July 12th, 2014
I love Greek food!! And, this week-end is the 25th Annual Ocean City Greek Festival, sponsored by St. George Greek Orthodox Church. The festival will have entertainment, authentic Greek food, and unique vendors.
It will take place at the Roland E. Powell Convention Center at 41st Street and Coastal Highway in Ocean City. Saturday: Noon until 11 p.m. Sunday: Noon until 9 p.m. Parking is free, air-conditioned hall is handicap accessible. Credit cards are accepted at the festival and there is also ATM availability.
Admission: Noon to 4 p.m. daily is free for locals and children under 14 years of age. Others $2/person. Late admission after 4 p.m. is $3/person and children under 14 are free.
You can check the festival’s Facebook Page by visiting http://www.facebook.com/greekfestivaloceancity.
For more info. on the festival and the links to the menu and entertainment, please visit http://www.stgeorgebythesea.org/greek-festival.
 Keftethakla The Festival will hold 3 raffles. You do not need to be present to win:
“Best Odds in Town Raffle” – $100 per chance with a 1:100 chance to win $5,000, enough for your own Green Island vacation!
Or, take a $10 chance on a 50cc Roketa Motor Scooter provided by Fun Cycles.
O, take 6 chances for $5 to Win a Grand!
 Spanakopita Authentic Greek cuisine dine in or carry out….Greek Moussaka, Keftethakla, Spanakopita, Papoutsakia to name a few. Check the link above mentioned for a full menu.
Recipes:
Papoutsakia or Little Shoes – You can find this recipe by clicking on July, 2011 of AboutMyBeaches and then scrolling to the 17th.
Another recipe that you can find on AboutMyBeaches is Greek Moussaka. Just click on the month of January 2012 on the left-hand side of the website and scroll down to the 29th.
It is a beautiful day at the beaches….Have a good one!!
May 21st, 2014
“The table is a meeting place, a gathering ground, the source of sustenance and nourishment, festivity, safety, and satisfaction.” laurie colwin
So, can you believe it? The beginning of summer 2014. The crowds making the summer pilgrimage to the Delaware Beaches. It is a destination. You know you are going to have guests….that’s what happens when you live at the beach. You might as well get ready. Easy summer recipes are the best. Making them ahead of time, let them sit in the refrigerator…that’s even better.
This recipe came from a friend by the name of Mary Jo. It is one of those recipes that you can make it your own immediately. I have changed it through the years. At times I add a little bit of this or a little bit of that. It looks pretty. I love it because it is so refreshing and healthy. And for those who have to eat gluten free, then you will be so happy with it. Here it goes.
CHILI BEAN SALAD
1 15 ounce can kidney beans
1 15 ounce can pinto beans
1 15 ounce can garbanzo beans
1 15 ounce can whole-kernel corn (low sodium)
1 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 4-ounce cans chopped green chilies
Note: You can replace the beans with your favorite ones. I love black beans so at times I replace one of the beans and also replace parsley with cilantro. I am telling you….pretty easy.
Dressing: 4 tablespoons olive or canola oil
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1 garlic clove, minced
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons leaf oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
Drain and rinse the beans and corn.
Put all dressing ingredients in a jar; shake well to mix.
Combine all ingredients except dressing in a large serving bowl. Pour dressing over salad, mix well.
Cover and chill 6 hours or overnight, stirring frequently. How easy is that?
Note: It can easily be doubled.
April 28th, 2014
This recipe is from the book called The End of Diabetes by Joel Fuhrman, MD. A very interesting book…I have it on my Kindle. Dr. Fuhrman says “When you eat a diet rich in healthy, natural foods from the earth, you give your body the nutrients it needs to heal and protect itself”.
It has started to rain. This soup is tasty, filling and vegetarian. The only thing I changed was that instead of water I used No Salt Vegetable Broth. It gave it even more flavor.
It is up to you if you wish to use organic vegetables.
GOLDEN AUSTRIAN CAULIFLOWER CREAM SOUP
1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
3 carots, coarsely chopped (I bought the shredded carrots.)
1 cup coarsely chopped celery
2 leeks, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons of your favorite no-salt seasoning blend
1 teaspoon Mrs. Dash spice blend
2 cups carrot juice, fresh or bottled
4 cups of No Salt Vegetable Broth
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup raw cashews
5 cups chopped baby spinach
Place cauliflower, carrots, celery, leeks, 2 tablespoons seasoning blend, Mrs. Dash, carrot juice, No Salt Vegetable Broth, garlic, and nutmeg in a large soup pot. Cover, and simmer until cauliflower is soft; about 15 minutes.
Transfer 2/3 of the soup, (vegetables and stock) to a blender or food processor, add cashews, and blend until smooth and creamy. You might have to do this in batches.
Return blended mixture to the soup pot, stir in spinach, and simmer until spinach is wilted.
Serve and garnish with a few cashews.
