 cup ricotta
3 tablespoons pesto
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan
2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, chopped
coarse sea salt and freshly grounded pepper
8 sheets phyllo dough, keeping it frozen makes it easier to unroll  =)
cooking spray

Preheat oven to 375F.
Saute leaks in butter until soft.

In a medium bowl, combine, eggs, egg whites, cream, ricotta, pesto, parmasan and parsley.  Sliced mushrooms, sweet peppers, and feta cheese would be good additions to this ...

Season with salt and pepper.

Lightly coat a 9 inch pie pan with cooking spray.

Unroll phyllo, remove one sheet, placing in prepared pan.
Coat lightly with cooking spray.
Repeat with 7 more sheets of phyllo, spraying between each layer.
Trim edges with scissor.

Spoon filling and leaks into the pan.
Bake until golden brown and set, about 45-50 minutes

[I cooked it for 48 minutes, in a gas oven, using a terra cotta pie pan].
Cool before serving.

*** while this was baking in the oven, I put together a yummy lavender & honey biscotti that we'll be slicing up and partially coating in white chocolate.  Will share the recipe on another post  =)