Greek Salad

Counting calories is not my cup of tea and I have never bothered to do it ever in the past. If you have been reading my blog for a while, you know that I make all kinds of foods, but I still talk about eating healthy and stick to balanced portions from the 4 food groups in order to stay on track. Using fats liberally is never on my mind and I don't like burdening my digestive system with hard work always.
 
Anyways I love vegetables more than meat. And I am a salad person for sure. Every meal is accompanied with a salad and I gulp down spoonful's of salad each and every time it is served. Salads never bore me. And then they can be prepared in a myriad ways. So I am always looking out for salad and trying them regularly.
 
My latest obsession is Greek food. I am enjoying trying out a few Greek recipes in the last few days. So this salad was always on my list to try and it is incredibly cool and so simple to make.
 
Chill out this summer with a tangy and chilled salads. Smother it with fresh vegetables, add the easy crunch of Greek cheese, or just gobble it up plain. Top it with a tangy vinaigrette drizzle.
 
You will realize that every bite is heaven and delicious. A perfect blend of sweet and sour. Off to the recipe now:
 
INGREDIENTS:

  
10 to 12 cubes Fresh feta
1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup marinated olives
1 head of romaine lettuce (very green, check leaves for marks)
Pint of plum tomatoes
1 peeled cucumber
Half of one red onion
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
2 lemons
Salt and pepper to taste
olive oil
 
HOW TO MAKE:

1) Slice the red onion into two quarters and into slices, as thinly as you can. 
 
2) Place the onion into a bowl , pour the vinegar over it and sprinkle with the oregano.  Toss, and set aside for at least 20 minutes. 
 

3) Cut the tomatoes and cucumber into thick slices, halve both if you prefer.   Wash and cut the lettuce into bite-size pieces.  Pat dry.  Place these ingredients into a large bowl. 
 
4) Cut the feta into quarters, add to the bowl.  Add the olives.  Sprinkle all of this with salt and black pepper.
 

5) Add the onions and the vinegar.  Slice and juice the lemons over the mixture, add the olive oil over the salad.
 
6) Gently toss the mixture, so that the feta breaks up slightly, but not too much.  Wait a few minutes and just let all of this sit and marinate together.
 
7) Serve it chilled. It tastes greate when chilled.

 

 

Mini Greek Pizza Muffins

The heart of Greek cooking comes from Kalamata Olives, its spicy blend of herbs and chiles, as well as the feta cheese and their use of olive oil. Once you have those ingredients, you are off to the races for quick, tasty Greek food.

But when I mix them with eggs and milk, then I’ve hit my mojo. And these mini muffins are perfect for a big time healthy breakfast. A bird's eye-view of the ingredients will surely shout that it is a thoroughly balanced meal. These muffins are extremely easy to whip up for a quick and healthy breakfast.

And there is more to it. You can also be bold and add more ingredients like sausage and pepperoni to the egg mixture. Vegetarians can add more colorful vegetables to this and enjoy these savories .

 
Makes 2 dozen mini muffins
 

INGREDIENTS:

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2/3 cup finely chopped onion
2/3 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
1/3 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano or 1/2 teaspoon dried
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup low-fat milk
1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 large egg, well beaten
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons chopped kalamata olives


HOW TO MAKE:

1) Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and bell pepper; cook, stirring often, until the onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and let cool for 10 minutes.

2) Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400°F. Coat a mini-muffin pan with cooking spray.

3) Whisk whole-wheat pastry flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, oregano, sugar, garlic powder and salt in a medium bowl.

4) Stir milk, feta, egg, tomato paste and olives into the onion mixture. Make a well in the dry ingredients; add the wet ingredients and stir until just combined. Fill the prepared muffin cups two-thirds full.

5) Bake the muffins until lightly browned, 13 to 15 minutes. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.