Best Beef Stroganoff

 

I never get tired of this recipe!  ~Shelly

Ingredients

1.2 lb boneless rib eye or tenderloin
2 tbsp vegetable oil , divided
1 large onion (or 2 small onions), sliced
10 oz mushrooms , sliced (not too thin)
3 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour 
2 cups beef broth, preferably salt reduced
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
2/3 cup sour cream
Salt and pepper

Serving:

8 - 10 oz pasta or egg noodles of choice (Note 3)
Chopped chives , for garnish (optional)

Instructions

• Use your fist (or rolling pin or mallet) to flatten the steaks to about  1/3" thick. Slice into  1/5" strips (cut long ones in half), discarding excess fat.
• Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper.
• Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large skillet over high heat. Scatter half the beef in the skillet, QUICKLY spread it with tongs. Leave untouched for 30 seconds until browned. Turn beef quickly (as best you can!). Leave untouched for 30 seconds to brown. Immediately remove onto a plate. Don't worry about pink bits and that it will be raw inside.
• Add remaining 1 tbsp oil and repeat with remaining beef.
• Turn heat down to medium high. Add butter, melt. Then add onions, cook for 1 minute, then add mushrooms.
• Cook mushrooms until golden. Scrape bottom of fry pan to get all the golden bits off (this is flavor!).
• Add flour, cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
• Add half the broth while stirring. Once incorporated, add remaining broth.
• Stir, then add sour cream and mustard. Stir until incorporated (don't worry if it looks split, sour cream will "melt" as it heats).
• Bring to simmer ,then reduce heat to medium low. Once it thickens to the consistency of pouring cream (3 - 5 minutes), adjust salt and pepper to taste.
• Add beef back in (including plate juices). Simmer for 1 minute, then remove from stove immediately. (Note 4)
• Serve over pasta or egg noodles, sprinkled with chives if desired.
  
  

Notes

1. Best cut of beef for stroganoff - use decent to good quality quick cooking cut of beef such as:

• boneless rib eye 
• beef tenderloin
• boneless sirloin, sirloin steak tips

I don't recommend: beef round steak (aka topside), skirt, flat iron, 

Pork can also be used - pork stroganoff is found in Russia too.

2. Flour - any is fine here, I use plain white flour (all purpose).  Or use 1 TBL. corn starch.

3. Serving - I like serving this with short pastas, rather than long pastas. Easier to eat. It's also great with mashed potato, rice, polenta - anything that's suitable to slop up all that gravy!

4. Sauce thickness: You can make sauce thinner with touch of water if you want, but DO NOT keep simmering to thicken once the beef is added, it will overcook the beef.

5. Storage - 3 to 4 days in the fridge, also freezes fine. Thaw fully then reheat carefully, being sure not to overcook the beef!
I found this recipe at;RecipeTinEats

Grilled Ribeye Steak with Cabernet Mushrooms

This recipe for Grilled Ribeye Steak with Cabernet Mushrooms is the last of the incredible grilled steak recipes Chef Brandon Douglas taught participants at the “Sizzling Summer Steaks” event that was part of the “Made from Scratch” cooking classes in 2013 at the Winrock Institute on Petit Jean Mt.

Chef Douglas says the ribeye is his favorite steak cut because of the wonderful marbling of fat this cut features compared to leaner cuts of beef steak. He says the fat adds to the sweet, rich flavor of this recipe. He combined sliced baked sweet potato wedges when he plated the finished steak and mushroom sauce.

