Say YesYes to CousCous!

"Honey, you know I don't like couscous!"  This simple sentence was uttered and offered me a challenge.  How could I make couscous so that my husband would enjoy it?  It's not that he didn't like it, he just didn't prefer it as a substitute for a tastier, starchier side dish.  So it was my challenge to turn something the consistency of coarse sand into something delicious!  Mission accomplished!!!

If you haven't tried couscous, you really need to!  You can find it in every grocery store now, and even in a whole wheat variety.  It's a great source of protein, fiber, and is super quick to make.  Just use a 1:1 ratio of liquid to grain (you can use water, but I actually prefer vegetable or chicken stock).  Bring a cup of liquid to a boil in a small saucepan.  Take the pot off the heat and add 1 cup of dry couscous.  Cover and let sit for 5 minutes until all of the liquid is absorbed.  Use a fork to fluff the grains.  How easy is that?!  Now you have a blank canvas to serve as a simple side dish and add whatever you please.  Here are a few ideas:

Couscous Salad with Shrimp

This is essentially prepared couscous mixed with a greek salad and topped with shrimp - delicious!

Salad:

1 cucumber- peeled, seeded and cut into small chunks

1/2 container cherry/grape tomatoes (sliced in half if larger)

1 small red onion - diced

Dressing: (these measurements are approximate since I always just eyeball it and taste as I go)

Combine 1/8 cup red wine vinegar, 1 tsp. black pepper, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. dill, 1 tsp. oregano.  Whisk in 1/4 cup olive oil. 

Shrimp:

Saute 1 lb peeled, deveined shrimp in 2 Tbsp olive oil.  Sprinkle with a tsp. of salt and pepper.  Shrimp should cook approx. 3 minutes until pink.  Squeeze juice of 1 lemon over shrimp.

Pour dressing over salad, add cooked couscous and stir to combine.  Serve with shrimp on top.  It's even better topped with feta cheese and kalamata olives.

For a similar idea using Quinoa instead of couscous, check out my friend's recipe!

Here's another option if you prefer your vegetables cooked!

Couscous with Vegetables

 

For the above picture,  I sauteed the vegetables on the stovetop.  It would be equally great if you're able to grill or roast them! Cook the following vegetables using your favorite method: 1 yellow onion, 1 green pepper, 1 zucchini, 1 yellow squash, 1/2 pint grape tomatoes.  Season with salt, pepper, oregano, basil and dill.  I also like to add a jarred roasted red pepper too!  This is great as a meal in itself, or as a side dish to chicken.

I hope that these ideas will also make your family say YesYes to CousCous!!

Granola Bars

I have never been, and at this point in my life, may never be a morning person!  It's not that I don't think it would be a great thing to wake up refreshed and eager to enjoy a new day; it's just that my body just does not respond in that manner.  So, being always in a rush to get out the door to get to work, there is no way I can plan and enjoy a leisurely breakfast (which all the gurus out there say is the most important meal of the day, although I'm not so sure I can personally agree).  Along with a caffeinated beverage, breakfast for me usually consists of whatever I can grab and eat at some point during my morning.  And what better fit to that criteria than a granola bar?  No prep, no mess, comes packaged, perfect sizing, what's not to love?!  Well, once I actually started looking at the ingredient lists and nutritional information, I was in for kind of a rude awakening.  Who knew that many of the bars stacking your grocery stores are about as good for you as a morning candy bar?! 

I thought, this has to be better!  So I started investigating and determined that if you make your own, you can control your ingredients and the taste is SO much better.  Here's a basic recipe that can be modified to your liking, using oats, wheat germ, nuts, dried fruit and a binder.  Hope this can make your mornings run a bit more smoothly too!

 

 Ingredients:

2 cups oatmeal (non-quick cooking)

1 cup nuts (I like almonds and/or pecans)

1/2 cup wheat germ

3 Tbsp. unsalted butter

2/3 cup honey

1/4 cup light brown sugar

1 tsp. vanilla 

1 1/2 cups dried fruit (any combination of raisins, cranberries, cherries, apricots, etc.)

