Summer Orzo Salad

Don't forget about orzo! It's perfect for this light summer salad. (I ate almost the entire thing....) Dress this very lightly - there are plenty of flavors to carry the pasta.

Here's what you need:
1 lb orzo prepared according to package
6 oz feta cheese minced
1/2 C red onion minced
handful fresh spinach chopped small
1/2 lb fresh green beans, cut in 1 inch pieces and boiled until fork tender
1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered
1/2 C Parmesan cheese

For the dressing whisk together the following:
1/4 C olive oil
1 T lemon juice
1 T red wine vinegar
1 t dried oregano
1/2 t dijon mustard
1/2 t honey

Chicken and Asparagus with Penne Pasta

In June I posted my first recipe from the Mayo Clinic web site: Baked Chicken with Wild Rice, Onion and Tarragon. It was an A+. Today I offer my second from the same web site: Chicken with Asparagus and Penne Pasta.  Another A+.

This was a super quick meal after a long day at work; pasta is the quintessential comfort food in our house. Can you believe that this amount equals 4 portions???? That’s crazy!! I guess when you cut out fat and calories, you can beef up the serving amount. Try this; you’ll be impressed by how flavorful and satisfying it is.

I followed the recipe to the letter, except for two changes. One: I added hot pepper flakes when browning the chicken. Two: I used 1 T of olive oil instead of spraying the pan (I don’t like to spray my cast iron skillet) Oh, and a third change: I used Feta instead of goat cheese.

Here’s what you need for four huge portions:

3 C penne pasta (I used wheat pasta)

2 C chopped asparagus

12 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes

4 cloves garlic ( I used lots more)

Hot pepper flakes to taste (we like lots…. Maybe 1 teaspoon)

2 cans (14.5 ounce) diced tomatoes including juice

2 ounces Feta cheese - crumbled

2 T Parmesan for serving

Here’s what you do:

Cook pasta according to package. Set aside. Cut asparagus into 1 inch pieces and steam just until fork tender. Set aside. 

Heat 1 T olive oil (I measured my oil so I didn’t go overboard) in a skillet, add garlic, hot pepper flakes and chicken. Cook until chicken is tender, but not dried out.

Add the tomatoes and continue to cook for a few minutes more.

In a large bowl combine the pasta, asparagus, tomato and chicken mixture and the 2 ounces of Feta. Mix well.  I also added about ¼ C of the pasta water, but it really didn’t need it. Serve with a few tablespoons of Parmesan cheese.  Great leftovers for lunch.

spice rack challenge - turkey burger with feta and dill

When I learned of April’s Spice Rack Challenge, hosted by Mother’s Kitchen Blog, I was thrilled because it gave me the chance to make tzatziki sauce, which I have always wanted to make. Plus, when I think of dill I think of feta, which is a good, good thing. After some poking around through my many cookbooks and taking a look around the internet, I landed on this version of Greek Turkey Burgers with AWESOME Tzatziki Sauce. Credit for the burger idea goes to one of my favorite TV personalities, Ellie Krieger.  Sorry, no fresh dill here in Michigan yet. We are hopeful for spring, but it's slow in getting here this year. I'm sure this entire meal would be kicked up a notch with fresh dill. 


Be sure to go to Mother's Kitchen and see the other Spice Rack Challenge entries.  They will be posted the last week of April. There are about 25 of us participating and the variety of recipes will surprise you. Last month I made a Cardamom Coffee Cake for the cardamom challenge. Wonder what the spice challenge will be for May? Stay tuned right here! 

Here’s what you need for the burger:

½ onion, diced

2 C fresh spinach, chopped

¼ C crumbled feta cheese

1 t dried dill

1 ¼ lb ground turkey

Salt and pepper

Pita bread, stuff to garnish the burger like tomato, cucumbers, lettuce, spinach, etc.

Here’s what you need for the tzatziki sauce:

8 ounces low-fat Greek style yogurt

¼ t dried dill

2 t fresh lemon juice

Salt and pepper to taste

1 English cucumber

Here’s what you do:

Sautee the onions until tender. Add the spinach and dill. Cook until all wilted, about 2 minutes. Add the feta cheese and set aside.

You can see best what to do next from the pictures. Divide the meat in 6 equal thin patties and place a heaping spoon of the spinach goodness on three of them. Top each burger with another patty and carefully press it all together. Use your fingers to press the two halves together to keep the goodness from falling out. This was kinda messy, but surprisingly, the burgers did not fall apart.

