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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Roasted Eggplant with Buttermilk Yogurt Sauce

Lordy Lou. Hold the damn boat. Holy Moly. Sweet Lord Baby Jesus. Insert other absurd Chef Kefi, RN exclamation here. Ready for a recipe that comes from one of the world's most revered vegetarian kitchens and requires NO culinary skill whatsoever? Read on, young grasshopper. 

So many amazing pictures of this recipe all over the internet that I just couldn't choose! My rendition is the bottom right photo.

The background: A few weeks ago, JetSet Kef implied that I would never reach full yiayia status until I pick up a copy of of Plenty, the vegetarian cookbook written by Yotam Ottolenghi, and master several recipes.  I was, of course, indignant--sure, this guy has 4 incredibly-successful London restaurants and grew up growing his own garden in Mediterranean soil...but I am Chef Kefi, RN for chrissakes.  Hmph.

And then I saw the cover photo. Halved eggplant roasted and smothered in some delicious creamy sauce (which, you already know, we love in Keftown), then topped with POMEGRANATE seeds? Uncle Frank...Is this a joke?!  Where the eff has this book been all my life?

I became bewitched, body and soul, by this recipe. Within minutes of the cookbook's arrival I was at Whole Foods, where I have been scoffing at the out-of-season $6 pomegranates all winter--ONLY TO FIND THEY WERE OUT OF POMEGRANATES IN MY MOMENT OF NEED. Undeterred, I went to three more grocery stores, after which it became evident that the entire food industry conspiring against me and my dream of making this recipe.  I called an audible on the whole thing and switched the pom seeds for a balsamic-pomagranate reduction, and this was still one of my favorite things to come out of my kitchen.  All's well that ends well, I suppose--but I won't pass up one of those $6 out-of-season gifts from the Gods again.

This is hide-your-kids-hide-your-wife good. If Oprah invited me on her show right now, I would jump all over that damn couch proclaiming my love for this. I keep trying to wrap up this post but can't find the right punctuation for my new beloved--so just go find some pomegranates and get to it!

Roasted Eggplant with Yogurt Buttermilk Sauce

Ingredients

• 2 eggplants, large and long
• 1/3 c olive oil
• 1 bunch of fresh thyme (the minipack is enough for the whole recipe)
• salt and pepper, to taste
• Greek season, za'atar, or other spice sachet you like, to taste

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• 1 pomegrante

OR

• 1 1/2 c balsamic vinegar
• 8 oz pom juice
• 5 sprigs thyme
• 5 garlic cloves, minced

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• 9 TBS buttermilk
• 1/2 c Greek Yogurt (FIBBYDY)
• 1 1/2 TBS olive oil
• 1 small garlic clove, minced
• pinch of salt

Assembly
1. Preheat oven to 400F. Cut eggplants in half lengthwise, even cutting through the green stem (which you won't eat--it's just there to look nice).  Use a small sharp knife and cut three-four parallel lines across the width of the eggplant, careful not to go through the skin.  Repeat 45 degree angle with 3-4 more cuts, making a diamond-shaped pattern (think of it as 4 tally marks and then parallel diagonal lines like you use to show 5 in when keeping tally). 

2. Put the eggplant skin-side-down (flesh up) on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Distribute the entire 1/3 c olive oil between the 4 pieces by brushing it on until the entire amount has been absorbed (which will not take much time, as eggplant is about the most liquid-greedy vegetable out there). Sprinkle with thyme leaves (I put about 2 tsp of fresh thyme on each) and Greek seasoning or za'tar. Roast for 35-40 minutes, until flesh is soft and a nice-looking brown. A knife should very easily move through the roasted flesh. Remove from oven and let cool.

3. While roasting eggplant, whisk together all the sauce ingredients. Taste and add more season for flavor if you feel so inclined. Keep cold until serving.

4. Prepare your pomegranate seeds or balsamic reduction.  To learn how to separate seeds, watch this video. To make balsamic reduction, combine balsamic vinegar, pom juice, leaves from 5 thyme sprigs, and garlic cloves in a medium pot.  Bring to boil, then simmer for 12-15 minutes, until liquid has reduced by about 1/3. This will make way more than you need--keep the rest in fridge and put it on everything or use as a salad dressing.

