Mediterranean | 20something cupcakes

greek {chicken} nachos.

August 21, 2012 — 15 Comments

Easy. Healthy. Delicious. And guess what? There’s practically no cooking involved.

Greek {Chicken} Nachos

Summer eating at its finest.

This is … a Greek take on nachos. How fun is that?! I’ve been eyeing this recipe in The Food Matters Cookbook since we began and so I was more than pleased to help fellow member Megan out with her selection when she asked me.

The original recipe is titled Greek “Nachos” with Feta Drizzle, and because I was so into the idea, I stayed pretty true to it. The general theory is that pita chips replace the tortilla chips, and then summer veggies like tomato and cucumber form a salad on top. Mark combines the feta with yogurt to form a drizzle, but instead I opted to melt the feta over the chips with chicken. Hello, store-bought rotisserie chicken! You could brown up some ground lamb instead if you’re feeling extra Greek. And if you want to keep things meatless, add hummus or roasted chickpeas in place of the chicken.

In Food Matters Project, Healthy Eats, Main Dishes cucumbers, feta, greek yogurt, mediterranean, pita bread, rotisserie chicken, salsas + relishes, summer recipes, weeknight fix

greek turkey burgers.

November 16, 2010 — 1 Comment

It’s that time again.

What time, you ask?

Time to make something for dinner. That’s right. Make something. Take-out can take a break from your company for the evening.

Seriously. You will love these turkey burgers. They’re simple, they’re healthy, and they’re super-tasty. The meat is just bursting with flavor thanks to the feta, onions, and garlic – and the tzatziki-like sauce is pure, creamy, protein-filled heaven.

Try it. Take-out will totally understand.

Greek Turkey Burgers

Adapted via Thyme for Wine, from Southern Living

1 1/3 pounds ground turkey breast
1 (4-ounce) package crumbled feta cheese { I used reduced-fat}
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon salt
Vegetable cooking spray
1/2 cup grated English cucumber
1 (6-ounce) container fat-free Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 whole-wheat hamburger buns, split and toasted {pita would also be fun}
Toppings: lettuce, tomato slices, sliced cucumber

Combine first 7 ingredients. Shape mixture into 4 patties.

Heat a grill pan or indoor Grill {I used our Cuisinart Griddler} over medium-high heat. Coat grill with cooking spray. Add patties; cook 5 minutes on each side or until done.

Stir together cucumber, yogurt, mint, and salt in a small bowl. Serve burgers on buns with cucumber sauce and desired toppings.

In Healthy Eats burgers, cucumbers, feta, mediterranean, weeknight fix

No, I’m not talking about some new Zumba-esque dance move that will burn calories faster than you can say the word.

{Though that does sound pretty great – I need to get on that}

What I am talking about is a delicious North African/Israeli dish consisting of eggs poached in a spicy tomato sauce. And while it doesn’t burn calories – it’s definitely healthy, inexpensive, and simple enough to spice up any easy-peasy weeknight meal plan. Sure, the main event here is eggs – so you could eat it for breakfast or brunch – but having eggs for dinner is one of my favorite things to do; it just makes you feel good after a long day. Add some warm tomato sauce to the mix, and what’s more comforting that that?

Shakshuka
Found on Smitten Kitchen, adapted from Saveur

Serves 4 to 6

1/4 cup olive oil
5 Anaheim chiles or 3 jalapeños, stemmed, seeded, and finely chopped {I used jalapeños}
1 small yellow onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, crushed then chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon paprika
1 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes, undrained
Kosher salt, to taste
6 eggs
1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled
1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
Warm pita chips, for serving {I used whole-wheat}

Heat oil in a 12-inch deep skillet or a Dutch oven {any excuse to use my Le Creuset} over medium-high heat. Add chiles and onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and golden brown, about 6 minutes. Add garlic, cumin, and paprika, and cook, stirring frequently, until garlic is soft, about 2 more minutes.

Put tomatoes and their liquid into a medium bowl and crush with your hands. This is fun and makes me happy; it’s like squeezing those little stress balls but better. Add crushed tomatoes and their liquid to skillet along with 1/2 cup water, reduce heat to medium, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened slightly, about 15 minutes. Season sauce with salt.

Crack eggs over sauce so that eggs are evenly distributed across sauce’s surface. If this scares you, don’t let it – it’s super easy! Cover and let it cook until yolks are just set, about 5 minutes. Using a spoon, baste the whites of the eggs with tomato mixture, being careful not to disturb the yolk. Sprinkle shakshuka with feta and parsley and serve with pitas, for dipping.

To make the pita chips, just cut your pita rounds into eighths – toss with a bit of olive oil and kosher salt – and throw them into a 400 degree oven for about 5 to 10 minutes. So easy and healthy – and they work great with all kinds of dips and spreads.