Busy Eating Over at Moana Saves

My recipe posts have been slow lately. In my defense it's August and so HOT! I know that's not much of an excuse but this heat seems to be sapping all of my energy. 

I've also been busy over at Moana Saves reviewing products. I review all sorts of things from shoes to kids toys. Some of the food items I've most recently reviewed include a cookbook, a cooking app featuring Chef Fabio Viviani and Bertolli olive oil, Nakano seasoned rice vinegar, another great cookbook, chocolate, seafood, and I've even been cooking with Pringles. 

So, my apologies for the sporadic and seldom posting. 

Tzatziki Sauce

My cucumber plant is still producing madly so in addition to making cucumber tea sandwiches for the first time, I also made tzatziki or Greek yogurt with cucumber. This sauce is light and adds great flavor to a chicken pita sandwich.

Tzatziki
3 cups Greek yogurt
juice of one lemon (about 3 T)
1 garlic clove, chopped
2 medium cucumbers, seeded and diced
about 1 T kosher salt for salting cucumbers
1 T finely chopped fresh dill
salt and pepper to taste

Peel cucumbers, then cut in half lengthwise and take a small spoon and scrape out seeds. Discard seeds. (If you use the small seedless or European cucumbers with few seeds, you can skip this step.) Slice cucumbers, then put in a colander, sprinkle on 1 T salt, and let stand for 30 minutes to draw out water. Drain well and wipe dry with paper towel.

In food processor with steel blade, add cucumbers, garlic, lemon juice, dill, and a few grinds of black pepper. Process until well blended, then stir this mixture into the yogurt. Taste before adding any extra salt, then salt if needed. Place in refrigerator for at least two hours before serving so flavors can blend. (This resting time is very important.)

This will keep for a few days or more in the refrigerator, but you will need to drain off any water and stir each time you use it.

Who Dished it first? Kayln

Turkey Burgers with Avocado Mayonnaise

I received sprouts and tomatoes in this week's fruit and veggie co-op box and was so excited to make this favorite recipe only to find it wasn't on this blog. So, I'm a couple year's too late but here is one of our all-time favorite turkey burger recipes (served on my homemade hamburger buns). It's simple yet packed with flavor. 

I also like the variety of healthy nutrients found in the avocado, sprouts and tomatoes. This was initiation for my children into the wonderful world of sprouts and they loved them! My eldest child said: "Mom, these parsley things taste like green peas." We've eaten sprouts for lunch all week now. Mmm, mmm!

Turkey Burgers with Avocado Mayonnaise

1 lb ground turkey
1/4 c Panko bread crumbs
1 t chili powder
1/2 t garlic salt
1/2 t seasoned salt
1/2 t pepper
1/4 c mayonnaise
1 avocado
2 t lemon juice
1/4 t garlic powder
shake of tobasco sauce (optional)
4 whole wheat burger buns
1 small tomato
1 c alfalfa sprouts

Heat grill. In medium bowl combine first five ingredients; mix well. Shape the turkey mixture into four 5-inch patties. When ready to grill, oil grill rack. Place patties on gas grill over medium-high heat. Cook for 10-15 minutes or until no longer pink in center, turning once. Meanwhile, in blender combine mayonnaise and peeled and pitted avocado, lemon juice, garlic powder and tabasco sauce. Blend until smooth.
To serve, spread bottom halves of hamburger buns with mayonnaise mixture. Top with turkey burger, tomato slice and sprouts.

Who Dished it first? this is a family recipe

Cucumber Sandwiches

It's summer and that means my menu preferences are dishes that don't require turning on my stove or oven. Yesterday we drove to the other side of the island to explore the beaches and enjoy some "staycation" fun before school starts. As I packed our picnic lunch I realized my fridge was overflowing with cucumbers. Since I couldn't see us munching on cucumber spears/slices while sitting on a sandy beach (sand and finger foods don't mix) I bravely decided to pack our lunch with a completely different and random choice of sandwich, cucumber sandwiches.