Combine oatmeal and nuts on a sheet tray and bake at 350 degrees for 5 minutes.  Add wheat germ to tray, stir to combine and bake an additional 5 minutes until everything is toasted.  (If using toasted wheat germ, skip this step and bake oats/nuts for 10 minutes).  Remove from oven and transfer to a large mixing bowl.  Add dried fruit and stir to combine.

Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees.

In a small saucepan, combine butter, honey, brown sugar and vanilla.  Bring to a boil and stir for another minute.  Add to the mixing bowl with the nuts and fruit.  Stir to combine all ingredients together.

Place a piece of parchment paper into a 9x13 baking dish.  Pour the mixture into the baking dish.  Spread evenly and press down.  Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown.  Allow to cool completely.  Store at room temperature.

Here are some tips 'n tricks:

- Large warehouse clubs are a great place to buy bags of nuts and dried fruit!  You'll end up saving a lot of money this way!

- Have fun playing with this recipe.  I don't think I've made it the same way twice, with different combinations of nuts and fruit, the possibilities keep multiplying!

Cheers!

 

How Now Brown Cow?

When I recently walked into our local wine store, I was greeted by an enormous display of 'chocolate wine.'  I thought to myself "Now who in their right mind would buy such as thing?" as I headed to the weekly wine tasting in the back of the store to try some "real" wines.  To my surprise, this was one of the wines being featured for the week.  After working my way through the French whites and reds, I was presented with this chocolatey concoction.  Being skeptical, I tried it anyway.... and was pleasantly surprised!  I don't know that I would put it in a wine category, but rather in a chocolatey goodness category.  If you are a fan of Bailey's, Godiva or Kahlua, you must try this as an alternative.  There are varieties of  Chocolate, Chocolate & Espresso, and Chocolate & Raspberry.  Served chilled, over ice, or my personal favorite - blended with ice like a milkshake.  Give it a try, and I think you'll agree!!

Meatballs and Marinara

One of my favorite sources for recipes is Cook's Illustrated.  You may have seen one of their cooking shows on PBS - they produce America's Test Kitchen and Cook's Country TV.  They provide great information about recipes, brands and equipment.  Recipes are developed and published after being extensively tested, and they have never let me down.  All of the recipes I've used from them have been amazing!!  This is a wonderful example of that - you.must.try.this.recipe!

Meatballs and Marinara from Cook's Country TV

INGREDIENTS
Onion Mixture:
1/4 cup olive oil
3 onions , chopped fine
8 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon dried oregano
3/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Easy Marinara:
1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
1 cup dry red wine
1 cup water
4 (28-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup fresh basil leaf
Salt
1 - 2 teaspoons sugar , as needed
Meatballs:
4 slices hearty white sandwich bread
3/4 cup milk
1/2 pound sweet Italian sausage , casings removed
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
2 large eggs
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 1/2 pounds ground beef chuck (80 percent lean)


INSTRUCTIONS
1. For the onion mixture: Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Cook onions until golden, 10 to 15 minutes. Add garlic, oregano, and pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Transfer half of onion mixture to large bowl and set aside.
2. For the marinara: Add tomato paste to remaining onion mixture in pot and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add wine and cook until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Stir in water and tomatoes and simmer over low heat until sauce is no longer watery, 45 to 60 minutes. Stir in cheese and basil and adjust seasonings with salt and sugar.
3. For the meatballs: Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 475 degrees. Mash bread and milk in bowl with reserved onion mixture until smooth. Add remaining ingredients, except ground beef, to bowl and mash to combine. Add beef and knead with hands until well combined. Form mixture into 2 1/2-inch meatballs (you should have about 16 meatballs), place on rimmed baking sheet, and bake until well browned, about 20 minutes.
4. Transfer meatballs to pot with sauce. Simmer for 15 minutes. Serve over pasta. (Meatballs and marinara can be frozen for up to 1 month.)


Here are my tips n tricks-
- Meatballs are giant in size - they would be just as good when made smaller, just adjust cooking time as needed.  Serve on a roll with melted cheese - yum!
- I will likely try with leaner ground beef next time, since there was a lot of fat/grease released when cooking.  Definitely use a rimmed baking sheet because of this.
- Serve over your favorite pasta or on a toasted hoagie roll.

