Side Dishes

Julia Turshen’s Radicchio & Roasted Squash Salad and Hosting a Stress-Free Thanksgiving

[heart_this] · Nov 9, 2018 · 1 Comment

Thank you, OXO, for sponsoring this post. As always, opinions are strictly my own!

Hello, friends! Can you believe Thanksgiving is officially less than two weeks away? Time is such a trip, right!? If you’re planning to host a Friendsgiving before (or during) Thanksgiving proper, or are planning to host a foodtastic event the day of, this post is most definitely for you. And I am very excited to get into this!

I partnered up with one of my favorite brands, OXO, to share some quick tips on hosting a stress-free Thanksgiving. They sent me a few awesome goodies, including a copy of Julia Turshen’s new cookbook Now & Again. I’m going to talk about Julia’s Thanksgiving menu and will be sharing a recipe from the book, too! Hint: the recipe is for the radicchio and roasted squash salad in case that wasn’t obvious from the blog post title 😉 (it’s also pictured on the cover of the book).

Julia Turshen’s Now & Again Cookbook

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Maroulosalata (Greek Lettuce Salad)

[heart_this] · Sep 3, 2018 · 15 Comments

Maroulosalata is a very simple and popular Greek salad made with thinly sliced or shredded lettuce, scallions, dill, and vinaigrette. It’s usually made with romaine lettuce and cucumbers can also be added too! Serve alongside your favorite dish with crusty bread and feta.

Updated on September 3rd, 2018: New written content, new recipe instructions, and new photos. Huzzah!

Originally published on June 17th, 2015.

Hello friends!

Today, I’m updating you on an oldie but goodie: maroulosalata. Maroulo is the Greek word for lettuce and it’s traditionally made with fresh dill, scallions, and a simple vinaigrette. It’s usually served alongside grilled or roasted meats; I especially love it with broiled lamb chops. It’s one of my favorite Greek salads! I felt it was time to give this post a little facelift with new photos and content.

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How to Preserve Lemons

[heart_this] · Jul 1, 2018 · 3 Comments

Preserved lemons are a key ingredient in Eastern Mediterranean cooking. They add depth and a boost of umami you just can’t get from using fresh lemons. All you need to make them are lemons, salt, and a little bit of patience.

Happy July, friends!

I’ve been wanting to share this preserved lemons post with you for months and months (no, really: I took these photos in February 2017 – yikes!) and I’m glad to finally have it out in the world. There are plenty of other photos I need to sort through still for future posts, but you know, one thing at a time and all that.

There are different ways you can preserve lemons; some recipes include a blend of salt and sugar rather than just salt, some with black peppercorns, and others with spices like cinnamon, cloves, etc. The type of lemons used can vary too; I alternate between regular and Meyer lemons myself (I used Meyers for this post). All variations are great; I decided to keep this post on the simplest side by just using salt….

Antipasto Pasta Salad

[heart_this] · Jul 28, 2017 · 4 Comments

This post is sponsored by Simply Organic. All opinions are strictly my own!

Happy Friday, friends!

It’s been a hot minute since I’ve shared a tasty recipe with you, and let me tell you, I am excited to share this antipasto pasta salad with you today! Also, I’m eating it for lunch as I write this. Om nom nom.

I love pretty much antipasto anything and recently became obsessed with it in pasta form after trying it at a friend’s BBQ. Since then, I’ve made my own version and it’s become a go-to favorite for parties and also to have for lunch throughout the week.

It’s a win-win all around.
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Roasted Asparagus with Feta

[heart_this] · Apr 7, 2016 · 10 Comments

Fun fact: My dad has a thick Greek accent and when he says asparagus in English, it sounds like “Spartacus.”

Growing up, I’m not sure if I liked asparagus. I don’t recall eating it all that much, but at some point in my adult life I became a fan, though that was the case for a lot of vegetables. I really didn’t like brussels sprouts as a kid and now they’re commonly eaten around here (I especially love brussels sprouts with bacon).

Even though it just snowed a couple days ago and I had to shovel the driveway, spring is pretty much here and with that, comes tasty vegetables in season, like asparagus! When I saw fresh asparagus at the store the other day, I knew exactly what I wanted to with it and that’s share this recipe of roasted asparagus with feta with you….

