Stuck-Pot Rice with Lentils

This was the main dish that we had with the curried roasted carrots.  To be honest, I didn't get the title at first. I had never heard of "stuck-pot" rice or anything like it.  But the basic idea is that the bottom of the rice gets a little crispy which adds a great flavor and texture to the dish.  And I love anything with lentils so this rice/lentil/sauteed onion dish was right up my alley! It's very similar to the Mediterranean dish mudajara.  I added chopped spinach and roasted eggplant to this dish, both of which were a great addition!

I actually made it several weeks ago and we liked it so much, I'm planning to make the exact same meal (curried roasted carrots and all) for my parents tonight!

Stuck-Pot Rice with Lentils
Taken from: Smitten Kitchen
Serves 4-6

• 1 cup brown or green lentils, washed and picked over
• 1 1/2 cups white basmati rice, rinsed well
• 1/4 cup olive oil, divided
• 1 large onion, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup plain yogurt, preferably whole-milk though low-fat will work, plus additional for serving
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice, plus additional lemon wedges for serving
• 1/3 cup water
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• Freshly ground black pepper or red pepper flakes
• 3 cups baby spinach, chopped
• Optional: 1 small eggplant, chopped into 1-inch cubes (to roast)
• Optional: Chopped fresh flat leaf parsley, cilantro or mint for garnish

1. If roasting eggplant, preheat oven to 425. 
2. Bring a medium-sized heavy pot with a tight fitting lid (so you can use one pot for all the steps) of salted water to a boil. Add lentils and rice and return to a boil. Simmer the mixture for five minutes without stirring. Drain mixture and transfer to a large bowl.
3. Heat the same pot over medium-high heat. Once heated, add 1 tablespoons oil; once oil is warm, add onions and a couple pinches of salt and cover with a lid. Cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly caramelized and brown, about 10 to 12 minutes.
4. Add onions to bowl with rice and lentils. Stir in yogurt, lemon juice, water, cumin and pepper, plus additional salt to taste.
5. Heat pot again over medium-high heat. Once fully hot, add remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Once that is hot, return rice mixture to pot, pressing it in. (It will sizzle.) Wrap clean kitchen towel around lid of pot so it completely covers inside of lid; gather corners on top so they do not fall anywhere near stove. Place lid on pot, sealing tightly. Reduce heat to very low. Cook undisturbed about 25 minutes; rice should smell toasty but not burned and you might need to check on it once or twice if you’re making it for the first time. Add chopped spinach on top of the mixture and then close the towel-wrapped lid again. Remove the pot from heat, and let sit 5 minutes more.
6. If roasting eggplant, while the rice dish is cooking, combine eggplant with 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Spread into a single layer on a baking sheet and put in preheated oven.  Cook for about 15 minutes, then stir the eggplant.  Cook for about 10 minutes more until eggplant is soft and some of the pieces are caramelized.
7. Carefully remove lid and cloth, and turn pot upside down over a platter. If rice comes out in a single crust, terrific. If not, use a spatula to scrape crisp pieces out of pan and onto remaining rice. Stir in the roasted eggplant, if using.
8. Garnish with chopped parsley and cilantro, and serve with lemon wedges and additional plain yogurt.

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Hummus

If you've read this blog for a while, you know that I'm trending more and more to make-it-at-home kind of recipes.  However, I still hadn't been satisfied with homemade hummus.  For starters, I really like hummus (most Greek food, for that matter) so the recipe needed to be great.  And Trader Joe's happens to have a hummus (the Mediterranean one) that we love.   I've tried a few recipes but nothing seemed to compete with Trader Joe's.  Until this recipe.

This one just seemed to have the right proportions of everything.  Also, a trick that my husband learned from his mom was that peeling the skins off the chickpeas makes hummus super creamy.  It is an extra step but totally worth it.  (I grumbled about it...until I tasted the hummus.)  Finally, I also like the hummus to refrigerate for several hours before serving so the flavors can meld together and I typically add a few tablespoons of water right before serving if it needs to be creamier.

The result is a super creamy, easy, delicious hummus that is excellent with cut up vegetables or pita bread (can I suggest homemade?).  And I don't have to go to Trader Joe's to get it.

