Greek Veggie Wrap

I am going to tell you a story about my journey with food.

Let's start with my parents.  Growing up, especially when I was young, my mom did a lot of cooking.  She made all the 80s and early 90s favorites like beef stroganoff, tuna casserole, swiss steak, tuna salad, cream chipped beef, meatloaf, roasts, goulash, etc.  But my mom is also 50% Italian, so she also made family recipes like huge vats of homemade marinara with ribs, meatballs, and sausage, stuffed artichokes, salads, sausage and peppers, stuffed peppers, stuffed squash, etc.  Like most families at that time, mine was influenced by popular food culture and marketing.  I think we were all brainwashed into thinking that buying fresh produce was somewhat of a luxury.  Therefore, we ate plenty of canned veggies.  Did the cream of mushroom soup thing.  Plenty of velveeta.  Margarine happened (it is healthier, duh!)

But my mom's core food knowledge was real food.  My family definitely followed the pre-made, packaged, canned food trend, but didn't stray too far and for too long from the real stuff.

My dad also did a lot of cooking.  I remember him making things like drip beef sandwiches, chicken and dumplings, stir fry, etc.  Also, I think for a good 5 years of my life, my dad ate a large, fully loaded salad for dinner.  Every night.  And I share many of my dad's taste buds.  We both like spicy food and now that I am an adult, I realize I share my dad's lack of a sweet tooth.

As a result of mostly positive food influences, I was never in too bad of shape with my general food knowledge.  Especially since my extended family and friends have taught me a lot too.

However...I, too, fell for much of the crap (aka "food") out there at your typical large supermarket.  When I went off to college and started 100% feeding myself, I started with what I knew.  Diet drinks and Sweet N' Low were a part of my regular diet.  Thought it was healthy.  Once I came to my senses and stopped (it was easy), I started noticing it was in EVERYTHING.  Anything labelled "light", which at the time, I thought meant "light on the sugar".  For example, light yogurt, I thought just had less sugar...but no, it just had fake sugar.  I was so mad.  Furious.

And probably my saddest realization was "coffee creamer".  I bought it thinking it was just cream.  Like what comes from a cow.  At one point I was looking at my Coffeemate bottle and noticed it said non-dairy.  WHAT!?!?  Non-dairy?!?!  That is when I decided to start seriously looking at labels and not be tricked again.  This was about 10 years ago.

As I have been continuing to grow my food knowledge and trying more and more types of foods and recipes, I (like so many others) have come a long way.  I never thought I would eat homemade granola for breakfast (and not be able to buy it from the store...)  I never thought I would prefer whole grain wraps to white wraps.  I never thought I would eat a pound of beans each week and only eat meat on occasion.  I never thought I love kale and other dark greens.  I never thought I would be such a...hippie.

Ok, that is a lie.  I always hoped I would.

The point is...I started out with a good relationship to food.  With reasonable knowledge.  With a decent diet.  But it wasn't easy to sort through all the crap that is thrown at us at the grocery store.  You almost have to have a PhD in Food to understand what food trends to follow and what marketing is actually true.

This is the reason that you should never let any package tell you what is good for you.  If food needs to convince you to eat it, they are probably lying.  Have you ever picked up a head of broccoli and pondered whether or not it will do your body any good?  No.  Broccoli has dignity.

Everyone has a journey with food.  I just thought I'd share mine.  Maybe you are at a different stage in your journey.  And I hope you are enjoying it!  :)  My journey is partly being recorded on this blog...so the archives hold my deepest and darkest secrets.  Don't get too excited though.

Now, here is another "burrito" for you.  This time, I went with a Greek-ish filling.  We have baby spinach, a warm chickpea mixture, a greek salsa and some feta cheese all wrapped up in a whole wheat tortilla.  It is summer in your hand.  I will remind you one last time (ha...), buy the feta that comes packed in a liquid.  It is about 7 times better.

