I go about making my meatloaf like this:
Take one pound of ground up meat (tonight is turkey), add 1/4 cup bread crumbs, 1 egg, some garlic powder, black pepper, 1 small can of green chilies, 1/4 cup bbq sauce. Smoosh it all together, dump in a loaf pan and cook at 375 for around an hour.
Pies have a great part in Greek tradition, we make them for holidays, funerals, memorials, Christmas, Easter, as a main dish as an appetiser, or as a dessert. There are also sweet pies, such as Bougatsa (cream pie).
I made Spanakopita (Spinach pie) yesterday, with home made leaves and fresh spinach. For a big pan you will need:
750gr Flour for pies (26oz, or 1.6lbs, approx. 6 cups)
1 kg (2.2lbs) fresh spinach
5-6 fresh onions (the green ones)
about 100gr (3.5oz) anise finelly chopped
500gr (17.5oz, a little over a pound) feta cheese
2 tbsp vinegar
olive oil
Cold water/salt pepper
In a large pan fill with water until in the middle, wash the spinach thoroughly and add to the cold water, light the kitchen scald the spinach in hot water until soft (dont boil the water and make sure the leaves are nice and green, not over boiled) take off the spinach wait a little and then squeeze all the water out.
In a pan put some olive oil, the onions (chopped) and the anise, stir fry, add spinach and mix well, add salt and pepper, turn off the heat and leave the pan without cover.
Prepare the leaves.
Make a dough with flour, water, and vinegar, has to be soft and not sticky, if the water is cold the dough is better, separate in 18 small balls. Using a rolling pin make small pitas puting three of them one over the other with olive oil in the middle (Pita-oil-pita-oil-pita) that will give you six triplets of pitas. sprad olive oil in a pan, preheat the oven at 180C (I think 350F)
Take the first triplet and with the rolling pin make a big pastry leaf (must cover the pan), put it in the pan, spread olive oil make second leave, spread olive oil, make third leave, add the spinach mix and feta cheese crumbs until well covered, continue with the rest of the leaves (three at bottom three on top) Turn the leaves edges on the inside of the pan (they make a yummy crust after bake) Spread olive oil and some milk on top of the pie and cut it in square pieces.
Bake for an hour or until brownish.
Tip in order to prevent the leaves from sticking on the kitchen counter you can spread some corn flour on the counter.
Tip, if you use cold carbonated water for the dough it will become more crunchy.
Tip, find a rolling pin that suits you I prefer something like this
which is made of wood but a plastic one will do the same job.
(imperial measures are editor's estimates - results may vary)Broccoli Beef Bake
Brown ground meat and cook rice according to package. Mix all ingredients in casserole dish and bake at 350° until heated through.
Cheesburger Macaroni Casserole
Boil noodles and brown ground meat. Mix all ingredients together in casserole dish and bake at 350° until cheese is melted.
1 tbsp butter(unsalted)
2 ripe bananas, peeled and sliced
125ml/ 4 fl oz orange juice
1 tsp soft dark brown suger (or I use palm sugar)
Melt butter in a skillet. When it is sizzling, add banana slices and cook for about one minute, until slightly softened. Add orange juice, then sugar. Stir with wooden spoon or spatula and cook for a few seconds, just until the sauce is thickened and bubbling. Serve warm with a little whipped cream, natural yoghurt or creme fraiche.
Serves 2 little boys and a Mummy (I get the rejects/overboards/leftovers).
Chocolate oatmeal no bake cookie
2 tbsp cocoa powder
2 cups sugar
1/2 Cup evaporated milk
4oz butter
1tsp vanilla
1/2 c chopped pecans (optional)
2 cups of quick oats
Conbine cocoa, sugar, milk, butter and boil. Turn down and add vanilla, pecans and oats.
Sometimes you have to add more oats than it calls for, so be prepared with some more near by.
Peanut butter fudge:
2 cups sugar
2/3 cup milk
1c marshmellow fluff
1c peanut butter
1tsp vanilla
Boil the sugar and milk. Remove from heat. Stir in the other stuff. Pour in a buttered glass baking pan
It makes a lot and is always great as a side dish, but it can also serve as the main dish as a Mexican-type chili.