Ingredients

• 1 cup dry cabernet sauvignon
• 2/3 cup green onion sliced in rounds
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus 2 tablespoons for garnish
• 3 teaspoons fresh rosemary leaves, chopped; plus sprigs for garnish
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 cup demi glaze or Beef stock
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 4 Harter House Ribeye Steaks, 1-1/2 inches thick
• your favorite mushrooms, rough chopped or whole
• Baked Sweet Potato (Optional)

Directions

1. Make small cuts with knife into fat around the edge of steaks. Rub with your favorite seasoned salt steak rub and pepper. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to an hour.
2. Clean grill grate and preheat grill to high heat.
3. Place steaks on hot grill for three minutes on each side to sear. Reduce grill temperature to low and close the lid. Continue cooking steaks an additional five to 10 minutes for medium-rare, turning halfway through. Let steaks rest for five minutes before serving.
   OPTION - cook till Medium Rare on the grill.
4. As steaks cook, add olive oil to saute’ pan. Add mushrooms, garlic and saute’ until mushrooms become tender. Excluding green onions, add remaining ingredients and reduce until sauce forms. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
5. Pour on top of finished steak. Garnish with green onions and remaining olive oil. Serve with baked sweet potato.

Rainy Day Blueberry Muffins

It's a very cloudy, damp morning and I'm wondering, what to do.
My first thought is baking.
I love the sound of the rain and I'm happy to stay in and cook today.
If you have blueberries, fresh or in the freezer, you probably have everything you need for some delicious blueberry muffins. (I always have yogurt in my fridge also.)





Blueberry Muffins Recipe

Ingredients

3 cups of all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
10 Tbsp unsalted butter (1 1/4 stick), softened
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1 1/2 cups blueberries
1 Tbsp flour (if using defrosted frozen berries)

Method

1 Adjust the oven rack to the middle-lower part of the oven. Preheat oven to 375°F.

2 Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and set aside.

3 In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar together, beating until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating until incorporated after each one. Beat in the grated lemon peel.

4 Beat in one half of the dry ingredients until just incorporated. Beat in one third of the yogurt. Beat in half of the remaining dry ingredients. Beat in a second third of the yogurt. Beat in the remaining dry ingredients and then the remaining yogurt. Again be careful to beat until just incorporated. Do not over beat. Fold in the berries. If you are using frozen berries, defrost them first, drain the excess liquid, and then coat them in a light dusting of flour.

5 Use standard 12-muffin muffin tins. Coat each muffin cup lightly with olive oil or grapeseed oil using a pastry brush, or with a little butter. Or use one of those convenient vegetable oil sprays. Distribute the muffin dough equally among the cups. Bake until muffins are golden brown, about 25 to 30 minutes. Test with a long toothpick to make sure the centers of the muffins are done. Set on wire rack to cool for 5 minutes. Remove muffins from the tin and serve slightly warm.

Yield: Makes 12-16 muffins.

Slow Cooker Ham and Beans

Ingredients

1 pound dried Great Northern or Pinto beans, sorted and rinsed

4 cups water

1/4 cup celery, chopped

1 small onion, chopped

2 bay leaves

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon dried parsley

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 leeks (bulb only), cut in half lengthwise

1 pound cooked ham, cut into bite-size pieces (OR a Ham Shank - This week $3.99 lb.)

5 slices bacon

4 cups chicken stock

1 pinch sea salt to taste

1 pinch fresh ground black pepper to taste

Directions

1. Place the beans into a large container and cover with several inches of cool water; let stand 8 hours to overnight. Drain and rinse before using.
2. Combine the soaked beans, 4 cups of water, celery, onion, bay leaves, cumin, garlic powder, and parsley into a slow cooker.
3. Melt the butter with the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat; cook and stir the leeks in the butter mixture until tender and the smaller pieces start to brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer the leeks to the slow cooker. In the same pan, cook and stir the ham until the edges start to brown; stir into the soup. *** If using a ham shank, just put it in the soup.
4. Place the bacon into the hot skillet, and pan-fry until the bacon is crisp, about 10 minutes. Cut the bacon into bite-size pieces and stir into the soup. Pour the chicken stock into the hot skillet, and stir to dissolve any brown flavor bits from the skillet; pour the chicken stock into the soup. Season with sea salt and pepper.
5. Set the cooker to Low cook the soup until the beans are very tender, 6 to 8 hours. Roughly mash about half the beans with a potato masher to thicken the soup.

