Lentil Soup

While I was growing up in Greece, my mother prepared meatless dishes during the week and made dishes with chicken, pork or beef tenderloin on a Sunday. Sunday was a special meal. The whole family looked forward to it. We all gathered around the table, to enjoy any type of meat with some kind of vegetable or starch, that my mother had prepared (like the roasted chicken with potatoes - Roasted Chicken with Potatoes in the oven) one of my first posts. Living in the US, I’m trying to incorporate that same principle that my mother had, by trying to cook meatless dishes during the week, and enjoying meat on a Sunday. Sometimes I accomplish that, but other times it’s quite difficult.

Lentil soup is a common dish to prepare during Lent. This year, Greek Easter falls on May 5th thus our Lent period is still on. It began on March 18th and it will last till our Easter Sunday which is seven weeks from March 18th. Our Easter follows the Julian calendar and should not coincide with Easter of other faiths. During Lent, strict food restrictions apply. According to our Greek Orthodox customs, meat, fish or poultry is forbidden to eat (except crustaceans) even dairy and olive oil. The only two days that we are allowed to eat fish is March 25th (Fried Cod in Beer Batter) when we celebrate our Greek Independence Day and the Annunciation of Virgin Mary (or Evangelismos of Theotokos - pronounced: E-van-geh-lee-zmos of Thee-ott-oh-kos), and on Pam Sunday.

Living away from the Mother country is always difficult to establish these rules. As hard as I try, there are days that I will have to skip the tradition and end up cooking a dish with meat. Lentil soup is easy and fast to make, and since my family likes it, I cook it often during Lent.

Enjoy!!!

Makes 8 servings (approximately 15 oz each or 2 cups per serving)

½ cup olive oil
¾ cup chopped onion
1 tbsp chopped garlic
1 ¼ cup sliced carrots
1 lbs green lentils (16 oz)
8 cups water
14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
15 oz can tomato sauce
1 tsp salt
½ tsp cumin
2 tbsp chopped parsley
4 bay leaves

Wash the lentils and remove and foreign objects, like tiny rocks that might have escaped into the package. Set aside.

In a Dutch oven, over high heat, pour the ½ cup olive oil. Add the chopped onions and garlic. Sauté till transparent. Add the sliced carrots and the lentils. Add the tomato sauce, the diced tomatoes,salt, cumin, chopped parsley, bay leaves and the 8 cups of water. Let it come to a boil, lower the heat and let it simmer for one hour. Remove from heat. Before serving remove the bay leaves.

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size
15.613 oz (442.6g)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 344
Calories from fat 122
Total Fat 13.5g
Saturated Fat 1.9g
Trans Fat 0.0g
Cholesterol 0mg
Sodium 596mg
Total Carbohydrates 42.1g
Dietary Fiber 19.4g
Sugars 6.1g
Protein 16.2g

Ground turkey spaghetti sauce or Makaronia me kima

Per my daughter’s request, I’m posting my Greek style Bolognese sauce or Makaronia me kima (pronounced ma ka ro nia me kee mah) , which approximately translates to “Spaghetti with meat sauce”, or as I have always called it “spaghetti sauce”. My daughter happened to walk in as soon as I finished making this sauce. She commented that the house smelled wonderfully from all the herbs and spices, and asked if I could make some and freeze it for her to have on hand, when she is on her own. Of course, I granted her request.

Bolognese sauce originated from Bologna, Italy, and while this style of meat sauce incorporates vegetables in it, like carrots and celery, the Greek style spaghetti sauce, like my mother used to make, omits these vegetables. I have tried it with shredded carrots and diced green peppers, when I have the time; but most likely, I will make it the way it is made below. The Greek version is quick and quite easy. No long hours of cooking so that the wine will evaporate like the Italian version. Within an hour, you have a sauce that you can serve either on whole-wheat pasta, gluten free pasta or over spaghetti. You can substitute the ground turkey with ground beef, as the actual Greek translation of “kima”(kee mah) means ground beef (my mother always made it with ground beef). Sprinkle some shredded romano cheese, or like my mother used to shred kefalotyri (pronounced ke fa lo ty reh) similar to romano cheese, or kasseri (pronounced ka se reh) cheese which is similar to provolone or muenster cheese but a bit harder when it’s aged. Enjoy!

