Lemon Garlic Chicken with Homemade Tzatziki (Chicken Souvlaki)

So, I looked all over the internet for recipes, which is my norm, and came up with this one.  I get a hankering for this every now and then and because we move so often, it is not easy to find the best Greek place in town.  I finally found one here in Charlottesville about a month before we are moving.  Oh well! 

This was sooo  good!  I love Chicken Souvlaki and I am pretty picky when it comes to the taste.  This delivered!  The kids all ate this up quickly and really enjoyed the meal.  It has the veggies right on it, so it is a meal in a sandwich or flat bread form.  The chicken on its own was divine and I would eat it in a second without anything on the side.  I will be using the marinade again and again for grilling chicken.  Oh, and even if you don't like cucumbers (which I don't), don't be afraid. . .  they are really hidden in the sauce/dip.  Enjoy!





LEMON GARLIC CHICKEN 



INGREDIENTS:

• 1-1.5 lbs chicken cut into 1" chunks
• 1 lemon zested and juiced
• 1/4 cup good olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic crushed
• 1-2 tsp salt
• 2 TBSP chopped parsley
• 1 tsp. oregano
• fresh ground pepper (about 5-7 grinds or 1/2 tsp.)
• skewers

DIRECTIONS:
In a small bowl, place zest and juice of lemon, crushed garlic, parsley, oregano and 1 tsp of salt and  the pepper.  Drizzle in olive oil while whisking ingredients to make marinade.  Taste for salt and add more if needed.  You want it a little on the salty side for the chicken.  Set aside. 

Cut chicken into 1" pieces and place in gallon ziplock bag.  Whisk marinade and pour over chicken into bag.  Seal bag and mush marinade throughout chicken.  Let marinate at least 2 hours (I did mine for 6, it was awesome!) and whenever you open the fridge to get something, mush the marinade around a bit (I did this 3-4 times throughout the day.)  Soak wooden skewers for at least 30 minutes in water to avoid burning, or use metal ones.  Place chicken on skewers (I used about 12 wooden skewers) and cook on a hot grill for 15-20 minutes or until cooked through.  My kids loved eating the meat off the skewers as well as in the flat bread.


TZATZIKI

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups of nonfat greek yogurt
• 1 cucumber peeled and seeded (or 1/2 seedless as they are bigger)
• 1 TBSP fresh dill
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 tsp salt for cucumbers
• 1-2 cloves garlic (More brings heat to it)
• 1 TBSP extra virgin olive oil (evoo)
• salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:
Grate cucumber with fine grater and place in strainer over bowl.  Salt the cucumber (1-2 tsp) and let sit for about 30 minutes to drain (I ended up squeezing mine dry over the colander).  Place yogurt in bowl.  Add all but cucumber and whisk together.  Add cucumber and mix well.  Let sit in fridge for about 1/2 hour to let flavors meld.  If using as a dip, drizzle evoo over top before serving.  Makes a great veggie dip!

CHICKEN SOUVLAKI

INGREDIENTS:

• feta cheese
• red onion
• ice berg lettuce
• tomato sliced or diced
• flat bread
• lemon chicken
• tzatziki

DIRECTIONS:

Warm flat bread in oven.  Place chicken in bread.  Top with iceberg lettuce, tomato, red onion and about 1/4 cup tzatziki, then feta.  Wrap half in foil to hold together.  This worked great for the kids.

Easy Tortellini Soup

This is one of the easiest soups I have ever made.  It took me about 10 minutes to throw together and I could not believe how good it was!  It was also one of those meals that you feel good about eating because it is chock full of health.  My kids chowed it, and I wanted another helping...  but declined for want of dessert as well.  It kind of was like a beans and greens with some tortellini.  I mean, what could be bad about that?  Sometimes spinach can be strong in things and turn me off.  This had none of that strong flavor in this soup.  It was just delicious.  I went shopping in my pantry and came out with this.  Good deal!


EASY TORTELLINI SOUP

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 onion chopped fine
• 1 TBSP EVOO
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 large cloves garlic
• 1 1/2 boxes of low sodium chicken broth
• 3-4 cups water (refill a box of broth most of way)
• 1 can petite diced tomatoes
• 1-2 cans great northern beans, rinsed and drained (I used one but wished for more)
• 10 oz. spinach
• bag of tortellini (1 lb.?)

