Cherry Tomato Salad

I saw this Cherry Tomato Salad recipe on Bridget's blog back in March and starred it. I was waiting for the day I could make it with cherry tomatoes grown from my garden. It was so hard to wait because I saw the recipe on so many other cooking blogs as the months went on, but I made myself wait. I knew if I made it with my own tomatoes, I'd feel so accomplished! 

So finally, a week ago after coming home from a Memorial Day vacation, I saw my tomato cherry trees studded with red gems, and I knew it was time! If you'd like to see my garden, you can visit the blog here! 

So this salad combines so many of my favorite things, cucumbers, kalamata olives, feta, and fresh herbs. It really highlights the amazing little cherry tomato, sweet, fresh and bursting with flavor. The hardest part for me making this salad was to not pop the tomatoes in my mouth as I was cooking! 

Greek Cherry Tomato Salad

adapted from Cooks Illustrated via Bridget at The Way the Cookie Crumbles

2 pints cherry tomatoes, halved

Table salt

1/2 tsp. sugar

2 medium garlic cloves, pasted

1/2 tsp. dried oregano

1 medium shallot, quartered and thinly sliced and

2 tbsp. red wine vinegar

1 tbsp. EVOO

Ground black pepper

1 English cucumber, diced

1/2 c. chopped kalamata olives

4 oz. finely diced Feta

2 tbsp. chopped fresh basil

1 tsp. chopped fresh oregano

Toss the tomatoes, 1/4 tsp. salt and sugar in a bowl, let stand for 30 minutes.

Transfer tomatoes to a colander above a bowl to catch liquids, toss to drain liquid into bowl.

Return tomatoes to a bowl and set aside.

Strain the tomato liquid through a fish mesh strainer into a liquid measuring cup.

Bring 1/2 c. tomato liquid, garlic, oregano, shallot and vinegar to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat.

Simmer until mixture is reduced to 3 tbsp., about 6-8 minutes. 

Transfer to a small bowl, cool to room temperature. 

Whisk in oil and pepper, taste and season with salt. 

Add cucumber, olives, feta, dressing and basil to the bowl with tomatoes, toss gently and serve. 

Mediterranean Cous Cous

When it comes to a quick, easy side dish, cous cous really can't be beat. It only takes about 5 minutes to cook, can be flavored a million ways, and doesn't leave you slaving over the stove!

You can purchase boxes of cous cous with little seasoning packets, but it's so much cheapier, healthier, and more versatile to buy a big container of plain cous cous. For dinner I had prepared baked falafel, so I took my cous cous in the Mediteranean direction. I simply sauteed some vegetables, added stock and cous cous, and then finished it with fresh herbs and feta cheese. It was so incredably flavorful, but quick and easy to make!

Mediterranean Cous Cous

1 tbsp EVOO

1/4 cup red onion, minced

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 red bell pepper, finely diced

Salt and pepper

1 1/4 c. vegetable stock

3/4 c. cous cous

1 tsp. fresh oregano, minced

1 tsp. fresh mint, minced

1/4 c. feta cheese, crumbled

5 green olives, sliced

Heat EVOO in a small soup pot over medium heat.

Add onion, garlic and red bell pepper.

Season with salt and pepper.

Saute' for 5 minutes, until softened.

Add stock to vegetables, turn heat to high, bring to a boil.

Pour in cous cous, stir, cover and turn heat off.

Rest for 5 minutes.

Remove lid, fluff cous cous with a fork, toss in herbs, cheese and olives.

Chopped Greek Salad in Phyllo Cups

The first appetizer I'm posting from our Housewarming Party is one of my personal favorites, Chopped Greek Salad in Phyllo Cups. It's not a very innovative recipe, but they're really cute, have great stage presence, are easy to make tons of, and taste wonderful! The great thing about these are you can do any variation of ingredients or ethnicities, like a chopped asian salad, chopped cobb salad, indian salad with tahini dressing, tex mex with black beans, corn and avocado....the list is endless!

Making the cups was actually very easy, and took about an hour to make about 100 cups (which was way more than we needed, but I snacked on them the next few days). If you don't want to mess with the phyllo, you can also use wontons or even tortillas. I personally enjoy phyllo the most, probably because of the golden color and buttery crunch!

I made the phyllo cups the night before the party and loosely wrapped them in saran wrap. I chopped all the veggies and put them in tupperware, then tossed the salad in the dressing right before I spooned them into the cups.

