I have been searching and searching for a healthier way to eat great food and lose weight. Thanks to my lengthy research, I've come up with a fabulous new way of eating that just makes perfect sense and tastes superb!
I am going to introduce a couple of my all time favorite recipes that go good with just about anything. First up is Sufferin' Good Summer Succotash, a blend of brightly colored summer vegetables with just the right touch of seasonings and braising. I am also sharing with you my personal recipe for Souvlaki, a Greek dish that I am personally very fond of. Souvlaki is an original Greek dish that is traditionally made from the more tender cuts of lamb or goat, seasoned with dill, mint, oregano, garlic and basil. The Greek seasonings really upgrade your palette with a mouth full of flavor! The cucumber sauce is to die for and, if you really want to go all out homemade, you can make your own pitas! and lose weight? you bet!
Are you drooling yet? Let's get started!
Sufferin' Good Summer Succotash
1/2 cup chopped yellow squash
1/4 cup chopped zucchini
1/3 cup finely chopped sweet onions
1/2 bag of Pictsweet Baby lima beans, thawed
1 can yellow kernel corn, drained well
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
EVOO (Extra virgin olive oil)
2 tablespoons stick butter or margarine
1 tsp finely ground sea salt
cracked black pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Using a large nonstick skillet, drizzle about 2-3 tablespoons of EVOO around the pan and heat medium high heat till a drop of water sizzles. Add the butter, then the chopped onions to the pan, stirring frequently while allowing them to caramelize a bit. Throw in the squash and zucchini, a little at a time, stirring well and slightly braising as you go. The trick here is to keep the veggies moving, so be ready to stand over the stove for a hot minute. Keep stirring while they caramelize a bit. Now go ahead and add the butter beans and mix them in as well. Stir in corn. Let that all cook together for a few minutes, cover snugly with foil and then place in oven on center rack. NOTE: If you aren't sure if your skillet is ovenproof, be sure to wrap handles with foil as well. Cook for approximately 10 minutes. Remove cover and add halved cherry tomatoes. Sprinkle the salt and pepper on, stir well. Place pan back in oven on center rack for five more minutes and Voila! Happy eating!*
YIELD=6-8 servings
*For softer veggies, add a 1/4 cup of water to the pan before placing in oven.
Souvlaki
Yield: about 12 adult servings (2 wraps per person)
Prep time: 24 hours (9 hours if you're in a hurry)
Total time: prep 24 hours + cook time 40 minutes
Leftovers: never!
Ingredients
Homemade Pitas
1
tablespoon active dry yeast
1 tablespoon of sugar
1/2 cup of warm water
4 cups of bread flour
1 1/2 teaspoons of salt
1 cup of warm water
1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
Dissolve in
the yeast and sugar in 1/2 cup of warm water and set aside, covered, for 15
minutes. Dissolve salt in the remaining 1 cup of warm water. In a large mixing bowl, add flour and make a
well in the center. Add yeast mixture and salt water. Knead with hands for 10
minutes in the bowl. Add olive oil and continue to knead until all oil is
absorbed. Shape into a ball in the bowl, cover, and place in a warm area to
rise until doubled in volume, approximately 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Punch down the
dough and knead for 5 minutes more. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.Take just under
a handful of dough (think egg sized) and roll out on a floured surface to about
the thickness of a pancake, maybe a little thinner.
Place on
baking sheets and bake at 350°F (175°C) on the lowest oven rack for 2-3
minutes, then turn the pitas over and bake for another 2-3 minutes. Remove from
oven and place on a tray covered with a clean kitchen towel on the bottom and
then cover them with another. When thoroughly cooled, pitas can be stored in
plastic bags in the refrigerator and they also freeze well (use within 4
weeks). Just remember, right before using, spray on a bit of spray butter and
brown slightly over medium high heat for a couple of minutes on each side.
Tzatziki Salad
2 cups Roma tomatoes, quartered
2 cups chopped red onion
2 cups green pepper strips, chaff removed and sliced thinly
lengthwise
1 cup thinly sliced cucumbers
Feta cheese crumbles
Toss all ingredients except cheese crumbles in a large salad
bowl to dress your Souvlaki wraps. Keep refrigerated until time to serve.
