GO GREEK! Souvlaki & Tzatziki Gyros

LESSON IN GREEK:

1) "Gyro" is pronounced "yee-roh."

2) The yummy cucumber sauce is called "Tzatziki" <sats-ee-kee>

3) The chicken, beef, pork or lamb pieces inside of your gyro is souvlaki. <soo-vlah-kee> Typically, the souvlaki is grilled on a skewer, like a kabob, with various spices.

Tzatziki

In a food processor, blend...

1/2 cucumber (skin on)

2 large garlic cloves,

lemon juice

1 tbsp fresh dill

1 turn of Olive Oil

salt to taste

Remove from processor, strain most of the water and add to

a bowl. 
Next add

1 cup of 2% greek yogurt (Faye is the best) and stir together. Reserve this in fridge until ready to serve.

**Rice is totally up to you, but, I like to use basmati with a hint of lemon juice**

Souvlaki

4oz of chicken breasts or sirloin or pork and cube into bite sized pieces. Tenderize them and put them in a large ziplock bag. Next add:

1 tbsp each: Oregano, mint, dill
2tbsp turn of olive oil

2 tsp each S & P

Brown in a skillet on high or grill on skewers until completely cooked.

In a warm pita, add a dollop of tzatziki, your chicken (or whatever meat you made), rice, feta cheese,

diced tomatoes, red onions, lettuce and Kalamata olives. In this Gyro, I'm using kale and romaine lettuce. I'm also using a wheat pita to save on the calories. All in all, this BIG, FAT, GREEK pita is around 400 calories. You can LOAD this sucker and still be eating healthy. Got leftovers? Take this bad boy with you for lunch and use the ingredients like a salad. Use the following dressing recipe and dig in. 

Yes, you'll want a mint. The cucumber sauce packs a garlicky wallop! Omit the mint if you deliberately want co-workers to leave you the 'eff alone.

450calories: Korean Quinoa

FYI: That Q-word is pronounced, "keen-wah." There. Now we can proceed. 

Quinoa is the new SUPER FOOD that is sweeping the nation. Contrary to popular belief, however, Quinoa has been a South American food staple since Machu Picchu. Not so new, now is it?

Quinoa resembles couscous or millet and is commonly mistaken for a grain. It's actually a seed from the goosefoot plant and grown almost exclusively in South America, although American farmers are trying to harvest it here. The Incas cultivated and dined on Quinoa for thousands of years.

This versatile little grain-like seed is loaded with 9 essential amino acids, thus deeming it a complete protein. Score! It is cooked just like rice, yet, has a shorter steaming time and it is way, way, waaaaay better for you. I have a few of my friends (and my husband) stick their nose up at Quinoa claiming that the taste can be "bitter" or "soapy." You must RINSE your Quinoa before you prepare it (unless is is already pre-rinsed) or you will be privy to it's saponins. Saponins are a plants natural immune system and are what can give Quinoa it's funny taste.

This recipe we are going to use combines an ancient South American staple (quinoa) and an ancient Korean staple (gochucjang). My gym friend told me if I could, "make Quinoa taste good," she'd give it another chance. I do believe I have found a way. I served this to my husband and he TORE. IT. UP. This recipe is cost friendly, simple and time effective. You can make this dish in 20 minutes. Check and mate. Enjoy!

KOREAN QUINOA

I found both at Walmart (of all places) 

Prep: 10 min.
Cook time: 20min.
Serves 2-3

1 cup quinoa
1 2/3 cup stock (chicken or vegetable)

5 chicken tenderloins, diced
2 tbsp Gochujang
2 tbsp Rice wine Vinegar- seasoned
1 tbsp olive oil
Snowpeas (2-3 handfulls) vertically sliced
5 baby carrots, sliced
Fresh baby spinach (2-3 handfulls)

1/2 cucumber, sliced
red pepper flakes
seasoned rice wine vinegar

In a bowl, thinly slice or "peel" your cucumber. Add 2 table spoons of seasoned rice wine vinegar and red pepper flakes. Toss it around and let it sit in the fridge until you are ready to serve.

In a 2qt pot, take your pre-rinsed quinoa and stock and bring them to a boil. Turn down the heat and cover for 15 minutes at a simmer. Check it often and stir. When your Quinoa is complete, start your chicken.

Coat your chicken in one tablespoon of gochujang and let it sit for a few minutes while you chop up your vegetables (if you haven't already done so). Heat a pan or a wok on high heat. Add your oil and saute your chicken until it is browned. Next add your rice wine vinegar and spinach and saute those until they are wilted. Next add your snow peas and carrots and saute those for a few minutes. Not too long, now. We still want that CRUNCH! Add another tablespoon of gochujong and 2/3 of your quinoa. Stir those together. Now TASTE IT! Does it need salt? More sauce? Alter it to YOUR tastebuds, not mine! Remember, you can throw as many different veggies that your tastebuds desire in this dish. Go crazy! I'm just using what I had on hand.

Serve it in a dish and add your sweet and spicy cucumbers to the top. For extra heat, drizzle some Sriracha on top! YUM!

