Chicken Souvlicious... OPA!!

I have always been a a huge fan of Greek food... I mean what's not to love about hummus, the amazing spicy meat, the tabbouleh... delish! have been honing my gyro-creating skills over a few iterations now and I think I finally have a great, simple recipe that you can throw together on those nights where you want to eat healthy but don't have the energy to make it into a "big thing". Most of these things I'm sure you'll find stocked in your fridge already. And the rest... well suck it up and drive 5 min to the grocery store!!!! ... heh, sorry - that was my attempt at being a pushy Greek aunt who also wants you to eat more... or is it a pushy Italian aunt? ANYWAYS, enjoy and OPA!!


Chicken Souvlaki
(makes 4-5 gyro style sandwiches)

INGREDIENTS
Chicken Marinade
1/2 cup balsamic vinaigrette dressing
juice of one lemon wedge
1 teaspoon oregano
4-5 healthy grinds of fresh black pepper

Tzaziki Sauce
8 oz non-fat plain Greek yogurt
1/2 cucumber, seeded and chopped
juice of one lemon wedge
splash of red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh dill
3 cloves garlic

Souvlaki
1 lb chicken breast
2 roma tomatoes, cut into wedges
2 cups hearts of romaine, chopped into chunks
small red onion, thinly sliced
Italian flat-leaf parsley sprigs (optional)
4 oz crumbled feta
4-5 flatbread pita rounds (not the weird crumbly kind with pockets, get the good stuff that is more like flatbread -- Whole Foods is my go-to for this)
Extra-virgin olive oil for pitas

DIRECTIONS

• Slice chicken thinly and place in medium bowl. Coat chicken with all marinade ingredients and marinate for 30 min to an hour (or more if you'd like) but that's all the time I personally have patience for.
• In the meantime make your tzaziki sauce. I like to use my magic bullet but you can also make the sauce in a food processor. Place all ingredients in the processor and blend until smooth. Place in fridge. 
• Pre-heat oven to 350. Lightly brush olive oil on each side of pita bread rounds and cover stack of rounds in foil. Bake in oven for 10 min. 
• Once the chicken is ready to go place in a skillet and pan fry on medium heat until cooked through, draining any excessive juices.
• Now, to build your gyro, lay a piece of flatbread on each plate. Arrange pieces of chicken, romaine, tomato and red onion on top. Sprinkle a little feta and drizzle with tzaziki. Garnish with fresh ground pepper and parsley sprigs. Eat as is with knife and fork or fold in half to eat like a taco!

Valentine's Dinner

I have a LOT of "favorite" recipes, as you may notice.  This is one of them.  I started making this when I got my Cooking Light cookbook, and I am still soooooo in love with it.  It's reasonably healthy, but a bit more of a splurge than, say, baked fish.  :)  I included my serving suggestions below as well.  Enjoy!

Pork Saltimbocca with Polenta and Green Beans



For the pic, I sliced the pork chop so you could see the stuffing.



Ingredients:

--1 pkg thin-cut pork chops (about 8 pieces)

--1 pkg fontina or fontinella cheese, grated (8 oz or so)

--1 pkg sliced prosciutto (to match the 8 chops)

--4 oz sage leaves

--Flour (I use whole wheat) to dredge chops

--4 tbsp olive oil

--Salt/pepper to taste

Directions:

1.  Trim fat from chops.

2.  Lay chops flat.  Layer a slice of prosciutto across the pork chop.  Top one-half with crumbled or chopped sage leaves, then a tbsp of cheese.  Fold the chop over and secure with toothpicks.

3.  Sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper.  Dredge stuffed pork chops in flour.

4.  Heat oven to 350 deg F.  Grease pan.

5.  Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a skillet; when hot, brown 4 stuffed pork chops on all sides.  Repeat with remaining 4 pork chops.  When browned, place on pan and into preheated oven for 20 minutes to finish cooking.

For the side dishes, this is what I do while the pork chops are baking:

Green beans:

--Trim the beans and thinly slice the shallots.

