These grilled Mediterranean Beef Kebabs are the perfect #low-carb/#Keto/#Whole30-friendly dish made with lightly spiced Steakhouse Elite Grass-Fed Ground Beefgrilled on skewers. Now that Spring is on the way, I’m focusing on eating healthier and less carbs with whole, fresh, #organic ingredients.
Once the beef skewers are grilled, they are served with a simple, lovely salad made with fresh sun-roasted tomatoes, cucumber, red onions, parsley, mint, and crumbled feta, and a side of homemade tzatziki sauce made with garlic, cucumbers, mint and greek yogurt.
Healthy, light and delicious! You can also serve these on grilled pita bread if you wish. Pairs well with a crisp white wine or light red.
These grilled Mediterranean Beef Kebabs are the perfect low-carb/Keto/Whole30-friendly dish made with lightly spiced Steakhouse Elite Grass-Fed Ground Beef grilled on skewers. They’re served with fresh tomatoes, cucumber, red onions, parsley, mint, and crumbled feta, and a side of homemade tzatziki sauce. Healthy, light and delicious!
1/2 cup finely ground almond flour + 1 tablespoon water
Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper
4 teaspoons Mediterranean or Greek seasoning
SIDE SALAD:
1 large tomato, sliced
1 red onion, sliced
1 cucumber, sliced
Parsley, chopped
Mint, chopped
Feta Cheese, crumbled
TZATZIKI:
3 Persian, Kirby or ½ English cucumbers, cut into ¼-inch pieces
Kosher salt
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 garlic clove, lightly crushed
¼ cup chopped mint
Instructions
BEEF KEBABS:
Soak 10 wooden skewers in water for about 30 minutes to 1 hour, removing when ready to start making beef kebabs. Lightly oil a grill or grill pan and preheat to medium-high.
Finely mince the onion, garlic, and parsley and place in a large mixing bowl. Add the ground beef, almond flour/water mixture, salt and pepper and Mediterranean spices. Mix together with your hands until well combined. Alternatively, you can mince all the ingredients together in a food processor.
Take a handful portion of the meat mixture and mold it on a wooden skewer into a long log-shaped kebab about 1 inch wide. Repeat with the rest of the meat and skewers, laying them on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper or foil.
Place the beef kebabs on the grill and cook for 4 minutes on one side, turn over and cook for another 3-4 minutes.
Serve the kebabs with a side salad made of sliced tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, parsley, mint and feta cheese with a side of tzatziki for dipping.
TZATZIKI:
Toss cucumbers with a few generous pinches of salt in a small bowl; firmly squeeze several times with your hands to release excess water. Drain.
Mix cucumbers, yogurt, oil, lemon juice, and garlic in a medium bowl; season with salt. Let sit at room temperature 15–20 minutes; discard garlic. Stir in mint just before serving.
Do Ahead: Tzatziki can be made 2-3 days ahead (without mint). Cover and chill in the refrigerator, and add fresh mint just before serving.
Notes
You can also substitute the ground beef with ground lamb or chicken, and serve with a side of grilled pita bread if desired.
JSL Foods recently invited me to participate in their 2nd Blogger Recipe Challenge, and guess what? I won the GRAND PRIZE and $1500 for my Black Pepper Caramel Chicken Udon recipe! And I am so thrilled to share it with you!
I decided to use their delicious Fortune Chicken Udon Noodles as the base for this amazing dish.
Black Pepper Caramel Chicken is a traditional Vietnamese dish made with chicken thighs, shallots and red chili peppers, jalapeños, and cilantro..
tossed in a luscious caramel sauce made with brown sugar, fish sauce, vinegar, red chili garlic sauce, fresh garlic, ginger and freshly ground black pepper,
all mixed together and reduced in a pan into a gorgeous sticky spicy sweet glaze to coat the chicken.
The noodles are cooked separately, then drained and sprinkled with the packaged chicken-flavored seasoning,
then tossed back into the pan with the cooked chicken and sweet savory Black Pepper Caramel sauce.
For serving I topped the dish with a dash of Everything Bagel seasoning (you could also just use white or black sesame seeds if you like), a few sliced jalapeños and fresh cilantro for an extra kick of heat and bright flavor.
You guys, this noodle dish is to die for! These Udon noodles are precooked so they only need to be reheated for a few minutes before serving. And they’re perfectly durable for holding this gorgeous thick glaze on the chicken, and full of ALA Omega-3’s, are non-GMO, zero trans fats, with only .5g of fat and 5g of protein in each serving!
You can also try this recipe using their Mushroom or Original Shoyu Udon Noodles for another layer of flavor to mix it up. Try pairing it with an oaky Napa Chardonnay or grassy Marlborough NZ Sauvignon Blanc to balance out the spiciness and sweetness of the dish. Superb!
