Greek Taco

Let's all thank Jeff, the newly crowned Sandwich King for this yummy recipe. So simple, so delicious, so filling and so refreshing. I totally edited the original recipe.

What you'll need:

• 1lb Ground Lamb
• 1/4 c Diced Red Onion
• 1 minced Garlic Clove
• 1 tbls Tomato Paste
• 1/4 tsp Oregano
• 2 tbls Dry Red Cooking Wine
• Salt/Pepper
• 4 Small Pitas

Tzatziki:

• 1/2 Cucumber, peeled and shredded
• 1 cup Greek Yogurt
• 1/2 Minced Garlic Close

Cucumber Tomato Relish:

• 1 tbls Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 tbls Red Wine Vinegar
• 2 tomatoes, seeded and diced
• 1/2 Cucumber, peeled and cubed
• 1/4c diced Red Onion
• Salt/Pepper

Make it:

*Quick note. I like to make the relish and tzatziki first and let chill while cooking the rest.

 In a large skillet, heat the oil over me-high heat. Add the lamb, sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook until for approximately 10 to 12 minutes. Once the meat turns golden brown, remove the lamb and set aside. Turn the heat down to medium and saute the onions in the lamb juices until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the oregano and garlic and cook until fragrant. Season. Add the tomato paste and cook until it caramelizes. Deglaze with the red wine and scrape any bits up that have adhered to the pan. Add the lamb back in, stir and set aside.


For the tzatziki: In a food processor, add the cucumber and garlic and quickly shred. Remove from the processor and fold in the yogurt. Refrigerate until ready to use. 


For the tomato/cucumber relish: Chop the cucumber, tomato and onion and place into a small bowl. Add the vinegar and let soak and the rest of the ingredients and stir together. Refrigerate until ready to use. 


After the lamb mixture is ready, very lightly toast the Pita. Then layer on the tzatziki on the pita, add the lamb, then top with the relish. 


Make it healthier and cook with Ground Turkey, whole wheat pitas, and fat free yogurt!

Steak and Potatoes

Make yourself look like a fancy little chef with this simple steak and potatoes without the grill. It's a small effort with BIG flavor.

What you'll need:

• 2 Shell Steaks
• 2 Medium Sized Sweet Potatoes
• 3 Garlic Cloves
• Pinch of Salt
• 1 tsp Black Pepper
• Butter

Optional:

• Romaine Lettuce
• 1/2 Cucumber
• 3 Grape Tomatoes
• Crumbled Goat Cheese

Make it:

Make sure to trim all the excess fat off the steaks. If they are shell steaks, there shouldn't be much.

Mince the garlic as finely as you can. Then, spread it on both sides of the steaks and rub it into the meat. Do the same with a few and healthy shakes of pepper (enough to actually see the pepper covering the meat) and lightly salt. Let sit for about an hour to let those flavors melt in.

Skin the sweet potatoes and dice into medium sized cubes.

Heat one pan on med-high with your choice of cooking spray, or some light butter. Once the pan gets nice and hot add your steaks. Cook for about 7 minutes on each side or until it reaches the desired level of done-ness. There is no need to poke and prod and move it all around unless the pan gets dry. 

In another pan, add your choice of cooking spray, or light butter and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, add your potatoes. Put a lid on your pan and let it cook on med heat. After approximately 5 minutes, stir the potatoes around and place the lid back on. Let it sit for another 5 minutes.

After the 5 minutes pass, take the lid off the sweet potatoes and turn the heat up to high. Continue to cook until they crisp and brown. The potatoes usually take longer than the steaks do, so I always start them beforehand. 

The optional:

Although the steak and potatoes are dee-lish on their own, it might be a good idea to add a small salad to the plate. Not only will it add some color and take up that extra space, but its just never a bad idea to have a salad. 

Zuke and Mac

I have relatives who live in Italy...here is their masterpiece. It's pasta with a zucchini marinara. Thanks Aunt Janie and Uncle Michael!

What you'll need:

• 1/4 Large Yellow Onion
• 4 Zucchini
• 1 14.5oz can diced tomato
• 1 8oz can tomato sauce
• 1/2 Stick Butter
• 1 Egg
• Parmesan Cheese (optional)
• 1 Clove Garlic
• 1 tsp Oregano
• 1 tsp Basil
• Salt
• Pepper

Make It:
Chop and Sautee onion with a dash of salt and pepper in a medium pan with extra virgin olive oil.
Chop and cube zucchini after deseeding it. I made that mistake once and it sucked. Add de-seeded Zukes to onions.
Continue to sautee until the zucchini is tender.
Add the diced tomato to the zucchini and let it cook on low for about 30 minutes. Add seasonings. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Boil your pasta while your zucchini and onion are finishing up. I like using whole wheat thin spaghetti, but this also works well with farfalle (bow ties), and angel hair.

While the pasta is cooking...

In a mixing bowl add that 1/2 stick of butter, cubed. Oh yes, the whole thing. (Where's my healthy agenda you ask? Well, the answer is simple...somtimes a sacrifice needs to be made. This is one of those times. But honestly, you can get away with only using a quarter stick and be okay.) Next, add the raw, beaten egg.

Before draining the pasta when finished, set aside a cup of the used pasta water.

In the mixing bowl containing the butter and egg, add the HOT pasta and mix very well. The pasta will cook the egg and melt the butter.

Then, add the zucchini sauce! If is slightly dry, pour some of that used pasta water in there and mix it up until it reached your desired looseness. If you want to add the cheese, sprinkle it over the top.