My tip of the day: Do Not Overcook Turkey Burgers!!!

In the meantime, make the heavenly tzatziki sauce. Another tip for you: peel, seed, grate and wring the cucumber in a clean tea towel before you add it to the sauce. It’s amazing how much liquid you will squeeze out of a cucumber!

You might also like: 

Boursin Cheese

Salmon Chowder

Hungarian Mushroom Soup

Orzo with Shrimp, Feta and Dill (you must try this!)

(printable recipe)

Tomato and Feta Cheese Tarts

This recipe comes directly from “Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics” cookbook by one of my favorite TV personalities, Ina Garten. I decided to make this when I stumbled upon a link-up on one of the blogs I follow called “It’s a Keeper.”  You can find the link to "It's a Keeper' in my blog roll. We were challenged to make something from either this cookbook or “The Pioneer Woman Cooks” by Ree Drumond. I’ve made quite a few things by Ina and I must say, except for her excessive use of butter, I love her stuff. Her Lemon Chicken Breasts is coming soon here on my blog.  

I would say this tart recipe is a ‘keeper.’ I did swap out the goat cheese (not a fan) for feta (a huge fan). Other than that, it’s pretty straight forward. Unfortunately, the tomatoes here in Michigan are terrible this time of year….. I can imagine this with a freshly grown tomato right from my garden. The recipe in the cookbook makes four tarts; I cut it in half and only made two.

This would be perfect as a first course or as a light supper served with a big salad. Enjoy!

Here’s what you need:

1 package puff pastry, defrosted

Olive oil (I didn’t use)

4 C thinly sliced onions

3-4 cloves garlic (I forgot them!)

3 T dry white wine

2 t fresh thyme leaves (I used ½ t dried)

4 T freshly grated Parmesan cheese

4 ounces goat cheese (I used Greek feta)

1 large tomato, sliced thinly

3 T julienned fresh basil leaves (I used just a tiny bit of dried)

2 more ounces grated Parmesan cheese (I didn’t use this)

Here’s what you do:

Carefully lay out the pastry and cut out large circles. You should get two per sheet. Then score another circle ¼ inch all the way around the dough. Prick the inside of the tart with a fork. Place on baking sheet which has been lined with parchment paper.

Cook onions in a bit of oil until very soft and brown. The secret here is low heat for a long time – be patient. Add the wine, salt and thyme and continue to cook until perfect. This whole onion process could take up to 20 minutes.

Divide onions evenly between the tarts, being careful to stay in the inner circle. Distribute the feta and tomato and Parmesan between the tarts. Sprinkle with basil.

Bake at 425 degrees for 20 minutes. I also broiled mine for just a minute to get a toasty top.  Elegant and surprisingly easy.  Another keeper from Ina Garten.

(printable recipe) .... or just buy the book - you won't be sorry! 

cheese tiropitas

Feta, lemon, mint, garlic - all wrapped up in one of my favorite treats - filo dough. These little bundles are really, really good and surprisingly not that difficult to make, just a little messy. I served these with a Greek type salad: romaine, beets, carrots and tomatoes with a light dressing.

They would also be perfect for a cocktail party. (I wonder, does anyone have cocktail parties any more? I want them to come back in style…. as an aside, I’m addicted to ‘Mad Men’ J Have you seen the cocktails they drink on that show??? Oh, man.)

Here’s what you need:

1 C cottage cheese

1 C Greek feta cheese

3 large cloves garlic, minced

½ C onion, minced

1 T dried mint

1 T lemon juice

1 box filo dough

Olive oil

Here’s what you do:

Saute the onions and garlic in a tiny bit of olive oil until tender and not brown. Mix the cheeses, veggies, mint and lemon juice with a fork. Mash it until it is completely mixed together.

Now the fun part! Carefully remove 1 sheet of filo dough, and brush it with olive oil. Carefully place a 2^nd sheet on top and brush more oil on top. Carefully, fold the dough in thirds.

Place about 2 tablespoons of cheese near the top of the dough and carefully fold into a tight triangle. Brush with more oil and place on oiled baking sheet. Now, that’s not too difficult is it?

Be prepared for some mishaps and some torn sheets of dough, but don’t worry. You can always seam them together with oil and overlap them a bit. After baking, they come out in one piece.

Bake 375 degrees for about 30 minutes. Some cheese will escape during baking, but that’s OK.

