Birthday Dinner for the 18 Year Old

Today my oldest son turned 18.

 As we normally do in our house, we let him pick what he wanted for dinner. His choice? Greek food. However, not Greek take-out or going to one of the two local Greek restaurants...he wanted Mom to cook Greek food at home.

I had him sit down with me and we looked up a variety of Greek recipes on Pinterest. Once he found some he was interested in, I got to work on compiling my list of needed ingredients and prepping the kitchen.

Chicken pitas using the crock-pot, (a recipe we use often) with Spanakopita (we used the Betty Crocker recipe linked at Pinterest) and a salad blend that we simply call Greek Salad.


 

Considering it was the first time I have ever attempted Spanakopita - I was very pleased!

The boys did not try any, but my husband - my dad - and I each really enjoyed this spinach dish.

Additionally, the salad was a revamp of other salads we have had before using the ingredients we had on hand.  We have enough for leftovers, so I'm sure it will be even better tomorrow!

Greek Salad:

• 1 can medium pitted ripe olives, drained
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, rinsed and dry
• 1 1/2 cups crumbled feta cheese
• 1/2 cup chopped Italian parsley
• 1/2 large red onion, diced
• 1 TBS minced garlic
• 2 TBS extra virgin olive oil
• 2 TBS lemon juice
• salt & pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a serving dish.  Refrigerate for 30 minutes to an hour prior to serving.  Mix well prior to serving.  Enjoy!

**HINT:  Don't forget to add the salt and pepper to the spinach for the Spanakopita, or add more cheese and skip the salt entirely.  The Greek Salad would be a FABULOUS appetizer or afternoon snack, just add some crispy Pita chips.**

Mexi-Stuffed Shells

Ingredients:

• 24 jumbo shelled, cooked as directed and cooled
• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 2 cups salsa
• 1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
• 1 can whole kernel corn, drained
• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese

Optional Toppings:

• sliced black olives
• diced tomatoes
• diced onion
• fresh, chopped cilantro
• chopped green onions
• crushed tortilla chips

Begin by cooking the pasta shells as directed on the package. Drain and set aside to cool.

In a large skillet, brown ground beef over medium heat until fully cooked. Drain.

In the same skillet with the cooked, drained ground beef - add the tomato sauce, black beans, corn, and salsa. This will be the filling for the shells.

Next, make sure that the baking dish for the stuffed shells is prepared with non-stick cooking spray. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Fill the cooked, drained shells with the beef and vegetable mixture. Cover shells with any remaining filling mixture.

Top shells with shredded cheese, and bake for 20-25 minutes at 350 degrees F.

After removing the stuffed shells from the oven, top with your choice of toppings. (We used diced tomatoes, diced onions, fresh chopped cilantro, and sliced black olives.)

Hint: I found the shells much easier to fill by using 2 large table spoons and putting the shell into the skillet with the filling mixture as I filled each shell. I used one spoon to hold the shell and the other to fill it - worked so much easier than the last time I cooked shells! This recipe made 2 dishes for our family: one we cooked and ate for dinner tonight, the second we put in the freezer for a later date. This was a great alternative to taco night at our house. Enjoy!

This recipe is linked up at Little House on the Prairie Living's Old Fashioned Recipe Exchange. Go see what other great recipes are linked up!

Tuna (& Crab) Ring

Do you ever have those special moments in the kitchen when what you plan to do and what you actually do are two very different things? Last night was one of those nights...

The good news is, it worked quite well. The bad news is, before I make home made Crab Rangoons I need to buy a replacement can of crab meat.

Oops!

The plan was to use 2 cans of tuna for this recipe. If you are not a fan of tuna, chicken breast can be substituted as well...or the 50/50 split of 1 can tuna and 1 can crab meat like I cooked. Whatever your personal preference for protein, this is a dish I enjoy and my steak and potato guys enjoy without protest.

