Food for thought: Gotta find my corner of the sky

Today my wonderful friends and colleagues treated me to an amazing good-bye luncheon. Starting Monday, I'll be switching jobs after 6 1/2 years. We had amazing curried chicken salad wraps and the best spanikopita I've ever had, courtesy of our resident chef and hostess Elaine. T made macaroni salad, and I made non-alcoholic sangria. Top that with laughs, music, cards, gifts and a sheet cake and you have a wonderful send-off. Thanks also to Anita, Jenny, Shayla, Eileen, CC and Peggy!

Here are the recipes from our party:

Curried chicken wraps:
from Ina Garten, Barefoot Contessa

Ingredients

* 3 split (1 1/2 whole) chicken breasts, bone in, skin on
* Olive oil
* Kosher salt
* Freshly ground black pepper
* 1 1/2 cups good mayonnaise
* 1/3 cup dry white wine
* 1/4 cup chutney (recommended: Major Gray's)
* 3 tablespoons curry powder
* 1 cup medium-diced celery (2 large stalks)
* 1/4 cup chopped scallions, white and green parts (2 scallions)
* 1/4 cup raisins
* 1 cup whole roasted, salted cashews, chopped
* 6 tortillas

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the chicken breasts on a sheet pan and rub the skin with olive oil. Sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until the chicken is just cooked. Set aside until cool enough to handle. Remove the meat from the bones, discard the skin, and shred the chicken in pieces.

For the dressing, combine the mayonnaise, wine, chutney, curry powder, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Process until smooth.

Combine the chicken with enough dressing to moisten well. Add the celery, scallions, and raisins, and mix well. Refrigerate for a few hours to allow the flavors to blend. Add the cashews to the chicken.

Fill the center of each tortilla with the chicken mixture. Fold the 2 sides of the tortilla over the filling so that the sides overlap. Roll the tortilla from bottom to top, and cut in half diagonally.


Spanikopita
I'm going to guess where Elaine found this. A-ha! I betcha this was the recipe!

Spinach, Feta,and Pine-Nut Phyllo Tart Gourmet | November 1998

In this recipe we call for a 10 1/2- by 7 1/2- by 1-inch rectangular tart pan. The tart could also be made using a baking sheet or a jelly-roll pan, as the filling is dense enough to hold its shape on its own.
Yield: Serves 6 as a main course
ingredients
For filling
1/2 cup pine nuts (about 3 ounces)
1 medium onion
1/3 cup olive oil
two 10-ounce packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1/2 cup crumbled feta (about 3 ounces)
1 tablespoon fine dry bread crumbs

seven 17- by 12-inch phyllo sheets
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
6 tablespoons plus 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
preparation

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Make filling:

In a shallow baking pan toast pine nuts in middle of oven until golden, about 4 minutes, and cool. Finely chop onion and in a large heavy skillet cook in oil over moderately low heat, stirring, until softened. Squeeze spinach to remove as much liquid as possible and stir with salt into onion. Cook spinach mixture over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until any liquid is evaporated, 1 to 2 minutes, and cool slightly. In a large bowl whisk eggs until combined and stir in spinach mixture, pine nuts, feta, and bread crumbs until combined well. Filling may be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Bring filling to room temperature before proceeding.

Stack phyllo sheets and cover with 2 overlapping sheets plastic wrap and then a dampened kitchen towel. In a small saucepan melt butter and cool slightly. Lightly brush a 10 1/2- by 7 1/2- by 1-inch rectangular tart pan with a removable fluted rim with butter.

On a work surface lightly brush 1 phyllo sheet with butter. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon Parmesan evenly over buttered phyllo and repeat layering with 5 more phyllo sheets, butter, and 5 tablespoons Parmesan. Arrange last phyllo sheet on stack and lightly brush with butter. Transfer phyllo to tart pan, letting excess hang over edge, and spoon filling onto phyllo, spreading evenly. Fold edges of pastry over filling, leaving center uncovered , and lightly brush top of phyllo with butter. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan over exposed filling and bake tart in middle of oven until golden, 25 to 30 minutes. Serve tart warm or at room temperature.


Stack phyllo sheets and cover with 2 overlapping sheets plastic wrap and then a dampened kitchen towel. In a small saucepan melt butter and cool slightly. Lightly brush a 10 1/2- by 7 1/2- by 1-inch rectangular tart pan with a removable fluted rim with butter.

On a work surface lightly brush 1 phyllo sheet with butter. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon Parmesan evenly over buttered phyllo and repeat layering with 5 more phyllo sheets, butter, and 5 tablespoons Parmesan. Arrange last phyllo sheet on stack and lightly brush with butter. Transfer phyllo to tart pan, letting excess hang over edge, and spoon filling onto phyllo, spreading evenly. Fold edges of pastry over filling, leaving center uncovered , and lightly brush top of phyllo with butter. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan over exposed filling and bake tart in middle of oven until golden, 25 to 30 minutes. Serve tart warm or at room temperature.


Sonia's "if I can't drink, nobody can" SANGRIA
This will make a couple gallons including ice. Great for work, baby showers and other teetolatarian venues.
2 750-ml bottles Ariel or other de-alcoholized wine
2 48-oz bottles grape juice
1 64-oz. bottle apple juice
1 12-oz can orange juice concentrate, thawed
1 12-oz can pineapple juice concentrate, thawed
1/4 cup lemon or lime juice (fresh is best)

Directions
Mix all ingredients over a couple pounds ice. Pretend you are not at work. Enjoy!

It's been an excellent adventure. Party on, Bill! Party on, Ted!