Greek Bake

We’ve all been there – those nights where you just don’t know what to make but have a ton of seemingly random things in the pantry. Not to mention those fresh herbs in the fridge that are about to go bad. Well, you know us a little by now, and we almost (read: almost) like those kinds of nights because that’s when we have to get creative with our recipes. Just like this one. We love our “toss ’em together” recipes that leave just enough cooking time in the oven to go peel off the work clothes and settle in with a nice glass (read: bottle) of wine.
  • 2 tsp olive oil
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 lb. lean ground turkey (or chicken or lamb, knock yourself out)
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • ¾ tsp ground oregano
  • ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • ¼ tsp ground pepper
  • 1 (28 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
  • 2 cup cooked brown rice (I had some white leftover from a fish & rice I had made the night before, works just as well)
  • ½ cup crumbled feta cheese, divided (I did the feta with the Mediterranean herbs, but plain feta works as well)
  • ¼ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat a 2-quart baking dish with cooking spray. Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet set over medium-high heat. Add the onion and ground turkey. Cook, breaking up the turkey with a wooden spoon, until the turkey is cooked through, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper, and cook for 1 minute. Add the crushed tomatoes, bring to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in the cooked rice, ¼ cup of the feta cheese and the parsley. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish and top with the remaining feta cheese. Bake until bubbling, about 20 minutes.

Greek Bake

Happy Eating, XO.

Chimichurri Sauce

So that steak recipe got my red meat taste buds wet with an appetite to add some flair to my boring protein & veggie dinners. I thought of various ways I can jazz up a steak, or another meat dish in a pinch. I thought a sauce or glaze would do the trick. And since we are watching our weight here at damn delish I thought maybe a béchamel isn’t exactly the way to go. And as much as I would heart a yummy compound butter that’s not really helping my get fit before Spain game plan either. So then I had the proverbial foodie light bulb go off and I thought: Chimichurri sauce is divine. Fresh herbs, easy to make (read: no potential to mess it up) I am sold! Let’s see if your convinced on how this will fancy up any boring old meal. Leave comments below on how yours turns out.

  • 1 cup fresh cilantro (listen I’m not usually a fan but when its blended aka hidden with the other stuff its not half bad, trust me, I am an ex cilantro hater).
  • 2/3 cup fresh parsley
  • 1/4 cup fresh oregano
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced (I did 3 because I’m crazy)
  • 1/4 cup red wine vinegar (you know you have some leftover from the steak recipe)
  • 2/3 cup olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (won’t add too much heat just a spiked up flavor)

Combine the parsley, cilantro, oregano and garlic in a food processor and pulse until small leaves and pieces remain. Add in the vinegar and pulse once more. With the processor going, stream in the olive oil and mix until just combined. Stir in the salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Taste and season additionally if needed. Store sealed in the fridge for up to a week or so.

photo

Happy Eating, XO.