Feta Hash with Poached Eggs

Feta and I were on a break. Easter was rough, because we had a lot of lamb and feta leftover from the holiday. We worked our way through the barrel of feta and made a vow to go our separate ways until tomato season. I am convinced God created tomatoes simply to be served with feta and crusty bread. Anyway, I could not wait until tomato season and we reconnected for this simply delicious dish.

Salty feta, crispy potatoes, fresh onion, a runny poached egg and butter- simple, straight forward, and hands down the best dinner I have had in a long time.

Feta Hash with Poached Eggs
Serves 2

3 medium sized white potatoes, peeled and dice into 1/4 inch pieces
1/2 cup feta, crumbled
2 springs green onion, chopped
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 teaspoon black pepper
touch of cayenne
2 poached eggs
1/2 tablespoon kosher salt.

In a large pot bring a few quarts of water to a boil. Add salt. Carefully pour in potatoes. Cook for 8-10 minutes until tender and cooked through. Drain and pat dry. Allow to cool to room temperate. Gently combine the potatoes, feta and green onion.

In a skillet or flat top electric grill, melt the butter. When surface is very hot, place potato mixture as an even layer on the skillet. Season with pepper. Cook for 15-20 minutes until potatoes are very crisp.

Serve warm and top with a soft poached egg.

Vinaigrette Potato Salad

Nothing says summer parties more than chilled salads like potato salad. Sad as it may be- I never warmed to the mayo, mustard and egg rendition. However, I did not want to miss out on this classic, so this recipe omits the mayo, is light and easy, and above all does not spoil in the hot sun as quickly as its cousin.

I liked the texture of the red potatoes as white or russet varieties tend to fall apart. The vinaigrette is light on the vinegar part and certainly can be adjusted to taste. Focusing more on the olive oil gives a great flavor that is not masked by a tart component. Herbs round out the salad and green onions gives some bite. Enjoy!

Vinaigrette Potato Salad
Serves 2-3

1 lb. redskin potatoes
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1/2 tablespoon whole grain mustard
2 tablespoons fresh dill, minced
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
2 fresh green onion springs, chopped
2 teaspoons table salt, divided
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon celery salt

In a large pot bring 4 qt. of water to a boil. Add 1 teaspoon of table salt and carefully drop in the potatoes. Cook for 20 minutes until soft and cooked through. Drain potatoes and cut in 4ths. Place in a large bowl and carefully fold in the dill, parsley and green onion. Mix the vinegar and mustard, and slowly pour in the olive oil until thickened. Fold in the vinaigrette. Season with the remaining salt and pepper. Allow to cool to room temperature then refrigerate. Serve cold.

Roasted Lamb with Fresh Herbs

Sunday dinner is my favorite meal of the week. I tend to have more time, patience and over all energy to prepare things that require a little more love. Lamb is perfect dish when time is not a factor and nothing makes more happy than lamb whether stewed, roasted, grilled even poached, I have not met a cut or preparation I could resist. Now certain cuts of lamb such as chops can be prepared quickly others such as this shoulder piece need some TLC. While most in North America consider lamb a restaurant only dish most of the rest of the world treat lamb as a rustic dish suitable for both everyday meals and celebrations. Admittedly I am spoiled living in an area comprised of many nationalities that appreciate lamb thus I have access to affordable cuts not usually found the grocery stores. None the less lamb shanks or leg of lamb would be brilliant in this dish. Considering this roast was on the fatty side I knew it would stay moist and a simple herb rub would ensure the flavor of the lamb would come out. One thing I have not seemed to embrace is medium rare lamb. If that's your thing decrease the cooking time by about a half hour.

But let me make one thing clear the real reason to roast lamb is to make lemon potatoes. :)

Roasted Lamb Shoulder
4 servings

4-5 lb. Lamb shoulder

2 tablespoons fresh rosemary chopped

1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped

3 tablespoons kosher salt, divided

2 tablespoons fresh black pepper

1 large clove of garlic

1/4 cup lemon zest (zest of 2 lemons)

juice of 1 lemon

2 cups water

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Rinse lamb in cold water, pat dry and place in roasting pan or dutch oven, season with half the salt and all the pepper. In a food processor combine the rosemary, thyme, half the kosher salt and lemon zest. Pulse until finely minced. Slowly pour in the lemon juice. Mixture should be somewhat thick. Rub the herb mixture on the lamb. Place in the oven (uncovered ) for 30 minutes. Cover and continue to cook for 1.5-2 hours. Remove lamb from pan and continue on for lemon potatoes. Let the roast rest for 15 minutes. Carve and serve with lemon potatoes.