Ground turkey spaghetti sauce or Makaronia me kima 

Makes 10 servings

½ cup olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
2 tsps chopped garlic
1 1/2 lbs ground turkey
15 oz tomato sauce
15 oz diced tomatoes
1 tsp salt
½ tsp freshly ground pepper
½ cup chopped parsley
1 tsp oregano
1 tbsp chopped basil
1-1 ½ cans of water

Dice the onion and garlic. Chop the basil and parsley. Set aside. In a deep saucepan sauté the onion and garlic in the olive oil. Add the ground turkey. Sauté till browned. Continue stirring and add the diced tomatoes and tomato sauce. Add one–one and a half cans of water; let it come to a boil and then simmer for about an hour till most of the liquid is absorbed.

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 1 serving (183.5 g)
Amount per Serving
Calories 274
Calories from Fat 174
Total Fat 19.3g
Saturated Fat 3.8g
Cholesterol 69mg
Sodium 534mg
Total Carbohydrates 6.0g
Dietary Fiber 1.8g
Sugars 3.5g
Protein 20.0g

Shrimp and Artichoke Hearts with Gluten Free Pasta

I made this dish the other day while I was cramping for time. It’s quick and easy and it only took me 1 hour from start to finish, including washing the pots. Serve with a side salad, or spinach salad and you have yourself a meal. Enjoy!

Makes 4 servings

1/4 cup olive oil
1 lbs large shrimp
2 tsp chopped garlic
2 cups diced yellow and orange peppers
8 oz Gluten Free Pasta
1/4 tsp hot pepper flakes
2 cups artichoke hearts quartered marinated in olive oil
1 tsp lemon zest
2 tsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Clean, wash and peel the shrimp. (I get the large shrimp that's already peeled and deveined. I only have to remove the tail). Set aside.
In the meantime, bring a pot of water to boil and cook the pasta according to package directions. (You can use regular pasta instead of gluten free or whole-wheat pasta).
Clean and chop the garlic. Set aside. Wash, clean and dice the yellow and orange pepper. Set aside. (You can use red peppers if you like).
In a frying pan, pour the olive oil and sauté the garlic and diced peppers till slightly softened. Make sure that the garlic is not burned. Add the shrimp. Cook till the shrimp is pink. Add salt and pepper.
Drain the pasta and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking. In a large bowl mix together the pasta, the shrimp, the artichoke hearts (without the marinade), the lemon zest, the lemon juice and the pepper flakes (optional - pepper flakes gives it an extra kick; but if you don't like the heat you can omit it altogether). Garnish with chopped parsley and shaved pecorino romano.

Nutrition Facts 
Serving Size 12.48 oz (353.8g)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 472
Calories from Fat 130
Total Fat 14.4g
Saturated Fat 2.4g
Cholesterol 162mg
Sodium 379mg
Total Carbohydrates 57.2g 

Dietary Fiber 10.5g 

Sugars 2.9g
Protein 31.9g

Cabbage rolls in Avgolemono (egg and lemon sauce)

Cabbage rolls in Avgolemono (egg and lemon sauce) is a traditional Greek winter food.  When I was working full time I would make this dish, on weekends – usually on a Sunday - and have left overs the next day.  It’s a dish that I avoided making often because of the time it consumed.  Of course, you are not going to make this dish every week, or you will get tired of it, like any other type of food that you eat often.  There is a less consuming type of cabbage rolls that you can make; and that is without preparing the filling on the stove; but instead mixing all the ingredients together raw.  The only thing you will need to do is boil the cabbage leaves.  I found that type of preparation though, a bit heavy on the stomach.  My mother will always cook the filling on the stove (as per recipe below).  In the past I used to mix it raw, but when I quit work, I decided to make it the way my mother used to make it.  And Dah! No heartburn, no acid reflux, no heaviness on the stomach (this is on individual preference; it does not affect some people like others).  So from then on, I decided, since I love this dish so much, to cook the filling. 