Endless Sorbet Summer

A requirement when getting married is creating your bridal registry.  I'm sure we all have stories, both good and bad, of wandering through the multitude of kitchen, bedroom, bathroom items with that 'gun', trying not to be too trigger-happy, but trying to make sure you scan in everything you may possibly need for the next 50+ years.  Luckily, my husband and I agree on most things (he mostly defaults to my opinion!), but the 1 item he insisted on was an ice cream maker.  Since ice cream is at the top of the list of my cravings and indulgences, who was I to argue?  For quite a while it kept the bread maker, food processor and kitchen-aid company in the cabinet, until I calculated the cost of buying ice cream at the grocery store vs. making it from scratch.  What a difference!  And the taste is incomparable!

During these dog days of summer, we all want something cold and refreshing.  My waistline can't tolerate eating ice cream every day (although....well... it might be worth it), so how about sorbet?  Essentially frozen juice, dairy free and low-fat!  Then I was hooked!  The possibilities are endless!  I've figured out that if you start with about 4 cups of liquid (juice, simple syrup) that gets poured into the ice cream maker, deliciousness follows!  Now our machine is a Cuisinart, so be sure to check the proper amounts for yours!  Also, make sure that your insert is completely frozen and that your juices are really cold before pouring them in.  The mixture should be ready after being spun for about 25 minutes. If you want to add fresh fruit, wait until the last 5 minutes of mixing and again make sure that the fruit is cold when going in.

Here are a few favorites:

Pomegranate-Mint Sorbet

Simple Syrup:

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup water

1 cup fresh mint leaves

Combine sugar, water and mint in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil until sugar is completely dissolved.  Allow to cool completely before using.  

2 cups pomegranate juice (I've also used cranberry or a pom/cran combo)

1 cup orange juice

cooled simple syrup with mint leaves removed

Combine all ingredients and process in your ice cream maker ~25 minutes - enjoy!

Watermelon-Lime Sorbet

4 cups seedless watermelon pieces
juice of 2 limes
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 cup rum (optional)

Combine watermelon and lime juice in a blender until smooth.  Pour through a small strainer to remove any white seeds or chunks.  Whisk honey and rum into juice mixture.  Pour into ice cream maker and process for ~25 minutes. 

(These recipes were modified from Giada DeLaurentiis)

Salmon Cakes with Tzatziki Sauce

Here is a great summertime recipe!!  Quick and easy and won't heat up the house!  It received top reviews from my at-home food critic :)

Salmon Cakes with Tzatziki Sauce

Tzatziki:

Start with 1 cucumber, peeled and seeded. Grate on box grater then allow it to drain through a small strainer for at least 30min to eliminate liquid.

In the meantime… mix together the following

½ cup plain Greek yogurt

1 tsp. black pepper

1 tsp. salt

2 cloves garlic, grated into a paste

1 Tbsp. fresh chives

½ tsp. dill

½ tsp. cumin

½ lemon juiced

Add drained cucumber and stir together.  Allow to sit in refrigerator for about an hour before serving.

Salmon Cakes:  Makes 6

2- 6oz. cans pink salmon

¼ of a red onion – finely diced

1 tsp. black pepper

1 Tbsp. dijon mustard

½ tsp. dill

½ tsp. cumin

1 egg

~1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs

Combine salmon with onion and spices.  Add egg and combine.   Add Italian bread crumbs ¼ cup at a time until mixture can form into and maintain small patties.  Make 6 small salmon cakes.

Add vegetable oil to cover the bottom of a non-stick pan.  When oil is hot, add salmon cakes and cook approximately 3-4 minutes per side, or until browned and hot in the center.

Serve with a spoonful of tzatziki on top.

Here are my tips n tricks-
-  When grating the cucumber, leave the skin on while grating. It'll protect your hand and not waste any cucumber!
-  I served this on a thick slice of tomato but you can use your favorite bread and make a sandwich.
-  If you don't like salmon, this recipe also works with tuna or crab.