Greek Veggie Wrap

2 14.5 oz. cans of chickpeas, drained and rinsed

½ tsp of coriander (heaping)

a pinch (or more) of cayenne

½ of an English cucumber, diced

1 large tomato, seeded and diced

¼ of a medium red onion, finely minced

handful of kalamata olives, chopped

2-3 tbsp of finely chopped flat leaf parsley

1-2 tbsp of white/red wine vinegar (or lemon juice)

1-2 tbsp of olive oil

2 burrito-sized whole wheat tortillas

feta cheese, crumbled

several big handfuls of baby spinach

salt and pepper

Prepare the bean mixture:  put the chickpeas, coriander, cayenne, salt and pepper, and a good splash of water in a skillet.  Cook over medium high heat until water evaporates.  Taste, adjust seasonings and repeat process (add more water, cook until evaporated, taste), until desired texture is reached.  I usually do the process twice.

Prepare the Greek salsa:  combine cucumber, tomatoes, red onion, olives, parsley, vinegar, and olive oil.  Season with salt and pepper.

Prepare wraps:  warm a tortilla over an open flame, the microwave or in the oven.  Put a healthy layer of baby spinach down.  Top with bean mixture, feta cheese and salsa.  Wrap, burrito-style. 

(Servings:  2, Prep time:  20 min., Cook time:  20 min., Difficulty:  Easy) 


Printable Version


foodforscot Ratings:  


Shanon (taste):  8/10
Scot (taste):  7/10
Effort:  2/5
Dishwashing Effort:  1/5

Broiled Fish over Warm Olive Tabbouleh

HI!

I am wondering if anyone else has been wondering about something.  The thing is: reusable baggage discounts.  I mean, thanks, grocery store, for giving me such a generous discount.  Every week I spend $150 on food and receive 40 cents back for bringing in my own bags.  Sometimes I wonder if they reallllly think I bring in those bags to receive this discount and not because if I don't bring in those bags, they force me to go home with 15 paper or plastic bags that are hardly sturdy enough  to carry more than three apples and a bag of spinach.

Yeah, it is definitely for the 40 cents.

In which case, is it really necessary to religiously count the number of bags?  From the produce bags, to the grain bags, to the grocery bags...it gets complicated.  But the worst for me, is my grocery store actually asks the bagger once they are done bagging...how many bags they actually USED.  i.e. if I brought five bags and he only put food in 4, I only get 40 cents...not 50 cents.  IT IS A BIG DEAL!

It is just one more thing I miss about my Boulder Whole Foods.  They never even would mention the bags.  Once in a while, they would thank me for bringing bags.  But they just weren't so stingy.  And they repeatedly gave me free chocolate at the register.

This is by far the most interesting post I have ever written.  Honestly, the grocery store is a big part of my life.

This is another great recipe from The Food Matters Cookbook.  Warm olive tabbouleh was probably originally part of my soul in a previous life.  I have openly admitted on this blog that I am on the fence about mint in my food.  However, I continue to eat it and try it in different combinations.  There has never been an ingredient that I truly do not like in anything.  So, I figure if I keep eating it, I will eventually come around to it.  And it always works.  I particularly like mint in savory dishes when it is used in combination with another fresh herb like cilantro or parsley.

Also, the original recipe here was for grilled fish kebabs.  I made this under the broiler, but either would work fine.


Broiled Fish over Warm Olive Tabbouleh

adapted from The Food Matters Cookbook

½ cup bulgur

salt

2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more as needed

½ black olives, pitted and chopped (I used kalamata)

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and chopped

1 cup chopped fresh parsley

1 cup chopped fresh mint

3 lemons:  1 juiced and 2 cut into wedges

Black pepper

12 ounces of firm white fish, cut into 4 chunks

2 cups cherry tomatoes

1 small red onion, finely chopped

Preheat the broiler on high.  Place the rack about 4-6 inches from the heat source.

Put the bulgur in a small pot with a pinch of salt and water to cover by about 1 inch (no more).  Bring to a gentle boil and cook, without stirring, until the water boils off and the bulgur is tender, 5 to 10 minutes, depending on the grind.

On a large baking sheet covered with foil, toss the fish, tomatoes and red onions in some olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Put under the broiler and cook for about 10 minutes until fish is cooked through and tomatoes and red onions have some color.  (Alternatively, you can skewer tomatoes, onions and fish and grill kebabs). 