Hummus
Taken from: Barefoot Contessa

• 3 garlic cloves
• 2 cups chickpeas, drained, liquid reserved (can be canned or cooked at home)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt plus more to taste
• 1/3 cup tahini (sesame paste)
• 1-2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus more to taste
• 2 tablespoons water or liquid from the chickpeas
• Optional: 8 dashes hot sauce (I omitted); feel free to add extra flavors if you'd like as well!

1. Optional step but will make your hummus super creamy: peel the skins off of all (or almost all) chickpeas.  It does take about 15 minutes or so.
2. Turn on the food processor fitted with the steel blade and drop the garlic down the feed tube; process until it's minced. Add the rest of the ingredients to the food processor and process until the hummus is coarsely pureed. 
3. Taste, for seasoning, and serve chilled or at room temperature. (I always think hummus is better if it's had a few hours to sit.  Also, I often add a few tablespoons of water before serving to thin it out a bit and make it creamier.)

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Greek Pita Pizzas

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When I first tried this recipe, I was a little skeptical.  It basically seemed like a pita pocket heated up.  And while it's true that it does have all the familiar flavors of a pita, there's something about heating it up and melting the cheese that makes the sum greater than its parts.

I also loved that this recipe was fast (although there is a little chopping involved) and flexible.  I followed the basic steps below although I cut our pitas in half so I could maximize the toppings to pita ratio and forgot to toss the vegetables in the red wine vinegar.  I also omitted some things I didn't have on hand like the red onion and fresh oregano (I do use a light sprinkle of dried oregano instead) and added in things like bell pepper and fresh spinach.  Finally, I didn't have hummus one of the times I made this so I used a chickpea spread recipe instead that doesn't call for tahini.

Enjoy this for a fast, flexible twist on pizza and stuffed pita sandwiches.  I served this once with a Greek salad but I think I liked having a regular leafy salad with it even better for a change in texture.

 

Greek Pita Pizzas
Taken from: Pink Parsley
Serves

• 2 Tbs olive oil
• 4 (8-inch) pita breads (I only used 2 but halved them widthwise)
• 1 Tbs red wine vinegar
• salt and pepper
• 1 tsp chopped fresh oregano (I used a light sprinkle of dried oregano instead)
• 1/2 small red onion, halved and sliced thin (I omitted)
• 1 bell pepper, chopped (optional)
• 2 handfuls of washed baby spinach, chopped (optional)
• 1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, chopped
• 3/4 cup halved grape tomatoes (I used chopped tomatoes instead)
• 1/2 cup hummus (hummus tastes great but in a pinch, I used this chickpea spread recipe that doesn't call for tahini)
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
• tzatziki sauce, for serving

1. Preheat the oven to 475 degrees.  Brush 1 tablespoon of the oil over both sides of pitas.  Arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake about 3-5 minutes, or until lightly golden.
2.  Meanwhile, combine the remaining oil, vinegar, and oregano in a medium bowl.  Season with salt and pepper and whisk to combine.  Toss with the olives, onions, tomatoes and any other vegetables.
3.  Spread approximately 2 tablespoons of the hummus over each pita, leaving a small border.  Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of mozzarella on each pita, Divide the vegetable mixture evenly over the cheese, then sprinkle with the feta.  
4.  Cook until the vegetables are softened and the cheese has melted, 6 to 8 minutes (I like to broil the last minute or two to make sure it is nice and melty).  Drizzle with tzatziki sauce and serve.

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Greek Quesadillas

  

 I don't think I would have come up with the idea to combine Greek and Mexican to make these Greek quesadillas, but I'm so glad someone else did! It ended up being a delicious meal - full of veggies but tasted pretty incredible.  I love that you can make this meal as easy or as involved as you want.  Typically on Sundays, I make a slightly more involved dish so last night, I made the tortillas from scratch (freezing the leftovers), roasted the tomatoes and cooked the chicken. However, this would make a great weeknight meal when I already have cooked chicken and tortillas in the freezer and nixed roasting the tomatoes.

Also, the list below are more suggestions of measurements and add-ins you could include - feel free to add or omit anything below!   Depending on your taste (and time constraints), the veggies could be added raw, lightly sauteed or roasted (we like a light saute best, although the oven-roasted tomatoes were delicious!).  Finally, while there are measurements listed below, I didn't bother measuring a single thing in this recipe and it still came out so well.

