Greek Chicken Cutlets

Serves 4
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1/3 cup pitted Kalamata olives
4 ounces feta cheese, coarsely crumbled (1 cup)
1/2 cup fresh mint leaves
2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 1/2 pounds thin chicken cutlets (about 8)

Directions

In a medium bowl, combine tomatoes, olives, feta, mint, and 1 tablespoon oil. Season with salt and pepper; set aside.

Heat a grill pan over high; brush lightly with oil. Season cutlets with salt and pepper. Cook, working in batches as necessary, until chicken is cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate, and cover with aluminum foil to keep warm.

Top chicken with tomato mixture, and serve.

Lamb Burgers with Feta Sauce and Cucumbers

Serves 4
1 1/2 pounds ground lamb
2 teaspoons curry powder
3 scallions, thinly sliced
coarse salt and ground pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
2 tablespoons plain yogurt
8 slices country bread (each 1/2 inch thick), toasted, if desired
1 Kirby cucumber, cut lengthwise into ribbons with a vegetable peeler

Directions

In a medium bowl, combine lamb, curry powder, and 2 sliced scallions; season generously with salt and pepper. Mix gently with a fork (do not overmix); form into 4 oval patties to fit on bread (each 1 inch thick).

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Season patties with salt and pepper. Cook until browned and just cooked through, 4 to 6 minutes per side (reduce heat if browning too quickly).

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix feta, yogurt, and remaining scallion, mashing cheese gently to combine; season with salt and pepper.

Spread 4 slices of bread with feta mixture; top with cucumbers, lamb patties, and remaining bread.

Spanakopita triangles

Spanakopita Triangles
Adapted liberally from Gourmet

Makes about 30 pastries

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 cup sliced green onions
1 clove garlic, minced
1 pound fresh spinach (coarse stems removed if ‘grown-up’ spinach; baby spinach can be used in full)
3/4 pound feta, crumbled
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste

Melt one tablespoon butter in a large heavy skillet over moderate heat, add onions and garlic and saute for a minute, then cook spinach, stirring, until wilted and tender, an additional 4 to 8 minutes (less for baby spinach, more for grown-up spinach). Remove from heat and cool, about 10 minutes. Press mixture in mesh colander (or wring in cheesecloth) to remove as much liquid as possible (I find this more necessary with baby spinach than the heartier stuff, which left almost no excess liquid), then coarsely chop. Transfer to a bowl and stir in feta and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Let filling cool and follow instructions for phyllo triangles (below).

Orzo with Mint and Peas

Serves 4
1 cup orzo
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 shallot (about 2 tablespoons), minced
Zest of 1 lemon
1 pound fresh peas, shelled, or 2 cups frozen peas
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

Directions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil; salt water, and add orzo. Cook orzo according to package directions until al dente; drain, and set aside. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add shallot and lemon zest, and saute until translucent.

Add peas, and cook until bright green and tender, adding a little water if shallots brown before peas are tender.

Add cooked orzo, season with salt and pepper, and toss to combine. Remove from heat, and stir in mint. Serve immediately.

Chickpeas and Tomatoes

Serves 4
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 can (15 1/2 ounces) chickpeas
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes with juice
1/4 cup fresh mint, thinly sliced

Directions

Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add 1 halved and thinly sliced large onion and 2 chopped garlic cloves; season with coarse salt and ground pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until onion begins to soften, 5 to 7 minutes.

Add 1 can chickpeas (15 1/2 ounces), drained and rinsed, and 1 can (14 1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes with juice. Simmer until thickened but still saucy, 6 to 8 minutes; remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper; stir in 1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh mint.

Soba Noodles with Vegetables and Mint

Serves 4
Coarse salt
8 ounces sugar snap peas, trimmed, strings removed
12 ounces soba noodles
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon peanut oil
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 medium carrots, about 1/2 pound, peeled and shaved into thin strips using a vegetable peeler
1 teaspoon minced peeled fresh ginger
4 scallions, thinly sliced crosswise
1 tablespoon tamari soy sauce
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh mint
Freshly ground pepper

Directions

Prepare an ice-water bath; set aside. Bring a large (8-quart) pot of water to a boil; add salt. Add peas; cook until bright green and crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, immediately transfer peas to ice-water bath to stop the cooking; drain. Return water to a boil; cook noodles according to package instructions. Drain.

