Well, we're back. We had a great time visiting family in Michigan and I ate my weight in Greek desserts (and lamb and potatoes and tzatziki and bread and...). Calorically speaking, the last 5 days didn't happen ;)
As a result of being out of town, we came home to a pretty empty kitchen. We won't be getting groceries until later tonight so in the meantime, I had to make due with what I had around. Frozen shrimp is one of the greatest things for those kinds of nights. You can cook it from frozen or just thaw it under some cold water for a few minutes. And there you go, you have a lean protein that is great in pasta or rice, grilled, in tacos, whatever you want.
A while back I came across two recipes for shrimp baked with feta and below is my version of this dish, made a little more Greek with the use of hilopites. Normally, I would make this with fresh basil and parsley but we didn't have any around. I did have the chopped/frozen basil from Trader Joe's, though, so I actually used a couple cubes of that.
This is a really simple, delicious and healthy dish. Hey, it won't erase the diples from the past weekend, but it will still make you feel great.
Baked Shrimp and Feta Pasta
Serves 2
1/2 lb. raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 cup hilopites (or orzo)
2 tsp. olive oil
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp. dried basil (I used 2 of the fresh/frozen TJ's cubes)
1/4 cup white wine
1 (14 oz.) can diced tomatoes
1/4 cup feta, crumbled
salt and pepper
Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook hilopites until just al dente (won't take long at all for such a small pasta). Drain.
Meanwhile, in a skillet or a small dutch oven, heat the olive oil until shimmering and then add the onions and cook until transulent. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant. Then, add the white wine and reduce by half. Stir in the tomatoes, oregano, red pepper flakes, basil, and salt and pepper. Simmer for a few minutes to combine the flavors.
Off the heat, stir in the shrimp and the hilopites. Move the mixture to a small baking dish (unless you are using a dutch oven; if so just keep it like that) and top with the feta. Bake about 10-12 minutes or until the shrimp has cooked through.
Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 422 / Fat: 11g / Carbs: 46g / Protein: 28g
As I mentioned, there are so many great blogging events going on right now and sadly, I haven't had the chance to participate in as many as I would like. Thankfully, though, Barbara at Winos and Foodies extended the deadline for this year's Taste of Yellow, so I was able to sneak a submission in tonight before going out of town tomorrow. If you haven't already participated in LiveSTRONG Taste of Yellow 2008, definitely try to!
I picked up some yellow squash the other day, and sort of decided what I was going to do with it about 5 minutes before cooking it. The filling consists of ingredients I always have around, and that I love in combination with one another. Plus, I think it makes for something quite pretty!
Taste of Yellow is to show your support of LiveSTRONG Day 2008, which is May 13. Cancer. It's one of those things that I feel affects nearly everyone in some way, unfortunately. It hit me the hardest as a freshman in high school when my grandfather was diagnosed with colon cancer.
I lived with my grandparents from when I was 3 years old until I was 10 years old. They were obviously like a second set of parents to me. My yiayia (grandma) and pappou (grandpa) took me on their biannual vacations, gave me my first job as a "hostess" at their restaurant, and, well, made me talk to anyone who called because they couldn't speak good English :) Speaking of poor English, one of my earliest memories is of my pappou yelling at my preschool teacher. See, when I started preschool I was armed with a very small set of English words as I spoke Greek to my whole family. I was also armed with quite a temper and stubbornness (some things never change). One day, we were supposed to be napping in cots. I was not used to taking naps in the afternoon and I tried to let my teacher know that. The teacher, increasingly frustrated with me, eventually dragged my cot (and me) out to the hallway and made me sit there for the rest of the afternoon. When my pappou came to pick me up and saw me crying in the hallway, he was absolutely furious. You can imagine the the screaming in incredibly broken English that ensued.
I was alway close with both my grandparents, but my pappou and I shared a special bond. I was the typical spoiled only grandchild, but it was so much more than that. We always had a good time together, and he loved me more than anyone. I'd stay up waiting for him to come home from the restaurant and practically every night, like clockwork, he would eat a steak and drink some ouzo. So now you know where I get my adoration for both steak and ouzo :)
When my pappou was diagnosed with cancer, it was obviously a scary thing for me but more than anything, I assumed he would pull through it. My grandpa was tough. He was a big guy. He came from Greece on a boat and became successful in the States. He raised me in addition to raising three of his own children. Cancer? He could beat cancer! Unfortunately, that wasn't the case. Watching someone you love so much get weaker, get thinner and just get sicker as the cancer spread is something I hope I never have to go through again. My pappou lost his battle with cancer in 1995. It was devastating. And, it's still devastating. I still think about him all of the time, and I often wish he were here to share so many things with me. On our wedding day, Tom and I wore the "stefana" (crowns prevalent during an Orthodox ceremony) that my yiayia and pappou wore on their wedding day in 1959. It was a way for him to be there with me on my special day, and I know that he is still "here" for me on other special days. Or maybe on a day that doesn't even seem that special...watching over me, wondering why I am eating chicken and drinking wine when I could be having a piece of steak with a shot of ouzo instead.
