"It`s all Greek to me!"

        I come from a very American family.  Of course we have a background that originates from across the pond like most people, but in terms of culture and lifestyle....my family bleeds red, white, & blue.  So with this background...you would think that I would loooove American food, right?  Wrong.  I love ethnic food of all kinds...Thai, Italian, Greek, Turkish, Spanish, Indian Cuban, etc.  If it has a non-American name, I usually like it.  (....With the exception of Ethiopian food, particularly injera.  This discovery was made at an Ethiopian restaurant in Nashville during one of my mother`s fatal attempts to “broaden our horizons”.) 

     I think what turns some Americans off from ethnic foods are the spices and the stench.  Picky people beware!...you won`t like anything outside the US.  Ethnic foods are, as my friend Cassie says: “Stinky”. The mix of spices makes them that way.  Curries, relishes, pestos, and tapanades are combinations that are unlike the bland sauces of “traditional American” cooking (brown gravy, white gravy, marinara sauce, etc).  Still, I think consuming different dishes and foods from various regions of the world not only enriches you culturally, but also physically.  A variety of foods helps make for a well-balanced diet and supports what one Registered Dietitian who writes for the ADA recommends as the best diet advice: “Eat your way around the world!”

     My favorite foods are Mediterranean.  I`ll take dolmas and babaganoush any day over steak and baked potatoes.  Greek is one of the more popular Mediterranean food varieties, but I encourage you to try others.  They all have mostly the same dishes, but each country of origin offers it`s own unique twist through spices and vegetables.  You`ve heard of the Mediterranean diet, right?  The push for this stems from the health benefits found in the common ingredients used in this region: yogurt, olive oil, red wine, whole grains, vegetables, beans.

     Two of the recipes that I posted today are somewhat “Americanized” for those of you who are ethnic food-shy.  Tzatziki is traditionally made with greek yogurt, but mine uses sour cream and regular yogurt which takes away some of the tart taste that not everyone is accustomed to.  The Greek Chicken features some spices that are staples in Mediterranean cooking: cumin, mint, coriander.  In my opinion, it`s fairly Americanized as well just simply because it involves boneless, skinless chicken breast....the protein my generation grew up on J. The third recipe is Tabouleh, a traditional side dish of this region that combines bulgur wheat, vegetables, and spices.  My recipe is pretty authentic and definitely not mild.  I recommend serving all three dishes together as a meal and using the Tzatziki as a dipping sauce for the chicken.  No vegetable side dish is needed, as the Tabouleh provides both a complex carbohydrate starch and vegetables.  Add some pita bread and Opa! (...which, according to Urban Dictionary, is a word that Greek people use for no apparent reason at all.)

Tzatziki Sauce

¾ c plain yogurt

¼ c light sour cream

¼ c celery, chopped

¼ c cucumber, finely chopped

½ Tbsp white wine vinegar (may also use distilled)

juice from 1 lemon

½ tsp canned chopped garlic

½ Tbsp dill

lemon zest

salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients thoroughly and chill before serving.

Greek Chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Marinade:

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 tsp canned chopped garlic

1 Tbsp ground coriander

1 Tbsp ground cumin

1/8 c fresh mint, chopped

juice from 1 lemon

1 Tbsp white wine vinegar (may also use distilled)

Whisk marinade ingredients to combine and pour over chicken breasts in a glass bowl.  Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 375°.

Heat a stovetop grill pan over medium heat.  Spray with Pam.  Cook chicken breasts for 7 minutes on each side.  Transfer to a glass baking dish that has been sprayed with Pam.  Bake in pre-heated oven for 15 minutes.  Serve immediately.

Tabouleh

1 c quick-cooking bulgur wheat (I like Bob`s Red Mill)

2 c chicken stock

1 tsp paprika

1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

¼ c yellow onion, chopped

4 ears fresh yellow corn, shucked and kernels cut from ear

2 zucchini, cubed

½ c cilantro, chopped

2 Tbsp fresh mint, chopped

1 Tbsp olive oil

chicken boullion

salt and pepper to taste

Begin by bringing chicken stock to a boil in a medium sauce pan.  Add bulgur wheat and paprika.  Cover and simmer for 13-14 minutes.  Remove from heat, fluff wheat with a fork, and set aside. 

Prep all vegetables according ingredient description.  Heat

olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add corn and sauté.  Sprinkle with chicken boullion and cook for 5 minutes.  Add onions and continue to sauté until onions begin to turn translucent.  Add zucchini and sprinkle entire mixture with more chicken boullion.  Continue to sauté until zucchini are slightly tender, but not mushy.  Add tomatoes and cook until they begin to blister slightly.  Remove from heat.  Stir in cilantro and mint.  Taste and season with salt and pepper appropriately.  If needed, add more bouillon.  Add the bulgur wheat to this mixture and toss until ingredients have been mixed thoroughly.  Serve warm.