Put 2 tablespoons oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat.  A minute later, add the olives and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the garlic beings to color, 3 to 5 minutes.  Add bulgur and mix to combine.  Take off heat and add the cucumber, parsley, mint, and lemon juice.  Toss to combine adding lots of pepper and enough oil to moisten everything.  Taste and adjust seasoning. 

Serve warm olive tabbouleh with fish and veggies.  Put bowl of lemon slices on table and use liberally. 

(Servings:  4, Prep time:  20 min., Cook time:  20 min., Difficulty:  Easy)


Printable Version

foodforscot Ratings:

Shanon (tastte):  8/10
Scot (taste):  8/10
Effort:  3/5
Dishwashing Effort:  2/5

Spanakopita

I have told a few stories on here about my wonderful memories growing up with a job at the farmer's market.  These spanakopita (or spinach pies, as we called them) also bring me back to my Saturday mornings at the market.  There probably aren't spinach pies at every farmer's market, but they were (and still are) a staple at mine.  Next to the woman yelling "egg row, egg row".  Across from the ridiculously good fresh sliced bread (with the best butter ever).  On the diag from Frenchie, who for some reason only sold really small produce items, like herbs.  And had a fragrant body odor.  

So many wonderful things.  And these spinach pies always hit the spot.  I have learned since that spanakopita is often served as a snack in Greece too.  The farmer's market in Omaha, NE knows what's up.  They were also always served room temperature, which is actually quite tasty.  I probably prefer them served warm, but they are surprisingly good at room temperature.  I also added some dill to mine, because we have enough dill to last us until 2012.  Anyone need some dill?  Or any other herb?  Tarragon, sage, oregano, or thyme.  Our dill hits the roof, we cut it down, and in a week, it hits the roof again.  Anyways, I liked the addition of dill.  I also sometimes didn't.  Depended on the day and how many high fives I had given on that particular day.  Actually I think I was mostly indifferent to the dill.  

Spanakopita

by David Lebovitz

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, peeled and minced

12 ounces (325g) fresh spinach, well-washed and towel dried

salt and freshly-ground pepper

8-10 ounces (230-250g) feta cheese

2 tablespoons finely-chopped flat leaf parsley

pinch of freshly-grated nutmeg

1 large egg, at room temperature

lemon juice

16 sheets filo dough (about 12 ounces, 350g), thawed, if frozen

Melted butter (2-3 ounces, 60-90g)

Heat oil in a large saucepan or skillet. Add the onions and cook, stirring frequently, until translucent.

Add the spinach and a bit of salt and pepper, cover, and cook until the spinach is completely wilted, stirring once or twice to hasten the process.

Scrape the spinach into a colander and let cool completely. Once cool, firmly squeeze out the excess liquid then chop the spinach with a chef’s knife into smallish pieces.

Mix the spinach in a small bowl with the feta and parsley until chunky. Taste, and add nutmeg and a squirt of lemon juice, plus more salt and pepper if desired. Stir in the egg.

Unwrap and unroll the filo and keep it covered at all times with a damp tea towel. Working quickly lay one sheet of filo on the counter and brush it lightly, but thoroughly, with butter. Lay another sheet on top of it and brush it with butter as well.

Set a scant 1/4 cup (50g) of the filling in the center, about 1-inch (3cm) from the edge of the sheets of filo, then roll the two edges of the dough over, lengthwise, to encase the filling. You should have a long rectangle with filling underneath the top far end.

Brush the exposed surface of the filo with butter and fold one corner diagonally over the filling, then continue folding keeping the triangle shape (as you’d fold a flag) and brushing the exposed surfaces of the filo with butter, until you have a neat triangle. Brush the top with butter and set on a baking sheet in the freezer.

Continue making more spanakopitas with the remaining filling. Once all the spanakopitas are frozen, store them in a freezer bag until ready to bake. If well wrapped, they’ll keep for a couple of months.

To bake the frozen spanakopita, preheat the oven to 350F (180C) and put the frozen triangles on a baking sheet, then brush each with butter. Bake for 30 minutes, or until deeply-golden brown. If you’re baking them without freezing them first, they’ll take less time to bake, so check them before the recommended baking time.

