Gyros: 2 Ways and Homemade Tzatziki

Although I have previously posted my Gyro recipe, I wanted to revisit it. There are 2 reasons for that….one reason is that it has been one of my most read posts, and the other is that I wanted to show that you can also make Gyros with just plain ole' regular frozen meatballs too! (Oh, and I finally took a picture of my Tzatziki sauce :})

I really love my Tzatziki sauce…and I have yet to eat anyplace that makes one as good as my recipe. Does that sound crazy? It's not…it really is that good! Try it, and let me know what you think!

Pina Colada Shortcake

This recipe takes advantage of a day-old Angel Food Cake and some fresh pineapple. I also made some fresh Greek Yogurt Cheese. What you get is a lighter version of a typically high calorie dessert!

Pina Colada Shortcake with Yogurt Cheese
(Serves 4-6)

• 1/2 Angel Food Cake (slightly dry is fine)
• 1-2 TBL Coconut Oil
• 2 cups Fresh Pineapple
• Yogurt Cheese (see below)
• Coconut Sauce (recipe below)

For cake:

1. Cut cake into medium thickness slices. If you have a griddle pan, coat the surface with a thin layer of coconut oil. Sear each piece until golden ridges appear and cake becomes slightly caramelized and crispy. If you don't have a grill pan, you can do this on a BBQ grate, or a regular frying pan. Soften some coconut oil, and spread on both side of the sliced cake pieces beforehand.

For Pineapple:

1. Cut small pieces of fresh pineapple, and use the same griddle pan to sear and caramelize the pieces. If desired, sprinkle with a small amount of your choice of sweetener to increase the caramelization.

For Coconut Sauce:

• 1/4 cup Cream of Coconut (I prefer the bottled brand over the canned kind. Note: this is NOT the same thing as canned coconut milk)
• 1/4 cup Fat free Half and Half
• 1 tsp Coconut Extract
• 2 TBL Ultra Gel (This is an instant thickener that is AMAZING. You can order it here.)
• 1/8 tsp salt

1. Heat all ingredients over medium low heat until thickened.
2. Serve any leftover sauce in the fridge for up to a week.

For Yogurt Cheese:

My FAVORITE brand is ZOI, if you can find it!

1. Using a Yogurt Strainer, a re-usable Coffee Filter, or a large piece of cheesecloth, strain 1 1/2 cups of yogurt overnight. Cover it tightly and place it in your fridge.
2. Discard the liquid, and you are left with a tasty yogurt cheese that has a texture comparable to cream cheese.

Blender Leftovers Soup

To see where this soup started, please visit here.

For two more versions of blender soups, please visit this post!

"Leftovers" Soup with Cheese Toast
Serves 2

• I cup leftover Cooked Vegetables of choice
• 1 cup Cooked Rice, divided
• 1/2 cup Alfredo Sauce, Supreme Sauce, or Cheese Sauce
• 1 can Chicken Broth
• 1/2 tsp Dried Thyme
• Salt and Pepper, to taste
• Sour Cream, or Greek Yogurt for garnish (My FAVORITE brand is ZOI)

1. Hold out 1/2 of the rice to add at the end.
2. Blend all ingredients on the "soup setting" until smooth.
3. Add the remaining rice.
4. Heat to desired temperature.
5. Serve with garnish and sprinkle with additional dried thyme.

Cheese Toasts: Broil sliced Artisan Bread topped with shredded Italian Cheese.

Please Note: I made this soup in a Blend Tec Blender. Other blenders may not have a
       soup setting, so use a "puree" setting.

Easy Weeknight Gyros

If you love a good Gryo, you've got to try out my recipe. It's easier and more cost-effective than you might anticipate! My Tzatziki recipe is the bomb. com.  I promise!

 

Have a craving for a good Gyro? Think they take too long to make? Think again!

Quick Gyros with Homemade Tzatziki Sauce

Serves 4

Gyro:

• 4 Jennie-O Turkey Burgers **
• 1-2 TBL "Cavender's" All-purpose Greek Seasoning
• 1-2 Onions, caramelized (*optional to have them cooked vs raw, but I love them soft and caramelized)
• Sliced Tomatoes
• Romaine Lettuce, torn
• 4 Pitas (not pocket style-just "flatbread" style)

Tzatziki Sauce:

• 1 whole Cucumber
• 1-2 Garlic Cloves
• 2 cups plain Greek Yogurt (My FAVORITE brand is ZOI, it's currently only carried at Winco Foods in UT)
• Juice of 1/2 Lemon
• 1 TBL Dill (I use Freeze-dried from Lighthouse brand)
• 1/4 tsp Onion Powder
• 1-2 tsp Sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
• Ground Pepper, to taste
• Half and Half, for thinning the sauce if desired

1. For Gyro meat, slice each burger into 7 slices; sprinkle with the seasoning.
2. Fry over medium high heat, and fry until meat is no longer pink inside.
3. Serve on pita bread with other ingredients and the sauce.
4. For Tzatziki Sauce, shred the cucumber in a food processor. (or use a hand grater if you have to)
5. Either drain the shredded cucumber, or place it in a clean towel and squeeze the excess liquid out. Place back in the processor bowl. NOTE: The final texture of your Tzatziki will be affected by the amount of  cucumber liquid you leave in. You can decide if you like it thinner or thicker.
6. In the processor bowl, mince the garlic with the drained cucumber.
7. Add the remaining ingredients and process until desired texture is reached.

