Posts Tagged ‘feta’
Mini Greek-Style Meatloaves
May 9, 2013 | 
Author Meatloaves. Yes dad, if you are reading this I willingly made myself meatloaf for dinner. But I discovered the secret to overcoming their mushy texture which is the primary reason for my distaste for them all my life – minis! When you make them mini it’s just like eating a meatball and are less mushy. After I discovered this fact while reviewing The New Way to Cook Light cookbook, I decided to try out another mini recipe.
Since I recently received a ginormous shipment of Chobani Greek yogurt, I decided to make some mini meatloaves using some of it. Fittingly, I made Greek meatloaves with the Greek yogurt! With the additional flavors of mint and cucumber this meal is perfect for the spring-time and can be ready in under 30 minutes. Did I mention that I have now enjoyed my second meatloaf in my entire life? Crazy!
One year ago: Homemade Imo’s Pizza
Two years ago: Avocado Fries
MINI GREEK STYLE MEATLOAVES
Serves 4
Ingredients:
MEATLOAVES
10 oz. ground sirloin
5 oz. lean ground lamb
1/3 cup breadcrumbs
1/3 cup minced red onion
1 Tbsp chopped fresh mint
1 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 egg, lightly beaten
SAUCE
1/2 cup plain fat-free Greek yogurt (I used 0% plain Chobani)
2 oz. reduced-fat feta, crumbled
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp chopped fresh mint
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme
SALAD
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
4 cups baby arugula leaves
1-1/2 cups 1/4-inch diagonally sliced, seeded, peeled cucumber
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Coat eight muffin cups with nonstick spray, set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine meatloaf ingredients. Press mixture into prepared muffin cups. Bake for 7 minutes. Turn broiler on to high and broil for 3 minutes.
- While the meatloaves cook, combine sauce ingredients in a mini food processor. Pulse 10 times to combine.
- In another large bowl, whisk together lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Add arugula and cucumber then toss to coat.
- Serve meatloaves with a cup of salad and feta sauce on top.
Source: Cooking Light, May 2013
Posted in Beef, Entree | 
Tags: arugula, cucumber, feta, Greek, Greek yogurt, ground beef, lamb, lemon, mint | 
9 Comments »
Falafel Pizza
Even though this pizza isn’t much different than wrapping some falafels up in a pita and topping it with the usual suspects, I thought it was still worth sharing. Originally I was going to attempt making a giant pita for the crust, but decided to go with a thinner sourdough crust by dividing my sourdough pizza crust recipe in half. Mixes things up a little! And you have to admit, an entree option turned into pizza is always a winner.
FALAFEL PIZZA
Makes one pizza
Ingredients:
1/2 recipe sourdough pizza crust (I froze the other half for later)
1/3 cup tahini paste
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
2 Tbsp water
Juice and zest from half a lemon
1/4 cup red onion, sliced
1 small tomato, diced
1/2 cup lettuce
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees, with pizza stone on middle rack.
- Shape the dough into a flattened disk. On a well floured surface, roll out until it reaches the size of your pizza stone (or pan). Place it on a cornmeal-dusted pizza peel*, cover it, and let it rest for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the tahini paste, garlic, parsley, water and lemon juice and zest until well combined. Set aside.
- After dough has risen slightly, poke the dough with a fork several times, then shimmy onto the preheated pizza stone and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until lightly golden.
- Allow crust to cool for 5 minutes before spreading the tahini sauce over it, followed by the red onion, tomato, lettuce, feta, and falafels. Slice and enjoy!
*If you do not have a pizza peel and/or stone, do these steps on the pizza pan or baking sheet you will be cooking the pizza on.
Source: The Spiffy Cookie original
Posted in Entree, Pizza, Uncategorized, Vegetarian | Tags: falafel, feta, lemon, lettuce, red onion, tahini, tomatoes | 11 Comments »
Baked Crazy Feta
I finally made Jessica’s (How Sweet It Is) crazy feta dip. But I cut it in half, and baked it and put some Mozzarella cheese on top. It was amazing! Although I wish I had pita chips around, or even fresh pita bread to make my own chips, but alas I was without and had to settle for tortilla chips. But in all seriousness, it’s just a vehicle for this super awesome stuff.
Don’t judge me for standing over this, shoveling it into my face instead of paying more attention to the Oregon vs LSU game this past Saturday night. Guess after 12 hours of football viewing my stomach decided it needed to be first priority.
