Pastitsio a Greek Lasagna

I am sorry for my lack of posting for the last few months. Ever since I got pregnant my love of food turned into more of a disdain. I didn't want to eat anything or make anything. Luckily my husband came to the rescue and got my family through the time with some of his favorite meals and a lot of take-0ut!

I am now back and cooking again, but more importantly my love of food is Back and more than that I think it has doubled!

Last summer my family took a trip back east to visit family, while there my dad's best friends mom Mrs. Karidis, who is the best Greek cook I know, made us some tasty stuff. Which left me with a craving for the Greek! Something new I tried was Pastitsio- a Greek Lasagna. It was so creamy and rich and comforting it even was good cold. So when I was watching a Triple D episode that was featuring that particular dish I decided that was my sign to give it a try. I looked online and found a few recipes that I combined a little to fit my tastes and had at it.

I invited my dad over for the taste test since he grew up eating the stuff, and he LOVED it said it tasted just like Mrs. Karidis's! The family and I loved it as well, It made so much that I think I had it for leftovers like 5 times.

* one of the hardest parts of this recipe was finding a pan that fit it because it stacks really high. I used one of the throw away lasagna pans.

Pastitsio

Ingredients

1/2 pound butter, plus 4 ounces melted

• 2 pounds ground meat
• 1 onion, chopped fine
• Salt and pepper
• 1 (12-ounces) can tomatoes
• 1 (12 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 pound ziti rigate or penne
• 3 cups grated parmesan cheese
• 3/4 cup flour
• 3 1/2 cups whole milk
• 5 eggs

Directions

In a hot pan melt 4 ounces of butter, add ground chuck, chopped onion, salt, and pepper. Add tomatoes and tomato sauce, bay leaf, and cinnamon and cook over medium flame for about 35 minutes.

Cook macaroni in boiling water, strain and put back in pot to keep warm.

Place a 1/4 of the grated cheese in n a 11 by 14-inch pan with very high sides ( I used a lasagna pan) , and then a layer with 1/3 of the pasta. Continue until both ingredients are used up. Spread on the meat sauce.

Mix the final layer, the Pastitsio Crema by mixing 4 ounces of melted, cooled butter and 3/4 cup of flour. Heat 3 1/2 cups of milk and pour a little over flour and butter mixture then pour the rest of the mixture into the milk. Add 5 beaten eggs and stir thoroughly over medium flame until mixture thickens. Pour the crema on top of the meat sauce and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 1 hour or until brown. Cool for 1 hour before cutting.

Pork Carnitas

For so long I have been looking for a Pork Carnitas recipe. I decided to check Pinterest and of course found my self a great one! It was also amazingly simple. My mom and hubby thought it was one of the best things they have EVER eaten. I think I quite agree. It came from the For the Love of Cooking blog. Just make sure you put some good mexican cheese and tasty toppings like red onion, guac, cabbage and cilantro.

Pork Carnitas:
Recipe by For the Love of Cooking
Recipe adapted from Noble Pig and Martha Stewart's Everyday Food

• 2 pounds boneless pork shoulder, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed
• Sea salt and ground pepper, to taste
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 cup fresh orange juice
• 1/2 cup milk
• Corn tortillas, warmed
• Fresh cilantro, chopped
• Red onion, thinly slice
• Guacamole
• Sour cream
• Cotija cheese, grated
• Salsa
• Lime wedges

In a large Dutch oven over high heat, combine pork, garlic, sea salt, pepper, and 8 cups of water. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a medium low and simmer covered for 45 minutes. Drain well. In the same Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add pork, 1/2 cup fresh orange juice and 1/2 cup milk then cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid has evaporated and pork has browned, about 8 to 12 minutes. The pork will start browning after liquid has evaporated. Season well with sea salt and pepper, to taste. Serve carnitas in corn tortillas with cilantro, red onion, guacamole, sour cream, salsa, cotija cheese and fresh lime wedges. Enjoy.