Bacon Wrapped Meat Loaf

 Do you have a favorite meatloaf recipe?

Growing up, my mom made meatloaf and sour cabbage.  I did NOT like it as a child.  Of course I do now.  But it was the only meatloaf I remember being introduced to when I was young.

So, when my mother-in-law served us meatloaf for dinner, it was instantly my favorite meatloaf.  My kids still ask for me, or Grandma, to make it for them.

I also published it in the first edition of the Harter House Cookbook,
Recipe by Barbara Kauffman.



This recipe makes two loafs.  Tomorrow I'll enjoy a meatloaf sandwich

2 lbs. Harter House lean Ground Chuck
1 Cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese

1/4 C Dried Bread Crumbs
2/3 Cup onion, chopped
1/4 cup Ketchup
2 Tbl. Parmesan Cheese
2 Tbl. Worchestershire
1 tsp. salt
1.4 tsp pepper
2 eggs
12 strips Harter House Double Smoked Bacon

Combine all ingredients except bacon.
Mix well.
Divide mixture in half.
Shape each in a roll.
Wrap in Bacon.
Bake at 375 degrees for 40 minutes.
Do Not overcook.
Allow to rest before slicing.

Old Fashioned Apple Crisp

 

This easy apple crisp is made the old fashioned way like Grandma used to make, and is perfect with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and salted caramel sauce!

Ingredients

6 golden delicious apples, peeled and chopped (other varieties can be used, can also be sliced)

2 Tbsp granulated sugar

1 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon, divided

1 1/2 tsp lemon juice

1 cup light brown sugar

3/4 cup old fashioned oats

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, diced into small cubes

pinch of kosher salt

 

 

Instructions

1.             Preheat oven to 350 F degrees.  Butter an 8×8 baking dish, or spray with non-stick cooking spray.  Set aside.

2.             In a mixing bowl, add chopped apples, granulated sugar, 3/4 tsp of the cinnamon and lemon juice.  Stir to combine, then transfer to prepared baking dish.

3.             In a separate mixing bowl, add topping ingredients (brown sugar, oats, flour, 1 tsp cinnamon, salt, and diced cold butter).  Use a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the oat mixture, using a slight downward twisting motion, until mixture resembled pea-sized crumbs.  Alternatively, you can use two forks or even your hands to cut butter into the mixture.

4.             Spread topping over apples in baking dish, and gently pat to even it out.  Bake 40-50 minutes, until golden brown and bubbly.

5.             Serve warm and enjoy!

 

The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies

 

Ingredients

1 cup butter at room temperature
1 cup brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
2 eggs at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour*
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups (12 oz.) chocolate chips or chunks
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans optional

Instructions

1. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and both types of sugar using the paddle attachment of your stand mixer if you have one. Cream but do not beat until fluffy, we don’t want to beat in air. Add eggs and vanilla and mix to combine. Combine flour, baking soda and salt in a bowl. Add it to the butter-sugar mixture and beat on low speed until flour is incorporated. Scrape mixing bowl to ensure flour is evenly distributed in the dough. Stir in chocolate and, if using, nuts. You may need to do this with a wooden spoon.

2. Tightly cover the bowl and chill dough for at least 3 hours or overnight.* Before baking, allow dough to stand at room temperature for about 45 minutes until it is soft enough to shape into balls.

3. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and line baking tray with parchment paper. Roll dough into balls of about 1 ¼ inches (3 cm) in diameter (slightly smaller than golf balls). Place dough balls on baking tray, leaving plenty of room for the cookies to spread.

4. Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes. They should be golden brown and crispy on the edges, no longer shiny but still quite soft in the middles. Do not overbake! Take cookies out of the oven and allow them to cool on the baking tray for 2 minutes before transferring them with a spatula to cooling racks. The cookies firm and set as they cool.
5. Store cooled cookies tightly covered at room temperature for up to one week or for up to three months in the freezer.

