Fish Gyro's & Rice

 Fish Gyro's & Rice  

I had some Greek Pita Bread left over and thought, Mmm, how would a Fish Gyro be? So I found out. Sounds weird but tastes divine.

1/2 pound      Cod fillets

3 tbsps.          Garlic olive oil (Substitute extra virgin olive oil)

1 tbsp             Lemon juice (fresh if possible)

1 tsp               Pepper

1/4 tsp            Salt

1 tsp               Chili flakes (optional)

1 tsp               Mexican spicy seasoning (optional)

Sauce

1/4 cup          Plain Greek yogurt

3/4 cup          Light mayonnaise

1/2 large        Cucumber, grated and excess water squeezed out

2 cloves         Garlic, pressed and then finely minced.

1 tbsp            Lemon juice (fresh if possible)

1 tbsp            Extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp              Dried dill

1 tsp+           Chili paste (mild, med., or hot)

1/4 tsp          Salt

Gyro Fixin's 

2-4               Soft pita breads

1/2 cup        Cherry tomatoes halved

1/2               Red onion, thinly sliced

1/2 cup        Shredded lettuce (optional)

1/2 cup        Shredded Cheese

Grate the cucumber into a bowl, press and drain. Add the yogurt, mayo, and chili paste. You can replace the past with hot sauce of your choice if desired. Stir in the oil and lemon juice along with the dill and garlic mix thoroughly and place in the fridge.

Prepare the toppings and store in fridge. 

Heat the oven to 400 degrees.

Place oil in skillet. Set heat to med/high. Place fish and flip over a couple of times to coat in oil. Add lemon juice and seasonings. Cook until flakey. 

Before servicing place the pita's on the oven rack for 2 minutes. Then place the fish on the pita, your choice of the fixin's and drizzle the sauce over it. 

Rice

I use 3/4 cup of Jasmine rice. Soak for 10 minutes. In the sauce pan heat some oil and then place the soaked rice in and stir for a while until heated on med/high. Add 1 1/2 cups water turn to high and bring to a boil Add can of spicy diced tomatoes with juice, bring to a boil. Cover and lower temp to low for 20 minutes. Stir at off and on, you may need to add a little more water. 

Enjoy!

Irish Sausage Rolls -Repost from 2016

 These are so easy you can almost make them in your sleep. Here are the ingredients, the amounts depend on how big of crowd you expect. Use the amounts accordingly, IE 1 lb sausage - 1 egg. 2 lb sausage - 2 eggs, etc.

Irish Sausage Rolls

1 - 2 lbs. Sausage - Your choice of mild, medium, or HOT and most of you know I go with the HOT.
1 - 2 eggs
1/2 cup - 1 cup Bread cubes crushed
1 - 2 Cloves garlic chopped
1/2 Tsp to 1 tsp Marjoram
1/2 Tsp to 1 tsp Thyme
1/2 Tsp to 1 tsp Rosemary
1/4 Tsp to 3/4 tsp Salt (or to taste)
1/4 Tsp to 3/4 tsp Pepper (or to taste)
2 - 4 cans of 8 crescent rolls

Mix Sausage, egg, seasonings, and crumbs in a bowl and mix together thoroughly. Make into 5 inch logs about 1 inch in diameter. Cook in a frying pan or skillet until done. Line cooking sheet with parchment paper. Cut each log into half and roll into a crescent roll. Place on backing sheet and bake at the temperature on the roll can. Cook about 17 minutes.
Serve warm
Enjoy!

Dutch Oven Turkey Vegetable Pasta Soup

EASY Dutch Oven Turkey Vegetable Pasta Soup - Serves 4

1 to 2 cups         Chopped turkey 

3 med                  Carrots sliced

3 cloves               Garlic chopped 

1                          Bell pepper chopped (any color)

1/2 large              Onion chopped. 

8 / 9 oz.               Macaroni fusilli

1 can                   Corn

1/2 cup              Frozen Peas

1 tsp                  Pepper

1/4 tsp              Salt

1 tsp                  Basil

1/2 tsp              Lemon pepper seasoning. 

2 cups               Chicken broth

1 tbsp.              Olive Oil

Prepare your vegetables and set aside. Chop turkey and brown in the oil in a Dutch oven pot. Add all the vegetable's, stir thoroughly. Add broth and seasonings. I medium high bring to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes. Turn down to medium and good for an hour or until the vegetables are to the consistency that you prefer. Stirring occasionally. 

Serve with toasted French Bread.

Chicken Spinach Rigatoni for two.

Chicken Spinach Rigatoni for Two

1            Chicken breast cubed.

3             Cloves of garlic pressed and chopped.

1 tbsp     Lemon juice.

1/4 onion cut into half rings

handful of small heirloom tomatoes

handful of spinach with stems cut off.

