Greek Food Festival

Greek Food Festival

I have never been to one, but there's always a first time for everything.

My Hunnie bun and I enjoying the food, music and company.

Mom and Pops

Mmmm. My cheese is being fried. 

Saganaki

Saganaki & Loukaniko (sauted sausage and lemon)

served with pita. And a ice cold Greek beer?

Mythos.

Breakfast Incognito

Here's another yummy breakfast meal... and its light.

I was going to make my self an omelette this morning and this is what my hubby wanted. 

When I took one look at it, I fell... and I fell hard. 

It just looked so good.. except, I made myself one and it looked nothing like this

delicious sandwich. Still, it was REALLY good.

Mmmm.. Yummy...

Egg In A Hole

Egg In A Hole

Ingredients: 

• Green Bell Pepper ( or your favorite)
• Eggs
• Cheese
• Salt & Pepper
• Bacon ( I used turkey bacon in this recipe)
• Rustic bread ( all I had on hand was French baguette)

Directions:

• Cut green pepper into rounds of 1/4 inch thick. 
• Cook green pepper for a few minutes on both sides in a non-stick skillet
• Crack an egg right in the center of the green pepper
• Cook to your liking. I like for the yolk to be cooked almost through.
• Remove from heat
• Pinch of salt & pepper
• Top off with cheese.

Let's Talk About Breakfast

Breakfast is my absolute favorite time of day & I could eat breakfast at any time of the day. Yum!

Bacon Cupped Eggs

These are pretty simple to make and oh so delicious. 

The secret is a cupcake pan. 

• Eggs
• Bacon
• Bread
• Cheese (optional)

First cut out little rounds of bread that fit snug at the bottom of the cupcake pan.

Then line with a slice of your favorite bacon

Cook bacon about half way though, about 5-10 mins, at 350°F

Remove from oven, and crack an egg in the middle, top with cheese, a pinch of salt and pepper and return to oven for an additional 10 mins or cooked to your preference.

and voila! your breakfast awaits you.

Roasted Veggie Quiche

I made this appetizer dish for my Book Club holiday party. Its made with this seasons veggies. Butternut squash, pumpkin, potatoes and onions. Topped with a roasted red bell pepper,  parsley and, my personal favorite, Gruyère cheese.
This was fairly simple.. although the phyllo dough was a little tough for me to work with. It was my first time ever working with it. Those of you who have worked with Phyllo dough already know the struggles of getting the swing of it. I don't get discouraged easily though, so this is definitely a recipe I will conquer.

Ingredients:

• 12 sheets of Phyllo Dough, thawed
• 1 large yellow onion, quartered
• 1 butternut squash, cut into cubes
• 1 small red pepper, sliced into thin strips
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 tablespoons butter, melted
• 2 large eggs
• 4 1/2 ounces cream (I prefer heavy cream)
• 4 ounces of Gruyere cheese or your personal favorite
• Parsley (optional)

Directions:

•  Preheat oven 400°F/200°C
• Cut all vegetables into similar sizes for even cooking time.
• Arrange all the veggies into a baking tray and drizzle with olive oil
• Roast in the oven for about 25-30 mins until slightly charred, turning the vegetables once or twice.
• Set aside until slightly cool and separate onion layers
• While your veggies cool off, separate your sheets of phyllo dough
• Lay one sheet of the phyllo dough flat and brush with butter and line another sheet on top 
• Continue to layer the phyllo dough with a light brush of butter in between sheets until you have about 3 or 4 sheets stacked. 
• Then with a pizza cutter or a sharp paring knife cut the sheets into three long pieces and then cut those into three again, creating little squares (adjust according to pan size)
• Carefully place each square into the cupcake pan creating a little cup.
• Reduce oven temperature to 350°F/180°C
• In a medium bowl whisk the eggs and milk, stir in the Gruyère cheese and season with a pinch of salt and pepper to taste. (You can also add in a few of your favorite herbs to make it your own)
• Spread the veggies over the bottom of the cups and pour the egg mixture over, filling about 3/4 of the way (adjust vegetable size to fit your pan size) 
• Top with a slice of red pepper, a pinch of parsley and cheese
• Bake for approx 10-15 minutes.
• This can be served hot or cold.

I hope you enjoy this yummy appetizer. It seems to always be a crowd pleaser.

Gingered Pumpkin Bisque

This bisque is absolutely delicious, simple and worth your time. It is one of the best tasting soups I have come across. The flavor of savory pumpkin and the spice of ginger root compliment one another so well. 

I made this recipe for Thanksgiving dinner and it went over so well, that I think this one is a keeper for the books. This soup took me about 25 minutes start to finish. 

Gingered Pumpkin Bisque

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup chopped shallots
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh gingerroot
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) chicken broth
• 1/3 cup apple cider or juice
• 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons canned pumpkin
• 2 tablespoons plus 1-1/2 teaspoons maple syrup
• 1/8 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• Dash ground cloves
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream or half-and-half cream
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Additional heavy whipping cream, optional
• Fresh thyme sprigs, optional

Directions

• In a small saucepan, saute the shallots, onion and ginger in oil until tender. Stir in flour until blended; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until golden brown. Gradually stir in broth and cider. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.
• Stir in the pumpkin, syrup and seasonings. Return to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat; cool slightly.
• In a blender, process soup in batches until smooth. Return all to the pan. Stir in cream and vanilla; heat through (do not boil). If desired, drizzle individual servings with additional cream and garnish with thyme sprigs. Yield: 4 servings.

Nutritional Facts: 1/2 cup (calculated without additional cream) equals 229 calories, 15 g fat (7 g saturated fat), 43 mg cholesterol, 463 mg sodium, 23 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 3 g protein

(Recipe Adapted from Taste of Home's Holiday & Celebrations Cookbook Annual 2008)