Tonight we had a pretty heavy dinner and then we started watching Capote and it's all making me very sleepy. We had Burekas, which is essentially what spanakopita would be if it were a calzone (spinach and feta baked in a dough). I think feta (or cottage cheese or ricotta or similar) and cooked spinach is delicious with pretty much anything bready, so this dish is surely a winner. The original recipe yielded a disastrous dough, so we simply co-opted the Calzone one because it's essentially perfect; light and crispy.

I was originally going to make roasted pepper Couscous but didn't because we apparently don't have any. Instead I added some cucumber and tomato and called it a salad. Considering the somewhat mismatched Roasted Pepper and Cucumber Salad it was actually pretty good. It was different. I liked it, but I don't think I'd eat it again. I think I'm torn and everything pales in comparison to the burekas. I probably wouldn't recommend it, I'll leave it that.

I was originally making falafel, but ended up just making Stewed Chick Peas and Carrot. No surprises here, just a way to get more vegetables on the plate. I thought about adding cumin and cinnamon like a recipe I came across, but wasn't feeling particularly adventurous this evening. Instead, just some garlic, chicken stock and one of seemingly hundreds of now not-so fresh bay leaves I'm trying to use up. For dessert we had Ben 'n Jerry's Chunky Monkey, which is probably my favorite ice cream and is definitely not helping me stay awake.

1 small cucumber, thinly sliced
2 small bell peppers or equivalent, sliced
1 small tomato, sliced
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon dill

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Toss bell pepper with olive oil and transfer to a tinfoil lined baking sheet.
3. Bake until the peppers soften and wilt, about 15 minutes.
4. Remove the peppers and allow to cool.
5. Arrange peppers, cucumber and tomato on a plate and prepare a dressing with the roasting pepper oil, lemon juice and dill.
6. Drizzle dressing over vegetables and refrigerate until chilled.

Makes 4 servings

1/2 cup dried chick peas, soaked overnight
2 large carrots, sliced
1/2 medium onion, chopped
4 cups chicken stock
3 cloves garlic
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper

1. Bring chicken stock to a boil in a large pot.
2. Add the remaining ingredients and cook until the chick peas are tender, about 30 minutes.

Makes 4 servings

1 tablespoon sugar
1 cup warm water
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup olive oil

4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
1 cup spinach, cooked
1 egg yolk, beaten
2 tablespoons sesame seeds (optional)
salt and pepper

1. Preheat oven to 450°.
2. Add yeast, sugar and 1/4 cup water to a small bowl and let sit for 5 minutes.
3. Combine flour, salt, oil and the rest of the water and mix with the yeast mixture.
4. Pick up the ball of dough with your hands and knead on a lightly floured surface until smooth.
5. Roll out dough to 1/4" thickness and cut out circles with the rim of a glass.
6. Combine feta and spinach and place about a teaspoon of the mixture into each circle.
7. Fold the circles over and crimp the edges to seal shut. Transfer to a greased baking sheet.
8. Brush the tops of the burekas lightly with beaten egg yolk and top with sesame seeds, if desired.
9. Bake until they are well browned, about 15-20 minutes.

Makes 6 servings