(Servings: 8, Prep time: 1 hr., Cook time: 30 min., Difficulty: Intermediate)

Printable Version

foodforscot Ratings:

Shanon (taste):  9/10

Scot (taste):  8/10

Effort:  4/5

Dishwashing Effort:  3/5

Stuffed Cabbage with Egg Lemon Sauce (Lahanodolmades Avgolemono)

Well hi there.  

I left and now I am back.  

I went to LA for a bit.  Had some important business to take care of.  Most importantly, Jay Leno asked me to come to his show and sit in the front row and awkwardly bob my body (mostly foot action) to his band's music.  I am useful.

No but really, I have spent the last week eating out and getting less comfortable with my winter coat (the fat one).  As always, I have been eager to get back into the kitchen.  LA definitely inspired me in many ways.  You will see some of the fruit of that mental labor later on.  

Tonight, I made this dish from elly says opa!.  She has said on her blog that this is one of her two favorite dinners to have at home.  It is steamed cabbage leaves stuff with a rice and ground beef mixture.  We def. enjoyed the dish.  I always love a good sauce and this is a very lemony sauce, which was delicious.  I must admit that it would be a little difficult for me to eat the stuffed cabbage without the sauce.  Not enough moisture and flavor in the stuffed cabbage alone.  But with the sauce, it is very good.  Please remember, though, that I like my meat full of fat (and this calls for a lean ground beef, which I did use).  I would rather eat no meat than lean meat.  It ain't my style.  So:  do I like white or dark meat t-giving turkey?

You are right, I do prefer the dark meat.  However, with a good gravy, I don't mind the slightly drier white meat.  And if there is a good cranberry sauce...even better.  Sometimes, it is the sauce and condiments that make the dish.  

Stuffed Cabbage with Egg Lemon Sauce (Lahanodolmades Avgolemono)

adapted from elly says opa!

For Stuffed Cabbage:

1 cabbage

1 large onion

1 lb. ground beef

1/2 cup white rice

1 egg, beaten

2-3 tbsp fresh dill, minced

2-3 tbsp fresh parsley, minced

1 tsp. salt

ground pepper to taste

2–2.5 cups chicken or vegetable stock

For Avgolemono Sauce:

3 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (about 3 lemons)

1 Tbsp. cornstarch

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add some salt. Meanwhile, peel the outermost leaves of the cabbage off and discard. With one hand on the cabbage to steady it, use a small paring or utility knife to cut around the core of the cabbage. Pop the core out with the tip of your knife. Then, add the cabbage to the boiling water and boil until the leaves are tender, about 12 minutes. Carefully peel the cabbage, layer by layer, reserving the leaves. If they are big, cut them in half.  The inside of the cabbage will not soften as much as the outside leaves, set those inside leaves aside (save about 10-13 of the outer leaves to stuff).

While the cabbage is boiling, juice the lemons for the Avgolemono sauce, set aside and save the rinds. Cut the large onion in half. Finely dice one half to use for the cabbage filling and cut the other half into about 5-6 pieces.

In a pot or dutch oven (I just use the same one as I did for the cabbage), put in the inside pieces of the cabbage (cut into 5-6 pieces), the large pieces of half the onion and the lemon rinds.

Lightly mix your ground beef, rice, beaten egg, finely diced half onion, dill, parsley, salt and pepper until the ingredients are incorporated. Lay a cabbage leaf flat on your work surface and place about two heaping tablespoons of the meat mixture at one end of the leaf. Tuck in the sides of the leaf and then proceed to roll it up. Place the rolled up cabbage seam side down on top of bed of veggies. Continue stuffing/rolling the remaining cabbage and placing them next to each other in the pot. When you have one layer completed, make another layer of the stuffed cabbage.

After you have made all your rolls, pour water or broth into the pot. The cabbage rolls shouldn’t be submerged completely, but you should be able to see the liquid coming up from the sides. I also place an inverted plate on top of the rolls, to

keep some pressure on them so they don’t open during cooking. Bring the broth to a boil and then cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for about 60-75 minutes, until the cabbage is very tender.

To make the avgolemono, mix together the eggs and lemon juice and then add the corn starch to make a slurry. Remove all the cabbage rolls from the pot and put on serving platter. Remove all the veggies from the broth and discard. Take a

few ladles of the broth from the cabbage rolls and slowly add it to the egg-lemon mixture, beating continuously. Then, add the avgolemono into the pot, again stirring continuously. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve sauce over cabbage rolls.