Best Tortilla Soup
1 tblsp vegetable oil [increase to 3 if needed]
8 (soft) corn tortillas, chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 medium onion, chopped
1 can (28 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
2 tablespoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon chili powder
3 bay leaves
6 cups chicken stock [broth is fine]
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 to 6 cooked chicken breast halves, shredded (about 2 cups)
Heat oil in a dutch oven over medium heat. Add tortillas, garlic, cilantro, and onion. Saute 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in tomatoes. Bring to a boil and add cumin, chili powder, bay leaves, and chicken stock. Return to a boil. Reduce heat. Add salt and cayenne. Simmer 30 minutes. Remove bay leaves and stir in chicken. Reheat. Garnish with monterey jack, avocado, sour cream, and tortilla strips
Serves 6 (1.5 cup servings)
5 WW points with reduced oil, not counting garnish
Option: at end add lime juice & cilantro. Add corn. Replace chicken w/black beans.
Roasted Chicken & Vegetables
¾ cup coarsely chopped sweet red pepper
½ cup slivered fennel bulb
2 Tbsp chopped ripe olives
2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
1 ½ tsp olive oil
12 small round red potatoes, quartered
3 large shallots, peeled and halved lengthwise
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tsp minced fresh sage
½ tsp coarsely ground pepper
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp paprika
2 (4-oz) skinned, boned chicken breast halves
vegetable cooking spray
1 ½ tsp olive oil
2/3 cup canned low-sodium chicken broth, undiluted
Fresh rosemary sprigs (optional)
Combine first 8 ingredients in a bowl; toss well, and set aside.
Combine sage and next 3 ingredients and rub over both sides of chicken breasts. Coat a large oven-proof skillet with cooking spray; add 1 ½ tsp oil, and place over medium-high heat until hot. Add chicken breasts; cook 1 minute on each side or until browned. Remove chicken from skillet, and set aside.
Remove skillet from heat. Add vegetable mixture to skillet; stir well. Return chicken breasts to skillet, nestling them into vegetables; bake, uncovered, at 450degrees for 20 minutes. Remove chicken breasts from skillet; stir vegetables, scraping bottom of skillet to loosen browned bits. Return chicken breasts to skillet; reduce oven temperature to 375degrees, and bake 15 additional minutes.
Spoon vegetable mixture evenly onto 2 serving plates, and place a chicken breast half on each plate. Add chicken broth to skillet; bring to a boil over high heat, and cook 1 minute, scraping bottom of skillet to loosen browned bits. Spoon sauce evenly over chicken. Garnish with rosemary sprigs, if desired. Yield: 2 servings (serving size: 1 chicken breast half, 1 1/3 cups vegetables, and 3 tablespoons sauce).
Calories 403 (24% from fat); Protein 33.6g; Fat 10.6g (sat 1.6g); Carbohydrate 45.0g; Fiber 5.0g; Cholesterol 66mg; Iron 6.1mg; Sodium 490mg; Calcium 107mg
2 cans diced tomatoes with jalepenos, drained
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can corn, drained
One block of firm tofu
Sliced olives
a few dashes of cayenne pepper
Put everything in a big pot and cook it on medium-lo for about half an hour. Help the tofu along a bit by poking at it with your spoon when your stir - it ends up breaking apart into small pieces, not entirely melting in like soft would.
Serve in bowls topped with shredded cheese and sour cream. Mmm, the sour cream is a must. Not because it doesn't taste good without it, but because it tastes heavenly WITH.
Tacoritos
1 lb ground beef
1 onion
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can of cream of chicken soup
1 can of enchilada sauce
1 bag of shredded cheese
1 package of soft flour tortillas
sour cream
(lettuce and chopped tomato if desired)
In a sauce pan combine both soups and the enchilada sauce. Whisk together and simmer on low until blended and saucy!
In a skillet add chopped onion and ground beef.
Cook and then drain.
Use a 9x13 pan. Take a tortilla and put some ground beef and onion in there. Fold it or roll it over and place in the pan. Keep doing this until the pan is full. Dump any left over beef on top. Pour sauce mixture on top. Top with cheese. Bake in oven at 350 until the cheese melts, about 10-20 min. Serve with sour cream. You can also serve it with lettuce and chopped tomatoes.
Put a tri-tip in the crockpot.
Cover with some cream of mushroom soup.
Cook for 6 hours on low (I should have gone a little longer so it would have shredded.)
When done: Cook egg noodles, and saute some mushrooms. Combine w/some butter and pepper
Add cornstarch to "gravy" in crockpot to thicken.
Serve meat and gravy over noodles.
Call it the poor man's...something. I'm sure it's similar to something real. It's not too shabby though!
, lemon juice, and balsamic vinegar.
