My Big (Low-Fat) Greek Dinner

Hello!!

So with the summer in full swing...I've decided to blog about some of my favorite summer dinners. No one wants to stay inside over a hot stove while their family is out on the deck with a cold drink in their hands!! During the summer, I am in love with my grill.

My brother Dan introduced this recipe to me a few summers ago and now I can't stop making it!!! With healthy veggies, lean chicken, and whole wheat pita pockets...this is a flavorful and healthy summer go to!!

This serves 4 people…

3 large Chicken Breasts, cut into pieces
2-3 Small Zucchini Squash, cut into 1 in pieces
2-3 Red, Yellow, or Orange Bell Peppers cut into 2 in pieces
12-15 White Mushrooms (stems removed)
1 bottle of Trader Joe's Greek Feta Dressing
1 bottle of Trader Joe's Greek Goddess Dressing
4 Pita Pockets (I usually cut them in half so people can have 2)
Hummus
Feta Cheese
Wooden Skewers

Put the skewers in a baking dish and cover with water and soak for 2-3 hours (this will keep them from burning)
Cut the chicken and cover with the Feta Dressing…set aside for at least an hour.
Mix all of the cut veggies together with the Goddess Dressing…set aside for at least an hour.

Skewer all the chicken together and all the veggies together.
BBQ the chicken for 3-4 mins on all four sides (or until 165*)
BBQ all of the veggies until they are cooked through with some grill marks.

I usually heat the pita pockets on the grill once I turn it off. Remove all of the veggies and chicken, retrieve the pita pockets, and serve with Hummus, Tzatziki, Kalamata Olive Spread, and Feta cheese for people to make their own little sandwiches!

Enjoy this Summer favorite!!!!


-Mary

Simple One Pot Dish

This is a really simple meal that I like to call a "Monday Night" kind of dish.
With Sausage from the meat counter, pasta, broccoli, and cheese, it's a meal that pleases EVERYONE! :)

1lb sweet Italian sausage
2 cups of steamed broccoli florets (I use the frozen ones; rip and dump!)
1 lb of penne, bowties, orchiette, or rigatoni noodles
1/2 cup of Parmesan Cheese
1/4 tsp of red chili flakes
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tbls olive oil

Brown and crumble the sausage with the chili flakes, garlic, and olive oil.
Once browned, add the broccoli and heat through.
Stir in the cooked pasta and Parmesan Cheese and heat for 5-10 minutes.
If too dry, add some of the pasta water-the starch from the cooked pasta acts as an instant thickener!

Enjoy!

Utilize your Market

I work at a grocery store that goes above and beyond the normal chain of stores. Since I started working there I have learned some tricks to help you save money and ensure you with fresh and flavorful food.

USE YOUR DELI COUNTER!
Most high end grocery stores have an excellent meat and cheese counter that goes unnoticed. I have heard that people think that just because they have more expensive items, people assume that it is ALL going to be more expensive. Not true. Whether you are shopping for one or 5, the deli counter gives you a much better deal. You can get yourself a few slices for yourself or a pound of ham, turkey, salami, cheese, or pancetta for MUCH cheaper than the pre-packaged. You know why? You aren't paying for the production, packaging, transportation, and mark up of the food.
Want proof?
The suggested retail price of Hormel® pepperoni is $3.49 per 8-ounce pillow pack.
--In a deli...you can get 2-ounces, which is a 1/4 c, for $1.16 or less.

USE THE BULK SECTION!
At a lot of grocery stores, there is a bulk section somewhere in the back. You can buy nuts, grains, flour, dried fruit, teas, herbs, spices, sugars, legumes, candies, and snacks. Think of what you could do with that. You could find a recipe for banana bread that you want to make for a neighbor who is taking care of your house while you are out of town. You just cleaned out your pantry because you were going to be gone for two weeks. You can go to the bulk section in your market and buy the 2 1/2 cups of flour, 1/2 cup of roasted walnuts, and the 1 1/4 cup of sugar that you need for that exact recipe. You will save approximately $8-12 and only buy as much as you need.

Think of the spices you have in your spice cupboard. How long have they been there? Your spices should be replaced every 6 months to ensure freshness and health. I don't know when, but in the last 5 years, spices in a bottle on the shelf have increased in price by 7-8% annually. If you have 10-15 spices that you keep on hand, and replace them every six months, that is approximately $177 dollars per year at $5.90 per spice. You can go to your bulk section and purchase the spices you use for approximately  $78 at $2.60 per spice.

