Χριστος Ανεστη! Καλω Πασχα!

Happy Easter everyone!  I hope that you had a wonderful Easter and Holy Week.  I felt so blessed during Lent and we had such a happy Pascha celebration.  It was truly a beautiful season.  I'm so thankful for all of the lovely emails and comments on the blog and am so happy that it was useful to those of you who needed "fresh" ideas for a Lenten meal!

I'll now have to think of another reason to keep this blog going!  Until then, continue your journey with Christ...for He has RISEN!  Χριστος Ανεστη!

In Christ,

Elizabeth

Καλω Αναστασι! Happy Palm Sunday!

We had a wonderful Palm Sunday service at Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral this morning.  It was beautiful.  Friday night, after Greek school, we gathered with the rest of the Church to make palms for today.  It was so much fun chatting with everyone and catching up.  Today was even better because we got to sit down to a lovely fish luncheon in the dining hall after Church..and I didn't have to cook! ;)-

I hope you all had a blessed morning service and continue on as we begin Holy Week.  I will not be blogging this week as I'm devoting my time to the Church and to those in need.  I hope that this Lenten blog has helped you during your fast and I pray that God keep you as we draw nearer to celebrating His resurrection.

Καλω Αναστασι!

-Ελισαβετ

Busy Day? Try Thai Food Tonight!

I have a full day of coaching soccer.  I'll be having lots of fruit and water while I'm out (I also brewed some of my favorite tea to tote around today) in the soccer field.  I'm going to need something light but spicy for dinner tonight.  I can't think of anything better than a bit of Red Curry with Shrimp and vegetables.  What do you think?

I'm not sure about your local grocery store but ours has a red curry sauce that doesn't have milk...it has coconut milk (which isn't dairy..it's just the juice from inside of the coconut).  So, I'm going to cheat with this tonight rather than mixing up my own sauce.  (Sorry!  I am super busy today with birthday party drop-offs and coaching soccer!  No time to be Queen of the Kitchen!)


Here's What Ya Need:
Shrimp * Red Curry Sauce * Bamboo Shoots
Peas (fresh!) * Green Beans (fresh) * Steamed Rice

Here's What Ya Do:
1.  Cook shrimp, bamboo shoots, peas and green beans
     in a saute pan with red curry sauce.
2.  Steam white rice.
3.  Place in dishes.
4.  Place sauce mixture over rice! Enjoy!

I know, too simple for words, right?  I'm going to make a side salad with peanut or ginger-dressing to go with this dish.  I may even make a mango juice!  Enjoy this quick meal for dinner and be sure to give your thanks to God (and the cook!). ;)-

Friday Night = Greek School Night!

It's Friday night and that means Greek school and "date night".  Diego gets to go to Greek school for 2 1/2 hours and John and I get a little bit of time to try a new restaurant.  One dish that I love to make and that I never see out and about (even at Greek restaurants) is made with eggplant.  As usual, it's an easy dish to make and very tasty.  I think you'll also like that it's a very colorful meal!

Here's What Ya Need:
Eggplant (sliced) * Mushrooms (diced) * Onions (diced)
Bell Pepper (diced) * Garlic x's 2 (diced) * Greek Oregano (diced)
Wild Rice * Tomatoes (stewed) * Cinnamon * Basil (chopped)
Pepper * Salt (Optional) * Olive Oil

Here's What Ya Do:
Sauce:
1.  Take 1/2 of stewed tomatoes and place in blender.
2.   Add cinnamon, basil, garlic, pepper and salt (optional).
3.  Blend.
4.  Add the other 1/2 of stewed tomatoes to make sauce chunky.

Filling:
1.  Take mushrooms, onions, bell pepper, garlic, Greek oregano
      and place inside of a saute pan.
2.  Saute until tender.

Eggplant Dish:  (get deep dish pan and oil)
1.  Spread olive oil on eggplant.
2.  Take filling and place inside of eggplant and roll.
3.  Place the eggplant face down in the pan so the filling doesn't roll out.
4.  Once the pan is completely filled with eggplant rolls...pour the sauce on top.
5.  Heat in oven at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes (depending on your oven).