Lemon Potatoes

4 servings

2.5 lbs. russet or yukon gold potatoes, peeled and rinsed

2 tablespoons dried Greek oregano

juice of 1 lemon

1/4 cup olive oil (optional, if lamb has no fat add oil)

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1/2 tablespoon black pepper

1-2 cups of water (optional, if there is plenty of cooking liquid no need for water)

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Combine potatoes, oregano, salt and pepper. Mix the olive oil if using and lemon. Pour the lemon mixture over the potatoes. Place in the cooking liquid and roast for 45 minutes until liquid is absorbed and potatoes are golden.

Muffin Tin Potato Moussaka

There seems to be a correlation between growing as a home cook and acquiring cooking/baking products. For a recent barefoot bloggers recipe, I ran out to buy a muffin tin. Yes, that's right folks prior to trying this recipe I never needed a muffin pan. I sadly have no intent of making muffins in the near future and I scoured my brain to find ways to use this item in savory recipes like Moussaka Muffins.

Moussaka is one of those things that take time and patience but the rewards are immense. It's often reserved for gatherings where the large quantities equal a large guest list. Omitting the eggplant and concentrating on the thigh bulking items such as potato, ground beef and bechamel- this often laborious recipe becomes manageable and it's certainly easier to serve in 12 equal proportions.

This dish is comprised of three (Potato, Kima,seasoned ground beef or lamb, and Bechamel) separate but equal elements that with the exception of the bechamel can be prepared in advance. The beauty of using the muffin tin as the cooking vessel is each individual piece can be customized. Add zucchini to one, eggplant to another, omit the meat sauce in the next. The combinations are limitless.

You will note that egg is a traditional component in the bechamel based topping for moussaka and pastitiso. Although once again my mother thinks I am crazy, I find omitting the egg(s) makes a less custardy topping which I like. By all means include the egg if that's your preference.

Potato Moussaka

Serves 4

12 count muffin tin

2 large russet potatoes

1 recipe Seasoned ground beef (kima)

1 1/2-2 cups bechamel sauce

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

5 tablespoons flour

2 cups milk, scalded

1/2 cup kefalotyri or parmesan cheese

pinch of nutmeg

1 teaspoon white or black pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)

Potatoes

Heat oven to 450 degrees. Peel potatoes and cut 24 slices 1/4 inch thick. Place potato slice on a baking sheet. Drizzle a bit of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Cook until slightly brown about 15 minutes, flipping half way through. Place to the side.

Kima (Meat Sauce)

Grate one small onion and one clove of garlic. Heat 2 tbl. olive oil in large pan, add onion and cook for 1-3 minutes over medium heat. Add garlic and cook for an additional minute. Brown the ground sirloin for a few minutes, add spices and wine, cook for an additional minute until alcohol evaporates. Add tomato paste and mix in, add tomato puree and water. Mix thoroughly and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for 30-45 minutes on low. Check seasoning.

Bechamel Sauce

In a sauce pan melt butter over medium low heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 2 minutes, until mixture bubbles. Slowly whisk in the scolded milk, mixture should thicken rather quickly. Turn the heat off, add the cheese, nutmeg, pepper and salt (if needed).

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place 1 potato slice in each muffin slot. Top with a tablespoon of the meat sauce. Top once again with a potato slice. Pour in enough bechamel to cover the potato/meat sauce. Bake for half hour and serve warm.

Open-Faced Roasted Lamb Wrap and Potato Feta Gratin

Regardless of what the Barefoot Contessa thinks-- it is not possible to be a guest when hosting a holiday celebration at your home. This weekend I hosted an Easter party at my home. Greek Orthodox Easter is the culimination of a fasting period where the focus is not only the Resurrection of Jesus Christ but on roasting a lamb on a spit. When people have not consumed meat and other animal products for an extended period of time, breaking the fast is a big deal and places even more pressure on the host as no one wants to go down with the epitaph associated with serving bad lamb at Easter. I thoroughly enjoyed having my family and friends join in the celebration of Jesus Christ, and I am so happy that the lamb once again turned out as the star of the show.

While running around making sure that friends and family enjoyed this wonderful meal, I forgot to take a moment and enjoy the food. But I would be damned if I would not get a good meal out of a 38 lb. roasted baby lamb. All day I had lamb on my mind. More specifically, I was thinking about how to use the leftovers and frankly I was not in a state to do any heavy thinking. So this sandwich was simple and so good! On the right is my husband's creation and on the left is mine. It is simply dressed with tomatoes, onions and tzaziki. I cannot wait to see what comes to mind after some much need sleep.

