Greek Pasta Salad

Since I've started getting Bountiful Baskets again, I'm reminded of how fun it is to cook with fresh foods you might otherwise not buy. Getting a huge cucumber inspired me to make something Greek, and this pasta salad fit the bill! It is such a delicious, light lunch that gives me hope summer is coming!

Greek Pasta Salad

serves 2-3 as a main dish, 4-5 as a side

For pasta:

4 oz uncooked pasta (I used orzo)

1 tsp olive oil

1/4 cup diced bell pepper

1/4 cup diced red onions

2 Tbsp capers (or kalamata olives)

For Vinaigrette:

1 1/2 Tbsp red wine vinegar

1 tsp minced garlic

1/4 tsp oregano

1/8 tsp salt

1/8 tsp black pepper

1 oz feta cheese

1 Tbsp olive oil

Before serving:

1/2 cup fresh diced roma tomatoes (or halved grape tomatoes)

1/2 cup diced cucumber

4 tsp parsley

Cook pasta according to package directions and drain well. While still warm, transfer to a large bowl and stir in teaspoon of olive oil, peppers, onions, and capers. 

In another small bowl, combine red wine vinegar, garlic, oregano, salt, pepper, and feta cheese. With a fork, mash the feta until it creams a big, leaving some small bits intact. Whisk in the olive oil. Stir the vinaigrette into the pasta mixture and refrigerate, covered, for about an hour.

Before serving, stir in the tomatoes, cucumber, and parsley. Serve chilled and enjoy!

Greek Lentil Salad

I have never tried cooking lentils myself - they have been another one of those seemingly scary ingredients to me. But since they are so dang good for you, and this recipe looked so dang delicious to me, I took a leap of faith. And it all worked out. Thankfully. 

Greek Lentil Salad

modified from here

1 cup lentils

1/4 cup chopped onion

juice and zest of 1/2 lemon

2 cloves minced garlic

1/2 cup diced tomatoes

1/4 cup crumbled feta

2 Tbsp capers

¼ cup diced cucumbers

¼ cup red bell peppers

1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (divided)

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Before washing lentils you should spread them out on a light colored plate or cooking surface to check for and remove small stones or debris. After this process, place the lentils in a strainer, and rinse them thoroughly under cool running water. Place in a large bowl and soak for 1-2 hours to reduce cooking time.

To boil lentils, use three cups of liquid for each cup of lentils. Lentils placed in already boiling water will be easier to digest than those that were brought to a boil with the water. When the water returns to a boil, turn down the heat to simmer and cover, approximately 20 minutes. Drain and set aside.

In the meantime, heat 1/2 Tablespoon olive oil in a skillet.  Add onions and garlic and cook until fragrant and tender. Stir in cooked lentils and lemon zest and remove from heat.

Add the tomatoes, feta, bell peppers, and capers. Stir until well combined.

Next, add the lemon juice and remaining olive oil. Salt and pepper to taste. Chill for at least an hour, add cucumbers and serve.

Makes 3-4 servings.

Steak Gyro with Tzatziki Sauce

My favorite meal (among a slue of delicious choices) over my recent trip to Europe was a pork gyro in Corfu, Greece. Everything about it was perfection - no joke. I will never forget that gyro.

Interesting sidenote: the Grecians put potato wedges/fries right into the gyros. Genius.

I don't know that my version was quite as good as my Corfu experience, but it was pretty tasty (and probably MUCH healthier). Not too hard, either, especially if you have pre-cooked meat.

I found these pitas at Dan's one day and they looked so soft and inviting I had to buy a package. Talk about impulse shopping - there are times I can resist a pair of cute shoes, but rarely can I resist big, soft pitas (and don't get me started on naan). 

I also cheated and used some Tyson steak strips rather than marinating and cooking my own. Traditionally gyros are made with a slow-cooked lamb, but I'm not a fan, so I went with beef (and interestingly enough, I didn't once see a lamb gyro on a Greek menu - pork seemed to be pretty popular). 

Steak Gyro with Tzatziki Sauce

2 whole-wheat pitas

6 oz cooked steak strips

1/2 small onion, sliced

1 large tomato, sliced

1/2 cup Tzatziki sauce (recipe below)

Heat your oven to about 200 degrees. Place pita bread inside to get warm and slightly toasted while you prep everything else. (you could skip this and just microwave it for a bit). Place meat in a skillet over medium heat until heated through. Remove pita from oven and fill with steak strips, desired amount of onion and tomato slices, and 1/4 cup of Tzatziki. Enjoy!

Makes 2 gyros.

Tzatziki Sauce

modified from here

6 oz fat free Greek yogurt

2/3 cup grated and drained cucumber

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 tsp lemon juice

1/2 tsp dried dill

1/2 tsp dried parsley

Salt and pepper

Strain the yogurt using a metal strainer or cheesecloth for a few hours to remove as much liquid as possible. Set aside.

Scoop seeds out of the cucumber with a small spoon. Place cucumber in a mini food processor or grate with a box cheese grater. Drain the liquid from the cucumber in a metal strainer and sprinkle with a little salt (this helps release the liquid). You may want to use the back of a spoon to help squeeze out any excess liquid.

Combine strained cucumber, garlic, yogurt, salt, pepper, lemon juice, dill, parsley and refrigerate for a few hours before serving.

Makes about 1 cup, or 4 servings. Store in refrigerator for about a week.