Serve this dish over wild rice and a side salad.  This is also a great dish to have with figs and nuts.  We'll be making crosses from palm fronds at Church this evening after Greek school.  See you there!

Gnocchi and Broccoli in Mushroom Sauce

I am trying to get rid of some items that may go bad before my other vegetables today.  So, I'm going to make a mushroom sauce with my leftover mushrooms from yesterday to go over my already-made gnocchi that I have in the freezer (from the other day).  I also need to rid myself of a crown of broccoli that may not be good in a few days.  I want to use everything while it's still fresh and at it's best...which means I must use them all today!!  What better than a gnocchi and broccoli pasta with mushroom sauce?  I'm very excited to see how it turns out.

Here's What Ya Need:
Mushrooms * Butter (2 tbsp.) * carrots (sliced) * Onions (sliced)
Celery (sliced) * Thyme (1 tsp.) * Chicken Stock (1/2 Cup)
Pepper * Salt * Flour * Broccoli * Gnocchi (cooked)

Here's What Ya Do:
Mushroom Sauce:

• 1. Melt the butter in a stock pot over medium heat. Add carrots, onions, leeks, and celery. Cook and stir until tender, but not browned, about 10 minutes. Stir in thyme and mushrooms, and continue cooking until mushrooms are soft, about 5 minutes.
  2. Pour chicken stock into the pot, and season with salt and pepper. Cover, and simmer over low heat for 30 minutes. Add Flour Slowly to pot until desired thickness.
  3. Take a ladle and pour over gnocchi and broccoli and stir.
  4. Serve!!
  
  
  Have a great evening.  I'm going to rest my little tsoureki making fingers for the night!
• 
  

Spring ripened stuffed tomatoes over brown rice, baby!

Whew!  Today is another busy day and I barely have time to whip out this blog.  Sometimes it seems like back-to-back-to-back is a never ending cycle lately.  My after Lent and soccer season goal is to be under-commited!  Speaking of soccer, my boys won Saturday's game 7-0! Awesome!  Monday I got Mike Chabala (defender from the Houston Dynamo's) to come and train my team.  So, today we're going to put some of his training into practice.  This means I'm going to have one hungry little boy when we get home.  So, I'm going to make a simple but filling meal tonight.


Here's What Ya Need:
Super Large Under-ripe Tomatoes (I'm making 6, 2 for each person)
Mushrooms (diced), Onion (diced), Cilantro (chopped)
Yellow/Green Bell Pepper (diced), Olive Oil, Pepper,
Arugula (chopped), Salt (optional), Garlic (diced), Brown Rice

Here's What Ya Do:
Stuffed Tomatoes:
1.  Take the tomatoes and slice the very tip off (where the vine comes out).
2.  Scoop out all of the inside to turn it into a cup!
3.  Heat your oven to 325 degrees.
4.  Drizzle olive oil and garlic in saute pan.
5.  Add all veggies inside of the pan and cook until al dente.
6.  Scoop out spoonfuls and place inside of the tomato cups.
7.  Place into oven for 15 minutes until tomatoes are warmed.

Note:  I never like to cook my tomatoes all the way until they get mushy.  I like the inside to be hot from the saute pan and the tomatoes to just be slightly warmed on the outside!

I'm cheating tonight by getting my frozen organic brown rice from Whole Foods and placing inside of microwave for 3 minutes and it's done! Woo hoo!

This is the perfect dish for tonight as it's a bit warm out...it will fill our tummies without making us feel yucky.  I also made red velvet cupcakes last night so they'll be our dessert tonight!

Have a great night you guys and enjoy!

I'm Making A SOUPER Meal Today!

Today I have to be really quick with dinner.  I have a crazy schedule this week and I'm not going to have time to make complicated meals.  So, I'm going to grab a ton of ripened tomatoes from the garden, stew them, and then turn them into a sweet tomato soup this evening.