Shrimp & Grits & Washington D.C.

My goal in D.C. was to go to as many DDD places that I could. I only made it to 2 but that's ok because I found my new favorite meal. Most of the places we went to there were what some would call Ghetto or Scary. But I think those Dives of a place can sometimes have the BEST food. I found this first place on YELP, Capitol City Diner. It sounded great, and everyone said their Chicken & Waffles were awesome, any place with waffles I can do. When we drove up I could tell most of my family didn't even want to get out of the car, since their may have been a crack house next door. But they followed me blindly believing that I knew what I was talking about. When we got inside it wasn't much better, a small diner car with one cook and no customers. But by the end of the meal everyone was eating their words!





Next up was our first Triple D place. Oohs & Aahs Cafe. This place was in an even scarier neighborhood but so worth it. When we walked up it was this tiny little place with a kitchen downstairs and a couple of table upstairs. The only thing that kept my family from leaving was all the pictures of "famous" people that had eaten there littering the walls.

But they were sooo glad they stayed, this was truly some of the best food I have EVER had. They gave us a sampler platter of all their side dishes to try and they were incredible. The cabbage was to die for, I have truly never had better cabbage, and I WILL find out how to duplicate.

I got the Shrimp & Grits, which one of the items they featured on the show. I was in complete and utter amazement at how absolutely wonderful this meal was. The grits were sweet, smooth, and melt in your mouth good. With spicy shrimp atop of it that went so perfect together. I couldn't have been happier with my meal. I loved it so much I took the leftovers home and ate them for breakfast, and the were still just as good.

I also tried the peach cobbler and for someone who isn't usually a fan, I could have eaten the whole thing!

So if you are ever in D.C and you don't go I will pity you!
Remember awhile back when I recreated the Arepas I saw on Triple D. Well I got a chance to go the restaurant that I first saw it on. But I gotta say I actually liked mine better. Which usually doesn't happen but everyone agreed with me as well. This is actually a good thing, since I can make it anytime I want.
Onto my meal. As soon as I had the Shrimp & Grits in D.C. I knew that I wouldn't not stop until I could recreate them. When I got home I got the recipe from the restaurant off food network and went about acquiring ingredients. You would think that would be easy, but apparently there is not ONE single store in AZ that sells OLD Fashioned grits. My husband told me to just give the quick cooking ones a try and if they didn't work then order online.

I am so glad I listened because they turned out perfect, and just like I remember.

Now if you are not a fan of grits please still try this recipe because these grits unlike any I have ever tried and when I saw the recipe I understood why. One word "Heavy Cream", really it can make any meal better. So please I am begging you to try this meal and you will not be disappointed.

Cajun Grilled Shrimp and Grits

adapted from Food Network

• Ingredients

Grits:

• 1 cup old fashioned grits/ or quick cooking grits
• 2 cups boiling water
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1/4 stick butter
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic granules or freshly minced

Grilled Shrimp:

• 1T chili powder
• Pinch red pepper flakes, or to taste
• 1T seafood seasoning (recommended: Old Bay)
• 2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1T garlic powder
• 1T onion powder
• 
  
• 3 T butter or olive oil
• 2 pounds raw shrimp, peeled and deveined

Directions

Grits: Boil 2 cups of water in medium-size saucepan over medium heat. Add the remaining ingredients in consecutive order while stirring slowly. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat. Slowly stir in the grits. Allow to simmer, stirring every 5 minutes until reaching the desired consistency, about 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer the grits to a serving bowl and keep warm.

Shrimp: Mix all of the dry ingredients thoroughly in bowl until well blended. Melt the butter or olive oil in a large grill pan over high heat. Generously coat the shrimp in the seasoning mixture. Add them to the grill pan and cook until caramelized on both sides. Remove them from the pan to a serving bowl and serve with the grits.