Absolutely delicious…Hope you enjoy! And feel free to comment below and please share this post on social media with the hashtags @artfulgourmet @jslfoods #fortunenudonoodles #cheftyaki #udonsoups
This is a traditional Vietnamese Chicken dish made with a sticky spicy and sweet caramelized sauce with shallots, garlic, chilies, fish sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar, ginger and coarse ground black pepper. The chicken thighs are cooked right in the sauce then tossed with Fortune Chicken Udon Noodles and garnished with fresh cilantro and sliced jalapeños for extra heat and bright flavor.
Everything bagel seasoning, garnish Cilantro sprigs, for garnish
Sliced jalapeños, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
In a large pot, bring water to a boil and add JSL Foods Chicken Udon Noodles. Cook for 5-6 minutes, and sprinkle with the packet of Chicken seasoning, mixing throughout cooked noodles. Keep warm, and set aside.
In a small mixing bowl, combine brown sugar, fish sauce, water, sesame oil, rice vinegar, garlic, ginger, black pepper, chili garlic sauce, soy sauce; stir together to make black pepper caramel sauce. Set aside.
Heat the oil in a large skillet or wok pan. Add the shallot and red chili pepper and sauté over medium heat until soft, about 4 minutes. Remove from pan; set aside to add back in with chicken and sauce at the end.
Add the black pepper caramel sauce mixture and the chicken to the pan; simmer over high heat until the chicken is cooked through and sauce is caramelized for about 8-10 minutes. Reduce heat to low and stir in the shallots and hot chiles and cooked Chicken Udon Noodles coating them with the sauce and mixing in the chicken evenly throughout.
Transfer Black Pepper Caramel Chicken Udon Noodles to serving bowls, garnish with everything bagel seasoning, fresh cilantro and sliced jalapenos (if using).
Notes
Pairs well with an oaky Napa Valley Chardonnay or grassy, fresh New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc wine to balance out the spicy-sweet flavors of the dish.
As an added bonus, Chef Yaki is offering a special discount to my readers by joining their Noodle Club online! Click here get the coupon for special discounts and free offers!
You can purchase Fortune Udon noodle products at Target and Walmart as well as these groceries stores online:
This post is sponsored byJSL Foods for The 2nd Fortune Udon Noodle Blogger Recipe Challenge. All reviews, opinions, photos, recipes and written content expressed in this post are my own.
Hey guys! Oh my gosh, it’s almost the end of the year! Can you believe it? Where does time fly? I’m so ready for a New Year though – #2019 can’t come soon enough! 🙂
I was invited to participate in the #Steviva #Holiday #Keto #Blogger #Recipe Challenge this year and made a Sweet and Spicy Meyer Lemon Shrimp Stir Fry. With all the #holidays going on and the rich, delectable #food I’ve been enjoying this month, I wanted to make a recipe a little bit lighter and healthier, and on the lower carb side…(before it all happens again this weekend for New Years!)
I love Steviva products because they are lower in carbs, low glycemic, low calorie and they use all natural ingredients in their products. Their line of good-for-you all natural alternative sweeteners are terrific options for cooking and baking without sugar. Whether you need a granulated sweetener to replace table sugar, a powdered sweetener to replace confectionery sugar or a liquid sweetener to replace corn syrup, they have carefully developed safe, low glycemic, low caloric sweeteners that taste and act just like sugar.
This dish is super easy and quick to make and has great flavors using fresh Meyer Lemon juice, soy sauce, sesame, Nectevia Agave Stevia Blend, Steviva Erythritol Blend, a dash of ginger and #Sriracha for some spiciness to make a delicious sticky marinade to go with the shrimp and fresh veggies. And it’s low carb and low cal! BONUS*** 🙂
Simply make your marinade for the shrimp with all the ingredients and put it in the fridge in a ziplock baggie for 1/2 an hour. Then stir fry the shrimp for a few minutes until they are no longer pink and remove the shrimp from the pan.
Add the veggies and stir fry those for about 5-7 minutes until tender crisp and the sauce starts to thicken. Add the cooked shrimp back in and toss together for another minute or so.
Serve immediately over brown or cauliflower rice, zucchini noodles or soba noodles and spoon the rest of the spicy and sweet sauce on top and garnish with a few more sesame seeds and even some green onions if you wish.
A super easy and delicious stir fry made with shrimp and fresh veggies, marinated in a spicy and sweet sauce made with Meyer lemon juice, soy sauce, Sriracha, Steviva Blend and Nectevia. Great for a weeknight dinner or special occasion. Best served over brown rice, cauliflower rice, zucchini noodles or soba noodles.
Whisk together Steviva Blend, Nectevia agave nectar, soy sauce, garlic, lemon juice, sesame oil, sesame seeds, Sriracha, red pepper flakes and ginger in a small mixing bowl.
