Green Couscous

I feel a little crazy, but I seriously can't get enough of spring. The husband is surely annoyed with me going on and and on, and I literally have been stopping to smell the lilacs every time I pass. The leafy trees just get me in the mood for green on the plate. Each verdant plate forgiving a buttery bowl of winter.

With this craving, I went for green on green on green on green. How much springy life can you get in one dish? This couscous goes for it with gusto.

If you're a vegetable lover, you simply must check out Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi. Not only is it one of the most beautiful cookbooks I've ever seen, but the vegetable recipes will ignite your creativity and palette. It's been one of my go-to books with the return of fresh veggies and inspired this recipe. 

For this recipe, you'll make a quick herb paste in the food processor that will flavor the entire dish and provide a gorgeous green base color. 

Then simply toss the paste with pesto and lots of other green goodies, like arugula, jalapenos and pistachios. I love making salads like this on the weekends and then packing them for lunch throughout the week. If you're looking for something more substantial, serve this with fresh-grilled white fish.

This fresh bite will get you in the mood for picnics and the smell of fresh cut grass. Enjoy it on the patio if you can, or at very least, dream about cool morning dew on bare feet. 

Green Couscous

1 1/2 cups whole wheat couscous

1 cup boiling water

1 small onion, thinly sliced

6 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon cumin

1 cup basil

1 1/2 cups cilantro

1/2 cup tarragon

1/2 cup pistachios, shelled and roughly chopped

3 green onions, thinly sliced

1 jalapeno, thinly sliced

1 1/2 cups arugula, chopped

1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbed

Place couscous in a large bowl and stir in boiling water. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside for at least 15 minutes. 

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a pan over medium heat and add onion. Cook until lightly browned and soft, add salt and cumin in the last minute of cooking. Allow onions to cool. 

Combine basil, cilantro, tarragon and remaining olive oil in a food processor and buzz until full incorporated. 

Toss couscous with herb paste and cooked onion. Stir in pistachios, green onions, jalapeno, arugula and feta cheese. Enjoy!

Inspired by Yotam Ottolenghi. 

Kale and White Bean Tacos

I didn't go back to school, but somehow the time after Labor Day always feels like you're getting back into the swing of a regular routine. I still feel like I should be reading the Scarlet Letter and studying for calculus. But in my actual life, the pace of work has quickened and the sore reality that summer fun is behind me has set in. With the return of routine, comes more regular weeknight meals. 

I whipped up these kale and white bean tacos the other night as a quick and HEALTHY dinner. And for 15 minutes, they delivered some serious BANG! Great as lunch leftovers too. 

The ingredients are pretty straightforward -- kale, cannellini beans, onion, garlic, tomatoes and jalapenos. All to be stuffed in a corn tortilla and topped with feta and cilantro. All kinds of good stuff.

Quick tip -- When warming tortillas in a microwave, cover with  damp paper towel to keep them from drying out.

Kale is sauteed with onions, garlic and beans to create a delicious filling.

Damn... this makes Wednesdays look good. Now back to that homework. Enjoy!

Kale and White Bean Tacos

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 yellow onion, thinly sliced

4 cloves garlic, minced

4 cups kale, washed and torn

1 can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

1/4 cup water

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

6 corn tortillas

3 jalapenos, sliced

1/2 cup feta crumbles

3-4 tomatoes, chopped

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

1 lime, sliced

Heat olive oil in large pan over medium heat. Add onion slices and saute until softened and slightly browned, about 8-9 minutes. Add garlic and cook for about 30 seconds before adding kale and beans. Saute for about 3-4 minutes before adding salt, pepper and water. Cover immediately and allow to cook for another 2-3 minutes, until kale is wilted.

Warm tortillas under a damp paper towel in the microwave. Stuff each tortilla with a healthy pile of kale and beans. Top with sliced jalapenos, tomatoes, feta and cilantro. Finish with a squeeze of lime juice and enjoy!

Simple Secrets: Watermelon Feta Bites

Sometimes you need an easy party dish. And sometimes you want to look fancy. These don't have to be mutually exclusive. Here's an idea.... skewer cubes of watermelon and feta, garnish with a mint leaf.

Boom. Fancytown.

Sweet, juicy watermelon pairs beautifully with dry, salty feta; with mint perfectly punctuating the flavors.

Such jazzy little soldiers all in a row.

Whipped Feta with Roasted Red Peppers

This girls loves a cheese plate. Like, eat-the-whole-thing-without-realizing-and-then-be-too-full-for-dinner, loves a cheese plate. Something about sitting around with a glass of wine and good conversation before a meal is oh so pleasing. In college, when we were too poor for anything but the hot dogs sold until the EL train (true story), my roommate and I used to go out to my Aunt and Uncle's house and spend hours devouring their expertly selected cheese and antipasti. Heaven for food-loving 19-year-olds.

