Feta Stuffed Grilled Flatbread

The name is pretty self explanatory. Feta stuffed grilled flatbread, is absolutely amazing. I quote from my dad, "This is the best pita/flatbread, that I have ever eaten in my life!" Here is the recipe:

Feta Stuffed Grilled Flatbread
Serves 8

1 teaspoon of honey
2 teaspoons of dry active yeast
3 cups of whole wheat flour
2 1/2 teaspoons of fine sea salt
3/4 cup of plain yogurt
1/4 cup of EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) Plus more for brushing
2-3 cups of all purpose flour, more as needed
1 cup of fresh basil leaves
2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1/2 cup of fresh oregano leaves
1 cup of crumbled feta cheese

In a small bowl, whisk together 2 cups of warm water, and the honey. Sprinkle the yeast over the warm water. Stir to dissolve. Gradually stir in the wheat flour. Stir it in for about 1 minute. Let the mixture rest , uncovered, for 15 minutes.

Sprinkle the salt over the mixture. Stir in the yogurt, and 1 tablespoon of oil. Stir in 2 cups of all purpose flour, add a bit more until the dough is uncomfortable to stir. Turn the dough onto a floured board, and knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle in the additional floor as needed to yield a smooth, and a slightly sticky dough.

Let the dough rise at room temperature in a lightly oiled bowl, loosely covered with a dish towel, until doubled in bulk (2-3 hours)

In a food processor, puree the basil leaves, with 1/2 cup of olive oil, a large pinch of salt, and the garlic. Scrape the mixture into a bowl.

Divide the dough into 8 equal portions. If you let the dough rise in room temperature, chill the dough for 30 minutes - 4 hours.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out 1 dough ball to a 6 inch circle ( keep the remaining balls on a baking sheet loosely covered with a dish towel. Brush the top of the circle with the basil oil, 1 tablespoon of oregano, and 2 tablespoons of feta. Fold the edges of the dough over the center of the filling, and press together to seal, so the filling is no longer visible. Use a rolling pin to re-roll the dough to a 6 inch circle. Repeat with the remaining dough balls. Brush both sides of the dough rounds with olive oil, and grill it for 5-6 minutes, flipping halfway through, or until each side has grill marks. The bread is ready to be flipped when it begins to puff and bubble. Sprinkle with salt while hot (optional).

Enjoy!

Chicken Schwarma

Here is the chicken schwarma part of the dinner yesterday, it was absolutely delicious! Here is the recipe:

1 1/2 pounds of chicken
2 cups of plain or greek yogurt
2 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon of cumin
1 tablespoon of fenugreek seed
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon of Za'atar
1/2 of a cucumber, peeled, seeded, and sliced
2 teaspoons of dill

Put the chicken in a large bowl, and add the yogurt, garlic, cumin, fenugreek seed, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and the za'atar, mix to combine everything. Put everything in a bag, and marinate the chicken for about 4 hours in the refrigerator.

Meanwhile, mix some extra yogurt, olive oil, salt, pepper, dill, and the cucumber in a small bowl, and set aside.

Take the chicken out of the bag, and grill on medium until cooked, about 15 minutes. Get some nice grill marks on it.

Serve in stuffed pita (next blog post) and serve with the yogurt sauce (tzatziki)

Enjoy!

Israeli Couscous Tabbouleh

Yesterday night, I decided to make chicken schwarma (next blog post). I wanted to have some nice side dishes with it, so I made tabboueh. Here is the recipe:

Israeli Couscous Tabbouleh
Serves 8

1 1/2 cups of couscous
1 small shallot, finely chopped
1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons (or more) of fresh lemon juice
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and sliced
3 cups of cherry tomatoes
2 tablespoons of fresh parley, chopped
Salt and pepper
3 tablespoons of sliced scallions

Cook the couscous, according to the package. Put in a bowl, when done.

Add everything and mix. Adjust the seasonings, salt, pepper, lemon juice.

Enjoy a light, delicious side!!

Greek Platter

Here is how to assemble the Greek table:

Spanakopita (spinach pie), see recipe on the last blog post
Shrimp with Tomatoes and Feta, see recipe on the last blog post
Hummus, see a past blog pst
Sliced Tomatoes, drizzled with olive oil, salt and pepper
Sliced Feta, drizzled with olive oil
Greek olives
Grape leaves, stuffed with rice
Pita Bread, cut into triangles
Olive oil
Za'atar, for sprinkling on the pita

Arrange everything on the table, and enjoy!