DIRECTIONS:

In big stock pot over med-high heat, put EVOO, chopped onion and salt and cook under tender and begins to brown about 5-7 minutes.  Add garlic and scrape bottom of pan and cook for 30 seconds.  Add broth and scrape bits off bottom of pan.  Bring to light boil.  Put in spinach, beans and canned tomatoes and wait until spinach is thawed.  Return to boil. Add tortellini and cook 5-7 minutes.
Ladle in bowls and serve with lots of parmesan cheese and crusty bread.

Mexican Casserole

So, you have a party and you have half a bag of tortilla chips left, most of them broken (no good for dipping).  What to do?  This casserole is the perfect solution.  It is a little chopping and a bunch of cans, so it is very easy.  And besides the chips, and the cheeses which holds it together, it is very healthy!  Packed with protein, fiber and most of all flavor! This makes a ton... easily serves 8. 
I love this casserole.  I am not the only one either.  It was voted best casserole in the USA in Parade.  I have changed a few things, of course.  But just to make it better!  My 5 year old had 3 generous helpings!! He said, "It's just so good, I can't stop eating it!"
So, thanks Chris Gavenda, wherever you are, for submitting a great recipe, that has become a family favorite in our house!

MEXICAN CASSEROLE


INGREDIENTS:

• 1 1/2 cups crushed tortilla chips
• 1 lb shredded or chopped chicken (from roaster is great!)
• 1 can (15 oz) garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can (15 oz) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can mexicorn
• 1 8oz can tomato sauce
• 1-2 cups prepared salsa (I use Trader Joes Double roasted!)
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped fine
• 1 red onion, chopped fine
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 5 cloves minced/crushed garlic
• 1/2-whole lime, squeezed over (I use half before and half garnish)
• 3 cups cheddar or Mexican mixed cheese

GARNISHES:

• sour cream
• fresh cilantro
• avocado
• fresh tomatoes

                                                                                   DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350.  Grease 9x13 baking dish and spread crushed chips evenly on the bottom.

In a large bowl, combine everything else but the cheese.  Mix well.  Spread half of the bean chicken mixture over the chips.  Sprinkle with 1 1/2 cups cheese over.  Top with remaining chicken mixture and then the  remaining cheese.  Bake for 40-45 minutes.  Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.  Tops with garnishes individually. 

Pasta Spinach Artichoke Bake

So, I was uninspired for dinner, and was thinking about making homemade macaroni and cheese.  But, I didn't want to have to make a separate veggie because I was feeling lazy.  And seeing how I have been on a little artichoke spinach kick, I figured "why not?"  It morphed as I made it and it the end result was nothing short of amazing.  It tasted like spinach artichoke dip over pasta.  Add in some tomatoes and caramelized onions and some cheese!  YUM!!  This would be fantastic without being baked too.  Make this one!






PASTA SPINACH ARTICHOKE BAKE


INGREDIENTS:

• 1 lb. favorite pasta, cooked al dente
• 1/2 onion diced and caramelized
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 2-3 Tbsp flour
• 2 1/2 cups of milk (can substitute 1/2 c. with white wine)
• 1 cup (ish) of shredded 6 Italian cheese
• 1/2 cup velvetta cheese cubed
• 1 tsp granulated garlic (or 3-4 fresh cloves minced)
• few scrapes fresh grated nutmeg
• 3/4 cup artichoke hearts chopped coarsely
• 1 cup frozen chopped spinach, squeezed dry
• 1 can diced tomatoes drained and squeezed gently or 1 c. chopped fresh
• 1 cup mozzarella 
• 1/4 c. parm cheese

DIRECTIONS:


Cook pasta according to directions in salted water.
Cook onion in some EVOO until caramelized and if desired add 3-4 fresh cloves garlic, minced at the end of cooking.  Set aside.

Over med heat melt butter and add flour and whisk to make a roux.  Slowly add milk (wine if desired), whisking as you add.  Reduce heat to med low.  Continue to whisk so not to burn milk.  When milk is thickened (about 5-10 min) add mixed Italian cheeses and velvetta.  Whisk and add granulated garlic, nutmeg and salt/pepper to taste.  Cheese will be stringy almost.  Keep whisking until it get more creamy and less stringy.  Add artichokes, spinach, tomatoes and onions.