Have you ever eaten cucumber sandwiches? I've never attempted these before and while searching for a recipe I found that most cucumber sandwiches are simply white bread and thinly sliced cucumbers.  Hmmm...the English seem to enjoy them but cucumbers and sponge bread just didn't sound like a hearty enough lunch for beach play. That's when I found this version with pickled cucumbers and an herb infused cream cheese spread. I served our sandwiches on freshly baked whole-wheat bread and my kids devoured their lunch. I'm not sure if it was because they were starving after the sun exposure but even my youngest and pickiest eater requested seconds.

Just a note: In my opinion eating these with wheat bread does detract from the subtle cucumber/cheese filling flavor but it makes a much heartier and lasting meal. Also, slicing your cucumber with a mandoline would be ideal since it would give you extra thin slices.

Cucumber and Cream Cheese Sandwiches
1 medium cucumber
1 cup water
1/2 cup vinegar
8 ounces softened cream cheese
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon dill - optional
a loaf of white or sourdough bread

Wash the cucumber, then peel and thinly slice. Mix the water and vinegar in a bowl and let the cucumber slices soak for half an hour. Remove and drain thoroughly.

One half hour before serving mix the cream cheese, mayonnaise and the spices. Put a thin layer of the cream cheese mixture on two slices of bread and place the cucumbers between the two. Cut the crust off the sandwhich and cut diagonally twice; you will have four triangles.

Who Dished it first? Fun Tea Party Ideas


Here's a photo from the Fun Tea Party Ideas website of a crustless triangular cucumber and cream cheese sandwich on white bread, just perfect for a tea party snack!

Honey-Mustard Pork Chops

I love meat cooked on the grill but I must admit that pork is my least favorite. Whenever I grill pork it still ends up chewy and hard to swallow and lacking flavor, that is until I found this marinade. One secret I've learned is that the longer you marinade the better it tastes. This marinade has great flavor with the combination of mustard, honey, parsley and all the other ingredients. Even better, my husband helped me grill this to perfection.

Honey-Mustard Pork Chops
1/3 cup Dijon mustard
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup honey
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
1 Tablespoon minced fresh parsley
2 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon ground ginger
6 boneless pork loin chops

In a small bowl combine all the ingredients (excluding the pork). Pour half the marinade into a large re-sealable bag; add pork chops. Seal bag and turn to coat, refrigerating for 6-8 hours or overnight. Cover and refrigerate remaining marinade for basting.

When you are ready to grill, drain and discard the marinade. Grill pork, covered, over medium heat 4-5 minutes on each side or until a meat thermometer reads 160 degrees, basting frequently with reserved marinade.

Who Dished it first? Taste of Home

Baked Oatmeal

Here is a great recipe for all you moms with young kids going back to school in the fall. Mornings can be hectic and it's easy to serve cold cereal for breakfast on school mornings because it's quick. Try this recipe as it is a tasty healthy alternative and all the preparation is done the night before.

I like to eat oatmeal for breakfast but it can get boring. This is a great way to perk up your bland oatmeal.
I'm also going to remember this dish for the next time I'm asked to feed a large crowd. What I especially like about this version of oatmeal is that I don't have to stand by the stove and constantly watch the oatmeal to make sure it doesn't boil over or burn. Hooray for easy oatmeal!

Baked Oatmeal

1/2 cup melted butter
1/2 cup honey
2 eggs, beaten
3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cup milk
1 cup fruit or nuts

In a bowl mix together the butter, honey and eggs. Add in the oats, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, vanilla and milk. Mix and then fold in fruit/nuts of choice. Grease a 9x9 baking dish and pour the oatmeal mixture in. Cover tightly and place in fridge over night.

In the morning preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. When the oven is hot, uncover your oatmeal dish and bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm with milk.

My Notes: I used 3/4 cups mashed strawberries (a little more than the recipe called for) and 1/2 cup chopped macadamia nuts. As my youngest would say, this was a "strawberry shortcake" treat.

Who Dished it first? this recipe is adapted from Your Homebased Mom