Chicken Souvlaki

Ingredients:
Chicken tenders (marinated)
1-2 medium zucchini
1 onion sliced
1 tomato sliced
Tzatziki sauce (recipe to follow)
Pita pockets

Marinate for every pound of chicken:
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp of oregano
1/2 tsp of ground cumin
2-3 cloves of garlic grated
salt and pepper to taste
Allow meat to marinate for 4-8 hours before grilling.


Directions:
Grill 1/4 inch slices of zucchini that is salt and peppered.  Grill the chicken tenders next until they are fully cooked through. Gather all the other condiments and make your Tzatziki sauce.  Assemble your pita with all the ingredients and enjoy.

Tzatziki Sauce

• 8oz of Greek style plain yogurt or regular plain yogurt that you have strained with a paper towel in a colander to allow all the liquid to drip out.  
• 1/2 a English Cucumber diced finely
• 1 Tbs of olive oil
• 1 Tbs of fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp of fresh dill minced
• 1 tsp of fresh mint mince
• 1-2 garlic cloves grated
• salt to taste.
• Mix well and allow to chill in fridge for 1-2 hours before serving.   Enjoy.

Eggs in Purgatory My Way

Ingredients:
Eggs (2 per adult, I used 5)
1 onion medium-large chopped
2 green chilies (seeded) and chopped
10-20 curry leaves torn
1lb of diced green bell pepper
4-5 cloves of garlic minced
28oz can of diced tomatoes
1 can of black beans
1/2 cup of water (or more)
1/2 tsp of cumin seed
1 Tbs of ground cumin
1 Tbs of ground paprika
1 tsp of curry powder
1 tsp of brown sugar
1/2 tsp of ground turmeric
1 tsp of chili flakes (or to taste)
1/2 tsp of dried oregano
2 Tbs of canola oil
salt to taste

Directions: 

Heat a large skillet (that has a lid to cover it) with 2 Tbs of oil on med-high heat.  When hot add the curry leaves, cumin seeds and allow to sizzle for 30 seconds.  Then add the onions, chili peppers, garlic and bell peppers.  Fry for 1-2 minutes.  Then add the ground spices and fry for another 30-45 seconds.  Add the can of diced tomato and water and salt to taste.  Allow all ingredients to simmer for 10 minutes.  Then add one can drained and rinsed of black beans.  Simmer for another 5 minutes. 

Once everything is seasoned to your satisfaction add a small handful of fresh minced Italian parsley to your sauce.  Now lower your heat to medium-low and you start can cracking your eggs into the pan. I would suggest you crack them one at a time into a small dish and slowly transfer them into the skillet to avoid getting any egg shell in the final dish.

Cover the pan with a tight fitting lid and allow the eggs to cook to your desired texture.   Sprinkle the entire dish with some more flat leave parsley and serve with toasted pita bread and other sides.  Enjoy.

Barbecue Pulled Pork Sandwiches

 Ingredients: 
2 lbs of lean pork loin
2 cups of your favorite barbecue sauce
1/4 cup of Sriracha
1 Tbs of ground cumin
1/2 Tbs of granulated garlic
1 tsp of black pepper
1 large onion diced
1lb of diced green bell pepper (froze is fine)

Directions: 
Place pork in crockpot/slow cooker and pour all other ingredients over it.  Set the crockpot on high and allow to cook for 5-6 hours or until the pork is falling apart and the sauce has reduced down and become thick.

Take the pork out of the crockpot and use two forks to shred it well.  Place it back in the crockpot and allow to mix with the gravy.   Serve on hamburger buns.  I like to serve it with a tangy coleslaw.  You can either eat the slaw as a side or pile it high on top of the pulled pork and eat it inside the sandwich.  Enjoy.

South Indian Spicy Salmon Wrap

Ingredients: 
2 cans of canned salmon (or 1lb cooked fresh salmon)
1 medium onion sliced
2 serrano chilies sliced (seeded if you want it less spicy)
1 tomato diced
10-12 large curry leaves torn
2-3 cloves of garlic grated
1 inch of ginger grated
1/2 tsp of mustard seed
1/2 tsp of cumin seed
1/2 tsp of garam masala
1/4 tsp of ground turmeric
1/2 cup of dessicated unsweetened coconut (available in Indian Grocers)
squeeze of lime juice
salt to taste (see note)
Whole wheat tortillas or pita
lettuce to garnish

Note:  If you use canned salmon it will have some salt so season lightly with salt when frying the other ingredients.

