MMmmmmmmm.... Meatza!

Once again, we forgot to take a picture of this, but we will for sure be making it again.


There's no need for carbs on a pizza. Make your Pizza on Meat! :)


So good. Thanks for the recipe Mark.


You can find the recipe here.

Mediterranean Chicken Packets

I love the flavors used in Greek cuisine. I saw this recipe from Proceed with Caution (Originally from EveryDay Food) This recipe was so easy to do and tasted great. We served it with roasted broccoli & garlic couscous. File this one away for a quick & easy weeknight meal.

Mediterranean Chicken Packets

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (6 to 8 ounces each)
Ground pepper
1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes, drained
4 artichoke hearts (from a 14-ounce can), quartered
12 Kalamata olives, halved and pitted
4 teaspoons capers
1/2 cup crumbled feta (2 ounces)
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning ( I used the same amount but Greek Seasoning instead of Italian )

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place four 12-inch squares of parchment paper or heavy-duty foil on a work surface. Place a chicken breast on one half of each square, leaving a 2-inch border; season with pepper.

Dividing evenly, top chicken with tomatoes, artichokes, olives, capers, and feta. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning. Fold parchment over ingredients, and crimp edges to seal.

Place packets on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until chicken is opaque throughout, 20 to 22 minutes.

Greek Chicken & Pita Bake

I’ve always loved the flavors used in Greek cooking. This is a really simple casserole that goes together quickly and has a nice flavor to it. You could very easily turn this into a vegetarian dish by sticking with the 2 zucchini and adding the tomatoes. All in all, it was a tasty dish. Enjoy!

Greek Chicken & Pita Bake


1  10 3/4-oz. can condensed cream of chicken soup
4 cups chopped cooked chicken (about 1 1/4 lbs.)
2 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/2-inch slices (I just used 1 zucchini)
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup chopped red onion
2  cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon Greek seasoning
3  6-inch pita bread rounds, torn into bite-size pieces
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups chopped plum tomatoes (I omitted the tomatoes)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine cream of chicken soup, cooked chicken, zucchini, broth, red onion, garlic and Greek seasoning; mix well. Spoon into an un-greased 9×13 baking pan or dish. (I used an 8*8)

Bake, covered, about 30 minutes or until vegetables are almost tender. Uncover and stir.
In a medium bowl, toss together pita bread pieces, feta, olives and oil. Sprinkle pita mixture and tomatoes over chicken mixture. Bake, uncovered, about 20 minutes more or until top is golden brown.

Lamb Skewers with Tahini Yogurt Sauce

I love Whole Foods.

I love lamb.

If Whole Foods lists a recipe using ground lamb, it’s got to be good, right? This was delicious. We topped it with Feta Cheese & chopped red onion. It was such a fresh tasting, light dinner. Give it a shot...



Lamb Skewers with Tahini Yogurt Sauce

8 bamboo skewers
1 pound ground lamb
8 ounces Greek style yogurt, divided
1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro
1/4 cup finely chopped yellow onions
2 tablespoons finely chopped mint
2 teaspoons Mediterranean seasoning
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons tahini
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
Salt and pepper to taste
Pita or lavash flat bread

Soak bamboo skewers in water at least 15 minutes.


Meanwhile, put lamb, 1/2 cup of the yogurt, cilantro, onions, mint, and seasoning into a medium bowl. Combine gently but thoroughly, then divide into 8 balls. Shape each ball into a long sausage shape and slide skewers through the center, lengthwise. Flatten slightly and refrigerate for up to several hours until ready to grill.

Prepare grill. Brush lamb with oil and cook over hot coals about 10 minutes, turning to brown all sides. While skewers are grilling, mix together the remaining yogurt, tahini, lemon juice, and garlic. Thin with water to make a smooth slightly thick sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Serve skewers with grilled pita or flat bread, drizzled with sauce.

Greek Chicken Thighs

I’m a big fan of Greek food. So, when this recipe from For the Love of Cooking showed up in my Google Reader, I knew I had to try it.  The only thing that I would do different next time, would be to change out the chicken thighs for boneless, skinless chicken breasts. It’s a great light dinner with a nice Mediterranean flavor to it.

Greek Chicken Thighs

2 tsp olive oil, divided

1-2 shallots, sliced into thin rings

1 clove of garlic, minced

6 boneless/skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of any fat

Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper, to taste

Garlic powder, to taste

Dried oregano, to taste

Handful of grape tomatoes

Small handful of kalamata olives, sliced in half

1/2-1 lemon juiced

Zest of one lemon

2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped (divided)

2 tbsp low fat feta cheese

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Heat 1/2 tsp of olive oil in an OVEN SAFE skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the shallot and cook, stirring frequently until soft and tender (about 2 minutes), add garlic and cook for an additional 45 seconds, stirring constantly. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Add the remaining olive oil to the same skillet and turn the heat up to medium high heat. Season the chicken thighs with salt, pepper, garlic powder and oregano to taste on each side. Once the pan is very hot, add the seasoned chicken breast to the skillet. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until the chicken is golden brown on one side, flip the chicken and add the grape tomatoes, kalamata olives, shallot and garlic mixture, lemon zest, lemon juice and half the parsley then season with sea salt and black pepper to taste.