Suggestion: Adding cheese and/or gravy with fried onions, to taste, will elevate the dish considerably

• 
  

Indian Naan and Butter Chicken

I have always wanted to try Indian food but have always been a little apprehensive. I think because of all the spices I had never heard of. But when I saw this dish on Mels Kitchen Cafe I knew it was finally time. First off I love everything she makes and second the name Butter Chicken just sounded to good to pass up.

It thought it would be a way bigger chore than it was to make the naan as well but they are so simple to make. So definitely do them both together.

Well once again I was not dissapointed it was GREAT! I loved it and the family loved it. I can't wait to make it again. The flavors are so different from what I am normally used to, but the rich flavors and creamy texture was amazing. Thanks again Mel- you sure do know how to pick them.

I used my favorite organic brown rice bowls from Costco. They so rock! And we made kind of an Indian taco. Also I think the cilantro is a must, it brings out the flavor so well.

Indian Butter Chicken

Melskitchencafe.com

Note: I lightened up the recipe using fat free half-and-half in place of the heavy cream. If you don’t want to buy a special ingredient and have heavy cream (or regular half-and-half) on hand, they will both work just fine.

*Serves 6

1 medium yellow onion, peeled and diced
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 jalapeño, seeded, and finely chopped
1 tablespoon olive or canola oil
2 teaspoons garam masala
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cardamom
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1 can (6 oz.) tomato paste
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup fat free half-and-half
1 1/2 pounds (about 2-3) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 3/4-inch chunks
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons butter

Hot cooked rice for serving
Chopped fresh cilantro for extra garnish

In a large 12-inch skillet, heat the oil over medium heat until hot. Add the onion, ginger and jalapeno. Stir often while cooking until the onion is translucent, about 4-5 minutes. Stir in garlic, garam masala, chili powder, cardamom, and coriander. Cook stirring, constantly for another minute.

Scrape the mixture into a blender or food processor and add tomato paste and chicken broth. Blend until the mixture is smooth. Pour the sauce back into the skillet and add the half and half. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat and add the chicken pieces and the salt and pepper. Stir. Keep the sauce at a simmer, stirring occasionally, and cook for 10-15 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has slightly thickened.

Cut remaining 3 tablespoons butter into chunks and stir into the sauce until melted. Serve the chicken and sauce over hot rice. Garnish with fresh, chopped cilantro, if desired.

Naan – Indian Flatbread

Melskitchencafe. com
*Note: as with all yeast doughs, I never use the flour amount called for in the recipe as a hard fast rule (unless a weight measure is given and then I pull out my kitchen scale). Because humidity, temperature, altitude and a multitude of other factors can impact how much flour you need in your yeast doughs, I always judge when to quit adding flour by the texture and look and feel of the dough rather than how much flour I’ve added compared to the recipe. Thistutorial on yeast may help identify how a perfectly floured dough should be.

*Makes about 12 pieces of naan

3-4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon active dry or instant yeast
1 1/2 cups milk
1 teaspoon sugar
3-4 tablespoons, melted butter

Pour the milk into a liquid measure and heat in the microwave until warm to the touch (about 110 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer). If using active dry yeast, mix the sugar and yeast into the milk and let it sit for 4-5 minutes until the mixture is foamy and the yeast has activated. Once the yeast/milk mixture is foamy, pour the mixture into a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer and add the salt and 2 1/2 cups of the flour (proceed with the second paragraph of the recipe). If using instant yeast, pour the warm milk into a large bowl or the bowl of an electric stand mixer. Add the sugar, instant yeast, salt and 2 1/2 cups of the flour. Proceed as directed below.

Mix well to combine. Continue adding flour gradually in small amounts, until a soft dough is formed that cleans the sides of the bowl. Knead the dough by mixer or hand until it is smooth and elastic, about 3-5 minutes in the mixer or 10 minutes by hand.

Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl and let it rest at room temperature, covered lightly with greased plastic wrap, for about 2 hours.

