Cool Cucumber Yogurt Salad

This is the yummy little salad that accompanied the previous post for the Feta Stuffed Lamb Patty.
It's light, delicious, creamy and easy to make. It's made with Greek-style yogurt which is naturally thicker than other yogurt varieties so you might be fooled into thinking it's full of fat and calories... wrong!  I buy the Fage brand which is available in 2% or 0% fat,  and it's d-lish! Plus it's a good source of calcium and protein.

Ingredients:

1 or 2 English Cucumbers 
7 oz Plain Greek Yogurt
1/4 cup Fresh Mint leaves
big handful of Flat Parsley leaves
2 Garlic Cloves
Lemon juice (or a light vinegar such as rice or apple cider)
Salt and Pepper
Capers* Optional


Evenly slice the cucumbers (skins on or off, you decide) - approximately 1/8" thick. If you have a food processor, use it! The slicing will take all of 2 seconds and uniformity will be insured. Chop the mint and parsley. Finely mince the garlic (or run it through a garlic press). Mix the yogurt, herbs and garlic together. Add just enough lemon juice (or vinegar) to thin to the consistency of a thick dressing. Salt and pepper to taste. Toss the cucumbers with the yogurt mixture. For fun throw in a few capers! Garnish with more capers and herbs.     

And there you have it ... ENJOY!

Greek Grill

OK, so the snow's melted and we're back to hot and sunny spring weather. Beautiful ... I think I'll fire up the grill before the next cold snap.
The following is my Greek-inspired "Burger" and "Fries"
... and let me tell you, this meal will not disappoint!

On the Menu:
                     Feta stuffed Lamb Patty with Herb oil
                 Crunchy Chick Peas (in place of fries)
                     Cool Cucumber and Yogurt Salad

All of the components to this meal come together so easily.
The flavors and textures compliment each other beautifully.

OK Let's get started! 

First up... THE BURGER

Ingredients:  This recipe Makes 3 nice burgers - adjust the portions to suit your needs 


Start by making the herb oil

THE HERB OIL  
1/4 cup Fresh Mint Leaves
1 cup Fresh Parsley
4 large Basil Leaves
1/4 to 1/2 tsp Sea Salt
1 TBSP Pine Nuts
1/2 lemon- juiced
Olive oil- a good quality extra virgin 

In a food processor, whiz together herbs, salt and nuts to a fine chop. Add the lemon juice and with the processor running add the olive oil - enough to make it the consistency of a thin pesto. 
The final result should make 1/2 cup of herb oil.  

Separate the Herb Oil into 2 equal portions

* Add an additional 1 TBSP of Olive Oil to 1/4 cup of herb oil to thin it. 
Reserve for plating 


*Take the other 1/4 cup of herb oil and mix it into 
1/2 cup Crumbled Feta Cheese

This Is The Filling For The Burger

FETA STUFFED LAMB PATTY
1/2 cup Crumbled Feta (for the filling, as shown above)
1 lb Ground Lamb -organic and local if possible
1/4 tsp Sea Salt
1/4 tsp Anise Seed
1/4 tsp Ground Coriander
1/4 tsp Ground Cumin
1/4 tsp Marjoram
1/4 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Oregano

1 Red Bell Pepper - organic if possible
1 Yellow Bell Pepper - organic if possible

In a small bowl or dish, combine all of the spices. Now take 1 tsp of the spice mix and blend it into the ground meat. Reserve the rest of the spice mix to season the outside of the prepared patties.

Divide lamb into burger portions- approximately 1/3 lb each. Flatten into thin oblong patties that can be held in one hand. Spoon a dollop of the filling into the center. Fold the meat over and around the filling, carefully pinching closed as you go. Repeat this process for all the burgers.

Sprinkle both sides of the patties with the remaining spice mix as well as fresh ground black pepper. Chill the burgers slightly before grilling.  


Cut the tops and bottoms off of the peppers. de-seed and cut into halves. Brush with olive oil, season with salt and pepper. Reserve for grilling

TO THE GRILL!

Grill the Burgers and Peppers until they are beautifully charred. 
Slice the Grilled Peppers into strips. 
Spoon the reserved Herb Oil onto the plate, put the Feta Stuffed Lamb Patty on top of the Herb Oil, top the Patty with the Grilled Pepper strips and sprinkle with a few toasted Pine Nuts.
Serve with:
*Cool Cucumber Yogurt Salad and *Crunchy Chick Peas
*Recipes for the Chick Peas and Cucumber Salad will be in upcoming posts

 

Comfort Food

Yes,, it's springtime in New Mexico.

For those of us who live here, we know that spring brings a myriad of elements. Two days ago it was 70 degrees and today it's snowing! It surely keeps life interesting. BUT the one element that's a constant this time of year is the WIND. Sometimes it feels like it'll never stop blowing. It's one element that can really suck the life out of you.