There is also another way of cooking the cabbage rolls, and that is baking them in the oven in tomato sauce.  Instead of cooking them on the stove, you layer the cabbage rolls in an ovenproof pan, in a single layer, pour a 14 oz can of tomato sauce on top, mixed with 1 cup of water, add the ½-cup olive oil, and bake at 350° for about one hour to an hour and a half.   This way is also very delicious.  But for now enjoy this wonderful dish in the Avgolemono sauce. 

Cabbage rolls in Avgolemono (egg and lemon sauce) 

Ingredients (Makes 46 servings)

46 cabbage leaves

To boil the cabbage:

8 quarts of water for 1 large cabbage

2 large cabbages about 3lbs each

For the filling:

1 ½ lbs ground turkey

1 cup rice

½  cup olive oil

1 cup chopped onion

½ cup chopped parsley

¼ cup chopped dill

1 tsp salt or according to taste

½ tsp ground pepper

1 ½ cups water

For cooking:

2 1/2 cups water – enough to cover the cabbage rolls

½ cup olive oil

½ tsp salt

Avgolemono - Egg and lemon sauce:

1 egg

½ cup lemon juice

Directions:

Wash and remove the outer leaves of the cabbage.  Place it in a large pot with water and boil.  As the cabbage leaves soften, remove the leaves by cutting them at the core.  Place them in a colander to strain.  When all the leaves are cooked, leave them in the colander to strain and cool.  Make sure that you don’t over boil the leaves, otherwise when you try to roll them, they will tear.  

In a large frying pan, add the olive oil, and saute the onions and the ground turkey.  Add the rice, salt, parsley, dill, pepper, and water and let it cook for 5-10 minutes or until the water is absorbed.  The rice will not be fully cooked.  Remove from heat and set aside to cool. 

At the bottom of a dutch oven, place the small cabbage leaves, enough to cover the bottom of the pot. 

Take one large cabbage leaf, cut the core, and place a teaspoon of the filling on it.  Roll once covering the filling, then fold the sides and continue to roll till you make a nice oblong shape (see picture below).  Place it in the dutch oven and repeat, till done.  These will make about 2 rows of cabbage rolls – 46 pieces total.  Cover the cabbage rolls with the rest of the small cabbage leaves that you have leftover. 

Place the pot on the stove and pour the ½ cup olive oil, ½ tsp salt and 2 ½ cups water and let it simmer for 1 hour till cooked.  When slightly cooled, prepare the egg and lemon sauce. 

Avgolemono (egg and lemon sauce):

Separate the egg yolk from the egg white.  Place the egg white in a bowl.  Squeeze the juice of 1 lemon, about ½ cup.  Beat the egg white till frothy.  Add the egg yolk and continue beating.  Add the lemon juice while still beating and slowly pour the mixture into the cabbage rolls.  Swish the pan around so that the egg and lemon sauce will distribute evenly.  Serve. 

 Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 1 serving (55.0 g)

Amount Per Serving

Calories 97Calories from Fat 60

Total Fat 6.7g

Saturated Fat 1.2g

Cholesterol 15mg

Sodium 71mg

Total Carbohydrates 4.5g

Dietary Fiber 0.5g

Sugars 0.6g

Protein 4.6g

The raw cabbage

The filling

Layering the bottom of the pan with the small cabbage leaves

Assembling the cabbage rolls

Adding the filling

Rolling the cabbage 

Folding the cabbage

The cabbage roll in the final folding stage

Layering the pot with the cabbage rolls - tightly together

Layering with the remaining cabbage leaves on top

The cooked cabbage rolls with Avgolemono (egg and lemon sauce) 

The finished product.  Delicious!

St. Pady's Green Cake

I made this cake for St. Paddy's party last year.  It is easy to make and quite festive for the occasion.  Enjoy!

