culinary exploration

Follow me through the adventures that take place in my kitchen, in restaurants or in other kitchens. Cooking and food are my passions and I want to share my experiences of cooking, baking and eating with you.
I'm a Greek self-taught cook who lives in Chicago. I learned a lot about cooking from both of my grandmothers, my mom and dad, family and friends. Passing on timeless traditions through food is one thing I strive to do in life.

These are my journeys through culinary exploration...

clraptis (at) gmail (dot) com

Culinary Exploration - Grecian Kitchen

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Posts tagged SkinnyTaste.com

Jul 19

SUMMER CUCUMBER SALAD

Cucumbers are the flavor of the week for Summer Fest (a celebration of seasonal summer ingredients on the Food Network Blog: FN Dish) and I couldn’t be more excited!

Being Greek and all, I believe I am genetically pre-programmed to have a soft spot for cucumbers. I’m sure most will have expected a tzatziki recipe, but instead I went with one of my favorite things to make and bring into work for lunch during the summer. It’s a take on a salad that Gina at skinnytaste.com has made in the past and it will NOT disappoint. I love how the juices from the tomatoes mix with lime juice to create a guilt-free dressing. When you’re in the mood for something cool as a cucumber (pun intended), refreshing, crunchy yet buttery and ultimately satisfying - this is the salad for you!

INGREDIENTS:
2 cucumbers, peeled, seeded and chopped
1 lb. grape tomatoes, halved
1 avocado, chopped
½ red onion, minced
1 15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 limes, juiced
salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS:
Put the chopped cucumbers

tomatoes

onion and black beans

and avocado in a bowl.

Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then douse in the lime juice. Stir to combine and taste to see if you need to adjust the seasoning.

Serve immediately or chilled and enjoy!

Check out these links to other great cucumber recipes by other bloggers participating in the FN Dish’s Summer Fest this week:

FN Dish: Summer Fest: Cucumber Recipes

Pinch My Salt: Chilled Cucumber, Kefir and Avocado Soup
What’s Gaby Cooking: Cucumber-Basil Gimlet
In Jennie’s Kitchen: Radish-Cucumber Crostini
Big Girl Small Kitchen: Spicy Cucumber Salad with Shallot, Ginger and Mint
And Love It Too: Cucumber, Mint and Watermelon Salad
Napa Farmhouse 1885: Cucumbers Coolers with Agave Simple Syrup
Cooking With My Kid: Cucumber Limeade
CIA Dropout: Relishing Cucumbers
Healthy Eats: Cool Cucumber Soup
Food for 7 Stages of Life: Cucumber Cherry Salsa
Cooking With Elise: Green Tea Cucumber Pops
Glory Foods: Cucumber and Shrimp Boat
Virtually Vegan Mama: Fire-Roasted Tomato and Cucumber Gazpacho
Food2: When Life Gives You Cucumbers, Make a Cucumber Cocktail
Cooking Channel: Cucumbers Stuffed with Crab-Mango Salad
Recipe Girl: Bread and Butter Pickles
Taste With the Eyes: Spicy Pickled Cucumbers with Wakame and Garlic Blossoms
Virtually Homemade: Cold Thai Cucumber-Mint Soup
Add a Pinch: Cucumber Tea Sandwiches
The Cultural Dish: Ahi Tuna with Cucumber Sauce and Salad
Daily*Dishin: Cool n’ Zesty Cukes: 7 Minute Summer in a Jar
Daydreamer Desserts: Cubanita Margarita
Purple Cook: Cucumber Gazpacho with Indian Flavored Shrimp Relish
Indian Simmer: Cucumber at its Best with Chaat Masala
Big Apple Nosh: Quick and Easy Homemade Pickles
Sweet Life Bake: Agua de Pepino
The Sensitive Epicure: Tzatziki with Grilled Gluten-Free Pitas and Fresh Cucumbers and Peppers
Zaika Zabardast: Cucumber Gazpacho
A Way to Garden: Cucumber-Growing Q&A and the Best Pickles
Cooking with Books: Summer Fest: Cucumbers

Dec 29

HOME MADE APPLE BUTTER

My family has always been a big fan of apple butter. It’s good on toast, mixed in yogurt, oatmeal or cottage cheese. So when I saw this recipe on Skinny Taste - I knew I had to make some as Christmas gifts. The recipe is so easy because most of the leg work is done by a slow cooker. The spices are just enough for added flavor, but not too overpowering. Just the way I like it!

INGREDIENTS:
2½ lbs. (6 large) apples, peeled, cored, finely chopped (I used honeycrisp and gala)
½ c. white sugar
½ c. light brown sugar
1 t. ground cinnamon
⅛ t. allspice
⅛ t. nutmeg

DIRECTIONS:
Place the apples in a slow cooker. Top with sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg and mix well.

Cover and cook on low 10 hours, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is thickened and dark brown.

Uncover and puree with an immersion blender.

Cook on high uncovered for another 1-2 hours. Spoon into sterile jars or containers and refrigerate.

Nov 10

Lentil Chicken Soup

One of my favorite shortcuts in the kitchen during the colder months is to make a HUGE pot of something warm and comforting, then freeze half of it for a rainy day. It’s even great to freeze it in individual containers so you can just thaw it a serving at a time.

