Cooking in Pajamas

I love a recipe that fuses two of my favorite cuisines together in one dish.  These shells are a cross between a traditional Italian stuffed shell that is traditionally stuffed with a ricotta cheese filling and a traditional Greek dish flavored with pepperocini, artichokes, spinach and feta cheese.  The resulting dish is loaded with flavors in every bite.  

The entire recipe can be made ahead of time and either refrigerated for three days or frozen for three months.  Here are a few tips to turn this into a  quick weeknight meal.  Do all the steps ahead or just one or two:
1 - the night before, defrost the artichokes and spinach on your kitchen counter
2 - make the sauce the night before
3 - cook the shells first thing in the morning, drain and toss with a little olive oil so they won't stick
4 - prepare the filling ahead of time

In addition, this is a great dinner to serve vegetarians.

Spinach, Artichoke and Feta Stuffed Shells

1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 cup chopped pepperoncini peppers
1 (28-ounce) can fire-roasted crushed tomatoes with added puree (such as Progresso) $
1 (8-ounce) can no-salt-added tomato sauce
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded provolone cheese, divided
1 cup (4 ounces) crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup (4 ounces) low-free cream cheese, softened
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 (9-ounce) package frozen artichoke hearts, thawed and chopped
1/2 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained, and squeezed dry
2 garlic cloves, minced
20 cooked jumbo shell pasta (about 8 ounces uncooked pasta)
Cooking spray

Bake at 375° for 25 minutes or until thoroughly heated and cheese melts.

Here's the deal.  I love feta cheese. I love olives. I love tomatoes. I love couscous.  There are tons of recipes with this combination of ingredients, but I haven't found the perfect marriage of these ingredients.  I decided to come up with a chicken dish, using only ingredients I had in my house.

It just so happened that I made a Costco run last week, and had purchased a big bag of frozen chicken cutlets, a huge container of cherry tomatoes, a ginormous jar of olives and a brick of feta that was, well, the size of a brick.

We were in the process of choosing a restaurant to dine at with another couple when I decided I really didn't want to shower and get dressed (I could wear my yoga pants all day, every day).  I knew I had the makings of a good dinner, so we invited our friends to come to our house instead.  The meal was a big hit.  In addition to the chicken dish, we had sweet and spicy pickle chips, cheese and Phil's homemade bread as a last minute appetizer.  We served the chicken with a Greek salad on the side, and dessert came out of my freezer (I always keep homemade desserts in the freezer).

Mediterranean Chicken With Feta, Olives and Tomatoes

1 c. uncooked couscous

3 c. chicken broth

6 thinly sliced chicken cutlets

4 tsp. EVOO

1  tsp. seasoning salt

1  tsp. dried oregano

1 tsp. garlic powder

pinch of kosher salt

pinch freshly ground pepper

2 c. grape tomatoes, halved

1 c. pitted Kalamata olives, roughly chopped (or any salty, pitted olive)

½ c. crumbled feta cheese

1 c. chicken broth

¼ c. chopped cilantro

Cook couscous according to package directions in chicken broth (instead of water). Set aside and keep warm.In a small bowl mix together seasoning salt, oregano, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Set aside 1 tsp. of this mixture.Brush both sides of chicken with 2 tsp. olive oil, then sprinkle both sides with the seasoning mixture.Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot. Add chicken and cook 4 - 5 minutes per side, or until chicken is no longer pink in the center.  Remove the chicken to a plate and cover with foil. Add 1 c. of the chicken broth to the skillet that the chicken was cooked in. Degaze the pan if necessary. Once the broth is simmering, add chicken back to pan. Lower the heat to the lowest simmer setting, and keep warm.In a medium bowl, combine tomatoes, olives, feta, the remaining 2 tsp. EVOO and remaining seasoning. Stir well and test for seasoning.Transfer cooked couscous to a platter. Top with chicken and a a few spoonfuls of the broth.  Top the couscous and the chicken with the tomato mixture. Garnish with cilantro.