Mediterranean Squash Boats
2 yellow squash
a little olive oil
1/4 cup sundried tomatoes, chopped
2 Tbsp. fresh basil, chopped
2 Tbsp. pine nuts, toasted
1 large clove garlic, finely minced or pressed
2 oz. goat cheese, crumbled
drizzle of balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper
fresh parsley or additional basil for topping (optional)
Preheat the oven to 375.
Wash and scrub the squash, and then cut lengthwise. Scoop out the "meat" of the squash, chop it, and put it in a bowl. To the bowl, add the sundried tomatoes, basil, pine nuts, garlic and salt and pepper to taste.
Brush the outside of the squash with a little olive oil (or spray with a Misto) and sprinkle the insides lightly with salt and pepper. Fill the zucchini with the mixture from the bowl. Drizzle each piece with a little balsamic vinegar. Top with the crumbled goat cheese. Bake for about 20 minutes or until zucchini is tender and cheese is warm.
There are so many great, inspiring blog events being hosted right now. One of those (that I am posting about just under the wire!) is hosted by Holly, the Phe/MOM/enon, to raise awareness of the Little Wonders March for Babies. Be sure to check out her Blogging for Babies event. Even if you don't have time to participate, it is definitely inspiring to read her story and possibly help to reach her donation goal, if you can. Thanks, Holly, for sharing your story!
A couple of weeks ago I had dinner with a coworker at Tallulah and it was great. For dessert, I had the pistachio cheesecake with tart cherry compote and it was fab. The cheesecake was a little firmer than usual and I loved that the pistachio flavor was in the filling and not in the topping or crust. It also helps that I love anything with pistachios or pistachio flavored (especially ice cream and pudding) and I love cherries.
So, I set out to make something similar. All I did here was take a basic cheesecake and add toasted/chopped pistachios to it. I wanted to add pistachio extract to it but I couldn't find it at any store and I didn't really feel like ordering it online, considering I probably wouldn't use it often and it cost twice as much to ship as it did to buy. But if I make this again, I will definitely use pistachio extract because mine was not quite as pistachio-y as the one at the restaurant, and I would like it to be.
I have a hodge podge of mini pans, so I used 2 tart pans that are about 4 or 4.5" and 2 smaller 2" tartlettes. Next time I'd just use two of the larger ones and make them a little thicker.
I'm hoping for one more blog entry before leaving for Michigan this week to spend some time with my family for Greek Easter. I have been so busy and haven't been making my usual rounds of blogs, so I apologize. I'm not ignoring you!
Pistachio Cheesecake
Makes 2 4" tarts; double to make 9x13 pan of bars or quadruple to make a standard cheesecake in a 9" springform pan (you will probably only need to double the graham crackers, though)
3.5 graham cracker sheets
2 Tbsp. butter, melted
1 (8 oz.) packge cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup + 1 Tbsp. granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract (or pistachio extract)
1 egg
1/4 cup toasted and finely chopped pistachios
*I really don't have a recipe for the compote. I just threw some cherries, a little sugar, and a splash of water and a drizzle of in a saucepan and called it a day*
Preheat the oven to 350. (If you are using a springform pan, wrap foil around the bottom and up the edges.)
Crush the graham crackers in the bowl of a food processor (or put in a plastic bag and then beat with a heavy object :). Stir in the butter. Press the graham cracker picture into the tart pans to form a crust. Bake for about 7-10 minutes (depending on the size of your pans) or until it's aromatic and golden brown. Set aside to cool.
Beat the cream cheese until fluffy. Add the sugar and vanilla and beat until incorporated. Beat in the egg. Fold the pistachios into the mixture. Pour the mixture over the cooled tart pans.
