Greek Pitas with Homemade Pita Bread

These pitas are a Greek medley of flavors party in your mouth.

They just feel healthy. Healthy enough to eat a handful of dark chocolate Cadbury eggs and another handful of thin mints for dessert. It's March, so it's not summer yet here, but this makes it feel like it. I can't wait to bust out these babies in the heat!

And homemade pitas? You'll never go back to the expensive, dry, store bought ones filled with crazy ingredients and preservatives (save those for the thin mints, right?!)

I must first start out by saying that the whole wheat pita recipe is not mine, I used these. Since I followed this recipe word for word and had brilliant success, I won't be posting the steps here. But seriously, do not skimp on these! They are fluffy, soft, tasty, and I plan on using the leftovers (they make 12 whole pitas) for some hummus. I'm also thinking they would be great with a BLT filling, fajita fixings with avocados, you could even try our Pesto Pizza over one of these little babies.

Below are the makings of Tzatziki.

Say that ten times fast. This is a sauce common in Mediterranean dishes in pitas or gyros, in salads, as a dip, etc. It has such a refreshing, light flavor, I love it! I've seen it done with mint instead of/with the dill, but haven't tried it yet. I think it pairs well with lamb (as opposed to chicken).

Doesn't all this freshness make you want to squeal?

Greek Pitas

Ingredients

chicken:

2 chicken breasts, cut into chunks

1 lemon

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 t oregano

1/4 t salt

tzatziki sauce:

1/2 cucumber

1/2 t salt

8 oz. plain Greek yogurt

1/2 lemon zest and juice

2 t dill

2 garlic cloves

salt and pepper

garnishes:

2 diced tomatoes

feta cheese

olives

alfalfa sprouts

green leaf lettuce

red onions, sliced

Directions

1. Marinate chicken in juice from lemon, garlic, oregano, and salt several hours. Lay out on counter and bring to room temperature.

2. Skewer chicken pieces and grill, or cook in sauté pan.

3. Prepare tzatziki sauce. Peel cucumber and cut into four long quarters. Remove seeds (with one, long slice of your knife) from each quarter so that you are left with the rind of each quarter. Discard seeds.

4. Dice remaining cucumber, place in strainer. Sprinkle cucumber with salt, and let juices drain out of cucumber into bowl below. This is to dry the cucumber out. After 1 hour, squeeze cucumber dry with towel.

5. Blend cucumber and remaining tzatziki sauce ingredients in food processor until smooth. Refrigerate.

6. Prepare remaining garnishes.

7. After making whole wheat pita pockets, stuff pita pockets (or create wraps) with chicken, tzatziki sauce, and remaining garnishes. Enjoy warm or cold.

As a wrap...

Or a pocket....whatever you do,

Opa!

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Grilled Chicken Pesto Sandwich

Grilled Chicken Pesto Sandwich

Is it possible to think of football and not have the 'Monday Night Football theme song blasting through your head? ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL?!!queue guitar and drums. and fireworks. 

Too bad ol' Hank Williams Jr isn't hanging around on ABC still... asking if your ready for some football...Maybe if he was, I might actually be ready? and might watch.. ha. ok maybe not. None-the-less, ready or not- Football is coming!! not on Monday, on Sunda. And there is going to be this big ol' Supabowl Party you are either invited to or hosting right? And now you need to come up with somthing to bring! ah. 

We are here to save you. 

(sigh. love thoughts pulsing through your brain of us)

My Auntie Cammy made this for us over Christmas break, we were hosting a baby shower and she showed up to save us! (sigh.love thoughts pulsing through my brain for her) 

***

a quick run to Costco and she had everything she needed. 

 yummm. isn't pesto so grand. 

obviously you can make much of this from home. or all of it. or buy half of it and make half.... and you don't have to buy it from Costco either, but since you are going there anyway, you might as well. 

Your going to be very addicted to this meal and will need it in bulk....hehehe. 

so here is what you need. 

bread : baguette for smaller sangwhiches. 

artisan loaves for large sandwhiches *see uncooked pics

Pesto

Grilled Chicken

onion :purple are prettiest : slick thin

tomoatoes- nice and ripe! sliced thin

cheese of your choice, pictured below is Mozzarella and Parmaigina (all from costoca)

to assemble:

line a baking sheet with foil and place slice bread

Spread a healthy layer of pesto

tomato

chicken

onion

cheese

since we were feeding a large crowd we had extra foil and sandwiches ready to go. when a batch would come out we just pull the foil onto the baking sheet and cook.

Place in 350 oven till cheese is melted.

for smaller baguettes broiler works great too!

This is Aubrey. My sis. Sometimes, often, people get us mixed up. so I thought I would clarify. this is her,  and I, des. am talking. 

She is the prettier one. :) 

Grilled Chicken Pesto Sandwich

Ingredients

Baguette or Artisian bread from bakery (or any loaf)

Pesto

a few ripe tomatoes

purple onion

Mozzarella cheese

Parmesan Cheese

Grilled Chicken

Directions

Slice bread, tomatoes, onion, and chicken.

On a foil lined baking sheet place bread and layer:

Pesto

Tomatoes

Onion

Chicken

Cheeses

Bake at 350 or broil till cheese is melted.

Baking is recommended for the larger sandwiches so ensure that it is heated through. but for smaller baguettes they heat pretty fast.