The biggest comment I hear from people in my cooking classes is that they are afraid to cook at home.  They never really learned how, and they are afraid of "messing up".  Often, they think that they do not have the right kitchen equipment or ingredients, or they simply do not know what recipe to try.  I always tell them that there is no reason for them not to give it a try.  What is the worst thing that could happen?  Your meal doesn't come out as expected, and you end up having eggs and cereal for dinner.

I believe there are more than enough reasons for you to make the decision to prepare most of your meals at home.  Let's begin with the biggest reason....saving money.

When my kids were little, we lived a mile away from a Chili's Grill and Bar.  It was a five minute drive from the house, there was rarely a wait, and we could be in and out in under an hour.  Sometimes the food was good, sometimes average and sometimes it was BAD. Sound like a "no-brainer?  Not really.  Let's do some math.

To begin with, dinner for the four of us would cost about $50 a meal.  Assuming we went once a week, that is $2600 a year on one meal of a 21 meal week.

I could easliy prepare a meal for $15 (usually less, but let's go with $15 for now) that would feed the four of us, plus have leftovers for two more meals.  That is $780 for three meals a week over the course of a year, which is $260 a year for one meal. That breaks down to $5 a meal which would save $2340 a year....a nice chunk of change.  If we had replaced all 52 of those restaurant meals for a home cooked meal, we could have saved up to $7000 a year!  Do you know what we could have done with that money?!?!?!  We could have padded the kids college funds; or gone on a luxury safari in Africa; or we could have donated the money to a worthy charity; or I could have remodeled my kitchen.

This is the primary purpose for my cooking classes....to show people that homecooking is easy (check out my 11/16 class on the Lost Art of Home Cooking - the recipes are sure to become regulars in your rotation).  Over the next few weeks, I will be going over the benefits of cooking at home.  The reasons are quite compelling.

1 - Home cooking is healthier than restaurant meals.  Ever wonder why restaurant food tastes so good?  It is because of the large quantity of butter, starch and salt added to their food.

2 - You have more control over your ingredients and portions.

3 -  It is faster to prepare a meal at home than it is to get in the car, drive, find a parking spot, get seated, wait for your server, order, wait some more for your food, eat, pay and drive home.  It's all about keeping it simple, but scrumptous.

4 - You can eat seasonal produce that is at its peak flavor, and be assured that you are using high quality ingredients.

5 - Cooking is fun.

6 - You get much better "quality" time with your family by bringing everyone together in your kitchen than you would in a crowded, loud restaurant.

7 - Cooking with your kids teaches them the lifelong skill of cooking.

8 -  Saving money. A steak that costs $11 at Whole Foods would cost you $30 in a restaurant.  See above.

This does not mean you should feel guilty about dining out.  Dining out is an experience that I personally would never give up completely.  The difference between my days of running out to Chili's and now, is that now when we go out to dinner, we make sure to go to fabulous restaurants, with highly talented chefs.  I am a pretty good cook, and usually not intimidated by a new recipe, but these chefs make dishes that would take me days to recreate at home.

Here is a super easy and delicious meal for you to try.  I use frozen shrimp which works beautifully in the dish. It costs about $4 a pound when it is on sale at Publix, so when I see it on sale, I buy two (2 #) bags.  you can have the ingredients needed to make this dish in your kitchen at all times.  Serve over a bed of rice, couscous, quinoa or pasta, and you have a yummy and complete meal.

PS - I am hoping to launch the CIP YouTube Channel by the first of the year.  Look for the links soon!

Greek Shrimp from Santorini

from allrecipes.com

Ingredients:

1/4 cup butter

2 tablespoons garlic, minced

1 bunch flat-leaf parsley, chopped

2 pints grape tomatoes, halved

1/2 (750 milliliter) bottle dry white wine

2 pounds peeled and deveined medium

shrimp

1 (4 ounce) container crumbled feta

cheese

2 lemons, halved

2 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions:

1. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the garlic, chopped parsley, tomatoes, and wine. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low, and cook for 1 hour, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has slightly thickened.

2. Preheat oven to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C).

3. Stir the shrimp into the tomato sauce, and cook for 2 minutes; remove from the heat. Pour the shrimp mixture into a shallow baking dish, and sprinkle with crumbled feta cheese. Bake in the preheated oven until the feta has softened and the shrimp are no longer translucent, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Squeeze the lemon halves over the shrimp and garnish with the parsley sprigs to serve.