Pour hot water in a large baking dish. If you are using a springform pan, place it inside the pan with the water (it should come up about halfway) and then place in the oven. If you are doing bars or mini tarts, place the hot water on the bottom of the oven and then place your tarts on the rack above it. Cook until the edges are set and puffed, but the middle still jiggles slightly (about 13 minutes for the 2" tarts and 16 minutes for the 4" ones). Set aside to cool completely, and then refrigerate before serving.
Want to know more about Little Wonders March for Babies Team? Fantastic!! Here is the Team Page. Any amount that you can sponsor is extremely appreciated. Please, please help spread the word and sponsor Little Wonders if you can! Thank you!
Thanks to the great response from my first Eat to the Beat blogging event as well as some feedback from readers, I am excited to bring the event back! As of now, I plan on making this a quarterly event. If I start getting a huge amount of response (which would be great!) I may seek out a cohost (so feel free to "apply" by shooting me an email). There are SO many great blogging events out there right now (in fact, I have 4 I want to participate in within the next week and I just don't think I will make most of them, sadly), that I thought quarterly deadlines might be better in terms of flexibility for bloggers.
This year's remaining deadlines are below. I will try to post the round-ups the week after the deadlines and, if you've sent me your submission by that deadline, it will be included in that particular round-up. If you send it after that date, I will just roll it over into the next round-up. Sound good?
2008 Deadlines:
Monday, June 30
Tuesday, September 30
Tuesday, December 30
So, here's a refresher course.
For EttB, please make and blog about a food or drink that somehow relates to a song, an album, a band, etc. Maybe you'll create a dish based on a song's literal lyrics about food. Perhaps you'll allude to a band's name in your creation (Smashing Pumpkin bread, anyone?). Maybe your favorite band is from Poland or your favorite song is about Chicago, and you want to blog about popular cuisine in those locations. Were you listening to a particular song as you were cooking or eating a specific dish? As long as you explain why the food/drink you have chosen to make reminds you of something musical, it works for this event. From "On Top of Spaghetti" to "The Spaghetti Incident;" from Pearl['s] Jam to "She Don't Use Jelly," the possibilities are endless.
In your entry (which you can post at ANY time), please mention this event and also include a link back to this URL. Then, email me at ellysaysopa [at] gmail [dot] com, and include your:
-name
-blog name and URL
-permanent link to your entry for this event
-where you live
-picture of your food or drink (as an attachment or as a URL within your email)
If you don't have a blog, no worries! Just send me an email with a picture of your food/drink and the story behind why you chose to make it.
I will send you a response email within 2-3 days of your submission. If you don't get it, that means I didn't get your submission. I try to check my spam as carefully as possible, but things sometimes slip through the cracks. So, email me again or leave me a comment here to make sure I get it.
I look forward to your submissions! Happy blogging, eating, and music-listening to all.
First, a little TCB/taking care of business. I'm working on bringing Eat to the Beat back. I think it will be a quarterly thing where I make a deadline every 3 months or so. If you miss that deadline, your entry will just roll over to the next round-up. I've just been lazy about posting it, but I promise to do that soon. So, get your thinking caps on! I'm so excited to see everyone's submissions, so I hope you will all take part!
Also, since Vox only lets me put 5 personal links on my page, I decided to make a post with some of my favorite blogs. You can access it here, or I've now put it as the sole link on my left sidebar, <---- over there. This was next to impossible because I follow something crazy like 200 food blogs in my Google reader, so I had to pare down the list a bit. That said, if I visit you a lot and I missed your blog (because, let's face it, despite being young I am quite forgetful), just let me know and I will add you.
Speaking of Vox, I have been trying (unsuccessfully) to move to a different blogging service because of the limitations/annoyances here, but haven't had any luck yet. A lot of sites will import blogger, Wordpress, etc. but not Vox and, as I said earlier, I am lazy--so I don't want to copy and paste well over 200 posts. In the meantime, I want to apologize for everyone who has problems commenting, signing in, etc.. I know it's annoying that you need to sign up with Vox to begin with and then when your comment doesn't work, or gets cut off...grr. So thanks to those of you who have been persistent in commenting or letting me know you read my blog via email, even though Vox has been quite craptastic in that regard.
Now for a little BBB (black bean burger, that is). I admit that it is very, very rare for me to make a dinner that doesn't have some sort of meat in it. Tom and I are the epitome of carnivores. Even when I make something like spinach pie, I make a piece of grilled chicken (or something) to eat with it. It's not only about taste and being full, but also making sure I eat enough protein. So, when I told Tom I was making black bean burgers he was (rightfully) perplexed. "On a Thursday?" he asked (assuming the reason had to do with lent, or some other day of the week where people don't eat meat, I guess).