Add half of the sauce to the shrimp and let marinade in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or more.
Heat butter in a medium sized skillet over medium high heat. Add the shrimp, discard marinade from the bag (save the other unused half for making the sauce). Saute for about 3-5 minutes until shrimp is no longer pink.
Remove shrimp from the pan and add the fresh vegetables. Saute for about 5 minutes or so until soft.
Add the reserved marinade and pour over the vegetables. Cook for another few minutes until sauce thickens.
Add the cooked shrimp back into the pan and toss together with the vegetables and the sauce. Season with pepper, to taste.
Serve immediately, garnish with additional sesame seeds and green onions if desired over brown rice, cauliflower rice, soba noodles or zucchini noodles.
Notes
You can also use this marinade for scallops or chicken or beef, just increasing the cook time appropriate for the protein (about 10-12 mins for chicken or beef until cooked through).
Vegetables can be swapped out as well whatever you prefer!
I’d love to hear your comments on this recipe below if you decide to make it! Please make sure to tag @stevivabrands and @artfulgourmet with a link back to this original post on my blog if you do share any recipes or photos on social media!
For more information on #Steviva Brands products and more recipes, please visit their website and social media pages:
Note: I received products from Steviva Brands to experiment with recipes for the Blogger Challenge Recipe Contest. All opinions, recipes, photos and text are my own.
I love soup in the winter time because it’s a great way to warm up in the freezing weather, and a delicious, healthy thing to eat after all the heavy food from the holidays. And I especially love noodle soup with lots of veggies, meat and seasonings.
I recently was invited to join the blogger recipe challenge for JSL Foods to create a unique soup recipe using their Fortune Udon Noodles.
I created a soup recipe using their Mushroom Udon noodles – they are so good and easy to make! They are fresh and pre-cooked, perfect for a soup or stir fry and fortified with Omega-3 and have no MSG.
You simply add the noodles to some water and add the flavor packet provided, then cook for a few minutes after the water comes to a boil. Alternatively you can microwave the noodles in just 3 minutes and then add it to your soup base.
After the noodles were done, I set them aside and made the Spicy Pork mixture to go in the soup. First I added all the seasonings and spices, sriracha, fish sauce, soy sauce and togarashi seasoning (a Japanese spicy pepper seasoning you can find online) to the ground pork and sautéed over medium-high heat until cooked through.
Then I returned the pot of cooked noodles to the burner, added some chicken broth, fresh chopped kale, yellow sweet corn and a little more garlic salt and pepper and let that cook until the kale wilted and the corn was heated through. I added the cooked spicy pork mixture back into the pot with the noodles, kale and corn and let it simmer for another 5-10 minutes on low heat to let all the flavors meld together.
And voila! A super delicious and healthy soup for the winter with a great combination of flavors from the mushroom Udon noodles, the spicy pork, the fresh kale and corn, all topped with more sliced green onions, togarashi seasoning and a pat of butter to give it another layer of silky flavor and dash of sweetness to cool the heat from the spicy broth.
This is spicy and delicious mushroom Udon noodle soup - topped with a spicy pork mixture, kale, corn, garlic and green onions to make a savory soup perfect for winter.
Ingredients
1 package Fortune Udon noodles, mushroom flavor
1 tablespoon vegetable or peanut oil
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 pound ground pork
1 1/2 tablespoons garlic, minced
1 tablespoon ginger paste
1 teaspoon lemongrass, minced
1 teaspoon fish sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons Sriracha
1 tablespoon Togarashi seasoning
Black pepper, to taste
4 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 (11 ounce) can sweet yellow corn
3-4 large handfuls kale, chopped
2 green onions, sliced
Butter, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
Cook the Fortune Udon noodles in a large pot according to package directions (add 1 1/4 cups of boiling water and seasoning packet to the noodles and simmer for 3 minutes). Set aside.
Heat the oil in a medium saute pan over medium high heat, add the ground pork, garlic, ginger, lemongrass, fish sauce, soy sauce, Sriracha, Togarashi seasoning and black pepper and cook for about 5 minutes or so until the pork is cooked all the way through.
Return the pot of cooked Udon noodles back to the burner, add the chicken broth, garlic salt, kale, corn and green onions, and let simmer over medium heat until kale is wilted and the corn is cooked through.
Add the cooked spicy pork mixture and stir together, simmering for a few more minutes until the flavors are blended through the soup.
Serve the Udon noodle soup immediately and garnish with additional sliced green onions and a pat of butter until melted, for garnish.
You can also try their other flavors in chicken and original flavor – check out their website and social media pages for more info on their products. You can purchase JSL Foods products at the following stores: Hannaford’s, Price Rite, and Shop Rite.
