Greek Yogurt Breakfast Tart

One of the great things about working with a gaggle of 20-something women: the magazines that clutter the break room, nurses' station, and nursery. Some people use trashy television to decompress--for me, it's the glossy page.  I never finish the love quizzes or follow any of the make up advice, but I usually find inspiration in the recipe section--and yes, I am that person who rips the recipe page out of the back and keeps you from finishing the article about some woman's harrowing experience with credit card debt or a baby switched at birth. And that, my friends, is where we found this guy:

The good people at Better Homes & Gardens came up with this Greek yogurt tart with a cornflake crust.  It's quick, painless, and you can do the whole thing in one bowl (which is a big plus for the queen of leaving dirty dishes around).  This crust is DELICIOUS and I will definitely use it again for no-bake fillings.  The filling itself ends up tasting like set vanilla yogurt, as the gelatin robs the Greek yogurt of its creaminess--so this is definitely tasty but not a gamechanger. Next time, I will probably add some cream cheese or goat's cheese to keep the creaminess (maybe even use the filling from this pie), but this would be a great addition to any brunch gathering as is.

Greek Yogurt Tart with Cornflake Crust

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 c crushed cornflakes, which took me about 3 c whole corn flakes (Arrowhead Mills makes a gf/sf version)
• 1/3 c butter, melted
• 3 TBS packed brown sugar (I used coconut sugar)
• 1 envelope unflavored gelatin
• 1/4 c water
• 1 1/4 c plain Greek yogurt (FIBBYDY)
• 1/2 c milk
• 1/4 c honey
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 medium orange
• 1/4 c orange marmalade (optional)

Assembly
1. Preheat oven to 375F. Combine crushed cornflakes, melted butter, and sugar in a small mixing bowl. Press into the bottom and up the sides of tart pan with removable sides (if you don't have one, any tin pan will do, it just won't look as pretty). Bake for 8-10 minutes, until golden brown. Set aside to cool.

2. Put water in a small microwave-safe bowl. Sprinkle gelatin over water, let stand for 5 minutes. Microwave on high for 20 seconds (stir at halfway point), or until gelatin is dissolved.  In a separate bowl, whisk together yogurt, milk, honey, and vanilla. Whisk in gelatin/water until completely combined. Pour mixture into cooled crust. Chill for at least 4 hours, but overnight is preferable.

3. When ready to serve, peel orange and heat marmalade until just melted. Cut orange however you'd like and decorate the top of tart. Drizzle or brush marmalade over oranges. Serve and enjoy!

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Nurse Kefi Makes Salmon Cakes

Five years ago, I graduated from college.  Roughly two weeks after I graduated, I figured out that I wanted to be a nurse.  Which means that for the last four years and 50 weeks, I have been wanting to be a nurse, waiting to become a nurse, and going to be a nurse someday. Well my friends-- someday is here, and I am, in fact, a real, live, Registered Nurse.

This is, for many reasons, no small miracle.  To my friends and family who supported me, cheered me on, bought me coffee, and prayed for me through all those tests and months of studying: there will never be enough thank yous. Please recharge your batteries for the next few years because becoming an Nurse Practitioner will require a very, very large miracle. To BFKef, the great love of my life, who was there through alllllll the breakdowns (and there were many)-- I owe you another big, fat, juicy steak. And to my parents who were kind enough to give me a low-interest loan better than the deal Barack Obama leveraged from that wench Sallie Mae-- I will make sure my nicest nurse friends take care of you in the nursing home when you are old. Haha.

Finally attaining a benchmark I had set years ago got me thinking about goals, and how we make progressively fewer of them as we age.  We used to have milestones every few months--first to tie our shoes, write our names, ride a bike, defeat King Koopa, and then to make the team, beat a PR, graduate from high school, maybe college, get a job, keep the job, and then.... what? Why is it that when we finally make it to this strange place called the Real World, our goals become fewer and farther between?  Why do we trade the clearly-stated (if sometimes trivial) goals of our younger selves to settle for a long list of "maybes", "somedays," and 'if I have time I'll..."?