Have you used filo dough? See my spanikopita here if interested in another use for filo. 

(printable recipe)

eggplant rollatini

Admittedly, this recipe is a bit more involved than some others, but the final product is so lovely and so special, that I think it’s worth the effort. This would be an excellent entrée for a vegetarian dinner party – it’s that good. But don’t hesitate to make it for your family- they’ll thank you. I ate something similar to this at a restaurant in East Lansing a few years ago and since then I’ve tried to imitate what I tasted…..  I think I have finally landed on the perfect combo of flavors and textures. I must admit that I’m pretty proud of this meal!

One note: this only makes 2 portions of 3 rollatinis each. Also, if you plan to serve this with pasta, you should double the sauce.

Here’s what you need:

1 large eggplant, cut lengthwise in ¼ inch slices – do this very carefully. There’s no need to remove the skin.

3 T Olive oil

Salt and pepper

For the filling:

½ C crumbled feta cheese

¼ C ricotta cheese

1 t lemon juice

½ t lemon zest

½ t dried thyme

¼ t red pepper flakes

¼ t salt

For the sauce:

2 T olive oil

¼ C onion, minced very fine

1 T garlic, minced

1 C chopped Roma tomatoes

1 C chopped red bell pepper

2 T dry white wine

2 t tomato paste

¼ C half and half

Topping:

1 C shredded mozzarella cheese

1 T pine nuts

Here’s what you do:

Step One

Mix the ingredients for the filling and incorporate all of it with a fork. Set aside.

Step Two

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Put a cooling rack on a baking sheet. Arrange sliced eggplant on rack and brush liberally with olive oil. Salt and pepper each slice. Bake for about 8 minutes.

Turn the eggplant over and repeat on the other side for another 8 minutes.

When the eggplant is done, allow it to rest under foil for about 10 minutes. It will do some more cooking later, but you certainly want it nice and soft now. 

Step Three

Lower the oven to 350 degrees.  Sautee the onion, tomatoes, peppers and garlic for about 10 minutes or until very soft and smelling great. Do not allow to brown, only soften. Add the wine and tomato paste and simmer for a few minutes more. Remove from heat to cool for a few minutes.

Puree the vegetables and ¼ C half and half until reasonably smooth. 

Step Four: aka – The Fun Step

Place about ½ sauce in the bottom of a small casserole.

Carefully spread 1/6 of the cheese filling over each eggplant slice. Roll up starting from the narrow end  - rolling toward the round end. Place rolls seam side down on sauce.

Smother with the remaining sauce. Top with mozzarella and pine nuts. Bake for about 20 minutes or until melty and brown. You can give them a few minutes under the broiler for a nice finished color at the end of baking.

I’m telling you these are fantastic – you vegetarians out there know what I mean when I say that eggplant is the ‘forgotten’ vegetable. You non-vegetarians out there will be totally satisfied with this dish because it is so hearty.  You could serve this with pasta (see note above about doubling the sauce if serving with pasta), a green salad, a simple side vegetable, crusty bread, or as is…..

(printable recipe)

spanakopita

Spanakopita


Maybe you've never worked with filo dough. Maybe you've never eaten much feta cheese. Maybe you've never tried much Greek food. Well, this is the perfect recipe to help get past any apprehension you might have about this excellent arena of flavor - Greek Spinach Pie. It's a lovely combination of spinach, cheeses, herbs, garlic and a most excellent crust. I can't quite explain filo dough - it's light and flaky, but it's also substantial and kinda chewy once baked. It makes the perfect dough for apple strudel too! A hint - when working with filo dough, it must be completely thawed and you must work fairly quickly. It is a very forgiving dough, but it can get dried out easily and because it is so thin, it will break and cause frustration.... Just treat it gently and you'll have great success. 

Here's what you need:
1 box filo dough - never to be confused with puff pastry!
          I'm not sure if it's spelled  f-i-l-o, or f-i-l-l-o, or p-h-y-l-l-o, but none of that matters- you'll love it.  It is found in the frozen food aisle near the frozen bread dough.
2 boxes of frozen chopped spinach - thawed. Be sure to 'wring' it out a bit.... don't want it too wet.
2 C minced or chopped onion (depends on how much onion you want to bite into I guess)
5-6 cloves garlic - minced
8 oz Greek feta cheese
1 C large curd cottage cheese
1 t oregano
1 t basil
2 t flour
lots of good olive oil
pastry brush ( a must for this dish...)

