Spanakopita Roll with Artichoke

1 lb phyllo dough, thawed and unrolled
5 oz baby spinach leaves
1 can artichoke heaters, drained
2 small or 1 large leeks, trimmed, cleaned and sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
red pepper flakes, to taste
4 oz cream cheese
1 cup grated Parmesan or Gryuère cheese
1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled

1 egg plus 1 Tbsp water
2 tsp toasted sesame seeds

Preheat oven to 375F.

Stir fry the spinach leaves in a larges skillet until wilted.

Set aside. In the same skillet, add the leeks with one tablespoon water and a dash of olive oil. Cook the leeks for about 5 minutes until the water evaporates and the leeks soften. Add the artichokes and let them begin to brown just a bit - about another 5 minutes.

Add the garlic and the red pepper and cook another 2-3 minutes. Stir in the spinach with the artichokes and mix well.

Carefully unroll the pyllo dough.

Spread the cream cheese evenly onto the phyllo dough.  Scatter the veggie mixture on top. Top with the grated cheese.

Then top with the feta cheese.  Whisk together the egg and the water. Roll up the dough and brush with the egg mixture.

Sprinkle roll with sesame seeds.

Bake for about 30-45 minutes, until nicely browned. Remove from oven, slice and serve.

Serves 4-6.

Butternut Squash and Leek Galette

Savory vegetable galettes are an elegant side dish for a festive dinner.  You can use your favorite veggies, just cook them lightly before you assemble and bake the galette.
Crust:
3 cups flour
2 tsp salt
1-1/2 stick butter, cubed and chilled in freezer for a few minutes
6-8 Tbsp ice water

1 medium butternut squash, pelled, seeded and cubed 1/2-inch
1 tsp coarse kosher salt
1 Tbsp rosemary, crushed
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1 Tbsp olive oil

1 Tbsp butter plus 1 Tbsp olive oil
2 leeks, trimmed, cleaned and sliced
1 7-oz tub creme-fraisch or marscapone cheese
2 Tbsp grated parmesan cheese

1 egg plus 1 Tbsp light cream or half and half

Prepare the crust by combining the flour, salt and butter in a food processor.  Pulse a few times just to form pea-sized chunks.  Turn the processor on and add just enough of the ice water to pull together a ball.  This should take seconds to do - do not over process.  Stop processing and carefully transfer the dough to a floured work surface. Break into two and form two disks.  Wrap in plastic wrap and allow to sit in fridge for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 425F. Toss the squash with the oil, salt, rosemary and coriander.

Season generously with fresh ground black pepper. Tip onto a rimmed baking sheet and roast the squash in the oven for about 30 minutes. Turn halfway through, and allow the squash to just soften and brown.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in the olive oil in a skillet. Sauté the leeks in the butter/oil mixture, adding a tablespoon of water as the leeks begin to heat up. This allows the leeks to soften up a bit without burning. Allow the water to gently evaporate and continue sautéing the leek over medium-low heat until they are soft and fragrant.

Roll out each dough disc into a circle about 10-12 inches in diameter. Transfer crust to an oiled baking sheet. Place half the squash in the center.

Dot with half the creme fraisch or marscapone. Top with half the leeks and half the parmesan cheese. 

Wrap the outer edges of the dough back into the center to form an opened galette.

Whisk together the egg and cream and baste the crust.

Bake for about 30-40 minutes, until the crust is nicely browned.

Makes 2 8-inch galettes.

Mac & Cheese Shepherd’s Pie

As the snow falls and the need for comfort grows, think about this.
1/4 lb bacon, diced
12 oz fresh button mushrooms, sliced

1 lb ground beef
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp herbes de Provence or Italian herbs
1 Tbsp tomato paste
4-oz can green chills, or 1 fresh jalapeño, diced (optional)

1-1/12 cups crushed tomatoes (or tomato sauce)
2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1/2 lb elbow macaroni

Bechamel white sauce:
3 Tbsp butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cups milk
1/2 tsp dill weed
freshly grated nutmeg, about 1/4 tsp

1/4 lb cheddar cheese, cubed

topping:
1 Tbsp butter and 1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup panko crumbs
1/4 lb cheddar cheese, grated
2 Tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated

Brown the bacon in a large skillet until well browned. Remove with a slotted spoon to a small bowl. Turn the heat up high and add the mushrooms to the skillet, Allow them to sizzle and cook off as much water as they will. Allow them to brown a bit more and then set them aside with the bacon.