5. To serve, put lots and lots and lots of buttermilk over the eggplant. Season with more Greek seasoning or za'tar and generous amounts of seeds or reduction. Spread the love for this recipe far and wide!

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Public Service Announcement

THIS IS A CHEF KEFI, RN PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT

FAGE IS ON SALE 10/$10 AT GIANT AND STOP AND SHOP LOCATIONS NATIONWIDE!

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Spanakopita, Deconstructed

I've made no secret about it: spanakopita, practically the national dish of Greece, is no favorite of mine.  This indifference is, in large part, owed to the strong contrarian spirit that dominates at least two-thirds of my opinions ("Oh, you think puppies are cute? Let me tell you why I find that to be misguided...")-- but mostly it's just because I'd rather be eating my Aunt Lena's eggplant pie.  Why eat a spinach/lemon/feta concoction when you could be sinking your teeth into an amazing amalgamation of eggplant, tomato, and onion? I rest my case.

But, alas. Winter is coming and the days of eggplant for $0.99/lb (thank you New Jersey, third-largest eggplant producer in the world) are over. Way over. Seems the only things under $2.49/lb these days are greens. Mustard greens, spinach greens, beet greens. Spinach. Arugula. Kale. It's a slow boat ride back to berry season-- but at least we'll be full of iron.

So what's a good Greek girl to do? Break down and deal with the hand nature deals the Northeast or spend $86/week on groceries? With my hand forced, I turned to spinach.

I came up with this take on creamed spinach--a cornucopia of uber-Greekness. Olive oil, spinach, dill, creamy yogurt... it's almost enough to make me forget about that eggplant pie.

Almost.

Deconstructed Spanakopita, or: "Creamed" Spinach

Pay no attention to the pre-made salmon patty on the left.

Ingredients

•  9 oz spinach, rinsed and dried
• 1 medium-large bunch of kale, rinsed, dried, and shredded from the thick center vein
• 1 bunch dill, bottoms cut off and chopped into thirds
• 1 large onion, chopped roughly
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped roughly
• 2 tsp oregano
• 2 TBS olive oil 
• 7 oz Greek yogurt (Fage is best, but you do you)

Assembly  
**I made this with my food processor--if you don't have one, just finely mince the onions/garlic and skip the shredding of the greens. It won't have the same texture but the option's there.**

 1. Puree the onion and garlic together in food processor. Set aside.

2. Throw the kale in a big, deep pot. If you have room, throw the spinach in there too--otherwise, cook separately.  To cook, add a splash of water and cover the pot, heating over med-high heat.  After 2-3 minutes, open the pot and stir thoroughly to distribute the heat. Cook for another 1-2 minutes, until the greens are wilted (note: the kale will take longer so, if cooking together, make sure it is on the bottom first so it gets most of the heat).

3. Place the greens in a colander to strain the excess water. Use a spatula to press out any additional water.

4. Heat the olive oil and oregano in a saute pan over medium heat until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Pour the onion/garlic puree into the pan and mix with the oil.  Allow to heat over medium until fragrant and slightly carmelized,  6-8 minutes.

5. While the onion mixture cooks, run the spinach, kale, and dill through the food processor until it is a pulp. Set aside.

6. Once fragrant, take about 1/3 of the onion puree (does not have to be exact) and set aside to cool.  Add the pulped greens to the remainder and mix well to combine.  Cook all together for another 3-4 minutes, until spinach is heated as well.

7. While spinach heats, combine cooled onion puree with yogurt and mix well.

8. Once spinach is heated, combine  spinach and yogurt mixture. Enjoy!

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Beet Hummus

My love affair with beets is no quiet romp in the hay--and with BF Kef gone for a little vacay of his own, I don't even have to hide my extracurricular activities.  The beets and I have gotten hot and heavy, and this little lovechild has popped up to play.

Today we're working with golden beets, ginger, and yogurt, all of which come together to make a delicious dip with all the consistency of hummus but none of the spelling confusion. Enjoy!