Chopped Greek Salad in Phyllo Cups

cups:

1 package of phyllo, defrosted in the refrigerator

1 stick of butter, melted

salad:

1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and minced

1 english cucumber, seeded and minced

1/2 pint of cherry tomatoes, seeded and minced (or 1/2 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes)

1 cup green olives, chopped

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

dressing:
1 tsp. minced fresh oregano
1 tbsp. minced fresh parsley
1/4 cup EVOO
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 tsp. honey
(or 1/2 cup prepared greek dressing or a vinaigrette)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Roll out phyllo on counter, cover with a damp towel.
Melt the butter in a small dish.
Place a piece of phyllo on a cutting board, brush with butter, repeat 4 times.
Using a pizza cutter, slice into 3" squares.
Press into a mini muffin tin.
Bake for 5-7 minutes, until golden brown.
Pop out, cool on a wire rack, keep in an air-tight container for up to 3 days.

Add all salad ingredients, toss.
Spoon into phyllo cups, garnish with extra herbs.

Yield: 100 cups and enough salad for about 50 cups

Spanikopita Pasta Salad

I love spanikopita, but for a weeknight meal, it's a little involved. I took all of the flavors and ingredients and tossed them with some orzo (because I had it on hand, but any pasta will do). I thought this was a great pasta salad. My mom has always added cottage cheese to her spanikopita filling, so I never realized it wasn't a traditional ingredient. I wasn't sure it would work in this dish, but it made it creamy without being too heavy. It can be left out, and more feta added, but I think it adds an interesting flavor and texture to the dish.
This can be served immediatly at a warm temperature, or it can be chilled, or anywhere in between. We had ours immediately, warm, JJ's with a chicken breast and mine with a morningstar farm's chik'n patty (the new italian herb seasoned patties are delicious!)

Spanikopita Pasta Salad

1/2 lb. short cut pasta

2 tbsp. EVOO

1 yellow onion, minced

2 garlic cloves, minced

Salt and pepper

4 cups fresh spinach, roughly chopped

1 tsp. fresh minced oregano (or 1/2 tsp. dried)

1 tsp. chopped fresh dill

Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

1 cup lowfat cottage cheese

6 oz. crumbled feta cheese

Bring a pot of water to a boil, salt heavily and add pasta. Cook according to package directions to al dente, drain and add to a mixing bowl.

Heat a skillet over medium heat, add EVOO, onion, garlic, salt and pepper.

Saute' for 6-8 minutes, or until onions are soft and slightly caramelized.

Add spinach, toss and wilt.

Add mixture to the orzo. , stir to combine.

Add herbs, crushed red pepper, cottage cheese and feta cheese, toss and serve or chill and serve later.

Baked Falafel in Pita with Tzatziki

For dinner tonight, I decided to make falafel. I've had falafel in restaurants, but never made it at home. The main reason is because I don't like frying food. I love taking normally fried foods and finding a way to bake them and get similar results. I used this recipe from FoodNetwork.com I followed the directions up until frying, where I baked it.

I served this with Tzatziki, which I've made in the past and love! This time I used Oikos plain yogurt, which made it thicker and better.

Baked Falafel in Pita with Tzatziki

1 can garbanzo beans, drained and patted dry
1/2 small onion, roughly chopped (about 1/2 cup)
2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves, about a handful

6 pita breads
Tomato slices

Lettuce leaves
Tzatziki

Combine all falafel ingredients except oil in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade.

Pulse mixture until coarsely ground.

Transfer to a bowl or container and refrigerate, covered, for several hours.
Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.

Form the falafel mixture into 6 balls.

Place on a foil lined, nonstick sprayed baking sheet.

Bake for 10 minutes, turn, bake for another 5.

Place in a pita and serve.

Olive Bar Sub

When our Kroger finally finished it's renovation and expansion, they put in an amazing olive bar with many varities of olives, as well as fresh mozzarella, feta, sun dried tomatoes, artichokes, marinated mushrooms, roasted peppers, hummus', pestos, and cold salads. I had a frozen loaf of bread, and JJ requested subs. I decided to basically just fill a container with the olive bar's contents and throw it all on the sub. I had him run to the deli counter and get some pancetta, and a big bag of spinach, and we were all set.
These subs are so full of veggies, and so delicious!

Olive Bar Subs

1 8” loaf of sub bread, baked, halved and hollowed out

¼ cup pesto or olive tapenade

1/2 c. marinated artichokes

1/4 c. marinated sun dried tomatoes

2 roasted red peppers

1/4 c. chopped assorted olives

2 cups fresh spinach leaves, wilted

1/4 c. crumbled feta cheese

1/2 c. bruschetta mixture (roma tomatoes, basil and red onion)

4 slices pancetta, pan fried to a crisp

Basil Pesto
2 cups basil leaves
1 garlic clove
1/4 cup pine nuts
1/4 cup parmesean cheese
salt and pepper
1/4 cup olive oil

Add first 5 ingredients to a food processor or blender, pulse until chopped small, turn on and stream in olive oil until it reaches desired consistency. I like mine thicker and less oily, sometimes use half chicken stock, half EVOO.