Now add a dash of olive oil to the skillet and set the heat to high. Add the ground beef and brown well, shaking pan often. After the beef begins to brown well, add the onions and cook about 10 minutes to soften and caramelize a bit. Add the garlic (and jalapeño if using), and cook another 2-3 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a few quarts water to a boil in a pot for the pasta. Season generously with salt - to taste like the sea. Cook the macaroni until just past al dente. When cooked, drain well and keep warm.

Add the tomato paste to the ground beef and cook for another 3-4 minutes, to deepen its color and flavor. Now add the green chills, tomatoes and Worcestershire sauce.

Preheat oven to 400F. While the beef is browning, get the Bechamel sauce going. Melt the butter in a saucepan and fry the flour in it for about 5 minutes, whisking constantly. Add the milk and bring to a boil, whisking often. Add the dill and nutmeg and reduce to a simmer as the sauce thickens. Cover and remove from heat.

Tip meat mixture into an oiled 9x13-inch casserole, and spread evenly. Drain the macaroni and toss into a large bowl and toss gently with the Bechamel sauce and the cubed cheese. Tip the macaroni mixture on top of the beef in the casserole. The sauce should be moist and creamy and not too thick. Thin with some milk if necessary.

Melt the butter in the oil in a small bowl in the microwave. Mix together the panko with the cheeses in a small bowl, working mixture together with your fingers. Sprinkle mixture on top of macaroni and pop casserole into oven.

Bake for 15-20 minutes. If desired, turn oven broiler on and brown top, watching carefully until topping is just browned.

Serves 6.

Shrimp and Flounder Quiche

In the summer you may go to the Sea - enjoy and eat from what is fresh.  You can substitute what you find at the fish monger here, and enjoy the best of the coast in a classic, simple quiche.
1 5-oz package (6 cups) baby kale leaves
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 leek, trimmed, washed and sliced

1/2 recipe hazelut crust, or other prepared pie crust

4 eggs
1 cup heavy cream

1/2 lb flounder fillet, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 lb shrimp, shelled and cut into 2-3 pieces

1/8 lb feta cheese
1/8 lb pepper jack, or other favorite cheese

2 Tbsp fresh parsley flakes, minced

Preheat oven to 425F. Toss the leek, a pad of butter, a dash of olive oil and a splash or water into a skillet. Saute the leek until the water evaporates and the leek begins to sizzle in the butter. Cook another 2-3 minutes. Add the kale, and cook another 5-8 minutes, until all the kale has wilted and cooked down. Add the garlic and cook another 2-3 minutes.

Meanwhile, roll out the crust, dusting with flour to avoid sticking, and lay over a very well-buttered shallow quiche pan.

Whisk together the eggs and cream. Lay the cooked kale and leek on the crust. Then scatter on the flounder and shrimp.

Scatter with the cheeses. Now pour the egg mixture over all and scatter parsley on top.

Bake quiche at 425 for 40 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 and continue cooking another 20 minutes, until well browned and set.

Remove from oven. Allow to cool 10 minutes. Slice and serve.

Serves 4.

Ratatouille Pizza Pi

A dull ratatouille is such a letdown. Don’t just make ratatouille, make outstanding ratatouille. And there is a winning strategy for this. It is, quite simply, to brown (read caramelize) each of the veggie groups separately, and then combine only at the end to meld and infuse flavors. Because of the varying water contents of the different vegetables used, adding all of them together in the pot at once can only end in tears.  Dull, boiled, and very uninspired.

So get a competent crust platform - there are many great ones ready in the store, or go ahead and make your own. And make one of the best pizza pi’s (oh sorry, pies) possible, on pi-day, 3-14!
1 recipe ratatouille
2 pizza crusts, fresh or prepared
1 lb fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced

Prepare ratatouille, ideally the day before.

Preheat oven to 450F. Bring ratatouille to room temperature. Prepare the pizza pi crusts by rolling out, or unwrapping pre-baked crust. Spread ratatouille evenly about the crusts. Top with mozzarella cheese, distributed evenly. Sprinkle with fresh herbs if desired. Depending on your pi crusts, you may or may not have leftover ratatouille. If you do, use wisely, for example with eggs the next morning!

