Weekend Festivals - Part I

33rd Annual Kimisis Tis Theotokou Greek Festival

Holmdel, NJ

Souvlaki - $6.00

Grilled Chicken Pita - $6.00

Delicious Desserts starting at $1.00

It was an absolute picture perfect day on Saturday here in New Jersey.  We relaxed at the beach and then headed over to a nearby Greek festival.  We sampled the souvlaki, the grilled chicken pita, loukoumades (6 for $3.00), and galaktoboureko ($3.00).  There were also salads, dolmades, spanakopites, gyros, keftedes, pastisio, moussaka, and more.  The quality of the food was just great and the prices were very reasonable.  Everything was homemade and just delicious.  We also enjoyed the festive music and traditional dancing.  Local festivals are a fun way to sample different types of cuisine and support a local church without breaking the bank. I found a listing of Greek festivals across the US - http://www.greek-fest.com/greekfest.shtml Opa!

Grilled Pork Tenderloin Salad

Oh how I love Michael Psilakis's Grilled Pork Tenderloin Salad from Food and Wine.  He describes it as being "like pork souvlaki tossed with a salad."  Spring greens, grilled vegetables (asparagus, onions, and tomatoes), sliced grilled pork tenderloin, prosciutto di Parma, and a zingy vinaigrette - perfect!  It is a healthy and hearty main course salad.  Great sides are olives, feta cheese, pita bread, and tzatziki.  The asparagus was grown in NJ - now all I need are local tomatoes!  I am so happy that grilling season is here!  Opa!

Tzatziki Recipe
1/4 cup grated English cucumber
1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
Combine ingredients in a bowl.  Refrigerate for approx. one hour before serving. 

Fresh Baked Pita

Fresh pita is so very good and really very easy to make. So much better than store bought - I don't think I can go back after having them fresh from the oven. They are perfect with Mediterranean or Middle Eastern sandwich fillings or dips. I made falafel since my husband loves it. Homemade tabbouleh, tahini sauce, and fresh vegetables - mmm...

I followed the recipe on The Fresh Loaf. Step by step directions and pictures make this super easy to follow. The only change I made was to up the oven temperature to 500 degrees. I also used my trusty KitchenAid with the dough hook attachment instead of hand kneading.

Feta-Stuffed Turkey Burgers

Feta-Stuffed Turkey Burgers
Recipe courtesy of Cooking Light

The inspiration for tonight's dinner was the beautiful cucumbers and tomatoes from my friend from work - Thanks Tony!! Fresh NJ vegetables - nothing beats them! Feta-stuffed turkey burgers with a tzatziki-esque sauce- quick, healthy, so good!

1/4 cup finely chopped red onion

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon grated lemon rind

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 pound ground turkey
6 tablespoons (1 1/2 ounces) crumbled feta cheese

Cooking spray

1/4 cup grated English cucumber (or regular with seeds removed)

1/4 cup plain fat-free yogurt

1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint

4(1/4-inch-thick) slices tomato

4 green leaf lettuce leaves

4 (2-ounce) Kaiser rolls or hamburger buns

1. Combine first 6 ingredients. Divide mixture into four portions. Indent center of each portion; place 1 1/2 tablespoons feta into each. Fold turkey mixture around cheese; shape each portion into a 1/2-inch-thick patty.
2. Heat grill pan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add patties; cook 5 minutes on each side.
3. Combine cucumber, yogurt, and mint in a small bowl. Arrange 1 turkey patty, 1 tomato slice, 1 lettuce leaf, and 2 tablespoons yogurt mixture on bottom half of each roll. Top with top halves of rolls.

Chicken Souvlaki

I got a very late start on dinner tonight. What ingredients do I have on hand? Chicken, pork chops, zucchini, lemons, red onion, tomatoes, potatos, cucumbers, green beans and OH fresh mint. Yes, I also have pita bread. Greek it is! Must avoid zucchini - just for today - we have been overloaded... Got it - Chicken Souvlaki on pita with tzatziki. Unfortunately, I didn't have any kalamata olives on hand. I substituted plain old black olives - still good. Oh, if I only had stopped at the Greek store in Kenilworth! Love that place! http://www.eatgreek.com/ Think 30 kinds of olives and galaktoboureko....Well, soon. I also made some Alexia waffle fries (courtesy of Costco) - a little fresh lemon juice and feta - voila, easy, Greek style fries. I will definitely make this again once NJ tomatoes are here. Greek Night- fast, healthy, delicious - OPA!

Chicken Souvlaki

Adapted from: Real Simple

Ingredients
4 pieces flat bread or pitas
2 tomatoes, cut into wedges
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
3/4 cup crumbled Feta
1/4 cup kalamata olives, pitted
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 1/2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into pieces
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 small cucumber, diced
1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh dill
Preparation
Heat oven to 200° F. Wrap the bread in foil and place in oven.In a medium bowl, combine the tomatoes, onion, Feta, and olives.In a large bowl, combine the oregano, thyme, pepper, 1 1/2 teaspoons of the vinegar, and the lemon juice. Slowly add 4 tablespoons of the oil in a steady stream, whisking constantly until incorporated. Pour 2 1/2 tablespoons of the vinaigrette over the tomato mixture, toss, and set aside. Add the chicken to the remaining vinaigrette, toss, and set aside.Heat the remaining oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Transfer the chicken but not the liquid to the skillet and heat, turning occasionally, until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the yogurt, cucumber, dill, and the remaining vinegar. Spread the bread with some of the yogurt sauce and top with the chicken. Add the tomato salad and fold.

I did not make the cucumber sauce above. Instead, I made my favorite tzatziki recipe (below). So good. I also grilled the chicken (on skewers).

http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1107169

For tzatziki:
½ English cucumber, peeled, seeded, and grated (¾ cup) (drain well)
½ cup plain yogurt, preferably whole milk yogurt (Greek yogurt)
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons chopped fresh mint
1 small garlic clove, minced
Salt and pepper

Source: Everyday Food - Martha Stewart

http://www.pbs.org/everydayfood/recipes/mini_lamb_burgers.html