--In a medium skillet, heat 1 tbsp olive oil.  Add shallots, green beans, and salt/pepper to taste; saute until tender.

Polenta:

--Add 3 cups water and 2 cubes chicken bouillon to pot.  Heat to boiling.

--Add 1 cup uncooked polenta; stir constantly until thick.  Be careful not to burn on bottom of pot. (Note - there is pre-cooked polenta in a little tube you can buy; if you do this, just follow those directions.  This is for raw polenta in a bag.)

To serve, ladle a spoonful of polenta on plate; add 1 or 2 pork chops on top.  Finish with a serving of the sauteed green beans. 

Cake Wrecks.... by Caroline

Sometimes, things just go terribly, terribly wrong.  Like tonight.  When I tried to make Mom's "green cake," only in pink.  You know, for Valentine's Day.  However, I got home late from work and threw it together while on a conference call with Singapore.  I greased the pan, but did not flour.  And this is what happened.

Hmmmm... I know it's been a few years, but this is not what I remember it looking like...

 Oh, ok - here's the rest of it.

Then I tried flipping it over.  Right... much better.

Nothing says "I love you" like a giant, jagged, pink doughnut!  Happy Valentine's Day!

If you like Green Enchiladas...

...and getting caught in the rain...  If you're not into yoga; if you have half a brain...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVdhZwK7cS8&feature=related

Okay, sorry...bad pun.  :)  Well, I DO like green enchiladas - or, enchiladas verdes - you know, chicken with the tomatillo sauce on top.  This stew is a dead ringer for that flavor, and it is so easy.  This would make enough to feed 4-6 people, or 2 with leftovers!  I changed the name a bit to reflect what I really think it tastes like, but it's heavily based on a recipe from Cooking Light, Jan/Feb 2011.

Enchiladas Verdes Posole

Ingredients

--2 Anaheim peppers

--1.5 lbs tomatillos

--1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

--1.5 tsp ground cumin

--1 tsp dried oregano

--2 cups low-sodium chicken broth, divided

--2 tbsp olive oil, divided

--1.5 cups finely chopped onion

--1/2 cup coarsely chopped celery

--1/2 cup coarsely chopped carrot

--12 cup coarsely chopped red bell pepper

--3 tbsp whole wheat flour

--4 tsp minced garlic (about 6-8 cloves)

--1.5 lb skinless, boneless chicken*, cut into 1.5" pieces

--3/4 tsp sea salt

--1/2 tsp black pepper

--30-oz can of hominy (or 2 15-oz cans), drained and rinsed

--Optional:  sour cream, cilantro, lime, avocado, cheese for garnish

*To save time, I like to buy the pre-cooked rotisserie chickens from the grocery store and de-bone them, then add the chicken to the stew.  Saves time, and I think it has a better flavor.

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to broil on high. 

2.  Halve/stem/seed the Anaheim peppers.  Line a pan with tin foil, coat with cooking spray, and broil the chiles until they are charred, about 5 minutes.  Bundle up the tin foil after roasting to contain the chiles; let them sit for 15 minutes.

3.  While peppers are sitting, skin and wash the tomatillos.  Arrange tomatillos on the same pan and broil until blackened, about 14 minutes, turning once.

4.  Combine the Anaheim peppers, tomatillos, cumin, cilantro, oregano, and 1 cup broth in a blender or food processor; blend until smooth.  Pour the tomatillo mixture in a bowl and set aside.

5.  Heat a deep skillet over medium-high heat.  Add 2 tsp olive oil and swirl to coat the pan.  Add onion, carrot, celery, and bell pepper; saute for 2 minutes.  Stir in flour; saute 2 minutes, stirring frequently.  Add garlic; saute for 30 seconds, stirring constantly.  Place onion mixture in another bowl.

6.  (At this point, you can cook your own chicken if you'd like in the pan.  Add olive oil, and brown cubes/pieces of chicken in the pan.  I prefer the de-boned rotisserie...)  Add chicken pieces to onion mixture.