But here's the thing about cheese plate... everyone always seems to do the same thing. Yes, I love a triple-cream brie or a smoked gouda, but some times you gotta mix it up! This whipped feta is the perfect remedy for cheese plate boredom. The roasted red peppers bring some flair and the cheese....so damn easy. 

The ingredients are straightforward and easy to find. Crumbled feta, whipped cream cheese, lemon juice, red pepper and of course, olive oil, salt and pepper. 

Food processors are pretty much man's greatest invention. Or at least the greatest invention for time-crunched and/or lazy cooks like myself. Yeah cars and life-saving medical devices are pretty swank, but come on, easy chopping and mixing up in here!

I mean, it 30 seconds it turns simple ingredients into this amazing, creamy goodness.

So the red peppers are easy too... you basically just burn the shit out of them. Seriously. Char their skin until it peels off. Boom.

Serve on a pretty board with cracker of your liking or freshly slice baguette. A spread of cheese and bite of pepper on top. Break the chains of cheese plate monotony. Onward food soldiers!

Whipped Feta with Roasted Red Pepper
2 red peppers
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup crumbled feta
1/4 cup whipped cream cheese, at room temperature
1/3 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper

Heat oven broiler to high. Coat red peppers with 1 tablespoon olive oil and place on a cookie sheet. Place directly under broiler and turn every few minutes, until all sides are charred and black. Times will vary by oven. Once cooked, remove peppers from cookie sheet and immediately place in a plastic freezer bag and seal. Allow peppers to cool in bag before peeling away blackened skins. Slice peppers, discarding seeds and stems.

In a food processor, combine feta and cream cheese. Slowly stream in olive oil until mixture is smooth and creamy. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with crackers or sliced baguette. Cheese and peppers can easily be prepared ahead of time and refrigerated separately. Enjoy!

Spinach Avocado Grilled Cheese

You know what's better than tomato soup? Tomato soup and grilled cheese. It's a classic for a reason people. But why do we always seem to insist on using individually wrapped slices of cheese product? Back away. There is an entire world out there of grilled cheese goodness and just think of the possibilities when you add the wondrous avocado!

From the moment I saw this idea floating around on Pinterest I beat up on myself for making grilled cheese for the past 28 years without avocado. The luxuriant texture of an avocado is born to pair with melty cheese. But depth of cheese was needed here... silky provolone and feta with bite. But one more component made the cheese say "you complete me" -- a toothsome bite of fresh spinach. Ugh... I die.

Spinach Avocado Grilled Cheese

8 slices good quality sandwich bread

1 avocado, sliced

4 slices provolone cheese

1 cup feta cheese, crumbled

2 cups baby spinach

Butter

Spread a thin layer of butter on one side of each slice of bread. With butter side down, layer provolone, avocado, spinach and feta onto bread. Top with another slice; butter sides out. 

Grill sandwich over low heat until both sides are slightly browned and cheese is melted. 

Spano-Articho-Kopitas

Sometimes you just feel like taking your time in the kitchen. As an infrequent baker, I rarely work with complex doughs or multistep preparations. A few Sundays back the Husband was away and I literally had NO plans. No laundry, no work, the blog was even broken. So naturally I busted out some phyllo dough and NPR (do Republicans ever say that?). The dog took up interest and even hung out under the table.

I'm a spinach freak, so have always loved a good 'ole Greek spanokopita. I decided to put a little twist on tradition by adding artichokes. Frozen artichokes are great for spontaneous times like this.

It all starts with familiar friends. Unassuming freezer ingredients prepare to take centerstage.

You must squeeze the spinach of liquid. Repeat... MUST... even if your hand looks like a weird deformed claw.

Eggs bind everything together.

Since phyllo dough can dry out quickly and be a general high-maintenance bitch, get everything ready to go. And yeah... I just called dough a bitch. A damp paper towel protects the wimpy phyllo from the harsh conditions of my kitchen.

Butter calms the whole situation and generally makes life easier to deal with.

The flag folding skills you learned at sleep-away camp will come in handy.

Bake until golden.

And dig in for god's sake...that was a lot of work!