The truth is, I am trying to use what I have around and well, I always have a can of beans or two around. What I didn't have around was any thawed meat. I was looking around and saw two recipes from Cooking Light for black bean patties/burgers so I decided to take that idea and adapt both a little for what is below.
These turned out quite tasty. I thought the patties were pretty small and wouldn't fill me up but I guess the fiber in the beans, mixed with the bun (and the huge salad I had) did because I was stuffed. I topped these with a little salsa, some habanero cheddar (from Whole Foods and oh so tasty) and a dollop of sour cream.
Black Bean Burgers
Makes 4 burgers
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 egg
1 jalapeno, minced
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. cumin
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
1/4 cup grated or finely diced onion
1/4 cup cornmeal
salt and pepper to taste
Place about 1/4 of the can of beans and the egg in a food processor and pulse until combined.
In a bowl, place the remaining beans and mash lightly with a fork. Stir in processed beans, jalapeno, oregano, cumin, garlic, onion, cornmeal and salt and pepper to taste. Mix until just combined.
Form the mixture into 4 patties. Heat a skillet or grill pan over medium heat and spray with cooking oil. Cook the patties approximately 3 minutes per side or until browned and heated through.
Nutritional Information (patties only): Calories: 130 / Fat: 1.9g / Carbs: 21.4g / Fiber: 6.1g / Protein: 7.7g
A few weeks ago, I went to Greektown with my friend for dinner. I was meeting her there and was a little early, so I decided to duck into the Greek market. I hardly ever go there because it's really out of the way and it always seems to be closed when I'm in the area. Whenever I go, I tend to stock up on...well, cheese, primarily. (And, shh, don't tell but I prefer the Bulgarian feta to the Greek kind).
At any rate, when I was browsing the aisles for long, tubular noodles for making pastitsio, I came across hilopites and just about ran up to the clerk to hug him. I had never seen them there before, and I have been wanting (and searching for) hilopites for a while now. Hilopites are small, square egg noodles. When I was young, about 90% of my diet consisted of things with hilopites and soups made with fithe (or is it fide? Or...I can never type Greek words in English. But, it's similar to vermicelli.)
Hilopites are just one of those things that are so nostalgic for me. To be honest, more than anything, they bring back memories of what a picky eater I was. I remember visiting Greece and begging my great aunt to make me plain broth with fide or hilopites every day I was there. I probably haven't eaten them in a good 15 years. So maybe now you understand why I was SO excited to find them!
This recipe is really nothing new. It's similar to my manestra but with a little added spice. I make something like this very often, both with beef and with chicken (dark meat). Sometimes I just serve the sauce over spaghetti instead of cooking pasta along with the meat. Sometimes I use allspice and bay instead of cinnamon and cloves. But I always top it with myzithra :)
You'll have to excuse the monotone picture, here. I forgot to put the extra parsley on before photographing!
Beef with Hilopites
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 lb. beef, cut into 1" pieces
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. dried or about 3 Tbsp. fresh parsley
3 Tbsp. tomato paste
3 cups water
1/4 heaping tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 lb. hilopites
salt and pepper
Heat olive oil in a deep saute pan. Season the beef with salt and pepper and then add to the oil to brown, in batches if necessary. Remove with a slotted spoon.
Add the onion to the pan and cook until translucent. Stir in the garlic and parsley (if you are using dried) and saute an additional minute before adding the tomato paste. Cook off the tomato paste for about 30 seconds, and then add the water. Be sure to scrape all the browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Add the cinnamon, cloves, and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil and then add the beef back in. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for about an hour or really as long as you'd like (the longer you simmer, the more tender the beef gets).
Add the hilopites and simmer, uncovered, until done, stirring occasionally. If you are using fresh parsley add it around the same time as you add the hilopites.
You know, for a foodie, I can be pretty picky. I'm not crazy about most seafood. I hate mayonnaise. The smell of cauliflower alone is enough to make me cringe. And I don't like fruit mixed with my meat.
I'm working on the last one. I've never been one of those pork-chops-and-applesauce-people; never the fan of fruit in a salads. But, lately I have been eating a lot of salads with fresh & dried fruit in them, and I even added some raisins to my Moroccan chicken and lentils. And I loved it. So, I decided I could venture even further into the world of fruit and meat and make chicken with a fruit sauce.