After the dough has rested, turn it onto a lightly floured surface (I like to use my roul’pat for this) and divide the dough into 12 equal pieces, rounding each into a ball shape. Cover the pieces with a towel and let them rest for 30 minutes. While the dough rests, preheat your oven to 500 degrees F and place a pizza stone on the bottom rack of the oven. (If you don’t have a pizza stone, try grilling the dough on a lightly oiled outdoor grill or use a hot griddle to bake the naan – you’ll have to experiment with cooking times but I’ve seen either of those methods used with cooking naan also.)

Once the dough has rested for 30 minutes, one by one, roll each piece into a circle about 6-8 inches wide, depending on how thin or thick you want your naan. Lay the circle of dough on the hot pizza stone and spritz lightly with water. Close the oven and bake the naan for 2-4 minutes, until it is lightly puffed (some pieces will puff more than others) and brown spots begin to appear on the top. Remove the naan from the baking stone and place on a cooling rack. Brush lightly with melted butter. Stack the hot naan on top of each other as it comes out of the oven. Cover with a towel and let the naan cool completely or serve warm.

Recipe Source: adapted slightly from Evil Shenanigans-

Triple D Hungarian Cabbage & Noodles

I made this awhile ago after I saw it on Triple D and then forgot about it( since it was before the blog). Then I saw the episode again and remembered how much I loved this dish. 4 ingredients, easy, cheap and completely Delicious. If you are a fan of cabbage you will love this meal. My family loved it, and it made for a great One Pot Wonder.




Hungarian Cabbage and Noodles

1 head of cabbage-chopped

1/2 pound of bacon-chopped

1 package extra large egg noodles

1 small onion-diced

1. Cook the egg noodles in a large pot of boiling water until al dente. Then drain and set aside.

2. add chopped bacon to pot and cook until crisp. Then take the bacon out and drain on a paper towel

3. discard half of the bacon grease, then put the chopped onion in the rest of the grease and cook until tender.

4. add chopped cabbage to the pot and stir. Put a lid on and cook for 5- 10 min. stirring occasionally. Cook until cabbage is tender but still has a bite to it.

4. add pasta and bacon and salt and pepper to taste.

5. stir and serve

Great with some parmesan or romano cheese on top.

Meatballs and Creamy Marinara

I love homemade meatballs. We were always having them in one form or the other as a kid. When I make spaghetti and meatballs I usually make the meatballs and used canned sauce. All of which is good. But this time to make it a little more homemade and bring it up a notch, I added Panko (Japanese bread crumbs) to the meatballs and Heavy Cream to the canned sauce. It definitely made a difference. The family loved it, but who wouldn't it's got Cream in it!




Meatballs

1 1/2 lb of ground beef ( or a mixture of beef and sausage)

2 eggs

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

1/2 cup Panko

1 T Italian seasoning

salt and pepper

your favorite jar of spaghetti sauce

Mix together with your hands. Then roll into balls ( however big or small you want)

Pour some olive oil into a pan and brown them in a single layer. Making sure not to turn them over till they are completely brown or they will tear. When they have been browned on both sides. Pour sauce into the pan and let them simmer together till cooked through (about 15-20 min) . To add some extra flavor pour about 1/2 cup of cream into the sauce, and some fresh basil strips.

How to Eat an Artichoke

Before I met Stephen I had never eaten a Whole Artichoke before. I loved artichoke hearts in things so I wasn't scared at all. The process can take awhile but it is totally worth it. Plus it is Super Fun to eat, especially for kids. So if you have yet to ever eat a whole artichoke give it a try. I would wait till they go on sale and then buy one for each member of your family.

First the artichokes must be steamed.

- cute off most of them stem until there is only about 1/2 left

-place in a steamer pot and let go for a good 1/2 hour to 45 min depending on how many you have.

-check to see if they are done by pushing a fork into the stem and if it goes in smooth and easy it is done.

- you can also pull off some of the small leaves on the bottom around the stem, which are not very good

-next make some little dishes of either melted butter or mayo ( with a splash of balsamic vinegar) for dipping.

