The second installment of the Foodie's Supper Club was a success. Tamika played host and for some reason was obsessed about cooking lamb. She couldn't figure out what should go with it, all she knew was that her main dish was going to be lamb. So we brainstormed some ideas and she settled on Mediterranean-excellent choice! The best part is that EVERYONE cooked a dish they had never tried before. My favorites were the stuffed peppers and the lamb with the sun-dried tomato paste. The flat bread with thyme was also a winner-we decided to kick it up a notch after it came out a bit floury. Tamika roasted a whole garlic and then we insisted she sit it in some olive oil. We all dipped the flatbread in and went to town. Not sure if there was any left!THE MENU
First Course: Spicy Stuffed Peppers with Feta
Second Course: Greek Tomato and Cucumber Salad
Third Course: Spanakopita (Greek Spinach Pie)
Fourth Course: Mediterranean Lamb with Sun-Dried Tomato and Garlic Crust-
Fifth Course: Greek Lemon Cake
Greek Flat Bread
Mediterranean Lamb with Sun-Dried TomatoPrep: 15 min, Cook: 15 min.
1/4 cup cut sun-dried tomatoes, oil packed or dry
1 tsp. ground coriander
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/8 tsp. salt (optional)
4 lamb loin chops, abut 1/4 lb. each
2 tsp. olive oil
1 shallot, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
2 Tbs. Kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
2 Tbs. flat leaf or regular parsley, chopped
aluminum foil
Preheat oven to 425°F. If using oil packed tomatoes, drain and cut into
thin strips. If using dried, cut into thin strips. Cover with hot water
and let stand 10 minutes. Drain and set aside. Combine coriander, pepper
and salt in a bowl. Rub mixture into lamb. Arrange lamb in a roasting pan
and roast 15 minutes, or until lamb is just cooked throughout.
While lamb is roasting, heat oil in a heavy saucepan over low heat. Sauté
shallots and garlic 5 minutes or until softened. Do not brown. Add
remaining ingredients and stir until just heated throughout. Transfer lamb
to a carving platter. Tent with foil and let rest 5 minutes. Stir pan
juices into tomato mixture. Slice lamb into 1/4 inch thick slices across
the grain. Serve lamb topped with sauce.
Greek Tomato and Cucumber Salad
2 cups chopped Cucumber
2 medium Tomatoes, cut into chunks
1/2 cup coarsely chopped Green Peppers
1/2 cup thinly sliced Red Onions
1/2 cup Crumbled Feta Cheese
1/4 cup Greek Vinaigrette Dressing
1/2 teaspoon grated Lemon Peel
1. Add cucumber, tomatoes, green peppers, red onions, crumbles feta cheese
and lemon peel to large serving bowl.
2. Toss with Greek vinaigrette dressing.
3. Serve immediately.
Spicy Stuffed Peppers with Feta
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
18-20 bull's horn, Anaheim, or Cubanelle peppers
1 1/3 pounds of feta cheese
3 tablespoons of olive oil
4 heaping tablespoons of finely chopped parsley
2 small hot peppers (of your choice), finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of pepper
bread
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 390°F (200°C).
Cut a cap off the tops of peppers, and scoop out seeds, taking care not to
break or tear the pepper. In a bowl, mash the feta with a fork until soft.
Add oil, parsley, hot peppers, salt, and pepper and mix until very well
combined.
Using a small spoon, stuff the cheese mixture into the peppers (pressing
down with the handle of the spoon to completely fill) to 1/2 inch from the
top. Press a small piece of bread into the pepper to keep the cheese
filling from melting out during cooking. Place the caps back on each
pepper.
Lay the peppers in a lightly greased or nonstick baking pan and roast for
20 minutes or until they soften in a 390°F (200°C) preheated oven.
Alternative: These peppers stuffed with feta cheese can also be cooked on
the grill. Make sure the bread is firmly in place so the cheese doesn't
melt out.
Greek Lemon Cake
Ingredients:
3 cups cake flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 eggs
2 cups white sugar
1 cup butter, softened
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 cup plain yogurt
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease one 10 inch tube
pan.
2. Sift the flour, baking soda, and salt together. Set mixture aside.
3. Separate the eggs. In a large bowl beat the egg whites until soft peaks
form. Gradually add 1/2 cup of the sugar, beating until stiff glossy peaks
form. Set aside.
4. Cream butter or margarine, 1 1/2 cups sugar, egg yolks, lemon zest, and
lemon juice together until fluffy. Add flour mixture alternately with the
yogurt to the egg yolk mixture. Gently fold in the egg whites and pour the
batter into the prepared pan.
5. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 50 to 60 minutes. Let cake
cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to finish cooling.
Serves 12.
Spanakopita (Greek Spinach Pie)
Ingredients
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 bunch green onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 pounds spinach, rinsed and chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
8 sheets phyllo dough
1/4 cup olive oil
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly oil a 9x9 inch
square baking pan.
Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute
onion, green onions and garlic, until soft and lightly browned. Stir in
spinach and parsley, and continue to saute until spinach is limp, about 2
minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
In a medium bowl, mix together eggs, ricotta, and feta. Stir in spinach
mixture. Lay 1 sheet of phyllo dough in prepared baking pan, and brush
lightly with olive oil. Lay another sheet of phyllo dough on top, brush
with olive oil, and repeat process with two more sheets of phyllo. The
sheets will overlap the pan. Spread spinach and cheese mixture into pan
and fold overhanging dough over filling. Brush with oil, then layer
remaining 4 sheets of phyllo dough, brushing each with oil. Tuck
overhanging dough into pan to seal filling.
Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes, until golden brown. Cut into
squares and serve while hot.
Greek Flatbread
• 1 package active yeast
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
• 3/4 cup water (might need more)
• 1 teaspoon oil
Directions
In the bowl of a food processor combine the yeast, sugar, flour, salt and
thyme. Pulse to combine. Add the water in a steady stream until the dough
begins to form a ball, turn it on to a board and knead with the heel of
your hand until the dough is smooth and elastic.
Coat a bowl with oil. Place dough in bowl, and cover with a damp cloth.
Put in a warm spot to rise until double in size, about 1 hour.
When the dough has doubled in size, punch the dough, scrape it onto the
counter and knead it lightly into a smooth ball. Cut into 20 pieces and
with a rolling pin roll out to form very flat 5 to 6-inch circles.
Preheat a stove top grill pan over medium high. Do not oil. Place bread on
hot grill and cook without touching it until you see bubbles on the
surface, about 1 to 2 minutes. Turn and continue to cook 1 to 2 minutes
more or until bread has puffed up. Serve immediately.