My Nona made the most delicious Keftedes.   Keftedes are Greek meatballs, and my Nona's version was a savory combination of leeks and ground beef, seasoned, then formed into patties, and fried in oil.  Every Greek family has their own version, like every Italian family has their own marinara sauce.  We actually pronounced it kiv-ti-kahs.  Who knew if that was correct, but that was the way my Sephardic family pronounced it.

Kolokithokeftethes are actually Zucchini Keftedes.  Zucchini Keftedes are actually Greek Zucchini Patties or Zucchini Fritters.  Why didn't I just say that in the beginning, you ask?   They aren't all exactly the same.  Depending on whether the recipe has originated in Turkey or Greece, different versions of the recipe can have subtle differences, such as the addition of fresh parsley and onions in the Turkish version.  This version is a very traditional Greek version.

It took me two decades to replicate Nona's recipe, but during my recipe research, I found hundreds of Keftedes recipes.  There were endless combinations of meats, herbs, spices, vegetables and cheeses.   I was especially intrigued by the vegetarian versions.  I got very creative with dipping sauces (almost any food is better with a dipping sauce).  Of course, tzatziki is the most traditional, and works with just about every Keftede, but I also tried versions of ranch dressing, honey mustard, spicy dipping sauces, jezebel sauce...the list is endless.

These Zucchini Keftedes are the perfect way to use this healthy summer vegetable.  I'll also give you tips along the way to break down this recipe, so you can squeeze it into your busy day.  If you have 10 minutes in the morning and 15 minutes in the afternoon, these can be ready from the refrigerator to the table at dinnertime, in 15 minutes.  The leftovers are fabulous!  You can reheat the Keftedes, stuff them into a pita, with lettuce, tomato, onion, feta and yogurt.  You can serve them on top of a salad, you can melt mozzarella cheese over them and serve them on a roll with some arugula and Dijon.  I am sure you can find a creative use for them.

Zucchini Keftedes

adapted from BonAppetite.com

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds medium zucchini, trimmed

1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt

1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions

3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel

1 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)

1 large egg, beaten to blend

1 cup coarsely crumbled feta cheese

Safflower oil or Canola oil (for frying)

Plain non-fat Greek-style yogurt (for garnish)

Additional chopped fresh dill (for garnish)

Preparation

DO AHEAD #1: Grate zucchini on large holes of box grater onto clean kitchen towel. Sprinkle zucchini with 1 teaspoon coarse salt; let stand at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour.  This step takes 5 minutes!

DO AHEAD #2 Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment or foil. Wrap zucchini in towel; squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Place zucchini in medium bowl. Mix in green onions, 3 tablespoons chopped dill, mint, garlic, lemon peel, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Gently stir in panko and egg, then feta. Using 2 tablespoons zucchini mixture for each, shape mixture into 1 3/4- to 2-inch-diameter patty; place on baking sheet. Chill at least 1 hour.  Can be made 6 hours ahead. Keep chilled.

Pour enough canola oil into heavy large skillet to reach depth of 1/4 inch; heat over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add patties to skillet. Cook until golden and cooked through, adjusting heat if browning too quickly, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Using slotted metal spoon, transfer to paper towels.

DO AHEAD #3 I like to have the keftedes ready about half an hour before I serve dinner.  I keep them warm and crispy by placing them on a baking sheet in a 175 degree oven.

Arrange keftedes on platter. Top each with dollop of yogurt. Sprinkle each with dill. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Optional:  Serve with Ranch dressing on the side or Jezebel sauce.

If you have ever tried to substitute ground turkey in place of ground beef in your hamburgers, it may have resulted in a beige, chewy, dry, flavorless burger.  Turkey burgers  became popular in the eighties when it was discovered that substituting turkey for ground beef saves 200 calories, 25 grams of fat, 10 grams of saturated fat and 45 mg. of cholesterol from each quarter pound burger.  Great for your waistline and heart, but they were unappetizing to look at and eat.  But, the turkey burger never went away, because it is loaded with protein, inexpensive and low in fat.

