Lettuce Wraps

This is quick and easy, and can be made as an appetizer or main course.  It has lots of protein and low in carbs and has lots of flavour.  You can use prepared Szechwan sauce, or a combination of soy sauce, oyster sauce and rice vinegar.  Here's what I did:

Recipe:  Lettuce Wraps

20 large lettuce leaves
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 lb ground buffalo or extra lean ground sirloin

2 slices red onion, finely diced
1 clove garlic, grated
1/2 cup Szechwan sauce

3 teaspoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon corn starch

Optional:  1 or 2 finely chopped hot peppers

This all goes down pretty fast, so make sure this is the last thing to cook before serving your meal.  No one likes a cold lettuce wrap...

Brown the meat in the oil oh high heat and drain fat.  Add the onion and garlic until the onion is softened and slightly browned.  Whisk the sauce with the brown sugar and corn starch until all is incorporated.  Reduce heat to medium and add the sauce to the meat.  Stir until all of the meat is coated and cook until there is no excess sauce in the pan. Because you are cooking with sugar, this could burn easily, so keep an eye on it.

Either spoon onto lettuce leaves or put in a dish and have guests make their own...

Roasted Nugget Potatoes with Pattypan Squash, Carrots and Leeks

Sometimes I'm just not in the mood for chopping.  I usually get over it pretty quickly once the Boos Block comes out and I turn the music up.  However, it's a bonus when prep time is cut down and I can spend the time doing something else.  Like uncorking the wine ;)

I just got a delivery from Chef's Garden and it had lovely baby squash, a rainbow of carrots, leeks, and garlic. I already had some nugget potatoes and some rosemary growing outside.  There was not too much to prepare other than a bit of peeling, the chopping of a few ends and grating of the garlic.  I tossed it all together with a little olive oil, salt & pepper in a cast iron pot.  It was too hot to turn the oven on, so I pre-heated the BBQ on med-high.

If I were any lazier, I would have thrown a whole chicken in there, too - ha!

Flourless Pizza

I have seen in the past, cauliflower pizza crust.  Lately, it's been zucchini crust popping up on Pinterest. I thought I would try a combination of the two.

Recipe:  Cauliflower and Zucchini Pizza 

2 small zucchini
1/2 small head of cauliflower
1 egg
1 clove garlic, grated finely
salt & pepper

Some recipes call for mozzarella in the crust, which would probably work well to bind it together a little more.  So, if you were inclined, throw in a handful of grated mozzarella.

I first cooked the vegetables in boiling water for 3 - 4 minutes until softened.  Next, the veggies, garlic, salt & pepper went in the food processor and got pulsed enough times so that everything was uniformly chopped.  (Add the cheese, too, if you are going to use it).  Next, strain out any remaining liquid and incorporate the egg.

I cooked mine on the grill pan outside on the BBQ, turning once, then layering mozzarella, cooked small heirloom tomatoes, basil and grated parmesan.  They were small, so that they were easy to flip.  Not too bad for the first attempt...

Do you know David?

David's Tea is a Canadian company that now has stores in the U.S.  Unbelievable selection of teas.  Some are a little frou-frou for my liking, but there is definitely something for everyone.  They will also ship anywhere in N. America for $5.  PLUS, they usually throw in a few samples of different types of tea.

My fav: Cream of Earl Grey.  Forget about it.  It's the kind of good where you don't want to tell too many people in case they run out...

Dessert for Breakfast

This was, in fact, on the dessert menu of many restaurants in Greece.  We found it the ideal way to start the day. With over 8 grams of protein, you will find that you won't be starving by lunch time.  Plus, adding your own seasonal fruit, it can always be different.  Oh, and it tastes like a dream.

I prefer Fage yogurt, and was pleasantly surprised to actually see it in the groceries in Greece.  The 0% fat variety has 100 calories per serving and 8 grams of protein.  Even if you go for the full fat version (which is beyond...), it has 190 calories, same amount of protein, but added carbs and fat (but it is so delicious).  There is a 2% version in between.

Add whatever fruit you have on hand - cherries, grapes, bananas, blackberries, blueberries, kiwi, peaches, pears, plums, figs (you get the picture).  AND THEN a small drizzle of honey.  Dessert for breakfast.

Thick, Juicy Burger

Veggie burger, that is...  We were so pleasantly surprised in Greece to see that a veggie burger was actually filled with tons of delicious grilled, recognizable VEGETABLES.  Imagine that.  So, putting the last few posts together, along with my past post on grilled veggies, you get this:

Portabellas, red pepper, zucchini, eggplant - all marinated in a little olive oil and balsamic, then grilled. Throw in some fresh sliced tomatoes and add a little more oil and vinegar, salt & pepper.  Layer with feta on a bun that has, get this, tzatziki on one side and the olive tapenade on the other and voila!  Opa!

I apologize for the bad pictures...  The big camera is coming back out for the next post!

Tapenade

-ish.  A traditional tapenade would have anchovies and capers, but this olive spread is a more basic, less intense version.  Put on crackers, little toasts or pita.  I just made enough to fill a small ramekin with two handfuls of pitted kalamata olives (drained), 2 Tablespoons of mayonnaise, 1 clove of garlic, a squeeze of lemon juice, salt & pepper.

Greek week continues...

(I didn't drain the olives well enough - the consistency should be a little less watery.  Delicious, none the less...)

Tzatziki

This recipe is easier to make than it is to pronounce...  Use it as a dip with pita bread or a baguette.

I just made a small amount here with non-fat Greek yogurt, 1/2 cucumber, 2 cloves of grated garlic, a tiny amount of grated red onion, a splash of lemon juice, a drizzle of olive oil, salt & pepper.

Grate the cucumber with a potato peeler or a box grater, just down to the seeds (or seed the cucumber first).  Drain out as much liquid from the grated cucumber (and reserve for martinis!).  Mix all the ingredients together.  For a creamier consistency and richer taste, use 2% or full fat yogurt and/or add some sour cream.

Same, same, but different...

I'm always happily reminded when traveling to South America or Europe, how simple good food is.  In North America, food is so over-thought, over-processed, and all around, over-messed-with.

There is a definite theme with the next few posts.  Please indulge me.

They say that no two Greek salads are the same.  As far as I can tell, this is true.  The magic lies in the fact that they all have basically the same ingredients:  tomatoes, cucumbers, green peppers, red onion, olives, feta, olive oil and dried herbs.  I prefer the taste of Greek olive oil.  The primary herb here is oregano.  And even though all the dining tables in Greece are adorned with basil plants much more fruitful and beautiful than I manage to grow, fresh basil is not really used in many dishes.

Today I used 1 cucumber, 2 medium tomatoes, 1/2 green pepper, ~1 oz. feta, a few paper thin slices of red onion, 10 - 15 kalamata olives, a tablespoon of olive oil, a shake of oregano, salt & pepper.