Dirty Greek Martini

get dirty, Grecian style...

In doing research for this post, I came across many "Grecian style" dirty martini recipes. Each one simply swapped out green olives and juice for Kalamata. I was planning to do this myself, but felt that this was a little boring. So, I kept searching and found the recipe posted here. It includes pepperoncini juice, which added just the twist I was looking for.

This dirty martini recipe is not only briny from the Kalamata olive juice, but spicy too from the pepperoncini. Of course, I'm garnishing with the olives and pepperoncini, but I couldn't help but add feta cheese too. Even better would be feta cheese stuffed Kalamata olives! Make this drink when you need a change from the plain old dirty martini. Here's how...

Ingredients - Makes 2 drinks

3 oz. Vodka (or Gin)

1/2 oz. Dry Vermouth

1/2 oz. Kalamata Olive Juice

1/2 oz. Pepperoncini Juice

Garnish: Pitted Kalamata Olives, Cubed Feta Cheese, & Pepperoncini

Directions

In an ice filled shaker, combine the vodka, dry vermouth, Kalamata olive juice, and pepperoncini juice. Shake until well chilled. Strain into chilled martini glasses. Garnish with the olives, feta, and pepperoncini. Cheers! Or, as they say in Greek "yiamas".

Kalamata Olive & Feta Stuffed Chicken Breasts in White Wine Sauce over Couscous

a balancing act...

Continuing on with my goal to eat better in the new year, I'm coming to the realization that I need to have a more balanced diet. While I've been mostly a pescetarian for the past 10 years, I've decided that I need to eat a little bit more meat. That said, I still won't post recipes with pork or beef, but instead, lean white meats such as chicken and turkey will appear more regularly. In that vein, I'm starting with this dinner.

There are many parts to this meal, but each one is very easy to do, and creates a balanced dish. The kalamata olive and feta stuffing is rich and provides moisture to the chicken as it cooks. The chicken is a lean protein jazzed up with the stuffing. And, the white wine sauce finishes off the dish with a little bit of decadence and a pop of acidity. I round out the meal with a simple couscous. When you need a bit of balance in your life, make this dish. Here's how...

Ingredients - Serves 4
Stuffing:
4 oz. Light Cream Cheese, softened
1/2 C Kalamata Olives, pitted & roughly chopped
1/2 C Feta Cheese, crumbled
2 Oil-Packed Sun Dried Tomatoes, roughly chopped

Chicken:
1 T Olive Oil
4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts, trimmed
Kosher Salt
Black Pepper

White Wine Sauce:
2 Cloves Garlic, minced
1/2 C White Wine
1/2 Lemon, juiced
2 T Butter
Kosher Salt
Black Pepper

Couscous:
1 T Olive Oil
2 Cloves Garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. Red Pepper Flakes
2 C Chicken Broth
1 (10 oz.) Box Couscous

Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Make the stuffing: In a small bowl combine the cream cheese, Kalamata olives, feta, and sun dried tomatoes. Stir until well combined. Set aside.

Prepare and stuff the chicken: Pat each chicken breast dry. Using a sharp knife, cut a slit along the side of the breast, from top to bottom and about 3/4 the way in. Be careful not to cut all the way through the breast (essentially, you are creating a pocket). Divide the stuffing mixture and evenly distribute between each "pocket". Stuff the mixture into the "pocket", moving it around to evenly fill the breast.

Cook the chicken: Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat a large skillet over med-high. Add the oil and each breast. Cook on each side until browned, 6-8 minutes. Remove to a roasting pan and put in the preheated oven to finish cooking, about 20 minutes.

As the chicken cooks, make the sauce: In the skillet used to cook the chicken, add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Deglaze the pan with the wine and lemon juice. Reduce by half, add the butter, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Keep warm.

Make the couscous: In a medium pot add the oil and heat over med-high. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes, cook for about 1 minute. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Stir in the couscous, remove from the heat, cover, and allow to sit for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and keep warm until ready to serve.