Over the years we have figured out that to make a turkey burger moist and flavorful is to add in the moisture and fat that the turkey lacks.  One way is to add in some ground dark meat when you purchase your ground turkey.  You can now find packages that are labeled all white meat or a mix of white meat and dark meat.

Another way to add flavor and moisture is with mix-ins.  Start with binders such as eggs, EVOO.  Add colorful and flavorful ingredients like fresh herbs, chopped bell peppers, scallions, shallots, breadcrumbs, garlic or Parmesan cheese.  Add in your favorite sauces like Worcestershire, soy sauce, ketchup, or chili sauce.  Don't forget about you favorite spice mixes... Emeril's Seasoning mix, Zataran's, Mrs. Dash, etc.  Any combination will work.  I have never tasted an over-seasoned turkey burger!  Don't forget the salt and pepper and to lightly oil you grill or pan.  Be creative with the bun...I like a lightly toasted whole what English muffin.  You could use pita, french bread, ciabatta, bagels, flagel, onion roll or sandwich bread.  Do I need to mention the endless option of toppings....roasted red peppers, any cheese, Russian dressing, raita, ketchup, pickles, chutneys, horseradish....

To get you started, here is one of my favorites.  It is so easy and fast to prepare.  Serve it in a whole wheat pita with lettuce, tomato, onions, tzatziki sauce, chopped olives and baked oven fries on the side.

Mediterranean Turkey Patties

printable version

1 # ground turkey

1/2 c. crumbled feta cheese

1 tsp. dried Italian seasoning

1 tsp. dried oregano

1 tsp. grill seasoning (Montreal Steak)

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 tsp. fresh ground pepper

3 T. EVOO

DIRECTIONS

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl.

Form into 4 patties.

Grill or cook in a skillet for 5-8 minutes per side until done.

Here is a recipe that is a perfect dinner for vegetarians and non-vegetarians.  You can also make these to serve as an impressive starter course at a dinner party.  I grew up eating these spinach pies, but I knew them as burekas, a Greek savory pastry.  We would get them from either the Greek bakery in Queens, or sometimes from a lady who would bake them in her kitchen and sell them to the Sephardic community.  We always got to choose between spinach burekas, which are filled with a seasoned mixture of spinach and feta, or cheese burekas, filled with just cheese (usually a mixture of feta, ricotta, farmers cheese and/or any kind of white Greek cheese).  Sometimes the burekas would have a flakey phyllo dough crust and sometimes the crust would be similar to a traditional pastry crust.  In addition to spinach and cheese, some other filling options are meat, mushrooms, or potatoes.

Now, you can find spinach burekas, aka, Spanakopitas, pretty much anywhere.  They seem to be the "it" hors d'ouvre with all of the top caterers.  They are in every grocery store and they are available in any restaurant that can reasonably put a Mediterranean item on their menu.

They are so easy to make.  The big shortcut is using store bought phyllo dough, which many people shy away from because the sheets of dough are paper thin and can break easily.  Don't be intimidated.  Click here for some tips on working with phyllo dough.  Once you realize how easy it is to use phyllo dough, you will open up a whole new world of recipes...strudels (sweet and savory), baklova, tarts, turnovers, stuffed phyllo parcels, etc.

Spanakopitas (adapted from Ina Garten)

printable version

1/4 cup good olive oil

2 chopped yellow onions

3 scallions, white and green parts, chopped

2 (10-ounce) packages frozen chopped spinach, defrosted

4 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten

3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Plain dry bread crumbs

1 teaspoon grated nutmeg

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 cups small-diced feta cheese (12 ounces)

3 tablespoons toasted pine nuts

24 sheets frozen phyllo dough, defrosted

1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

Flaked sea salt, such as Maldon, for sprinkling

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Heat the olive oil in a medium saute pan, add the onion, and cook for 5 minutes over medium-low heat. Add the scallions, and cook for another 2 minutes until the scallions are wilted but still green. Meanwhile, gently squeeze most of the water out of the spinach and place it in a large bowl.

When the onion and scallions are done, add them to the spinach. Mix in the eggs, Parmesan cheese, 3 tablespoons bread crumbs, the nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Gently fold in the feta and pine nuts.

