Greek Cucumber Feta Salad

Another beautiful Mediterranean side dish with fresh herbs and feta to bring it alive. No picture yet because it was almost all gone!

Greek Cucumber Feta Salad (inspired by Jimmy Grants)

Ingredients:

2 English cucumbers, peeled, and cut into 1" chunks
1 cup of cooked brown rice or barley
Roughly 1/2 cup of feta cheese, crumbled
1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro
1/2 cup finely chopped mint
Juice of half a lemon
1 1/2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt to taste

Method:

1. Peel and cut up cucumbers into 1" chunks, and place in a medium bowl. Add the cooked and cooled rice/barley, crumbled feta cheese, chopped cilantro and mint, and stir to combine.

2. In a small bowl, whisk with a fork the lemon juice and olive oil. Season with salt. Pour over the cucumber salad, and combine. Taste and add more salt, or feta cheese if needed.

A New Year, A New Land, A New Diet: Greek Grain Salad

It has been a year since I last posted. We had quite the year. Three moves, including one international. And, a new baby. Our fourth baby. We have been busy!

We are living on the other side of the world in Melbourne, Australia, for one year. It has been a beautiful, charming year full of trips to the beach and to the kangaroo-dotted Aussie countryside, and lots of good quality time with my husband's family.

I have learned what morning tea is (a break around mid-morning for tea/coffee and a snack). And, I have learned to recycle like my life depends on it (small trash cans here!) and to not speed when driving (speed cameras are everywhere!).

We have also experienced the Aussie food scene...cafes and bakeries on every corner. Fresh produce. Much healthier eating than in the US. And, a much wider assortment of authentic Mediterranean and Asian restaurants thanks to the millions of immigrants from those areas of the world.

I am learning to cook a whole different way. And, enjoy food a whole new way.

Before our time is up here, I plan to post some of the meals and snacks that have found their way into our home. First up, a Greek grain salad inspired by our favorite Greek restaurants: Hellenic Republic and Jimmy Grants by the same Chef/Owner.

This grain salad is a perfect side dish for a crowd and is sure to be a crowd pleaser!

Hellenic Republic's Cypriot Grain Salad

Ingredients:

1 bunch cilantro, chopped finely
1/2 bunch parsley, chopped finely
1/2 red onion, finely diced
1 cup freekah (or quinoa or cracked wheat)
1/2 cup Puy lentils (I used green lentils)
2 tbsp. toasted pumpkin seeds
2 tbsp. toasted slivered almonds
2 tbsp. toasted pine nuts
2 tbsp. baby capers
1/2 cup currants
Juice of 1 lemon
3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
sea salt to taste
Optional: 1 pomegranate, deseeded to serve (I did not include in mine)

Yogurt Topping:
1 cup thick plain Greek yogurt
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tbsp. honey

Method:
1. Cook the freekah/quinoa and lentils to package directions until both just cooked. Drain well and allow to cool.

2. Mix the yogurt, ground cumin and honey until combined, and refrigerate until serving.

3. In a medium bowl, place the finely chopped cilantro, parsley, red onion, freekah/quinoa, lentils, toasted nuts and seeds, capers, currants, lemon juice and olive oil. Mix well and season with salt to taste.

4. Place in a serving dish and top with cumin-honey yogurt and (optional) pomegranate seeds.

Best Ever Cheesy Cornbread

My good friend Heidi introduced this recipe to me a couple years ago, and I will never go back to another cornbread. It is incredibly moist (from the eggs and butter), rich in corn flavor (from the cream style corn), and has a hint of cheese.

This cornbread has never turned out dry, and it never needs extra butter or honey. It is perfect as is. Thanks, Heidi! You have forever changed our go-to side dish for tacos, chilli and soup!

This recipe fills a 9x13" baking dish, perfect for a crowd. Sometimes I halve the ingredients for just our family.

Cheesy Corn Bread
1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 can cream style corn
4 eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shredded mild/sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup shredded Jack cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cream the butter and sugar. Add the eggs, mixing well.
3. In a separate bowl, mix together flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt. Add this flour mixture into the wet ingredient and mix until combined. Mix in the cream corn and shredded cheese.
4. Pour into greased 9x13" baking dish. Reduce oven to 300 degrees and bake for 1 hour.

Sugar-Glazed Roasted Carrots

These were a perfect sidedish to our Christmas prime rib roast. And, they're super easy. I love roasting all kinds of vegetables because it brings out their sweetness - you especially should try asparagus, sweet potatoes, brussel sprouts, squash and potatoes. 'll definitely be doing these carrots again. Thanks to America's Test Kitchen for another great recipe.