Ingredients:

2 packages refrigerated crescent rolls
2 cans (6 oz) water packed tuna, drained (**or chicken, or 1 tuna & 1 crab**)
1 medium red bell pepper, diced
1 can (14 oz) artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 can (3 1/2 oz) sliced black olives
1 1/2 TBS lemon zest
1 (4 oz) package of crumbled Feta cheese
1 cup shredded Parmesan, Roman, Asiago cheese blend
1 TBS minced garlic
1 TBS Italian seasoning blend

*egg white + 1/4 tsp Italian seasoning*

1 - Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2- Unroll crescent rolls and separate triangles. Arrange triangles in a round pattern, with the wide end in the center, and the point extending out, overlapping enough to create a base for the filling.
3- Combine the tuna (crab), diced red pepper, artichoke, olives, lemon zest, both cheeses, garlic, and 1 TBS Italian seasoning.
4- Place combined filler in a circle on the overlapping section of the crescent rolls.

5- Pull the pointed ends of the triangles gently up and over the filler and tuck in the center.

6- Brush outside of crescents with egg white + 1 tsp Italian seasoning mix.

7- Bake in preheated 375 degree F oven for 35-40 minutes.

Enjoy!!

Adapted to meet our kitchen needs from the Mediterranean Tuna Wreath recipe, published on page 13 of the Pampered Chef's 2001 Fall/Winter Season's Best Recipe Collection.

Fish Tacos

Fish Tacos:

I keep seeing recipes for fish tacos...Foodie shows featuring fish tacos...I think I've even seen a couple in my dreams! Tonight fish & chips was the dinner menu...so I twisted it a bit and made this super yummy, super filling, SUPER easy Fish Tacos. Go ahead, try some!!

Adjust quantities needed for the crowd size you are feeding. (I made myself 2 tacos...and still have 1 left over.)

-fajita size flour tortillas, slightly warmed
-sliced deli white American cheese
-baked crunchy battered fish fillets
-prepared salad mix - (iceberg lettuce with carrots)
-sliced black olives
-guacamole

This would be a great dish to serve on a taco bar, that way every one can pick the toppings or ingredients they prefer.

So, so good!

Taco Pizza

Ingredients:

1 refrigerated pizza dough roll
1 8 oz can tomato sauce
1/2 cup prepared salsa
1-1 1/2 lb. ground beef, browned & drained
3 TBS taco seasoning
8 oz shredded taco blend cheese
2 roma tomatoes, sliced
2 green tomatoes, chopped
**sliced black olives, as desired**
**sour cream, as desired**
**lettuce shreds, as desired**
**taco seasoning to sprinkle on top - just before baking...a little goes a long way!**

- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F
- Spread dough on to prepared baking pan, allow to rest while other ingredients are prepared
- Brown ground beef, drain and add 3 TBS taco seasoning and 1/8 cup of water to combine well
- Allow meat and seasoning to simmer briefly before removing from heat
- Cover pizza dough with tomato sauce and add salsa
- Cover sauce/salsa mix with seasoned ground beef
- Spread shredded cheese evenly over meat
- Top with sliced tomatoes, black olives, and green olives
- Sprinkle taco seasoning lightly over pizza before putting it into preheated oven
- Bake at 425 degrees F for 20-25 minutes

Serve with additional salsa, sour cream, and shredded lettuce. Another great add-on would be guacamole or diced avocado.

Enjoy!!

Oven-Baked Chicken Nachos

1 13 oz. bag of bite-size Tostitos (as many as you can put on the pan before they get ate)
1 13 oz can cooked chicken breast meat, drained
1 2.24 oz can sliced black olives, drained
1/2 medium white onion, diced small
1 10 oz can rotel, drained
1 tsp Pampered Chef, Southwest Seasoning mix (sub. chili powder or mix)
4 oz shredded Colby-Jack cheese blend
**sliced jalepenos - to taste**

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.




Spread chips over baking sheet or stone.





Combine chicken, black olives, onion, rotel and cover chips.




Top with seasoning.

Cover with shredded cheese.

Add jalepenos if desired.




I desired!

Bake 15-20 minutes.