Put pasta in 9x13 and pour sauce with veggies.  Stir to combine.  Sprinkle with mozzarella and parm. and put in oven for about 20 min. @ 350 or alternatively, broil for a few minutes to melt cheese.

Cavatelli with Broccoli and Caramelized Onions

Cavatelli is probably my all time favorite pasta.  It has a chewiness and is so hearty and just yummy.  It is hard to find depending on where you live.  Here on east coast, you can usually find it in the freezer section with other frozen pastas.  A few weeks ago, when my parents were visiting, we made it with steamed broccoli and it was delicious.  We talked about how some caramelized onions would be great in it.  I upped the ante by adding a bulb/head of roasted garlic and a handful of mozzarella cheese at the end.  This was a great dish and a big hit with the kids.

It takes a few minutes of prep about an hour before, but is about 1/2 hour from pot to plate otherwise.

Some possible additions would be shredded chicken, Italian sausage, red pepper flakes, a drizzle of balsamic glaze at the end or fresh diced tomatoes.  Delicious dish!


CAVATELLI WITH BROCCOLI AND CARAMELIZED ONIONS
serves about 6


INGREDIENTS:

• 2 bags of frozen cavatelli
• 1 large onion thinly sliced
• good white wine
• 1 head of garlic
• 2 cups fresh broccoli
• salt, pepper
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella
• lot of pecorino romano
• EVOO

DIRECTIONS:

Put on pan of water for pasta and salt water with 1-2 tsp salt.  Preheat oven to 375.  Thinly cut top of garlic head.  Leave as whole head and peel off most outside papery casing.  Get a small piece of foil (7-8") and put garlic head on.  Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil (evoo) and salt and pepper.  Wrap up tightly into ball and put in oven for 45 minutes or until browned and tender.
Meanwhile, thinly slice onion and put in pan with evoo and small pat of butter,  salt and pepper and cook over med heat for about 1/2 hour, stirring every few minutes so not to burn.  Deglaze with white wine if needed.

 They should be a rich brown and look like this.

While onions are getting all sweet and delish, place broccoli in steamer basket (salt water streaming with) and steam until fork tender, about 15 minutes. 
Check garlic and remove cloves from casing by squeezing the bottom or using a small knife.  Coarsely chop garlic.  
Cook cavatelli until it is floating...  taste and make sure done. 
In a large serving bowl or pot mix pasta, caramelized onions,  roasted garlic, broccoli.  Drizzle with about 1/8 c. olive oil to start.  Toss in the mozzarella cheese and mix.  Cheese will get stringy.  Taste for seasoning (mine needed a fair amount of salt) and add more oil if needed.  Serve up with lots of pecorino romano (parm) cheese.

Pierogies

Pierogies are a wonderful polish pasta that have various fillings. Kind of like ravioli, but different. Tradition fillings are cheese and mashed cheddar potatoes, but they can be filled even with prunes!  Sometimes a soft goat type cheese is used.  My dad's family uses cottage cheese, that has been drained overnight.  The cottage cheese are my favorite.  They are so absolutely delicious!  But the potato are also great.

We usually fry these up in some butter, but they would be great smothered with caramelized onions or maybe dip the potato ones in sour cream. We make a meal out of them, but they would also be a great side dish.

This is a very time consuming recipe, that my dad makes once a year, usually around Christmas.  We usually triple the recipe.  This year, we didn't make them at Christmas, so in a team effort we made them at the end of January at my house instead.

These have to be frozen, or eaten pretty quickly, so they don't spoil.
I hope you try and enjoy!


PIEROGIES
from Aunt Kate

INGREDIENTS:




Dough:

• 3 c. AP flour
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 c. water

Filling:

• mashed potatoes- with cheddar cheese added during the mashing
• cottage cheese that has been drained in cheese cloth or fine strainer over night, uncovered

Topping:

• saltine crackers, ground in blender to fine crumb
  

DIRECTIONS: 

 Whisk together salt and flour in one bowl.  In another bowl whisk water into eggs.  Pour slowly into flour mixture, mixing with wooden spoon, followed by kneading until smooth and elastic.  Don't over work or dough with be tough.