Nothing goes better with roasted lamb than potatoes. There is nothing particularily inventive about pairing potatoes with feta, expect of course the pretentious name "Potato Feta Gratin". By fanning potatoes on a hot pan and placing in the oven to brown the top, you end up with a tasty and presentable incarination of a classic flavor combination.

Opened-Faced Roasted Lamb Sandwich
Heat enough olive oil to coat a pan and place sliced roasted lamb pieces to heat through. Meanwhile, warm pita bread. I had a naan style on hand, slice fresh tomato, onions or other items such as cucumbers or lettuce. Place lamb slices on pita load up on toppings including lots of tzatziki. Serve and enojy.

Potato Feta Gratin
Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Thinly slice 2-3 medium sized yukon gold potatoes. Heat 3 tablesoons of olive oil in a large pan, fan potatoes slices and cook for 5-10 minutes. Top with crumbled feta and a bit of black pepper. Place in the oven and cook for an additional 10-15 minutes until cheese is browned.

Oregano Roasted Chicken and Lemon Potatoes

This is one of my favorite dishes, it's simple and flavorful and is reminds me of home. Growing up my mom made this often and every Greek household has their own version. The only deviation from my mom's approach is the addition of Herbs de Provence. The key to this a really good Greek oregano. While others covet souvenirs from the Acropolis or such, I always bring back oregano which I store in a pillow case. I have no idea why I store in a pillow case I just do.

Roasted Chicken and Lemon Potatoes

Serves 4

1 fresh roasting chicken 5-6 lbs.

Juice of 2 lemons

1/2 cup olive oil

2-3 tablespoons Greek oregano

1 tablespoon Herbs de Provence

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon black pepper

1 lb. russet or yukon gold potatoes

1 cup hot water or chicken stock

Pre-heat oven to 375. Wash and dry chicken. Combine lemon juice, olive oil, oregano and herbs de provence. Salt and pepper chicken place in large roasting, pour 3/4 of the lemon/oil mixture over chicken and place in oven uncovered for 1 hour. While chicken is roasting peel and quarter potatoes place in bowl with cold water. Drain and add the remaining lemon/olive oil mixutre, set aside. Remove chicken from the oven and add either the water or chicken stock, add potatoes and roast for an additional hour or until juices run clear. Let sit for at least 15 minutes prior to serving.

Stuffed Potatoes

I can attest that every mediocre banquet hall has a twice baked potato that typically rivals their decor... two words, Not Good. Over processed potatoes with imitation bacon bits along with crap cheese give this dish a bad rap. Now I have on occasion made this dish for a crowd, I like the portion size, ease of preparation and it can be made ahead of time. The use of fresh ingredients, really makes this dish shine. Enjoy!


Ingredients
10-12 russet or Idaho potatoes
1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup milk or half and half
1/2 cup of sour cream
1/4 cup of cooked pancetta or thick cut bacon
Few tablespoons chives
Salt and pepper


Directions
Wrap potatoes in aluminum foil and place in 400 degree oven, bake for an hour. Let the potatoes cool slightly, slice slivers on each pole of the potatoes so that each portion stands upright. Carefully cut potatoes width-wise and remove a good portion of the "meat" with a small spoon. Place in a small bowl. Mash the extracted potato until smooth but leave a few chunks. Place remaining ingredients in bowl and combine. Using a piping bag or plastic freezer bag, pipe potato mixture back in the shells. Top with additional cheese (optional) and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes until slightly browned.

Pan Seared Ribeye and Oven Fries

Oven Fries

A quick weeknight meal with strong flavors. I used Gruyere but truly any cheese will do. Same goes for herbs.

3 large potatoes, peeled and hand cut in 1/8 inch portions

2 tbls. olive oil

1 teaspoon lemon zest

1 teaspoon chopped parsley

1 tbl. Gruyere cheese

Salt and fresh ground pepper

1.) Cut potatoes in 1/8 sliced and place on baking sheet and mix with olive oil, salt and pepper.

2.) Cook for 30 minutes at 450 degree oven until potatoes are golden.

3.) Remove from heat and sprinkle, parsley, lemon zest and cheese.

Pan Seared Ribeye

2 8-10 oz. rib eye steaks
1 tbls. olive oil
1 tbls. Montreal steak seasoning


1.) Bring steaks to room temp
2.) Meanwhile heat olive oil in heavy bottom pan
3.) When pan begins to smoke carefully place seasoned steak and sear for 3-4 minutes on each side (medium rare)
4.) Remove from heat and let steaks rest for 3 minutes until serving.

Chicken Cutlet, Warm Lemon Potato Salad and Araka (Greek Peas)

A quick weeknight meal, had a ton of dill and parsley and this was a good way to use up extra herbs.