** For more about this recipe and the ingredients used, please visit this post.

I linked to Chef in Training's Tuesday Talent Show with this recipe.

Quick and Easy Strawberry Cheesecake Trifle

Strawberry Cheesecake Trifle

• 1 Angel Food Cake, cubed and dried (250° oven for 30 minutes, or air-dry for 6 hours)
• 1 block Cream Cheese, softened
• 1 cup Greek Yogurt, Vanilla Flavor (if using regular yogurt, let it drain for an hour)
• 2/3 cup Powdered Sugar
• 1/2 cup flavored Liquid Creamer (I used Coldstone's Sweet Cream, but French Vanilla would be fine)
• 1 cup Whipped Cream (or use Cool Whip)
• 1 tsp Almond Extract
• 1/2 tsp Vanilla Bean Paste (or 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract)
• 2 lbs Strawberries, sliced
• 1/2 cup Sugar

1. Blend all ingredients except the Strawberries and regular sugar (and cake cubes) with a mixer until creamy
2. Gently fold in the cake cubes
3. Combine the strawberries with the sugar and allow to sit for at least 2 hours
4. Start with a layer of the berries, then a layer of the cake mixture
5. Repeat Layers
6. Garnish with fresh berries and whipped cream, if desired 

For additional Trifle Ideas and info, please visit my post here . To learn how to keep Strawberries and other berries fresh, make sure to read my AMAZING TIP here.  By the way, my favorite brand of Greek Yogurt is ZOI Brand! I hope you can find it because it's amazing!

Easy & Rich Chocolate Dip/Spread

Easy Chocolate Dip

Quick and Easy Chocolate Dip

• 1 tub Philly Indulgences Dark Chocolate Spread
• 1 cup Greek Yogurt (plain or vanilla) (My FAVORITE brand is ZOI, if you can find it!)
• 1/4 tsp Vanilla Extract

Combine all until smooth. Serve as a dip with fruit, crackers or cookies. Or as a spread on toasted crostini.

For more about this recipe, see this post.


~~Linked to Lil Luna's Link Party

Orange Coconut Crepes

Orange Crepes filled smooth coconut filling, topped with glazed clementine segments, Whipped Coconut Milk, and drizzled with coconut syrup.

I developed this recipe for a cooking appearance on a local TV news show. To watch the segment online, please visit the STUDIO 5 Website.

Orange Coconut Crepes

CREPE BATTER

• 1 cup Flour
• 2 TBL Sugar
• dash Salt
• 2 Eggs
• 1 1/4 cup Coconut Milk (stirred)  *see notes
• 2 TBL Milk
• 1/2 tsp Pure Orange Extract
• Zest of 1 Orange
• 3 TBL Melted Butter (cooled, but still liquid

1. In a blender, combine all ingredients except melted butter. When consistency is smooth, add the butter. Let the batter rest for at least 1 hour. This will give the gluten to relax so that your crepes turn out lighter. If you have any lumps after that time, strain the batter through a sieve to remove them. Lumps will generally happen if your butter is too cold when you add it.

2. Heat a small pan over med-low heat and add a thin layer of butter to the surface. A silicone brush is a good tool to have on hand while you are making the crepes so that you can keep butter in the bottom of the pan as you are cooking.

3.  Pour a small amount of crepe batter into the center of the pan and swirl to coat the edges until you reach the desired size of crepe. About 2-2 1/2 ounces (roughly 1/8 cup) is best for a small-medium size crepe. It's normal for the first 1 or 2 crepes to not turn out, so don't panic! Just keep going until you figure out the right amount and proper temperature for the pan you are using (My favorite is Calphalon).  The pan needs to be hot enough to start cooking the crepe immediately, but not so hot that it burns it. The crepe is ready to flip when the surface is completely dry. The 2nd size only takes a moment to brown, so pay attention.

4. Have a stack of pre-cut wax paper or parchment squares ready to place between each crepe. If not using immediately, the crepes can be wrapped tightly in placed and stored in the fridge for up to 3 days, or frozen for one month.

