Best of the Month October 2015

A recap of my most popular recipes from last month (October 2015).

I took some time off this month so not only are these recipes the most viewed of October 2015, but they are also my only recipes from this month.  I hope you enjoy(ed) them.

Check out my #bestrecipes of Oct | #BestoftheMonth Oct 2015  [Tweet this]

First let's look back at 2013's best of October:

Slow Cooker Roast Beef Sandwiches

Beef roast slow cooked in broth and beer until tender then placed on a baguette and topped with melted cheese.  The cooking liquid can be used as a dipping sauce.  Now has 1766 views, 48 +1s, 388 pins, and 37 'yums'.  This is one of the most popular recipes on my blog.

#BestoftheMonth Oct: #SlowCooker RoastBeefSandwiches from 2013  [Tweet this]

and 2014's best of October:

Loco Moco

White rice, smothered in brown gravy and a beef patty, topped with a fried egg.  The Hawaiian breakfast of champions.  Now has 896 views, 47 +1s, 56 pins, and 39 'yums'.

#BestoftheMonth October: #LocoMoco from 2014  [Tweet this]

Now this years best of October:

Slow Cooker Shredded Barbecue Chicken

A very simple and delicious recipe with only 2 ingredients, cooked in a slow cooker.  Great for parties, gameday, or weeknight dinners.  This is a re-post from September of 2013.  It was one of my best of the month recipes then and now.  Now it has 1189 views, 51 +1s, 73 pins, and 47 'yums'.

#SlowCooker ShreddedBBQChicken | #BestoftheMonth Oct2015  [Tweet this]

Easy Marinara Sauce

A quick and simple marinara sauce made with tomato paste and spices.  Great for pizzas and dipping.  314 views, 33 +1s, 31 pins, and 40 'yums'.

Easy #Marinara Sauce | #BestoftheMonth Oct2015  [Tweet this]

Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Meat

A simple slow cooker recipe of chicken cooked in salsa and spices.  Great for tacos, taco salad, burritos, or even over rice.  233 views, 41 +1s, 13 pins, and 8 'yums'.

#SlowCooker ChickenTacoMeat | #BestoftheMonth Oct2015  [Tweet this]

Spanakopita Quesadilla

A fusion of Mexican and Greek cuisines.  Spinach, feta, and mozzarella packed into a whole wheat tortilla and fried.  214 views, 73 +1s, 21 pins, and 8 'yums'.

#Spanakopita Quesadilla | #BestoftheMonth Oct2015  [Tweet this]

Crispy Pizza Sticks

Crispy cheesy bread sticks with garlic and salami dipped in marinara sauce.  A great finger food for gameday or a snack any day.  163 views, 35 +1s, 22 pins, and 1 'yum'.

Crispy #Pizza Sticks | #BestoftheMonth Oct2015  [Tweet this]

Check out my bests of October from previous years:

Best of the Month October 2013

Best of the Month October 2014

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Spanakopita Quesadilla

A fusion of Mexican and Greek cuisines.  Spinach, feta, and mozzarella packed into a whole wheat tortilla and fried.

I'm sure I've mentioned how much I love cheese.  Cheese is a food group for me.  I believe I eat some every day.  So, to get my cheese fix, I've been making quesadillas lately for a quick lunch.  Quesadillas are a grilled cheese sandwich on a tortilla.  I even found some good whole wheat tortillas (that are made locally) and one tortilla has 3 grams of fiber.  That's a great way to add a little more fiber to my diet.

#Quesadilla a #grilledcheesesandwich on tortilla  [Tweet this]

Since I love cheese I tend to have plenty in the house.  I had made some other dishes that left me with leftover shredded mozzarella and some feta crumbles so I wanted to use them in a quesadilla.  I also had some baby spinach so I came up with this idea.  It turned out fantastic and I like to think it's healthy too.

#Spinachandwholewheat make a #healthy quesadilla.  [Tweet this]

Spanakopita is a spinach pie of spinach and feta wrapped in phyllo pastry.  They are absolutely delicious.  A great way to eat your spinach.  So when I had the spinach and feta I knew they would be great together.  Feta doesn't melt well so I knew it alone would not be able to hold a quesadilla together.  I need a good melting cheese to act like a glue and keep everything from falling out when I flipped and ate this quesadilla.  That's what the mozzarella does.  It melts really well and it has a very mild flavor so the feta and spinach flavors stand out and the quesadilla stays closed.  I added garlic just because (you can omit it if you want but I am a garlic addict and add it to everything...I think it make the spinach and feta even better).