Place in the oven and roast for 9-10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Remove from oven and sprinkle with the remaining parsley and the feta cheese. Serve and enjoy!

Roast Lamb with Peppercorn Crust

I’m not sure why, but I was really craving lamb this weekend. Maybe it was because we just had great lamb @ Fogo De Chao for Cancy’s birthday…. Or maybe I was just having a carnivorous moment. In any case, Katie has a great recipe that I used for the marinade, but I made mine in the crockpot instead of roasting in the oven. I hope you like it.

Roast Lamb with Peppercorn Crust

6 Tbsp crush dried assorted peppercorns
4 Tbsp fresh rosemary leaves
2 Tbsp fresh mint leaves (I omitted)
10 garlic cloves
1/4 c. raspberry vinegar
1/2 c. soy sauce
1 c. dry red wine
2 boned leg of lamb (I used a shoulder roast instead)
4 Tbsp dijon mustard (I omitted)
2-4 Tbsp flour

In a large baking dish, combine 2 Tbsp crushed peppercorns, rosemary, mint, garlic, vinegar, soy sauce, and red wine. Add the lamb and turn to coat with the marinade.
Marinate the lamb, covered, in the fridge 8-12 hours, turning occasionally.

 

Set the roast in a CrockPot and pour 1 c. of the reserved marinade carefully around but not over the roast; discard remaining marinade.

Cook in low for 6-7 hours (depending on the size of the cut of lamb)
Remove roast from pan, and cover with foil to stand for 20 minutes before carving.
Over medium heat, heat pan juices, adding 2-4 Tbsp flour to thicken, and serve over lamb slices to serve.

I drizzled just a little of the pan juices on it and sprinkled with some reduced fat Feta cheese. Also, because the lamb itself is a pretty rich piece of meat, I served this with a little bit of homemade Tsatziki to balance it out.

 

Remove lamb from the marinade and drain, reserve the marinade. Roll the roast, tying with kitchen twine. Pat 2 Tbsp of crushed peppercorns into the lamb

 

Elly's Greek Lamburgers

I knew I would find a great lamb recipe on Elly’s site. I love Greek food & Elly cooks Greek food. Pretty simple combination. I didn’t change a thing on her recipe. It’s wonderful just as she has it.

 

As for the presentation, I just served this with a simple Greek salad mixture. Tomatoes, Red Onion, Cucumber, & Kalamata olives (all topped with a little Feta cheese). To keep the carbs low, I just used 1/2 a pita for each burger. Cancy really liked these, and since it was Greek, I of course loved them.

Elly’s Greek Lamburgers

 

1 lb. ground lamb
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. allspice
1 Tbsp oregano
1/4 cup onion, finely minced or grated
2 cloves garlic, finely minced or pressed
ground pepper to taste
2 pitas, halved
olive oil

 

Mix all ingredients together and shape into four patties. (I actually made mine in half moons since we were eating them on pita halves).

Lightly grease and heat grill. Grill burgers approximately 4 minutes per side or until desired degree of doneness.

Brush or spray pita halves with olive oil and toss on the grill for about 30-60 seconds. Stuff pitas with patties and top with whatever you like!

 

 

Chicken Shwarma

I was craving something Greek when I came across this recipe on Erin’s site. This originated from Cooking Light and Erin adapted it. I changed it a bit as well but it’s an easy recipe to play with. This is a delicious, light, & fresh way to use your grill.

Chicken Shwarma

Chicken:

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon curry powder

2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into 16 (3-inch) strips

Sauce:

1/2 cup plain 2% reduced-fat Greek yogurt

2 tablespoons tahini

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 garlic clove, minced

Remaining ingredients:

Cooking spray

4 (6-inch) pitas

Sliced tomatoes & cucumbers

Chopped Greek olives

Feta Cheese

Preheat grill to medium-high heat.

To prepare chicken, combine first 6 ingredients in a medium bowl. Add chicken to bowl; toss well to coat. Let stand at room temperature 20 minutes.

To prepare sauce, combine yogurt and next 4 ingredients, stirring with a whisk.

Thread 2 chicken strips onto each of 8 (12-inch) skewers. Place kebabs on a grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 4 minutes on each side or until done.

Place pitas on grill rack; grill 1 minute on each side or until lightly toasted.

To serve, just load your pitas with the meat, vegetables, & cheese to your liking and then top with the sauce. Yummy!!

