Tag

These Mediterranean Flavors Will Knock Your Socks Off

The first time I ever tried Greek tzatziki, I wasn’t sure if I really liked it. My aunt made it and she used so much garlic that its taste was a little overwhelming. A few years after that we traveled to Greece and I got a taste of the authentic tzatziki. It was mindblowing! They served it in all of the restaurants and I simply couldn’t get enough of it. I know it’s supposed to be an appetizer, but I swear, I could have just ordered a big bowl of tzatziki alone for lunch!

Since then this has been my favorite recipe. Tzatziki really is a 3-in-1 dish. You could serve it as a lovely cucumber dip with veggie sticks. It makes a great spread for homemade crusty bread. But most of all, it is an amazing sauce for pretty much any entree you can think of!

If you ask me, tzatziki works perfectly with BBQ dishes. And wait until you’ve tried it with your favorite meatballs! The combination of flavors is incredible. It’s very easy to make and if you want to serve this at a party, I would suggest you make a double batch. It will be gone in minutes!

USE THE RED NEXT PAGE LINK BELOW FOR THE RECIPE AND INGREDIENTS.

Quick Tip: Add the salt to the grated cucumber and let it sit for a few minutes, then squeeze with the cheesecloth. This will help you drain as much liquid as possible.

If you want a meal that is quick, easy to make, and a bit, well, out of the ordinary, Asian dishes are the way to go. This Chicken Chow Mein recipe is a lot easier to put together than you might think, and it works nicely as a side dish, a main course, or even a full meal, depending on your needs. And as with most any stir fry dishes, this chow mein is a rather versatile recipe. If you have some extra veggies you need to use, or you just like to tweak things to your tastes or experiment a bit, most anything goes. The recipe is really yummy as-is, though, and I certainly would make it again.

Traditionally, stir fry recipes such as this are made in a wok, though any large skillet will do if you don’t have a wok available. You will work with the same basic formula, whether you use this exact ingredient list or tweak things a bit; it’s a matter of making a bunch of things separately and then combining them into one big dish at the end.

Recipe and photo courtesy of 12 Tomatoes

USE THE RED NEXT PAGE LINK BELOW FOR  THE RECIPE AND INGREDIENTS.

Quick tip: Serve with fried rice.

Are You Ready To Sample Some Of This Incredible Dessert?

Bread pudding is a classic dessert that can best be described as simple but elegant. This Bread Pudding With Whiskey Sauce recipe includes options for lightening things up a bit while still bringing the great flavor.

My great-grandmother, whom I called Granny and whom Dad called Mama, made a fantastic bread pudding with a whiskey sauce that practically made a dessert by itself. Alas, Granny closely guarded her recipes, and it was lost. I was happy to stumble upon this recipe and indulge in a little nostalgia. Though I can’t say that the recipe is exactly the same, it is similar, and I think that even Granny would have agreed that it is really tasty.

Of course, if you prefer making the sauce without the whiskey, this will still turn out delightful. But I would highly recommend giving it a try! I am definitely not a fan of whiskey but it makes this dessert super flavorful.

Recipe courtesy of Audrey at Dishably. Image courtesy star5112.

USE THE RED NEXT PAGE LINK BELOW FOR THE RECIPE AND INGREDIENTS

Quick Tip: Drizzle some maple syrup on this bread pudding before digging in. Yum!

Cheaper Than Most Takeout Options – And Much Better Than at a Buffet!

Make a classic Chinese appetizer in the comfort of your own home!  Thanks to pre-made egg roll wrappers (and a bit of a cornstarch mixture, to help the ends stay together), it’s not all that difficult or time-consuming to make these Homemade Chicken Egg Rolls on your own. I still usually wind up getting them, anyway, when I go, but the egg rolls that you get at the cheaper Chinese buffets are just a shadow of what they could be. The frozen ones from the grocery store cost an awful lot, compared to what you get out of them, and let’s face it: Not all of us can afford to go to a really fancy Chinese restaurant whenever we want.

Thankfully, it is not too difficult to make very delicious ones at home. This recipe makes enough for about a dozen people to eat two good-sized egg rolls each, so it is a nice idea for a party or tailgate.

So long as you have a means of keeping them warm, but I imagine that you could reduce the recipe to make it suitable for a small family pre-dinner snack, if you prefer.  Of course, if you are like me, once you have had one, you’ll want one or two more, easily.

Recipe and photo courtesy of 12 Tomatoes

USE THE RED NEXT PAGE LINK BELOW FOR THE RECIPE AND INGREDIENTS

Quick tip: You can leave the rice wine out if you’d prefer the recipe without it.

Boy, steaks are really out-of-this-world awesome, done this way!  This Marinated Steak With Bourbon Cream Mushroom Sauce combines two great recipes to produce a dish that is undeniably restaurant-grade gourmet.  And once you have given the marinade some time to work its magic, it doesn’t take very long to cook.

I love a good steak now and then (who doesn’t?), love my creamy sauces, and occasionally like a nip of that brown liquor called bourbon (it is awesome in mint juleps, by the way).  This deliciousness combined all three, and it had been a while since I had any juicy beef, so how could I possibly resist?  I have to say, I was already expecting something good and got something even better…so much YUM! It won’t be long ’til I make these again for my family!

Main recipe and photo courtesy of  Savory Spice Rack; marinade courtesy of LuuvBunny at Food.com.

GO TO NEXT PAGE FOR INGREDIENTS, DIRECTIONS, AND FURTHER COMMENTS

Quick tip: Marinade the stakes the night before for best results.