Golden Beet "Hummus" Dip

Ingredients 
- 3 med golden beets, peeled, and chopped (without greens)
- 2 tsp garam masala
- 1.5 inch piece of ginger, peeled and grated
- 1/4-1/2 c yogurt (fage best, everything else ok)
- olive oil as needed


Assembly  
1. Preheat oven to 350. Toss chopped beets, ginger, with olive oil. Loosely wrap in tin foil in a single layer.  Cook until beets are soft all the way through, about 20-30 minutes.
2. Allow beets to cool. Puree in a food processor with yogurt until smooth, adding olive oil to reach desired texture.
  

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...And They're Off!

It is truly the most wonderful time of the year!

Every year my brother JetSet Kef and I take off on vacation together, usually in the Augustish part of the summer. Inspired by our Mediterranean brethren, the Italians, we have come to refer to this tradition as Ferragosto.

Below, please find some highlights of Ferragosto through the years:

 2009 was Kanafe and Catastrophe. JSK was living in Ramallah, so I scidaddled over there for some fun in the sun.

We also bid a fond farewell to a dear friend, the Burka of the Beach. May her memory be eternal.

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2010 was the year of the Berry Loop. We met in the Pacific Northwest to explore the finer points of slower, organic American living. Although the food was enough to keep us in that part of the country forever, we grew tired of people asking us to slow down our talking and driving. East Cost for life!

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In 2011 we actually had TWO vacations. First, a trip to the motherland, Greece!

At dinner in this restaurant, Cooking up Kefi was born. Thank you, Lindos!

Later that week, JSK and I got up to our usual shenanigans + wine and traditional Greek dancing. The next morning was less awesome.

After Greece, we jetted off to Mozambique (where else?) for some scuba diving and life-changing scenery.

Just rotate your laptop. It's really a cute pic.

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This year, it's a return to Greece. See you in two weeks, folks!

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The Strangest Piece of Delicious Pie

I have some good news, and I have some bad news.  The good news is that I'm back in action, with the heavy weight of that horrible HESI exam lifted off my shoulders.  The bad news is that I replaced it immediately with the weight of some bona fide Greek goodness around my hips.  So like I said--good news and good news.

It's been a minute since I've actually written about something Greek on this Greek-gastronomy-inspired blog--that pathetic trend ends here.  With the Big Fat Greek Easter extravaganza (not to be confused with The Extravaganza) a mere NINE DAYS away, I've kicked into full-on YaiYai mode.  The phyllo is thawing, the spinach is flying, and the Sakis is blaring.  From this frenzy, the Honeyed Greek Yogurt Tart was born.

 

The strange step-child of Greece's most famous culinary contributions--nutty baklava dripping with honey and rich, creamy yogurt--this tart left me speechless, then had me reaching for more.  I'll be honest: the first taste brought the word "... interesting" to mind.  But then I left it sit overnight and the flavors just came together in a surprising and semi-addicting kind of way.  And by "semi-addicting," I mean that I ate all of it except one piece. So, there's that.

This is definitely a Greek dessert: it's thick, creamy, and best with some honey.  The crust is TO DIE FOR (go ahead and try to tell me something better than nuts and butter), and the savory goat cheese balanced by the berries and honey will melt in your mouth.  It may not become your go-to dish, but it is definitely a change of taste and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Honeyed Greek Yogurt Tart

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup pistachios, unsalted and shelled. My grocery store called them Filberts--who knew?
• 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp extract of your choice--I would have used almond or orange but I didn't have any of either, so I used Godiva Liquor, which worked great.
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1-1/4 cups flour (I used gluten-free and it worked great)
• 8-10 oz soft goat cheese*
• 2 cups Greek yogurt (you know the drill- Fage is best, but buy what works for your wallet!)
• juice of one lime
• zest of one lime
• 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
• Honey
• Raspberries, Strawberries, or Blueberries for garnish
  * I used 9 oz and found the taste of goat's cheese too much just a tad too strong, but I loved the consistency. 8 oz might taste better, but 10 oz might make a better texture--choose your own adventure. The second time I made this, I got 8 oz of Trade Joe's goat cheese with honey and it made a big difference.
  