Disclosure: This is a sponsored post and I received products from the client to develop and test a recipe and create photos and copy for the post. All recipes, images, copy and opinions are my own. Do feel free to share this post, but please make sure to link back to this page and give credit to me as “Kristen Hess/The Artful Gourmet” for any photos, recipes and copy shared online.
It’s a cold, rainy Fall day in NYC, and what better than to make a big pot of cozy comfort food for the soul?
I was invited to join the TresOmega Blogger Recipe Challenge and I thought my One Pot Chili Mac Soup recipe would be the perfect thing to make with their gluten free pasta incorporated. This recipe is a cross between chili, tacos, mac and cheese and soup – all mixed together into a delicious pot of goodness..trust me, you’re gonna love this!!!
TresOmega Gluten Free Quinoa Elbows Pasta is made with a unique blend of Organic Royal Bolivian Quinoa – a nutrient packed superfood, organic amaranth, an ancient grain rich is vitamins and minerals, and organic white rice. The pasta is gluten-free, corn-free and certified organic and GMO-free, and has 3 grams of fiber and 6 grams of protein in each serving.
Next I browned the ground beef, garlic and onions in a little more coconut oil and added some taco seasoning to the mixture in a large dutch oven.
Then I added all the delicious veggies to the pot – corn, three types of beans, tomatoes, and chiles, and mixed it all together with the ranch seasoning. Just cover the pot and let simmer on low for about an hour, adding the cooked pasta in the last 5 minutes of cooking. Guys, this is so easy..and soooo good!
You can top this soup with whatever your heart desires – sour cream, jalapeños, shredded Mexican cheese, green onions, corn chips, maybe even a little parsley or cilantro for some extra green…go nuts!
This one-pot recipe is so simple to make and so delicious and best of all gluten free! So you can have a big pot of comfort food without all the guilt and feeling weighted down. Although on a cold rainy day like today, it might just warrant taking a nice nap afterwards. Enjoy 😉
Heat one tablespoon of Tresomega Coconut Oil over medium high heat in a large skillet. Add the ground beef, onions and garlic and brown for about 5-7 minutes; drain the excess fat. Transfer the mixture to a large stockpot or Dutch oven, stir in taco seasoning.
Add the beans, corn, tomatoes, green chiles and ranch dressing mix, and simmer over low heat for about 1 hour in the pot on the stove.
Meanwhile, cook Tresomega Elbows according to package directions, drain, toss with a tablespoon of Tresomega Coconut Oil and set aside.
Add cooked pasta to the pot in the last 5 minutes of cooking.
To serve, ladle soup into bowls. Top with corn chips, sour cream, shredded Mexican cheese, green onions and jalapenos.
Notes
Note - you can also cook the soup in a slow cooker over low heat for 6-8 hours.
Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post by TresOmega Nutrition as part of their Blogger Recipe Challenge. I did not receive compensation for this post but did receive products to develop this recipe and all opinions, recipes, photos and text are my own. Please do not use any images without my granted permission. Do feel free to share this post on social media with a link back to the original post and credit to Kristen Hess/The Artful Gourmet.
Since the holidays are coming soon, we all know what THAT means..lots of holiday parties with food and drinks, and with that in mind, I’ve decided to commit to eating healthier and lighter the next few weeks.
I absolutely love my KitchenAid® Spiralizer Attachment that goes with my KitchenAid® Stand Mixer – and I’m so excited to make some healthier low-carb meals! It comes with five different blades for peeling, coring and slicing and is perfect for fresh fruits and vegetables. I love pasta and rice, but spiralized veggies are such a great substitute when I want to lighten up my recipes and eat low carb.
I thought a delicious comfort food dish with a healthy twist would be perfect for the cooler months, and decided to make a Red Curry Beef with Zucchini Noodles.
I used lots of fresh, organic ingredients: beef, sweet potatoes, onions, garlic and green beans, and then made a lovely curry sauce with coconut milk, red curry paste, fresh lime juice, fish sauce, some beef broth and a dash of Sriracha to spice it up.
The larger Chef’s knife was great for cutting up the large chunks of beef and sweet potatoes with its sturdier grip and large super sharp blade.
My heavy duty KitchenAid ceramic cast iron pot is perfect for making this dish – it cooks evenly and is large enough to make a large pot of curry or stew, and is ovenproof to 500 degrees!
The KitchenAid spiralizer attachment is also easy to use! All you need to do is attach it to the KitchenAid mixer, and the spirals come right out perfectly cut. Then you just briefly cook them in a saucepan with some olive or peanut oil, season them with some salt and pepper.
Top the #zoodles with this luscious and creamy curry – lots of great flavors and textures, sweet and spicy – all in one pot. Delish!
This is such a great Winter comfort food dish to make and it’s so easy to make with all the right tools… You’ll definitely want to make this Red Curry Beef Zucchini Noodles for dinner – tonight!