7.  Add remaining 1 cup broth, tomatillo mixture, onion mixture (with chicken), and hominy in the skillet over medium-high heat; bring to a boil.  Cover, reduce, and simmer fof 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

8.  To serve, ladle posole into deep soup bowls.  Garnish with slices of lime and avocado, a dollop of sour cream, and a sprig of cilantro.

The recipe in the magazine says it's only 322 calories, without the avocado.  Delicious! 



Wait lentil you try this!

I can't compete with you ladies in the photography department, so please bear with me on that front!  This is my go-to, easy-to-remember-all-the-ingredients-and-improvise-if-you-don't-have-something, delicious Italian soup.  Compliments of Giada De Laurentiis (with a few minor modifications):

Lentil Soup

2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
1 medium onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 14 1/2-oz can diced tomatoes (I used a big Mason jar of stewed tomatoes - about 3 cups - because that's what I had!)
1 pound lentils
11 cups low-salt chicken broth (I used less because I added more tomatoes)
4-6 fresh thyme sprigs (I didn't have this so I just sprinkled dried Italian spices on the veggies)
2/3 cup dried elbow pasta
1 cup shredded Parmesan
(and I added a package of turkey pepperoni, chopped, some crushed red pepper and chopped parsley)

Heat the oil in a heavy large pot over medium heat.  Add the onion, carrots, and celery.  Add the garlic, salt, and pepper (and I sprinkled in some dried Italian seasoning) and saute until all the vegetables are tender, about 5-8 minutes.  Add the tomatoes with their juices.  Simmer until the juices evaporate a little and the tomatoes break down, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes.  Add the lentils and mix to coat.  Add the broth and stir.  Add the thyme sprigs.  (Throw in the turkey pepperoni, if you're using it.)  Bring to a boil over high heat.  Cover and simmer over low heat until the lentils are almost tender, about 30 minutes.

Stir in the pasta.  Simmer until the pasta is tender but still firm to the bite, about 8 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper, and crushed red pepper, to taste.  Sprinkle on some chopped fresh parsley if you like.

Ladle into bowls, sprinkle with Parmesan, drizzle with olive oil, and enjoy!

I make this all the time - it makes a huge pot, and it freezes well too.  I put about 1 1/2 cup portions in Ziploc freezer bags and freeze them flat (they thaw more quickly that way).  Hope you like it!

Ravioli Ramekins

This has quickly evolved into one of my FAVORITE recipes.  The method below is the absolute best way to make it, so please try it this way first.  However, it also is a very forgiving and versatile recipe; you can substitute various types of pasta and cheese, and also add your own touches (bacon, peppers, etc.) to make it your own!  This is based on a recipe from my Le Creuset cookbook; as usual, I have tweaked it to cut some of the fat and calories and fit my taste.  The actual recipe calls for homemade pesto, too, but their recipe is VERY garlicky; I'm no alliumphobe, but that was even too much for me and my husband! (Yes, I Googled the word for "fear of garlic".) 

(This picture is a variation on the recipe below, using penne pasta)

Ravioli Gratins

Ingredients (some volumes are estimated):
--3 oz reduced-fat goat cheese crumbles
--3 oz reduced-fat mozzarella cheese, shredded
--3 oz reduced-fat Parmigiano Reggiano or parmesan cheese, shredded
--3/4 cup skim milk
--2 oz pine nuts
--10 oz cheese ravioli (I use Buitoni whole-wheat 3-cheese ravioli)
--4 oz prepared pesto with basil (I use Buitoni pesto with basil)

1.  Boil a pot of lightly-salted water and pre-cook the ravioli for 1 minute.
2.  Preheat the oven to 400 deg F.
3.  Coat 4 ramekins with non-stick cooking spray.
4.  Layer the ingredients (divided evenly) in each ramekin as follows:
--Bottom layer:  Ravioli, mozzarella, pine nuts, pesto, splash of milk
--Middle layer:  Ravioli, goat cheese, pine nuts, pesto, splash of milk
--Top layer:  Ravioli, and top with Parmigiano Reggiano
5.  Bake, uncovered, for about 10 minutes, or until the tops are a golden brown.