Egg Drop Noodle soup with Sriracha

T'was the end of the school year for Mrs. Kertney. She was looking forward her summer break and couldn't wait to mash up the celebratory margarita ingredients she had waiting at home. As she was packing away her materials, Mrs. Kertney couldn't help but notice that her throat was feeling funny. "Does my throat hurt," she said to herself as she waved goodbye to another one of her after school students? She came home, stored away a few boxes in the basement, made dinner for her family and curled up in a feverish, chilly mess, unable to swallow anything. A trip to MedExpress the following morning would prove that her margaritas would have to wait. Strep throat had invaded her plans. MOTHER F#@#(&@ER! She needed soup. She didn't have any of the Campbells/Ramen variety and her husband wasn't answering his cell phone to bring her some. SON OF A B*#$! Plan B: Make some!

If you aren't dead on a toilet, you can make this soup. I did it, didn't I? Hell, I had a fever of 102º and my throat was on fire and my joints were pulsating... but I was super hungry and I needed something BESIDES yogurt and tea! Something SUBSTANTIAL that I could swallow dagnabbit!

Side note: Adding cider vinegar to your tea will do WONDERS for your sore throat because of it's high, bacteria killing acidity levels! Cider vinegar and honey is actually pretty tasty in raspberry flavored tea. It's probably tasty in any tea? Try it next time. Two capfuls of cider vinegar in one mug o' tea. 

You can serve your soup in a gold plated Mr. T
Stein for EXTRA power, foo'!  

 EGG DROP NOODLE SOUP... with Sriracha 
1 serving     7 minutes flat

2 cups of vegetable broth
1/4 cup pasta (any kind)
1 Scallion, sliced  (I used kitchen shears and cut them up)
1 egg
1 tsp Teriyaki sauce
Sriracha

Take your broth, sauce and pasta and let it boil for a good 5 minutes. Crack your egg directly into the bowl and stir it around with a fork. You will see it IMMEDIATELY turn white and lumpy. Add your handful of sliced scallions and 1 good squirt of Sriracha. Done.

You have just created a salty, nose opening, protein rich soup that will tame the sorest throat or the stuffiest nose. And... it's a Clean Eat. Now go and make your soup, take an ibuprofen, eat and get some rest. I pitty the Fool who doesn't get his rest!

Side, side note: Cold grapefruit (or grapefruit juice) is ANOTHER awesome sore throat remedy. It literally numbs the pain better than ANYTHING Vicks or Halls can come up with. Sprinkle a little Sugar in the Raw on top of a halved grapefruit and have at it! Thank me later.  

400 calorie: Teriyaki Ginger Lettuce Wraps

The health and fitness scene is all a buzz about this EATING CLEAN thing.  "Eat Clean? Like, take a shower before I eat? What does that even mean?"

First off, eating clean isn't a diet plan. It isn't really a new concept. It's a lifestyle commitment that is completely in your hands.  It's reaching for a handful of almonds in lieu of M&M's. It's chopping vegetables and adding them to your skillet in lieu of opening a pre-made frozen dinner. Eating clean means eliminating the processed, preservative rich food that makes us unhealthy and overweight. Eating clean is easier (and cheaper) than you think. It just takes some preparation. This recipe uses some simple, fresh ingredients that you can use on a M-Friday lunch schedule or cooking for a large crew? A serving size is 3 wraps (1 lettuce leaf with two heaping tablespoons of chicken mixture, each). I was full after just two. And just think, three of these bad boys are only around 400 calories.  Enjoy! 

This recipe is brought to you in collaboration with Absolute Fitness Academy's GYM KITCHEN

Ginger Soy Chicken Lettuce Wraps 

1 big ziplock bag 

1 head of Romaine Lettuce or pkg of  R.L.Hearts- washed and separated

1 pkg (2.5lbs) of Chicken Tenderloins- diced 

1 cup of steamed brown rice (check out my fool proof rice trick) 

1 can of water chestnuts, diced. 

Celery, minced 

4 Scallions, sliced reserve ½ 

bell peppers

2 Tbsp Teriyaki sauce (low sodium) 

1 Tbsp Oyster sauce

1 tsp ginger, grated

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 pkg broccoli slaw

1 cucumber, thinly sliced

¼ cup Seasoned rice wine vinegar

1) Prepare your rice per package directions. Check out my fool proof, measuring cup free technique for steaming rice. 

2) In a large ziplock bag, add your raw bite-sized pieces of chicken, the other half of the scallions, ginger, garlic, teriyaki and oyster sauce. Seal and refrigerate for a few minutes 15-30 minutes.

3) In a bowl, mix ½ of the broccoli slaw bag with sliced cucumbers. If you like heat, add some red chili flakes or actual chili pods. Add your rice wine vinegar and ½ scallions. Cover and set aside in the fridge. 

4) Heat up your wok to medium high heat. Add some olive oil when your pan is HOT and brown your chicken pieces. Once browned, add the water chestnuts, peppers and celery and saute for another few minutes. Next, turn down your heat to low and add the brown rice. 

5) When you are ready to eat, add two tablespoons of mixture in each Romaine leaf. Pull the cucumber broccoli slaw from the fridge and add that to the top of your mixture. Grab a napkin, because this can get a little messy... but it's worth it! YUM! 

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FYI: The über athletes take it a step further by restricting all gluten with a stone-aged inspired PALEO diet. So, if you are going PALEO, just add the real ingredients and eliminate the rice and sauces. But because our cave dwelling ancestors life expectancy plateaued at the ripe old age of 38, I'm going to suggest preparing this recipe the "clean" way. I'll bet Fred and Wilma would have eaten these wraps my way, anyway.