2 1/2 pounds lean stewing beef, (chuck or round), cut into 1 1/2 inch chunks
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 sweet onion, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup red curry paste
2 cans (13.5 ounce) unsweetened coconut milk
2 tablespoons Thai fish sauce
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1/4 cup beef broth
1 tablespoon Sriracha hot sauce (optional)
1 large handful French green beans, trimmed
3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into medium chunks
1 (8 ounce) can sliced bamboo shoots, drained
3 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped or torn, for garnish
1-2 Thai green chilies, sliced fine, for garnish
1/2 cup peanuts, for garnish
Instructions
Attach the KitchenAid® Spiralizer Attachment to your KitchenAid® Stand Mixer and choose your desired spiralizing blade. Attach the vegetable skewer to the Spiralizer and secure it to the zucchini. Move the spiralizing blade to the end of the zucchini and turn on the Stand Mixer to low (level 2) to make the spiralized zucchini noodles. Make sure you place a bowl underneath to catch the zucchini noodles as they fall. Set the noodles aside or keep them in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Cut the beef into 1 1/2 inch large chunks and place in a bowl. Sprinkle with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Heat the oil over medium-high heat in your KitchenAid® 6.0Qt Cast Iron Cookware and brown the beef in two batches until lightly browned on all sides. Remove the beef from the pot and transfer to a bowl, set aside.
Add the onion and garlic to the same pot and sauté over medium heat for about a minute. Add the curry paste, stirring into the onions and garlic, until lightly fragrant, for about 30 seconds. Add the coconut milk, and deglaze the pan, stirring up all the crispy brown bits with a wooden spoon. Stir in the fish sauce, lime juice, brown sugar, beef broth, Sriracha (if using) and bring the liquid to a boil.
Add the green beans and sweet potatoes and stir into the liquid. Next add the browned beef back in and stir together well. Cover the pot, reduce the heat to low and let simmer for about an hour and 45 minutes. Add the bamboo shoots into the curry and let simmer for another 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat a tablespoon of olive oil in your 10? Skillet from the KitchenAid® Stainless Steel 8-Piece Set over medium heat. Add the zucchini noodles, with some salt and pepper to taste, and sauté for a few minutes until the noodles are soft.
Serve the noodles in bowls topped with the Red Beef Curry, garnishing with fresh chopped basil, sliced Thai green chilies and peanuts.
It’s finally Fall (Yay!) and football season is in full force which means fun tailgating and parties with friends mixed with lots of delicious football party food and drinks! My favorite time of year.
I’ve partnered with Mission Foods to create a delicious Game Day recipe for serving a crowd with their awesome flour tortillas, and I present to you my Beef Enchilada Tortilla Casserole.
It’s made with ground beef and taco seasoning, onions, garlic, corn, jalapeños, chopped tomatoes, beef broth and LOTS of cheese, all baked in layers of spicy, cheesy, ooey-gooey goodness with the flour tortillas in a 9-inch pie pan. Then it’s served cut into wedges and topped with some fresh green onions. You can also serve it with some sour cream and cilantro for extra garnish, if you like, on the side.
I love making casseroles and one-pot dishes in the Fall, and especially for parties with friends because they’re easy to make and easy to transport and serve, and they are usually a huge hit on the food table! This one will disappear fast so you might want to double the recipe for a big crowd – trust me!
I’m also hosting a giveaway for my readers to win 2 packs of Mission Foods Tortillas – all you need to do is leave a comment and your email below telling me how you would use the tortillas to make a delicious recipe for your Fall Football party! A winner will be chosen at random.
Hope you enjoy my super yum recipe and enter for a chance to win tortillas to make your party more delicious and fun too!
This Beef Enchilada Tortilla Casserole is a super easy and tasty dish to make for Football season! Made with Mission Foods flour tortillas, all layered with a spicy enchilada beef, mixed with onions, garlic, corn, tomatoes, broth and jalapeño and lots of cheese in the layers and on top! Garnished with scallions, sour cream and cilantro if desired...and DIG IN!
Ingredients
1 pound ground beef
1/2 onion, chopped
1 tablespoon butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup beef broth
1/2 packet taco seasoning
1 cup petite diced tomatoes and juice (or 1 8-ounce can tomato sauce)
1 cup frozen corn
1 jalapeno, chopped
4 large Mission Foods flour tortillas
1 6-ounce package shredded Mexican Blend cheese (Colby, Monterey Jack and Cheddar)
1-2 scallions, sliced, for garnish
1/2 cup sour cream, for garnish (optional)
2-3 tablespoons cilantro, chopped, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground beef and onion to pan and cook for about 5-6 minutes until browned and crumbled.
In a separate medium saucepan, melt the butter and sauce the garlic for 1 minute until lightly golden, sprinkle with flour and stir, cooking for 30 seconds.