Recipe Notes

*If you want to bake the cookies immediately, add an extra ¼ cup of flour, for a total of 2 ¾ cups of flour. OR freeze cookie dough balls for 20 minutes before baking.

Juicy Skillet Pork Chops

Pork chops are a quick, healthy and simple dinner. Our method ensures juicy, tender and flavorful pork chops with little fuss.

PREP 30 mins
COOK 15 mins
TOTAL 45 mins

4 pork chops, about 1-inch thick and 6 to 7 ounces each

Salt, to taste

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup low-sodium chicken stock

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

2 teaspoons honey or brown sugar

1 tablespoon butter

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, optional

Directions

Prepare Pork Chops

Take the pork chops out of the refrigerator and season on both sides with salt and pepper — we use just less than 1/4 teaspoon of fine salt per pork chop. Set the chops aside to rest for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the spice rub. In a small bowl, mix the flour, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, and smoked paprika. After 30 minutes, use a paper towel to pat the pork chops dry then rub both sides of the chops with the spice rub.

Heat the oil in a medium skillet (with lid) over medium-high heat. As soon as the oil is hot and looks shimmery, add the pork. Cook until golden, 2 to 3 minutes.

Flip the pork so that the seared side is facing up. (If there is a fattier side of the pork, use kitchen tongs to hold the chops, fat-side-down until it sizzles and browns slightly; about 30 seconds.) Reduce the heat to low then cover the skillet with a lid. Cook 6 to 12 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer reads 145 degrees F when inserted into the thickest part of the chop. (Since cook time depends on the thickness of the chops, check for doneness at 5 minutes then go from there, checking every 2 minutes). If you do not have a thermometer, you will know they are done, if when cutting into the chops, the juices run clear.

Transfer pork chops to a plate then cover loosely with aluminum foil. Let the pork rest for 5 minutes.

Make Pan Sauce

While the pork rests, make the pan sauce. Increase the heat to medium-high then add the chicken stock, vinegar, and honey. Use a wooden spoon to scrape the bottom of the pan so that any stuck bits of pork come up. Bring to a simmer and cook until reduced by half. Taste then adjust the seasoning with salt, more vinegar or honey. Slide the skillet off of the heat and when the sauce is no longer simmering, swirl in the butter. Slide the pork chops back into the pan and spoon some of the sauce on top. Alternatively, slice the chops then place back into the pan. Scatter fresh parsley over the pork then serve.

NOTES

Make an onion-apple pan sauce: After removing the cooked pork chops from the skillet, add sliced onions, apples and a bit of fresh thyme. Cook until sweet and softened then pour in the stock, vinegar, and honey.

FROM  Inspired Taste

Cheesy Shrimp Tortellini

 

Tortellini is one of my family's favorite.  And of course, shrimp. 

Shrimp pairs well with Tomatoes, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Carrots, Bell Peppers, Asparagus, and Zucchini.  Serve them on the side or toss them in with your pasta and sauce.

Ingredients

1 pound package Cheese tortellini pasta, cooked and drained
1 lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined
3 Tbsp salted butter
1 Roma tomato, sliced
2 basil leaves, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp all purpose flour
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat

Add Shrimp and let cook for 2-3 minutes, until no longer translucent,

Add in sliced tomatoes, basil and garlic and stir.

Saute 1-2 minutes and stir in flour.

Once flour in completely stirred in, add heavy whipping cream and parmesan cheese.

Stir and add in cheese tortellini.  Toss to coat.

Serve with more shredded parmesan and minced basil.

RECIPE from Sweet Pea's Kitchen

Parmesan Ranch Baked Chicken

I LOVE simple.  This is pretty simple.  ~Shelly

Tender, juicy chicken is topped with Ranch dressing, buttery crackers, and savory Parmesan cheese. This is a baked chicken dish your entire family will be begging for!

A subtle Ranch flavor takes a backseat, letting the Parmesan be the star.