Preheat broiler in oven.

Place bread on a sheet pan. Spread pesto evenly on top and bottom of bread.

Add a layer of spinach, artichoke hearts, sun dried tomatoes, olives, pancetta and cheese on one side, and red peppers and more cheese on the other.

Place sub under the broiler until cheese is melted and slightly golden, about 2 minutes.

Top with the bruschetta mixture and close sub.

Goat Cheese Chicken, Zucchini Patties, and Feta Mint Cous Cous

My mom brought me some random vegetables from home, so I had to think of some ways to use them. Two of the many kinds were green beans and zucchini. I decided to make them somewhat greek flavors. I added a balsamic drizzle on top last minute because I felt like the dish needed something... but that can be omitted.

Goat Cheese Chicken, Zucchini Patties and Feta Mint Cous Cous

Goat Cheese Chicken

1/2 lb. steamed Green Beans, trimmed

Feta Mint Cous Cous:

1 c. whole wheat cous cous

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

drizzle of EVOO

1 c. chicken stock

1 tbsp. minced mint

1/4 c. crumbled fat free feta

Bring chicken stock, salt, pepper and EVOO to a simmer, add cous cous, cover and turn off heat. Let it sit for 8 minutes, then toss in mint and feta and fluff with a fork.

Zucchini Patties:

2 c. grated zucchini

2 egg white

1/2 c. bread crumbs

2 tbsp. flour

1/4 c. crumbled fat free feta

1 tsp. dried oregano

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

Preheat a nonstick skillet to medium-high. Gently toss all ingredients together in a bowl. Spray pan with nonstick skillet, drop heaping spoonfulls of of mixture into skillet, cook for 7 minutes per side, until browned. Flip and cook the second side for 6-7 minutes. Serve right away or they'll lose their crispness.

Greek Salad

Summer is all about dinner salads, keeping the kitchen cool, and enjoying the fresh produce! When I was home, my dad gave me a cucumber from his garden, yes, he's already picking zucchini, cucumbers, and broccoli! I'm a little bit behind.... anyway, cucumbers go best in a Greek salad in my mind, so I put my little twist on the traditional Greek salad. Enjoy!

Greek-ish Dinner Salad

1 head of romaine lettuce, chopped

1/2 cucumber, peeled and sliced

2 vine ripened tomatoes, quartered

10 kalamatta olives (i only had spanish)

1/2 c. fat free feta, divided in half

1 red bell pepper, roasted, peeled and sliced

1/4 c. dressing, recipe follows

Feta and Herb Dressing

2 tbsp. greek or plain yogurt

juice of 1 lemon

1 tbsp. red wine vinegar

2 tbsp. EVOO

1 tsp. sugar

1 tbsp. chopped fresh mint

1 tbsp. chopped fresh oregano

salt and pepper

1/4 c. feta cheese crumbles

Arrange salad in a bowl. Mix all dressing ingredients until well blended. Pour over salad and serve.

Roasted Red Pepper and Feta Frittata

JJ and I don't often have breakfast for dinner, so he was surprised when I told him we were having eggs and pancakes. Since we're eating mostly vegetarian now, eggs are a great substitute for meat dishes. I buy organic cage-free eggs.
To keep this meal very healthy, I used only 2 egg yolks, and used 2 whole peppers. I also subbed in fat free feta, which I think tastes just as good as regular.
Tip: When roasting red peppers, the more charred and black they look, the easier it is to peel off the skin layer.

Roasted Red Pepper and Feta Frittata

2 red peppers, roasted and peeled, sliced

1/4 c. crumbled fat free feta

2 eggs

2 egg whites

2 tbsp. fat free half and half

Salt

Pepper

Pinch of cayenne

1/2 tsp. oregano

Preheat broiler to high.

Roast red peppers, steam, slice and set aside.

Mix eggs, egg whites, salt, pepper, cayenne, and oregano.

Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high. Spray with nonstick spray generously.

Sprinkle red pepper strips around the pan, pour in the egg mixture, and crumble the feta on top.

Cook on the stovetop for 4-5 minutes, until the bottom is set.

Put pan in the oven under the broiler for about 2-3 minutes, it will brown and get very puffy. The sides will pull away from the pan.

Remove from the broiler and let it sit for a few minutes. Loosen the edges and slide onto cutting board, slice and serve.

