A Twist on Moussaka ~ Greece Meets France!

Greece meets France in this twist I devised as a shortcut for the Greek dish Moussaka, using what I had on hand  (most noticeably not enough eggplant to make the traditional Greek version!)
Instead, with some odds and ends of fresh vegetables from the  late harvest I made a batch of oven roasted Ratatouille, then proceeded with an adaptation of Moussaka.

Ratatouille ~ deliciously French!
I don't really use an exact recipe for ratatouille and that's just  what I love about dishes like this ~the option of adapting it to  suit ones own taste (or according to what combinations  of vegetables you happen to have.)

You see in the photo from back to front: Red and Green Bell Peppers, Onion, whole garlic cloves and Zucchini, Slender purple eggplant and ripe tomato chunks.

That being said, I prepare oven roasted Ratatouille  much like this as found on about.com/French Food.
It's wonderful to have a bowl of this savory treat in the fridge; good on toasted baguette slices, as a topping  or base for scrambled or fried eggs, as a side dish with fowl or meats, or main dish with grains, rice, or pasta.
 If it's not served warm, it's really best at room temperature so take it out of the refrigerator about 45 minutes to an hour before serving.

Moussaka ~ Delightfully Greek!
This time when making moussaka, instead of the usual eggplant  (or combination of eggplant and potatoes) as the vegetable layers  I used the ratatouille as the base layer, then a layer of spiced, sauteed minced lamb (you can use ground beef, or a mix of lamb and beef). I've seen versions omitting the meat altogether.


Right out of the oven.  (It serves more neatly if allowed to cool for 20 to 30 minutes.)

Over the meat another layer of the ratatouille,  and finally topped with a layer Bechamel sauce  ( medium-thick white sauce) and a dusting of grated  Parmesan cheese. The Parmesan cheese sprinkle on the  Bechamel sauce develops an appetizing golden brown while baking.
Keeper!! This can be assembled ahead and refrigerated until baking time; and it reheats well, too.
Using the ratatouille for the veggie(s) may not be "real" moussaka, but it is very, very good!

If you would like a recipe for authentic Greek Moussaka, this one is a favorite.  (I'm not sure I'll go back though!)

Thank you for stopping by today!
Blessings ~ m. xo

Greek-Style Rotisserie Lamb and 50% Whole Wheat Pita Sandwiches

Forget the overly-sweet mint sauce ~  
There is something about the Greek way of grilling lamb, marinated in lemon, garlic, salt, pepper and fragrant dried oregano, that makes it irresistible and utterly delicious.
The anticipation (and aroma) while the spit slowly turns is part of the pleasure . . .  knowing that there will be a fine meal to come.  
This time I selected a smallish 4+ pound bone-in leg, minus the shank portion, I like to roast it slowly for maximum juiciness and flavor, so I use the 'indirect method' of roasting the meat on the Weber gas grill. (Front and back burner on medium heat, center burner in the off position.)



To go along, I served lemon-scented orzo with toasted pine nuts, and one of my favorite summer salads ~ Greek, with lots of goodies from the veggie garden; red tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, herbs as well as some marinated locally produced Feta cubes, a mix of Greek olives, and onion, all tossed with a fragrant red wine vinegar & herb vinaigrette.
It is one of my favorite meals, we don't have it often and we really savor it when we do.


HOWEVER . . .
The thing about lamb is that I don't find it anywhere near as appealing when served as leftovers.  Unless, that is,  it's thinly sliced, gently warmed and served in warm pita pocket bread with lots of other flavorful goodies tucked in.
Where I live the freshest pita bread comes from my own oven ~ If you've never made it you might be surprised to learn how fun and easy it is to make your own.  This time I used 50%  00 Italian flour and 50% home-milled whole wheat flour.




You can use a bread machine, stand mixer, or food processor to make the dough, or mix it by hand if you prefer.  (There is a link at the bottom of the page for the pita bread recipe.)
As I mentioned,  I'm not so fond of lamb leftovers, so when making a lamb roast, I always plan on making pita bread too, for the leftovers.  


(See the grapes in the background?  We planted the vines three years ago and this is the first crop!)  Can you tell I'm excited?!  :D  They are so sweet and juicy . . . wish I could share some with you.
When assembling the stuffed pita sandwiches I add lots of other flavorful goodies and just a few thin slices of the warmed lamb.
Slices of red and yellow tomatoes, cucumbers, and baby salad greens from the garden (see below.) Thin slices of sweet purple onion, and a generous spoonful of tzatziki (cucumber & garlic, and sometimes dill, in plain yogurt)  then sprinkled with  ground Sumac* to add a bright finish.  
Incidentally, this is the first year I've grown this particular variety of yellow tomatoes; the name is 'Lemon Boy' ~ I highly recommend!  Medium to medium-large size they are bright yellow, meaty and juicy with few seeds and a nice, mild low-acid flavor.Yum!  You might keep them in mind for next year.

