Scroll down for the following recipes -

1. Souvlaki Chicken & Eggplant Casserole
2. Easy Rice Pilaf
3. Easy Spaghetti #1
4. Easier Spaghetti #2
5. My Greek Salad #1
6. My Greek Salad #2
7. Mashed Potatoes & Vegetables
8. Strawberry Shortcake
9. Individual Apple Tarts
10. Fast Red Beans & Rice
11. Granola bars
12. Easy Peach Cobbler
13. Halibut Adagio
14. Potato Adagio
15. Holiday Cranberry Salad
     

• Souvlaki Chicken & Eggplant Casserole

Note: We used a marinated Souvlaki chicken sold at a favorite middle eastern

market.  They are boneless, skinless chicken thighs that are marinated with a lot of garlic, oil, lemon juice and oregano. 

 

1 eggplant about 1-1/2 Lbs sliced 1/2” thick and (salted if time) saute in olive oil

1-1/2 Lbs Chicken Souvlaki ( this is marinated by them and is boneless skinless thighs)

2 medium tomatoes peeled and coarsely chopped

4 small potato’s peeled and sliced

1 large onion cut in half and sliced thinly

4 cloves of garlic chopped

a sprinkle of Tony Chachere’s Cajun Seasoning on the potato’s

 

Using our Pyrex Casserole dish and oven at 350 degrees

 

First sauté the eggplant and set aside

Saute onions and garlic in the same pan till soft

Spread half the onions in the bottom of the casserole

Layer the potato’s on the onions and sprinkle with Tony’s

Layer the eggplant on the potato’s

Spread the chopped tomato’s on top of the eggplant

Place the chicken on top and spread the rest of the onions on the chicken

 

Bake in 350 degree oven uncovered for 1 hour or until chicken and onion topping is browned

 

I created this and we served it with a fresh Tomato Basil Salad and crusty bread.

• Easy Rice Pilaf

Serves 4

1 cup rice (Basmati rice)
2 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup onion, diced
1 or 2 chopped gloves garlic
2 teas. ground cinnamon
2 tbl butter or olive oil
1/4 cup of pignoli nuts
1/4 cup of golden raisins

Saute onions, garlic in oil, add dry rice, and cook together for few minutes, add broth, bring to boil, add cinnamon. Add nuts & raisins. Put lid, turn to low heat for about 20 minutes.

• Easy Spaghetti #1

Serves 2

1/2 lb spaghetti
1 cup fresh tomatoes diced
(substitute 1 cup marinara sauce or 1 cup tomato sauce)
1/2 medium head cauliflower
3 large cloves garlic
4 springs fresh basil or 1 teaspoon dried basil
6 medium fresh mushrooms diced
(if you like it spiced, use cayenne pepper to taste or dried red pepper)
parmesan cheese
1/8 cup olive oil

Boil  water for pasta.  Add 2 tsp salt to the water and add pasta.

Dice garlic, cut cauliflower in florets, and slice the mushrooms.  Put the olive oil in a 9" or 10" skillet.  Medium heat   and add cauliflower, mushrooms, and garlic to the skillet.  Sauté for a few minutes. Add 1/4 cup water or broth and cover for 7 minutes.  Remove lid and cook off some of the liquid.  Add tomatoes or tomato sauce, basil,  and stir.  Leave on medium heat for 5 to 10 minutes longer.  Serve over spaghetti topped with grated parmesan cheese.

 

• Easier Spaghetti #2

Serves 2

1/2 lb angel hair or spaghettini (cooked & drained)
3 large cloves garlic
5 sun dried tomatoes in oil
5 sprigs fresh basil
5 sprigs fresh parsley
olive oil
grated parmesan cheese

Heat 1/8 cup olive oil over med heat, add garlic cut in large dice.  Sauté a minute.  Add spaghetti, turn heat low.  Add dried tomatoes cut into pieces with scissors, add herbs, also cut small. Cook enough to heat and serve with cheese.
(serve with a salad - recipe below)

• My Greek Salad #1

Serves 4

Romaine lettuce - 1/2 med head
1 large fresh tomato
1/2 English cucumber
1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled
8 to 10 Greek Kalamata olives
1/2 fresh sweet red pepper, large dice
1/4 large sweet onion, large dice or thin sliced
1/2 teasp dried oregano
1/8  of a fresh lemon, squeezed, remove seeds (do not use bottled lemon juice)
1/8 to 1/4 cup olive oil

Combine,  and  dress with lemon juice and  olive oil just before serving
(I like to serve avocado slices on the side)

• My Greek Salad #2

Serves 4

2 fresh tomatoes, quartered
1/2 English cucumber, cut large dice
1/4 cut feta cheese, large crumble
1/2 fresh sweet red pepper, large dice
1/2 fresh sweet green pepper, large dice
1/4 large sweet onion, sliced into 1/4" crescents
8 to 10 Greek Kalamata olives
1/2 teasp dried oregano
1/8  of a fresh lemon, squeezed, remove seeds (do not use bottled lemon juice)
1/8 to 1/4 cup olive oil
Combine,  and  dress with lemon juice and  olive oil just before serving
 

• Mashed Potatoes with Vegetables
   

Serves 2 or 4

1 lb fresh spinach (if frozen is used, thaw first in microwave,  and add to drained, cooked veges before mashing)
2 to 3 med potatoes (about 3/4 lb to 1 lb)
3 to 4 med carrots (about 1/2 lb)
Clean spinach well.  Drain.
Cut carrots and potatoes into pieces and cook in boiling salted water until almost tender.  Add uncooked spinach, which has been coarsely chopped, stems removed to boiling water.  Cover and cook until tender.  Drain, mash, add salt & pepper, nutmeg, butter.