Place 1 sheet of phyllo dough flat on a work surface with the long end in front of you. Brush the dough lightly with butter and sprinkle it with a teaspoon of bread crumbs. Working quickly, slide another sheet of phyllo dough on top of the first, brush it with butter, and sprinkle lightly with bread crumbs. (Use just enough bread crumbs so the layers of phyllo don’t stick together.) Pile 4 layers total on top of each other this way, brushing each with butter and sprinkling with bread crumbs. Cut the sheets of phyllo in half lengthwise. Place 1/3 cup spinach filling on the shorter end and roll the phyllo up diagonally as if folding a flag. Then fold the triangle of phyllo over straight and then diagonally again. Continue folding first diagonally and then straight until you reach the end of the sheet. The filling should be totally enclosed. Continue assembling phyllo layers and folding the filling until all of the filling is used. Place on a sheet pan, seam sides down. Brush with melted butter, sprinkle with flaked salt, and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the phyllo is browned and crisp. Serve hot.

Throw away your boxed falafel mix...homemade is 100X better, and just as easy!   Falafel is a fried ball or patty of spiced chick peas or fava beans that originated in the Middle East.  The resulting patties are usually served in a pita bread with a tangy yogurt based sauce.  If you have never had falafel, you are in for a treat.  If you have had falafel before, you are also in for a treat.  Not only is this recipe yummy, these patties are baked, instead of fried.  Wait, wait...before you write off this recipe, I promise you, these will be the BEST falafel you have EVER had!  I brush the baking sheet with canola oil, so the outside get nice and crispy.  You would never guess they were not completely submerged in oil.

My family enjoys these falafel in a whole wheat pita, drizzled with cucumber yogurt sauce and sprinkled with feta cheese.  I prefer my falafel crumbled on top of a bed of whole wheat couscous, tossed with herbed steamed vegetables, hummus, cucumber sauce, crumbed feta and my pita on the side.  it's not a pretty sight, but it is so filling and delicious.  I toss my steamed vegetables with a dash or two of my homemade Greek dressing to add in a little extra flavor.  This is so incredibly amazing...I could live on this!

These falafel can be make ahead of time, stored in the refrigerator and reheated in the oven when needed.

This is Part 1 of my dinner menu from last night.  We had Phil's Dad, his aunt, and her significant other, over for dinner.  Here is our appetizer and salad, with the rest of dinner to be posted tomorrow.  First is my super easy oriental dip.  It's actually, not really a recipe, but it is always a huge hit when I serve it.  You simply take an 8oz. brick of cream cheese (I usually use the light) in a pie plate, pour over enough low sodium soy sauce over the top to cover and have extra on the bottom, and sprinkle the top with sesame seeds.  Then, bake at 375 for 15 minutes.  Serve with your favorite crackers.  If I happen to have wasabi paste in the house, I will half the brick of cream cheese lengthwise, spread the wasabi paste in the middle, put the 2 pieces back together, and continue the recipe as previously stated.  

Here is my authentic Greek Salad.  I grew up eating only Greek Salads, never tossed salads with iceberg lettuce, or Caesar salads.  I didn't know any other types of salads existed until I was in high school!  Needless to say, a good Greek Salad still holds a special place in my heart.  This one is just like the ones served in the Greek restaurants and diners in New York.  

The recipe for the dressing needs to be made in a food processor or blender.  I use my trusty Magic Bullet.  It is much easier to store, use and clean.  It is perfect for smoothies too.  After I am done with preparing the dressing in the Magic Bullet, I move it to a salad dressing bottle, and store in the fridge.

The Perfect Greek Salad

Dressing:

3/4 C. EVOO

2-3 T. fresh lemon juice

3 T. dried oregano

3 tsp. fresh minced garlic

1 tsp. dried basil

2 T. red wine vinegar

1 tsp. sugar

kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Put all ingredients into the Magic Bullet and blend for 30 seconds.

Salad:

Romaine lettuce

Cherry tomatoes, cut in half

Peeled cucumber

Red onion

Any type of salty olives, pits removed

green pepper, chopped

feta cheese, crumbled

Toss all ingredients together right before serving.