Ingredients

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts or Thighs (about 2 pounds)
1 cup crushed Ritz crackers (about 24 crackers)
4 ounces Parmesan Cheese, shredded
1 tablespoons dried parsley flakes
2 tablespoons Ranch Dressing
2 teaspoons garlic salt

Instructions

1. In a seal-able plastic bag, gently pound chicken until it's uniform in thickness. Slice breasts in half, if desired.
2. In a food processor, pulse together crackers, shredded Parmesan and dried parsley. (alternatively, you could crush the crackers by hand and stir together with the cheese and parsley.
3. Spray a 9"x13" pan with cooking spray to prevent sticking. Place chicken in the pan and sprinkle with garlic salt.
4. Brush chicken evenly with Ranch dressing, then sprinkle cracker mixture on top. Press the cracker mixture into the chicken lightly with your hands.
5. Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for about 20 minutes. Tops should be golden brown. If additional browning time is needed, place chicken under the broiler for a couple minutes.
6. Serve hot.

Serves 6

This recipe found on Yellow Bliss Road

http://www.yellowblissroad.com/parmesan-ranch-baked-chicken/

Italy is For Lovers - Italian LOVE Cake

What girl hasn't dreamed of a holiday in Rome, and of being swept off her feet by some strong Italian gentleman on his scooter through the byways and streets of Italy. Well, maybe the fantasy is gone, but that doesn't mean that feeling can't be relived in the flavors of the Italian Love Cake. A decadent treat for the Italian in all of us. Stop by Harter House and Harter House World Flavors to pick up the ingredients for this amazing dessert.

 

 

 

What you will need:

Cake:

Yellow Cake Mix

3 Eggs

1/4 Cup Frangelico

1 Cup Water

1/3 Cup Vegetable Oil

Filling:

8 Large Eggs

3 Pounds Whole Milk Ricotta Cheese, drained

3/4 Cup Granulated Sugar

1 Teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract

Topping

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon table salt
6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch squares, chilled

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Mix the cake ingredients in a bowl and set aside. Now, take the filling ingredients and beat until smooth and fluffy.

Important: DO NOT MIX THESE TOGETHER. In a greased 10X15 glass pan, pour the cake mix into the bottom, and then, pour the ricotta filling ON TOP. DO NOT MIX.

Bake the cake for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool.

As the cake cools, make the topping. In a food processor blend 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1/4 cup dark brown sugar, 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Pour the mixture into a bowl and with a pastry cutter, cut in 6 Tablespoons chilled unsalted butter until the mixture looks like wet sand. Now sprinkle over the cooling cake.

Now, invite your girlfriend's over, pop open the champagne, close your eyes and imagine Fernando feeding you this mouth-watering dessert on a deserted Italian beach. Delizioso!!!

Pork Schnitzel with Garlic Sauce

 

INGREDIENTS

4 Harter House Pork Cutlets
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper
2 large eggs
1/2 cup milk
4 cups plain dried bread crumbs or Panko.
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 sprig thyme
lemon wedges

Put the flour in a shallow dish and season with salt and pepper.  Whisk the eggs and milk in another shallow dish and season with salt and pepper.  Put the bread crumbs in a third dish and again season with salt and pepper.

Lightly dredge each piece of pork in flour, then egg, and finally the bread crumbs, pressing the bread crumbs onto the pork gently so they have a nice even coating.

Lay the breaded pork cutlets in a single layer on a plate lined with parchment and refrigerate uncovered, for 10 - 12 minutes to allow the coating to dry out a little and adhere to the pork.

Heat oil and butter in a nonstick skillet over medium high heat.  Add the thyme sprig and let it fry for about 1 minute to infuse the oil.  Remove the thyme sprig and reserve.  Gently lay the cutlets into the pan and cook until golden brown and crispy, about 3 minutes per side.  

Remove to paper towels to drain.  Season with salt and transfer to a serving platter while still hot.  Garnish with lemon wedges and the fried sprig of thyme before serving.