Bake for about 15 minutes, until cheese is melted and bubbly and just beginning to brown.

Remove from oven, slice and serve. Serves 4-6.

Clam Pizza Verde

What more could you want for the Super Bowl than a great pizza, some spicy, gooey chicken wings, or a platter of crispy, cheesy nachos (see tomorrow's post!)?  Too hard to decide?  Just make 'em all.

This pizza is something to make Pepé's Pizza in New Haven, Connecticut sit up and take notice!
1 pizza dough
1/3 cup salsa verde
One doz fresh shucked clams, or 1 can clams, drained
3/4 cup Monterrey Pepper Jack cheese sliced into matchsticks
3/4 cup Mozzarella cheese, sliced into matchsticks
10 grape tomatoes, sliced in half lengthwise
Palmful cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped
1 avocado, peeled, pitted and sliced
Dash red pepper flakes

Preheat oven to 450F. Roll the pizza dough out to a round to fit your pizza pan or stone. Place on pan or pizza peel. Slather the salsa verde evenly on the pizza dough. Distribute the clams and cheese evenly about the pizza followed by the grape tomatoes and the cilantro leaves.

Place pizza in oven and bake for about 15 minutes, until the pizza is bubbly and the crust is browned.

Remove pizza from oven and transfer to a cutting board. Distribute the avocado slices about the pizza and sprinkle with red pepper flakes. Slice and serve.

Makes one large pizza.

Wasabé Almond Broccoli Lavash

It is easy to cook, so don't go for take-out so fast. Lay a simple crust platform down, add nuts and veggies and top with cheese and spicy peppers.  Very little can go wrong.

This won't take longer than it takes to wind down from a crazy day of work.  Wind down. Nourish. Refocus.
3 cups small broccoli flowerettes

1/2 cup wasabe flavored almonds (Trader Joe’s) or see Cook’s Note
3 cloves garlic
2 Tbsp golden raisins
1 Tbsp olive oil

2 thin prepared Lavash flatbreads (10x10-inches)
4 oz Fontina or Jalapeño Jack cheese, cubed
2 Tbsp finely diced purple onions
dash red pepper flakes

Preheat oven to 425F. Toss broccoli in a skillet with a tablespoon olive oil, and sauté for about 8-10 minutes, stirring often, until just turning dark green and softening a bit. salt and pepper to taste.

Tip almonds, garlic and raisins into a small food processor and pulse 15-20 times until you achieve a coarse meal. Add the olive oil and pulse a few more times to mix well.

Lay the Lavash sheets out on two cookie or pizza sheets. Distribute half the almond mixture between both sheets and spread evenly to coat the crust.

Divide the broccoli about each sheet and then top with the cheese, onions and red pepper flakes.

Bake about 10-12 minutes, until the cheese melts nicely and the crust just begins to brown.

Makes 2 tarts - enough for appetizers for 6-8 or a part of a vegetarian meal for 4, if for example served with a soup or a salad.

Cook’s Note: Years ago, I encountered Broccoli Walnut Pizza living in Colorado.  Coming from New York, with some of the best pizza on the planet, I asked "Is this just a Hippie, Earthy attempt at 'different' pizza in the Wild West?"  It was then that I fully appreciated the synergy of ground walnuts, garlic and roasted broccoli.

Unfortunately when I recently wanted to recreate this synergy, I found we were out of walnuts but found my stash of Trader Joe’s Wasabé Flavored Almonds (a MUST try).

Success and beyond.  If, now I were to use raw walnuts here (or I think hazelnuts would also be great), I'd toast them for 3-5 minutes at 375F.  I think I would also now add a teaspoon of wasabé powder to the mix before grinding.  Or just go to Trader Joe's.

As for crusts, there are so many great crusts available, and you can use what you find.  Those used here were nice thin Lavash; so use a very meltable cheese like Jalapeño Jack or Fontina.  I tried with Gouda, which we love, but, it does not melt fast enough, and would brown the thin crust too much before melting the cheese.

Pesto Tarte Vichyssoise with Goat Cheese

There are so many great prepared pizza crust options in the markets these days that I love to try, even though I still love my own raised pizza dough as well.  And talk about fast!