Makes 30 servings

Cake:

1 package yellow cake mix

1 package instant vanilla pudding

1 package Instant Pistachio pudding

1 cup water

4 eggs

3/4 cup vegetable oil

2 tsp green food coloring

Icing:

1 package Dream Whip

2 tsp Confectioners’ Sugar

1 tsp green food coloring

1 package Instant Pistachio pudding

3/4 cup skim milk

Directions

In a large bowl combine the yellow cake mix, one package of pistachio instant pudding, one package of vanilla instant pudding, the water the eggs, the vegetable oil and  the 2 tbsp green food coloring. MIx well. Grease a 13x9 cake pan and pour the cake mixture in. Bake at 350 F oven for about 1 hour or till a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Icing:

In a bowl mix together the one envelope of Dream whip, the one package of pistachio instant pudding with 2 tsp of confectioner's sugar and 3/4 cup skim milk. Add the green food coloring. Beat well till soft peaks form.

Assembly:

When the cake is cooled, take it out of the pan and put it on a serving platter. Frost the cake with the icing and sprinkle with the green sugar crystals. Cut into pieces and serve.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 1 serving (54.7 g)

Amount Per Serving

Calories 179

Calories from Fat 78

Total Fat 8.7g

Saturated Fat 2.1g

Trans Fat 0.0g

Cholesterol 22mg

Sodium 260mg

Total Carbohydrates 24.1g

Dietary Fiber 0.2g

Sugars 16.8g

Protein 1.8g

Lady Fingers Custard Pie

I made this dessert the other day and it came out delicious.  I found peach and strawberry pie fillings at the grocery store, which is not common, and I got excited about making this custard pie.  I used Dr. Oetker's vanilla pudding, that you can find at any ethnic food stores.  This is the boiled type pudding, the one you cook over the stove, but you can also use instant pudding and pie filling.  I use Dr. Oetker's, because it doesn't have any soybean lecithin or soybean oil, like the instant kind.  

As for the apricot brandy, is quite optional.  You can substitute for Metaxa brandy, or any other flavored brandy.  I thought the apricot will go nice with the peach topping.  Enjoy!

Makes 24 servings

3 oz Dr. Oetker's vanilla pudding

4 tbsp sugar

4 cups skim milk

17 cookies Lady Fingers

1/4 cup skim milk

1 tsp apricot brandy (optional) 

21 oz peach pie filling

21 oz Strawberry Pie Filling or Topping

In a saucepan pour Dr. Oetker's vanilla pudding and add the 4 tbsp sugar. Stir. Mix with the 4 cups skim milk, and cook over high heat stirring constantly till it begins to thicken. When it starts to thicken, lower the heat to medium and continue cooking, for another minute or so. Remove from heat. It cooks in about 3 minutes total.

In a bowl pour the 1/4 cup skim milk and add the 1 tsp of apricot brandy. Stir to mix. Soak the lady fingers one at a time and layer in a 12x7 baking dish.

Pour the custard over the lady fingers and refrigerate till set.

When set, spread the peach pie filling, and strawberry pie filling, alternately to create stripes. Refrigerate and serve when ready to eat.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 4.311 oz (122.2g)

Amount Per Serving

Calories 178

Calories from Fat 6

Total Fat 0.7g

Saturated Fat 0.0g

Trans Fat 0.0g

Cholesterol 15mg

Sodium 102mg

Total Carbohydrates 39.3g

Dietary Fiber 0.3g

Sugars 22.3g

Protein 2.9g

Enjoy!

Gluten Free Meatloaf with Middle Eastern Spices

My daughter found out that she is allergic to gluten.  Therefore, when I decided to make this meatloaf, I had to use gluten free breadcrumbs.  I used Udi's gluten free whole grain bread that I crushed in the food processor.  You can substitute regular breadcrumbs for this recipe, or any other type gluten free breadcrumbs.  I have tried it both ways and either way comes out delicious.  I served this with Sweet potato mash with paprika and chill powder  (recipe below).  Enjoy!

Makes 8 servings (approximately 4.5 oz each)

1 1/2 lbs ground turkey

2 oz Udi's bread (crushed in a food processor)

3/4 cup chopped parsley

1 cup shredded onion

2 tsp. crushed garlic

1 tsp. paprika

1 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. thyme

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

1/2 tsp. turmeric

1/2 cup olive oil

Peel and wash the onion. Place it in a food processor and pulse until shredded. Set aside. Clean the garlic and crush with a garlic press. Set aside. Wash and chop the parsley. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degree F.