PS - The tzatziki sauce below really shouldn't be optional -- we thought it was delicious with the quesadillas!

Greek Quesadillas
Taken from: Annie's Eats
Serves 4

• 4 large (10-inch) whole wheat tortillas (to make your own, go here)
• Olive oil
• Fresh spinach leaves, chopped (about 2 cups)
• Diced red onion (about ½ cup), raw or sauteed
• Chopped red peppers - roasted, sauteed, or raw (we liked sauteed best)
• Sliced mushrooms, sauteed
• Oven-dried tomatoes (I used this recipe here)
• Sliced green or black olives
• Cooked, shredded chicken
• Mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 1-1½ cups)
• Crumbled feta cheese (about 2/3 cup)
• Oregano (dried or fresh)
• Red pepper flakes (I forgot to add this)
• Tzatziki sauce, for serving (for the recipe, go here)

1. Place tortillas on a work surface.  Very lightly brush one side of each tortilla with olive oil and flip over so the oiled side is facing down.  Sprinkle the chopped spinach leaves over half of each tortilla, leaving a small rim around the edge.  Layer in a similar fashion with red onion, roasted red pepper, mushrooms, tomatoes, olives, chicken, cheeses, oregano, and red pepper flakes as desired.  Fold over the bare half of each tortilla, enclosing the fillings.
2. Warm a skillet or grill pan over medium-high heat and if needed, lightly oil the cooking surface.  Carefully place assembled quesadillas in the pan and cook, turning once, until each side is golden brown and the cheese is melted.  Slice into triangles and serve warm with tzatziki sauce.

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Feta Dip & Mediterranean Stuffed Chicken

I would normally make these two separate posts but both of these recipes ended up working so well together that I'm putting them in one.  Originally, I planned to have the feta dip on the side with homemade pita bread (this is seriously good pita) but as we started piling things on our plates, my husband said that the feta dip and the Mediterranean stuffed chicken went really well together.  And he was totally right. The feta dip is tangy, salty and creamy which was so good with the Mediterranean flavors in the chicken (also, if you happen to cook your chicken too long, this dip helps mask any dryness from the chicken!).  I also enjoyed dipping the pita into the feta dip, too (and I think it would have been a delicious dip for carrots and bell pepper sticks).

I only loosely followed the feta dip recipe - I didn't measure anything and used 2% Greek yogurt instead of ricotta.  I also didn't use the food processor (let's face it, I didn't want to have to clean it) but just combined with a fork.  If you like a smoother taste, go for the food processor but we liked it the way it was! 

As far as the Mediterranean chicken is concerned, I chopped the ingredients and stuffed the chicken as soon as I got home from work, and then refrigerated it.  That way, when it was close to dinnertime, all I had to do was throw it on our indoor grill for 10 minutes!



































Feta Dip
Adapted from: A Spicy Perspective
Feel free to adapt to your liking.  I didn't measure anything and left out the roasted red pepper. 
I also probably quartered this recipe, which made 3-4 servings so I would guess the full size makes close to 12 servings.

• 1 lb. feta cheese, crumbled
• ½ lb. whole milk ricotta (I used 2% Greek yogurt instead)
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4-1/3 cup olive oil
• Juice of one lemon
• 1 Tbsp. fresh chopped thyme (I omitted but added a little dried thyme and dried basil instead)
• 2-3 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1/2-1 tsp. crushed red pepper (if you like things very mild, I would suggest adding 1/4 tsp and then increasing to your taste)
• Pita bread, pita chips, carrots, celery or red bell pepper, for serving
• Kalamata olives and chopped roasted red pepper, as garnish

1. Using a food processor, pulse the feta, ricotta, garlic, oil, lemon juice, herbs and crushed red pepper together until smooth (alternatively, add together in a small bowl and stir with a fork).
2. If using, drain and dice the roasted red pepper.
3. Scoop the feta mixture into a bowl. Add red pepper and ground black pepper. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
4. To serve, drizzle another tablespoon of olive oil on top and serve with pita wedges and olives.  This is also a delicious sauce to serve with the Mediterranean Stuffed Chicken!

Mediterranean Stuffed Chicken
Adapted from: For the Love of Cooking
This is another recipe that can be easily adapted -- I added red bell pepper, feta cheese, kalamata olives, chopped parsley and chopped thawed artichokes as the filling!