I don't know the answer to those questions.  I'm not even really sure where this is going, or what it has to do with the truly delicious mango salmon cakes whose recipe is below.  Perhaps I'll make it a goal to finish this thought and figure it out.  But what I do know is that finally reaching this goal has me feeling more proud of myself now than when I graduated from college the first time, and I can't wait to see where my life as a nurse takes me.

Chef Kefi, RN's First Recipe: Mango Salmon Cakes with Corn and Avocado Salad

Ingredients

• 1/2 mango, peeled and diced pretty small
• 1 tsp coriander
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 1/2 c cilantro, chopped
• juice of 1/2 lime
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 12 oz of salmon (I used canned- just make sure its skinned and peeled)
• ~1/3c Greek yogurt
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 2/3 c unseasoned breadcrumbs (I used gluten-free) 
• Olive oil for frying, about 5 TBS
  -----
• 1 avocado, diced
• 2 cobs of corn, with corn cut from the cob
• juice of the other half of the lime

Assembly

1. Put 2 tsp olive oil and coriander in saute pan over medium heat. After about 90 seconds, add mangoes and stir around. Cook for about 5 minutes, until mangoes are soft and fragrant.
2. Set mangoes aside and cook diced onion in same pan without cleaning it.  Cook for 5 minutes over medium heat, until onions are tender.
3. Combine all ingredients up to breadcrumbs, with breadcrumbs last.  Let the mixture sit for about 15 minutes to absorb--this will make the frying easier.
4. Shape the batter into patties, about 1/3c at a time. Use your palms to make them flat. Do not place them on top of one another.
5. Heat 1-2 TBS of olive oil over medium heat in same pan.  After about 90 seconds, put first batch of salmon cakes in-- I was able to make 3 at a time. Cook for about 4-5 minutes on each side, or until patty is firm and easily flippable. Depending on your pan and stove, it may take longer. If you find patties burning but not flipping without breaking, turn down your heat.
6. Combine avocado, corn, and lime juice in bowl and serve on side, or just heap it all on top like I did:

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Lady, Don't You Know We Love You?

Happy Mother's Day to MamaKef!

And now, a few words about the incredibly difficult task of mothering, from the incredible Khalil Gibran

Your children are not your children.
They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself.
They come through you but not from you,
And though they are with you yet they belong not to you.

You may give them your love but not your thoughts,
For they have their own thoughts.
You may house their bodies but not their souls,
For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow,
which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.
You may strive to be like them,
but seek not to make them like you.
For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.

You are the bows from which your children
as living arrows are sent forth.
The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite,
and He bends you with His might
that His arrows may go swift and far.
Let your bending in the archer's hand be for gladness;
For even as He loves the arrow that flies,
so He loves also the bow that is stable.

Shout out to moms everywhere, who work tirelessly, and often without thanks, compensation, or appreciation, to raise up some babies.

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John Steinbeck, on Falling in Love

On a nearly-winter's day in 1958, John Steinbeck received a letter from his teenage son.  From it, Steinbeck learned that his son had fallen desperately in love with a young woman he attended boarding school with.  Below is the thoughtful response Steinbeck composed that afternoon, full of advice worth considering. 

 ---

New York
November 10, 1958
Dear Thom:

We had your letter this morning. I will answer it from my point of view and of course Elaine will from hers.

First -- if you are in love -- that's a good thing -- that's about the best thing that can happen to anyone. Don't let anyone make it small or light to you.

Second -- There are several kinds of love. One is a selfish, mean, grasping, egotistical thing which uses love for self-importance. This is the ugly and crippling kind. The other is an outpouring of everything good in you -- of kindness and consideration and respect -- not only the social respect of manners but the greater respect which is recognition of another person as unique and valuable. The first kind can make you sick and small and weak but the second can release in you strength, and courage and goodness and even wisdom you didn't know you had.

You say this is not puppy love. If you feel so deeply -- of course it isn't puppy love.

But I don't think you were asking me what you feel. You know better than anyone. What you wanted me to help you with is what to do about it -- and that I can tell you.