(The puffy frittata)

Baklava

For my final Greek dish, I decided to make Baklava. This is one of my favorite desserts because I love honey! Unfortunately, I loved it so much I started hacking into the dish before it cooled, and my pieces didn't come out so beautifully - but mini muffin cups saved the day! I brought these into work and they were gone in no time!

Baklava

(recipe from Emeril)

For the syrup:
1 cup sugar
1 cup honey
3/4 cup water
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 cinnamon sticks
1 (1-inch) strip lemon zest
Pinch ground cloves
Pinch ground cardamom


For the filling and dough:
1 pound of a combination of walnuts, pistachios and almonds
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 sticks unsalted butter
1 pound phyllo, thawed according to package instructions


To make the syrup: Combine the sugar, honey, water, lemon juice, cinnamon sticks, lemon zest, cloves and cardamom in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until the sugar has dissolved. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until the syrup is slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Remove the cinnamon sticks and lemon zest and set syrup aside to cool.
Using a Chef's knife, finely chop the nuts. (Alternatively, if you have a food processor, pulse the nuts until finely chopped.) In a medium mixing bowl, combine the nuts, cinnamon, and salt and stir well to combine.
Melt the butter over low heat in a small saucepan.
Using a brush, lightly coat a 13 by 9-inch or 15 by 10-inch dish with some of the melted butter.
Open the package of thawed phyllo and lay the thin sheets on a clean work surface. Measure the phyllo sheets; if the type you have purchased measures approximately the same size as the baking dish you are using, then proceed from here. If they are larger than your baking dish, use a sharp knife to cut the phyllo sheets approximately the same size as your baking dish. Discard any scraps. Cover the sheets with a piece of plastic wrap and a lightly damp kitchen towel, as the sheets of phyllo dry out very quickly if left uncovered.
Position rack in center of oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Place 1 of the sheets of phyllo in the bottom of the buttered baking dish and lightly brush with some of the melted butter. Repeat this procedure with 6 more sheets of phyllo, for a total of 7 layers. Measure about 3/4 cup of the nut mixture and spread the nut mixture evenly over the buttered phyllo sheets. Repeat with 7 more sheets of phyllo, buttering each layer as before, and top these sheets with another 3/4 cup of the nut mixture. Continue this layering process, buttering 7 sheets of phyllo and topping each 7 sheets with 3/4 cup of the nuts, until you have used all of the nut mixture. Layer any remaining sheets of phyllo on top, buttering between each layer, until all of the phyllo sheets have been used.
Use a sharp knife to make 4 cuts lengthwise through the layered phyllo at 1 1/2 inch intervals. (You should end up with 5 lengthwise strips 1 1/2 inches wide.) Now use your knife to cut diagonally across the strips at 1 1/2-inch intervals to form diamond shapes. You should end up with approximately 36 diamond-shaped pieces of baklava in the baking dish.
Bake the baklava until golden brown, about 40 minutes.
Using oven mitts or pot holders, remove the baklava from the oven and set aside on a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes. Using a ladle or small measuring cup, slowly drizzle the cooled syrup over the warm baklava. Allow to stand several hours before serving.

Stuffed Grape Leaves

I made Greek Stuffed Grape Leaves tonight with dinner. My recipe was not so good. It was a lenten recipe, containing no animal products, and was a bit bland (even with fresh mint and oregano!), so I'll recommend you try Katie's recipe, which I'm sure is much better than the cookbook I found!

Spanikopita, Chickpea Patties, Tzatziki

For tonight's Greek dinner, I combined 2 items that can be used as appetizers, or dinner. I used my version of my mom's Spanikopita filling recipe, and made triangles instead of a pie. I paired it with Chickpea patties, a recipe I found in a Greek cookbook. I made a few changes to speed up the cook time, like using canned not dried beans. I also dry pan fried them instead of frying them in 1" of oil. I served the patties with Tzatziki, one of my favorite condiments to eat with pita or falafel, similar to these patties. I finished this meal off with some leftover okra, not pictured.

Spanikopita Triangles, Revithokeftedes (Chickpea Patties) and Tzatziki (Yogurt Dip)

Spanikopita:

1 roll of phyllo dough, thawed, rolled out and covered with a damp towel

½ stick butter, melted or butter nonstick cooking spray

2 c. chopped spinach, drained well

1 c. cottage cheese, drained

½ c. crumbled feta

1 egg

½ tsp. oregano

1 tbsp. onion powder

½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Mix spinach, cottage cheese, feta, egg and spices in a bowl.Lay phyllo out on a cutting board. Brush 1 layer with butter, add another, brush, repeat 4 times. Slice each sheet lengthwise 3 times, making 3 long strips. Plate a spoonful of spinach mixture into the end, fold over to form a triangle, continue folding until you reach the end of the dough.