New Potato Curry (Judith Finlayson's 150 Best Slow Cooker Recipes)
2 T clarified butter or veg oil
1 lb small new potatoes
2 onions, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp curry, preferably Madras
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cracked peperrcorn
1/2 c water or chicken stock
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 chopped cilantro
Heat butter or oil over medium high heat. Add potatoes and cook just till they begin to brown. Transfer to slow cooker.
Back to stove, reduce heat to medium, add onions and cook till softened. Add garlic, curry powder, salt and pepper. Cook for 1 minute. Add water or stock, bring to a boil and pour over potatoes.
Cook on low for 8-10 hours or high for 4-5 till the potatoes are tender. Stir in lemon juice and garnish with cilantro.
Stifado
| 1 | large rabbit, jointed |
| 2 | tablespoons tomato paste |
| 2 | bay leaves |
| 4 | tablespoons red wine vinegar (balsamic also works nicely) |
| 1/2 | cup olive oil |
| 1/3 | teaspoon sugar |
| 4 | cloves garlic, roughly chopped |
| 1 | small cinnamon stick (about a 3-inch length) |
| salt and black pepper | |
| 4 | whole allspice |
| 1 | sprig rosemary |
| 2/3 | cup red wine |
| 1 1/4 | cups hot water |
| 11/2 | lbs white pearl onions, peeled,left whole |
In a bowl, pour wine (or vinegar) and oil over the pork and toss to coat. Sprinkle salt, pepper, and oregano, and toss again. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
Using 8 inch skewers, thread approximately 6 pieces of meat on each. This should make about 12 skewers.
Grill the meat turning until well browned, about 15 minutes. Serve on the skewers with a squeeze of lemon.
Yield: serves 3 (4 skewers per person) as a main dish.
As a meze: To prepare this recipe as a meze, use smaller skewers (5-6 inches long) and put 3-4 pieces of meat on each to make approximately 20 skewers.
Taste tip: If you have the spice sumac in your cabinet, rub a little on the meat before adding marinade ingredients.
My big fat Greek Pastitsio recipe
(imperial measures are editor's estimates)
500gr (16oz) of really big pasta (Spaghetti No 1 or penne) I prefer Penne because it’s easier to cut
¾ kilos (1.65lbs, or 1lb 10oz) Minced meat, one quarter kilo (1/2 lb) of pork and half a kilo (1 lb) of beef (No lamb)
About 350 gr (12oz) tomato sauce (if you can make it yourself from fresh tomatoes even better.
Two large onions finely chopped
Two tablespoons of margarine and some olive oil
For Beschamel Cream
Two fresh eggs
About four full tablespoons of flour
500 gr (about 18oz, a little over a pint) fresh milk
One tablespoon of margarine
Salt
Pepper
Cinnamon
Bay leaves
Some hard cheese to put on top
Cooking
Boil the spaghetti in salty water until al dente put a table spoon of olive oil in, strain spaghetti but keep moist separate in half.
Put the margarine and onions in a pot stir fry until they get brownish, add mincemeat and stir fry until there are no clots (must look almost cooked) add tomato, salt, pepper, some cinnamon, two bay leaves and a glass of water and cook until there is more mince than water (cooking time differs) Remove the bay leaves.
On a medium size pan put half of the spaghetti at the bottom, then all the mince and then the other half
In a small pot put margarine to melt and then add flour cook a little and then add milk start stirring at the same direction until it gets creamy (must be a little thick ) take off the stove and put the eggs in a plate mixing well.
Add a table spoon of the cream to the eggs, stir a little and then put the mix back in the cream. Stir until it becomes a soft and nice cream.
Put the cream on top of the spaghetti and add some cheese crumbs on top. Prefer a hard cheese such as parmesan. Bake until the top gets brown and enjoy. (Not very hot oven about 180C (350F))
We like red wine along and tomato salad with feta cheese and olives.
Risotto
This is a pretty basic recipe, but I like my small modifications so I'll share.
Cook 1 cup arborio rice, 1 or 2 cloves of garlic, and sliced mushrooms in olive oil over medium heat until the rice is slightly brown. Add about 1/2 a cup to 1 cup of white wine, lower heat a bit, and stir. (Wine's optional).
In the meantime, heat up about 3 cups of chicken broth (or veggie broth if you swing that way). Once the wine is absorbed, pour the broth about 1/2 a cup at a time. Stir. Each time you add broth, add one of the following: carrots, peppers, asparagus, olives. Stir. Keep stirring. At the end, add walnuts, a dash or two of Worchestireshire sauce (either for chicken or meat, both are good), and a few sprinkles of lemon juice. Stir in some parma cheese and some shredded muenster.