Glory in it for one thing and be very glad and grateful for it.

The object of love is the best and most beautiful. Try to live up to it.

If you love someone -- there is no possible harm in saying so -- only you must remember that some people are very shy and sometimes the saying must take that shyness into consideration.

Girls have a way of knowing or feeling what you feel, but they usually like to hear it also.

It sometimes happens that what you feel is not returned for one reason or another -- but that does not make your feeling less valuable and good.

Lastly, I know your feeling because I have it and I'm glad you have it.

We will be glad to meet Susan. She will be very welcome. But Elaine will make all such arrangements because that is her province and she will be very glad to. She knows about love too and maybe she can give you more help than I can.

And don't worry about losing. If it is right, it happens -- The main thing is not to hurry. Nothing good gets away.

Love,

Fa

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The Marathon Begins

The first spanakopita of Greek Easter 2012 has just gone into the oven, which gives me a second to pause and think about why I spend an entire weekend every year covered in olive oil and spinach.

There are two main reasons that keep me looking forward to this time each year.  The first is that Orthodox Easter is usually 1-2 weeks behind Roman Easter, which reminds us that Jesus was, in fact, a socialist and that he ascribed to the more relaxed lifestyle of the Southern Mediterranean and took his sweet time rising from the dead (I mean, wouldn't you?). The second (and more legit) reason I so look forward to Greek Easter is that it brings back all the Keftastic memories of the times my family was less scattered across this green earth.

As a kid, we would squeeze into the Camry (JetSet Kef on the driver's side with his GameBoy, BabyKef in the middle annoying the living bejesus out of her siblings, and yours truly trying desperately not to get car sick on the passenger's side) and drive to New Jersey.  There, we would find a diner that had been transformed from a bustling business to an inviting living room--the tables were rearranged to accommodate what seemed like every Greek in New Jersey, and for that one day, traditional Greek music played louder than the Whitney Houston coming from the juke boxes.  It was always nice to see my grandfather's friends and eat something other than the diner's famous "Chicken in a Basket"--but what I REALLY looked forward to was what we called "the red egg game."

You can read more about the game here-- I gotta go get the spanakopita out of the oven.  I leave you with a picture of my grandfather on one of his happiest days, when my brother convened the first KefiFamily Greek Easter in years.  We'll miss my grandfather this year, but I know he is watching with approval and ranting about Barack Obama the Communist from Heaven. Σας αγαπάμε, παππού!

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Occupy the Grocery Store: Shakshouka to Beat the Post-Holiday Blahs

The good news is that the world did not, in fact, end; the bad news is that the carte blanche for holiday carbs HAS.  As of 2 January, calories count again (1 Jan was a Sunday... nobody starts resolving anything on a Sunday, am I right?) and we're obligated to stop eating like there will be no tomorrow. Sadness prevails.

While I was celebrating the New Year, I ran into a dear old friend of mine and his fiancee who told me about shakshouka, which apparently is all the rage on the Tel Aviv late night scene (I heard the Philly P branch closed there, too).  Now it bears telling that I often eat (and, sadly, get dressed) by combining all of my favorite things and hoping for the best (I know y'all know the outfits I'm talking about)-- shakshouka is pretty much the best iteration of this lifestyle.  Crushed tomatoes, onions, garlic, chick peas, cilantro, poached eggs and feta-- what could be better?

I made this yesterday and can now say with certainty that shakshouka will blow your hair back and get you on track for whatever resolutions you made. Plus, it can feed 3-4 for around $10-- I may have to start believing in New Year's Miracles, too!

I followed this recipe, but doubled the onion and about tripled the cumin-- mine was spicy and delish, but if you want a tempered version, click on the link and follow theirs. I won't mind. (Full disclosure: I am running late for yoga so I can just copying/pasting-- consider that link an APA citation!)