Nutritional Standpoint:

*Bulgur wheat is a whole grain food that resembles brown rice when cooked.  It`s served as an alternative for rice or pasta, but is simply whole grain wheat (particularly durum).  Bulgur wheat exceeds white rice in both fiber and protein content and it also is lower on the glycemic index, making it better for regulating blood sugar.    

*The Mediterranean diet is set around foods that are plant-based and high in monounsaturated fats.  Studies on this diet have produced various health claims such as lowering risk of heart disease and cancer, and prevention of cognitive impairment. 

"Mom`s" the word

Growing up, I felt very fortunate to have a domestically saavy mother. She was a stay-at-home mom until I started middle school and even after that she successfully performed every duty of a stay-at-home mom while also juggling a full-time job.  My memories of “dinner” growing up do not consist of fast food drive-thrus, Chinese takeout in front of the TV, or Hungry Jack meals heating in the microwave.  And we definitely did not have the local pizza man on speed dial.  My mother cooked every night.  I can only remember having fast food on the way home from a soccer match and on long road trips to the beach as a family.  Eating out did not become a once-a-week event until I was in my teens.  Practically everything we ate was home made.  Our birthday cakes did not come from the local grocery store bakery...she made them.  If we wanted brownies or chocolate chip cookies, my mother made them from scratch.  My first encounter with Nestle Tollhouse pre-packaged dough was at college (which in combination with too much beer was the culprit behind my freshmen 15 weight gain...that was pre-career path switch to Nutrition).  And I most definitely did not come into contact with microwaveable food until I saw people in my dorm eating it.  My mom even canned vegetables fresh vegetables, three kinds of pickles, and the best strawberry jam you have ever tasted.  Yes, I was spoiled.

My mom is by no means a typical southern cook.  We did not eat fried chicken and turnip greens for dinner every night.  However, her recipes that I am posting today definitely reflect Southern heritage in a different way.  In the South, we know just how to take something healthy, add fat—salt—and/or sugar and turn it into something that may be detrimental to your waistline, but uplifting to your soul.  Today I am featuring two sweetbreads which were staples in my household that I feel my mom has perfected: Zucchini Bread and Sweet Potato Bread.  The sweet potato bread is actually my grandmother`s recipe for pumpkin bread, but the pumpkin has been substituted with sweet potatoes (My family is from North Carolina...we are all about some sweet potatoes).  These sweet breads are great for breakfast, afternoon snack, or dessert. Because they contain vegetables, you can enjoy a slice or two knowing that you are getting some vitamins and minerals along with the fat and sugar. J

Zucchini Bread

2 c grated zucchini

3 eggs, beaten until foamy

¾ c canola oil

2 ½ c sugar

1 c chopped pecans or walnuts

3 c all-purpose flour

1 tsp b. soda

¼ tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

“pinch” of allspice

Pre-heat oven to 350°. Grease and flour two 8-inch loaf pans.

Using a metal sifter, sift flour, b. soda, salt, and spices together into a mixing bowl.  In a separate larger bowl, combine zucchini, eggs, oils, and sugar.  Add ½ of the dry ingredient mixture.  Mix until just blended.  Add the remaining ½ of dry ingredients.  Stir until smooth.  Fold in chopped nuts. Pour batter into loaf pans and bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes.  Remove from oven and allow bread to cool in pans for at least 30 minutes before removing.

*Nutritional Spotlight:

Zucchini- Considered a “summer squash”, it is very low in calories (approx. 20 kcals per ½ cup) and very high in Vitamin C, providing 15% of what`s recommended daily. It also contains Vitamin A, fiber, and potassium. 

Sweet Potato Bread

2 c sugar

1 c oil

3 eggs

2 cups pureed sweet potatoes (or pumpkin)

3 c all-purpose flour

½ tsp salt

¾ tsp b. soda

1 tsp b. powder

1 ½ tsp cinnamon

½ tsp cloves

1 tsp nutmeg

Preheat oven to 325°. Grease and flour two 8-inch loaf pans.

In a large mixing bowl, combine sugar and oil until well blended.  Add eggs and beat until mixture is light and creamy.  Stir in sweet potato puree.  In a separate bowl combine the remaining ingredients.  Add these to the sweet potato mixture and beat until well blended. Pour into loaf pans and bake in preheated oven for ~ 60 minutes.  Remove from oven and allow to cool in pans for at least 15 minutes before removing.

NOTE: Make sure the sweet potatoes have been cooked, peeled, and pureed before using (if you are not using canned).

NOTE: Nuts and raisins can also be added.

*Nutritional Spotlight:

Sweet Potato- Trumping the regular “white potato”, this starch sits lower on the glycemic index.  This means that it doesn`t have as strong an effect on your blood sugar, making it a better choice for diabetics than white potatoes! They are also a good source of fiber, a little less than half of which is soluble fiber (the kind that helps lower cholesterol and regulate blood sugar).  To add to these benefits, they are also high in Vitamins A and C, beta-carotene, folic acid, and potassium.  (Folic acid helps prevent neural tube defects in unborn babies and potassium helps control blood pressure.)