(Servings: 4, Prep time: 30 min., Cook time 75 min., Difficulty: Easy)

Printable Version

foodforscot Ratings:

Shanon (taste):  6/10

Scot (taste):  6/10

Effort:  3/5

Dishwashing Effort:  2/5

Greek Orzo Salad with Mustard-Dill Vinaigrette

I am always looking for new sides to bring to pot lucks or to make for grill outs.  Ya know...the ol' room temperature side.  

This recipe is for an orzo salad that I have made a few times before.  It is Greek-like because of the feta and dill dressing.  I love orzo.  And orzo salads are a nice change from your typical pasta salad (and there isn't anything wrong with a typical pasta salad...you might as well call me Mrs. PastaSaladPants).  

I actually prefer pasta salad served cold.  Fully chilled.  However, it tastes just fine room temperature if that is what you need.  

We had this orzo salad with some Boulder Sausage brats and cantaloupe.  Grill out and chill out.  

Greek Orzo Salad with Mustard-Dill Vinaigrette

by Bobby Flay via Food Network

3/4 pound orzo, cooked al dente

1 large cucumber, seeded, quartered lengthwise, and diced

3 green onions, thinly sliced

1 pint grape tomatoes, halved

1/4 cup chopped fresh dill, plus extra for garnish

1/4 cup white wine vinegar

3 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1/2 cup olive oil, plus additional for brushing shrimp

Salt and freshly ground pepper

3/4 pound feta cheese, crumbled

Combine orzo, cucumber, green onions, and tomatoes in a large bowl. Place dill, vinegar, and mustard in a blender and blend until smooth. With the motor running, slowly add the olive oil and blend until emulsified. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Pour the vinaigrette over the orzo mixture and stir well to combine. Gently fold in the feta cheese.

(Servings: 6-8, Prep time: 30 min., Cook time: 10 min., Difficulty: Easy)

Printable Version

Simple Chicken with Cucumber Salad

I am dedicating this blog to the best dog in the world. Copper! My dog! Why? Well, first the pics for this dinner are horrible. In fact, only one is semi-non-blurry. I need a new camera!!! Yeah, that is the reason. Second, I just love my dog. He is seriously the best dog. Ever.

I have been spending a lot of quality time with the guy. And, my favorite thing about him, is his never ending quest for sun. Or heat. Even if it means he is taking someone's seat. Or he has to sit really awkwardly on a thin slice of couch...he'll do it. It is worth it. In fact, in most cases, the heat he is craving will be too hot after about 20 min. So, he'll have to move to a cooler spot. Cool down. Maybe get a drink. Then, repeat.

And if you are in the only spot that has sun? That is a real problem. And his only goal in life is to get you to move enough so that he can sneak in.

Another source of heat...our blankets, which are all fleece for the most part. Copper doesn't understand how insane I get when dog hair covers everything. I am getting better.

Well, at least he looks extremely refined.

Back to dinner...here it is!

It is really a leftover remix. I have had this for the past two nights. What is it? First, I just did a simple pan fried chicken breast. Last night, just seasoned with salt and pepper and cooked it in olive oil. Tonight, I dredged it in flour too. The cucumber salad is just: sliced cucumbers, fresh chopped dill, a little sour cream, lemon juice, vinegar, salt and pepper. And I served it with warm pita bread and diced tomatoes. To eat, just fill pita pockets with the chicken, cucumbers and tomatoes. It is just a basic, easy dinner. Takes about 15 minutes to make.

Cucumbers and tomatoes are my two favorite veggies. Well, maybe. It is hard to pick. But, nothing beats a homegrown, ripe tomato. When I was living at home, we had endless supplies of cucumbers and tomatoes. And in the summer, I would live off of cucumber and tomato salads and tomato sandwiches.

I need a garden!!! And I need summer!!! Boulder is so confused. It keeps snowing! "March is 2nd snowiest month in Boulder." I don't care!!