Shakshouka

• 2 tbsp. olive oil 
• 1 medium onion, chopped 
• 2 garlic cloves, minced 
• 1 jalapeno,  finely chopped 
• 1 15-ounce can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed 
• 2 tsp paprika 
• 1.5 tsp ground cumin 
• 1 15-ounce can FIREROASTED crushed tomatoes, juices and all (this will make or break your sauce-- spend the extra 30 cents for fireroasted!)
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta 
• 4 large eggs 
• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. On the stovetop, heat oil in an oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat and add onion, garlic and jalapenos. Saute, stirring often, until tender and fragrant, about 8 minutes.

2. Add the chickpeas, paprika and cumin and cook for 2 more minutes. Add crushed tomatoes and their juices and bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for about 15 minutes, until sauce thickens a bit. 

3. Sprinkle feta over the mixture and crack eggs one at a time on top. Transfer the skillet to the preheated oven and bake until whites are just set but yolks are still runny, about 7 minutes. Top with herbs and serve. 

The action shot... one day I'll get better at pictures.

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On the Eve of an Extravaganza: Gluten-Free, Sugar-Free Corn Casserole

Upon meeting the Kefi family for the first time, a friend remarked, "Well, you sure don't come from simple stock, do you?"  We're a spirited, complicated, opinionated bunch more or less made for a reality television show (except, sadly, our schticks are real, no scripted). 

This is perhaps most apparent at the Christmas Day meal, when the extended Kefi family gets together and we break bread--except at this table we have at least four loaves: a sugar-free loaf, a gluten-free loaf, an all-sugar, all-gluten loaf, and a loaf of plain, white-ass Wonder Bread. Try the flow-chart below to understand complicated eating patterns of the greater Kefi family at large.

For the past nine years, the Kefi family has celebrated two holidays on December 25th: the birth of Jesus and the annual Extravaganza. My assumption is that you have the skinny on Jesus, His birth, and His life's work.  So, I'll use this space to tell you about the Extravaganza.

On a snowy Christmas in 2002 (JetSet Kef interjection: "a VERY snowy Christmas"), our family friends (known here as the B's) were scheduled to come to Casa Kefi for dinner.  Mama Kef is especially afraid of the snow and called to warn the B's that they ought to stay home--only to find out that the B's had already been out all morning searching for an open diner.  So, despite many strenuous warnings from Mama Kef, they fought the white-out conditions to attend the Inaugural Christmas Extravaganza.

Ten courses, two helpings, 11 people in food comas, and a viewing of Love Actually later, we realized that the snow had accumulated and getting back home would be impossible for our guests. Luckily, the B's came prepared with pajamas, and so the extravaganza raged on into the night (and by "night," I mean until about 830).   By the time we woke up the next morning, Grandma B had scrubbed the kitchen floor, Donna B had made the coffee, Lauren had already drank her first cup of coffee, and Grandpa B had his coat on and was ready to go home.



Though we haven't had a snow-induced sleep-over since, we have maintained many traditions throughout the 8 subsequent Extravaganzas: we don't dare sit at the table until Mama Kef tells us the seating arrangements; we have Brotherhood Winery Holiday Mulling Wine before dinner (to take the edge off, naturaly); we eat, then we sit, then we coffee, then we sit, then we open presents, then we dessert, then we sit, then we go; we open presents one at a time in a circle; we add a "Christmas Miracle" each year (which is a little bit like the Festivus Airing of Grievances, except more fun and less aggressive; we don't educate our asses (you read that right); and often we have a group of funny Frenchies join us, just for kicks (JetSet Kef: "No really-- they're French, so it's funny").



Today, I bring you this year's Christmas Miracle: a dish other than salad that every single person at the Kefi Christmas table could eat.  It's meat-free, gluten-free, AND sugar-free corn casserole! Merry Christmas and enjoy!


Meat-Free, Gluten-Free, Sugar-Free Corn Casserole

Ingredients 

• 1 cup milk (soy works just as well-- but adjust honey if it's already sweetened soy!)
• 2 Tbsp. cornstarch
• 2 Tbsp. butter (or coconut oil)
• 1 can each whole-kernal and sweet  corn, drained
• 1/4 c honey 
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 2 eggs, slightly beaten
  

Directions:
 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  On medium heat, whisk milk and cornstarch in a small saucepan and simmer until slightly thick and creamy.  It is important that you whisk constantly.  The mixture will get thick all at once-- butter and whisk until melted. Remove from stove and let cool slightly. 