GARLIC SAUCE for 4 cutlets

4 Tablespoons butter
2 clove garlic
2 Lemon, juiced
Fresh Parsley or thyme

Add butter and whole garlic and heat to infuse butter.
Squeeze lemon and add parsley / thyme to the pan.  Mix well and pour over schnitzel.

PORK SCHNITZEL SANDWICH

There is not much better than this Pork sandwich.
Add your favorite sauce. provolone cheese, lettuce, tomato, and  onion, on a toasted bun.

Baklava

  

               

Recipe by Maria Savvenas

Ingredients:
Filling:

• 3 cups walnuts
• 3 cups almonds
• 1 tbsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground cloves
• Grand Marnier, generous splash    (maybe 2 oz.)

Pulse walnuts and almonds in a food processor until coarsely chopped. Combine walnuts, almonds, cinnamon, cloves, and enough Grand Marnier to slightly moisten the mixture in a bowl. Set aside.

Assembly:

• One Athens 1 lb. box fillo dough, at room temperature
• 3/4 lb. Plugra Sweet Cream European-style butter, melted

Brush the bottom and sides of a 9 X 13 in. baking pan generously with butter. Working with one fillo sheet at a time, remove the top sheet, and replace the dry and wet tea towels back on the stack. Arrange one sheet at the bottom of the pan. Using a pastry brush, brush the fillo sheet with melted butter, first at the edges and then in the middle. Repeat until the bottom layer is 8 sheets thick, each brushed generously with butter. Spread 1/3 of the filling evenly over the top. Layer 4 more sheets, buttering each. Spread another 1/3 of the filling evenly on top. Layer 4 more sheets, buttering each. Spread the remaining 1/3 of the filling evenly. Layer up to 8 or more sheets of fillo, buttering each. This is your top layer. It can be as thick as you choose. Score the baklava into squares or diamonds. Dot any remaining butter evenly all over. Sprinkle a few drops of water over the top and place pan in a pre-heated 350-degree oven for about 1 hour until golden brown. Check at 40 minutes, but as long as 1 1/2 hours may be needed for fillo dough to be as golden brown as desired. In the meantime prepare the syrup.

Syrup:

• 3 cups sugar
• 3 cups water
• 1 Cup Honey
• Cinnamon Stick
• One lemon slice

Bring all ingredients to a boil in a large sauce pan. Allow to simmer for at least five minutes. Remove cinnamon stick and lemon slice and any foam that accumulates. As soon as you pull the baklava out of the oven, ladle the hot syrup evenly over the top. Allow the baklava to cool and absorb the syrup completely. It keeps at room temperature for up to 10 days in an air-tight container. Baklava may certainly be refrigerated, but the honey will crystallize and may alter the texture. 

Working with Fillo Dough: Remove fillo dough from freezer and leave overnight in refrigerator. At least two hours before preparation, leave the box on the kitchen counter to fully come to room temperature. Remove fillo dough from box and unroll carefully. Lay it flat on the counter top with its plastic membrane underneath and a dry and a wet tea towel on top to prevent the dough from drying out. If the top sheets are too wet, rotate to the bottom. It is important to work quickly at this point. You may rotate the stack a few more times as needed. Assemble as directed by recipe.

Authentic Greek Tzatziki Sauce

A Gyro is a traditional Greek sandwich that is made with beef and lamb, seasoned with zesty spices, thinly sliced and piled high onto a fluffy pita bread.  Add Onions, tomato, feta cheese and of course fresh Tzatziki  (Zaat-Zee-Kee)

This is the best Tzatziki recipe I have found. 

I think you will agree!

Authentic Greek Tzatziki

Ingredients

1 large English Cucumber, unpeeled

1 1/2 cups plain full-fat Greek yogurt

2 large garlic cloves, finely minced
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon white vinegar (I use Best Choice brand)
1/2 teaspoon salt
Juice of 1/2 lemon
heaping tablespoon fresh dill

Instructions
Grate the cucumber and drain off all the liquid. 
Bounty paper towels work great.
Combine the yogurt, garlic, oil, vinegar, lemon juice, salt in a large bowl
Transfer the grated cucumber and fresh dill to the yogurt mixture and stir to combine.
Refrigerate several hours.

