Day 149 : Greek Chicken & Potatoes

This is just a simple and tasty meal that I make fairly often (at least for me).  It isn’t super quick because you have to cut up chicken, potatoes, garlic, etc, but if you cut corners and either prep some of it ahead of time or purchase ready cut ingredients it could be a fairly quick meal…. great for a weeknight.  I hadn’t tried red peppers in it until tonight, but I enjoyed them for the color at least since they didn’t seem to change the flavor all that much.  It could be a good way to sneak in some veggies too.  You may need to adjust the cook time so your potatoes and chicken are both done, but a tip is to make sure they are both cut the same size and fairly small.

 

Greek Chicken & Potatoes

Serves : 4                    Time to make : 45 minutes

Ingredients :

• 2 large chicken breasts, chopped into bite sized pieces
• 2 C. poatoes, cut into bite sized pieces (I like red for this)
• 1 chicken bouillon cube dissolved in
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (I also throw in the zest of one lemon)
• 1/4 extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp. oregano
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• salt and pepper
• 2/3-1 cup feta (tomato basil works well)

Directions :

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees, and lightly spray a 9×13 baking dish.
2. Place chicken and potatoes in dish, and salt and pepper to taste.
3. Add garlic (and some sort of veggie here if you like).
4. Whisk together lemon juice, oil, and oregano and pour over the chicken and potatoes.  Stir to coat everything.
5. Pour the dissolved bouillon cube over everything and stir again.
6. Bake for about 30-35 minutes until chicken is done through and potatoes are tender.
7. Add the feta at the very end.

 

Day 146 : Greek Turkey Burgers

Just trying to eat a little healthier, while at the same time choosing SIMPLE recipes since lately it seems we are always busy.  Burgers of course fit the bill for simple, but aren’t really always healthy.  We’ve tried numerous turkey burgers over the years…. some good and some not as good, but these were definitely some good ones!  Unlike many turkey burgers these remained nice and moist, and full of flavor.

The recipe just calls for olives, but I suggest kalamata olives in keeping with the Greek flavors.  I would also suggest a Mediterranean Herb flavored feta if you can find it.  I tried cooking some of these in a skillet while I cooked the others on my foreman grill since there isn’t much room on there, but the skillet ones didn’t turn out very well.  I am not sure if it’s just that they were too fat, and had trouble cooking through (which is of course necessary for turkey) or if it’s just something with needing to get used to the new stove, but I ended up having to put them on the foreman to finish off.

I served mine on a regular kaiser bun, with mayo and lettuce.  You could put some onion, tomato, even a slice of cheese…. whatever you like really.

 

Greek Turkey Burgers

Serves : 4                    Time to make : 15 minutes

Ingredients :

• 1 lb ground turkey
• 1 cup feta, crumbled
• 1/2 cup olives, chopped
• 1 tsp. oregano
• 1 tsp. italian seasoning
• 1 tsp. basil
• 1 tsp. parsley flakes
• 1 tsp. onion powder
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• black pepper to taste

Directions :

1. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.
2. Form into 4 patties.
3. Grill until fully cooked through.

 

Day 91 : Shrimp w/ Feta and Orzo

This is another of those great, simple, and versatile dishes that you can have any day of the week, and any time of year.  I have made it many times now and it’s a very nice and light, fresh meal.  The original does not call for shallots or red pepper, or even garlic, but I like them so I put them in.  I also don’t stick to the exact measurements according to the original recipe… I just eyeball it and put however much I want that particular night.

The recipe says orzo, and that is usually what I use, but I decided to have a bit of fun with it tonight and try stars because I happened to find the cutest little star pasta at the store the other day.  My hopes were that Perrin would eat it…. but no such luck.  Archer LOVED it though and the size of the stars were perfect for him.  One out of two isn’t bad in my book!

Shrimp w/ Feta and Orzo

Serves : 3-4                Time to make : 15-20 minutes

Ingredients :

• 1 cup orzo
• 1 lb shrimp, cooked peeled and deveined with tails off
• 1/4 cup parsley, chopped
• 1 can chopped tomatoes, like the italian style ones
• 1 tsp. lemon zest
• salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled

Optional additions I have tried and enjoyed

• 1-2 large cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2-3/4 red bell pepper, diced
• 1/4-1/3 cup red onion or shallots, chopped
• more parsley and more lemon zest
• sun-dried tomato feta

Directions :

1. Cook pasta according to package directions, drain.
2. Meanwhile in a large skillet over medium high heat put in tomatoes and cook until the liquid is absorbed. (I usually throw in the peppers, onions and garlic about  halfway through)
3. Add shrimp and other ingredients (minus the feta) and heat through.  Toss in the drained pasta.
4. Carefully toss in the feta and serve.