This tart has a potato and leek theme (the Vichyssoise part) and was whipped together in minutes, because I used mashed potatoes with leeks as well as a veggie medley both of which I made a few days before.  Be creative - use what you have in the 'fridge!
2 potatoes, peeled and quartered
1 leek, trimmed, cleaned and chopped
1 Tbsp olive oil and 1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp butter and 2 Tbsp light cream

2 cups cauliflower
1 cup fresh green beans, chopped
1 carrot, peeled and sliced
kernels of 1 ear of corn, about 1/3 cup

2 thin prepared flatbreads or pizza crusts
about 1/4 cup pesto
1 rounded cup cheddar cheese, diced
1/4 lb fresh goat cheese, sliced
2 Tbsp purple onion, finely diced
red pepper flakes

Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Over highest heat, drop in the carrots and green beans. Cook for two minutes. Add the cauliflower and cook another minute. Fish veggies out with a slotted spoon and place in a colander.

Preheat oven to 400F. Add potatoes to water and bring back to a gentle boil. Cook until potatoes are soft, about 10-12 minutes. Meanwhile sauté the leek in olive oil and butter in a skillet. Add about a tablespoon of water to keep leek from burning. Cook over moderate


heat until the leek is softened and only begins to brown a bit. This should coincide with the potatoes being done. When the potatoes are very soft, drain them and mash them together with the butter and light cream. Stir in the leeks and salt and pepper to taste.

Paint crusts or flatbreads evenly with pesto. Coarsely spread the leek and potato mixture about the crusts. Top with the veggies, scattered about. Then dot with both cheeses, onion and the red pepper flakes.

Bake about 10 minutes until cheddar cheese melts, the crust browns nicely and the veggies begin to take on a bit of brown edges.

Remove from oven, slice and serve. Makes two 12x12-inch pies.

Cook's Note:  I love Vermont Creamery goat cheese.  I used a version with a pink peppercorn crust, but you could use any version of your favorite goat cheese.

Buffalo Chicken Pizza

This pizza was definitely NOT invented in Italy :-))
12 oz cooked chicken breast
1/4 cup Tabasco, Texas Pete’s or other favorite hot sauce
2 Tbsp butter, melted

1 prepared pizza crust
1/2 cup salsa verde
1 dozen grape tomatoes, quartered lengthwise
2 cups arugula, or baby spinach
palmful fresh basil leaves
1/2 lb mozzarella cheese
2-3 oz blue cheese

Preheat oven to 450F. If your chicken breast is not cooked, just poach it in a few cups water for about 10 minutes, until cooked through. Cube the chicken into bite-sized pieces and mix with the hot sauce and butter in a bowl.

Roll out the pizza crust and lay on baking sheet. Spread the salsa verde about the crust. Top with the chicken, and the remaining ingredients, spreading evenly about the crust. Bake for about 10 minutes, until the pizza is browned and bubbly. Slice and serve.

Makes one large 14-inch pizza. Serves how ever many you think this serves!

Asparagus and Leek Tart

Our CSA is brimming over with fresh spring asparagus, and I can't get enough of the stuff.  Pair them with leeks and a hazelnut crust, and you get a side dish that should be a desert!
1 leek, trimmed, cleaned and diced
2 Tbsp butter
1 bunch thin asparagus
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
Favorite hot sauce or salsa to taste

1/2 Recipe Hazelnut Crust:
1/4 cup hazelnuts
3/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 stick butter, cubed and placed in freezer for 10 minutes
3 Tbsp ice water

Prepare the dough for the crust. First toast the hazelnuts in a 375F oven (I use a toaster oven) for about 3 to 5 minutes, shaking once or twice. Watch the nuts closely, being very careful not to burn them, which can happen quickly. Keep oven preheated at 375F.

Let the nuts cool and then tip them into a large food processor. Pulse them to form a fine, but dry grind, being careful not to over process to almond butter! Add the flour and salt and pulse together.

Next, add the butter and pulse together just enough to form a coarse mixture. Pulse in the water by the tablespoon-ful. Add only enough just so that the dough pulls together. Tip dough out onto a floured counter and form into a disk. Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375F. Meanwhile, sauté the leek in the butter over medium heat. As the leeks soften, cook the asparagus in a pot of salted, boiling water for about 5 minutes. Drain the asparagus, and allow to cool enough to handle. Cut the tips just wide enough for the tart pan, making sure you at least cut enough of the tough end of the stalk off.