Sarah's Sensational Fruit and Walnut Salad
Sliced strawberries
Blueberries
Mandarin orange slices
Jicama (sliced thin)
Walnuts
Green peppers
Carrots
Cherry tomatoes
Spinach or green leaf lettuce (or both!)
Goat cheese crumbles (or better yet, crumble some yourself off the block)
Goes GREAT with Brianna's Blush Vinaigrette - yum! You can use almonds or some other nut if you prefer.
Preparation (It will take about 15 minutes)
Making (It will take about 10 minutes)
I realize that there are no measurements, but everyone makes it differently so I figure a little trial & error never hurt. I got this from my MIL who is a great cook.
To prepare sauce, combine yogurt, lemon juice, tahini, and 1 garlic clove, stirring mixture with a whisk. Spread about 1 1/2 tablespoons tahini sauce into each pita half. Fill each pita half with 1 lettuce leaf, 2 tomato slices, and 2 patties
Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 2 stuffed pita halves)Greek Alert!! Tonight is Sunday and our dinner is
Goat ribs (very famous in Greece) marinated in lemon and virgin olive oil with oregano and pepper, with fresh potatoes in the oven, backed with lemon juice, virgin olive oil onions, garlic and oregano. Greek feta cheese and fresh tomato and cucumber salad.
Goat ribs in Greek are called Paedakia (Pa-ee-da-kee-a)
I'm doing pork chops in the crockpot. I browned them in the skillet with a little oil then put them in the crock. Then I added thinly sliced Gala and Granny Smith apples that I had tossed with lemon juice, cinnimon and brown sugar.
I'll probably serve it with stuffing and corn.
Carrie later added: It did turn out pretty well. The only thing I think I would have done differently is add a bit of white sugar towards the end so the apples were a bit sweeter and then right before serving I should have pulled out the chops and used an immersion blender to puree the apples and juice, adding a bit of corn starch to thinken it up a bit. It would have worked as a topping for the chops a lot better that way. As it was, the sauce was kind runny.Boil a one pound box of elbows or other appropriate mac & cheese noodle.
In a bowl, mix 1 brick of cream cheese, half stick of butter, half cup of milk, garlic powder, essence of emeril, salt, pepper. Microwave for 30-60 secs so that it thins out and can be stirred, a little bit thinner than sour cream, not as thin as milk. Then I add 1.5 lbs of shredded cheese--today I used pepper jack, it's all I had.
When you stir in the noodles they should be wet and cool--you don't want the cheese to melt while stirring it all together. Bake covered at 350 for 45 minutes.
The way I cooked it is called "Chuckwagon Pot Roast" in our recipe book. First, brown the roast in 3 Tbsp. oil. Brown it on each side and the ends, too. Then take the roast out of the skillet, and use oil/drippings to make gravy. Add 3 Tbsp. flour,stir it until it browns, and add 1 cup water and 1 cup milk. Cook until it thickens. Then I add Kitchen Bouquet to make it brown, but that's not part of the recipe! (The recipe does call for adding a beef boullion cube to the gravy.)
In roast pan, put roast and 2 medium onions (quartered) and carrots, if you like. Pour gravy over roast and vegetables. Cover, and cook at 350 for oh, a couple of hours. Then, add potatoes (I like peeled whole potatoes) about 2 hours before you are ready to serve.
Check on it in the middle and make sure there's still plenty of liquid.
Usually, it turns out pretty good. DH usually takes it out of the oven and takes out the meat and veggies, pours the gravy back into the skillet, and makes more gravy. I don't know exactly how he does that, though, sorry!
I know roast can be done in the crockpot, I've tried it with cream of celery soup and it wasn't too bad.
I've also got a pork loin in the crock pot for tonight!
I rubbed it with oil, garlic and cumin.
In a few hours I'm going to add a mixture of diced tomatillos, cliantro, lime juice, garlic, salt & jalapeno peppers. Yum!
I'll let it cook for a few more hours and then serve it with rice and beans!In a baking dish or casserole, combine...
1 envelope Lipton Recipe Secrets Savory Herb & Garlic
2/3 cup chopped spinach (I use fresh baby spinach chopped in the food processor)
1 egg
8 oz. sour cream (you can use light)
8 oz. ricotta cheese (you can use part-skim)
2 oz. shredded mozzerella (again, part-skim is fine)
2 oz. shredded cheese for tacos, or Mexican cheese, or just cheddar works fine
2 dashes worchestershire sauce
Top with another 2 oz. of mozzerella
Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. You can brown the topping cheese under the broiler if you like after that (when I do it, it always gets too hard to pierce with a chip, though).
