Chaotic Cooking

• 2 bunches fresh spinach, chopped and cleaned
• 1 bunch italian parsley, chopped
• 1 bunch green onions, sliced 1/4 inch
• 1 onion, diced
• 5-6 cloves garlic
• 2 tablespoons dill
• 1 tablespoon thyme
• 16 oz cottage cheese
• 7-8 oz feta cheese
• 1 egg
• 2 tsp salt
• package of filo dough
• 5-6 tablespoons melted butter

Pull filo dough out ahead of time to thaw completely. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Get a saute pan hot and add a tablespoon of butter with the onions and garlic. Saute until the onions turn golden brown. Add spinach a bit at a time until it’s all cooked down a bit…but don’t let it turn into gelatinous mush. It’s going to keep cooking, so pull it out before it even looks done. Put this mixture in a strainer and let it drain for 10-15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the parsley, green onions, dill, thyme, cottage cheese, feta, egg and salt. Put some pepper in there if you want to. Mix it all around and then add the spinach-onion mixture and mix it around some more.

Take a 9×13 pan out. Melt the remaining butter. Gently separate one piece of filo dough and lay it in the pan.  Brush a bit of the melted butter onto the sheet of filo, making sure to cover it completely. Now lay another sheet on top of that one and do it again. Do this 7 to 8 times. Put the spinach mixture on top and even it out with a spoon. Lay another piece of filo on top, and brush it with butter, repeating this with another 7-8 pieces of filo.

Before you put this in the oven, cut it into pieces with a sharp knife. Cook it, uncovered, for 45-60 minutes…until the top is nice and brown. Let it cool for a few before you eat it.

Filling:

• 3-4 cups cooked black-eyed peas
• 2 bunches of cleaned and cut spinach
• 1 cup brown rice (cooked)
• 1/2 jalepeno, chopped
• 5 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 yellow or white onion, diced
• 1.5 tablespoons cumin
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 2-3 tsp salt
• 1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
• 24 tortillas
• monterrey jack cheese
• 1/8 cup coconut oil

Cook onions, garlic and jalepeno in a little coconut oil or butter. Once they begin to soften and the onions begin to carmelize, add spinach and cook for 3 or 4 minutes. Drain water and place in a mixing bowl with black-eyed peas, brown rice, cilantro, spices and salt. Add some cheese to this mixture if you wish (I don’t, and they are really delicious).

Heat some coconut oil to medium heat. Put a corn tortilla in the oil and let it simmer until it is soft (but do not let the edges fry or it will be hard to roll). Put the oil softened tortilla on a cutting board, fill with 2-3 tablespoons of filling and then roll. Place in a glass baking dish. Continue to do this until the dish is full, or the tortillas are rolled up. If there is left over filling, sprinkle over the top (as in picture). Pour a cup or so of sauce over the top (I like to use the tomatillo sauce), and then sprinkle shredded monterey jack on the top. Cook at 375 degrees for 40 minutes.

• 3-4 teaspoons nonhomogenated coconut oil
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 chopped onion
• 4-5 cloves garlic
• 1 large jar of diced tomatoes, or tomato sauce
• 1 small can tomato paste
• 1.5 cups red wine
• Basil leaves (dried or fresh)
• Oregano or thyme or both (dried or fresh)
• 1 bunch of fresh spinach
• 2 cups cottage cheese (for vegans, sub tofu chunks)
• 3/4 cup parmesan (dairy free is fine)
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• lasagna noodles
• 1/2 lb. mozzarella (or for vegans, dairy-free motz. works well)

Using the first ingredients, make the sauce. (This really doesn’t take that long…I promise!!)
In a hot pot, saute the coconut oil, onions and garlic. When the onions start to get some color, add the wine and let about 1/2 of it cook down. Add the cans of tomatoes and paste, basil and oregano, olive oil, and 1/2 cup of water. Let this simmer while you make the filling and it will be done. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Cut the spinach up and wash it. Put the cottage cheese in a bowl with the eggs and nutmeg and blend them up well. Add the spinach.
COOLEST PART OF THIS RECIPE: SINCE THE SPINACH HAS A TON OF WATER IN IT, YOU DON’T HAVE TO COOK THE NOODLES AT ALL!! Whoo freaking hoo.
So, rinse the noodles off in the sink (both sides). In a 9×13 pan (or something similar), put 1/5 of the sauce, layer of noodles, 1/5 sauce, half the mozzarella, all of the filling, 1/5 of the sauce, layer of noodles, 1/5 sauce and mozzarella. Sprinkle with parmesan.
Bake at about 350 for about 60 minutes