The Original Kitchen-Aid

As I embark on this new journey of food-related bloghood, it is only appropriate for me to acknowledge my true kitchen-aid.  Being Greek, and therefore a steward of the Eastern Orthodox Church, one of its many blessings is the observance of Saints.  No, we do not worship them, as many misconceptions suggest, we simply honor these individuals, many of whom gave their lives for their faith.  There are calendars which list the Saints being commemorated each day, and Saints who are known to intercede on our behalf for very specific needs.  In many Orthodox kitchens you will find an icon of St. Euphrosynos the Cook.  I share his story with you below:

 St. Euphrosynos the Cook

(Commemorated on September 11th)

St. Euphrosynos lived as an ordinary monk in the 9th century and was very simple and faithful, humbly serving as the cook of the monastery in which he lived.  One night the spiritual father of that monastery dreamt that he was in Paradise where he was surprised to see St. Euphrosynos, who gave him three beautiful apples from a tree there.  When he awoke, he saw the three apples lying on his pillow much to his amazement.  They were very fragrant.  Rushing to St. Euphrosynos, he asked him where he had been last night, and the saint said, “Where you were, Father.”  Before this no one had paid attention or given respect to the cook in that monastery, but often the opposite.  When the spiritual father told the other monks about the holiness of St. Euphrosynos, which he had just discovered, St. Euphrosynos fled the monastery into the desert for the rest of his life, fearing the praise of men.  May this humble servant of God teach us by his example and by his prayers to seek the Heavenly Kingdom first, and live humbly serving our brothers or sisters gladly, until Heavenly fruit grows in us.  St. Euphrosynos is the saint that cooks often ask for help. (St. Isaac of Syria Skete) 

 

The Great Food Rush

Food Network, Cooking Channel, TLC, PBS, QVC, DSC, Hallmark, Bravo, HSN, ABC-XYZ...... Websites, blogs....and the list continues...  We find ourselves in a time when, 24/7, we are exposed to someone or something seeking to make our cooking dreams a reality.  We have professionally trained chefs, celebrities, and celebrity chefs who are making it their mission to become a part of our lives so that their names are mentioned in our homes as if they were close friends or family members.  We want to tune in to catch a glimpse of their newest recipes and see their newest must-have-because-it-will-make-my-life-so-much-easier cooking tools.  Is it any surprise then that during this "Food Rush" the nation's obesity rate is at its highest?  People can't go to the gym, they are glued to their TVs waiting to see if they'll win the bet as to how many sticks of butter Paula or Ina will use in today's episode.  And I'm here to admit - I'm one of the guilty ones! I'm hooked! Love to cook, love to eat, love to try new recipes, love to create recipes, love to try new restaurants!

Having recently moved, I was unpacking my box of cookbooks, many of which have only been opened a few times.  In addition to the published, purchased cookbooks sitting neatly on my new shelf, I also have my binder of 'printed off the internet' recipes; mostly from the 'this looked delicious when someone made it on TV that I need to try it' category.  And again, most of them are still waiting for action.  Isn't this the case with most of us?  We have all of these tools surrounding us, yet we fall into the same patterns.  The same chicken/pasta/beef/seafood dinners because we know they work, and we're exhausted at the end of the day, without the patience to try something new.  You want to, but it just doesn't happen.

So, I've decided to join in on The Great Food Rush by getting out my feather-duster and cooking through these recipes.  And at the urging of others, I'm subjecting you to my journey and hoping you'll join me!  I don't want to be limited to just recipes, we're talking all things food!  I hope that in this process I can share my great, mediocre and just plain terrible findings, as well as any helpful hints.  I promise to give credit to the original source of published recipes.  I will also be attempting to actually measure out and write down my own recipes into which I usually just throw in a little of this and a pinch of that, whatever looks good at the time.  I have a running joke with my husband that when he enjoys one of my meals, he needs to really take it in because he'll never have it that way again.  Not sure what spice I used, how much of it, and the order of how things went into the pan - so glad you love it :)

I'm off to go see what's stirring in the kitchen.......