Note: The cashews add thickening power, protein and fat to this delicious soup.
January 20th, 2014
You can tell there is snow in the forecast….the grocery stores were having a white sale: bread, eggs, milk
Following some of the restaurants that are offering meatless Monday dishes, I decided to try a recipe given to me by my friend, Kathy. I have had the recipe for some time. But tonight was the night.
Like any of the recipes that I prepare, I usually add a little bit of this and a little bit of that. To this particular recipe, I changed a few things, and it was still very good.
The original recipe was vegetarian and gluten free. Usually, I would prepare it that way, using short or long grain brown rice, but I do have 50 pounds of pearl barley so I used the barley instead of the rice, and therefore, the recipe as I prepared it was not gluten free. All you have to do is to use the rice instead. Here it goes….I hope you love it just as much as I did.
PEARL BARLEY (OR, SHORT/LONG GRAIN BROWN RICE) AND WALNUT LOAF
1 1/4 short or long grain brown rice (I used pearl barley.)
1/4 cups walnuts, roasted and chopped (I bought the ones already chopped and roasted them.)
2 tablespoons sunflower seeds, lightly roasted
1/4 cup minced onion
1/4 cup minced celery
6 eggs, beaten
1 tablespoon Dijon style mustard (Plenty of gluten free ones on the market, like Emeril’s.)
1 teaspoon salt is optional (I did not use it since there is cheese in the recipe.)
1/2 teaspoon of ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon rubbed sage
1 cup grated cheddar cheese ( I bought an extra sharp cheddar block and did the grating at home.)
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Roast the walnuts for about 5 minutes then add the sunflower seeds for another few minutes. Watch them so they don’t burn.
In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients and mix well.
Pour into a lightly greased loaf pan.
Bake at 350 degrees until lightly browned and pulling away from the sides a bit. I will take about 60 to 90 minutes.
In the meantime, prepare the Gravy. Once again, the original recipe called for 3/4 cup of Cashew Butter. Never have seen it, and never found it. So, I decided to replace it with Almond Butter. I also replaced the 2 1/2 cups of water for unsalted chicken broth. If using chicken broth make sure it is gluten free. This gravy is gluten free. It is so good, you might want to use this gravy for everything. It makes about 4 cups.
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 large onions, diced
3/4 Cashew Butter if you find it. If not use the Almond Butter…..very good.
1/2 cup wheat-free and reduced sodium soy sauce
2 1/2 cups unsalted chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon sage
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until caramel in color; about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. As the onions become browner, stir more frequently. Add the cashew or almond butter, gluten free soy sauce, broth, and spices. Cook until heated through.
Place in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. I did this in batches, placing the already blended sauce in a saucepan and repeating the process. Be careful while blending since hot liquids tend to foam up. Warm up the gravy while you wait for the loaf to cook.
Once the loaf is ready, cut it and serve it with gravy drizzled on top. You may add your favorite veggie or salad to this dish. Enjoy!!
Have a good one!!
January 19th, 2014
Well, well, well…for the past few weeks we have been into pearl barley in my household. Before that, a total investigation on steel cut oatmeal took effect. We are still eating a lot of kale…shakes, baked, you name it.
I have a good, easy and tasty recipe for you but first let me tell you a bit about pearl barley.
Pearl Barley originated in Ethiopia and Southeast Asia. When cooked it has the consistency of pasta, rice? It is a very versatile cereal grain. The health benefits are too long to mention here. You might want to research it yourselves. But, it does have a very low glycemic index, and decreases the risk of colon cancer. Very good for people with heart disease. So much more, though.
When the 50 pounds of barley arrived at my doorstep, the UPS man had to be helped. The bag, as you can observe from my photo takes half of my small refrigerator. It will take a whole year, eating every day to consume that amount of pearl barley.
The following recipe turned out so good, that I do have to share it. The first time I made it, I used my convection oven to speed the cooking process. It turned out very good, but dryer than cooking it in the conventional oven like I did the second time. I did add more mushrooms than was required by the recipe. I think it is a very good recipe, just by itself or as a side dish for any of your meats.
PEARL BARLEY CASSEROLE
1/4 cup butter (I used I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter)
8 1/2 ounces fresh sliced mushrooms
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup pearl barley
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
4 cups chicken broth (I used low sodium broth)
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add mushrooms and chopped onion. Saute until lightly browned. Add barley and brown lightly, stirring. Add salt and pepper, then, turn into a buttered 3-quart casserole.
Pour chicken broth into the skillet and cook until hot. Pour over the barley mixture and mix well.
Cover and bake for 1 1/2 hours, or until barley is tender. It took about 1 hour and 45 minutes in my oven. Check it occasionally, and add more broth if needed.
The recipe says it serves 6, but if you use it as a side dish, it does serve 8 people. Enjoy!!
For our leftovers the next day, the casserole was reheated and the barley was served with a fried egg on it for breakfast.