2. Pour drained corn into a mixing bowl.  Once the milk/cornstarch mixture has cooled off a bit, mix into the corn. Add honey , eggs, and vanilla. Pour into a greased casserole dish.

3. Bake for 30-40 minutes until casserole is set and bubbling. Cool slightly before serving.  

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Gratuitious Gratitude #2: Running + High Protein Pumpkin Pancakes

Thank you, Jesus, for creating running.  Let me say that again: THANK YOU LORD FOR RUNNING!

Running is heaven.  It's stress relief, it's exercise, it's brain-boosting, it's cancer-fighting.... really there is no good reason NOT to run.

Unless, of course, you look like this while you do it:

Chef Kefi, finishing the 10k that started it all.

 If you are sitting there thinking to yourself, "I could never run a road race" you are wrong. Dead wrong. Two years ago, a good running week was one during which I ran more than once for a distance of more than 2 miles.  In Jan 2010, I joined a running group, trained, finished the Capitol Hill Classic (an awesome 6.2 mile race) and immediately signed up for the Baltimore Half Marathon (a less awesome but still really nice 13.1 mile race).  Suddenly, I felt like a runner.

So- if you feel like you want to be a runner but aren't sure you can-- sign up for a race and see what you can do! For some inspiration, here is one of the most heavenly creations on this green earth that are GREAT post-run:

Thanks for the image, paleo-project!

High Protein, No Grain Choc. Chip Pumpkin Pancakes

• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup canned pumpkin
• 1/2-3/4 cup almond butter, depending on how thick you like them
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg 
• 1 tablespoon agave or honey
• 6-8 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips

1. Mix everything together.
2. Plop about 1/4 c on a hot, greased skillet or pan over med-low heat.
3. Let these cook slowly so they congeal. Flip once or twice.
4. Enjoy.
5. Go running!

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Where Kefi began

So there we were.  Four Greek-Americans on the second family voyage back to the Motherland.  A few days earlier, we had celebrated the wedding of a dear cousin. Flash forward a few protests, strikes, and a 5 am flight and we were in Rhodos.

If it's been awhile since you've reviewed your Greek mythology, I'll remind you: Rhodos is named for the wife of Helios, the god who lit up the world each day by riding across the sky in the chariot of the sun.  You'll find this in no mythology text, but I'll put forward the theory that Helios felt bad for his wife (that kinda schedule must've made quality time tough to come by) and so he searched for the world's most perfect island to give to her. And perfect it is.  Nestled in the eastern Aegean Sea (as much as a land mass that resulted from ancient volcanic activity can be nestled, I suppose), Rhodes is home to ancient castles, butterfly preserves, two spectacular old cities, and--most importantly--some delicious examples of Greek cuisine.

Back to Kefi.  We had been taking in the sun and sites during our first day in Lindos and had worked up quite the appetite.  We settled in to a great table at a great restaurant (whose name escape me now...womp). The lighting was low, the wine was interesting and refreshing and the first round of mezze had just arrived at the table.  We looked around at one another, and my brother said, "THIS is kefi."

From gogreece.about.com: "Kefi is a hard-to-translate word which has been described by various Greeks as meaning the spirit of joy, passion, enthusiasm, high spirits, or frenzy. Kefi takes many forms. The custom of smashing plates is considered an expression of kefi, when the soul and body are overwhelmed with an exuberance that must find an outlet."


So that's what this blog is all about. Capturing the moments--both the sensory and the intangible--that make Greece, Greeks, and the descendents of a Spartan-cum-Jersey boy everything they are.  This blog will be just as much about food (Greek and not) as it is about the moments before, during, and after a meal that make it seem reasonable--no, required--to throw your plate against the wall and scream, "Opa!"

 

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