Blog Archives
Greek Chicken Wraps
Nothing beats a good Greek restaurant for a nice lunch meal. I am partial to pita sandwiches, but it can be difficult in my area to find good, fresh pita bread. So tortillas make a good substitute. In this recipe, you can use spinach or sun-dried tomato wraps to really spark things up. Regardless these are easy and quite flavorful wraps. Perfect for a holiday picnic by the lake.
Greek Chicken Wraps
- 4 boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1” pieces
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp Dijon or stone ground mustard
- 2 tsp crushed garlic
- 1 tsp dried oregano, crushed
- 1/8 tsp pepper
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small cucumber, peeled & chopped
- 4 oz plain yogurt
- ¼ tsp dill
- 2 oz crumbled feta
- 2 oz sliced black olives (opt)
- 4 burrito size flour tortillas, spinach tortillas are a fun choice
- ½ green leaf lettuce, shredded
skillet & bowl
Mix together chicken, lemon juice, mustard, 1 tsp garlic, oregano & pepper in bowl, coating chicken thoroughly, let sit for 30 minutes. Prepare cucumbers, add yogurt, dill and remaining garlic and mix well. Refrigerate until served. Wrap tortillas in foil and heat in a 350° oven for 10 minutes, turn oven off and let them stay warm until served. Heat oil in skillet on medium-high and add chicken and marinade. Cook until chicken is cooked through, about 5 to 8 minutes. To serve, add chicken mixture, yogurt mixture, feta, olives and lettuce to each tortilla and roll up. Use any remaining yogurt mixture to dip tortillas in.
He’s back! Sorry-no bells on.
Sorry it’s been so long since I posted. Been having some knee troubles that are depressing me, and we are in the midst of trying to get some concrete poured. The weather isn’t being very cooperative-it looks like we will get a good soaking today, and it may well turn into snow later. We had a spell of warm spring weather last week that had me out tilling and expanding the garden plot and cruising the garden centers looking for sprouts and seeds.
That all seems like last year now.
Good day to stuff some shells with cheese.
Enjoy!
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
Mmm…lasagna
Decided to use up that excess spinach in a nice lasagna. It worked out very well, despite my not having quite enough pasta for the traditional (at least in my kitchen) three layers of noodles.
I used 2 pints of the tomato sauce we canned from last summer’s garden. Four cheeses: Riccota, Parmesan, mozzarella, and a generous grating of asiago. I ransacked the freezers for some Italian sausage to no avail, but did uncover a package of ground pork so I made my own “Italian” sausage. Mince a couple of cloves of garlic, sprinkle in some dried basil, oregano, thyme, and fennel seed. Salt and black pepper to taste, as well as some red pepper flakes. I shook in some paprika and a dash of cayenne just for fun. Mush it all together in a bowl and then brown the meat in a pan and then set aside on some paper towels to drain.
I sautéed the spinach in some garlic and olive oil, doesn’t take long for it all to wilt down. Chop it roughly after cooking and set it to drain in a sieve over a bowl.
Some recipes say mix the shredded cheeses with the riccota, others say spread them separately when assembling the layers. I mashed all them together except for the asiago that was grated over the top.
Anyway, assemble the layers as you see fit because I bet you’ve done it before and who am I to dictate methods. lol
I covered my casserole with foil and cooked it at 350 for 45 minutes, then peeled the foil so the top could toast a bit, say another 15 minutes. Take it out and let it rest for a while, really, let it cool down for 20-30 minutes.
Serve with garlic toast and a nice salad:
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
I set the leftover slices of lasagna out on a sheet pan lined with paper and have it in the big freezer so that I can individually wrap the frozen blocks and stow the lot of them in a big plastic freezer bag. Makes it really easy to get out just enough to thaw and reheat for a nice lunch.
Mmm…Salad Again
We lunched on leftovers, warmed up the refried beans and chorizo and had burritos again. A few nacho chips and the guacamole was wiped out. Mrs J spent the morning at the shelter and then came home and dragged poor Jack off to the vet after lunch. He’s been gimping around as bad as I have been. They’ll run some more xrays and start him on some serious antibiotics in case the problem is the Rocky Mountain fever flaring up in his ankle. I go in next week for a procedure on my knee that I’m hoping will allow me to walk again without looking like Chester on the old Gunsmoke.
Where’s this salad I was talking about? Well, it’s gone now, but I have some pictures:
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
Spinach Feta Frittata
This was the best tasting frittata I’ve ever made. Just a great flavor from the cheese, and the little bit of caramelization from the ham and the spinach on the bottom of the pan added just enough to put this one over the top for me.
In a bowl, crack your eggs, add some feta, and a splash of cream. I used 5 eggs, about 8 ounces of feta, and maybe a third of a cup of heavy cream. Beat together and set aside for now.
I used a box of frozen spinach for this, thaw it and squeeze out the water. Add some butter or olive oil to a non stick pan and cook the spinach with some sliced onion on a medium flame for a minute or two, or until the onions begin to sweat. Add some sliced mushrooms and cook those for another few minutes until they start to shrink down, then add some diced ham. Let the ham warm up then add some quartered grape tomatoes. Season with some salt and ground black pepper. Pour in the egg/cheese mixture, stir lightly to get the mixture incorporated and cover. Fire your oven, set it to broil. After a few more minutes the frittata will be set around the edges, give it a good shake to make sure it is all but done and then stick it under the broiler for the last few minutes. Watch it close because things brown fast under the broiler. When the top is entirely set remove the frittata to a cutting board. Slice and serve.