5. Fill as desired!

COCONUT FILLING

• 1 cup Greek Yogurt, plain (My FAVORITE brand is ZOI, if you can find it!)
• 1 cup Cool Whip (any variety, or Whipped Cream if you choose)
• 1/2 cup Coconut Milk (remainder of can from Crepe Batter recipe)  *see notes
• 1 tsp Coconut Extract
• 2 TBL Cream of Coconut   *see notes
• 2 TBL ULTRA Gel  *see notes 

1. Combine all ingredients until smooth.
2. Spread a thick line of filling down the center of each crepe and then roll up.

CLEMENTINE ORANGE TOPPING

• Juice of 1 LARGE orange
• 1 TBL Butter
• 3 TBL Sugar
• 6 Clementine "Cuties", peeled and separated

1. In a saute pan, stir together all but the clementine sections. Bring to a boil over medium high heat and let hard boil for 5 minutes, or until reduced by 1/3.
2. Lower the heat and add the clementine sections.
3. Cook until the sections are coated with the glaze and slightly warmed.
4. Spoon over the top of the filled crepes.

COCONUT "WHIPPED CREAM"

• 1 can of Coconut Milk, solid only  *see notes
• 8 oz Whipping Cream
• 2 /3 cup Powdered Sugar

1. Separate the solid coconut milk from the liquid in the can by scooping it out. (save the liquid for the syrup recipe). Whip until smooth and airy.
2. In a separate bowl, whip the whipping cream to firm peaks stage. Add the sugar, and then the whipped coconut cream just until blended.
3. Serve a dollop on top of crepes and oranges.
4. Coconut "whipped cream" CAN be used as is, without adding the regular whipped cream, if desired. It is a very thick substance though, so I add regular cream to "soften" the texture.

COCONUT MILK SYRUP

• 5 oz (approx) liquid only, from 1 can of separated coconut milk  *see notes
• 1/3 cup Sugar

1. Combine in a saucepan over high heat. Let hard boil for 5 minutes.
2. Serve as a drizzle over crepes (also great on pancakes, etc.

FOR *NOTES, please go to this post.

Spicy Peach Pork Tenderloin with Grilled Peaches

My husband went on a business trip to Atlanta last summer, and brought me home a bottle of "Peach Grilling Sauce" that he found in a local market. I was excited to use it and decided to make a yummy dinner a few nights later.  Well, when I opened the bottle and tasted it, it was SPICY!! Mama Mia! I am not a spicy-foods eater, so I had to figure out a way to make it palatable for me. Enter Greek Yogurt, vanilla flavor. My favorite way to tone done heat in Mexican food is with sour cream, so I figured the greek yogurt would be a good counterpoint to the spice in the sauce.

Funny story about this picture. I didn't serve it up that night to look like this. But sadly, my husband called me about 10 minutes before I expected him home, and informed me that he had been called out on an emergency situation for work. Darn it. So, I made a plate for him to have when he arrived home hours later. I thought he's appreciate a good looking plate of food, showcasing the gift he brought him for me. I have to admit, when I plated it up I thought..."I really should take a picture of that!" And so I did. Now that I'm blogging, I'm grateful to have done so.

Most of the time when I am cooking I don't use recipes. I just go for it. So going back in my "taste memory" I am now re-creating for you the dish I made that night. Of course using the original sauce from Atlanta that I used is going to be impossible for most everyone to acquire, so I am suggesting using any sort of spicy grilling/marinating sauce that you can find. If you have to, peach preserves could be used, diluted half with water, and spiced up with Red Pepper Flakes.

Spicy Peach Pork Tenderloin with Grilled Peaches

SAUCE:

• 1 1/2 cups Spicy Peach Grilling Sauce
• 1 cup Greek Yogurt, Vanilla or Plain (My FAVORITE brand is ZOI, if you can find it!)
• 1/2 cup Honey
• 1/2 tsp Garlic Salt
• 1 TBL Brown Sugar

1. Save half of the sauce for finishing the dish, and marinate 2 Pork Tenderloins in the remainder. Marinate in the fridge for 2-6 hours. Keep remaining chilled until sauce is made.
2. Heat oven to 400 degrees.
3. Remove tenderloin from marinade and discard excess.
4. Heat a skillet with 1 TBL Canola Oil and sear all sides of the tenderloins until browned.
5. Bake at 400 for 15 minutes, or until the internal temp reaches 150 degrees.
6. Heat remaining sauce over medium heat until nearly boiling, but take care not to let it fully boil as that will break down the yogurt and cause it to curdle. Serve over the sliced pork.

GRILLED PEACHES:

• 2 whole Peaches, pitted
• 2 TBL Brown Sugar
• 1/4 Honey

1. Combine Honey with Brown Sugar until dissolved
2. Slice the peaches into wedges and brush on the honey mixture.
3. Grill in a ridged pan until caramelized.

I serve this with Coconut Rice (recipe here), Grilled Peaches, sliced Avocados and the sauce over the top of all three. Serve toasted Naan Bread wedges on the side.