Lamb Meatballs + Greek Salad

I love meatballs, and to prove this I have created yet another meatball recipe to join the four other meatball related posts on this blog (and I am proud of them all!).  Serve these meatballs with the cucumber salad (recipe below) and your favorite smashed potato for a complete meal.

Lamb Meatballs

3/4 pound ground lamb
1 garlic clove
1 egg
2 tablespoons oregano
2 tablespoon chopped kalamata olives
1/4 cup feta cheese crumbles
1/4 cup green onion thinly chopped
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
salt/pepper

1. Add all ingredients in a mixing bowl and use your hands to combine until well incorporated.
2. Shape meatballs into about 1 1/2 inch think rounds and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper
3. Preheat skillet on the stove to medium high heat, add a swirl of olive oil and add the meatballs when hot.
4. Cook until browned and then gently turn to the over side to keep browning all sides of the meatball.
5. These are mostly cooked after 10-15 minutes depending on their size
6. If you happen to be drinking some wine, feel free to pour a bit over the meatballs for the last 2-3 minutes to give them an extra special glaze.

Greek Salad

2 cups cucumber pieces chopped in bite size pieces
1/2 pint tomatoes sliced in half
1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives chopped
1/2 cup feta cheese crumbles
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt/pepper to taste

1. Combine all ingredients through the feta in a salad bowl.  Stir gently to mix well.
2. Drizzle with olive oil and add salt/pepper to taste.
3. Serve with meatballs or eat as a meal all on it's own!

Hummus - With several variations

I've been holding off on buying tahini for quite a long time, but I finally found a good deal at Safeway and decided I would try making my own hummus.  I have to say it was totally worth it and I can't believe I waited this long.  The basic recipe is pretty easy (especially using canned chickpeas) and the variations you can add are endless.  Here are some of my suggestions plus a pretty picture of the hummus on some homemade pita bread stuffed with cucumber, tomato and pepprocinis.  Delish!

Ingredients for basic hummus

1 can drained chickpea or garbanzo beans
1/4 cup tahini paste
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/3 cup olive oil
2 garlic cloves
salt/pepper

1. Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth.  If still chunky, add a bit more olive oil at a time to get a nice puree.
2. Serve as you wish!
3. Keep in the fridge in an airtight container up to one week.

Variations

Jalapenos                               Roasted Red Pepper                      Eggplant
Cilantro                                  Feta                                                Roasted Garlic
Cayenne Pepper

Chickpea and Leek Pasta

Everyone has a pasta they can count on to satisfy at any occasion.  A few weeks ago I experimented with my favorite flavors of chickpeas, leeks and mushrooms and came up with this really simple pasta that was as satisfying as it was protein packed.  Pasta and beans is a surprisingly good combo and I think whole wheat pasta would also be great here.

Ingredients


1 lb fettucini pasta
1 can chickpeas drained
1 tablespoon cumin
1 leek thinly cleaned and thinly sliced
5-6 white or button mushrooms roughly chopped
2 tablespoons red pepper flakes
1 cup reserved pasta water
Feta cheese

1. Start a pot of water to boil on the stove, prepare pasta per package directions.
2. Meanwhile heat medium saute pan on medium high heat and add a swirl of olive oil.  When hot, add chickpeas and let sizzle in the oil.  Stir in cumin and let cook another 3 or 4 minutes.
3. Add chopped leeks and mushrooms to the chickpeas, stir to coat and let cook another 5 minutes then set aside.
4. When pasta is ready, reserve 1 cup of pasta water for later use
5. Drain pasta and return to pan, add chickpea mixture, red pepper flakes and pasta water, stir to coat evenly.
6. Serve on plates and top with feta cheese, salt and pepper.

Lentil "Tacos" with Greek Salsa

I love any excuse to eat lentils and feta cheese....when putting together dinner I had an idea to make a lentil "taco night" and these were the result!  You could do any type of topping you would normally eat with Greek or Indian food and make your own "taco" bar.  This time of year I like to chop one or two small potatoes into the lentils to give them some substance...you can take it or leave it depending on your preference.

Lentil base

1/2 cup dried lentils
2 small yukon gold potatoes peeled and diced
1 cup water
salt to taste
1 tablespoon olive oil

Greek Salsa

1/2 can finely chopped tomatoes, drained
10 kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
2 tablespoons fresh oregano finely chopped
Red pepper flakes to taste (optional)
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar (optional)

Other toppings

Fresh kale (washed and torn into bite size pieces)
Raw salad or sweet onion (thinly sliced)
feta cheese (this is NOT optional)

Since it is a taco it must be served in a pita pocket so make sure you have a package of those.

1. Combine lentils, potato and water in a pan on the stove.  Cook until all liquid is absorbed.  Make sure the potatoes are diced about bite sized so they can cook.
2. Meanwhile make the salsa.  Combine drained tomatoes, chopped olives, oregano and red pepper flakes.  Set aside.
3. Prepare toppings (i.e. wash kale, slice onion)
4. When lentils are done remove from the heat and add olive oil and salt to taste. Give each person a pita pocket and have them create their own Greek taco!