Tzatziki sauce
One large or two medium cucumbers, seeded and peeled
1-16 ounce unflavored Greek yogurt
2 1/2 teaspoons dried dill
2 teaspoons dried basil
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 ½ teaspoons dried spearmint flakes (rosemary or thyme can
be substituted)
couple of dashes of garlic salt
2 tablespoons lemon juice plus the zest, about a teaspoon full*
salt to taste
*2
tablespoons lemon juice concentrate may be substituted if fresh is unavailable
Peel the cucumbers, then cut them lengthwise in half. Using
a regular spoon, scoop the seeds out and discard. Now using a potato peeler,
shred the rest of the cucumber onto a thick layer of lint free paper towels,
sprinkle a tablespoon of salt on top, toss lightly to coat and let rest for
about ten minutes. This helps to 'sweat' the water out to prepare it for chopping and mixing into
the sauce. Next cover the cucumber with
another thick layer of paper towels, then fold the towels over and then over
again so that the cucumber stays inside. Squeeze well over the sink until the
paper towels are soaked through. I always press it again with fresh paper
towels until barely any water is coming out to be sure I don't end up with
watery, runny sauce. The goal here nearly dry shavings to ensure the sauce is
thick, creamy and slightly chunky.
IF USING A FOOD PROCESSOR...Processors tend to make this
sauce more creamy and smooth, while mixing by hand produces a more textured,
slightly chunky sauce. I recommend (and prefer) hand mixing as I enjoy the
texture of handmade vs processed. If you
simply must use a food processor, I would suggest pushing the peeled and pitted
cucumber sides through the shedder tool. If you don't have a shredder
attachment, start by cutting the seeded cucumbers in one inch chunks, then
place in food processor using the pulse feature to prevent over processing.
Cover and refrigerate for several hours, if possible. Enjoy!
Meat filling
1-3.5 pound
pork tenderloin, partially frozen and cubed or cut in bite sized pieces
1 large
clove garlic, smashed and minced (a teaspoon of garlic powder or garlic salt
can be substituted)
2 tablespoons dried spearmint flakes, (or 1/2
cup finely chopped fresh leaves) *
3 tablespoons dried crushed oregano (or 3/4
cup finely chopped fresh leaves)
1
tablespoon dried basil (or 1/3 cup finely chopped fresh leaves)
2 tablespoon lemon juice plus 1 tsp lemon zest
**
1/2
teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
black pepper to taste
3
tablespoons water
1
tablespoons vinegar
4 tablespoons extra
virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons stick butter or margarine
*rosemary or thyme may be used if spearmint is
not available
**2 tablespoons lemon juice concentrate may be
used in place of fresh lemon and zest
Place the meat cubes in a large mixing bowl, then sprinkle all but the
last two ingredients over the meat as evenly as possible. Drizzle the EVOO, the
water and vinegar over the top and toss well to coat meat. Cover and
refrigerate up to 24 hours for best results.
Cooking Methods
On
the grill
I recommend grilling the meat kabob-style if at all
possible for the best flavor. Simply remove the meat from the marinade, shaking
the excess off back into the bowl and blot with lint free paper towels. Place
on wood skewers that have been soaked in warm water for at least an hour,
leaving about an inch of 'wiggle room' for the meat to breathe and cook
evenly. Place over medium hot coals,
turning frequently and basting often with the leftover marinade. Cover with foil to keep warm for serving.
Stovetop/Oven
Preparation
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Using a large oven safe skillet, combine EVOO
and butter in pan on medium heat. Remove the meat, shaking off excess marinade
back into bowl. Reserve marinade for
glazing the meat. Place meat in pan and raise the temperature to medium high,
stirring frequently until the pieces are lightly browned. Cover loosely with
foil and immediately place in the oven on center rack for approximately 15
minutes. Remove from oven and put back on top burner on medium. Pour any
remaining marinade over the meat and stir continuously until the liquid is
nearly gone. Remove from heat and replace foil to keep warm for serving.
It's a Wrap!
To serve this spectacular dish, place 1 tablespoon of Tzatziki sauce in
center of a pita shell, spreading over the middle. Follow with approximately 2
ounces (think of a deck of cards) of the meat filling, then top with a healthy
pinch of Souvlaki Salad. Present to guests open-faced and be prepared for plenty of oooo's and
aaaaah's!!
Cutting calories never tasted so good!
Bon appetit!!!
These recipes are the intellectual property of R.J.Montgomery, no reprinting or publishing is allowed without expressed written consent from the owner, R.J. Montgomery.