Posts tagged feta

Roasted Broccoli, Quinoa and Feta Salad

July 8, 2010 · Filed under Main Dish, Summer · Tagged , , , ,

Posted by Lisa

Roasted Broccoli, Quinoa and Feta Salad

I love roasted broccoli.  It’s especially good cold, though I usually serve it warm. When we got several heads in our CSA share, I decided that I needed to make some sort of grain and roasted broccoli salad.  I settled on quinoa for the grain and since I almost always have a large tub of feta in the fridge, it and feta is just plain delicious, I decided that it would be the third major player in this salad.  These ingredients are tossed with chives and oregano from the garden, fresh garlic, olive oil, and a little lemon juice to offset the olive oil and the saltiness of the feta.  The broccoli can be roasted and the quinoa cooked ahead of time, if necessary, and the salad assembles in a snap.  We’ve had a hot spell around here, so a room temperature salad that can be pulled together in a few minutes if you have all the ingredients pre-cooked, is a wonderful thing.

Roasted Broccoli, Quinoa and Feta Salad

printable recipe

  • 2 heads broccoli, roasted with salt, pepper and olive oil and cooled to room temperature
  • 2 cups quinoa, cooked and cooled to room temperature
  • 1 1/2 cups crumbled feta
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
  • 1-2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
  • juice from 1 lemon
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • freshly ground pepper

Place roasted broccoli, quinoa and feta in a large bowl.  Mix chives, oregano, lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, sea salt and pepper in a small jar and shake to combine.  Pour over salad and gently toss to combine.  Serve at room temperature.

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Greek Cucumber Salad

July 20, 2009 · Filed under Side/Salad, Summer · Tagged ,

Posted by Lisa
Greek Cucumber Salad

Greek Cucumber Salad

Summer is the season of salads and when cucumbers hit the scene they can be very abundant.  This salad is quick and tasty and the saltiness of the feta is a nice complement to the cool, sweetness of the cucumbers.  Feel free to peel your cucumbers; I like to keep the peel on mine for extra nutrition if they are coming from an organic source and are non-waxed.

Greek Cucumber Salad

printable recipe

  • 2-3 medium cucumbers, either peeled or unpeeled is fine
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • leaves from one sprig of mint, finely chopped
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • a few grinds of pepper
  • 1/4-1/2 cup of feta, crumbled

Cut the cucumbers into quarters, lengthwise, then slice into 1/2″ chunks and place into a medium sized bowl.  Combine olive oil through pepper in a 1/2 pint jar and shake well.  Pour dressing over cucumber pieces, sprinkle feta over cucumbers and mix thoroughly.  Serve cold or at room temperature.

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April’s Green Beans with Feta

July 17, 2009 · Filed under Side/Salad, Summer · Tagged ,

Posted by Lisa
Green Beans with Feta

Green Beans with Feta

My friend April is the kind of cook who just throws things together and calls it good.  I’m not frequently gifted with that talent.  Last year she posted about making green beans with feta.  What’s not to like about that?  I’ve since been making this dish regularly when fresh green beans are in season.  It’s quick, calls for only a handful of ingredients and it’s oh-so savory.

April’s Green Beans with Feta

printable recipe

  • 1 – 2 pounds green beans, trimmed into 1 – 2″ lengths
  • 2 or 3 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon coconut or olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon Bragg’s liquid aminos (or soy sauce would do)
  • a few grinds of fresh pepper
  • at least 1/2 cup of feta cheese, crumbled

Sauté green beans and garlic in oil until tender.  Add enough water to keep them from burning.  When green beans are tender, stir in liquid aminos and pepper.  Sprinkle with feta and serve.

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Leek, Bacon & Rapini Frittata

May 8, 2009 · Filed under Main Dish, Spring · Tagged , , , , , ,

Posted by Lisa
Leek, Bacon & Rapini Frittata

Leek, Bacon & Rapini Frittata

I regularly order a four pound tub of feta through Azure Standard, so I always have feta on hand.  It’s great for throwing into omelets, pasta, salads, quiches and frittatas.  There are so many uses for feta.  Eggs are abundant this time of year as are greens, so quiches and frittatas just seem perfect.