• 2-3 chicken breasts (about 1 pound)
• Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
• Garlic powder, to taste
• Onion powder, to taste
• Dried oregano, to taste
• 2-3 tablespoons of minced red bell pepper
• 2-3 tbsp feta cheese
• 2-3 tbsp diced kalamata olives
• 2 tbsp red onion, diced (I omitted)
• 1 tbsp pine nuts (I omitted)
• 2-3 tbsp basil, chopped (I used 3 tbsp of chopped parsley instead)
• 2-3 tbsp frozen artichokes, thawed and chopped (you could also used marinated artichokes as well)

1. Combine diced bell pepper, feta cheese, diced olives, diced red onion, pine nuts, chopped basil (or parsley) and chopped artichokes together in a small bowl.
2. Cut a horizontal slit through the thickest portion of the chicken breast to form a small pocket. Stuff 2-3 tbsp of the cheese mixture into each pocket; close the opening with a toothpick. Season the chicken breast with sea salt, freshly cracked pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and oregano, to taste on each side. Place the chicken on the grill for 6 minutes on each side or until done (meat should register at 165 degrees at the thickest part of the breast).  Mine were very thick so they probably took closer to 10-12 minutes on an indoor grill. Remove from grill, cover loosely with tin foil and let the meat “rest” for 5-10 minutes before slicing. Serve with feta dip, if desired.

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Homemade Pitas

At last, at last - a pita recipe that finally puffs! My dad has been making homemade pita for a while and so I decided to try baking with him one day.  While his batches came out beautifully shaped and puffed, mine always were these ugly, pathetic looking shapes.  Ever since my attempts with my dad, I've tried several times to find a recipe that worked.  I even attempted more complicated ones that included steps like spritzing the dough with water right before the pitas went in the oven.  And while the flavor was always good, none of the pitas actually puffed for me.

However, when I got my tortilla press and had so much success with homemade tortillas, I decided to try pitas once more.  And finally...delicious, delicious success that rivaled my dad's pitas!  Thanks to the tortilla press, the pitas were perfectly round and they puffed beautifully. (My guess is that the press helped me handle the dough less which led to puffier pitas but who knows?)  And I just loved that the recipe was just a standard yeast-based recipe (the dough rises once for 60-90 minutes and then the pita dough balls rest for 10 minutes before shaping and baking) -- no more water spritzing for me!


Whole Wheat Pitas
Taken from: King Arthur Flour
Makes 8 pitas (would be easy to double this recipe and freeze any extras)

• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose or bread flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons yeast
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 1/8 to 1 1/4 cups lukewarm water (100-110 degrees)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• plain or herb/spice infused olive oil, to brush on finished pitas (optional; I omitted)

1. Combine the yeast, sugar and warm water in the bowl of your stand mixer and stir with a wooden spoon.  Wait 5 minutes for yeast to proof.
2. Combine the rest of the pita ingredients (except the oil for brushing) in the bowl.  Mix and knead for 6-10 minutes (I used my stand mixer although you could need by hand) to make a soft, smooth dough. Add more water, if necessary.
3. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl or large measuring cup, cover with a clean towel, and let it rise for 60 to 90 minutes, till it's just about doubled in bulk. Towards the end of the rising time, start to preheat your oven to 450°F, with a pizza stone (if you have one) on the bottom shelf. 
4. Gently deflate the dough, and divide it into 8 pieces. Shape each piece into a ball, cover them, and let them rest for 10 minutes. (My second time making them, I didn't have time to cook them right away so I popped them in the refrigerator for several hours before starting with step 4).
5. Working with two pieces of dough at a time, roll each into a 6" circle (or use a tortilla press). If you roll the dough about 7" wide, it'll shrink back to about 6". 
6. Carefully flop the dough onto the hot pizza stone. If you're not using a pizza stone, put it on an ungreased baking sheet, and put the baking sheet on your oven's bottom rack. 
7. Bake for 4 minutes. The pitas should rise enthusiastically. If they're on a stone, they'll probably puff up like balloons; if they're on a baking sheet, they'll still expand; just not as vigorously. 
8. Turn the pitas over, and bake for an additional 60 seconds. 
9. Remove them from the oven, and brush with your favorite olive oil, if desired (I omitted the oil). Wrap lightly in a cotton towel, to keep them soft. Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough. 