Here's What Ya Need:
Stewed Tomatoes * Fresh Basil * Sugar (YES, SUGAR!)
Pepper * Garlic * Onions (optional) * Croutons

Here's What Ya Do:
1.  Take the garlic, onions, basil, and stewed tomatoes and put into a blender.
2. Liquify all.
3.  Add pepper.
4.  Add sugar to taste.
5.  Drop a few croutons on top for decoration when you serve!

As usual, I'll serve this with a vegetable salad!  I'm also going to peel some apples, put them in my small saute pan, add some honey and sugar and have that for dessert!  Super fast, super easy, and dinner is served!

[To stew your tomatoes: boil in water, remove peeling when able, and add a dash of white vinegar! Continue to boil until done!  Also, please note that the stewed tomatoes should be so hot when you take them out of the water and liquify them that you don't need to heat this meal up in a pan.]

Quiero Comer Comida Mexicano!

I'm really feelin' Mexican food today.   I know that you think all Mexican food starts with beef and cheese...but I'm going to show you how to make a fantastic TACO SOUP that doesn't have either.  This is one of my favorite meals because it has so many rich flavors.  It has tons of protein and vitamins because of the various types of legumes.

Here's What Ya Need:

Kidney Beans (1) * White Beans (1) * Black Beans (1)
Corn (2 drained) * Peas (2 drained) * Stewed diced Tomatoes (1)
Red Bell Pepper (chopped) * Green Bell Pepper (chopped)
Serrano Pepper (diced no seeds) * Cilantro (chopped)
Ground Cumin (1 tsp.) * Pepper (Salt Optional)
Paprika (a dash at the end)

Here's What Ya Do:
1.  Get a large soup pot.  Put on medium-high heat.
2.  Throw in all of the cans of beans, corn, peas and tomatoes.
3.  Heat for about 5 minutes.  Stir.
4.  Put in all of the rest of the ingredients except the paprika.
5.  Stir and heat for another 10 minutes.
6.  Pour into a soup tureen.
7.  Splash a dash of paprika with extra cilantro on top!

I serve this dish with tortilla strips and a side of guacamole.

I can't wait for dinner after coaching soccer tonight.  I have one of the Dynamo's soccer players coming to help me train my team this afternoon so this hearty meal will be great after an 1 1/2 of training!  Say your prayers and enjoy!

Sunday, Sunday...So Good To Me...

This is the day that the Lord hath made...so I take Sunday day off and keep it Holy.  So, pull out your left-overs people and get to snackin'!  I'm going to enjoy my beautiful back yard and my left-over lemonade-tea after Church and try very hard to do nothing except be thankful for my many blessings.  Hopefully, you will too!
:)
Elizabeth

Fancy Pants Night!

Tonight I feel like eating something fancy.  I have to coach a soccer game today and will be driving quite a bit, so when I get home I want to be able to make something quick and fancy.  The fanciest thing I can think of are lobster tails!  They have some great lobster tails at our HEB so I'm going to grab some on the way home.  I also want to use the rest of my vegetables that I have cut up in my fridge.  Right now I have 2 green zucchini, 1 red bell pepper, two tomatoes (from my garden), champagne mushrooms (a handful), 2 apples, and mixed lettuce.  I'm going to throw all of these chopped end-of-the-week veggies into a steamer and season them with lemon and basil leaves from the garden.  I'm also going to use the fresh mint from my garden to make a mint tea-lemonade!  I don't add sugar to my tea or lemonade (because I'm sweet enough) but you can if you like. I can't hardly wait to sit down to dinner tonight!

Here's What Ya Need:

Lobster Tails (I'm only getting 4 small ones 'cuz John's allergic)
Butter * EVOO * Lemon Juice (1/2 a lemon) * Basil (chopped)
Left-over Vegetables (whatever you have left in your fridge!)
Mint (leaves no stem) * Lemonade (from lemons or packet will do!)
Favorite Tea (mine is from Teavana and it's a Peach/Lemon) * Sparkling Water

Here's How Ya Do It:
Elizabeth's Tea Lemonade:
1.  Brew your favorite tea and set aside to cool (about 2 cups).
2.  Take 3 large fresh lemons and roll to mix the juices inside.
3.  Take sparkling water (1 cup) and add into blender.
4.  Squeeze the juice from the lemons into the blender.
5.  Take the mint (about 1/2 a cup) and put into blender.
6.  Mix until the mint is everywhere!
7.  Take your tea, mint lemonade, and pour into pitcher.
8.  With a large spoon, stir.
9.  You can add sugar if you like.  I just add ice, ice, baby!
     (my mom likes it with sugar...so make an extra side for your mom's!)