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Butterscotch Pull-Aparts & Egg Souffle {Christmas Morning Breakfast Idea}

Growing up my mom would ALWAYS make this meal on Christmas morning.  As an adult I've continued this tradition and always look forward to that little reminder of home on Christmas.  Not only is this meal special and delicious - but all the work in done the night before.  All you have to do come Christmas morning is pop both of these dishes in the oven while presents are being opened.  After all the paper has been strewn about and all the packages have been opened you'll have a hot yummy breakfast to sit down too.

Butterscotch Pull Aparts

The first part of this mean are the Butterscotch Pull-Aparts.  The original name of these gooey delicious rolls is Easter Morning Pull-Aparts...but since we're eating them on Christmas let's just go with butterscotch. :)

These really are a little piece of heaven.  They are sticky and sweet and gooey and warm and oh so delicioso!  

Butterscotch Pull-Aparts

Ingredients

1/2 package of Butterscotch pudding mix (the cook and serve kind NOT the instant)

pinch of cinnamon

16 frozen Rhodes rolls (The Rhodes brand works the best - I've tried other brands and they just weren't as big and fluffy and yummy)

3/4 stick butter, melted

1/2 cup brown sugar

Directions

Grease your bundt pan WELL.

Mix together your dry pudding mix and cinnamon.

Place 16 Rhodes frozen rolls evening in your bundt pan and sprinkle with the pudding mixture.

Stir together your butter and brown sugar until thick and well combined. Drizzle over the rolls.

Cover with foil and let sit on your counter overnight to rise. (6-7 hours)

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Turn over onto a plate and devour.

Egg Souffle

Next up - Egg Souffle.  This is a simple, delicious, warm breakfast casserole.  This is really the base to so many delicious possibilities.   My recipe is for cheddar cheese and sausage, but you could easily change it to swiss and bacon, or pepper jack and veggies...anything would work.  My mom always did sausage and cheddar - so that's what I love and continue to do.

This souffle is PERFECT alongside of the pull-aparts.  They are both warm, fresh out of the oven, filling, and special.

Now - this dish is so seriously easy that you won't even believe it.  Let me give you the rundown.

Egg Souffle

Ingredients

About 12 pieces of white bread, crusts removed

1 LB link Sausage, browned and cut into 1 inch pieces

7 eggs

2 cups milk

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground mustard

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

Directions

Spray a 9x13 cake pan with non-stick spray. Arrange your bread slices so they are completely covering the bottom of the pan. You may have to cut some piece in half, or smaller to fill the entire bottom of the pan.

Brown your sausage, drain it on a paper towel, and cut it into 1 inch pieces. Evenly distribute the sausage pieces over the bread layer.

In a medium bowl combine eggs, milk, salt, and ground mustard. Whisk together until all yolks are broken and it is a pale yellow color. Stir in cheese. Pour over the top of the bread layer.

Cover and place in the fridge overnight. (6-8 hours.)

Bake at 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes until edges are golden and center is set. Let cool 10 minutes before serving. Cut into squares to serve.

How easy was that?  All done before bedtime and ready to be baked in the morning!

 Just pair these two dishes with some fresh fruit and you have a gourmet meal on Christmas morning without even breaking a sweat!

I hope you'll start this tradition, it really is one of my favorites.

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French Dip

I LOVE salty savory beef. A salty steak. a tender, seasonedsalty piece of beef. 

ok that kind of sounds meateater overhaul. and a little too full of sodium. 

who cares.its really good. 

I'll take beef in most forms...especially on a bun. Who doesn't? Its not like burger joints haven't become the most eat at restaurants (can you call mcdonalds a restaurant?) in the world for a reason. 

Not too long ago we went to a famous beef and bun place called Phlippes, in LA. (click to read more about it and see pictures... HERE) It's supposedly the first place a french dip was born! I mean it had the whole old school thing going on. Atmosphere was great. the place was packed (mostly with suits and ties on their lunch bread) and there I was eating my french dip, and I was NOT in love. 

For an overpriced priced sandwhich I got piece of dried bread and dried out meat. I didn't even get any Au Ju with the dang thing. Probably had to pay extra for it. no cheese. probably had to pay extra for that too. (my husband ordered...it was packed. I was holding down the fort at the table)

I don't know. Maybe I went on a bad day, or maybe I just got a bad sandwhich. but I was seriously disappointed in that sandwhich. I was SOOO looking forward to a tender roast beef dipped into a salty au ju. 

Months later, I went to Patti's. (a person...not restaurant like Phillipes) Halloween night to be exactly. She had cooked up a perfect french dip for her family, and we trick or treated the leftovers. 

Now that was a French Dip. 

Best part is its easy. It doesn't break your bank. or your back. 

KEY to this recipe is the baking.....cook long and slow= a tender piece of meat

French Dip Sandwich

Ingredients

1 Beef Roast (can be any cut)

2-3 cans Beef consume

1/2-3/4 can water

1 package of buns (I prefer Telera)

optional: Mayonaise

Cheese

Directions

Place your roast in a roasting pan. (do not cover)

Cook in a preheated oven @425 for 1 hour.

after one hour turn oven off (or down to 200) pour in 2-3 cans of beef consume and water.

Let cook in oven for 1.5-2 hours more.

Take out and let rest for 15 minutes.

Slice thin!

On toasted buns, spread mayo and layer Roast beef.

Add cheese if desired and place under broiler till melted

Use Drippings in pan for Au Ju dipping sauce.

How Patti Makes her French Dips:

Bun.

Cut.

Toast.

Mayo.

Beef.
Top with Salt.

(if you are me you top with Cheese)

Dip.

Divine.

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