 

Day 78 : Feta & Herb Dip with Crudites

Time to start throwing in some healthier recipes again after all the holidays and celebrations lately!  Tonight, after a busy day running errands, we decided to have a simple and light dinner.  Crudites (pronounced Crew-dee-tay) is an assortment of raw vegetables with either a vinaigrette or dipping sauce.  It’s often seen as an appetizer, but like we did tonight it makes a great light meal served with something like a rotisserie chicken.  Neither one of use are big fans of most cooked vegetables, so this is perfect for us.  Crudites are also great for parties and appeal to everyone from kids, to vegetarians, to dieters alike.  They are simple to put together and you can even take a bit of help and get pre-cut veggies from the store if you are pressed for time.  With a little bit of effort crudites can also be a great center piece to any table scape.  You can put them in a basket as I did tonight, or you can do a more of a bouquet type presentation.  With all the different colors it looks so beautiful, and FRESH!

Tonight I used a mixture of broccoli, cauliflower, baby carrots, snow peas, and radishes, but you can also use bell pepper strips, asparagus, celery, green onions, or whatever else you like.  The dip was very nice and I liked the tangy-ness of the feta paired with the freshness of the herbs.  The beans gave it a nice creamy consistency, and a boost of protein of course.  I might add some lemon zest next time, or a bit more of the parsley, but as with everything you can tweak to your tastes.  Just have fun with it!  Oh and the best part… it’s pretty guilt free I’d say!

 

Feta & Herb Dip with Crudites

Serves : makes 2 cups of dip                Time to make : 20 minutes

Ingredients :

• 1 (15 oz.) can of white beans, rinsed and drained
• 3/4 cup nonfat plain yogurt
• 1/2 cup feta, crumbled
• 1 T. lemon juice
• 1 tsp. garlic salt
• 1 tsp. pepper
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley
• 1/4 cup fresh dill
• 1/4 cup fresh mint
• 1/4 cup fresh chives
• various raw vegetables, washed and cut up in pieces

Directions :

1. Combine the beans, yogurt, feta, lemon juice, garlic salt, and pepper in a food processor until smooth.
2. Add in the fresh herbs and pulse until well combined.
3. Chill until ready to serve.

 

Day 32 : Greek Salad

Happy Groundhog Day everyone!  I could not be happier for the early spring prediction!  I am SO over this cold and snow lol.

Today I wanted to keep things a little lighter after our pizza night last night.  There is a local restaurant that serves this awesome greek salad and I wanted to see if I could find a similar salad to make at home since it’s not often we go out with two little ones these days.  This salad comes pretty close to matching the one from the restaurant, but is a bit different.  The one they serve doesn’t have the cucumbers and green peppers, and has roasted garlic, but I like the extra crunch they add and of course I could always throw in some roasted garlic if I had the time.  The dressing is really nice, and I can see making it just to have around for side salads even.

The only change I made was to add some chicken to make it more of a meal.  I used a greek seasoning blend recipe to create my own, but you could use any store bought variety you liked or even just wing it on the seasonings.  I think for personal tastes I would leave out the tomatoes next time or maybe use some grape tomatoes.  Make sure to plan ahead for this one so the dressing has time to blend all the flavors really well.

And since it was my niece’s 3rd birthday today I decided we’d make some cupcakes!  Too bad she lives hundreds of miles away lol.  Anyway, I just did boxed funfetti cake and canned frosting but I did add my own little touch and threw in some orange extract to the batter.  YUM!  I took pics just for fun.

Greek Salad

Serves : 4                 Time to make : 10 minutes

Ingredients :

Dressing

• 1 cup olive oil (can reduce to 3/4 cup)
• 1 whole large lemon, juice of (about 3-4 tablespoons, make certain that the lemon is at room temperature before squeezing)
• 2 -4 teaspoons dried oregano (start with 2 teaspoons)
• 3 teaspoons fresh minced garlic (about 2 medium cloves)
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper (or to taste)

Salad

• 1 large romaine lettuce, chopped (or use 2 small)
• 2 -3 plum tomates, cut in wedges (use Roma tomatoes)
• 1 English cucumber (peeled, seeded and chopped)
• 1 red onion, cut in slices
• 1 green bell pepper (seeded and cut into rings or sliced) (optional)
• 1/2 lb feta cheese, crumbled (or to taste)