Lobster Tails and Vegetables: [You need a large steam pot for this!]
1.  Take a large steam pot and add water on the bottom. Medium-High heat.
2.  Place vegetables and lobster tails inside.
3.  Add Pepper (salt optional) to taste.
4.  Steam until lobster is solid white and outer shell is bright pinkish/red.
     [I also like to remove the lobster and put them face down on an indoor
       grill pan for a few minutes to get those lovely grill marks on them.]
5.  Add Lemon juice on top and chopped basil.
6.  Serve.

I also melt the butter and add some lemon juice and olive oil to it to make an alioli dressing for the lobster.  It's easy and yummier than just plain old butter.

This is really a fun, fancy meal to make and SO incredibly Lenten.  If you're giving up butter and oil...you can simply remove them from the recipe.  It will still be AWESOME!  Dress up for dinner and have fun in that formal dining room you never use! ;)  Elizabeth

Gnocchi with Spinach & Garlic!

I have a sister who loves gnocchi.  If it's on the menu at an Italian restaurant she'll order it.  Gnocchi is a potato and semolina dumpling.   It's very filling so you should take that into account for your serving portions.  This is also a pasta that absolutely calls for vegetables to be in with it and an oil-based or tomato-based sauce because gnocchi can be bland.  Today, I'm adding fresh baby spinach leaves that have been sauteed in garlic and lemon juice.  I'm also going to be adding mushrooms.  My final ingredients are fresh basil leaves and lemon zest.  I find that basil (which is growing abundantly in my garden) and lemon zest not only infuses itself into the gnocchi but adds a fresh spring flavor to an otherwise heavy dish.  So, get ready and let's do this!


Here's What You Need:
1 package of gnocchi (whole wheat) * 1 Lemon (juice & zest)
Baby Spinach (stems removed) * Garlic (3 cloves diced)
Onion (1/3 cup diced) * Mushrooms (sliced)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil * Basil Leaves (fresh and finely chopped)

(You will need 1 pot and 1 large saute pan for this dish)

Here's How Ya Do It:
1.  Cook gnocchi according to instructions.
2.  Saute pan should be on medium heat.
3.  Add olive oil, garlic, and onions (cook for 2 minutes)
4.  Be sure to stir so it doesn't burn.
4.  Add spinach and mushrooms.
5.  Cook until tender.
6.  Drizzle in about 1 tablespoon of lemon juice.
7.  Continue to stir for 1-2 minutes.
8.  Add pasta into saute pan.
9.  Drizzle in more olive oil.
10.  Stir well.
11.  Add finely chopped basil.
12.  Add lemon zest.
13.  Remove from heat and serve.

This is an uncomplicated dish that is both satisfying to the stomach and to the eye.  As usual, it's quick and easy to make for the entire family.  I'm rushing to get things done around the house now as Diego is returning today from Outdoor School.  I can't wait to hear all about his adventures!  God be with you and have a blessed Lenten dinner tonight!

Veggie Pot-Veggie Pot-Veggie Pot Pie!

G'day everyone!  When I was in Australia I learned how to make a few things really well from my friend's mom: Shepherd's Pie, Fish N' Chips, Shrimp on the Barbi, and Chicken Pot Pie.  She also taught me a great scone recipe and we would have tea everyday (around 4-ish).  It was heaps of fun cooking with them because they were hilariously funny.  I was thinking of them this morning and decided a veggie version of Katherine's chicken pot pie recipe is a good idea!

[Note:  I make individual servings into single-serving ramekins so we each have our own.]

