Red Pepper And Feta Crostini

During September I was able to hit Ravinia and experience the first ever Food Network In Concert event with John Mayer and Phillip Phillips--great fun to say the least, plus, great food and a chance to watch the celebrity chefs firsthand.  Of course, Chicago featured some of its top restaurants, including a tent 'Efis' that was all about Greek.

Raul Midon

Phillip Phillips

John Mayer

As with all major events, you get a lot of little trinkets, but Efis was handing out a little pamphlet on using feta.  Couldn't help myself...and so, I modified the infrastructure on the Red Pepper & Feta Crostini.  See what you think, but I'd say it was quite delicious as an appetizer before dinner.  Just the sort of thing Jon loves. And so fast to assemble!

Roasted Red Pepper & Feta Crostini

Equipment:

Toaster Oven

Ingredients:

Ciabatta or French Bread

Olive Oil, for drizzling

1 clove garlic, halved

1 jar Roasted Red Peppers, sliced vertically into strips

4-8 oz fresh feta, crumbled 

Oregano, for sprinkling

1/2 lemon, for sprinkling

Instructions:

1. Wash your hands.

2. Drizzle your bread with olive oil and toast.

3. Rub garlic over slices of bread.

4. Cut and layer your strips of red peppers onto the toasts.

5. Add crumbled feta.

6. Toast until cheese is golden brown.

7. Drizzle with olive oil.

8. Sprinkle with oregano and lemon juice.

You might not even need supper tonight!

Strawberry Mint Wheatberry Salad

It was great having the Oscar party last weekend. On top of that, Jon showed up to visit from Iowa University for the entire shin-dig with friends and (a lot of) food--good thing he did, or we would still be eating leftovers.  At the end of the evening we pretty much sent our guests home with full meal 'doggy bags', especially Jon, who was headed back to school the following morning…and "needed food".

Since a party usually involves a lot of decadent foods, I try to include a few healthy options as well as a few dishes for our vegetarian friends.  It is also an opportunity for me to try new things. This is one such recipe--not your traditional college-type post, but many of you are like our son who wants GOOD and HEALTHY food along with all the fun stuff!

Check out the salad we made for our Oscar party from Giada's newly published 'Feel Good Food' cookbook.  I exchanged feta for goat cheese and added extra amounts.  And I added pomegranate seeds for extra crunch! 

Simple, flavorful, filling, budget-friendly, and healthy.  Great salad to add to any meal.  Take a serving along to class.

Eat well. Dream Big. Never Settle. Try Something New Today!

Equipment:
5-quart saucepan with lid
Mixing bowl

Ingredients:
2 cups of wheat berries
4 cups of vegetable broth
1/2 tsp kosher salt

Dressing:
Zest of 1/2 orange
1/2 cup of orange juice
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tbls agave syrup (or use honey)
1/4 cup packed mint
1/2 tsp kosher salt
Fresh pepper

Add-in:
10 medium-sized strawberries, hulled and quartered
2-4 oz goat cheese or feta, diced

1-2 cups pomegranate seeds (not pictured)

Instructions:
1. Wash your hands.
2. In a large saucepan, bring vegetable broth, salt and wheat berries to a boil.
3. Reduce heat to SIMMER and cover x 20-25 minutes until tender.
(Cooking times may vary depending on brand or type of wheat berry).

4. Drain and set aside in your mixing bowl.
5. While the wheat berries are cooking, prepare your dressing by whisking all ingredients together.
--zest orange

--1/2 cup o.j.

-- oil, mint, salt, and pepper.

6. Add dressing to the wheat berries.

7. Wash, hull, and quarter your strawberries. Add to salad.

8. Crumble your feta or goat cheese. Add to salad.

9. Toss everything together. You are ready to go.

Chili-Lime Pepper Salad

August is over but the summer spirit continues, at least for me, and until the leaves start changing and the farmer's market closes shop with all its' fresh produce.  This is one of Jon's most requested recipes since the inception of this blog to give him my recipes and those I have made at home throughout the years.

I concocted this recipe back in 2008 when I discovered  Tajin Chili Seasoning--never thought my teenager would go for this...but here we are!  See what you think. 

Equipment:

Large mixing bowl

Sharp knife

Whisk

Ingredients:

2-3 mix of large peppers, green, red, orange, yellow

1/2 large cucumber, quartered

1 large carrot, peeled and sliced diagonally

2-3 green onions, sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced and chopped

1/2-1 tsp of Kosher salt

Fresh Ground Pepper, or regular black pepper

1 Tbls red wine vinegar

1/2 lime, juiced

2-3 Tbls of extra-virgin olive oil

2 tsp Tajin Chili Seasoning, sprinkled

1/2" Block of feta, cubed

Instructions: 

1. Wash your hands.

2. Chop and mince your garlic.

3. Add pinch kosher salt

4. Add few grinds of black pepper.

5. Add red wine vinegar, lime juice.

6. Slowly whisk in olive oil. 

7. Adjust salt, pepper, and lime juice to taste. Set aside.
8. Prep your veggies:

--peppers, seeded and chopped

--cucumber, quartered 

--carrot, diagonally sliced

--green onions, sliced

--add everything to mixing bowl with the dressing

8. Sprinkle Tajin Seasoning and combine with veggies. Adjust salt, lime juice, Tajin once more to taste.

9. Add feta and gently fold into veggies.

10. Add this salad to any soup and crusty bread and you've got yourself a fantastic meal.

Quick Cucumber Feta Tzatziki

To follow up on my recent blog: Souvlaki Summer Skewers, this next recipe is a staple when cooking Greek or Mediterranean fare: Tzatziki !

The only decision that you will have to make is whether or not to keep it "pure" with yoghurt, mint and cucumbers; or, if you want to add some variation with garlic, lemon juice, feta, tomato, red onion.
This is super easy, but add this to your pita pocket with chicken souvlaki, and you might as well be sitting in Santorini, Greece!

Equipment:
Mixing bowl
Fork, to mix

Ingredients:
1-2 Cups Greek Yoghurt
1-2 English Cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced

1/2 cup feta, crumbled

1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tablespoon Fresh mint sprigs, chopped (if saving money, skip)

1/4-1/2 red onion, chopped
Kosher salt
Fresh ground pepper

Instructions:
1. Wash your hands.
2. Prep  and chop your ingredients.
3. Combine feta, yoghurt, garlic, and spices in a bowl and mix.
4. Add cucumbers and red onions.
(Some recipes call for dicing the cucumber, laying them on paper towel and sprinkling with salt for a half hour or so to remove some of the water inside the cucumbers...you are welcome to do that...it just takes longer.)

5. Add to your favorite pita and grilled chicken souvlaki.

This can be made ahead and kept in an airtight container in the fridge, but it really isn't alot of prep, so make it fresh whenever you can!

Fourth of July.  Need some party favors. Decorations?