• Strawberry Shortcake

Serves 6

1 tbsp sugar
1 cup all purpose flour
1 ½ tbsp baking powder
¼ cup butter
½ cup milk
¼ tsp vanilla
Combine all dry ingredients
Cut small pieces of cold butter into dry ingredients with two knives
Add liquid:
½ cup milk with vanilla
Combine and spoon slightly sticky dough onto a cookie sheet in 6 equal portions.

Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes. Cool slightly, slice in half horizontally, spoon sugared berries with juice onto bottom half, spoon additional berries on lid, and top with whipped cream.

• Individual Apple Tart

(Prepared pie crust)
4 apples (whatever kind you have on hand.  Use 2 apples if they are large)
5 teaspoons sugar
4 tablespoons maple syrup
4 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup granola
1 cup walnut pieces
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Make or buy uncooked piecrust to fill 4 individual tart pans
Core & peel apples, cutting them into small pieces.
Place apples in a bowl and mix with 1 teaspoon sugar & lemon juice
Mix granola, walnuts, & 4 teaspoons sugar
Place equal amounts of apple onto piecrust in individual tart pans
Distribute  1/2 tablespoon butter on each
Distribute granola & walnuts on top
Distribute 1/2 tablespoon butter on each again
Poor 1 tablespoon maple syrup on each tart
Cook at 350 degrees F until browned (about 45 minutes)

• Fast Red Beans and Rice

We make this dish when we have a supply of canned  Blue Runner Creole red beans.   They can be found in all supermarkets in southern Louisiana, and at some markets in  Southern Mississippi. 

Serves 2

1 - 16 oz can "Blue Runner" Creole style red beans
add enough water to reduce the thickness, about 1/2 cup
add 1/2 lb. or less of your favorite smoked sausage or Andouille cut in pieces
let simmer for 5 minutes being careful not to scorch, add water if it thickens too much

Serve over your favorite steamed  rice, or eat with a slice of French bread

• Granola bars

4 ½ cups old-fashioned rolled oats (not instant)
½ cup whole-wheat flour
½ cup unbleached all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
2/3 cup butter, softened, cut into chunks
¾ cup honey
1 cup raisins or dried cranberries, blueberries or apples
½ cup sunflower seeds or other nuts

(24 servings)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a 9” X 13“ baking pan with heavy duty foil, leave 3” of extra foil extending out from the long ends of the pan. Spray generously with non-stick cooking spray.

Place all ingredients except fruit and nuts in the large mixing bowl of a heavy-duty electric mixer. Mix well with mixer on medium-low speed until all ingredients are incorporated.

Stir in nuts and fruit with a wooden spoon until they are evenly distributed through the oatmeal dough. Scoop out dough and press evenly into prepared baking pan.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown. Cool in pans for 10 minutes. Lift out of the pan with the heavy duty foil.

Cut into 24 bars and cool 10 more minutes before removing cut bars from foil. Store in an airtight container or wrap individual bars in plastic wrap.

Per serving: 197 calories, 4g protein, 8g fat , 30g carbohydrates, 136mg sodium, 14mg cholesterol, 2g dietary fiber.

• Easy Peach Cobbler

4 tablespoons butter
10-20 ounces of sliced peaches
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup milk

Place butter in baking dish and melt in oven. Heat peaches, 1/2 cup sugar, and 1/2 cup water in saucepan until the sugar is dissolved. Bring to a boil. Mix flour, baking powder, salt, 1/2 cup sugar, and milk together in mixing bowl and stir until smooth. Remove baking dish from oven when the margarine has melted. Add flour mixture, then peach mixture. Bake 20 to 30 minutes at 375º. Crust will rise to the top and brown.

• Halibut Adagio

1 lb filet of Halibut (cut into 3 portions)
6 oz scallops
8 oz shrimp
4 clove garlic chopped
1 thick slice bread to make fresh breadcrumbs (not too fine - about 1 to 2 cups)
butter about 1/2 to 1 stick
salt & pepper

Season the fish on both sides and set aside 

Sauté about ¾ of the garlic in 1-2 tbsp of butter until slightly golden (don’t burn) add the breadcrumbs and continue frying and stirring to absorb the butter and toast a bit. Remove from pan and set aside.

Melt another tbsp of butter in the same pan and place the scallops in the pan on high,  season lightly and sauté till browned then turn and brown other side. Add the shrimp, sauté with the remainder of the garlic,  and toss together. Add the garlic breadcrumb mixture. Stir to mix all ingredients and remove from pan.  

Add a tbsp of butter to the same pan and sauté the halibut turning carefully.

Place a portion of haddock on the plate and cover with the scallop and shrimp mixture

• Potato Adagio

2 potatoes sliced thin
½ large onion sliced thin
3-4 cloves of garlic chopped
¼ red bell pepper cut in small pieces
3-4 oz cheese ( brie or camembert )
butter and olive oil 

Saute the onions and garlic in butter and olive oil until soft.  Season with a bit of your favorite spice mix. Remove from pan and set aside. 

Sauté the potatoes in a little butter and olive oil very lightly just to coat 

Line the bottom of a pie dish with a layer of potatoes.  Cover thinly with the ½ the onion mixture and dispose ½ the cheese.  Add a layer of potatoes and top with the rest of the onions and cheese.  Top with a layer of potatoes.  Dot with butter and bake at 350 until browned nicely.

• Holiday Cranberry Salad

1 can whole cranberry sauce
1 can mandarin oranges
lemon zest
1/2 cup pecan pieces (you can use more if you prefer

Drain oranges and discard the juice.  Cut the lemon zest very small.  Combine all ingredients and place in the refrigerator for an hour or longer to chill.

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