 

 

 

Garlic Lovers Hummus

Oh My Gosh!!! I don’t think I’ll ever buy hummus again. I didn’t change a thing in this recipe that I found over @ Noodle Nights & Muffin Mornings. I didn’t have to. It was perfect. So easy to throw together and tastes even better the next day. You’ll definitely want to try this.

 

Garlic Lovers Hummus

1 15 oz can chick peas(refrigerated)

3 cloves garlic

1 tsp red pepper flakes

1 tsp lemon juice

1 tbsp tahini

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (plus additional for serving)

2 tbsp reserved juice from chick peas

1/8 cup water (plus additional if needed)

Parsley (optional)

Drain chickpeas over bowl, reserving liquid. Wash well in cold water. Combine all ingredients in food processor and blend until smooth (adding more water), making sure to stop and scrape the sides if needed. Keep in refrigerator until ready to serve at which time drizzle with olive oil and garnish with parsley. Serve alongside pita, veggies, or crackers.

 

 

 

Greek Salad & dressing

This isn’t really a recipe, more of a rough guide. This is my favorite salad in the world. I really just have a love for all things Greek. So here is my go-to salad that I love.

Greek Salad & dressing

 

Salad

 

Romaine lettuce

Tomato

Cucumber

Red onion

Pitted Kalamata olives

Pepperoncini peppers

Feta Cheese

 

Do the ingredients in whatever quantity you like. Just chop everything and combine.

 

Dressing

 

Red Wine Vinegar

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Lemon Juice

Greek Seasoning (should be able to find this at your normal grocery)

 

I usually do 1:1 ratio on the vinegar & olive oil. Add the lemon juice & Greek seasoning to taste.

 

I just throw it all in a Ziploc bag and shake around to coat everything.

 

Greco Shrimp Linguini

I love, love, love Elly's blog. Seriously, everything I've tried from her has been delicious! So another Elly dish. We are incorporating more & more vegetables into our diet and wanted to use the shrimp I bought last week so we tried Greco Shrimp Linguini. This is the recipe straight from Elly's site as i made no changes.



Greco Shrimp Linguini

4 oz. thin spaghetti or linguini (I used whole wheat)

1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, divided

1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes

dried oregano

1 cloves garlic, whole

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 small to medium zucchini, sliced into half moons

a drizzle or two of balsamic vinegar

8-10 black olives (I used kalamata), pitted and chopped

1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled

2-3 Tbsp. fresh chopped basil

salt and pepper

extra virgin olive oil for drizzling (optional)

Preheat oven to 350. On a baking pan, toss the tomatoes and one whole clove of garlic with 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil, and dried oregano, salt and pepper to taste. Roast in the oven for about 15 minutes, until the tomatoes have burst slightly.

Meanwhile, cook your linguini in boiling salted water until al dente and prepare the rest of the dish. In a skillet, add the remaining 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil. When shimmering, add the zucchini and minced garlic and saute until the garlic is fragrant, about a minute.

Add the shrimp and olives and cook until the zucchini becomes tender and the shrimp is about halfway done.

Stir in the balsamic vinegar and tomatoes (and their juices, pitch the whole garlic clove) and toss to coat everything. Turn off the burner. 

Add the hot linguini, basil and feta into the pan. Toss to coat everything and finish cooking the shrimp (the residual heat from the pan as well as the linguini will be enough to do this). Drizzle with additional olive oil, if desired, and season to taste.

Nutritional Info (without drizzling additional olive oil at the end): Calories: 468 / Fat: 16.3g / Carbs: 53.2 / Fiber: 9g / Protein: 27.2g

Greek Spinach Feta Steak Pinwheels with Grilled Zucchini

I made this last weekend to try to stay lean but get my protein in. I am a huge fan of Greek food and by using reduced fat ingredients and salt free seasoning I think I'm more able to fit my love for Greek into my diet. We made this with Grilled Zucchini also sprinkled with Greek Seasoning. Just slice your zucchini into long strips, brush lightly with olive oil, and sprinkle seasoning on before placing on the grill. 

Greek Spinach Feta Steak Pinwheel

2 packages of Beef Round Steak( about ½ pound each)

½ C Reduced Fat Feta Cheese

4 C Fresh Baby Spinach leaves

Greek Seasoning (I used Cavender’s salt free)

Lay each strip of round steak out flat.
Sprinkle each with about 1 tsp of Greek Seasoning.
Cover each with about 2 cups of fresh spinach.
Sprinkle 1/4 Cup of feta on each.
Beginning at one end, roll tightly making sure to keep spinach and feta tucked in. Secure roll with toothpicks.
You can sprinkle additional seasoning on rolls before baking. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 25-30 minutes.
Let sit for just a few minutes before taking toothpicks out and serving.

2 servings. Each serving = 370 calories, 12.3 g Fat, 139 mg Cholesterol, 540 mg Sodium, 2.5 g Carbohydrates, 58.7 Protein.