Assembly 

1. To make the crust, grind up the pistachios. I used  my food processor, but you can put them in a ziplock bag and crush them with a rolling pin/wine bottle/can of tomato sauce.  In a separate bowl, cream the butter and sugar together.  Add the extract, then the nuts, the flour, and finally the salt. 
2. Put the nut mixture into a pan -- a fluted tart pan with removable sides would be best (if you don't have that, a fluted tart pan with non-removable sides or a 9-inch metal cake tin would be suitable runners up). Spread the crust throughout the dish and all the way up the sides, pushing down enough so that there is room for the filling.  Chill it in the fridge for about 30 minutes.
3. Preheat the oven to 300.  Poke fork holes all over the crust.  Bake the crust for about 30-40 minutes. You'll know its done when the crust is golden brown. 
4. To make the filling, beat the goat cheese, yogurt, lime juice, and lime zest together.  Add the confectioner's sugar and beat until smooth. 
5. Scrape filling into the crust. Use a flat spatula to smooth.  Swirl honey onto the top of the tart--be generous but not absurd.  Chill in fridge at least three hours before serving, overnight if possible.   Garnish with berries and more honey if people feel so inclined.

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Spinach, Zucchini, and Mint Tart- Gluten-Free and Delicious

As I mentioned a few posts ago, my cousin Joanna is brilliant.  A few weeks ago she treated me to an incredible lunch that really got my wheels turning: she used shredded potato to create a gluten-free base for a tart.  Inspired, I used the same idea to present one of my most successful original recipes-- a gluten-free spinach, zucchini, and mint tart with a sweet potato base.

Ingredients

• 2 sweet potatoes
• 2 zucchini
• 1/3 lb spinach (this is one of those 150g plastic containers), washed
• 1/4-1/3c fresh mint leaves
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2c plain yogurt (Greek is best, naturally)
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and diced (you can use half of one if you don't like spice)
• 1.5 tsp grated ginger (a huge piece of ginger costs $0.37-- be serious, just buy it)
• 1 TBS honey
• 2 TBS olive oil, plus more for pans
  
• 1 tsp lime juice

Assembly

1. Preheat oven to 400.  Liberally grease either two 8-inch pie pans or one 9x13-inch metal casserole dish.  Shred your sweet potatoes- this is most easily done with a food processor, but you could also use your peeler and just use what I will call "layered shavings."  Once you have your pieces, squeeze out the excess water.  Arrange in greased pans and so that you have a base that covers the bottom and about 1/2 way up the sides of the pan.  Push down to make as dense as you can.  This will not be pretty.  Bake uncovered for 30-40 minutes, until dry and browned, even burnt-looking.  This will be even less pretty.

2. Decrease oven temp to 375. Combine yogurt, minced jalapeno, 1 minced garlic clove, grated ginger, honey, 2 TBS olive oil (use only 1 TBS if you're not using Greek yogurt) and lime juice. Stir until mixed, set aside.

3. Puree zucchini, spinach, mint, and remaing 3 garlic cloves until smooth but not juicy.  I lightly grilled my zucchini first using very thin slices, but you can probably forgo this for a faster meal.

4. Combine vegetable and yogurt mixtures.  Pour into pre-cooked potato bases.  Cooking time will be somewhere between 25-40 minutes, depending on which dish size you used.  Middle should be set and not jiggly-- it is really hard to burn this, so if in doubt, give it another 2 minutes.

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A Moveable Greek Feast

Paris. To some, the City of Lights. To me, the city of cheese, foie gras, charcuterie and … Greek food. 

Here’s a travel secret for you: Paris got Greeks. The problem is, when you think of the Greek restaurants in Paris, you probably think of either the omnipresent ‘Sandwich grec’ stalls that sell fantastic hangover cures (aka greasy street meat) or of men throwing plates at tourists in the Latin Quarter (on a street that a friend once affectionately coined ‘Bacteria Alley’).

Allow me to change your perception.

On a recent trip to Paris, I gathered together a group of Frenchies and hit L’Olivier Restaurant, just off Place de la République. Those who know me know that I don’t set a foot on the Right Bank if I don’t have to, but I am gastronomically bound to ChefKef and I wanted to avoid Paris’s most famous Left Bank Greek restaurant, Mavrommatis.