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Lentil & Walnut Burgers with Yogurt Cilantro Sauce

We eat meatless at least once a week but we rarely have meatless burgers. To be honest, when I have a burger, I want the real thing, not cheap meat at a fast food place or some kind of imitation-meat.  But these burgers were different.  Actually, they reminded me more of a kofte or some kind of Middle Eastern meatball (perhaps since they are stuffed inside a pita and topped with a yogurt cilantro sauce instead of the topped with cheddar cheese and encased in a hamburger bun like my usual burger).

Regardless of what you call it, these were wonderful and surprisingly meaty.  My husband said he would have actually asked what kind of meat it was if I hadn't already told him they were meatless.  There's a bit of spice from the red pepper flakes (which you can tailor to your liking) but is cooled by the yogurt cilantro sauce.  The coriander and cumin spices give it more of a Middle Eastern flair.

I prepped the lentils and walnuts earlier in the day so arranging the burgers was a cinch.  Also, I made the burgers about 30 minutes before I needed to cook them so I just popped them in the fridge until they needed to cook.

We served this with the yogurt sauce and pita as well as any additional toppings such as lettuce (I used both romaine and arugula), sliced tomatoes, sliced red onion, pickles, hummus (I actually liked the hummus on the burgers!). I had a vinegar coleslaw on the side and extra pita for dipping in the hummus.  Oh, and these burgers also made for delicious leftovers!

Spicy Lentil & Walnut Burgers
Taken from: Handle the Heat
Serves 4

• 3/4 cup lentils, picked over and rinsed
• 3/4 cup walnuts
• 1/3 cup plain dried breadcrumbs
• 3 garlic cloves, smashed
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons coriander
• 1/4-1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (I used 1/4 teaspoon for just a bit of spice)
• kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large egg
• whole wheat pita bread or whole wheat buns
• tomato, bell pepper, red onion, pickles, hummus, etc. for topping (if desired)

Yogurt-Cilantro Sauce

• 3/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt (I used 1/4 cup of nonfat plain and 1/4 cup of 2% plain Greek)
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• salt & freshly ground black pepper

1. This step 1 can be done ahead of time: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the lentils in a small saucepan, cover with 1-inch of water, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and cook until lentils are tender but still hold their shape, 15-20 minutes. Drain well and let cool. Meanwhile, spread the walnuts on a baking sheet and toast in oven for 10 minutes, or until fragrant and slightly darkened. Let cool.
2. In a food processor, combine toasted walnuts, breadcrumbs, garlic, cumin, coriander, red pepper flakes, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Process until finely ground. Add the lentils and 1 tablespoon of the oil and pulse until coarsely chopped (some whole lentils should remain).
3. In a large bowl, whisk the egg. Add the lentil-walnut mixture, mix well. Divide mixture into 4 equal parts, roll into balls, and flatten with the palm of your hands into 3/4-inch thick patties. Refrigerate patties until ready to cook.
4. For the yogurt-cilantro sauce, whisk yogurt, cilantro, and lemon juice together in a small bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
5. Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Add the burgers; cook until crisped and browned, turning gently with a thin-edged spatula, 8-10 minutes per side. Once cooked transfer to a paper-towel lined plate to drain. Serve burger patties on pita bread, top with yogurt sauce and other desired toppings.

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Mudajara

Growing up, we would occasionally go to a Mediterranean bakery and pick up tons of different things for a delicious Greek dinner. It was so much fun to have such different dishes - I loved the tzatziki and the hummus but my sister's favorite dish (by far) was the mudajara.  Mudajara (also spelled mudajarah among several other variations) is a Greek lentils and rice dish; however, the real secret to it is the caramelized onions.  My mom joked that you can't have enough caramelized onions and it's true! I added 2 whole onions to this dish and would consider adding even more next time.

This dish is incredibly good for you and was pretty simple -- it only needed a few ingredients, all of which were in my pantry). The prep work couldn't be simplier but it does take quite a bit of cooking time.  However, I made the caramelized onions several days in advance and even made the mudajara a day ahead.  About 20 minutes before dinner time, I threw the pre-cooked mudajara in a pot on medium-low with an extra 1/2 cup of chicken broth, covered the pot and stirred occasionally. It really made dinner easy that night!

