Stuffed Zucchini Boats

I recently tried this new service called Misfit Market.  It cost me under $20 with a code to get a box of fresh and organic fruits and vegetables delivered to my door.  I was pleasantly surprised with my box as it was filled with many of my favorites including, avocados, broccoli, bell peppers, oranges, limes, and my all time favorite Green and Yellow Zucchini.  The zucchini were so large and beautiful.  While thinking about what I could do with them, Stuffed Peppers came to mind and how I could make a filling similar and just stuff the zucchini instead of a pepper.  The result...something incredibly delicious that even my husband ate two!

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Ingredients:

• 3 Large Zucchini
• 1 Onion (about ⅓ c. diced)
• 3 TBSP. Tomato Paste
• 1 lb of Ground Sweet Italian Pork Sausage (I used patties, but you can always squeeze it out of the casing if using links)
• ½ Cup of Grated Cheese, I use a mix of Pecorino and Parmesan
• ½ Cup of Uncle Ben’s Rice (not minute rice)
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• Optional~ Shredded Mozzarella or Provolone Cheese

Procedure:

• Preheat oven to 425 F.
• Make Rice according to box (½ c. rice, 1 ¼ c. water, Salt)

• While rice is cooking, cut zucchini in half and spoon out the inside making it looks like boats (keep the inside)
                        

• Line a baking sheet with foil and rub Olive Oil all over the outside and bottoms of the Zucchini Boats and line them across the baking sheet.
• Next, dice the onion and chop the scooped out part of the zucchini

• Drizzle Olive Oil into a large frying pan and turn the heat on Med-High
• Cook Sausage and Onion, breaking the sausage up into small parts.  Cook fully.

• Add chopped zucchini and cook another 5 minutes then Season with Salt and Pepper

• Add 3 TBSP. of Tomato Paste

• Turn off heat and stir in Rice and Grated Cheese

• Spoon filling into Zucchini Boats until all the filling is used up

• Bake for 25 minutes

• Top with freshly grated cheese, shredded mozzarella or provolone

~Enjoy~

Avgolémono (Greek Lemon Chicken Soup)

Lucky for me, my cousin Donna married a man from Greece...my cousin Yorgo.  He was born and raised on the gorgeous island of Crete.  Because of this, my family and I have been fortunate to stay with him and his family while they spend their summers there. We were fortunate to eat the most incredible homemade authentic Cretan foods and try desserts like Baklava, Loukoumades, and Ravani.  At home we get to celebrate the Greek Easter with them and eat traditional foods like feta tomato salad, and my favorite Avgolémono, which is a flavorful Greek Lemon Chicken Soup.  

With the weather outside being well below zero this past week, I thought of this soup my cousin Yorgo makes and had him teach me how he makes it.  There is nothing better than some homemade soup to warm you right up!

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A Recipe from Cousin Yorgo Karabinakis

Ingredients:

• One Small Whole Chicken OR Whole Chicken cut into pieces (I used a 3 lb Whole Organic Chicken already cut into pieces) 
• 3 Carrots (peeled)
• 2 Celery Sticks
• 1 Large Onion Peeled and cut into 1/4's
• A Sprig of Fresh Oregano
• A Bay Leaf
• 2-3 Liters of  Water
• Salt and Pepper
• 3 Eggs
• 3 Lemons
• Orzo Pasta or Rice
• Large Dutch Oven Pot 

Procedure:

Place Chicken in the Pot and season with Salt and pepper

                                           

Add Carrots, Celery, Onion, Oregano, and Bay Leaf to the top.

        

Pour 2-3 liters of water over the top and bring to a light boil.
Cover and let boil for about 2 1/2-3 hours.  
*Skim any fat that rises to the top and stir about every 45 min or so.

            

After about 2 1/2-3 hours, the broth should be flavorful and golden and the chicken should be so tender! Taste to add more salt.  

       

At this point remove the chicken and place it on a plate to shred and discard the veggies and herbs in the pot with a slotted spoon.  

     

                                   

Next, beat three eggs in a small bowl until frothy, and add juice of 3 fresh lemons (make sure you do not get any pits in)

Take a cup of the hot broth and slowly mix it into the egg mixture in order to temper it.  

*This prevents it from curdling when you add it to the pot of broth.  

Pour the egg, lemon, and broth mixture into the large pot of broth whisking it vigorously, to prevent curdling.  It should be a nice smooth broth.  

Add the shredded chicken to the pot of broth.

Stir and top with freshly chopped parsley if you like.  

At this point you can also add Orzo Pasta or Rice to the soup and let it boil right in the broth.  

~*~OPAA!!  Enjoy~*~

My Cousin Yorgo and Donna

Loukoumades at a festival in  Kefalas, the village my cousin is from

Yorgo's sister makingis Pitarakia Milou by hand (savery fried little cheese pies) 

Yorgo's sister made us lunch

One of the many beaches we went to on the Aegean Sea in Kafalas, Chania Crete

My husband and I in Kefalas, Chania Crete visiting my cousins Leonidas and Niko