Add broth, taco seasoning, tomatoes, corn and jalapeños to the saucepan and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer for about 5 minutes.
Add 1 1/2 cups of the tomato-corn-jalapeno mixture to the cooked ground beef and onions in the large saute pan, mixing together and reserving the rest for the top layer of the casserole.
In a 9-inch pie plate, place 1 tortilla on the bottom. Top with 1 cup of the beef mixture, and sprinkle with a layer of the shredded cheese. Repeat layers 2 more times, ending with the 4th tortilla on top.
Spread the reserved tomato mixture over the tortilla and top with the rest of the shredded cheese.
Bake at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes until cheese is melted and golden.
Let cool slightly, then cut into wedges and serve with sliced green onions, and sour cream and cilantro (if desired).
Notes
You can also substitute ground turkey or chicken for the ground beef.
For a large crowd, I suggest doubling the recipe to make two casseroles as this one will disappear fast!
Check out Mission Foods website for all their great products! Mission Foods
Join Mission Foods Insiders Club for special deals and rewards: Mission Insiders!
Disclosure: I’m required to disclose a sponsored partnership between our site and Mission Foods. I have been compensated in exchange for this post in the form of payment, product or experiences. #spon
Classic Greek Moussaka is one of the most popular Greek dishes, and a staple “comfort food” and main course meal in Greece (as Lasagna is in Italy). This tasty Greek dish is a culinary delight to those who sample it for the first time, and I experienced it when I went on a trip to the Greek Islands a few years ago for my birthday.
Some friends and I were in Santorini, a beautiful island in Greece in the Aegean Sea with pastel colors and gorgeous views, eating at a restaurant in Oia called Pelekanos, nestled up in the hills overlooking the sea.
The sun was setting, the relaxing music was playing softly in the background and the atmosphere was just perfect. The waiters graciously came over and attended to our every need, and made our dinner a spectacular night with their attention to detail not only in the food and wine, but our dining experience overall.
The table was elegantly set, with fine china, white tablecloths, crystal glasses and silverware with beautiful flowers as a centerpiece. The waiters filled our glasses with water and wine, lit the candles on the table and gave us recommendations of the specials and enlightened us on some of their popular Greek dishes on the menu.
As we joyously dined, they quickly cleared our plates when we were finished eating, filled our glasses when they were half full, and stood by the table a few feet away with a watchful, attentive eye, to let us know they were on stand by for service, but just far enough away to not be obtrusive on our dining experience.
They always had a smile on their faces and let us stay at the table long enough to enjoy our dinner, engage in great conversation, take photos of our food and engage in the gorgeous bright red sunset that was going down over the ocean as we sat and viewed it in awe. I felt like I was sitting in a little piece of heaven up there and never wanted to leave.
One of the most delicious dishes I ever tasted was the Moussaka, which I ordered that night. It was a perfect mixture of spicy meat at the bottom, layered with potatoes and tender eggplant, and tons of béchamel and gooey cheese on top. The vegetables were steaming as I dug into this gorgeous meat and vegetable pie – my mouth watered at the sight and smell of it. I became so obsessed with this luscious Greek dish that I decided I needed to make it for my big Greek birthday party when I got home from vacation.
Moussaka can be made in many variations, but the classic recipe uses layers of eggplant, potatoes, a spicy meat and tomato sauce with a touch of cinnamon and a rich and delicious béchamel sauce and bubbly kefalotyri cheese on top. Other variations are Moussaka with zucchini or artichokes instead of eggplant, ground lamb instead of ground beef, or vegetarian-style with zucchini, eggplant and potatoes without the meat. Either way you make it, with its warm and rich flavors and gooey cheese you’ll be hooked.
I made this recipe with zucchini and potatoes, and combined ground lamb with ground beef together. The combination of all the spices from the meat and seasonings soak into the vegetables and once you layer some creamy béchamel and gooey cheese on top, you’ve got yourself a delicious heartwarming dish. Be careful to pat dry the vegetables though before layering in the baking dish, as you don’t want the liquids to make the Moussaka too watery as they are cooked down in the oven.
You’ll need a lot of time and kitchen space to make this dish, and if you’re cooking for a crowd, you’ll be safe to double the recipe and make two large rectangular baking dishes of it, as it won’t last long. The flavors in this dish really improve if you make it a day ahead. It’s also a very filling dish, so you may want to serve it as the main course, and accompany it with a Greek Salad, some Stuffed Grape Leaves and Tzaziki for a light side dish along with some Garlic Lemon Hummus and grilled pita. Serve with a red Greek wine and a shot of Ouzo as an aperitif.
Cut the zucchini/eggplant and potatoes into slices about 1/2 inch thick. If using eggplant instead of zucchini, peel the eggplant first. Brown the vegetables quickly in 1/4 cup of the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes until lightly golden brown, transfer to paper towels to drain and set aside.