Serve chilled with pita bread for dipping
Perfect for a Gyro sandwich.
Try it on sliced roast beef also.

 

Spanakopita - Enjoy a Greek Spinach Pie

Many years ago, my good friend Maria Savvenas was a guest chef at Harter House World Flavors Sampling Station she demonstrated how to make Spanakopita, a Greek Spinach Pie.

At that time, I had eaten it before but had never made it myself. So I watched her put them together into small triangles and of course, she made it look SO easy. So I purchased all the ingredients and decided I would attempt to make them at home. Which I did do.  It was time consuming, it took me at least 3 hours, but OMG, it was so worth it. I did get faster the next time because I then had a better understanding of the process. The time consuming part is taking the Fillo Dough, one sheet at a time, and basting each sheet with butter, using 4 sheets for each triangle, and trying to get them right on top of the 1st sheet.  Today I feel like a pro.  I make it often, my family loves it, and I love to take it when I need to "bring a dish" to my holiday parties.

Working with Phyllo Dough

I put wax paper on the counter, unroll the Fillo dough on the wax paper, and put another piece of wax paper on top of the phyllo dough, then put a damp towel on top to keep the phyllo dough from drying out. It's nearly impossible to work with the Fillo dough after it starts to dry out.

I was able to get 16 Spanakopita triangles from this recipe and 1 box of Athen's Fillo Dough.

 

Maria also told me that if I want to make a lot for a large group that I can use a 9x13 pan, putting phyllo dough on the bottom of the pan, then the mixture, another layer of Fillo Dough and mixture, and top with more phyllo dough sheets. Same process of buttering each layer.

Spanakopita

1 lb. Spinach (baby – Large Container)

2 Leeks – chopped

Large Onion – chopped

1 bunch Green onion – Chopped

2-3 cloves of Garlic – Chopped or minced

Dill

2 Eggs

2 Cups Crumbled Feta

1 tsp. Salt

½ tsp. black pepper

1 lb. Fillo Dough

1 cup salted butter, melted

1) Remove fillo from Freezer and put it in the refrigerator overnight to thaw. As you prepare the filling, remove fillo from the fridge and leave on the counter

2) Sauté onion, leeks, green onion and garlic over medium high heat until softened. Add Spinach, wilting the leaves. Remove pan from heat. Add Salt, pepper, dill, and feta mixing well. Then add slightly beaten eggs, stirring well – to blend the ingredients. Set mixture aside.

3) Unroll fillo dough from package. Lay it out flat on the countertop. Wet a dishtowel to cover the fillo you are not using to keep it from drying out. Use a sharp knife to cut fillo in half lengthwise to create two columns of equal size. Cover one column with a damp towel. Use other column to begin assembling.

4) Take one sheet and brush with melted butter, and then place another sheet on top of the buttered side and brush with butter again. Repeat until you have four layers of fillo.

5) Place butter fillo in front of you lengthwise. (The wider side toward you)

  Drain spinach mixture in a colander. Press mixture with the back of a spoon to remove excess moisture. Take a Tbl. of spinach mixture and place it on the bottom inside corner of the fillo. Take the corner of the dough, underneath the spinach mixture so that the corner meets flush with the other side. Continue folding until there is no more fillo and you have a triangle.

6) Repeat until fillo or mixture is gone. Place on a baking sheet and brush each triangle with more butter

7) Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes or until the fillo dough is golden.  

Tips

I like to use Plugra European Butter.

        

I also like Athenos Feta Cheese. 
Plain or mix it up with flavored varieties.

I like to chop all my vegetables before I start.  They tend to cook faster than I can cut. 

           

Open a bottle of your favorite wine and consume while cooking.

    

Find everything you need at Harter House

and Harter House World Flavors.