Beware doubling the recipe - it comes out a little too thin. I think one and a half eggs might be the trick.
This is usually a big hit.
Roast Chicken Provençale
Cooking Light, OCTOBER 2002
Thinking of roasting a chicken? Think big. Large roasters have a greater proportion of meat to bone, and leftovers are a time-saver. Look for herbes de Provence, a combination of dried herbs (basil, lavender, marjoram, rosemary, sage, savory, and thyme), in the spice section of supermarkets. Rubbing the flavorful paste under the skin means even though the skin is discarded, the meat keeps the flavor.
2 tablespoons dried herbes de Provence
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 (7-pound) roasting chicken
1 small onion, quartered
Cooking spray
1/3 cup Sauvignon Blanc or other dry white wine
2/3 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon chilled butter, cut into small pieces
Preheat oven to 400°.
Combine first 5 ingredients in a small bowl; mash to a paste consistency.
Remove and discard giblets and neck from chicken. Rinse chicken with cold water; pat dry. Trim excess fat. Starting at neck cavity, loosen skin from breast and drumsticks by inserting fingers, gently pushing between skin and meat.
Rub seasoning mixture under loosened skin. Place onion in body cavity. Lift wing tips up and over back; tuck under chicken. Tie legs together with string.
Place chicken, breast side up, on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Insert a meat thermometer into breast, making sure not to touch bone. Bake at 400° for 1 hour and 20 minutes or until thermometer registers 180°. Remove chicken from pan. Cover with foil, and let stand 10 minutes. Discard skin.
Place a zip-top plastic bag inside a 2-cup glass measure. Pour pan drippings into bag; let stand 5 minutes (the fat will rise to the top). Seal bag; carefully snip off 1 bottom corner of bag. Drain drippings into pan, stopping before fat layer reaches opening; discard fat.
Place pan over medium-high heat. Stir in wine, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Add broth; bring to a boil. Cook until reduced to 2/3 cup (about 3 minutes). Remove from heat; add butter, stirring with a whisk until well blended. Serve sauce with chicken.
Yield: 12 servings (serving size: 4 ounces chicken and about 1 tablespoon sauce)
NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 204(37% from fat); FAT 8.4g (sat 2.6g,mono 3.1g,poly 1.7g); PROTEIN 28.2g; CHOLESTEROL 86mg; CALCIUM 25mg; SODIUM 433mg; FIBER 0.3g; IRON 1.7mg; CARBOHYDRATE 1g
This time I'm topping it with a yummy fresh mango salsa (nothing out of the jar for us!)
Diced mango, red pepper, red onion, lime juice, cilantro and ginger!Crockpot Barbeque Ribs
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes, crumbled
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger root
1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke
1 cup chili sauce
1/4 green onions, chopped
4lb spareibs, cut into individual ribs
In medium bowl, combine all ingredients except ribs. Dip each rib into sauce or brush on both sides.
Place ribs in slow cooker. Pour remaining sauce over ribs in pot. Cover and cook on low 5 to 6 hours.
I mix it all together before cooking; the directions are kind of ambiguous at that point. Also, it's really worth roasting the garlic since roasted garlic has a very different flavor than raw garlic. Don't skimp on the alfredo (pass on the Ragu, go for the Classico), it makes a big difference.
INGREDIENTSCombine milk and flour, stirring with a whisk until well blended. Add milk mixture to broccoli mixture. Cook 5 minutes or until slightly thick, stirring constantly. Stir in pepper. Remove from heat; add cheese, stirring until cheese melts.
Place one-third of the soup in a blender or food processor, and process until smooth. Return pureed soup mixture to pan.
Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1 1/3 cups) Heat oil in a small Dutch oven over low heat. Add garlic; cook 5 minutes or until garlic is fragrant, stirring occasionally. Remove garlic with a slotted spoon, and set aside. Increase heat to medium-high. Add beef to pan; sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook 5 minutes, browning on all sides. Remove beef from pan. Add wine to pan; bring to a boil, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Add garlic, beef, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, carrot, and next 8 ingredients (through bay leaf), and bring to a boil.
Cover and bake at 300° for 2 1/2 hours or until beef is tender. Discard bay leaf. Serve over noodles.
Note: To make in a slow cooker, prepare through Step 2. Place beef mixture in an electric slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 5 hour