Here's What Ya Need:
Filling:
Vegetable Broth (2 cups) * Flour (1/3 Cup)
Carrots (1/2 Cup Diced) * Peas (1/2 Cup) * Cumin (2 tsp)
Potatoes (Diced) * Broccoli (chopped-because I always add something green!)

Crust:
Flour (2 Cups) * Margarine (2/3 cup softened)
Salt (1/2 Tsp) * Water (5 Tbsp)

Here's How Ya Do It:
(oven 425 degrees)
Broth:
1.  Bring broth to a boil in a deep pot.
2.  Add cumin and lower heat.
3.  On medium heat start adding flour slowly and stir until it thickens.
4.  Let the sauce rest on low heat.

Crust:
1.  Mix flour and salt in bowl.
2.  Flake crumbles of margarine into mix.
3.  When it's crumbly roll into a ball.
4.  Cut the ball in half.
5.  Roll out half of the dough to fit the size of the pan or ramekins.
6.  Roll out the other half for the topping. (You can decorate shapes on the top!)

Fixin' It:
1.   Place dough in dish (fit it nicely but don't let it tear on the bottom!)
2.  Fill with vegetables.
3.  Pour thickened broth over vegetables.
4.  Cover with top layer of dough tightly.
5.  Place foil on top of crust.
6.  Place in oven for 30 minutes total.
     (remove foil 1/2 way through)
7.  It should be done when the top of the crust
     has turned brown (don't burn it!).
8.  Serve with a fresh green side salad!

The great thing about this recipe is that you can make a lot of them and freeze the one's you don't want to eat that night for another day!  It's also a great way to sneak in a bunch of vitamin-filled vegetables in your children's diets.  So, enjoy this Lent-friendly meal with your family tonight!

Yumming It Up With Quinoa!

I love this tasty grain called quinoa (pronounced "Kin-wah").  It's a goosefoot seed with lots of fiber and protein and easily digestible for your stomach.  It's also a great alternative to heavier pastas.  Today I'm using it with other starches and vegetables to make a nice single platter dish that can feed the entire family and keep the tummies full!



[Preheat Oven to 400 degrees]
[Line baking sheet with parchment]

Here's What Ya Need:
Medium Potato (cubed) * Coconut Oil * 1/4 Onion (chopped)
2 Cloves of Garlic * Quinoa (1 cup) * 2 1/2 Tsp Coriander
2 Tsp Cumin * 1 Tsp Ground Mustard Seed
Cayenne Pepper (pinch) * Sea Salt (optional-to taste)
1/3 Cup Peas (drained) * 1/2 Tsp Turmeric (optional)
Olive Oil (to drizzle)

Here's How Ya Do It:
1.  Coat potatoes with coconut oil and spread on baking sheet.
2.  Roast until tender (or you can boil them).
3.  Heat frying pan to medium-low.
4.  Cook onions and garlic (mmmmm that smell!)
5.  Cook quinoa according to directions.
6.  Add more oil into onion pan and add cooked potatoes.
7.  Add in all of the spices (except the turmeric).
8.  Cook spices for 1 minute.
9.  Add all into the pot of cooked quinoa.
10.  Season with salt and turmeric (optional).
11.  Add in peas.
12.  Put lid over quinoa so flavors will infuse. (2-4 minutes)
13.  Drizzle olive oil and stir.
14.  Serve in a bowl and enjoy!

You can keep this dish in the fridge for a snack at any time or lunch the next day!  I still have to coach soccer tonight (even though Diego is out of town at Outdoor School) so this I can make this today and heat it up for John when we both get home!  Hope you're having a wonderful Lenten season so far!

Too many carbs getting you down?

Today's a great day to release yourself from the large amount of carbohydrates that you consume during Lent.  How about trying a simple green salad with a three-bean dish for protein?

Here's What Ya Need:
Spinach * Field Greens * Sliced Zucchini
Clementine Oranges * Lite Dressing of Choice
Kidney Beans (drained) * Black Beans (drained)
White Beans (drained) * Chopped Red Bell Pepper
Chopped Onion * Chopped Tomato

Here's What Ya Do:
1.  Throw spinach, field greens, sliced zucchini and oranges into a bowl.
2.  Put in a few teaspoons of dressing with pepper and mix.
3.  In another bowl.  Add kidney, black, and white beans.
4.  Add red bell pepper, onions and tomato.  Pepper to taste. Mix.