In a blow mix together the ground turkey, the shredded onion, crushed garlic, chopped parsley, the bread crumbs, paprika, cumin, thyme, turmeric, salt and pepper. Mix well. In an ovenproof pan place the meatloaf mixture and pour over the 1/2 cup olive oil. Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350 for 2 hours.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 1 serving (128.2 g)

Amount Per Serving

Calories 343

Calories from Fat 221

Total Fat 24.6g

Saturated Fat 4.7g

Cholesterol 87mg

Sodium 287mg

Total Carbohydrates 5.7g

Dietary Fiber 0.8g

Sugars 1.2g

Protein 24.4g

Sweet potato mash with paprika and chill powder

I made this dish to accompany the Gluten Free Meatloaf with Middle Eastern Spices below.

Makes 6 servings (approximately 7 oz)

2 1/4 lbs sweet potatoes

1/2 cup skim milk

3 tbsp butter

1/2 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground pepper

Peel and wash the sweet potatoes. Cut them in quarters and place them in a pot with water to boil. Or microwave them in a microwave bowl with water. When soft drain the potatoes and mash them with a potato masher. Add the butter, the milk and the spices. Blend well and serve.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 1 serving (198.6 g)

Amount Per Serving

Calories 263

Calories from Fat 58

Total Fat 6.5g

Saturated Fat 4.0g

Cholesterol 17mg

Sodium 261mg

Total Carbohydrates 48.7g

Dietary Fiber 7.2g

Sugars 1.9g

Protein 3.4g

Three Crust-less Broccoli/Cheese quiches

Here are three variations of Broccoli/cheese quiches that I have made in the past
Crust-less Broccoli Fennel Quiche, Crust-less Broccoli Red Pepper Quiche, Crust-less Broccoli and Turkey Bacon Quiche. I usually make crust-less quiches because they are easy; I don’t have to buy the pie dough or make it from scratch and I use items that I have on hand. It’s something that’s quick to put together and by serving it with a side salad you have yourself a meal, either for lunch or for a light dinner.

The first quiche published is the Broccoli Fennel quiche. Fennel has a distinct taste, more like anise or licorice but it’s not as strong. Some fresh produce or super markets will also name fennel anise. Fennel is used widely in Mediterranean cuisine. The stalk of the fennel plant is white and the leaves resemble fresh dill. In Greek fennel is called “Marathon” and it grows wildly in Marathon the place where the battle of Marathon took place (300 Spartans).

Enjoy all these three variations of crust-less quiches for either lunch or dinner.

Crust-less Broccoli and Turkey Bacon Quiche

Makes 16 servings

7.7 oz smoked turkey bacon chopped (approx. 1 cup)

2 red onions chopped (about 1.5 cups)

¼ cup olive oil

1 red pepper sliced (about 1 cup)

3 cups fresh broccoli chopped

2 tbs chopped parsley

¼ tsp freshly ground pepper

2 cups low moisture park skim milk mozzarella (16 oz)

1 cup egg beaters

+ (plus) 4 eggs

1.5 cups skim milk

Chop the turkey bacon and sauté in a frying pan. Remove from pan when browned and add the 1/4 cup olive oil. In the oil, add the chopped red onion, the diced red pepper and the broccoli flowerets. Sauté until the pepper is slightly softened, and the broccoli turns bright green color. Remove from the heat.

In another bowl, combine the shredded mozzarella cheese, the milk, the eggbeaters and the eggs. Add the broccoli/turkey mixture to the cheese/milk mixture. Stir together and pour into two 9" plates evenly. Bake at 350 degree F oven for 45-50 minutes or until the toothpick inserted comes out clean. Remove from the oven and serve.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 4.536 oz (128.6g)

Amount Per Serving

Calories 193

Calories from Fat 128

Total Fat 14.2g

Saturated Fat 6.3g

Cholesterol 75mg

Sodium 436mg

Total Carbohydrates4.5g

Dietary Fiber 0.8g

Sugars 2.3g

Protein6.5g