I usually serve this with a baked chicken or pork chop and some asparagus.  One thing I want to try and haven't is to make this as a casserole with the chicken IN the dish, like thin slices baked into the casserole.  It is one of our faves now, so enjoy!

I'm the Devil, and I'm here to say...

...you have to try my Spicy Eggs!  I like things spicy (and healthy!), so I've added a few things to an old classic; I also made some substitutions to keep it healthy.  If you don't like horseradish, you can omit that and have a classic deviled egg.  These remind me of when I was a kid, helping my mom peel the hard-boiled eggs; they're one of my favorite snacks!



Spicy Deviled Eggs

Ingredients:

--6 eggs

--4 tsp fat-free Greek yogurt

--3 tsp yellow mustard

--1/4 cup minced onion

--1 tsp sweet relish

--1/2 tsp horseradish

--Splash of Tabasco

--Salt/pepper to taste

--Cayenne pepper (to dust the eggs)

1.  Boil enough water in a pot to cover the eggs; hard-boil for 10-12 minutes.

2.  Place eggs in ice water to chill; peel and discard the shells.

3.  Halve the eggs with a sharp knife; remove the yolks with a spoon and place in a small mixing bowl.

4.  Add the remaining ingredients - except the cayenne pepper - to the bowl and mix thoroughly.  Be sure to smash the yolks and blend to a smooth texture.

5.  Sprinkle the tops with cayenne pepper and serve.  (For a milder flavor, use paprika instead of cayenne.)

Makes 12 eggs.

*Note:  I can never get enough of "The Best of Will Ferrell", so please be tolerant of my endless quotes from that movie.  If you haven't seen it...you don't know what you're missing!!!

This won't give you a muffin top!

We are having a winter storm here in Houston - yes, Houston!  The roads are icy, businesses are closed, and we were expecting snow (which still hasn't come).  So I decided this was a great day for baking.  These are good for breakfast, or a winter storm snack - and this recipe is from Cooking Light, so it won't give you a muffin top!

Ingredients
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (I substituted half for whole wheat flour)
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup canned pumpkin
3/4 cup fat-free sour cream
1/3 cup fat-free milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 large egg
1 large egg white
Cooking spray
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons brown sugar

Directions
Preheat oven to 375.  Combine flour and next 8 ingredients (through salt) in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk.  Make a well in the center of the mixture.

Combine pumpkin and next 6 ingredients (through egg white); add to flour mixture, stirring just until moist.  Spoon the batter into 18 muffin cups coated with cooking spray.

Combine 1 tablespoon granulated sugar and brown sugar; sprinkle over muffins.

Bake at 375 for 25 minutes or until muffins spring back when touched lightly in center.  Remove from pans immediately; cool on a wire rack.

Now you brie it, now you don't!

Basing the recipe on a few I found online and from when a friend had made it for a party, I made baked brie for a wine and cheese night here at school and it was a HUGE hit -- the entire thing was gone in like 5 minutes, I kid you not! ... ahhh grad students, will never let you down when it comes to making food disappear :-) But ser-brie-ously, its A-mazing and perfect for superbowl parties.

Baked Brie in Puff Pastry

Ingredients

1 large wheel of brie cheese of your choice

Handful of dried cranberries

Handful of sliced almonds

1 puff pastry sheet

Serve with

Fruit preserves

Crackers

Directions

Thaw out puff pastry sheet if frozen. Pre-heat oven to 350. Chill brie in fridge 30 minutes prior to slicing. Slice brie wheel in half horizontally to make two flatter wheels of brie and place on counter rind side down. Sprinkle almonds and cranberries over one half and place the other half back on top. Place wheel in the middle of unwrapped and flattened pastry sheet -- wrap pastry sheet around brie and bundle in the middle. For decoration, make pinpoint holes around the bundle with a fork. Place in oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Dollop fruit preserves on top and serve with crackers.