*Sumac?  I love that stuff! It's delicious sprinkled on vegetables eggs, rice & other grains, pizza, chicken, fish and any kind of meat. Just a little sprinkle before serving really adds a nice bright flavor, to almost anything. It's slightly lemony and not spicy at all.

As many of you know our property is located in thickly wooded forest land ~ so most of our vegetables and herbs are raised in raised beds and containers.  
One of the things I like to plant each spring is a large container of baby mixed salad greens, I keep this one on the back deck near the kitchen door.  This one grows well under a huge Douglas Fir tree which the deck was built around.
 You can cut a few leaves from each plant and they will continue to grow, or you cut the entire plant and grow another pot or two, each two weeks apart, for successive harvests. The other advantage of planting these tender lettuces in pots is that you can move them to the shade in the hottest part of the day to prevent them from bolting (going to seed) prematurely.
(My kitty is old and she doesn't climb up to sample the greens, but it you have active pets, you might want to elevate the pots.)


I picked this particular mixed packet of seeds at a local (& ordinary) hardware store/nursery.    This one is offered by Plantation Products (in MA.), it's called "Italian Salad Blend" and contains 6 different Italian lettuces:
AttrazioneBiondaFoglia di Quercia RossaFreckles  :)Meraviglia delle quattro StagioneRossa di Trento
Along with other Italian varieties of greens: Arugula Chicory: Pallo Rossa & Castelfranco Endive: di ruffec & Cornetto di BordeauxSpinach: Riccio d'Asti & Gigante d'InvernoSwiss Chard: Argentata 

You can allow the plant to grow to full mature size, but I prefer to harvest when the leaves are small and tender.  We liked the variety, and I would definitely plant this mix again.



I'll miss you Greek Salad ~ It won't be much longer until we have to say good-bye until next summer.  (By the way, this salad is also fabulous tucked into a pita pocket either plain or with some tzatziki spooned over, and you can add tuna, sliced chicken, sliced hard cooked egg, etc. to add protein.)


If you would like the recipe for the 50% Whole Wheat Pita bread, you'll find it over on the OUaP recipe blog, click here.

Thanks for stopping by friends! I hope you have a very nice weekend.
Until next time!  ~m

Mini Meatball Skewers with Greek-Style Viniagrette

I used ground lamb for these mini-meatballs, but you can use ground chicken, turkey, beef, pork or a vegetarian alternative.

Use your favorite meatball recipe (beaten egg and bread crumbs) ~ and for seasoning I used finely minced onion, minced garlic, minced fresh mint and salt and pepper, with a squeeze of fresh lemon.
I form the balls then chilled them (chilling helps them retain their shape while baking), then baked in a 350* (F) oven until done.(Line your baking pan with foil for easy clean-up.)

The Vinaigrette is made from olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt, pepper, fresh oregano leaves (may use dried). To add a Greek flavor I finely diced a tomato (seeded, but left skin on), and chopped Kalamata olives mixed into the vinaigrette.

After baking I skewered the meatballs (skewering is optional, but I find them easier to serve and eat this way), then placed them in small Romaine lettuce leaves, drizzled with the vinaigrette and finished with a sprinkle of finely cubed feta cheese.I prefer to serve them warm (especially the lamb version)... but you might like the chicken or turkey versions at room temperature.As you can see, no recipe is needed ~ just do everything to your own taste.If you make them I hope you like them!





A big thank you to lovely Michael for hosting us on Foodie Friday.Please click the link to see what everyone is cooking!

Lamb Chops with Lemon, Rosemary and Vine Leaves

Lamb Chops. You either love them, or don't.

If you do like lamb you might enjoy chops prepared this way.

Paired with a fine red wine, I think it is one of my favorite dinners.

This time quickly seared with lemon slices and rosemary. Vine leaves make an interesting and edible garnish. I served with creamy mashed potatoes and vibrant green grape seed oil, and a generous sprinkling of coarse sea salt.

The leaves are edible and mildly flavored ~ they crumble delicately when touched with a fork; delicious with the mashed potatoes.

The grape leaves were from our grape vines, gathered last week~ before the killing freeze, but if you don't have access to fresh grape leaves you can substitute leaves in brine from the jar. If you use fresh, make sure they are organically grown and without chemical pesticides.