Risotto and Zucchini Fritters "Cooking Lesson"

Meet M and K. Last weekend, they asked me to give them a cooking lesson. See, a few weeks ago, potatoes were on sale at the grocery store. How much? 89 cents for 10 lbs!!! So, K and M did what anyone else would do, they bought 40 lbs and, of course, carried them home on their bikes. They have been eating these potatoes since. They have been very creative, making potato soup, french fries, twice baked potatoes, and a lot more. However, they told me that they have had several disasters in the kitchen and would like some help. Please note, their disasters were still eaten, they just suffered through them. I really couldn't have asked for two better students. (Pictured with vegetable bouillon cubes, it's fine)

Here is a summary of what we learned:

-don't wash mushrooms under water, just wipe with damp cloth...although this is controversial, Alton Brown supports washing them under water, I still say just wipe them, then you don't have to dry them

-if you are using the food processor for multiple things, rinse and dry in between

-salt releases the liquid in veggies, so does ringing them out in a clean, thin kitchen towel

-how to chop an onion (food processor-less)

-don't use the woody/hard stems when chopping the fresh herbs

-green onions are the whole onion, even the white part

So....we made risotto with sauteed mushrooms on top, a recipe from Pioneer Woman. I think it went well.

Risotto

by Pioneer Woman

2 cups Parmesan, Romano, Or Asiago Cheese (or A Mixture Of All Three)

3 cloves (to 4 Cloves) Garlic

1/2 whole Large Onion

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

1 Tablespoon Butter

1 pound Arborio Rice

7 cups (to 8 Cups) Chicken Broth

1 cup (to 1 1/2 Cups) Heavy Cream

1 Tablespoon (to 2 Tablespoons) Chives, Chopped

Salt And Pepper, to taste

Grate 2 cups of cheese. Peel and finely dice 3 to 4 cloves of garlic. Dice 1/2 of a large onion.

Heat a large skillet over medium‐low heat and add 1 tablespoon of Olive Oil. Then add 1 tablespoon of butter. Throw in the garlic and onion and sauté for a couple of minutes until the onion is translucent.

Add 1 pound of Arborio rice and stir to coat the rice thoroughly. Adding 1 cup at a time, add 7‐8 ounces of chicken broth, stirring constantly after each addition. As soon as it appears that the rice has absorbed each helping of broth, add in the next helping. Do not stop stirring. This process will take at least 20 minutes. Rice is done when it no longer has a hard bite.

When more of the broth is absorbed pour in 1 to 1 1/2 cups of heavy cream. Next add the grated cheese and stir thoroughly. Add in plenty of fresh cracked pepper and about 1 to 2 tablespoons of chopped chives. Add salt to taste.

(Prep time: 15 min., Cook time: 45 min., Difficulty: Easy, Servings: 8)

Printable Version

We also made zucchini fritters, a recipe from Closet Cooking and Tzatziki (which I posted previously, here).

Zucchini Fritters

by Closet Cooking

2 cups zucchini (grated, and squeezed to drain)

1 handful fresh herbs (such as parsley, dill, mint; chopped)

1 green onion (chopped)

1/4 cup feta (crumbled)

1/2 cup flour

1 egg

salt and pepper to taste

2 tablespoons oil

1. Mix the zucchini, herbs, green onion, feta, flour, egg, salt and pepper in a bowl.

2. Heat the oil in a pan.

3. Spoon the zucchini mixture into the pan and cook until golden brown on both sides, about 4 minutes per side.

(Servings: 2, Difficulty: Easy, Prep time: 20 min., Cook time: 30 min.)

Printable Recipe

Tzatziki

1.5 cups Greek yogurt

juice of 1/2 a lemon

1 garlic clove

1 medium cucumber (seeded and diced)

1/2 tbsp kosher salt

1/2 tbsp dill

black pepper

Put cucumber in colander, sprinkle with salt. Let stand 30 minutes. Drain and wipe dry. In food processor blend everything except yogurt together. Add mixture to yogurt. Taste and salt. Refrigerate for two hours before eating. (i.e. you should make this ahead of time!)