Chicken Cutlet

2 6 oz. boneless skinless chicken breasts washed and filleted in half.

2 tbls. olive oil

1 small bun of white bread pulsed in food processor

1 tbls. chopped parsley

1 teaspoon lemon zest

salt and pepper

1.) Pulse bread in food processor, add parsley and lemon zest

2.) Heat olive oil in pan

3.) Lightly coat chicken with bread mixture and add to hot pan

4.) Cook on medium heat for 5 minutes on each side

5.) Transfer to platter and let rest prior to serving.

Warm Lemon Potato Salad

5-6 medium sized russet or yukon gold potatoes

3 tbls. parsley

3 tbls. dill

1/4 cup of minced shallots (sauteed in oil is best)

Freshly ground pepper and salt

Juice of 1 small lemon

1 tbls. olive oil

Boil peeled potatoes until tender in salted water.

Cut cooked potatoes in 4th's.

Add herbs, lemon juice, olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

While warm, add herbs, lemon juice.

Araka (Greek Style-Peas)

Easy, healthy and fast

1 8oz. bag of frozen peas

1/2 grated onion

2 tbls. tomato paste

1 tbls. olive oil

1/4 cup of water

1/2 tbls. fresh dill

salt and pepper

Heat olive oil in saucepan add onion and cook for 1 minute until onion softens

Mix in tomato paste and cook for 2-3 minutes until paste starts to soften.

Add water and mix well

Add peas, dill salt and pepper and cook for 5 minutes until peas are cooked to taste.

Creamy Mashed Potatoes

For years mashed potatoes were my nemesis, how could I seriously screw up such a simple dish? One year potatoes weren't cooked enough, next the dish was bland not enough salt, 2007 was the worse where I over processed and the mashed potatoes turned gummy... seriously gross. I always boiled the potatoes whole and with the skin on, thinkin this is the best way to preserve flavor. Boy was I wrong, this recipe uses peeled cut-up potatoes and are much flakier and absorb the milk and butter. This year I finally got it right, light, flaky, butter. Perfect.

Ingredients:
5 lbs. Idaho Potatoes
3-5 lbs. Yukon Gold Potatoes
1 cup half and half room temperature or slight warm
2 cups whole milk room temperature or slight warm
1 and half sticks of unsalted butter cut in to small pieces
Kosher salt and black pepper
Potato ricer (optional)

Directions:
1.) Peel potatoes and cut in to 4's and place in large stockpot. Cover with water until potatoes are covered by at least 1 inch of water. Add 2 tablespoons of salt.
2.) Bring to a boil then lower to a simmer and cook for about a half hour until tender.
3.) Drain and reserve about 1 cup of the cooking liquid.
4.) Pass potatoes through ricer.
5.) Add half and half, milk and butter and gently combine with potatoes.
6.) Season as needed with salt and pepper and add cooking liquid if mixture is too thick.

Lemon Pot Roast

In my house lemon is the fruit of the Gods. I often think Chris would trade me for a bushel of lemons. While the traditional pot roast uses winter veggies and a tomato base. Substitute the acidity of the tomato with lemon and omit the veggies and end up with a truly unique roast.

Ingredients:
1 2-3lb boneless chuck roast (look for a good ratio of fat to meat)

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons of kosher salt

2 tablespoons of freshly ground pepper

1 lemon juiced

2 cups chicken broth

1 cup of red wine

1 bag white pearl onions

Meat thermometer (optional)

Directions

1.) Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees.

2.) Wash chuck roast with cold water and pat dry.

3.) In a shallow frying pan add olive oil over medium heat. Now is our chance to add some color, skip this step and you end up with cafeteria style boiled beef. Season beef with salt and pepper and add to the heated frying pan. Cook on each side until seared and crispy.

4.) Remove beef from pan and place in casserole dish with tight fitting lid.

5.) Reduce heat and deglaze pan with wine. WATCH the flame as wine and heat don't often give good results. Allow wine to cook for 2 minutes.

6.) Add chicken broth and juice of one lemon and bring to a simmer. CHECK the seasoning and let your palate decide if you need more salt or pepper.

7.) Carefully add the liquid to the beef and cover.

8.) Cook for 2.5 hours. While beef cooks, peel the pearl onions and boil for 2 minutes. Let the onion cool and place to the side.

9.) After 2.5 hours, check the temp. Beef should be fork tender.

10.) Add the onions to the roast and cook for another 1/2 hour.

11.) Let roast rest prior to serving.

Optional: For a more lemony flavor place cooking liquid in sauce pan over medium heat bring to a boil and reduce until liquid is half.

Kali Orexi!