The original recipe is another from one of my favorite cookbook authors ~

Donna Hay.

I've been preparing a lot of Donna's recipes lately as you may have noticed, they never disappoint. Straightforward preparation, healthy clean flavors, simple presentation and best of all ~ delicious.

Donna suggests using fresh oregano leaves, but my oregano has died back for the winter so I substituted fresh rosemary ~ no problem with availability as it is winter hardy in my zone. She serves the potatoes with olive oil instead of grape seed oil, I think it is tasty with either one.

I've posted the recipe on my recipe blog.

CLICK HERE

if you would like a printable copy.

Thank you for stopping by, and any comments you would like to share.

I hope you have a wonderful day.

Aromatic Stuffed Sweet Peppers

Prepared a little differently this time.Use any raw, minced meat (or even veggies/grains if you prefer) for the stuffing.

If you know me, or have been following my blog for a while ~ you KNOW I am the kind of cook who loves to improvise, and quite often "wing-it" rather than follow a recipe exactly. 
This one is no exception.I had a pound of good organic ground lamb, and some colorful bell peppers. I wanted to season the lamb a bit differently than I usually do. I saw Nigella Lawson's Lamb Meatball Recipe (click)

and followed it almost exactly. Instead of the seminola, I used fresh bread crumbs, I also added some garam masala seasoning and a few flakes of dried hot chili pepper.





Rather than the traditional way of halving, or cutting tops from the peppers I sliced then into 3/4 to 1-inch "rings" and filled them with the lamb mixture, patted evenly then sprinkled lightly with more fresh crumbs.


I browned them very quickly in a little olive oil, stovetop ~ then transfered them to the oven to finish baking:









Hot from the oven I plated them atop a pool of warm Cumin-Yogurt Sauce.

To make the sauce; "Toast" the ground cumin in a small pan until it releases its fragrance, stir in a little whole milk Greek yogurt and a sprinkle of salt, stir until warmed through.

A shower of fresh mint chiffonade to finish the dish.

For a side I made cous cous, steeped in chicken broth with toasted pine nuts and plumped golden sultanas (raisins), with a squeeze of lemon.

If you don't care for lamb, I'm sure this would be delicious with other minced/ground raw meat (beef, pork, turkey, chicken), or a combination of cooked vegs/grain that you would like.

If you try this recipe, I hope you enjoy it as much as we did. :)

Leftovers are fabulous at room temperature, too!

Happy St. Patrick's Day ~ with the Darling Bakers!

Please come in to a sweet little Irish Cottage!

Welcome to the Darling Bakers St. Patrick's Day Celebration!

St. Patrick's Day has always been a fun celebration as far as I'm concerned

(I'm half Irish.)

Such a pretty kitchen window...

We're having a bit of a ~ feast !

A Saint Patrick's Day LUNCH and..

TWO seatings for Dinner this evening.

But first ~ a light lunch of soup, and a little dessert ~

Hot Cock~a~Leekie Soup to warm the soul

On a damp, chill day.

Darina Allen's Freshest Spring Salad ~

Loaded with so many fresh and healthful things~

Then some sweet fairy cakes with tea~

To tide us over until supper~

And some Sweets for the road ~

Perhaps a little hike through the forest ~

for leprechaun sitings?

You must be quick to spot these faerie folk!

Look! Evidence. :)

Can you see him?

A Ha!

Perhaps a Nap to sleep off the Guinness?!

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Feeling refreshed, it's time to eat again!

Supper ~ ~The First Seating:

More soup! This time every fresh green vegetable and herb available~

With crisp Shamrock pastry croutons.

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Look! Our friendly visitor~

Salad a la Mme. Monique ~

A stuffed Caprese. Fresh mozzarella in Vine ripened tomatoes

and an Herb Vinagrette.

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The entree for the first seating ~

Beef Filet & Mushroom Skewers

with a deep, rich Mushroom & Guinness gravy finish.

For our second seating this evening ~

My Family's Favorite Shepherd's Pie ~

Organic Lamb and Veggies with Mashed Potato 'Wreath'

Comforting food on a damp, chilly evening...

With lots of other good things; carrots, tiny peas, pearl onions, celery...

with a mildly flavored base, seasoned with thyme

Buttery mashed potatoes, piped on so they develop a delicate light brown finish

I can never finish the entire little pot ~ but leftovers heat beautifully for the next day!

I don't know about you ~ but I'm STUFFED...

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY!

How about a bit of a hike before dessert?

Please come back later today for the sweets!