Printable Recipe

Ok, so you may be wondering why "Cooking Lesson" is in quotes? Or maybe you didn't notice? Well, approximately 1 hour into the cooking lesson, the doorbell rang. K left to get it. All of a sudden, in comes someone, we will call Klean K, kind of dressed up carrying all these sandwiches and talking about everything being dirty. I don't think I have ever been more confused in my life. Especially since K, M and Scot all seemed equally confused. Klean K continued to get out her panini press and explain that she was there to share the food she made. And continued to complain about how dirty everything was, and then she put on latex gloves. If you have no idea what I am talking about, trust me, I had no idea either. Then, we asked Klean K why she was dressed up??? She said, well we are going to a party after this, just thought we would stop by and share our Cuban sliders that we made. WHAT?!?!? You made Cuban sliders??? Why isn't your fiance All-Star A, dressed up??? She says, oh, I thought he was going to dress up an then he didn't (note: All Star A is wearing a Vikings sweatshirt and sweatpants that are stuffed to make him look really large).

At this point, the cooking lesson is only halfway through. If that. Somehow, we are supposed to continue the cooking lesson while mass chaos is erupting. So, we kinda did. Klean K just kept coming in and stirring the risotto like it was normal. And the two students, K and M with Scot, just continued to be "confused" about these people arriving.

Then, the doorbell rang again. And a bird type, red dressed man came in repeating, "ka-kaaaa" and began perching on chairs and couches. This is more or less when it got really weird. Let's call him Take-off T. He came in with Tell Tale T and Believer B. Tell Tale T had a notebook with him and was showing people different things in it. Believer B was preaching and was wearing a sweater vest. What was weirder...they brought food with them...jello cubes, greek salad, and corn fritters. I always make jello cubes and greek salad type things. And corn fritters from the bloggy???

Ok, I think, this is fine. Obv. something is going on, but at least I have these three: K, M and Scot. At that point, Scot starts racing people. Someone was eating something and he goes, I bet I could eat that faster than you. My first reaction was, Did you really just say that? My second reaction was, I've lost him. Then, M leaves and comes back with a shirt that he has written multiple eating challenges on (ex: drinking a gallon of milk, eating a tsp. of cinnamon, eating 6 saltines in 60 seconds). What? What does that even mean. People continue to come in and eventually we have: Priceless P, Paring P, Fidgety F, Righthand R, Reading R, and Hotshot H. Montona. They each brought dishes, including maple/dijon brussel sprouts, corn fritters, cabbage and fennel slaw, blackberry cheesecake, spring rolls, etc. Priceless P kept saying everything was an antique and worth a lot of money, Paring P was whittling sticks into different things and it never looked like anything, Righthand R kept saying she could see dead people, Reading R said he knew what everyone was thinking or "I knew you were going to say that", and Hotshot H Montana was Hannah Montana's forgotten sister, "Daddy broke my achy breaky heart".

At some point, I also lost K, who gradually became more and more confused. Almost to the point that it was impossible to continue any sort of cooking lesson, but somehow we managed.

Throughout all this, a few people said Happy Birthday to me. I didn't know if they were in character or not. Finally, Scot pulled me a side and gave me a note that explained what was going on. "Confused??? Well, SURPRISE and HAPPY BIRTHDAY Shapely Shanon!!! Welcome to your Surpise/Confusion Mystery Birthday Party!!!" It went on to explain that the cooking lesson was real and that K and M asked me to do it before this was planned. And that everyone made dishes inspired by me or my blog. And finally, this is a mystery party where everyone has a character to play and mine is described below.

Shanon: You are a fitness-healthy junkie. You are critical of EVERY recipe and dish you come across. You notice every health no-no, you comment on all the calories, fats, salts, etc. Of course, you know that it is not the cook's fault, but what they had to work with, and you'll show them an exercise routine to make up for the lack of healthiness in their recipe choice. You also like to make exercise fun. So you try to devise new ways to get people to exercise with you. Show them a dance routine, or teach them how they can stand up twice before getting up from a chair. You always stand up - sit down- stand up before you get up from your seat. You always open and close doors multiple times to get in that little bit of exercise and when you walk, you lift your legs really high then kick up your heels to burn a few more cals.