Meat Sauce:
Heat the remaining ¼ cup of oil in the same skillet and cook the onions until they are?golden brown. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the ground meat, tomato paste, cinnamon, cayenne, and cook for another 8-10 minutes. Pour off excess fat through a strainer and return meat mixture to the pan. Then add the wine, cooking until almost completely evaporated, about 5 minutes.
Add the tomato puree to the meat mixture and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium low and simmer over low heat;?stirring frequently, until all the liquid has been absorbed, about 30 minutes. Stir in the parsley and oregano and season with salt and pepper. Remove the?mixture from heat.
Make the Bechamel Sauce:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and heat a medium saucepan over medium heat.
Make the white sauce by melting the butter?and blending in the flour, stirring with a wire whisk until smooth. Meanwhile, bring the milk to a boil and add it gradually to the butter-flour mixture,? stirring constantly. When the mixture is thickened and smooth, remove ?it from the heat. Cook slightly and stir in the beaten eggs, nutmeg, lemon zest and ricotta.
Assemble the casserole:
Grease an 11x16-inch baking dish or casserole dish and sprinkle the bottom lightly with?breadcrumbs.
Arrange alternate layers of the zucchini/eggplant and potatoes and meat sauce?in the pan, sprinkling each layer with Parmesan cheese and bread crumbs.
Pour the bechamel sauce over the top and sprinkle some additional Parmesan cheese on top. Bake 1 hour, or until top is golden.
Remove from the oven and cool 20 to 30 minutes before serving.
Top with additional chopped fresh parsley. Cut into squares and serve.
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I’ve been on a spicy food kick lately. Maybe it’s the pseudo-Spring weather. Or maybe I’m just addicted. I decided to make a fun twist on pizza and make a seriously delicious Taco Pizza. Yes, TACOS. And PIZZA. All baked into a bubbling pile of goodness. This Taco Pizza is the easiest thing to make, and the best tasting thing on the planet. Like a fiesta in your mouth.
I had a bunch of Pillsbury Crescent Dough in the fridge, as well as a ton of fresh ingredients I wanted to use up. Yes, I could have made Nachos. Or Burritos. Or Enchiladas. Or even a Taco Salad. But why not make a Taco Pizza? It was Friday after all. And Fridays are made for FUN FOOD, arent’ they?
The crust is super buttery and flaky and a delicious canvas for this Taco Monster creation.
The pizza is topped with all the goodies you would make tacos with – salsa, ground beef, taco seasoning, black beans and onions,
with a layer of fresh veggies like black olives, tomatoes, jalapenos; and of course plenty of shredded cheddar cheese.
Just layer all the goods on the dough, pop it in a 375 degree oven and bake for about 13-16 minutes until the crust is golden and the cheese is melty-ooey-gooey.
Then, top it with some chopped cilantro, a few dabs of sour cream and some wavy corn chips for extra crunch.
Serious YUM. And perfect for a Friday afternoon. With a margarita or two, of course. 🙂
A seriously delicious Taco Pizza made with ground beef, tomatoes, jalapenos, olives, black beans and cheese, topped with sour cream, cilantro and crunchy corn chips baked on a crescent dough crust.
Ingredients
2 cans (8 ounce) Pillsbury crescent dough
1 pound ground beef
1 small onion, chopped (or 1 tablespoon minced dried onion)
1 package taco seasoning
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup black beans, rinsed
1 cup chunky salsa
10-12 cherry or plum tomatoes, halved
1 jalapeno, sliced
1/2 cup black olives, sliced
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
1 cup wavy corn chips, for garnish
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped, for garnish
1/2 cup sour cream, for garnish
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Separate dough into 2 long rectangles and place on ungreased cookie sheet. Press perforations to seal into one large rectangle of dough. Repeat for second pizza.
In a large skillet, saute ground beef, onions and black beans until cooked through and meat is no longer pink. Drain grease, and add taco seasoning and 1/4 cup of water, mix together well and keep warm, covered.
Prep the veggies and pizza topping ingredients.
Layer the dough with the salsa, 1/2 cup for each pizza.
Top dough with the taco beef and bean mixture, olives, tomatoes, jalapenos and shredded cheese on both sheets.
Bake for 13-16 minutes until cheese is bubbly and crust is golden brown.
Garnish pizzas with corn chips, sour cream and fresh cilantro.
Cut each pizza into 6 squares and serve hot.
Notes
You can also substitute shredded chicken, ground chicken or turkey or pulled pork for the ground beef.
A regular pizza dough crust can also be used in place of the crescent dough.
I recently did a food styling project for Morningstar Farms to promote some of their new products to local food editors in NYC, and one of them I got to sample and loved was their Spicy Indian Veggie Burger. I’m not normally a fan of frozen food products and I’m definitely not a Vegan, but I was really impressed with the flavor and texture of these, and decided to make a delicious Curry Cilantro Slaw to go with it along with a Peanut Satay Yogurt Sauce for topping served with some Grilled Pita.