Rinse noodles with cold water; drain.

Transfer noodles to a large bowl. Add oils; toss to combine.Add reserved peas, the carrots, ginger, scallions, tamari soy sauce, and mint; season with pepper. Toss to combine. Serve at room temperature.

Sweet Chili Lime Tofu with Wok Steamed Collards and Quinoa

Sweet Chili Lime Tofu with Wok Steamed Collards and Quinoa
Serves 2-3
1 Block Tofu, extra firm, 14 oz
Sweet Chili Lime Sauce
3 Tbs Sugar
3 Tbs Reduced Sodium Tamari (or soy sauce)
1 3/4 Tbs Fresh Lime Juice
1/2 Zest of the Lime
1/2 tsp Red Chili Flakes (or 1-2 fresh hot chilies, minced)
1 Clove Garlic, pressed, optional
1/4 tsp Salt
4 Mint Leaves, chiffonaded

Quinoa*
3/4 Cup Quinoa, rubbed/rinsed in cool water, drained
1/2 Zest Lime
2 Bruised Cardamom Pods, optional
1 Tiny Stick of Cinnamon (a broken piece of a larger stick), optional
1/4 tsp Salt
1 1/3 Cup Water

*Other options: For brown rice, adjust water to 1 1/2 cups, for medium/long grain rice, water measurement is the same. Noodles can be boiled, drained, and given a light splash of soy sauce and lime juice for some background flavor. The tofu is very flavorful, so whatever base you choose, it needs only subtle additions, if any at all.

Wok Steamed Collards
1 Bunch Collard Greens, middle veins removed, washed
2-3 Tbs Water
1 Pinch Salt
1 tsp Lime Juice

Directions

Combine all the ingredients for the quinoa in a pot that has a tight fitting lid.

Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to low. Cook for 20 minutes, then turn off heat. Do not open lid. Let steam for 10 minutes before serving.

Prepare the sweet chili lime sauce by whisking all of the ingredients together until the sugar and salt is dissolved.

Drain tofu and cut it into small triangles. I slice the block into 8 rectangles, then each rectangle in half to make two squares per rectangle. I cut each square diagonally to make four triangles per square. Tofu geometry is my favorite kind of math! You can cut the tofu however you please, but a thinner, smaller shape will work best for this method.

Heat a well-seasoned cast iron or non-stick skillet over medium heat. A 10″ skillet will fit all the tofu, so if you’re using a smaller skillet, you’ll need to do this in batches. In order to properly “dry fry” the tofu, you’ll need a pan the tofu won’t stick to even without any oil.

Spread the tofu out in one layer in the pan. Using a spatula, press the tofu. The liquid will squeeze out and boil away, and the tofu will begin to turn golden. The more water that evaporates, the sturdier the tofu will be, so be gentle at first to prevent the tofu from breaking up. After several minutes, flip the tofu over and press the other side. After about 10 minutes of dry frying, you can turn off the heat and set the tofu aside for finishing later, or proceed to adding the sauce. (You might want to set the tofu aside before finishing in order to to prepare the collards, below.)

To finish the tofu, bring the pan back up to temperature if it’s not already very hot. You want to heat the pan and the tofu over high heat, making sure the tofu is hot all the way through. Add the sauce and stir to coat the tofu. Turn off the heat. The sauce will bubble up, reduce, and form a glaze. If it isn’t bubbling up and forming a glaze, turn the heat back on high and cook until the glaze is.. well.. glaze-y.

Stack the collard leaves on top of each other, 3-4 at a time, and roll. Slice the roll in 3/4 inch segments. Run your knife through the chopped collards to make smaller pieces, then add them to a wok with the water, lime juice and salt. Cover with any lid that will contain the collards and cook over high heat for 3-4 minutes until the collards are steamed and tender.

For plating, arrange the collards atop of a bed of quinoa. Add tofu over the top, drizzling any leftover sauce over the dish. Garnish with lime slices and mint leaves. Serve.