Place the salad on a plate (if you have sesame seeds add them on top!).  Take 1/4 cup of the bean mix and place in a small ramekin.

This is a great way to get your tummy back in order and try something different for dinner.  So long, I have to pack up Diego's stuff for his school trip this week.  They're taking my baby to outdoor school and I have to make sure he has everything he needs to feel like his mommy's there.  Pray for him and for me...I don't know who's going to cry more when he leaves on the bus in the morning!

Down The Hatch With Bad Routers!

Sorry there were not any blogs this weekend.  I was having router/internet issues.  AGH!

On a good note, however, we had a wonderful time at my Uncle and Aunt's Ranch (Double S Ranch) in Flynn, Texas!!  We had our family reunion and it was great to see the FIFTH generation of family running around the ranch this year.  There was, of course, lots of great food.  Diego and his cousins went fishing and Diego caught THREE fish!  It was amazing and I can't wait for the next reunion!

So, now that I've told you about that...I bet you're wondering what I'm cooking tonight?  Well, I found some tasty lump crab meat at Whole Foods that I'm going to mix with corn bread mix, bell peppers, and hot peppers to make into a nice little baked dish.  I'm also going to make a vermicelli and spanish rice with peas and corn to go with it.  How does that sound for a nice Lenten meal?  Let's get started!

Here's What Ya Need:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees!

Lump Crab Meat * Corn Bread Mix (add water only mix)

Bell Peppers (finely chopped) * Hot Peppers (finely chopped)

Onions (finely chopped) *  Cilantro * Oregano

Vermicelli * Spanish Rice (whole grain) * Peas (drained)

Corn (drained) * Small ramekins or single serving oven-safe dish

Canola Oil * Fresh Herbs From Your Garden (any of your favorite)

[Today I'm using red bell peppers because it looks good in the little crab cakes]

Here's How Ya Do It:

Crab Dish:

1.  Take corn bread mix (the add water only kind) and add a little bit of sugar to it.

     (maybe just 2 tsp) and stir.

2.  In a separate bowl, take your lump crab meat and mix in the bell peppers and hot peppers.

3.  Mix in the onions (optional), cilantro, oregano.  Stir.

5.  Pour the lump crab meat mixture into the corn bread mix.

6.  Mix thoroughly.

7.  Add pepper and salt (optional).

8.  Take a scoop of the mix (make sure you get a bit of everything).

9.  Place scoop inside individual dishes (ramekins).

10.   Place dishes into oven.

       

Depending on the size of your dish it will cook differently.  My single-serving dishes will cook this recipe in 10-12 minutes.

Vegetarian Paella:

1.  Add canola oil to pan over low-medium heat.

2.  Add the vermicelli.  Cook until browned.

3.  Add the rice and 1 cup of vegetable stock.

4.  You will have to stir this a lot so it doesn't burn or stick.

5.  Add stock as needed.

6.  Cover and cook for 3-5 minutes-stirring occasionally.

7.  When the rice is done, add the drained peas and corn.

8.  Add oregano and cilantro. Salt and Pepper to taste.

9.  You can also add onions and bell peppers for color.

10.  Mix and serve.

How To Plate This:

I take a spoon of my paella and place it in the middle of the plate.  I then remove the corn-crab mixture from the ramekin and place it on top of the rice.  I add cilantro on top for color!

Enjoy this dish with a nice side salad and fruit for dessert!!

Truly Thanking God for Friday!

Hooray!  I'm so thankful...it's Friday.  Friday is Greek school night and I get to have a nice mini-date with my husband, John.  We have a lot of fun trying out new restaurants downtown and I get to figure out new ideas for recipes that I can make at home.  Everyone, most especially mom's, should be able to get a night off.  If you're like me...you don't even get time to sit down during the day.

Take the night off! I said so!