CRAZY FETA
Makes approximately 1 cup
Ingredients:
8 oz feta cheese
1 jalapeno, seeded and finely diced
1Tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
Zest and juice of a quarter of a lemon
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup fresh Mozzarella, shredded
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease a 16 oz casserole dish and set aside.
- In a large bowl, crumble the feta. Add diced jalapeno, the lemon zest and juice and garlic. Add olive oil and mash with a fork. Taste the feta and season with salt and pepper.
- Transfer to prepared baking dish. Top with Mozzarella and bake for 15-20 minutes or until cheese is bubbly.
- Serve with pita or tortilla chips. Store leftovers in the fridge for up to a week.
Source: Adapted from How Sweet It Is
Posted in Appetizers & Snacks, Dips | Tags: feta, garlic, jalapenos, lemon, mozzarella | 18 Comments »
Feta Stuffed Pesto Turkey Burgers
Burgers are fun, don’t you think? It’s like pizza, you can pretty much put whatever you want on/in it. I am actually surprised this is only my second turkey burger recipe on here, because I really enjoy a good turkey burger. Speaking of, do you have a favorite recipe? Care to share with me?? O:-)
Just like the eggplant burger, I didn’t need to put any condiments on this. I actually meant to, but after one bite I completely forgot about anything else. All the necessary flavors were already being delivered by the burger patty itself. The homemade pesto may have been a factor. I was so happy with how these turned out. Even the feta inside looks pretty! Definitely a burger I would love to have stock-piled in my freezer (and I may just need to do that).
FETA STUFFED PESTO TURKEY BURGERS
Serves 4
Ingredients:
1 lb lean ground turkey
1/2 cup bread crumbs
2 heaping spoonfuls basil pesto
1 egg
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 cup crumbled feta
Hamburger buns
Lettuce, tomato, and red onion or any of your favorite burger toppings
Directions:
- In a medium bowl, combine the turkey, bread crumbs, pesto, egg and garlic, mixing gently with your hands without overworking the mixture.
- Shape the mixture into eight thin patties. On four of them place 1/4 cup of feta, leaving space around the edge. Use the remaining four patties to seal the feta inside the burger. Preheat your grill. (Alternatively, refrigerate until you’re ready for them, or wrap well – with squares of waxed or parchment paper between each patty – and freeze for up to 6 months.)
- Cook the burgers on a well oiled preheated grill for 4-5 minutes per side or until just cooked through, flipping only once. Serve on a toasted bun with desired toppings.
Source: Adapted slightly from Babble
Feta, Spinach, Sun-Dried Tomato and Pine Nut Pizza with Sourdough Crust
Well, isn’t that the longest pizza title ever? I couldn’t come up with a good title and also felt like I couldn’t leave out the star toppings. I got the idea for this pizza from one of my favorite pizza places, The Mellow Mushroom. Several of their pizzas are quite delicious, and I really enjoy the diversity of toppings that stray from the traditional but their Kosmic Karma pizza I order the most. Even the name sounds appealing, as if eating it will send you into a peaceful state – which it does. And what better than to recreate that experience at home?
Using my sourdough starter to make a sourdough pizza crust, this pizza was spread with pesto as the underlying sauce, then topped with Mozzarella and feta cheese, followed by a good helping of spinach, sun-dried tomatoes and pine nuts. I may have gotten a little zealous with the pine nuts, but they add such a great texture!
Ingredients:
1 recipe sourdough pizza crust
1/2 cup pesto
1 cup Mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed of excess moisture
4 sun-dried tomatoes, julienned
2 heaping Tbsps pine nuts, toasted
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees for at least 10 minutes with a pizza stone* on the middle rack.
- Meanwhile, roll pizza dough onto a corn meal dusted pizza peel*.
- Spread pesto over crust. Top with Mozzarella and feta followed by spinach, sun-dried tomatoes and pine nuts.
- Shimmy the pizza from the pizza peel onto the pre-heated pizza stone and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until it the crust turns golden brown and the cheese starts to bubble. Allow to cool for 5 minutes then cut into slices.
*If you do not have a pizza stone or peel, roll dough out on a corn meal dusted baking sheet/pizza pan.
Source: The Spiffy Cookie original, inspired by the “Kosmic Karma” Pizza from Mellow Mushroom.