Mavrommatis is good by all standards, but also traditional and stuffy—not the kind of place that lends itself to an incredibly witty review published on prestigious pages like these. L’Olivier (‘the olive tree’), on the other hand, is small, young, hip and part of France’s ‘le fooding’ movement (once featured by Adam Gopnik in the New Yorker). It’s the kind of place that avoids mousaka and octopus and instead favors what L’Olivier calls “inspirations from traditional cuisine." Plus, it allowed me to reference Adam Gopnik, which keeps Chef Kef happy.

In addition to all Greek-sourced oils and cheese, L'Olivier offers a 40€ 7-course chef’s tasting menu that looked like it might be good enough to change a life or two--but considering JetSet Kef’s upcoming 10-year high school reunion, the group decided to go in a different direction. In a display of sex-solidarity, the guys all chose the same appetizer and entrée, while the girls did the same. If this were the battle of the sexes from the local NY radio station I stream from my office in Dubai (shout out to Terry Donovan), the guys would definitely have won.

Round 1: an amuse-bouche for the table that was all about the cheese. A bit of sweet cheese between two pieces of toast with an AMAZING goat cheese mousse and a little bit of cream on the side. Imagine something sweet, tangy and light all at once--impossible to eat it in less than one mouthful, sadly. WINNER: TIE.

ROUND TWO: The girls’ appetizer, I must say wasn’t so exciting. Tiropitta (cheese pies) with honey. Sure, it tasted good – excellent fresh feta from Epirus and a great honey from somewhere in Crete – but not something JetSet Kef needs to take a 6-hour flight to eat. Delicious, yes; exciting, no. Basically – exactly what I was trying to avoid.

… Which is why I was so happy about MY appetizer. Pumpkin velouté with Greek yoghurt.

Let me tell you – if the Greeks get one thing right (it’s certainly not international finance), it’s seasonal dishes. Thick soup with a pumpkin purée base, with a tablespoon of Greek yoghurt right in the middle to offset the sweet of the pumpkin and the consistency of the soup. And to make it perfect? A little mousse from the left over pumpkin on the side. Divine.  

WINNER: BOYS

ROUND THREE: THE MAIN COURSE. The girls ordered a sea bream over a croustillant of chic peas, herbs and a hint of spinach. Everything about this was technically well done: the fish was cooked just right, the croustillant was cooked just the right amount, but here’s the problem: sea bream is a boring fish and chic peas are a bit boring as well. I mean, the first few bites you think to yourself “Wow, this is nice!” but by bite number four your tastebuds are already thinking about how much more stimulating the appetizer was. (Especially if you had the tyropitta first. Sorry, girls, bad pairing.)  

The picture speaks a thousand words here: it looks nice, but even the plating is a bit dull.

The boys' dinner, on the other hand, was AWESOME. Leg of lamb, barley mixed with greens and a bit of Greek yoghurt. Ba-bam. The lamb was incredibly fresh and tender, cooked to just the right level (clearly more than rare but not quite medium rare) and seasoned perfectly. The barley-greens combination totally did it for me, especially as the little bit of olive oil in it, coupled with the excess lamb juice on the plate, made every bite hearty and delicious. The sweet tangy – and even thicker than usual – yoghurt at the end rounded off the course perfectly.

ROUND FOUR: DESSERT. Now, before I tell you about this course—I need you to know that anything yoghurt sends the powers of the Holy Spirit right through me and I instantly begin speaking in tongues. True story. So get ready for this: three kinds of yoghurt. 

One regular yoghurt mixed with a little bit of honey. One ‘oreo cookie’ of yoghurt: two barely sweet wafers, with cold yoghurt and some citrus – mostly orange, but with a hint of lemon too – compote inside. And then frozen yoghurt: no, silly American – not in a cone, but literally, yogurt shaped into a ball and then kept in the freezer – served with a little bit of cinnamon for dipping. As if that weren’t enough, the server instructed us that the frozen one was to be eaten ‘with our hands.’ We follow instructions well.

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