( I know mayo sounds kinda nasty, it did to me so it took me forever to try it but it goes so well with it I now only use mayo)

Start peeling off the leaves one at a time

dipping them in

and then scraping the bottom part off with your teeth

(this is where the "meat" of the artichoke is)

eventually you will get to here

which is where you get to pull off multiple ones at a time

these ones aren't as good but can still be eaten

when you get to the purple ones just discard

Then you will reach the "hair"

in which you will need to take a spoon and shave it all off

till you have reached this the grand finale!

The heart, my husband thinks this is the best part, where as I like pulling off the individual leaves to eat.

The heart can be eaten with a fork and cut up in small bites, dipped in whatever you like.

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and that you will give this a try, at least once.

Enjoy!

Chicken & Potatoes - my way

I was looking to make some fried chicken tenders and wanted a good sauce to go with it. I found this one on All recipes, it was divine and the fam Loved it as well as the super delicious breaded chicken made with Panko bread crumbs- my new fav! Of course our meal was finished off with our new household favorite- A french baguette and some creamy goat cheese. I am so glad my kids have such open palettes

Fried Chicken Tenders

chicken tenders

2 eggs beaten with a 1/8 cup of buttermilk

flour with salt & pepper

Panko bread crumbs mixed with shredded parmesan cheese

Put eggs & buttermilk in a shallow dish, flour in another and the panko and parmesan in another.

First dip the chicken in the flour - then egg mixture- then bread crumbs mixture.

Fry in a skillet with a little evoo.

Dipping Sauce

1 cup mayo

3 tbsp creamy horseradish

1/2 cup sour cream

3 tbsp dijon mustard

a splash of worcestershire sauce

Mix together

I'm Back!

I did get back a week ago, but playing catch-up with my house and kids has made it to much to blog. I am now ready to get back in the swing of things.

First off, I had the most AMAZING time in Europe. I have so much to tell and share with ya'll but I am not ready just yet ( I am still waiting on pics). So I wanted to share something I have made since I have been home.

I became a bit obsessed with Chevre Salads while in France. Every restaurant had their own version of one, and I got one at each place! The one thing they all have is Chevre cheese aka Goat Cheese. Most of the salads come with toast topped with warm goat cheese, but there was one that put the goat cheese in a crepe! All were amazing so I decided to put together one that had my favorite parts of each one.

First a base of leafy greens

Sliced Beets

Chopped marinated artichoke hearts

Diced tomatoes

Shredded carrots marinated in some creamy italian dressing

Chopped pecans/walnuts

Hard Boiled Eggs

Prosciutto ( which I had and totally forgot to put in)

Then the Goat Cheese Toast of course

Serve with your favorite Italian dressing

The family LOVED it! Yes even my little ones downed the goat cheese toasts. The only part they didn't love was the beets ( but that was mostly for me anyway!)

I sure hope you try this, and go crazy add whatever you like, just make sure you top it with goat cheese toast!

* here are some other things that were in the salads

-currants

- pears

-cucumbers

-mushrooms

Also a late Happy Mother's Day!

I had a wonderful day filled with Tons of great food made by people I love. What a way to spend a day

Texas Caviar Enchiladas

The other day I had some leftover Texas Caviar. Now by itself this is an amazing dip for chips but when added to enchiladas it gets even Better. My husband loved it and told me these are his favorite enchiladas! Guess I will be making them again.

Now you can basically make this anyway you like, add it to your old chicken enchilada recipe or create a new one. I kept it simple only 3 ingredients. Texas Caviar, Green Salsa, & shredded Chicken.

First I added a little green salsa to the bottom of the dish

Shredded some chicken and mixed it with the remaining jar of green salsa

added the caviar

piled it into a softened corn tortilla and rolled it up

put them all in a dish pour a little more salsa on top

added some cheese and then popped it in the oven for about 15 min. on 350 until the cheese melted

Delish!