Sugar-Glazed Roasted Carrots (America's Test Kitchen)
1 1/2 lbs carrots, peeled and cut into 2 by 1/2" pieces
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

*Note: if the carrots have very narrow tips, trim the thin ends; they scorch easily

Directions:

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 475 degrees. Heat rimmed baking sheet in oven for 10 minutes. (This jumpstarts the browning process)
2. Toss carrots, melted butter, sugar, salt and pepper in medium bowl until thoroughly combined. Working quickly, remove baking sheet from oven. Carefully transfer carrots to sheet and spread into even layer. Roast until carrots are beginning to brown on the bottom, about 15 minutes.
3. Remove pan from oven, toss carrots to redistribute, and continue to roast until tender and deep amber in color, about 3 minutes.

Mama Julie's EASY Cinnamon-Sugar Rolls

Eat these rolls for breakfast, brunch or along with dinner. They are always a hit, but people are SHOCKED when they realize how EASY they are to make. Thanks to my mom for introducing me to these yummy treats.

Mama Julie's EASY Cinnamon-Sugar Crescent Rolls
1 tube of refridgerated crescent dough (I like the reduced fat version)
Handful of sugar
Generous sprinkling of cinnamon

Directions:

1. Preheat oven according to crescent roll directions. 
2. Combine handful of sugar with a generous sprinkling of cinnamon in a bowl. Coat each crescent dough triangle in cinnamon-sugar mix, roll up starting with the wide end of the triangle, and place on greased (or parchment papered) tray with small end of roll tucked underneath.
3. Serve immediately!

Sweet & Tangy Apple-Cabbage Coleslaw

My love for coleslaw has grown over the years. Perhaps it's because slaw is always served with BBQ, and being from Kansas City, we would eat BBQ all the time. Some slaws are too creamy, some are just too acidic, but this recipe from America's Test Kitchen is a winner for us. The sweet apple balances out the acidity of the vinegar for a perfect combination. It's super easy if you have a food processor to slice everything thinly.

Serve With: slow cooked ribs and cheesy potatoes


Apple-Cabbage Slaw (adapted from America's Test Kitchen)
1 medium head green cabbage, cored
2 medium sized apples (Granny Smith or any variety - I like the sweeter kinds personally)
2 medium carrots
1 small onion
6 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard (I prefer the seedy kind)

Directions:

1. Thinly slice cabbage, apples, carrots and onion in food processor, or by hand, cut into thin matchsticks.
2. Toss all vegetables together in a large bowl.
3. Whisk together oil, cider vinegar, sugar, Dijon mustard and salt. Pour over slaw mix. You may not need the entire dressing if your cabbage was small, so add about half, toss and test. Add more if needed. (America's Test Kitchen suggests bringing oil, vinegar, sugar and mustard to a boil over medium heat and then pouring over the slaw, and allowing to cool before serving. I've found heating the dressing is not needed, but they say it helps the veggies soak the flavor up better.)

Mama Julie's Cheesy Potatoes

If I'm ever asked to bring a hotdish to a get-together, this is what I bring. My mom's cheesy potatoes. It is definitely a crowd-pleaser. And, it's one recipe I MUST pass on to my daughters.

We had a fun couple over last night to watch the NCAA championship game (which wasn't too entertaining - I love basketball, even played it in college, but this game looked more like open gym)...anyways, this is all that was left in my 9x13" pan.

  Needless to say, it's a hit everytime. Thanks, mom, for another good one!


Mama Julie's Cheesy Potatoes
1 normal-size bag frozen, shredded potatoes (there are usually two sizes of bags - normal and extra large, just get the normal size, forgive me, I don't know the exact pounds/ounces right now!)
1 can cream of chicken soup (Healthy Request kind from Campbell's)
1/2 - 3/4 of a 16 oz. container of light sour cream
2 cups shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 stick butter, melted
Salt & pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Mix sour cream, soup and melted butter in your largest bowl.
3. Dump entire bag of frozen, shredded potatoes into the large bowl. Season generously with salt and pepper.
4. Add the cheese to the large bowl as well, and mix together until all ingredients are well combined. 
5. Transfer cheesy potatoes to a GREASED 9x13" baking dish, and cover with foil.
6. Bake at 375 degrees for 1 hour, 10 minutes. Remove the foil, and bake for another 5 minutes. The edges should be brown and crispy, and the middle of the potatoes should be hot and the cheese melted.

Mushroom & Lemon Couscous

Couscous makes a great sidedish to chicken, fish or steak. It is so easy to prepare - just 10 minutes and it's done. This recipe takes ordinary couscous and yummies it up with the flavors of garlic, mushrooms, lemon, onion and Parmesan cheese. Enjoy!


Mushroom & Lemon Couscous
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup green onions, sliced
1 cup mushrooms, sliced (baby portabellas are yummy!)
1 clove garlic, pressed
1 package NEAR EAST Couscous Wild Mushroom & Herb
1 can (or 14.5 oz.) chicken stock
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. In large nonstick pan or skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add green onions, mushrooms and garlic. Saute for 3-5 minutes or until tender.
2. Meanwhile, in medium saucepan, prepare couscous according to package directions, except use chicken broth instead of water and add lemon juice with contents of spice sack. 
3. Combine prepared couscous into the mushroom mixture, and stir in Parmesan cheese.