1 1/2 c. ripe sweet cherries, pitted
1 4 oz container Greek Yogurt, vanilla flavor
2 c. milk, any kind (soy vanilla is especially good)
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 TBSP honey or 4 TBSP sugar (more or less to taste)
Put all ingredients in blender. Blend on puree until smooth. Serve immediately, serves 2.
Goes great with Greek food.
Ingredients:
2 4-oz containers of plain Greek yogurt (you can use regular yogurt but I think the Greek yogurt is richer and has a better taste for this recipe)
1/2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp chopped garlic
1/2 of a medium cucumber, peeled
salt and pepper to taste
1. Mix all ingredients except cucumber in a medium sized bowl.
2. Grate cucumber over the container, catching all the cucumber juice that drips out. Cucumber is the major flavoring of this sauce so you want to make sure to retain all of the juice as well as the gratings.
3. Best if let set overnight.
I’ve been experimenting with different types of pesto lately. The only trouble with this one is that the feta cheese makes this very sticky.
2/3 c. packed fresh cilantro
1/3 c. packed fresh parsley
1 TBSP lime juice
1/8 c. sunflower seeds
1/4 c. olive oil
1/8 c. feta cheese
4 cloves crushed garlic
Combine all in a food processor and process until well mixed.
Pine nuts are the traditional nut for pesto but are crazy expensive and can be hard to find. A $2 bag of shelled sunflower seeds worked just fine. I have tried this recipe with almonds in the pesto but found the almond flavor overwhelming, but if you like almonds a lot it could be a good substitute.
Pesto:
2/3 c. basil fresh and firmly packed
1/8 c. sunflower seeds, shelled
1/4 c. olive oil
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1/4 c. grated Romano or Parmesan (use whichever you like better or a mix of both)
Pasta:
4 servings of your favorite pasta type
1 c. green beans (or any vegetable)
1/2 tsp powdered garlic
1 tsp dried basil
1 TBSP olive oil.
1. Mix all pesto ingredients in a food processor, set aside.
2. Cook pasta about 3/4 of the amount of time it tells you to on the box.
3. Heat olive oil in large skillet. Add dry spices and vegetables, cook until vegetables are almost done.
4. Add pasta and pesto mix to skillet. Cook until pasta and vegetables are finished cooking, stirring constantly. Serve immediately, serves 4.
Smashed Southwestern Red Potatoes
6 small red potatoes, cleaned
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp cumin
1 TBSP paprika
1 TBSP red pepper flakes
2 TBSP olive oil
sour cream
1. Use a fork to poke holes in potatoes, microwave 5 min or until almost done.
2. Mix dry ingredients, add olive oil. Add mixture to potatoes.
3. Cook potatoes in microwave another minute. Add sour cream and serve. Optional: add salsa.
Tomato and Pepper Salad
1 large tomato, diced
1 large red, yellow or orange pepper, diced
2 spring onions, chopped fine
1/4 c. fresh basil leaves
4 TBSP olive oil
4 TBSP red wine vinegar
2 TBSP capers
1/2 c. croutons
salt and pepper to taste
1. Combine vegetables and basil in large bowl.
2. Mix oil, vinegar, capers, salt, pepper in a smaller bowl. Add to large bowl of vegetables and mix thoroughly. Chill for at least one hour before serving.
3. Add croutons just before serving. Serves 4.
Honey Mustard Chicken with Almonds
3 TBSP olive oil
1 clove garlic
1 TBSP chopped dried onion
1/8 c. dry white wine
1 tsp. dijon mustard
1 TBSP honey
1/4 c. chopped almonds (or pecans)
1 large chicken breast
1. Heat 1 TBSP oil in small skillet, cook chicken until done. (7-10 min depending on thickness).
2. Mix other ingredients in a small bowl.
3. Remove chicken, cut into bite size chunks. Add back into skillet with nuts and sauce. Cook 2 min. Serve immediately.
Optional modifications:
add 1 TBSP soy sauce, substitute rice vinegar for wine, add 1 tsp. dried ginger
Either of these sauces are also good on salmon.
Easy Snow Peas and Soy Beans
1/2 c. frozen snow peas
1/2 c. frozen mukimame (shelled edamame/soybeans)
1 tps. chopped garlic
1/2 tsp. ginger
1 TBSP peanut oil
1 TBSP rice or white vinegar
1. Heat oil in small skillet.
2. Add vegetables and other ingredients.
3. Cook until heated through but still crisp — 3 min for frozen, 5 min for fresh ingredients.
A tasty way to add some extra protein to a vegetable side dish. Soybeans are a great source.
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Squares
1/4 c. creamy peanut butter
3/4 c. sugar
2 large egg whites
1 tsp. vanilla
3/4 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 c. chocolate chips
1. Preheat oven 350 degrees. Spray 8 inch pan with cooking spray.
2. Beat p.b. and sugar until smooth.
3. Beat in egg whites and vanilla.
4. Add dry ingredients, mix.
5. Stir in chips.
6. Spread batter in pan.
7. Bake 25 min. or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pan, cut into 16 squares. Store in fridge.
I have been on a real egg kick lately! This makes quite a spicy meal so if you like things less spicy reduce the peppers and Tabasco by half.
Southwestern Steak and Eggs Breakfast
4 eggs
2 oz. sharp cheddar (I like New York Extra sharp), sliced thin
1/2 lb. steak, flank steak
4 pieces of bread, any kind
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp cumin
1 TBSP Tabasco sauce
1 tsp paprika
1 TBSP basil
steak tenderizer
salsa or more Tabasco for garnish
tomatoes for garnish
1. Slice steak into cubes and liberally cover with steak tenderizer. Flank steak is very tough, this is why there isn’t any more salt in this recipe.
2. Heat olive oil in medium non-stick pan. Add steak to pan, add 1/2 of all dry spices. Cook steak for 7 min (for medium) or up to 12 min (for well done). Set aside.
3. Crack eggs directly into warm pan, scramble them just enough to break the yolks. Add all the rest of the spices and Tabasco sauce. Cook on one side until well done (5 min) and then flip. Cook two minutes on the other side.
4. While the eggs are finishing, toast the bread. If you have a toaster oven, layer the cheddar on top of the bread and toast. Otherwise for a regular vertical toaster, toast the bread and place the cheese on top immediately after the toast is done so the heat will melt it some.
5.Serve with extra Tabasco, salsa or tomatoes.