When the dough has chilled, roll it out on a clean surface with some flour, to the shape of the tart pan. I used a non-stick 4x14-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Place the dough into the pan and trim the edges. Spread the leeks onto the crust and then sprinkle with the cheese. Season with hot sauce or salsa to taste.

Lay the asparagus spears over the cheese decoratively, and sprinkle on some fresh salsa to Taste.

Bake the tart for about 30 minutes, until the crust browns nicely and the tart is hit and bubbly. Remove from oven and allow to cool a bit. Remove from tart pan and transfer to a serving platter.  Sprinkle with fresh salsa or chopped tomatoes as garnish.

Serves 4 as an appetizer or side dish.

Broccoli Cauliflower Tofu Torte with a Toasted Hazelnut Crust

This is a fancy savory torte that takes a bit of time, but is a centerpiece for a holiday table.  Toasted hazelnuts really add extra depth of flavor to the crust.

2 large onions, sliced
3 cups mixed cauliflower and broccoli cut into small flowerets
1 brick extra firm tofu, cubed 1/2-inch
1/2 lb mozzarella cheese, cubed
3 eggs
2 fresh ripe tomatoes, slice
Sauce:
1 Tbsp butter and 1 Tbsp canola oil
2 Tbsp flour
1-1/2 cups milk
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp dried dill
1/2 tsp salt

Crust:
1/3 cup whole hazelnuts
1-1/2 cups flour
1tsp salt
1 stick butter, cubed
5-6 Tbsp ice water

Sauté onions over medium-high heat with a bit of olive oil in a large skillet.  Allow the onions to sizzle and just begin the brown.  Stir often to keep from burning.  After about 5 minutes, lower heat to medium-low and continue cooking onions, allowing them to caramelize to a much deeper brown.  Stir every 3-5 minutes over the course of 20-30 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the dough for the crust. First toast the hazelnuts in a 375F oven (I use a toaster oven) for about 3 to 5 minutes, shaking once or twice. Watch the nuts closely, being very careful not to burn them, which can happen quickly.

Let the nuts cool and then tip them into a large food processor. Pulse them to form a fine, but dry grind, being careful not to over process to almond butter!  Add the flour and salt and pulse together. 

Next, add the butter and pulse together just enough to form a coarse mixture. Pulse in the water by the tablespoon-ful. Add only enough just so that the dough pulls together.  Tip dough out onto a floured counter and form into a disk. Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

While the dough rests, make the sauce.  Melt the butter in the oil n a small saucepan.  Add the flour and whisk together for about 5 minutes over medium heat.  Add the milk and bring to a gentle boil, whisking regularly.  Lower heat to a simmer and allow sauce to thicken.  Add the mustard, dill and salt, and cover and remove from heat.

Add the cauliflower and broccoli to the onions and stir.  Cook another 10 minutes, stirring often.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Preheat oven to 400F. Cook the eggs by placing them in a small saucepan covered with cold water.  Bring to a boil and cook 10 minutes.  Remove from heat and emerse in cold water.  Allow eggs to cool in refreshed cold water.

Remove dough from refrigerator and roll out on a well-flowered surface to a disk of about 14-15 inches.  Butter a 12-inch spring-form pan very well and lay dough into pan, allowing dough to come straight up sides at first.

In a large bowl, mix together the veggies with the tofu and sauce.  Fold in the cheese.  Pour mixture into crust and spread out evenly.  Peel and quarter the eggs, lengthwise and nestle them into the veggie mixture.

Arrange the tomato slices on top of the filling, overlapping slightly.  Fold the edge of the crust over and pinch down evenly to the level of the filling.

Bake for 50-60 minutes.  Remove torte from oven and allow to sit 3-5 minutes to solidify a bit.  Gently remove the edge of the springform pan, using a sharp knife to separate the crust from the pan if necessary.  Slide onto a serving patter and slice.

Serves 6.

Merry Christmas!

Spinach Red Pepper and Caramelized Onion Pizza

Pizza is made for Christmas Eve as everyone finishes wrapping and preparing.  Flexible, warming and festive - this pie has the right colors for the season.
Crust:
4-1/2 cups flour
1/4 cup cornmeal
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp salt
2 tsp granulated baker's yeast
1 Tbsp olive oil
1-1/2 cup water, warmed to 105F

2 red peppers, sliced
1 lb mozzarella cheese, cut into matchsticks
8 cups baby spinach leaves
4 large onions, sliced
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

About 2-3 hours before you are ready to eat, start the dough by mixing the dry ingredients together in a blender fitted with a dough hook.  Turn blender on medium and add the oil then slowly drizzle in the water, adding only just enough to let the dough pull together.  Depending on your flour and the weather, you may not need all the water.  Knead the dough for about 5 minutes, until it is shiny and elastic.  Form dough into a ball and roll in a bowl with about a dash of olive oil until completely coated.  Cover with plastic wrap and allow to sit in a relatively warm spot.