The Indian Veggie burgers have organic red lentils, chickpeas, carrots, potatoes, peas, bell peppers, coconut cream and curry seasonings in them, and are 100% vegan. They are super easy to cook too – I just cooked them for about 10 minutes in a sauté pan, but they could also be grilled or microwaved. The best part is they are only 130 calories and have lots of protein in them so they’re healthy and a great vegan/vegetarian option when you’re seeking lighter fare.
My Curry Cilantro Slaw is super delicious as a topping and side salad with grilled pita bread (or you could stuff it all into the pita, or Naan bread if you wish). The slaw has purple and white cabbage, carrots, celery, honey, olive oil, cilantro, golden balsamic vinegar, and some indian spices such as black sesame seed, cumin seed, curry powder, and indian red pepper to give it a little kick, then topped with toasted crushed peanuts for some extra crunch.
The best part? My Peanut Satay Yogurt Sauce – made with Greek yogurt, satay seasoning, and some peanut butter with a little dash of Indian red pepper. The creamy sauce goes perfect on the burgers and cools the heat and has a delicious peanut-y savory taste. You can find satay seasoning online at Penzey’s (the brand I use) or on Amazon – it has a gorgeous blend of spices such as salt, brown sugar, garlic, onion, coriander, shallots, ginger, turmeric, paprika, galangal, cayenne and lemongrass..so good! And of course you could substitute any nut butter you wish for the sauce – cashew, sunflower, or almond butter would be great too.
And of course if you are feeling adventurous and have the time to make your own Indian burgers from scratch, I found a great recipe from Whole Foods which would be great with the Curry Slaw and Satay Yogurt Sauce as well. You could also serve this with some curry chicken, spiced beef or lamb burgers, or even spicy grilled fish and it would be equally delicious!
Also, just a heads up – this recipe feeds a crowd (about 6-8 people). If you’re only serving a few, just cut the recipe in half (or quarter it if you’re dining solo!) Enjoy.
Indian Burgers with Curry Cilantro Slaw & Peanut Satay Yogurt Sauce
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Yield: 6-8
Serving Size: 1-2 burgers with 1 piece of pita, 1/2 cup of slaw,
Spicy Indian veggie burgers, served with a Curry Cilantro Slaw and Peanut Satay Yogurt sauce served on grilled pita bread.
Ingredients
Curry Cilantro Slaw:
2 tablespoons golden balsamic vinegar
Juice from 1/2 fresh lime (about 2 tablespoons)
4 tablespoons honey or agave nectar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon Indian black sesame seeds
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/4 teaspoon indian red pepper
1 tablespoon sea salt
1/2 tablespoon freshly cracked black pepper
8 cups shredded coleslaw (cabbage and carrots)
1 cup diced celery
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 cup peanuts, toasted and crushed
Peanut Satay Yogurt Sauce:
1-17.6 ounce container Greek yogurt
4-5 tablespoons Peanut Butter (or Almond, Cashew or Sunflower butter)
2 tablespoons Satay seasoning
1/4 teaspoon Indian red pepper
Spicy Indian Burgers:
8 frozen Spicy Indian Burgers (2 packages) (Morningstar farms)
8 slices pita bread or naan bread
Instructions
Curry Cilantro Slaw:
In a large bowl, mix together the vinegar, lime juice, honey, olive oil and seasonings.
Add coleslaw mix, celery and cilantro and mix together well.
Heat a small saute pan over medium heat and toast the peanuts until lightly browned.
Remove from heat and let cool, crush into small pieces and add to the coleslaw, reserving a small amount for topping the burgers.
Cover and place in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes to let flavors meld.
Peanut Satay Yogurt Sauce:
Place all the ingredients in a small mixing bowl and stir together.
Cover and set aside in the refrigerator while preparing Indian burgers and grilled pita.
Spicy Indian Burgers:
Heat a large saute pan over medium heat.
Spray cooking oil on each side of the burgers and cook for about 10 minutes, turning half way through until golden brown.
Cook burgers in batches and set aside.
Spray a little more oil on the pita or naan bread and cook until lightly browned, for about 2-3 minutes, turning to cook both sides.
Serve the burgers hot with grilled pita bread topped with Peanut Satay sauce, and Curry Cilantro slaw on top or on the side as a salad (or stuff it all inside the pita or naan bread).
Serves 6-8.
Notes
- You can also substitute any nut butter (cashew, almond, sunflower seed) for the Satay Yogurt sauce.
- The slaw and yogurt sauce would also be equally delicious on grilled spicy chicken, beef or lamb burgers or spicy grilled fish.
- If you're serving only 2-4 people, cut the recipe in half.