SO... What's better when you're feel'n zapped than Good Ol' Comfort Food?

On the menu tonight:  

Spring Chicken Soup and Apple Raspberry Crisp

(both are *gluten free)

Spring Chicken Soup

 

THE STOCK

When it comes to making soup, I'm a bit old-school in that I love to make my own stock. My stock starts by employing the philosophy of add everything but the kitchen sink. Every time I cook, I'm on the hunt for ingredients to make soup stock with at a later time. I collect bags of veggie ends, herb stalks, chicken bones, mushrooms that have past their prime in my fridge, etc. I take all of these things and throw them in my freezer until I'm ready for soup. Once "soup day" arrives, I unload my freezer into a stock pot, add water, salt and bay leaves. I let all of that flavor simmer into a pot of golden love. Granted, at first it looks a lot like I set my compost on to boil, but once the flavors have been infused and the solids are strained off,  what's left is an outrageously yummy broth that can be used as the base for any soup.

THE SOUP     

Usually what brings on "soup day" is that I have leftover chicken in the fridge. From there it's a matter of making the stock and then letting my imagination go as to what other ingredients to add.

Today, as the snow falls, I'm thinking of spring and sunny flavors. The following is a loose recipe that will guide you in achieving those flavors. Making soup is all about the inspiration so don't get hung up on exact measurements.

Ingredients:

Leeks - cleaned and sliced

Shallots -minced

Garlic -minced 

Carrots -sliced

Potatoes -just a few, -peeled and cut into bite size cubes

Spinach -chopped

Frozen Artichoke Hearts- chopped

Prepared Stock

Cooked Chicken -pulled, picked or cut into smallish pieces

Salt, Pepper, Thyme, Parsley, Nutmeg

Lemons -zested and juiced

The process is simple... In a soup pot begin by sweating the leeks and shallots. You'll need to add a bit of fat so they don't stick -olive oil is fine but I usually just skim some fat off of my stock. Salt and pepper them as they cook down. After a few minutes add the carrots and potatoes. Continue to sweat for a few more minutes then deglaze with a bit of stock. put the lid back on and steam till almost tender. Add artichokes, thyme, parsley, nutmeg, lemon zest, chicken and the rest of the stock. Taste and adjust salt & pepper. Cook for a bit to marry the flavors, then add the spinach and garlic. Finish by stirring in the lemon juice. Adding this acid at the end really brings the soup to another level. The taste is pure sunshine! 

Serve with rosemary garlic toast.

AND NOW... FOR DESSERT!

Apple Raspberry Crisp

Making a fruit crisp is practically as easy and fool proof as making soup. Together they are two of my favorite comfort foods. Hearty, Rustic, Simple, and full of flavor.

This crisp is technically gluten-free, However that statement comes with a few disclaimers:

1. Oats are gluten-free but do contain Avenin, which some people with Celiac disease cannot tolerate.

2. Make sure you purchase organic oats that are labeled gluten-free because there are issues with cross

contamination since many oat crops are grown adjacent to a variety of wheat crops.

Ingredients:

10 Medium Apples -peeled, cored and sliced

2 cups fresh or frozen Raspberries

3/4 cup Brown Sugar -lightly packed

2 Tbsp gluten free Flour blend

1/2 tsp Nutmeg

1 Lemon -zested and juiced

1/2 cup Almonds - toasted and chopped

1/4 cup candied ginger -chopped 

1 cup Brown Sugar -lightly packed

3 Tbsp Coconut Flour

2 Tbsp gluten free Flour blend 

2 cups Oats

1 1/2 cups Crispy Brown Rice Cereal (it's like rice crispies but with brown rice)

3 tsp Cinnamon

1/4 tsp Salt

1 1/2 sticks (or 12 Tbsp) Butter

Begin by processing the apples

I have a cool contraption that peels, slices and cores the apples all with the crank of a handle.

I usually set my son to this task while I get the topping ready.

Once the apples are processed, put them in a bowl and dowse them with the lemon juice to prevent them from browning.

Mix in the raspberries, sugar, flour, nutmeg and a sprinkle of lemon zest - reserving the rest for the topping.

Place that mixture in a baking dish.

Now prepare the topping

Simply mix together all of the dry ingredients including the ginger. Chop the butter into small cubes. Using your hands, incorporate the butter into the dry mixture by squishing it all together.

The finished topping should be crumbly but will hold together if you squish it.

Top the apples with the crumb mixture. Bake @ 375 for about 45 min. Let cool. Serve warm.

YUMMY!!  The apples turn a beautiful rosy color from the raspberry juices and the ginger in the topping is the perfect compliment to the fruit.