Meanwhile, caramelize the onions by tossing the, into a very large skillet with a tablespoon olive oil.  Turn the heat to at least medium high to allow the onions to sizzle and begin to brown.  Then turn the heat to low and cook for the next hour, stirring every 10 minutes or so.  Watch them carefully and adjust the heat to achieve a slow simmer, making sure they do not brown.  This process should take at least an hour.  When they have achieved a dark, rich brown color, remove from heat.

While the onions are cooking, sauté the red pepper in a bit of olive oil in another,large skillet, until the slices begin to brown and soften a bit.  Remove from heat.

Just before the dough is ready, wilt the spinach by tossing the leaves into a large skillet or pot with just a dash of olive oil.  Stir constantly for about a minute or two as the leaves soften and release all their water.  Remove from heat.

When the dough has risen to at least twice it's size, preheat oven to 500F.  Remove dough to a well- floured counter.  Cut in two and roll each half out to a 12-14 inch disk to fit your pizza pan.  Place pizza dough on pan and distribute the onions evenly between the two doughs. Top with the spinach leaves, then the peppers, and then the mozzarella cheese.

Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and bake about 10-12 minutes, until brown and bubbly.  Remove from oven, slice and serve.

Serves 6-8.

Chick Pea Veggie Pie with a Pistachio Quinoa Crust

Still looking for something festive, regal, yet vegetarian for a Thanksgiving day feast centerpiece?  This outstanding torte will fit the bill.  Start with a soup, accompany with a few crispy vegetable sides and end with pies.  Now get to work - you only have a few hours...
3/4 cup brown rice
1/4 cup red quinoa
2 cups water
1 tsp salt

2 Tbsp olive oil plus 2 Tbsp butter
2 cups sliced Brussels Sprouts, about 12-18
2 cups sliced cabbage
2 carrots, diced
1 onion, sliced
1/2 tsp Pimenton, Spanish smoked paprika
1 can chick peas, rinsed and drained

1/2 cup shelled roasted pistachio nuts
1 Tbsp golden raisins
1 clove garlic, cubed

3 eggs
1/4 cup half and half
1 tsp Tabasco or other hot sauce
dash freshly-ground nutmeg
18 grape tomatoes, sliced lengthwise
1 cup cubed melt-able cheese, such as mozzarella or Monterrey Pepper Jack

In a small 1-quart pot, toast the rice and quinoa in a tablespoon canola oil for about 5 minutes, stirring almost constantly.  Let the grains change color - the rice will go translucent, and their aroma will become very nutty.  Add the water and salt and bring to a boil.  Stir, reduce heat to a gentle simmer, cover and cook 20 minutes. 

Meanwhile, saute the veggies.  Melt the butter and olive oil in a large skillet.  Tip in the cabbage Brussels sprouts, onion and carrot.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Sauté for about 15 minutes, add the pimenton and chick peas and cook another 15 minutes, allowing the veggies to soften and color up a bit.

Put the pistachios, raisins and garlic into a small food processor and pulse 10-12 times, until you get a coarse grind.

When the rice has cooked 20 minutes, remove from the heat, uncover, and place a clean kitchen towel on the pot.  return the cover and let sit another 10 minutes.  Then remove the cover and towel, and turn rice out onto a large baking sheet to cool down a bit.  When it is nearing room temperature, tip grains into a bowl and mix well with the pistachio mixture.

Preheat oven to 375F.  Line a well-butterred 9-inch springform pan with the grain mixture, forming an even crust.

Now in a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, half-and-half, nutmeg and tabasco.  Tip in the veggies, tomatoes and cheese, and mix well with the eggs.  Tip the veggie mixture into the crust and even out. 

Bake for about 45 minutes.

When the top has browned well, remove pan from the oven and carefully run a thin knife around the crust.  Release the springform and slide pie into a serving platter.  Cut into slices and serve.

Serves 4-6.