Greek Penne Pasta

Greek Penne Pasta
Grace (TigMode) from weightwatchers.com

12 oz uncooked penne
1 tsp olive oil
2/3 oz pine nuts, about 2 tbsp
1 1/2 tsp minced garlic
10 oz chopped frozen spinach, thawed
1 pound tomato(es), plum
4 oz feta cheese, crumbled
6 medium olive(s), black, pitted and chopped


Cook pasta according to package directions (without butter or oil), drain and set aside. If necessary, cover to keep warm.

Coat a large skillet with cooking spray. Add olive oil and heat over medium-high heat until oil sizzles. Add pine nuts and garlic. Cook and stir until pine nuts are golden brown, about 3 minutes. Stir in spinach and tomatoes and cook until heated through, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes.

Add spinach mixture to pasta and toss until combined. Serve pasta sprinkled with feta cheese and black olives. Yields about 1 1/2 cups per serving.

Flavor Booster: Give this pasta dish a fresh taste by sprinkling with 1 teaspoon fresh minced dill and 1 tablespoon fresh minced Italian parsley just before serving. Also try dusky purple Greek kalamata olives with a meaty texture and slightly tart flavor in this recipe.

Greek Orange Roast Lamb

 Ingredients

• 1 large orange, juiced
• 3 tablespoons dark French mustard
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 teaspoons dried oregano
• salt and pepper to taste
• 10 potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1 (3 pound) half leg of lamb, bone-in
• 5 cloves garlic

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. In large bowl, whisk together the orange juice, mustard, olive oil, oregano, salt, and pepper. Stir the potatoes into the bowl to coat with orange juice mixture. Remove potatoes with a slotted spoon, and place them into a large roasting pan.
3. Cut slits into the lamb meat, and stuff the garlic cloves into the slits. Rub remaining orange juice mixture from bowl all over the lamb, and place the lamb on top of the potatoes in the roasting pan. If there's any remaining orange juice mixture, pour it over the lamb.
4. Roast in the preheated oven until the potatoes are tender and the lamb is cooked to medium, about 1 hour. A meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat should read 140 degrees F (60 degrees C). Check every 20 to 30 minutes while roasting, and add a bit of hot water if you find the potatoes are drying out. If the lamb finishes cooking before the potatoes, remove the lamb to a cutting board or serving platter and cover with foil while the potatoes continue to bake in the oven.

• If you prefer, use beef or chicken for this dish. Substitute Dijon mustard if you can't find a good dark mustard. 
  Recipe from Allrecipes.

Roasted Greek Potatoes

Roasted Greek Potatoes
Dusanka

1 pound red new potatoes or baking potatoes, scrubbed
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
1/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup water
Feta cheese

Cut potatoes into halves, or quarters if large. Combine lemon juice, olive oil, garlic and oregano in a small jar. Shake to blend. Line an 8-by-8-inch pan with aluminum foil. Put potatoes in pan and pour lemon mixture over them. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, stirring to coat. Pour in water. Roast 45 minutes to 1 hour in a preheated 400-degree oven. Turn occasionally. Sprinkle with feta right before serving.

Dusanka’s Notes: Sometimes instead of cooking them at 400 for 45 minutes I will cook them at a lower heat (250-300) for a longer time (about 2 hours). It makes for a different texture.

From here.

Baked Falafel

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1 stuffed flatbread)
Ingredients

* Sauce:
* 1 cup plain whole-milk Greek yogurt (such as Fage Total Classic)
* 1 tablespoon tahini (sesame-seed paste)
* 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Falafel:
* 3/4 cup water
* 1/4 cup uncooked bulgur
* 3 cups cooked chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
* 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
* 1/2 cup chopped green onions
* 1/3 to 1/2 cup water
* 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
* 1 tablespoon ground cumin
* 1 teaspoon baking powder
* 3/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
* 3 garlic cloves
* Cooking spray

Remaining ingredients:
* 6 (2.8-ounce) Mediterranean Style white flatbreads (such as Toufayan)
* 12 (1/4-inch-thick) slices tomato
* Chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

Preparation

To prepare sauce, combine the first 3 ingredients, stirring with a whisk until blended. Cover and chill until ready to serve.

To prepare falafel, bring 3/4 cup water to a boil in a small saucepan; add bulgur to pan. Remove from heat; cover and let stand 30 minutes or until tender. Drain and set aside.

Preheat oven to 425°.

Combine chickpeas and the next 9 ingredients (through garlic) in a food processor; pulse 10 times or until well blended and smooth (mixture will be wet). Spoon chickpea mixture into a large bowl; stir in bulgur.

Divide mixture into 12 equal portions (about 1/4 cup each); shape each portion into a 1/4-inch-thick patty. Place patties on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 425° for 10 minutes on each side or until browned. Spread about 2 1/2 tablespoons sauce onto each flatbread. Top each flatbread with 2 falafel patties, 2 tomato slices, and chopped cilantro, if desired.

From here.