Shepherd's Pie

After I finished eating this dinner I was so content.  It is more than perfect for a night when you want an easy dish to put in the oven and make every appetite happy!  You can substitute the ground lamb for any other ground meat you prefer.  Feel free to mix in whatever other veggies or cheese you have!

Ingredients


1 1/2 lb yukon gold or new potatoes
3 tablespoons butter
1 5oz container nonfat yogurt
1 small onion chopped finely
4-5 carrots chopped finely
3 sprigs oregano
1 lb gound lamb
4 cups chopped chard leaves
salt/pepper
1/2 cup cheddar cheese

1. Peel potatoes and cover with cold water in a pot.  Preheat oven to 375.
2. Heat pot over medium high heat and cook until potatoes are done (about 25 minutes)
3. Meanwhile heat saute pan over medium high heat.  When hot add a few swirls of olive oil to the pan.
4. When oil is hot add the onion and carrot, cooking about five minutes until softening
5. Add oregano, salt and pepper to the veggies and stir to coat
6. Add lamb to the pan and break it up with a spoon as you start to brown it.
7. While lamb is cooking, mash potatoes and add yogurt and butter.  This is also a good place to add some salt/pepper to the mashed potatoes
8. When lamb is browned, add chopped chard to the skillet and stir to incorporate
9. To make the pie, use a deep baking dish or pyrex dish and spread the lamb mixture on the bottom. Evenly distribute the mashed potatoes on top and use a spatula to smooth.
10. Sprinkle cheese on top and cover with foil
11. Bake in the oven for about 25 minutes, remove the foil and place the pie under the broiler for 2 minutes to make the cheese slightly crispy
12. Serve with salad and hot sauce (not kidding, hot sauce is amazing on this dish!)

Baked Falafel

I had an epiphany today...you can make homemade and delicious falafel from almost any type of bean. Here I use a shelling bean in place of the traditional garbanzo but the possibilities are endless (lima, fava, gigante anyone?).  Serve with all of your favorite falafel toppings for a delicious and protein packed meal!

Ingredients


2 cups cooked beans
3 garlic cloves
10 sprigs parsley
1 egg
1 tablespoon cumin
salt/pepper

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Combine cooked beans and garlic cloves in a food processor and pulse about 1 minute
3. Add egg, parsley, cumin, salt and pepper and puree the mixture
4. Using two spoons, drop the falafel balls onto a greased cookie sheet (as if you were making drop cookies).  The size should be about an 1 inch diameter
5. Cook in the oven 30 minutes or until falafel are browning
6. Serve with pita, Mint Tzatziki, lettuce, thinly sliced tomato and baba ghannoush!

Sun dried Tomato Grilled Chicken

The best thing about this dish is how easily it can be prepared and served.  You could also prep these and bring to a game day tailgate!  The flavors and best enjoyed in Autumn as you enjoy the last of the fresh basil!

Ingredients
4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
8 sun dried tomatoes (in olive oil)
12 basil leaves
1/2 cup feta
Olive oil, salt and pepper

1. Using a heavy pan or a meat pounder, pound the chicken breast as flat as possible (be careful not to go so crazy the chicken sticks to the cutting board)
2. Top each breast with 2 tomatoes, 3 basil leaves and a sprinkle of feta
3. Roll the chicken "hamburger" style and secure with a toothpick or two
4. Drizzle olive oil over the chicken and sprinkle with salt/pepper
5. When ready to cook, heat the grill and cook the chicken on each side for about 6 minutes or until meat is nice and brown and cooked inside
6. Serve with this delicious Mini Greek Salad and our fabulous Lemon(lime) Drop Martini!

Mini Greek Salad

The other day I got these amazing lemon cucumbers in my farm share and a plethora of basil.  With a bit of feta and olive oil I made this incredibly refreshing salad.  You could easily substitute regular cucumbers in place of the lemon cucumbers.

Ingredients


2 medium lemon cucumbers (about 2 cups chopped)
12-14 leaves of basil thinly sliced
1/4 cup crumbled feta
olive oil to taste
salt to taste

1. Combine chopped cucumbers, basil, feta in a bowl and then drizzle olive oil and sprinkle salt to top!

Orzo Pasta Salad

My parents make the most amazing orzo salad (I always request it whenever I'm visiting them for the weekend).  I made a slightly altered version based on a few special items I picked up at the farmer's market today...SCAPES!  These funny looking veggies are the tips of garlic and have a really nice mild garlic flavor.  If you can't find scapes, feel free to omit them and use dill instead.

Ingredients

1/2 box of orzo pasta

1 small salad onion thinly sliced or 5 scallions thinly sliced

5 or 6 scapes chopped into bite size pieces

1 can of garbanzo beans

zest of one lemon

3/4 cup feta cheese

1. Cook orzo pasta according to package directions.

2. Meanwhile chop onion and scapes

3. Drain pasta when cooked and run cold water over the pasta to cool it down

4. Combine pasta, beans, scapes, lemon zest and feta in a big bowl.

5. Stir and serve!