avgolemano!

I am eating this soup RIGHT NOW and did not want to waste another second before posting it.  It is delicious and can be ready in about 30 minutes with some convenient subs like rotisserie chicken.  This is the recipe that I made, which is a riff on a fantastic Cooking Light recipe they featured in their most recent issue.

This soup is purportedly a fantastic hangover cure as well as a delicious, warming meal at any time of day.

Avgolemono (Greek Lemon Egg soup)

2 cups of cooked chicken, diced or pulled (I used a garlic rotisserie chicken)
1/3 cup lemon juice
1 cup of shallots or onions, sliced and diced (whatever you have around works, I prefer shallots)
7 cups of chicken broth
1 cup of quinoa (red looks best!)
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tablespoon of dried dill or 2 tablespoons fresh
1 tablespoon of dried tarragon (optional, but i looove the flavor)
2 tablespoons fresh italian flat leaf parsley
2 teaspoons of cornstarch
2 eggs
4 - 6 basil leaves, torn
salt and mixed color peppercorns in large grinds, to taste (I used McCormick's garlic pepper grinder)
1 tablespoon of EVOO

Add EVOO to deep sauce pan on high heat.  After it heats for 60 sec, add shallots and sautee for three minutes. Add garlic, dill and tarragon (if using) and sautee for one minute more.  Add quinoa, tossing in oil, and shallot mixture, sauteeing for two minutes.  Add chicken broth and reduce heat to medium, stirring frequently as it simmers.  Meanwhile, add eggs and lemon juice in a small bowl.  Combine and whisk in two teaspoons of cornstarch, and salt and pepper to your liking.

After the broth, quinoa etc have been simmering for 15 minutes, or when quinoa is tender and about to be done, add egg/lemon mixture in three sections, whisking nonstop so that the eggs do not cook in clumps when they hit the broth.  If you'd prefer you can remove the soup from the heat for this portion.  When egg mixture is completely added, put it back on the heat and whisk for 60 seconds.

When the mixture reaches a solid simmer, add cooked chicken, stirring well.  Cook mixture together for 2 - 3 minutes or until chicken is heated through and quinoa is cooked to your liking.  Serve immediately.

Serves 4!  Great with a salad for dinner, on its own for lunch. You can also sub long grain white rice, basmati brown rice or arborio rice for the quinoa if you'd prefer.

Turkey Greek Loaf, a food of compromise

This recipe came about after I wanted turkey burgers and greek food and my boyfriend wanted meatloaf.  So. freaking. good. 

Turkey Greek Loaf

• 1 lb ground turkey breast
• 4 oz light feta cheese
• 10 oz frozen chopped spinach
• 1 tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 egg
• 1 slice bread (I used Glutino's flax and brown rice bread)
• 1 1/2 tbsp skim milk
• 1 medium onion, diced (red or white/yellow is fine)
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 2 tbsp oregano
• 1 tsp dill
• 1 tsp low sodium worcestershire Sauce
• 2 tbsp all spice (I LOVE this one)

Chop onion. Mince garlic. Thaw spinach.

Heat a skillet over medium high heat, adding EVOO after 30 seconds. Add chopped onion and 1 tbsp of oregano, crushing it in your hands before adding to skillet to release flavor. Add half of the dried dill. After onion is softened, about 2 - 3 minutes, add garlic, sauteing until fragrant and onions are translucent. Set aside to cool.

Preheat oven to 350.

Rip up bread into small pieces and put in the bottom of a medium mixing bowl. Beat egg and add to mixing bowl, along with milk and a dash of worcestershire sauce. Stir. Add cooled onions and garlic, turkey, thawed spinach and crumbled feta. Add 2 tbsp of all spice and remainder of oregano and dill. Mix with hands until well integrated and cohesive.

Grease a metal loaf pan with oil and add meat mixture, pressing down to form a tight loaf. Bake for 20 minutes at 350, and for 10 more at 400 until brown all the way through.

Serves 5.

 

Nutrition breakdown per serving:

204 Calories; 4.6 grams of Fat; 99mg Cholesterol;  816mg Sodium; 

12g Carbs; 3g Dietary Fiber; 3g Sugar; 27g Protein