On a Mediterranean Kick

Maybe it was boredom. Maybe it was all the articles about the village in Greece where people live to be 200 because they eat well and walk all the time. Either way, but I've been on a serious Mediterranean kick lately. I'm talking hummus, feta cheese, garbanzo beans, the whole nine yards. Here is an appetizer dinner that may have just become my dinner. Mediterranean Style Garbanzo Olive Salad and Saganaki (a Greek fried feta appy).

Salad: 2 c cooked garbanzo beans

1/2 c chopped black olives (I used green)

1/4 c finely chopped scallions

2 TBSP chopped corriander (or cilantro)

1 crushed garlic clove

salt, paprika, chilli powder,

lemon juice, olive oil

Saganaki: 8 0z feta cheese

1 egg

1/2 c flour

2 Tbsp olive oil

oregano

Slice feta into 2 x 3/8 inch squares. In a small bowl, beat the egg with oregano. Dip each slice of feta in egg, shake off excess, and coat in flour. Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Quickly cook the cheese until golden, turing once.

Serving suggestion: serve with tomato slices and garnish with lemon wedges.

The pics are awful, but these are delicious! The feta gets all warm and melty, and the outside is just slightly crispy. So good!!

Eggstrordinary

My attempt at getting more veggies into my diet: Boiled egg on toast with spinach.

Psst! The secret ingredient is Vegemite.

Tortilla escapades

Had a little fusion meal tonight.

First, I made my own whole wheat tortillas; inspired by this post. Tortilla recipe from here. 

Then I served them with homemade guac (recipe taken from the many early mornings spent at the Bagelry) and the Thai garlic shrimp I made earlier. So delish!

Tempura time

This was my first attempt at veggie tempura. I did zucchini, broccoli, and green beans. Turned out ok, actually.

Fish dinner

Salmon baked with mushrooms on top. On baby spinach with tomato/peach/strawberry salsa.

Some crazy fancy baked potato. Can't remember what it's actually called; something with an H.

Another day's worth of meals

Classic Aussie brekky:fried egg, toast with vegemite, hot sauce

Lunch: corn and black bean salad.

With black beans, corn, tomato, avocado, red oinion, lime juice, salsa, cilantro, s&p

Pizza!

Made homemade, whole wheat pizza for dinner tonight. Half mushroom, half veggie (tomato, onion, mushroom, garlic)

Pizza Dough: 1 (.25 oz) package dry active yeast

1 tsp white sugar

1c warm water (110 F)

2 1/2 c bread flour (all purpose and whole wheat flour work too)

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 450

In a medium bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. Let stand until creamy, 10 min

Stir in flour, salt & oil. Let rest 5 mins

Turn dough out onto floured surface & roll out

Put on a greased baking sheet & cover with toppings of your choice

Bake 15-20 mins

Thai Dinner

B got me an awesome Thai cook book and I am straight lovin' it. Here's what we made for our first feast:

Chicken sate w/ peanut sauce
Garlic fried shrimp. Fried with soy sauce, fish sauce, garlic, ginger & cilantro
Black bean veggie lumpia. Awesome, because you can put any veggies inside and it comes out bomb

Since I've been really excited about all my cooking creations lately, I'm staring a new project. Taking pics of good food. Here goes.

This is the first loaf of "bread" I've ever made. Supposedly a cheese bread, but tastes a lot more like cornbread.

Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup white sugar

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

1 egg, beaten

3/4 cup milk

1/3 cup vegetable oil

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan.

2. In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and cheese. In another large bowl, beat together egg, milk and oil. Stir the flour/cheese mixture into the egg mixture, stirring until just moistened. Pour batter into prepared pan.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of loaf comes out clean.

It didn't make the transition out of the pan very well:

Attentive parter in crime:

Dinner:

Mahi mahi baked with a cilantro, lime and garlic sauce Served on baby spinach with Stucky salsa (tomato, cilantro, onion, garlic avocado, lime, tequila) and (no surprise here) cheese bread

Welcome, me

So my previous surf/food blog has gotten a little confused and jumbled, and in an effort to organize my life, I'm separating the two themes. Starting now.