Serve the dish: Plate the couscous on the bottom, top with chicken, and drizzle with the sauce. Serve immediately with a small salad and a glass of your favorite red wine. Enjoy!

Roasted Red Pepper Soup w/ Cheesy Pita Points

soup weather...

Some people say fall is sweater weather, but being a food person I equate the season differently. So, I'm going to say it's soup weather. As the weather turns colder, soup becomes the go-to for so many lunches and dinners at my house. It's tough though because sometimes I get in a rut and make the same kinds - chicken noodle, vegetable, or tomato. Well, this roasted red pepper soup offers a nice alternative to the norm.

This simple soup makes for a healthy, yet filling meal. It stars roasted red peppers, but is also full of other veggies and aromatics. I pair it with a different type of dunker - cheesy pita points. The recipe follows and I highly recommend making them to accompany this soup. This fall make a different kind of soup to warm up. Here's how...

Ingredients
4 Red Bell Peppers
3 T Olive Oil
1 Large Yellow Onion, chopped
2 Ribs Celery, chopped
2 Carrots, peeled & chopped
2 Cloves Garlic, minced
1 Bay Leaf
1 (32 oz) Box Low-Sodium Vegetable Stock
1 (15 oz) Can Tomato Sauce
To Serve: Fresh Flat-Leaf Parsley (chopped), Sour Cream, & Cheesy Pita Points (recipe follows)

Directions
Preheat the broiler to high and move the oven rack to two spots from the top. Line a baking sheet with foil.

Begin by roasting the red bell peppers: Cut the tops off the peppers. Cut them in half and remove the seeds and ribs. Press flat, cut side down, onto the prepared baking sheet. Broil for 10-12 minutes, or until the skin is charred. Carefully remove the peppers to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and allow to steam for 10 minutes. Peel off the charred skin, discard. Chop the peeled peppers and set aside.

Cook the veggies: Heat a heavy-bottom pot or dutch oven over med-high. Add the oil, onion, celery, carrots, garlic, and bay leaf. Saute for 6-8 minutes, or until the veggies begin to soften. Season with salt and pepper.

Make the soup: Add the broth, tomato sauce, and roasted red peppers to the pot. Continue to cook over medium for 15-20 minutes. Allowing the veggies to fully soften and the flavors to meld.

Puree the soup: Remove the bay leaf. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup in the pot until smooth. Or, use a blender to puree the soup. In batches, add the soup to the blender and puree. Note: Use caution when blending hot liquids in a blender, allow steam to escape. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve the soup: Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish as desired. I suggest adding a dollop of sour cream, a sprinkling of parsley, & cheesy pita points (recipe follows). Enjoy!

Cheesy Pita Points
Ingredients
2 Pitas, cut in half
1 C Shredded White Cheddar Cheese
1 C Crumbled Feta Cheese
Olive Oil Cooking Spray
2 T Parmesan Cheese

Directions
Preheat the broiler to low. Open the pita pockets and divide the cheddar and feta cheese between them. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silpat mat. Spray each pita with cooking spray and sprinkle the tops with the Parmesan cheese. Broil until the cheese melts and the pitas become brown and crisp. Allow to cool 1-2 minutes. Then cut each pita into points and serve with the soup.

Greek Style Veggie Frittata

an egg-cellent meal ideal

I love eggs! Any form, any way, any where, Sam I Am, yes, I'd probably even eat green eggs (no ham). Lucky for you, I didn't make anything with green eggs for this post. Instead I've made a veggie frittata. A frittata is much like an omelet or crust-less quiche that serves 6-8 people. It originated in Italy and is traditionally served with onion, peppers, spinach, and cheese. However, due to the versatility of eggs, you can choose any combination of ingredients you wish.

I've chosen to make a Greek style frittata for this post. The combination of red onion, cherry tomatoes, roasted red bell pepper, artichoke hearts, kalamata olives, parsley, and feta cheese are quite common in Mediterranean cuisine. I've combined these ingredients into an easy to make breakfast, lunch, or dinner main dish. Make this when you have eggs and veggies to use up, here's how...