Place seam side down on a baking sheet. Continue until you’ve made all the triangles.

Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Revithokeftedes:

1 15 oz. can of chickpeas, drained, mashed in the can

1 yellow onion, minced

3 sprigs of green onion, minced

salt and pepper

1/4 c. cornstarch

1 tbsp. fresh chopped mint

1/2 tsp. dried oregano

Olive oil or nonstick spray

In a large nonstick skillet over medium low, sautee' onions and scallions. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes.

While onions cook, add mashed chickpeas, cornstarch, mint, and oregano to a bowl. Add onion mixture, toss.

Heat the same nonstick skillet to medium-high. Spray with nonstick spray or drizzle with EVOO. Drop mixture into 4 patties in the pan. Cook for 6 minutes on each side, until golden brown.

Serve with Tzatziki

Recipe derived from The Foods of the Greek Islands, Aglaia Kremezi. Houghlin Mifflin: NY, 2003.

Tzatziki:

1/2 c. plain yogurt

1/4 c. minced cucumber

1 tsp. garlic salt

1 tsp. minced dill

1 tbsp. minced parsley

Juice of 1 lemon

Mix all ingredients, taste for seasoning. Serve with Chickpea patties.

Greece #1 - Moussaka & Okra

So it's not so pretty, but it's DELICIOUS!!!

This week I am cooking from Greece, which was voted #1 for June!

When I was in college, I watched Take Home Chef every day before my night class. I remember Curtis made Moussaka once, and it looked amazing. I kept it in the back of my mind, but never got around to making it. Then, Greece was voted #1 and I knew it was my chance! This is a delicious dish to make, like a cross between lasagna and eggplant parm. The sauce is delish, spiced with a few things that make you wonder...

I was too lazy to type up the recipe from the cookbook I used, however it's pretty much the same as FN Kitchen's recipe found here.

While reading my cookbooks, I also found many recipes with okra. One that caught my eye was simple okra with a tomato sauce, similar to the one in Moussaka. I decided to make the okra and just top it with a little of the moussaka sauce rather than make another sauce.

I served this with polenta because I've been on a polenta kick lately, and I like how the softness of the polenta pairs with the eggplant.

Please enjoy my first night of Greek food!

Moussaka, Okra and Polenta

EGGPLANT

2 large eggplants (about 2 3/4 pounds), unpeeled and cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch slices

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

MEAT SAUCE

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 pound ground beef (I used Morningstar farms Crumbles)

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/8 teaspoon ground allspice

Pinch of ground cloves

1 cinnamon stick, broken in half

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus to taste

Freshly ground pepper

1 1/2 cups whole, peeled, canned tomatoes, roughly chopped

1 bay leaf

CUSTARD SAUCE

5 tablespoons unsalted butter

6 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3 cups whole milk, room temperature

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

Pinch of ground nutmeg

1 large egg

2 large egg yolks

1/2 cup dried breadcrumbs

3 tablespoons Pecorino Romano

Bake the eggplant: Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F. Brush the eggplant slices on both sides with the oil and lay on 2 small or 1 large foil-lined bakeing sheet. Season with salt and pepper. Cover with foil and bake until the eggplant is soft, about 25 minutes. Set aside covered.

Make the meat sauce. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the beef, oregano, allspice, cloves, and cinnamon. Break the meat up into small pieces and season with the 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 2 minutes. Lower the heat to medium and cook, stirring, until just cooked but still slightly pink inside, about 1 minute more. Add the tomato and bay leaf and bring to a simmer. Cover, and cook until the sauce is thickened and fragrant, about 20 minutes.

Make the custard sauce. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour until smooth. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat and add the milk, salt, and nutmeg. Return to the heat and while whisking constantly, bring to a boil. Simmer 2 minutes. Transfer the sauce to a bowl and stir to cool. When the sauce is cool, whisk in the egg and yolks.

Assemble the moussaka. Lower the oven to 350 degrees F. Brush a 9 x 13 x 2-inch casserole dish with the oil. Scatter the breadcrumbs over the bottom of the pan. Lay half of the eggplant in the pan, overlapping the slices if needed. Cover with half of the meat sauce and smooth with a rubber spatula. Repeat with the remaining eggplant and meat sauce. Pour the custard sauce over the layered mixture and smooth with a rubber spatula. Sprinkle with the Pecorino Romano and bake, uncovered, until lightly browned and the custard is set, about 1 hour.

Remove the moussaka from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes. Use a slotted spoon or spatula to serve.