This Cooking Light recipe for raspberry-balsamic chicken has gotten rave reviews, so I thought I'd start there. I changed the method very slightly and settled for blackberry preserves instead of raspberry since the blackberry preserves were seedless and I felt the deeper flavor would go even better with the thyme and balsamic.
This turned out quite tasty! Now, I am not a 100% convert. I liked this, but I still didn't LOVE it. I think if you love fruit and chicken together, this is a really great recipe, even for being so simple and basic. For me, while good, I would still rather save the preserves for my toast and the chicken for my dinner :)
Blackberry-Balsamic Glazed Chicken
adapted from Cooking Light
Serves 2
1 tsp. canola oil
2 boneless/skinless chicken breast halves
1/4 tsp. dried thyme
1/4 cup onion, diced
1.5 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
3 Tbsp. seedless blackberry preserves
salt and pepper
In a large skillet coated with cooking spray, heat the oil. Sprinkle the chicken with salt, pepper, and thyme. Add the chicken to the skillet and cook through, about 5 minutes per side. Remove from the skillet and keep warm.
Add the onions to the pan and saute until translucent. Stir in the balsamic vinegar and blackberry preserves. Stir continuously until the preserves melt. Serve the sauce over the chicken.
Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 241 / Fat: 3.7g / Carbs: 23g / Protein: 26.5g
I'm a bit of a Kashi fanatic. At about 10:50 nearly every weekday morning, I eat a Kashi granola bar. I love the TLC crackers and I especially love the party crackers. Go Lean Crunch with fruit and Greek yogurt is a fantasic snack. Even the frozen dinners are good, and I hate most frozen dinners (though it's rare for me to buy a Kashi dinner because they are really expensive). The only thing I haven't really been enamored with are the cookies, but then, who wants a healthy cookie? If I am going to eat a packaged cookie, sign me up for Oreos or Girl Scout cookies.
I'm sure you already know, but Kashi products all contain their 7 whole grain blend, plus sesame seeds. One of my favorite Kashi products is the pilaf--the 7 grains in their simplest form. "Pilaf" is a little misleading because you'd think it had some sort of flavoring in it, but it doesn't. It's just the grains. I love it but for some reason, I have a really hard time finding it. It's been ages since we've had it and when I finally saw it in the store the other day, I knew I had to pick up a box.
Like rice or any other grain, you can jazz Kashi pilaf up any way you want, of course. I will say that I increase both the cooking time and the amount of liquid slightly from the box instructions. I don't think brown rice can cook in 25 minutes. At any rate, this application of the pilaf was basically just to use up some swiss chard and mushrooms that were on the verge of going bad. Combined with the sage and the nuttiness of the pilaf, this is a really earthy, yummy side.
Kashi Pilaf
Serves 4
1 Tbsp. butter
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
8 oz. cremini mushrooms, sliced
1 envelope (1 cup) Kashi pilaf
2.5 cups (scant) chicken broth or vegetable broth
2 cups swiss chard, coarsely chopped
3 Tbsp. fresh sage, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
In a large saucepan, melt the butter. Add the onion and cook until translucent. Stir in the garlic and mushrooms and cook an aditional 2 minutes or so, so they mushrooms begin to lose their moisture. Stir in the pilaf and coat it with the butter.
Add the chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Simmer, covered, for about 30 minutes or until the grains are just about cooked. Stir in the swiss chard and finish cooking, uncovered, an additional couple minutes until the grains are tender and the chard has wilted. Stir in the sage and salt & pepper to taste, if necessary.
Originally, I had wanted to make a really simple pasta with some grilled steak, goat cheese, tomatoes and fresh basil. But, as I find way too often, the basil at my grocery store looked horrible and Trader Joe's was all out (Seriously? I don't think I have seen basil at TJ's in 8 or 9 months). So, onto Plan B.
In the event that I find basil that doesn't look awful, it inevitably comes in a large amount that Tom and I just never get through. So, I make a batch of pesto, which I freeze in small portions. Pesto freezes beautifully, and it's a great thing to have around for adding some oomph to anything from fish, to potatoes, and of course pasta.
That said, this isn't really much of a recipe so I debated whether or not to even include it in my blog. But hey, why not? If anything, maybe it will give someone a simple pasta idea or convince them to freeze some pesto. :)
For this dish, I took a pint of grape tomatoes and sauteed them in just a little olive oil (with salt and pepper) until they started to burst. I tossed those with some whole wheat penne, the pesto, and a steak I cooked and thinly sliced.
Voila!
I'm also submitting this to Ruth over at Presto Pasta Night.
