If you have been following my European blog, you know that I'm now back in Baltimore and trying to cook up a storm while working full time at Pitango and trying to see my friends. So, I found a new food blog. It's much better than ours, but I'm also assuming the blogger has a lot more photographic resources and time than we do. I just don't like to admit defeat. She is wonderful though and I'm addicted. It's called Smitten Kitchen and if you are a food blog connoisseur, then you have probably heard of it. I have been looking up recipes for the past few days and I decided to obviously go for something that has a Mediterranean feel to it. Lamb kebabs and tzatziki. So so good. You can check out the website for the recipe. I was too engrossed with making the whole thing while listening to Ingrid Michaelson that I only took pictures when the whole thing was almost ready. I gotta say that I make tzatziki all the time, and that I'm a huge fan of sour cream. I never thought to put the two together. Who knew. It really makes a big difference, the difference of intense deliciousness. I can probably eat the entire serving with a bag of Stacy's pita chips in one sitting and still want more. It's a dangerous combination. So here are a few pictures for your enjoyment.
Uncooked and marinated beef kebabs in some yogurt, lemon juice, olive oil, rosemary and S&P. I used beef cause I'm cheap, but I think that lamb would be extra delicious.
Some grillin' kebabs. Yum, look at those caramelized onions. I'm slightly salivating.
And last but not least, the tzatziki. It's taking all my will power to not raid the fridge and eat it all right now. Someone stop me.
Oh, one more thing. The other day I came home, as I do most days, and look in the fridge with wonderment. What to make what to make? So, as usual, I throw together all the ingredients I want to eat at that moment and hope that whatever it is comes out good. Was it a success? I wouldn't serve it at a restaurant, but it definitely curbed my hunger. I'll tell you what it is and if you're brave enough to try it, let me know what you think. Maybe a hidden treasure?
Ok, so ingredients:
2 ears of corn, boiled
5 small pickles (I buy Israeli pickles because they're better, but I'm assuming normal ones would work)
2 medium sized red potatoes
juice of half a lemon
1 medium spring onion
2 tomatoes
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 a head of lettuce
1 kirby cucumber
some fresh parsley
spices (garlic powder)
For dressing:
juice of half a lemon
1/5 cup olive oil
salt & pepper
Zaatar (a Mediterranean spice, highly recommended. Goes very well with Pita and labane- a Lebanese cheese).
Tbsp of BBQ sauce (not required and frankly, I think it would be better without it).
1) Ok, so dice the potatoes into large cubes and mix with some olive oil, juice of half a lemon, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and garlic. Put on a baking sheet and into the oven at 350 for about 45 minutes or until golden brown and tasty :)
2) In the meantime, listen to some music, enjoy the summer breeze, drink a beer. Whatever you want to do works, cause cutting up vegetables takes approximately 5 minutes.
3) After your half an hour of fun, cut up the lettuce, tomatoes, onion, pickles, cucumber and corn small or big enough for a salad of your choice. I like tiny tiny pieces. Cut up the rest of the parsley and mix together.
4) Once potatoes are roasted and out of the oven, let them cool so that they don't wilt the vegetables. Cool cool cool.
5) Then add potatoes to the salad. Genius, I know.
6) Mix the ingredients of the salad dressing. I didn't care much for the BBQ sauce in the dressing, it doesn't go well with Zaatar. Do without it. Much much better.
7) Put it all together and eat. If it's not to your liking, I'm sorry. But if you have these ingredients in your house and have nothing else to make, try try try.
This is what the finished product looks like. Also, it tastes just as good the next day, which is surprising cause salads usually aren't that nice to me.
Anywho, if nothing else try the Smitten Kitchen recipe. It's pretty much one of the best things I've had. When I have a restaurant, I'll be asking her for recipe privileges.
Baking coming soon by the way!
Love
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