Note: In researching pearl barley I found this website for recipes. It looks great! http://www.whfoods.com/recipestoc.php.
December 2nd, 2013
No more turkey….that’s right!! It happens when you buy a turkey too big for the family. Plenty of leftovers, I agree; I am tired of it now. Looking for something different to make, I think I had found the recipe. Even though I used shrimp, this sauce is good with any fish….and chicken too! It can be made gluten free, by using gluten free soy sauce.
SHRIMP WITH THAI COCONUT-CURRY SAUCE
2 teaspoons dark sesame oil, divided
2 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger
2 minced garlic cloves
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 cup chopped green onions
1 teaspoon curry powder
2 teaspoons red curry paste (every super market has it)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
4 teaspoons low sodium soy sauce (if preparing gluten free, then get low sodium gluten free soy sauce)
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 tsp. salt, divided
1 14-ounce can light coconut milk
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 lbs. raw jumbo shrimp, peeled
lime wedges
In a large frying pan, heat 1 teaspoon of the dark sesame oil. Add shrimp and cook until a nice pink color.
In a large nonstick skillet heat the other teaspoon of dark sesame oil over medium heat. Add ginger and garlic, cook 1 minute. Add pepper and onions; cook 1 minute.
Stir in curry powder, curry paste, and cumin; cook 1 minute. Add soy sauce, sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and coconut milk; bring to a simmer but make sure not to boil it. Add juice of a lime. Add shrimp and warm them up, again, without boiling it.
You can serve it over cooked basmati rice…..I chose to serve it over cheese grits. Pass the extra lime wedges around.
Enjoy!!
November 3rd, 2013
It seems like my trees have turned overnight….they look gorgeous but I am not looking forward to all the leaves on the ground. They seem to hang out at my yard for months.
It is so chilly and windy that an easy shortcut casserole would be perfect for dinner. There is a key ingredient to this casserole and that is a Rotisserie Chicken….a must. You will probably need just half of the chicken. Use the rest for a chicken salad. They make the best!
ROTISERRIE SOUTHWESTERN CHICKEN LASAGNA
2 cups shredded Rotiseerie Chicken
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 chopped, small onion
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 16 ounce jar of salsa (Choose, Mild, Medium or Hot. Any brand will do.)
1 15 ounch can chili with beans
1 small can chopped green chiles
9 (6-inch) flour tortillas
1 (8-ounce) package shredded Mexican 4-cheese blend
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine the first 5 ingredients. Set aside.
Saute onion and garlic in hot oil in a large skillet until tender. Add salsa, chili, and green chiles. Reduce heat, and simmer for about 3 to 4 minutes.
Line the bottom of an 11 x 7 inch baking dish with 3 tortillas; layer with enough chili mixture to lightly cover them, then half of the chicken mixture and a third of the cheese.
Repeat another layer. Then, top with the las 3 tortillas. Pour the last of the chili mixture and sprinkle with the last of the cheese.
Place in the oven for about 30 minutes. Let is stand 5 or 10 minutes before serving. It makes a great meal. The chicken is full of flavor and all you have to do is add a salad or veggie and dinner is then served.
Make it your own and enjoy!!
October 27th, 2013
Casseroles are a favorite this time of the year. The weather is cooler; they are such comfort foods. Casseroles can be assembled and even cooked ahead of time. Otherwise, just place in the oven before guests come for a simple dinner that can be a main meal or a side dish.
This Baked Cheesy Pasta with Veggies is very easy to make and it only takes from start to finish about 45 minutes. Hope you like it.
12 ounce bowtie pasta
1 bag (12 ounces) broccoli florets (I buy the smallest ones I can find.)
1 tablespoon butter, plus a bit more to grease the dish
2 chopped shallots
1 package (8 ounces) sliced mushrooms
4 cups whole milk
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 bag (5 ounces) baby spinach
5 ounces fontina cheese, grated (about 1 1/4 cups)
1/3 cup plus about 2 extra tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese
Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees. Butter a shallow 3 quart baking dish.
Cook the pasta per package directions. Add broccoli during the last few minutes of cooking. Drain and return, both, the broccoli and pasta to the pot.
Melt butter in a large deep skillet over medium heat. Add shallots and mushrooms. Saute until tender; about 5 minutes.
In a medium bowl, whisk together milk, flour, salt and pepper. Pour into skillet and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, simmer, stirring, until it thickens. Stir in spinach. Remove from heat and stir in 1 cup of the fontina cheese and 1/3 cup of the Parmesan cheese.
Pour the sauce over into the pot with pasta and broccoli, making sure you toss and coat. Transfer to the prepared baking dish and sprinkle with the remaining fontina and Parmesan cheeses.
Baked until the cheese melts and it starts to brown…depending how you oven is, it might take about 15 minutes.
For the most part I think people do love casseroles. Share them with family and friends!! Enjoy!
 
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