USE YOUR PROTEIN COUNTER!
Read the ads or coupons for your grocery store when you are planning you meals for the week. If you see something in the meat/seafood department that you are interested in, purchase a good amount of it from the counter. You can vacuum seal it and freeze it for later use. This week, at my work, we had a great sale on Sirloin Tip Roast. Buy one get one free. That is a great deal! I purchased 5lbs total and went over to the meat counter and asked them to grind it for me. Making it into hamburger means that I can use it as a super lean burger, ground beef, or meatloaf. I used the deal and asked a simple question and got 5lbs of VERY lean meat for $10. If you ask those questions, there is a 99% chance that they will be happy to do what they can to help you.

I hope that you guys are having a great week! Enjoy :)



SOURCES:
http://shop.mccormick.com/products.cfm
http://www.herbco.com/c-393-garlic.aspx
http://www.hormelfoods.com/brands/hormel/HormelPepperoni.aspx

Try Something Different

There is always that question that you ask your family before you start to make dinner:

"What type of food do you want? Italian? Mexican? Chinese?"


Well, how about Basque? Basque style cooking is one that has a very rich history in the North Eastern part of Spain and France. The food in this culture is held in higher standard than politics. To the Basque people, food is the connecting link between all peoples and cultures. If you want to understand another culture, look at its food. The flavors, cooking style, use of proteins, and serving of said food can tell you a lot about the location and history behind the culture. They use what can be grown/procured from their region and that's all. They have their own unashamed devotion to their food and culture that is somewhat of a rarity these days.  Food is a crucial part of Basque culture, so important that gastronomic societies, where men meet to cook, eat and engage in other social activities exist throughout the country.

The great part about Basque cooking is that it is very simple. It thrives on in season, local, and sustainable ingredients that are indigenous to their region. Since we live in the Pacific Northwest, I use ingredients in this next dish that are readily available to us here.

Basque Soup:

1/2 pound pepperoni (I use Fiorucci pepperoni from a deli)
1 chicken breast
1 lg leek
2 cloves garlic
4 carrots chopped
2 c cabbage chopped
1 potato chopped
1 can each: Garbanzo Beans, Kidney Beans, Chicken Broth
1 large can chopped tomatoes
dash salt
1tsp thyme
1/2tsp pepper

Saute pepperoni in a dutch oven/oven safe pot for 5 minutes and remove. Saute chicken until cooked through and remove. Saute leek and garlic for 2-3 mins and then add carrots and cabbage. Now add everything else back into the sauce pot. Cover and bake at 325 degrees for 2 hours.

Very easy, affordable, and it gets better the longer it sits! Enjoy :)

From My Recipe Box

So this is going to be a weekly post that has a recipe with a recipe from my own box :)

This week it is.... 

MAC N CHEESE!

1 lb Macaroni Noodles/Small Shells
4 c Sharp Cheddar Cheese (shredded)
1 can Campbells Cheddar Cheese Soup
2 c whole milk
1 stick of butter
8 tbls flour
1 can of CHEDDAR flavored French's Fried Onions (like green bean casserole)

Heat oven to 375 degrees
-Boil water and cook Macaroni noodles
-Melt butter in a saucepan, when melted, add the flour to make a roux. Cook for 30-40 seconds to get the flour taste out.
-Next, Add the milk and whisk until all lumps are gone.
-Now add the cheese soup and the shredded cheese and melt until it is a thick sauce.
-Mix noodles and sauce and pour into a greased 9x13 pan.
-Crunch up the cheddar noodles in a ZipLoc and sprinkle them on top of the Mac n Cheese.
-Bake for 10-12 minutes and then cool for 5 minutes.

ENJOY :)

Welcome to my world

Hello All-

I have been told time and time again that I should start a blog to chronicle my culinary advances and travels. So, here I am. I'm going to be talking about food, answering questions, offering advice, and writing recipes for all of you. Thank you so much for taking a step into my world of food, I sincerely hope that you can feel my love of it through my words.


I have been blessed with A Culinary Mind. While some don't quite understand or fully grasp what that entails, I have come to appreciate the gift. I am the best version of myself when I am in the kitchen and preparing food for the people around me.  That time is when I am the most calm, happy, focused, and content with the world around me; so thank God we have to eat everyday :)

Enjoy!

May