Spanakopita Quesadilla a great way to #eatyourspinach.  [Tweet this]

Spanakopita Quesadilla

Prep and cook time: under 10 minutes
Servings:  1

Ingredients:

1 10 or 12-inch whole wheat tortilla
2-3 Tbsp mozzarella (or any mild flavored melting cheese)
2 hand fulls of baby spinach, torn
garlic powder (optional)
2 Tbsp feta crumbles
sprinkle of Parmesan (optional)

Place the tortilla flat into a 10-12 inch frying pan (I use a non-stick pan so no need for oil).  Sprinkle the mozzarella evenly over the entire tortilla.

Then, top half of the tortilla with the spinach tearing it into bite-sized pieces (pack as much and/or more spinach in as you can it will shrink when cooked).  Sprinkle some garlic powder (as much as you like), the feta, and Parmesan (if using) over the spinach and place the frying pan over medium heat.

Once the mozzarella starts to melt, fold the tortilla in half so the mozzarella cheese is on top of the spinach too.  Keep cooking until the spinach starts to wilt a little and the bottom of the quesadilla begins to brown.  Then carefully flip the quesadilla and cook on the other side until the spinach is tender and both sides of the quesadilla are browned.

Remove to a plate and allow to cool slightly before eating.

Enjoy.

If you like this recipe, check out:

Greek Nachos

Greek Salsa

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Greek Nachos

Nachos with a Greek twist.  Pita chips topped with lamb, olives, tomatoes, and feta.

I've had this idea in the back of my mind for a while.  When I cooked Herb Roasted Leg of Lamb and had so much left over I finally had the most important component of this dish.  The goal was to make this as much like regular nachos as possible but with a Greek or Mediterranean twist.  Instead of tortilla chips I used pita chips.  Instead of cheddar or Mexican blend cheese I used feta (and a little monterey jack cheese to hold things together). I used lamb, red onions, tomatoes, and olives and topped it all with a dollop of Tzatziki instead of sour cream or guacamole.  It was fantastic.  If you like Greek/Mediterranean dishes this is a different take on nachos that you will love.  These nachos make a great snack or dinner.

Greek Nachos

Ingredients:

Pita chips
Monterey jack cheese
Herb Roasted Leg of Lamb, chopped (or any kind of lamb)
Red onion, sliced
Tomatoes, seeded and chopped
Olive slices
Feta crumbles
Tzatziki

Spread a single layer of chips on the bottom of a baking pan.

Top the chips with a thin layer of monterey jack cheese.  Then add  some lamb, onions, tomatoes, and olives.  Top with feta and another layer of chips.  Repeat this step once or twice.

Bake the nachos at 300F for 15-20 minutes then broil until the top layer of cheese is melted (feta doesn't melt but the monterey does).

Remove from oven and top with a large dollop of Tzatzikki.

Enjoy.

Linked to:  Pretty Pintastic, Best of the Weekend, Snickerdoodle, 2 Cup, Lou Lou Girls, Teach Me, Wonderful Wed, Cook Craft Share, Full Plate, Freedom, Foodie Friends

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Greek Salsa

Finely diced tomato, onion, cucumber, bell pepper, feta and garbanzo beans. A Greek salad in salsa form.

I had left over Greek salad from earlier and I didn't want to have the same thing again.  I did not want to waste a perfectly good salad either so I decided to give my old Greek salad a make over.  I put the left overs in the food processor, along with some other additions and chopped it up to make a dip.  Being very similar to salsa I am calling this creation Greek Salsa.  It turned out great and was served with pitas.  It would also be great with pita chips or tortilla chips.

Ingredients:

2 cups left over Greek Salad
1/4 cup feta
1-2 cloves garlic, finely minced or crushed
fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp fresh parsley

In the bowl of a food processor finely chop/mince the garlic.  Then add the Greek Salad, feta, and parsley.  Pulse until chopped to an even consistency.  Then stir in the lemon juice (use as much or little as you prefer).  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with fresh pita wedges or pita chips.

This salsa was very good.  Even though I do not like olives I think they would be a perfect addition.  You can also use more parsley and maybe some oregano if you like.  This is a wonderful variation to the traditional salsa.  Enjoy.

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