I found a wonderful book at our local library called Family Meals by Maria Helm Sinskey.  It’s a great compilation of recipes and tips for including your children in a tradition of local and seasonal eating.  I adapted this frittata recipe from the book’s A Colorful Frittata recipe.

Leek, Bacon & Rapini Frittata

adapted from Family Meals by Maria Helm Sinskey

  • 4 oz bacon, chopped
  • 1 large or two smaller leeks, washed well and sliced thinly
  • 1 bunch rapini, roughly chopped
  • 5 mushrooms, finely chopped
  • 8 large eggs
  • sea salt
  • freshly ground pepper
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano or marjoram
  • 1/2 cup crumbled feta

Preheat oven to 400°.

Heat a cast iron over medium high heat.  Add bacon and leeks.  Sauté until bacon begins to brown and leeks are beginning to soften.  Add rapini, mushrooms, 1/2 teaspoon salt, freshly ground pepper and oregano and cook another five minutes until rapini is wilted.

In a large bowl, whisk eggs and 1/2 teaspoon salt until blended.

When rapini is wilted, add egg mixture to the cast iron skillet.  Distribute evenly in pan.  Sprinkle feta over the top.  Place cast iron skillet in oven and bake until the frittata is puffed and golden on top.

Remove from oven and serve warm.  Running a thin metal spatula or knife around the edge of the skillet will help loosen the frittata and make serving easier.

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Mediterranean Spaghetti with Spring Vegetables

March 21, 2009 · Filed under Main Dish, Spring, Winter · Tagged , , , , , , , ,

Posted by Lisa
Mediterranean Spaghetti with Spring Vegetables

Mediterranean Spaghetti with Spring Vegetables

Our family doesn’t eat as much pasta as we used to, but pasta is a quick go-to dish that is the perfect vehicle for  odds and ends from the refrigerator.  My daughters kept asking me the name of this dish, so pressed to name it I came up with Mediterranean Spaghetti with Spring Vegetables, which they declared too long of a name.  I couldn’t come up with anything else.  It is Mediterranean in flavor with feta, balsamic vinegar, copious amounts of garlic and herbed tomatoes that I dried last fall, but it also had green onions and rapini which are green and spring-y.  The dish was fairly quick and complimented by all (except my youngest who is developing an aversion to many green vegetables).  The richness of the pasta was offset by a turnip salad.

Beautiful Fresh Vegetables and Home Dried Tomatoes

Beautiful Fresh Vegetables and Home Dried Tomatoes

Mediterranean Spaghetti with Spring Vegetables

  • 1/2 lb bacon, chopped
  • 8 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1/4 – 1/2 cup dried tomatoes, sliced or chopped into smaller pieces
  • 3/4 lb sliced mushrooms
  • 1 bunch of rapini (or other greens) chopped
  • 2 green onions, sliced
  • 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme (so easy to grow yourself)
  • 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
  • 3/4 cup crumbled feta
  • 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • freshly ground pepper
  • 1 lb spaghetti

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil to cook your spaghetti.

You will want to have all your ingredients ready at this point, because the pasta comes together fairly quickly.  As your water heats, start cooking the bacon in a large pan.  After several minutes, add the garlic and dried tomatoes to the bacon.  When the bacon is nearly brown, add the mushrooms to the pan.

This part takes a little coordination.  You will want to add your rapini or other greens, green onions and thyme to the bacon and mushroom mixture when your pasta is about halfway cooked, because the greens require very little cooking and you don’t want them over done.  When pasta is al dente, drain in a colander and add the pasta to the bacon and mushroom mixture in the large pan.  Also add all of the remaining ingredients to the pan.  Mix well with tongs to even distribute everything.  If the pasta seems a little dry, add a drizzle of olive oil and/or a small amount of chicken or vegetable stock.  Serve immediately.

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