Greek Platter with Special Shrimp

Another dish that I made for the greek dinner is Shrimp with Tomatoes and Feta. Here is the great recipe:

Shrimp with Tomatoes
Serves 4

2 teaspoons of olive oil
4 tomatoes, grated
2 cloves of garlic, minced
3 teaspoons of fresh oregano, minced
Salt and pepper
24 medium shrimp, peeled and deveined, with the tails still on
 2 tablespoons of feta

In a medium saute pan, add the grated tomatoes, garlic, oregano, olive oil,  salt and pepper, and cook on a simmer until the tomato sauce has reduced. Add the shrimp, and cook until they are pink and cooked through.

Put on a serving dish, and sprinkle with feta, and oregano.

Greek Platter with Spanakopita

A few days ago, I decided to make a bunch of Greek food. I had to brain storm about what I was going to make, and I finally decided on what to make. Here are a couple recipes:

Spanakopita (spinach pie)
Serves 5

3 cups of chopped yellow onions
2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 teaspoons of kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons of ground pepper
3 (10oz) packages of spinach, cooked
6 large eggs, beaten
2 teaspoons of grated nutmeg
1/2 cup of freshly grated parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons of plain dry breadcrumbs
1/2 pound good feta, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1/4 pound of unsalted butter, melted
About 12 sheets of phyllo dough

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

In a medium saute pan on medium heat, sauté the onions, with the olive oil until translucent, and slightly browned, 10-15 minutes. Add the salt and pepper, and let it cool slightly.

Squeeze out as much liquid as possible from the spinach. Put the spinach into a bowl, and then gently mix in the onions, eggs, nutmeg, parmesan cheese, bread crumbs, and feta.

Butter an oven proof, nonstick, 8 inch pie pan, and line it with 6 sheets of phyllo dough, switching the direction, with every sheet, and brushing every layer, or sheet, with melted butter. Let the edges hang over the pan. Pour the spinach mixture into the phyllo dough, and fold the phyllo edges over the spinach mixture. Put the rest of the phyllo dough on the spinach phyllo pan. Brush the top with butter, and put some holes (to let steam escape) in it with a knife.

Bake for about an hour, or until the top is golden brown, and the filling is set. Remove from the oven, and allow it to cool completely. Serve at room temperature.

Shrimp Mushroom Egg Fo Yung

I absolutely love making Chinese food, because of the great flavors, and the quick cooking. My dad has always asked me to make Egg Foo Yung, so I made a different version. Here is the recipe:

Shrimp Mushroom Egg Fo Yung
Serves 4

6 large eggs
3 tablespoons of peanut oil
1 8oz package of sliced white mushrooms
5 teaspoons of reduced sodium soy sauce
1 cup of snap peas (about 4oz), trimmed and sliced
1 1/2 teaspoons of minced peeled ginger
1 bunch of scallions, thinly sliced
6oz cooked, peeled and deveined shrimp, chopped
1 cup of low sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon of cornstarch
1 teaspoon of toasted sesame oil
2 cups of cooked rice, white or brown, for serving

Preheat the broiler to high heat.

Whisk the eggs in a bowl.

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add the mushrooms, and stir fry for 5 minutes. Stir in 1 teaspoon of soy sauce. Transfer the mushrooms, with a slotted spoon, to the bowl with the eggs, and whisk to combine.

Add the snap peas, ginger, and half of the scallions to the skillet, stir fry until crisp and tender, 1-2 minutes. Add the shrimp, and 2 teaspoons of soy sauce, cook 1 minute. Add to the bowl with the eggs.

Whisk 1/4 cup of water, the broth, cornstarch, and the remaining 2 teaspoons of soy sauce in a small bowl.  Wipe out the skillet.

Add 1 tablespoon of oil to the skillet, and the remaining scallions, stir fry for 30 seconds. Add the broth mixture, reduce the heat to medium low, and simmer, whisking, until thick, 2 minutes. Stir in the sesame oil. Transfer to a bowl, and cover.

Wipe out the skillet. Increase the heat to medium. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil, and the egg mixture, cook, without disturbing it, for 5 minutes.

Put it in the broiler, and broil until set for about 5 minutes.

Serve with the rice and sauce.