Roll out on lightly floured surface or on silicone mat to about 1/8" thick, then cut into 3-4" circles (biscuit cutter works great!).  Roll each circle out to 1/16" thick.  Add about 1 TBSP filling, then fold in half, pinching the edges together firmly.  Make sure seal is very tight all the way around.
Boil in water until they float, 3-4 minutes.  Immediately place into cold water, remove and drain.  Layer in pan or container, sprinkling each with saltine crumbs as a coating.  Place wax paper or plastic wrap between each layer.

To prepare for eating, lightly fry in butter until golden brown and hot through, about 7-10 minutes.

Spinach and Artichoke Stuffed Shells

These shells were really delicious.  I have been wanting to make shells for awhile and just getting around to it.  My kids loved them and so did my husband.  I didn't get to bake them long enough to make my cheese brown because we had to get to church, but they were still great.  The filling is lighter than the normal shell filling, and very bright in flavor.
If you are wondering what to make for your sweetie today, this would be a great choice! 




SPINACH AND ARTICHOKE STUFFED SHELLS

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 box shells
• 15 oz. ricotta cheese
• 1 box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
• 1 can artichokes in water, drained and chopped med. fine
• 2 garlic cloves crushed/minced
• handful of fresh parsley, chopped
• zest from 1/2 lemon
• fresh grated nutmeg
• 1 egg
• 1 cup parm cheese, divided
• 2 cup mozzarella cheese divided
• jar of favorite sauce or homemade sauce

DIRECTIONS: 

Cook pasta in salted boiling water for about 6-7 minutes. Drain and spread out on cookie sheet or cutting board so they don't stick.
In large bowl, mix together, ricotta, 1 cup mozz., 3/4 c. parm. cheese, lemon zest, garlic, spinach, artichokes, parsley and egg.  Grate some fresh nutmeg in as well.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In 9x13 pan, pour about an inch of sauce into bottom of pan.
Spoon cheese mixture into each shell and place seam side up in sauce.  Continue until all cheese mixture is gone.  (I had lots of extra shells and threw them in a little pan with sauce and some cheese on top and baked them up too.)

Spoon sauce over top just in drizzle.  Sprinkle remaining parm and mozz. cheese over shells.  Cover and bake for 25 minutes.  Uncover and bake another 15-20 minutes, until sauce is bubbly and cheese is melted and lightly browned.

Carrot Soup

After all of the Super Bowl munchies last night, I seriously just wanted something light for dinner.  So we did soup and salad and some leftover dip.

So, carrot soup may not sound like the most appetizing thing, but trust me when I tell you, this soup is DELICIOUS! It is so packed with flavor, you can't go wrong.  Even if you are not a carrot fan, you would probably still like it.  If you want a more substantial meal, I suppose you could throw some rice or tortellini in it or something, but I like it as is and am plenty full from dinner.  It was ready from start to finish in an hour (cooking) wth about 10-15 minutes to throw it together. This recipe came from someone my mom works with I believe.  It has simple fresh ingredients and you probably would have most of it on hand.

My husband suggested I add the caption "winner dinner" for those dinners that we all loved.  So, this gets the stamp, "winner dinner".  Enjoy!


CARROT SOUP


INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 stick butter
• 5-6 carrots, peeled and chopped coarsely
• 2-4 leeks, chopped and triple rinsed (I soak in water 3x)
• 1 large onion, coarsely chopped
• 4-5 cloves garlic, crushed/ minced
• salt and pepper
• 1-2 tsp fresh thyme (or 1/2 tsp dry)
• 1/4-1/2 tsp crushed fennel
• 5 cups (box) of chicken broth 

DIRECTIONS:

Put butter in pan over med-high heat and place all chopped veggies in.  Season with salt and pepper.  Stir now and then and cook for about 10 minutes.  Add garlic and cook another 2 minutes, stirring to prevent sticking or burning.  When garlic is fragrant, pour in chicken broth and add spices.  Cover and let simmer 35-45 minutes (I let mine go up to an hour) until veggies are tender.  Puree in 2 batches in blender (Let heat escape when pureeing so not to explode) until all of soup is blended. (alternatively use braun hand mixer which I find easier, but may leave some chunks, which I don't mind)  Return to pot and keep warm until ready to serve.  Garnish with sour cream.