Posted in Entree, Pizza, Vegetarian | Tags: feta, mozzarella, pesto, pine nuts, sourdough, spinach, sun-dried tomatoes | 5 Comments »
Chicken Gyros with Tzatziki Sauce
While I was away, I hope you enjoyed the delicious guest posts from Jessica and Lauren. Thank you so much ladies! Where was I, you ask? Destin, FL where I spent too much time on the beach and also finished my scuba diving certification! Hopefully I’ll be able to keep up with it over the years. It’s a really fun (yet expensive) activity.
Upon my return last night, going through my Google reader (which was ridiculous after not looking at it for 4 days) I noticed that more than one other person had posted a chicken gyro recipe, which I am also posting today. So it may not be the most exciting new thing in your face this week, but seriously it’s the best thing I’ve made this month – hands down.
It’s even wrapped up in a homemade whole wheat pita! (Post tomorrow.)
CHICKEN GYROS
Ingredients:
1.25 lbs. chicken breasts, sliced
4 cloves garlic, smashed
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tsp red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 heaping Tbsp plain Greek yogurt
1 Tbsp dried oregano
Salt and pepper
Tzatziki Sauce (below)
Chopped tomatoes
Sliced red onions
Salad greens
Crumbled feta cheese
4 pitas
Directions:
- Whisk together the garlic, lemon juice, vinegar, oil, yogurt, and oregano in a bowl. Add the chicken and rub the marinade in. Cover and refrigerate for about an hour.
- Heat a large pan over medium heat. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper, and then add to pan and cook until cooked through, about 5 minutes per side.
- Top the pita with the chicken, tzatziki, tomatoes, onions, lettuce, and feta. Roll up and eat!
TZATZIKI SAUCE
Ingredients:
1 cup cucumber, peeled, seeded, and finely diced
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp red wine vinegar
2 small garlic cloves, minced
1/2 Tbsp dried dill
Directions:
- Place the cucumber in paper towels and squeeze as much excess moisture as possible.
- Place the squeezed cucumber in a medium bowl and add the Greek yogurt, salt, lemon juice, red wine vinegar garlic, and dill. Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes before serving.
Source: Chicken Gyros from Elly Says Opa! Tzatziki Sauce adapted from Sweet Pea’s Kitchen.
Posted in Chicken, Dressing Sauces & Condiments, Entree, Sandwiches | Tags: chicken, feta, garlic, Greek, Greek yogurt, lemon, pita | 8 Comments »
Feta & Broccoli Pizza
This pizza is a new favorite. Kate ordered it while I was visiting Boston and I was skeptical at first, but was instantly proven otherwise. Obviously that meant I had to recreate it at home, especially since the pizza stone is the most used tool in this kitchen. You might want to cut down the garlic a bit if you are concerned about your breath in close quarters, but I personally wouldn’t because I like it the way it is too much. Besides, it’s not like I’ll be kissing anyone until March 1st…
In case you were unaware, Brent is on vacation in Costa Rica for two weeks and I stole his sweatpants. It’s revenge? Anyway, I did get to chat with him over AIM last night which was super. Oh thank you, Internet!
Ingredients:
1 cup Pizza Sauce (Veggie Lasagna sauce minus water and pureed)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup pizza cheese blend, shredded
1 cup fresh broccoli florets (or frozen, thawed)
Directions:
- Place pizza stone on middle rack and allow to preheat in the oven to 400 degrees, for at least 10 minutes.
- Roll out pizza dough and transfer to a pizza peel, sprinkled with cornmeal. Spread on the pizza sauce followed by garlic, feta cheese, broccoli and pizza cheese. Transfer to the pizza stone (without removing from the oven) and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the crust starts to turn golden and the cheese starts to bubble.
Source: The Spiffy Cookie original
Spaghetti with Feta and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
A dinner that’s easy, quick, have all the ingredients on hand, and it’s delicious? Sounds like a good deal to me. In fact that is exactly why I made this for dinner. I would suggest serving with grilled chicken, but it can easily stand alone for a lighter meal.
Substituted angel hair from the original recipe for regular whole-wheat spaghetti because I dislike the texture of angel hair pasta. Thicker noodles are preferred, in all shapes and sizes!
Ingredients:
1-16 oz package whole wheat spaghetti
1/4 cup olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 oz sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
1-8 oz package tomato basil feta cheese, crumbled
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish
1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
- Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook pasta in boiling water until al dente; drain. Return pasta to the pot.
- Mix in olive oil, garlic, tomatoes, feta, and Parmesan cheese. Stir in cilantro and season with salt and pepper. Top with Parmesan cheese.