Spano-Articho-Kopitas
Makes about 20 pastries

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
4 scallions, chopped
20oz frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed to remove extra liquid
8-10 frozen artichokes, thawed and chopped
4 eggs, beaten
Bread crumbs
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
1 teaspoon ground allspice
2 cups crumbled feta
3 tablespoons almonds, toasted and chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1 package frozen phyllo dough, thawed (mine came with two rolls of 24 sheets)
1 stick butter, melted

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Heat olive oil and add chopped yellow onion. When onion becomes translucent, add artichokes and scallions and saute for another 2-3 minutes.

In a BIG bowl, combine spinach, eggs, 3 tablespoons bread crumbs, parmesan, allspice, salt and pepper. It is imperative that the spinach be firmly squeezed to remove the liquid BEFORE you combine with other ingredients. Add artichoke and onion mixture and gently fold in feta and almonds.

Gather all of the ingredients to assemble the pastries, since you will need to move quickly. Phyllo can dry out easily, so place sheets on a cookie sheet and cover with a damp paper towel.

Lay first sheet of phyllo dough and brush with butter and lightly sprinkle with bread crumbs (just enough to keep the dough from sticking). Continue to layer, applying the butter and crumbs each time, until you have four sheets of dough placed. Slice lengthwise. Place one heaping tablespoon at the end of the dough and starting with the corner fold into a triangle, continue folding like you would a flag. Place completed pastry seam side down and brush lightly with butter. Sprinkle a bit of salt.

Once all pastries are complete, bake for 30-35 minutes, or until lightly browned.

For leftovers, freeze unbaked and sealed in a zip top bag. Thaw before following baking instructions above.

Tomato Watermelon Salad with Feta and Barley

Do you ever leave a restaurant immediately craving what you just ate? Nevermind the full feeling... you just want MORE of that delicious plate. You loved it so much you licked the plate...longingly and with passionate groans...in public.

Been there. Did it last week at the Publican. I seriously lost my foodie shit over their octopus with barley, peas, pecorino and watermelon. Perfectly tender squid, nutty pecorino, crisp watermelon and chewy barley. And seriously, who knew? Watermelon and barley? A textural match made in heaven.

I was on a mission for more. Had to have it. Couldn't live without it. And sadly can't afford to eat at the Publican all the days of my life. Tomato Watermelon Salad with Feta and Barley came to be.

Okay... I know what you're thinking. Watermelon and barley together? In all honesty, I probably never would have put it together, but the restaurant dish inspired me. And what a great way to incorporate a hearty whole grain in a summer-y dish. Makes this option fresh and filling.

Cut your watermelon in lovely cubes and eat at least one slice of melon in the process. It would be unnatural not to.

I chose heirloom cherry tomatoes for their gorgeous color, but any tomato would work here. Green guys would be an elegant addition.

Toasted almond finish things with a crunch and feta provides tang.

I seriously can't put this stuff down. Dinner last night? Yup. Leftovers for lunch? Uh huh. Dinner again? Dunzo.

Tomato Watermelon Salad with Feta and Barley
6-8 cups seedless watermelon, chopped in 1-in cubes
1lb tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 cup pearl barley, rinsed
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons chopped basil
1 teaspoon salt

Bring 2 1/2 cups water to a boil and add rinsed barley. Simmer for 45 minutes and cool. Combine watermelon and tomatoes; sprinkle with salt and let stand for 10 minutes. Add almonds, feta, barley, olive oil, vinegar and basil. Toss to combine.

Spinach Feta Turkey Burgers

Turkey burgers get a bad wrap. So often they are the obligatory, flavorless "light" option on a menu filled with a delicious beefy stuff. The boring flat-chested younger sister of juicy, voluptuous beef burger. 

Well considering I just got back from a straight week of eating on vacation, I did not need to add anything more "voluptuous" to my diet. I was still craving a griller so turned to my favorite lean poultry and pumped it up with some veggies. 

As always, frozen spinach was found in the freezer. This is such an easy thing to keep around and adds nutrition to just about any meal. 

Spinach, egg, green onion and feta add much needed body and flavor to this burger. The feta and egg also help to bind the turkey together.

Get dirty in there (with clean hands of course), but don't overmix. Just enough to combine.

Form into less-than-perfect patties and assure yourself people will still love you.

Grilled to perfection by the Husband.

Serve with kalamata olive spread.

Spinach Feta Turkey Burgers

Makes 8-9 burgers

2lbs ground turkey

2 cups frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed of liquid
1/2 cup crumbled feta

4 green onions, chopped

1 egg, beaten

S&P

Whole wheat buns

Combine turkey, spinach, onion, egg and S&P. Mix lightly by hand, taking care not to overmix. Form into 1-inch thick patties. Grill over medium direct heat for 10-12 minutes.

Serve over whole wheat buns with kalamata olive spread. Also excellent with grilled red peppers.