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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Lamb Salad

A green salad topped with leftover Herb Roasted Leg of Lamb, olives, tomatoes, and feta.

With all of my leftover lamb from my Herb Roasted Leg of Lamb, I got creative.  The Herb Roasted Leg of Lamb was delicious on its own, but I don't like always eating the same thing.  I couldn't let those leftovers go to waste so I made new meals from the lamb.  I already made Greek Nachos and had some leftover toppings from those too (well...I made sure to have leftover toppings) so I made this salad.  It's kind of a different take on Greek Salad.  I added some pistachios for crunch, dried cherries for chewy, tart, sweetness, and Honey Lemon Oregano Dressing to tie it all together.  What a great combination.  It was fresh, delicious, and filling.

Lamb Salad

Ingredients:

Lettuce
*Honey Lemon Oregano Dressing
Pistachios
Red onion, sliced
Olives, sliced
Tomatoes, diced
Herb Roasted Leg of Lamb, chopped
Feta, crumbled

*First prepare the Honey Lemon Oregano Dressing:  add 1 tsp honey to about 2 Tbsp Lemon Oregano Dressing.

Toss enough lettuce for 2 salads with the dressing until coated.

Separate lettuce onto plates or bowls and top with the rest of the ingredients (use as much or as little of whatever you prefer).

Alternatively just toss everything together and separate into bowls but when you do it this way all the toppings tend to sink to the bottom and you don't end up with as pretty of a salad.  (I like to have just the right amount of everything and it to be picture worthy so I use the former method)

Enjoy.

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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.

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Tzatziki

A deliciously cool and refreshing yogurt dip/sauce made with cucumbers and dill.

Tzatziki is one of my favorite Greek condiments.  Most often I've had it in gyros or with lamb and pita as a dip.  It is super flavorful and delicious with plenty of cool cucumber and yogurt.  This was my first attempt at making tzatziki and it was very simple and delicious.

One main component of tzatziki is Greek yogurt.  I didn't feel like buying yogurt so I used strained kefir ("a fermented milk drink"-wikipedia).  I always keep kefir on hand and mostly use it in smoothies or as a substitute for buttermilk in baking but it has many uses.  One of these uses is that it makes a great yogurt like substitute when strained.  You just line a mesh colander with a couple layers of cheesecloth or alternatively, I use an old, thin, white t-shirt rag (that's clean).  Then pour in about 3-4 cups of kefir and let it sit and drain until it is thickened to desired consistency.  I place the colander inside a large bowl to catch the liquid being drained off (this is whey and there are many uses for it too so no point in wasting it).  Usually by the time it is the right consistency it has drained off to about 1/2 to 1/3 the original volume and what you are left with is a thickened kefir of yogurt like consistency.  The flavor is a bit different, maybe more sour, but it works in a pinch.  For more information about kefir check out my Tutorial:  How to Make Kefir.

Tzatziki

Ingredients:

2 cups Greek yogurt or strained kefir
2 cucumbers, seeded and shredded
1 lemon
1-2 cloves garlic, grated or minced
1 tsp dried dill
salt

Place the shredded cucumbers into a cloth lined mesh colander.  Sprinkle with salt and allow to drain for about 10-15 minutes.  Then gather the sides of the cloth and twist it around the cucumber squeezing out even more liquid.

Stir together the cucumbers and yogurt with the juice of the lemon.  Add the garlic (I ran the cloves over a microplaine to make a very fine grate so you wouldn't bite into a big chunk of raw garlic) and dill and mix thoroughly.

Allow to sit in the fridge for at least 1 hour before serving.  Pour off any liquid that accumulates on top and serve as a dip or on sandwiches.

Makes about 6-8 servings.  Enjoy.

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Greek Stew

A meatless stew inspired by Greek flavors.

I'm not Greek.  I had my first Greek/Mediterranean food after college and I instantly loved it.  I associate many things with Greek food such as lamb, chickpeas, eggplant, pita, hummus, feta, and certain herbs & spices.  This stew is not authentically Greek but I was inspired by Greek and Mediterranean flavors while making it.  I didn't know what to call this stew with out making a long name listing all the ingredients so I just simplified it by calling it Greek Stew.

No matter what this dish is called it is delicious.  It contains plenty of vegetables, chickpeas, and rice which give it lots of nutrients, fiber, and protein.  It's a meatless meal that is high in flavor yet low in calories and it fills you up without weighing you down.  And, it makes a huge pot of stew that will feed many or just one all week long.

Greek Stew

Ingredients:

1 medium eggplant, chopped
1 medium zucchini, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt & pepper
thyme, oregano, and rosemary
olive oil

1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 cup sliced mushrooms (I used crimini)
4 mini sweet peppers, sliced (optional--I had them so I used them and they add pretty color)
salt & pepper
1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes, drained
4 cups cooked cargo or brown rice (1 cup dry, cooked)
2 cups cooked chickpeas

Toss the chopped eggplant and zucchini (you can either peel them or not) with the garlic, herbs, salt and pepper, and olive oil.  Use enough olive oil and herbs to coat the veggies well. Maybe about 1/2 tsp-1 tsp of each (salt and pepper is to taste).

Spread the herbed vegetables on a sheet pan and roast at 425 F for about 20 minutes until nicely browned and very fragrant.  Set aside.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil, in a large stock pot, over medium heat.  Saute the onions, mushrooms, and peppers, with salt and pepper to taste, until soft.

To this add the roasted eggplant mixture, broth, tomatoes, rice, and chickpeas (with a little more salt and pepper).  Mix well and cook on low, covered, for at least 1 hour.

I made this on the weekend so I had plenty of time to let it sit and stew.  You could also put it all in a slow cooker and let it cook all day, or turn up the heat and it would cook in less time...just keep an eye on it so it doesn't burn.

Serve hot with any sides of your choice.  I had it with pita chips and tzatziki.  Makes 6 servings.

Enjoy.

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