I was craving my Yiayia’s (Greek grandma) lentil soup, or fakis, this past weekend because the temps dropped into the 30’s at night. But, I’ve been consciously trying to eat better these past few months so I don’t want to indulge with a meal - I’d rather eat sweets or have some wine instead! So I found this recipe from Gina at Skinny Taste which is Weight Watchers friendly and only 3 points per serving. It’s filling, comforting, healthy and tasty.

LENTIL CHICKEN SOUP

1 lb dried lentils
3 small chicken breast halves on the bone, skin and fat removed
8 c. water
2 chicken bullion
1 packet Sazon (in Latin section)
1 small onion
3 cloves garlic
1 tomato

In a large pot combine lentils, chicken, water and chicken bullion.

Boil, covered over medium-low heat until chicken is cooked, about 15 minutes. Remove chicken from the bone and shred, then return to pot.

Meanwhile, in a mini chopper, finely chop onions, scallions, garlic, and tomato.

Add to the lentils with sazon and cook 15 more minutes, or until lentils are soft. (Add more water if needed)

Make sure you check your bullion and Sazon. I made the mistake of not looking at the ingredients and BOTH have MSG! Try to get MSG-free brands if possible.

Oct 6

Baked Whole Grain Penne with Spinach

A healthier take on baked pasta with tomato sauce, lots of cheese and add in some spinach for extra nutrients. I can say that I have officially switched over to whole grain/whole wheat pasta. I prefer the nuttier taste and the extra texture it brings to pasta dishes.

I used this recipe from Skinny Taste (because I love Gina’s approach to converting some of our favorite comfort foods to a good-for-you version) and adjusted it a little bit. I sauteed some shallot in with my garlic and squeezed some lemon juice over the spinach when that got mixed in. I also used fresh oregano along with the basil - I enjoy the brigther taste that fresh herbs bring to sauces.

Here’s Gina’s recipe with my few additions:

1 lb. whole grain pasta (penne, ziti, mostaccoli)
1 T. olive oil
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 small shallot, minced
10 oz. frozen chopped spinach, thawed
juice of half a lemon
1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 t. chopped fresh oregano
1 T. chopped fresh basil
salt and pepper (to taste)
1 c. fat-free ricotta
1/4 c. Parmesan
2 c. part-skim shredded mozzarella

Preheat oven to 375° F. Spray a 9x13 baking pan with oil spray.

In a large pot, cook pasta according to instructions until al dente. **Make sure to salt your water after it comes to a boil!!** Drain and return to pot.

While the pasta cooks, in a medium saucepan, add olive oil and sautée garlic and shallot. Add chopped spinach, lemon juice, salt, pepper and chopped tomatoes. Stir in basil and oregano once sauce is heated through.

Add sauce to the pasta and combine. Add Parmesan cheese, ricotta and half of the mozzarella. Mix well, then transfer to the baking pan.

Pour the pasta mixture into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Top with the remaining mozzarella.

Bake for 30 minutes, or until mozzarella is melted and the edges are lightly browned.

Gina’s tip is to make this up to a day in advance and store it in the fridge. Let it sit at room temperature before baking it off in the oven.

Sep 29

Baked Ziti with Spinach

I’m a sucker for cheesy, tomatoey, baked pasta. Here’s a great recipe from Skinny Taste that will satisfy that craving without making me feel too guilty. Guiltless pasta? Not so much, but I like the spinach for added healthiness/tastiness.

Black Bean Soup

I’ve always wanted to make my own version of this because it’s one of my favorite soups. I’ll start with this healthy recipe from Skinny Taste and go from there!

Aug 5

Another recipe I cooked up was Thai Coconut Curry Shrimp (again from Gina at skinnytaste.com). This dish is most likely best served over rice. Since I’m taking a time out from it right now - I served mine over spaghetti sqaush. I’m sure it’s MUCH better over rice, but this worked for me.

The sauce was a little thin because you add it at the same time as the shrimp - and we all know how unpleasant overcooked shrimp can be! So next time I make it I’ll put in a bit more coconut milk than called for and simmer it in with the sauteed garlic, scallions and curry paste until it’s reduced down and a little thicker. But the flavor of this dish was delightful! Super easy and quick to make - you have to try it!

Since the spaghetti squash I bought was so HUGE I had about 4-5 cups of squash to eat this week.

One of the recipes I made was Gina’s Spaghetti Squash with Pesto and Tomatoes (a.k.a. “Squashta”). The home made basil pesto gives this dish such a fresh yet savory taste. I’ll definitely be making this again!

Aug 2

Mmmmm… mashed potatoes! All I can think about is bread, rice, pasta, potatoes, french fries, wheat thins, crackers of any variety. C’mon carrot and celery sticks with lemon hummus - work your afternoon snack magic!

The ironic thing is - this is a photo of cauliflower puree. This will be whipped up in my kitchen tonight (thanks, Gina)! I’m going to add in some lemon juice and zest too though, because I like the combination of garlicy, lemony cauliflower. Here’s to hoping this will trick my mind into being satisfied with faux carbs. :)

Jul 30

The best but worst part about summer is all the parties and BBQs going on. I tend to make terrible choices when it comes to party food… even when I bring a snack myself, it’s never a healthy choice. For example - I just went to a poker party last weekend and made bacon-wrapped jalapeño poppers. Not exactly on the diet.

Have you ever had that oh-so-delicious buffalo chicken dip?? It’s one of my favorites. In this recipe, Gina takes a “lighter” approach to that delightful dip. In my opinion - it doesn’t seem like she’s skimping on flavor AT ALL!

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