(We were too hungry for photos.  And let's just say that mudajara tastes much better than it looks!)

Mudajara
Taken from: Elly Says Opa
Serves: 3-4

• 1.5-2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 2-3 medium yellow onions, cut in half and then into slices
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 cup lentils, rinsed and picked over
• 1/2 cup brown rice
• 2.5 cups water, broth or a combo (you may need extra)
• salt and pepper

-Caramelized onions (can be done ahead of time): Heat a deep saute pan or medium saucepan over medium heat.  Add the olive oil.  Once hot, add the onions.  Cook for two or three minutes over medium heat and then reduce to medium-low.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are a dark golden brown, about 20-30 minutes.
-Stir in the cumin, bay leaves, cinnamon, lentils and brown rice and saute for a minute before adding the liquid. Season lightly with salt and pepper.  Increase the heat to bring to a boil.  Cover and simmer until the rice and lentils are tender, about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding extra liquid if necessary.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

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Tzatziki Sauce

Usually I give you several recipes.  But this recipe is so good, I didn't want to wait to think of another recipe.  I had served tzatziki with these chicken kabobs and Greek salad for dinner tonight - I've made this meal before and it's such a great, fresh meal.

Tzatziki is a Greek cucumber yogurt sauce.  I remember getting it from Mediterranean bakeries when we were growing up and it was one of my favorite sauces.  And it's just as good as I remembered!  We always have some plain nonfat yogurt in the house (I'm actually going to try to make homemade yogurt soon!) and it's a really easy sauce to put together. Just grate some cucumber (or cheat and pulse it in the food processor like I did) and add oil, lemon juice and a few spices.  I used this on everything tonight - my garlic bread, chicken kabobs AND with my Greek salad.  Delicious.

Tzatziki Sauce
Taken from: A Hint of Honey

• 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt or regular yogurt (I used nonfat)
• 1/4 large cucumber (or 1/2 small), shredded and squeezed to remove the excess moisture (I often use a cheese grater for this or throw it in the food processor for a few pulses)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
• dash of dried or fresh dill (optional)
• salt and pepper, to taste
• fresh mint, to garnish (optional)

-In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, dill, salt and pepper. Add yogurt, cucumber and garlic and stir until evenly combined. Refrigerate until ready to use.

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Spanakopita & Chickpea Salad

Spanakopita is a Greek dish that is often served as an appetizer. In fact, the first time I tried spanakopita was Trader Joe's appetizer version. I liked it then and (not surprisingly) it's even better homemade! I ended up making this as our main dish for dinner but I will keep it in mind as either an appetizer or a main dish. This recipe has TONS of spinach which is great for you but don't be afraid if you don't like spinach since the flavor isn't overwhelming. (You could also substitute anything that cooks like spinach...beet greens, swiss chard, kale, etc. If you use frozen spinach, make sure to squeeze out all the water and then give it a rough chop.) Also, I used cottage cheese which is really high in protein.

I also ended up cooking the ingredients in the morning and refrigerating them until dinner time. Then it only took a few minutes to assemble everything and throw it into the oven to bake.

I served this with a simple chickpea salad recipe to up the protein and fiber...fresh and a great side! I also made this in the morning so there was plenty of time for the flavors to blend together. We added sliced green olives which gave it even more of a Mediterranean taste.

Spanakopita
Taken from: All Recipes
When working with phyllo dough, make sure it is fully thawed. Additionally, cover unused phyllo sheets with plastic wrap and then a wet cloth to make sure they do not dry out.

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 bunch green onions, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 pounds rinsed and chopped spinach (if you use regular spinach, make sure to cut off the stems as they are bitter; I used 2 9-oz bags of baby spinach instead)
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup fat-free cottage cheese
• 1 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 8 sheets phyllo dough
• 1/4 cup olive oil OR cooking spray
  

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly oil or spray with cooking spray a 9x9 inch square baking pan.
-Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute onion, green onions and garlic, until soft and lightly browned. Stir in spinach and parsley, and continue to saute until spinach is limp, about 2-4 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
-In another medium bowl, mix together eggs, cottage cheese, and feta. Once spinach mixture is cooled, stir into the egg mixture.
-Lay 1 sheet of phyllo dough in prepared baking pan, and brush lightly with olive oil or spray with cooking spray. Lay another sheet of phyllo dough on top, spray with cooking spray, and repeat process with two more sheets of phyllo. The sheets will overlap the pan. (If any of the phyllo dough tears or breaks off, just use those pieces!)
-Spread spinach and cheese mixture into pan and fold overhanging dough over filling. Layer remaining 4 sheets of phyllo dough, spraying each with cooking spray. Tuck overhanging dough into pan to seal filling.
-Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes, until golden brown. Cut into squares and serve while hot.