Ingredients - Serves 6
12 Large Eggs
2 T Half & Half (or 3 T Milk, any %)
1/2 C Feta Cheese, plus more for topping
Salt & Pepper
1-2 T Olive Oil
1 Red Bell Pepper
1 Small Red Onion, thinly sliced
1/2 C Cherry Tomatoes, halved
1 Can Artichoke Hearts, drained & chopped
1/4 C Kalamata Olives, halved
1/4 C Parsley, roughly chopped

Directions
Make the roasted red pepper: You can purchase jarred peppers, but they are never as good and it takes no time to roast a fresh one.

Preheat the broiler to high and move your oven rack up to the top spot. Remove the top and bottom portions of the pepper, cut out the seeds/ribs, and then slice the pepper in half. On a foil lined baking sheet press the pepper down so that it is flat (the inside of the pepper should be on the baking sheet). Broil the pepper for 5-8 minutes or until charred. Remove the pepper to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow the pepper to steam for 10 minutes. Remove the pepper from the bowl and peel off the charred skin, discard. Roughly chop the pepper and set aside.

Make the egg mixture: Turn the oven down to 375 degrees and move the rack back to the bottom third of the oven. In a large bowl beat the eggs, half & half, 1 tsp. salt, and 1/2 tsp. pepper until combined. Stir in the 1/2 C feta and set aside.

Build the frittata: Bring a large oven-proof nonstick skillet to heat over med-high. Add the oil, onion, and tomatoes. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft and the tomatoes have given off their juices, about 5 minutes.

Stir in the roasted red bell pepper, artichokes, olives, and parsley. Cook until warmed through. Evenly distribute the veggies in the skillet then pour in the egg mixture. Make sure the eggs cover everything evenly. Cook on the stove-top for 2-3 minutes. Then top with a little more feta and carefully put the skillet into the oven. Cook until the eggs are set, about 15 minutes.

Serve the frittata: Remove the skillet from the oven and allow the frittata to cool for a few minutes. Then run a spatula around the edge of the frittata to release it from the pan and slide it out onto a cutting board. Cut the frittata into thirds, then cut each third in half (6 wedges). Serve immediately. I made roasted oregano potatoes to go with ours - delish! These are my Greek eggs (no ham), enjoy!

Watermelon Summer Salad

simple supper + summer = salad

One of my favorite things about summer is how easy meals can be. Nearly anything you get at the store or farmer's market is fresh and requires little to no preparation. Meals also tend to be much simpler. When I cook it's usually on the grill. When I don't cook I turn to salads.

This watermelon salad is one of my favorite go-tos. It requires few ingredients, but still offers something a little bit different. It is flexible in terms of what you have on hand and can be made for many or just a few. When you just don't have the time or energy to cook this summer try it out. Here's how...

Ingredients - Serves 4
2C Diced Watermelon (1in. cubes)
5oz. Feta Cheese
1/2C Diced Cucumber
1/4C Thinly Sliced Red Onion
1/2C Slivered Almonds, toasted
Mixed Spring Greens, large box
Optional: Grilled Chicken, sliced (2 breasts)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil & Balsamic Vinegar

Directions
Begin by preparing all of your ingredients. Dice the watermelon and cucumber. Thinly slice the onion. Grill and slice the chicken, if using. I suggest using a grill seasoning or just salt & peper on the chicken. Finally, toast the almonds in a small dry skillet. I suggest standing at the stove and watching the almonds toast...they burn quickly and easily. My husband can attest to that - I burned a whole bag while trying to make this last night and he had to run out to get another one!

After all of the ingredients are prepared, build the salad. Fill a large plate with the spring greens, top with cucumber, onion, watermelon, feta, almonds, and chicken. Finally drizzle about 2T each of balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil over the whole salad. Enjoy this simple supper that celebrates summer!