Nutrition & Good Eating

For the Jews among us, the High Holy Days of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are fast approaching.  Traditions may be different for each of us, depending on your background, but cooking for religious holidays is important to almost everyone.   The following is a recipe that was given to me by a Sephardic Jewish friend a few years ago.  Her mother was born in Greece and this is what she prepared as a side dish for Rosh Hashanah and other holidays.  I like the recipe so much, that I make it all year round, and not just as a side dish.  I use it as a main course, and I serve it with brown rice. 
 
1 pound of Spinach cut in small pieces (I use frozen chopped spinach when I make this recipe)
1 pound of beef (I use turkey)
1 egg
4 tablespoons matzo meal
2 cloves of crushed garlic
1 can of sliced mushrooms (optional)
sesame seeds (optional)
 
If you're using frozen chopped spinach, as I do, drain it thoroughly to get rid of the extra moisture.  Beat eggs.    Mix all ingredients together and place in a greased casserole dish.  If you like sesame seeds, you can use them to coat the top of the casserole.  Bake for about 1 hour at 350 degrees. 
 
If you prefer, you can buy a prepared pie crust and bake the ingredients in the pie crust instead of using a casserole dish.  It then becomes a spinach pie.