The other characters were really funny. One of the best was probably Take-off T, because he was this superhero bird half the time, and then all of a sudden he would change costumes and become a deaf janitor and start mopping the floor. He definitely was a huge source of confusion for me. K was a blind person, who wouldn't admit she was blind and was pretty much confused about everything. M was into eating contests but would always get full after one bite even though he thought he could eat a bunch. Scot was "Super Scot" and always had to one up everyone. If someone was stirring, he could stir faster. If someone was whittling, he could do it better.

As we finished cooking, people kept playing their characters and ate all the food:

Those are the brussel sprouts, Cuban sliders, spring rolls, my pasta salad (Scot made), corn fritters, cabbage/fennel slaw, jello cubes, and greek salad (left to right, top to bottom).

After eating was done, we all got together to solve the mystery, "who stole the cake?". We played a game of charades, which was set up to give us all the clues we needed.

After following about 20 clues, we found that the cake box was in the bike basket. And that the cake was in the shower!

Thanks everyone! That was really fun!!!! A special thanks to Scot, K and M for all their hard work in planning out the mystery and characters and the partay!

Lamb or Chicken Greek Patty Pockets

A Racheal Ray "30 minute meal". Don't even get me started. In fact, I am not a HUGE RR fan. However, this a great recipe for all you Gyro lovers out there. We all know we can't replicate the delicious shaved lamb, so I think this recipe is a nice compromise. Bonus: you can use ground chicken (and you secretly can't really tell the difference and it is way cheaper).

I didn't include Rach's orig. recipe because I changed it by omitting her chutney and adding a recipe for Tzatziki.

This meal is fairly quick and easy, even though you do need to haul out the ol' food processor (although you could easily make do without one). Basically you make two things: the patties (super easy) and the Tzatziki sauce (easy but there is some waiting time, make ahead of time).

The one strange thing you may find while making the patties is that they are very wet/loose. Don't worry, that is how they should be. It is easiest to preheat the skillet or griddle, form the flat patties, and then place them directly on the cooking surface.

I think the only other thing that might give you some troubles is finding Greek yogurt. I found it at King Soopers ("your regular old super market"). It is a little pricey, but the meal overall isn't bad. If you can't find the Greek style yogurt, you can buy plain yogurt and drain out the liquid with a cheese cloth (or thin rag). Probably not worth it, though. Although, the Tzatziki really makes it amazing.

I am a seasonal cook and eater. This is definitely more a summer meal for me. I made this recipe several times last summer, before I started being really good about taking photos of all my food. However, I had a recommendation from one of my besties to post something like a Gyro. Therefore, I dedicate this second blog to Gups.

Chicken or Lamb Patty Pockets

Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray with modification by Shanon

Ingredients (for patties)

Handful cilantro leaves

Handful mint leaves

Handful basil leaves

1 cup Greek style plain yogurt

1 tablespoon cumin, a palm full

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon grill seasoning blend, 1 1/3 palm fulls (recommended: McCormick Montreal Seasoning)

1 1/2 pounds ground chicken or ground lamb

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan

Ingredients (for pita sandwiches)

4 pita pockets

8 leaves tender lettuce

some sliced tomato

Ingredients (for Tzatziki)

1.5 cups Greek yogurt

juice of ½ a lemon

1 garlic clove

1 medium cucumber (seeded and diced)

½ tbsp kosher salt

½ tbsp dill

black pepper

Directions

For Tzatziki: Put cucumber in colander, sprinkle with salt. Let stand 30 minutes. Drain and wipe dry. In food processor blend everything except yogurt together. Add mixture to yogurt. Taste and salt. Refrigerate for two hours before eating. (i.e. you should make this ahead of time!)

For Patty Pockets: Place the herbs in a food processor and pulse grind them into a fine chop (or finely chop by hand). In a bowl combine the herbs, yogurt, cumin and grill seasoning. Add the meat and mix to combine. Form into 4 large, very thin patties. Wash up and preheat a large nonstick skillet or griddle pan with a couple tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil over medium-high heat. Cook patties 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Heat a small second skillet over high heat and blister the pitas on each side. Cut tops off the bread and fill pita pockets with patties, lettuce, tomato and Tzatziki.

Serve with spiced exotic chips like Taro root chips. Or you could serve with fresh cut veggies and use the rest of the Tzatziki as a dipping sauce.

Printable Version

Photo courtesy of Food Network.