Greek Style Panini

There is officially a love affair going on, between my panini press and I. It is the best think I have added into my kitchen in a long time. When I have some left over ingredients that I don't know what to do with, they seem to always work perfectly, cooked into a panini. I have my two staples that I always make, cheddar apple, and southwestern, but I have been wanting to add a new panini to my menu. With my recent leftovers of feta and olives, and hummus on sale two for one, it was Greek style panini time!



What you need:



2 slices of bread
6-8 pitted Kalamata olives
Feta cheese
Your favorite hummus
Half a tomato, sliced

What to do:
Assemble your sandwich with the hummus spread on, feta, olives, and tomato



Put everything into the panini press and cook until golden brown on the outside



I ate my panini with a side salad.





This panini was s incredibly delicious! It tasted like I ordered it right out of a sandwich shop. The hummus was creamy, and added an element of protein from the chick peas. The olives and feta were briny, and the tomato was hot a juicy. All the Greek flavors came together perfectly all in a hot and crispy crust.

What is your favorite panini combination? Will you try out this Greek style one?

Bye from the Veggie Side!

Mediterranean Pasta Bake

Rabbits rabbits, and happy February! We all know how extremely cold it has been lately, and it always seems that February is the coldest month.  It always seems that there is a big snow storm every February, and after the two blizzards we just had, I'm not ready for another!  Winter wouldn't be so bad if I could just spend it all indoors with some hot cocoa by the fireplace, but unfortunately I am not a bear in hibernation. One way to combat the winter cold, is with warm comfort foods. While everyone loves the traditional comfort foods, its fun to change them up. I love cheesy, baked pasta, but I also love Mediterranean flavors.



Inspired by All Recipes.

What you need:



1 lb box of pasta
1 Jalapeno pepper, diced
1 bag of spinach
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes
20-30 pitted Kalamata olives, chopped in half
1/2 cup crumbled feta
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Olive oil for cooking

What do to:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Cook pasta according to directions on the box.
While pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil in a pan over medium heat.
Saute the jalapenos for about 5 minutes.
Stir in the tomatoes, olives, and spinach, let simmer for 10-15 minutes.



Once the pasta is done cooking, drain and rinse.
Toss the pasta into the tomato mixture until evenly coated, and transfer into a large baking dish.
Top with cheeses and bake for 5 minutes.
Broil for an additional 5 minutes, or until cheese is brown and bubbly.











This meal was full of gooey, melty cheese and lots of heat! The tomatoes were hot and juicy, the olives were salty and briny, and the feta was nice and creamy. The spinach added a nice veggie flavor. I loved the texture of the olives with the soft pasta. This meal turned out to have a great mix of both Greek and Italian elements, which I loved! Everything was all baked and melted together with a crusty, baked top. This was full of flavor, and full of comfort!

Do you like to put twists on comfort foods? Will you try this pasta bake?

Bye from the Veggie Side!

Greek Potato and Olive Stew

I hope you are ready for another cool weather comfort food, and I hope you are storing up these recipes for fall, just like a squirrel collects nuts. Something happened the other day which really sealed the deal that fall is around the corner: I heard in a commercial that pumpkin flavor was back at Dunkin Donuts. You better believe I will be getting my pumpkin fix all fall and winter long! So while I am dreaming of falling leaves, pumpkin things, and Halloween, I am going to be eating this amazing Greek stew!



What you need:

5 Pounds of potatoes, pealed and cubed
1/2 cup olive oil
3 teaspoon dried oregano
1 jar of pitted Kalamata olives
10 gloves of garlic, chopped
40 oz can of pealed tomatoes
salt and pepper

What to do:
In a large pot heat the oil over medium heat and add the garlic, potatoes, olives, and stir it all up together to make sure everything is coated in oil.



Add the canned tomatoes and the oregano, and stir again.
Bring the mixture to a boil, and then lower the heat to a simmer.
Make sure to stir occasionally.
Keep checking your potatoes until they are tender, about 30-45 minutes depending on the size of your potatoes.
Add salt and pepper to taste.









This stew was so incredibly flavorful. I actually didn't add any salt, it was perfect on its own, and I only added a touch of pepper. The oregano gave it an Italian flavor, while the olives make this stew unquestionably Greek.  While the oregano was cooking, it made my kitchen so fragrant. The garlic, tomatoes, and oregano almost made this stew taste like a tomato soup or sauce. I might even use this recipe to make my own tomato sauce. This was so warm and comforting, and the potatoes made it very hearty and filling. This actually reminded me of something my Greek grandma would make with all the Greek flavors, and the amazing homey feeling it gave me.

Adapted from Potato and Kalamata Olive Stew.

Will you be adding this stew to your fall and winter meal line up? What is your favorite stew?

Bye from the Veggie Side!

Greek Pasta Salad

Hey everyone, I hope you are all having a great week. After talking over a month off of work to move and get settled in Virginia, I'm finally back.  While it was nice taking so much time off, I was definitely getting bored. Plus, now that I'm living away from home, and buying my own food (oh ya, and paying that pesky rent) I need to make that green (and I don't mean lettuce)!

The weather is getting so hot, and all I have been craving is cold food. Eating a hot bowl of pasta just isn't appealing in this summer heat, but a nice  cool pasta salad, and you have a winner! Plus, pasta salad is a great addition to those many BBQ's I'm sure you are either throwing or attending.  I decided to give my pasta salad a Greek flare.

Adapted from Mele Cotte.

What you need:


1 box of whole wheat pasta
Tomatoes
Cucumbers
Feta cheese
Pitted Kalmata olives
Greek dressing

As you can see in the photo, my Greek dressing is in that tupperware under the tomatoes.  I bought a bottle of Greek dressing from the store, and once I got it home, I saw that it had anchovies in it. *Sigh* That's what I get for not checking the ingredients. The dressing I bought is waiting to get returned to the store, and I was left without dressing. Luckily the pasta salad recipe also had a Greek dressing recipe. I threw together what I had in the house and whipped up some dressing.

Adapted from Mele Cotte.

What you need:



1 tsp spicy brown mustard
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp dried basil

All you have to do is mix it all together and you have dressing! I couldn't get over how much I loved this dressing. Its a great universal vinaigrette. I have tried to make vinaigrettes before, but they never turned out right. I think it was the mustard that really gave it the perfect flavor. I will definitely be using the dressing for everything!

What do to:

Start by cooking the pasta according to the instructions on the box.
Once the pasta is all done, put it in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours to chill.
While the pasta is chilling, chop up the veggies and feta cheese.



Then just mix the veggies, cheese, and dressing into the pasta and you're all done!









This pasta salad was great and easy to make. The olives and feta gave it that authentic Greek flavor, while the cucumber and tomatoes made this a fresh summer salad.  The homemade Greek dressing on the pasta was perfection.

I made a huge bowl of this and I'm still enjoying it. I hope I get invited to a BBQ just so I can make this again!

Are you going to try this Greek pasta salad?

Bye from the Veggie Side!