Directions: 

Heat a pan with 1Tbs of canola oil on medium heat.  Then add your cumin seeds, mustard seeds and curry leaves and fry for 30-45 seconds.  Now add sliced onions and green chilies and saute for 1 minute.  Next add your grated garlic, ginger and tomato and saute for another minute.  Now add your ground spices and salt and saute for 30-45 seconds.   Next add your dessicated coconut and saute for another minute.  Finally add your canned or cooked salmon chunks and mix with the other flavors.   Then give everything a squeeze of lime juice (about 1 tsp).   Taste of season and salt here.  Grill you tortilla or pita.  Garnish with lettuce and fold all the ingredients into wrap.  Makes about 4-5 wraps.  Enjoy.

I just wanted to add that my husband enjoyed these wraps for lunch and he put a little mayonnaise on his wrap. So feel free to add condiments as well.   You can also add parsley or cilantro as a garnish.  : )

4th of July Flag Cake

Ingredients:
1 box of yellow or white cake mix
1 20oz can of crushed pineapple with juice
3 eggs
1/2 cup of applesauce
1 brick cream cheese (at room temperature)
1/2 cup sugar (or splenda)
1 tub of cool whip topping
1 pint each of raspberries and blueberries 

Directions:
To make the cake:  mix together the cake mix, eggs, applesauce and the juice from the crushed pineapple.  Once the cake batter is smooth, fold in the crushed pineapple.  Pour batter into a well sprayed 9x13pan and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes (or until cake is set). 

To make the cheesecake topping:  cream the sugar and cream cheese together until it is fluffy.  Then fold in the cool whip.  Spread the cheesecake topping over the cooled cake and refrigerate for 4-6 hour or overnight. 

Before serving add your blueberries and raspberries in a flag pattern.

Peaches and Cream No Bake Pie

Ingredients:
1 store bought or homemade graham cracker crust
1 brick cream cheese (at room temperature)
1/2 cup sugar (or splenda)
4-5 ripe peaches (peeled/skinned) diced well
1/2 tub cool whip topping
Garnish - extra graham cracker crumbs and more diced peaches


Directions:  Whip the cream cheese and sugar together until it is fluffy and creamy.  Fold in the diced  peaches (leaving a few for the top garnish) and half a tub of cool whip.  Fill in the pie crust and top with more peaches for garnish.  Allow to chill in fridge overnight.  Right before serving add some extra graham cracker crumbs for some added texture.  Enjoy.

Shrimp Fried Rice

Ingredients: 
1lb shrimp (any size) cleaned 

1 medium onion chopped
1 carrot chopped (or frozen)
1/2 cup of frozen cooked peas
2-3 garlic cloves grated
1 inch of fresh ginger grated
1 bunch scallions chopped
4-5 whole eggs
5 cups of cold/cool rice
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tsp of hoisin sauce
3 Tbs of margarine
2-3 Tbs of canola oil

Directions: 

In a large wok add 1Tbs of margarine and 1 Tbs of canola oil.  Once heated add 4-5 whole eggs and scramble.  Once egg sets, remove from wok and set aside until later.   Wipe out wok if necessary before proceeding.   Heat 2 Tbs of margarine and 1 Tbs of canola oil in the wok.  Once heated add the vegetables (except for some of the green scallion tops for garnishing) and the ginger/garlic.  Fry for a few minutes. 
Optional:  if you want to spice up your fried rice you can add some dried chili flakes after the vegetables.
Next add your defrosted or fresh shrimp here.   Cook the shrimp until they start to turn pink.  Once the shrimp start to cook, add the soy sauce and hoisin sauce to the wok.  Mix well.  Now add your rice and frozen peas.  Stir fry well and mix everything together.  Add the cooked egg back into the wok and mix it with the rice.  Serves 4-6 people.  Garnish with some green scallion tops.  Enjoy.