1/2 cp.     Peas

7 oz         Rigatoni

1 to 2 tbsp olive oil  

In a skillet warm up 1 tbsp olive oil, then put in the cubed chicken. Cook until chicken is browned. 

Add lemon juice , garlic and onion. Once the onion is beginning to turn translucent. Add a handful tomatoes, spinach and the peas. 

 

While cooking the chicken and ingredients cook the past as instructed on the package.  

 

Once done, add the pasta to the cooked meat and  veggies.  Sprinkle grated parmesan over it and serve with garlic bread. 

Whiskey Bread Pudding French Toast

Whiskey Bread Pudding French Toast serves 6

8 large        Eggs

1 loaf          Brioche bread

1/4 cup        Whiskey

1tsp.            Nutmeg

1 1/2 tsp.    Cinnamon

5 cps.          Half and half

3 tbsp.        Honey

2 tsp.          Pure Vanilla Extract

1/4 tsp.       Kosher salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a 9x13 pan place two layers of bread. 

Thoroughly whisk together the rest of the ingredients. Pour the mixture over the bread. Use you spatula to press down. Then let soak for 10 minutes. 

Add water to a cookie tray. Set the 9x13 pan in it. The water should barely reach 1/8th of the pan. This will help keep it from burning.  Place a foil over the top, slightly tented with a few slits in it to let the steam out. Bake for 45 minutes remove foil and bake another 40 to 45 minutes until the pudding sort of puffs up. Cool slightly, sprinkle the sugar over the top and serve with a side of syrup. 

Confectioners sugar and butter maple syrup. 

A side of bacon and Irish Coffee pairs well with this. 

Holiday Breakfast Casserole

 Holiday Breakfast Casserole  4 servings

Looking for something to have ready to put in the oven on a holiday morning? Well this is delicious and easy. You can prepare it the night before or in the morning, it's about a 15 to 20 prep time. 

1/2 bag         Shredded potatoes / Hash browns

1                   Jalapeno chopped - optional

1/4 lg.           Onion chopped

1/2 lb.           Ground sausage browned

6                   Eggs whisked

1/4 cp.          Half and half

1 cp.             Light Mexican shredded cheese - add more or less per your taste. 

1/2 tbsp.       Garlic oil

Salt and Pepper to taste. 

Biscuit dough - 4 biscuits

1 cp.            Bisquick

1/3 cp.         Half and half

1                 Egg

1 tbsp.        Butter melted

In a small bowl mix thoroughly until it's sticky and will spoon easily into round shapes. Set aside the batter. 

Either the night before or before you start the casserole, brown the ground sausage and put aside. 

Pre heat the oven to 375 degrees. Add the garlic oil into a small sauce pan. Sauté the onions and jalapenos until they are tender. Spray oil to the bottom of a 8x8 baking dish. While the onions and jalapenos are cooking, add the hash browns to the dish make sure it's even. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add the sausage evenly over the potatoes. Add the onions and jalapeno's for another layer. 

Whisk together the eggs and half and half add salt and pepper to taste. Pour evenly over the sausage. Sprinkle the cheese over the top. Then add 4 biscuits on top, making sure they are not touching. 

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes. The biscuits will be golden brown. 

Serve with your favorite breakfast beverage, mimosas are always good. Maybe some fresh fruit as a side. 

Stuffed Spaghetti Squash

 Stuffed Spaghetti Squash Two servings)

1                      Spaghetti squash (Size depends if you want it for more servings)

1/2  cup           Carrots sliced

1/2 cup            Onions chopped

2 lg. Cloves    Garlic chopped then pressed

1 can               Diced & fire roasted tomatoes

2 med              Jalapeno's

1 lg.                Chicken breast diced

1/2 cups          Shredded mozzarella cheese

1 1/2 tbsp        Garlic olive oil (or just olive oil)

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Cut the squash lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds, then add a little oil and spread it over the insides of the squash, salt and pepper to taste. Add water into a baking pan, about 1/4 inch deep. Place the squash with the cut side up. Bake for 30 minutes. 

While the squash is baking, heat the oil and then place the chicken in a sauce pan and cook until done. Then remove. Add the carrots into the sauce pan sauté until they are almost done. Then had the onions, jalapeno's and garlic, sauté until onions are translucent. Add the chicken and the tomatoes. Stir until thoroughly mixed. Simmer until Squash is ready.

When the squash has been baked for 30 minutes take out of the oven if it's tender enough, fork out about half of the strands until you have two hollowed halves. If it's not ready bake another 5 minutes before removing the strands. Add the strands to the chicken mixture. Mix well, then spoon mixture into the spaghetti halves. Bake 5 minutes then sprinkle the cheese over the tops and bake another 10 minutes. 

Oven heats may very. 

Serve with a salad. It pairs well with a Riesling.