Chickpea Salad
Taken from: A Hint of Honey

• 3 cups of cooked dried garbanzo beans (or a 1 14 oz. drained and rinsed garbanzo bean can)
• 2 Tbsp. red onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
• salt and pepper to taste

-Combine chickpeas, red onion, garlic, tomato, parsley, olive oil, and lemon juice in a large bowl. Toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Chill for several hours before serving to blend flavors. Serve with sliced green olives, if desired (you could also try black olives or feta cheese).

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Greek Chicken Skewers and Greek Salad

Our Greek-inspired dinner on Monday turned out really well with marinated chicken skewers, a Greek salad and garlic bread (since I have to have some carbs at each meal). We served it with a glass of Trader Joe's Two Buck Chuck Cabernet (we live pretty close to Napa and all we've had since we've been here is Two Buck Chuck. You just can't beat the price!). It was a good Greek dinner and a perfect summer meal.

I had made the Greek salad two days in advance and I love that the longer it sits, the better it tastes. The marinated Greek chicken was good - it actually reminded me a lot of spiedies! This excitement will make a lot of sense for anyone on my side of the family reading this but not many others. Spiedie sauce is a special marinade which originated in Binghamton, NY. Chicken cubes are marinated in the sauce and then usually served on a sub roll or soft Italian bread. While we did not serve it with rolls, I did include green pepper and onion on the skewers as well. We don't own an outdoor grill but our Cuisinart grill worked just fine. The chicken stays nice and moist, thanks to the lemon juice/olive oil mixture that you brush on while it grills. For those of you interested to try spiedie-like chicken without Lupo's actual spiedie marinade, here it is:

Greek Marinated Chicken Skewers
Taken from http://ahintofhoney.blogspot.com

• 1 - 1.5 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1 in. cubes
• 1/2 onion, cut into 1 in. pieces (you could also use red onion)
• 1 green bell pepper, cut into 1 in. pieces
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into 1 in. pieces
• 2 Tb. olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. pepper

• 2 Tb. olive oil
• 2 Tb. lemon juice

-Prep by cutting chicken breasts, onion, green bell pepper and red bell pepper in 1 in. pieces.
-In a medium bowl, whisk together 2 Tb. olive oil, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper. Add chicken cubes and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
**A hint I found helpful is that if you're using wood skewers, soak them in water for 20 minutes to prevent burning.
-In a small bowl, whisk 2 Tb. olive oil and lemon juice together and set aside.
-Heat grill (indoor or outdoor) on medium high heat.
-Thread bell peppers, onion and chicken onto skewers, alternating. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
-If using indoor grill, spray with cooking spray. Add skewers, basting with olive oil/lemon juice mixture occasionally while it cooks (this helps keep it nice and moist). Rotate skewers occasionally until chicken is cooked through (It took my skewers about 7 minutes on a closed-top indoor grill).
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The Greek salad recipe is courtesy of All Recipes, which my friend Libby introduced me to a few years ago. The site is wonderful! Some of my favorite things about it are getting the nutritional information for the recipes and reading the reviews of the recipe. I read enough reviews to see if there is an overall consensus on an improvement and oftentimes, adjust the recipe before I even try it. Here is the Greek salad recipe: . The main things I change from the original recipe are that I cut the amount of feta in half (I like feta cheese but it seemed too dominating to me), I use green olives instead of black and I ALWAYS forget the oregano.

Greek Salad
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Good-for-You-Greek-Salad/Detail.aspx

• 3 large ripe tomatoes, chopped
• 2 cucumbers, chopped
• 1/2 - 1 small red onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 4 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1/8 - 1/4 c. sliced green olives (this is estimated as I usually just toss some in)

-In a medium bowl, toss all ingredients but the feta together. Let the salad sit in the fridge for a few hours to have the flavors meld together. Just before serving, toss the feta in the salad.

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