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
Thursday Night Menu: Oranges, Raspberries, Blueberries – Oh, My!
Homer is Home
It’s been in the 90’s all week, but nights are cool enough for me to start thinking of fall menus. I’ve promised to fulfill some squash soups requests, which I’ll post over the next few weeks, but to get you started, there are a couple of Sweet Potato Soups here. If you have other fall menu requests, let me know. I’m happy to look for something new to try. One O/T note: Homer is now officially a member of the JeffW household. Yeah, I know, we’re all surprised by that now, aren’t we? Tonight’s menu is a diverse group of flavors with no discernible theme that I can see. Lots of light fall fruit notes, though, so it has that going for it.
On the board tonight:
- Roasted Salmon in Orange-Ginger Soy Sauce
- Fresh Spinach Salad
- Herbed Potatoes
- Blueberry Crisp
Roasted Salmon in Orange-Ginger Soy Sauce
- 4 salmon fillets (approx 6 oz. ea.)
- salt & pepper to taste
- 2 tbsp olive oil
Sauce:
- ½ cup orange juice
- 4 oz ginger soy marinade
- 2 tsp orange zest
- 2 tsp lemon zest
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
- 3 green onions chopped
- 2 tsp. crushed garlic
Large oven-safe skillet and medium sauce pan
Preheat oven to 400°
Salt & pepper salmon. In large skillet heat oil, add salmon. Sear for 2 minutes, turn, sear for 2 minutes. Place pan in the oven and roast for 14-16 minutes. Sauce: Add all ingredients into saucepan and bring to a low boil for 2 minutes. Serve over salmon.
Fresh Spinach Salad
- 9 oz fresh spinach, washed and dried
- 2 large tomatoes (or equivalent) ,
- ½ cup chopped walnuts
- raspberry dressing
Arrange vegetables and walnuts in a large salad bowl and toss with dressing.
Herbed Potatoes
- 1 lb small new potatoes (or 4 red potatoes-quartered)
- 2 tbsp butter, melted
- ½ tsp crushed dried basil
- ¼ tsp each, crushed oregano & rosemary
Saucepan, steamer
Steam potatoes until tender, mix butter and spices, then toss with potatoes.
Blueberry Crisp
- 10 oz blueberries (fresh or frozen)
- 2 tbsp. lemon juice
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- ½ cup butter, melted and cooled slightly
- 1 cup rolled oats (not instant)
- 1 cup flour
8×8 glass baking dish and small mixing bowl
Place blueberries, lemon juice and ¼ cup granulated sugar in baking dish, mix well. In mixing bowl, mix butter and sugar, add flour and oats, mix until crumbly. Crumble over the blueberry mixture. Melting the butter creates a crisper, more even topping.
Bake at 375° for 15-20 minutes until top is golden brown. Let cool.
Shopping List:
- 4 salmon fillets (approx 6 oz. ea.)
- 4 oz orange juice
- 4 oz ginger soy marinade
- cilantro
- 3 green onions
- 9 oz fresh spinach, washed and dried
- 2 large tomatoes (or equivalent)
- ½ cup chopped walnuts
- raspberry dressing
- 1 lb new potatoes (or 4 large red potatoes)
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 ½ sticks of butter
- 1 cup rolled oats (not instant)
- 10 oz blueberries (fresh or frozen)
Also: salt, pepper, olive oil, orange zest, lemon zest, crushed garlic, lemon juice, basil, oregano, rosemary, flour
Meatballs Reconsidered
Actually, it would properly be re-reconsidered since I’ve done this with meatballs before. I really did want to see how the last batch of daikon pickles tasted. Answer: Very good! As usual, my banh mi sammich has baby spinach instead of the soap tasting stuff.
Enjoy!
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
Spinach Chicken Salad with Spicy Peach Dressing
Spicy Peach Dressing
- 2 large peaches, peeled, pitted and quartered
- 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 jalapeño or other hot pepper, halved and seeded
- 1/2 cup olive oil
Purée all of the ingredients, except oil, in a blender or food processor until smooth. Continue to blend, on low, while adding oil slowly. Mix until well blended. Refrigerate.
Spinach Chicken Salad
- 3 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
- 1/2 small sweet yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 1 lb cleaned baby spinach leaves
- 1 cup chopped, toasted walnuts
- 1 peach, peeled, pitted and thinly sliced
- 3 ounces crumbled bleu cheese or chevre
Place the chicken in a plastic zipper bag with ½ cup of dressing. Marinate 2 hours in refrigerator. Remove chicken, discard marinade and grill until cooked through (170 degrees at center).
Toss the spinach, onion, walnuts and cheese with the remaining 3/4 cup dressing. Slice the grilled chicken and arrange on top of the salad.
Serving: 4 to 6
TaMara
jeffreyww
LFern7
indylib