Here's what you do:
Saute the onions in a bit of olive oil until they are tender, but not brown. Add the herbs and garlic and cook a few more minutes. Add the spinach and cook until it is a beautiful mixture of veggies.
Then add 2 T flour and stir and cook for about 2 more minutes to get rid of the raw flour taste. This flour will help give your spanakopita body. 

In the mean time:
Brush some olive oil in and around a glass 9x13 dish
Carefully unroll the filo, carefully unpeel one of the beautiful sheets, and carefully lay it in the dish. Brush some oil on top of the dough.
Continue layering and oiling the sheets of dough until you have 9 sheets of filo in the pan. You may use the brush to crunch down the edges of the sheets to keep it under control.


Don't feel like to you need to saturate the filo with oil.... 

Crumble the feta with a fork and add the cottage cheese. Mix well and add lots of freshly ground black pepper. ( I am thinking that next time I make this, I might whirl the cheeses in my food processor to make it completely smooth... I wonder how that texture would be?)
Combine the cheeses with the sauteed vegetables and put 1/2 of this mixture on the dough.


Layer 5 more filo sheets over the top of the filling brushing with olive oil each time.


Add the remaining spinach mixture.


Finish by layering 9 more filo sheets over the entire thing.... be sure to keep oiling between each layer. Tuck in any stray dough with the pastry brush until it is all neat and tidy.


Bake 375 degrees for about 40 minutes or until nice and brown.  Let it sit for a while before cutting. Enjoy! It's outstanding the first night and it is outstanding as leftovers - I eat it for breakfast the next day! 

Ready for the oven.

orzo with shrimp, feta and dill

Orzo with Shrimp, Feta and Dill

This was the perfect take-along-meal to our son's band concert last week. It was very hot that day and this salad was refreshing and easy to make at the last minute. Don't you love the take-out containers? You can find them at those food supply stores. The only problem is you have to purchase what seems like hundreds at a time..... I'm slowly working my way through my stash. I got this idea from the Barefoot Contessa show on Food Network. That's Ina Garten's show for those of you who don't know - her food and ideas are often in sync with mine. In fact, this is her recipe! Must give her total credit here!

Here's what you need:

1 pound orzo

1 fresh lemon, 1/4 C olive oil, pepper, salt (all to taste, all for the dressing)

lots of fresh parsley (mine came from my garden)

1-2 t dill (of course, Ina uses fresh....dried is fine)

raw shrimp, peeled and deveined

minced scallions, white and green parts - to taste

diced seedless cucumber

1/2 C small diced red onion - or to taste

3/4 pound good Greek feta cheese, cut in big cubes

Here's what you do:

cook the orzo according to the package

make the dressing by whisking the lemon juice, oil, salt and pepper together

pour it over the warm orzo (that's the secret method.... warm orzo)

Add the remaining ingredients, being extra careful not to break up the feta....

Please continue reading for Ina Garten's method for roasting shrimp. It is the perfect way to cook shrimp.

Peel, devein, clean shrimp and dry them off with a paper towel.
Place them on a baking sheet, drizzle with a tiny bit of olive oil, salt and pepper.
Roast for 5-6 minutes at 400 degrees - do not over bake- you don't want them chewy.

I think this salad is best served at room temperature. If you have to refrigerate it before serving, bring it up to room temp before eating. It gets better the next day because the dressing soaks in.

Hope you enjoy this one!

Greek pasta and spinach salad

Greek Pasta and Spinach Salad

When it's too hot to even think of cooking, I think cold salads. This is a quick and refreshing idea for a light meal on a hot day.

Salad ingredients might include:

feta cheese

tomatoes

cucumbers

good black olives- pitted

salad peppers

thinly sliced sweet onions

short, fat pasta

baby spinach leaves

diced, cold chicken breast

Here's a great way to cook chicken breasts:

use breasts with the bone in and the skin on

drizzle with olive oil and liberally season with salt and pepper

place them skin side up on a baking sheet - be sure to use one that has sides, not the flat kind

roast in a 350 degree oven for about 35-40 minutes or until the juices run clear and a knife inserted into the thickest part of the meat slides out easily

cool for 1/2 hour

peel off the skin, tear the meat away from the bone and slice

The dressing is very light:

lemon zest (I used the entire lemon)

lemon juice (fresh is always best)

olive oil

a touch of sugar

dried oregano

Don't over dress the salad...... perfect for those super hot summer days!