Spicy Shredded Cabbage

[heart_this] · Mar 9, 2016 · 24 Comments

Raise your hand if you love cabbage! *raises hand*

I do. I friggen love cabbage and it’s become a staple in this house. My usual go-to for something quick and easy has been unstuffed cabbage because it’s so tasty! One of my other favorites is actual stuffed cabbage, which isn’t on the blog yet, but that will change one of these days.

Today, I’m sharing a recipe for spicy shredded cabbage! A Greek inspired braised dish spiced with cinnamon and cloves! It’s super easy to make, healthy, and delicious!

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Skordalia (Greek Potato and Garlic Dip)

[heart_this] · Dec 1, 2015 · 19 Comments

Skordalia is a traditional Greek dip made with a potato base, lots of garlic, extra-virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, and salt. It pairs really well with fried fish and/or vegetables.

Opa!

Are you planning on kissing anyone today? I’m asking because I got a delicious, garlicky treat for you and I just want to make sure you plan accordingly. I got your back.

Today, we are talking about skordalia (skor-thal-YAH)! When pronouncing it, you want to make a hard “th” sound, as if you are saying “the,” but with the letter L at the end of it. Now, you try it. See? Greek is easy.

Skordalia is a Greek dip that has a few variations when it comes to the base of the dish. Some are made with potatoes (which is the recipe I’m sharing with you today), others are made with bread, almonds, or walnuts. And some variants call for a combination of the ingredients. You might be asking how a dip with a bread-base works: it’s made with stale bread that has been soaked in water. I plan to explore different variations in the future, but I’m happy to share the potato one with you today!

Whether the recipe is made with potatoes, bread, nuts, or a combination, the remaining ingredients don’t differ all that much. It’s made with raw garlic, extra-virgin olive oil, wine vinegar, and salt; a combination that marries together so well.

I’ve had both the bread variant and potato; my yiayia always made it with potatoes growing up, so that is the flavor and texture I remember and enjoy the most. When I first tried skordalia, I was probably about six or seven years old and I didn’t love it. I remember my dad had some as a side with some fish and I wanted to try it. It’s made with a decent amount of raw, crushed garlic; maybe not a young kid’s favorite….

Cranberry Habanero Jelly

[heart_this] · Nov 16, 2015 · 16 Comments

It’s almost Thanksgiving! Cranberries are in season! And we’re taking a tiny break from Greek cooking because I want to share cranberry habanero jelly with you. Hell yeah.

For me, this jelly has nothing to do with the holiday really, but cranberries = fall and cranberries also = cranberry sauce as a Thanksgiving side, so this could be a fun alternate to the classic Thanksgiving side.

The first time I had cranberry habanero jelly was back when I lived with a friend named Tom and he brought some home from his parents (hi Tom). His mom made it and I was in love. Whenever he visited home and came back with more jelly, it was a struggle for me to not eat it all! Seriously. The combination of spicy and sweet is ridiculously addictive. My favorite way to eat it is over crackers, especially Carr’s whole wheat crackers. There’s something about the light sweetness of those crackers that pair really well with this jelly.

I’m hungry now. BRB – going to eat some crackers and jelly.

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Spanakorizo (Spinach and Rice)

[heart_this] · Nov 11, 2015 · 40 Comments

Raise your hand if you love giveaways! *raises both hands*

This giveaway has ended. Congrats to Michelle K!

I’m really excited, you guys. Like, SUPER excited. Because of giveaways! I love them. I teamed up with some bloggers a while back for the first giveaway on the blog and this time, I teamed up with even more bloggers to give away an even awesomer prize. How does a $650 Amazon gift card sound?

The holidays are coming up; there’s no denying it. This giveaway will be running up until the day before Thanksgiving, which means one of you lucky people will get to shop in your pajamas while stuffing your face with Thanksgiving leftovers. You animal.

If celebrating the holidays isn’t your thing, that’s cool. Cause you could still use this gift card to buy things for others if you’re feeling nice. Or you can just treat yo self.

To celebrate this awesome giveaway, I’m sharing a classic one pot Greek dish called spanakorizo (spah-nah-KOH-ree-zoh), which is a tasty dish made of rice, spinach, onions, dill, and lemon. I like to include leeks in mine because leeks are the best. Some variants call for some tomato sauce, which is also good, but I admit this way is my favorite and how I grew up eating this classic Greek dish….

One Pot Greek Eggplant and Rice

[heart_this] · Oct 15, 2015 · 71 Comments

You guys!

Sunday was a big deal for me. And I didn’t even realize it was a big deal until a couple of days ago! I’ve been so busy lately, I haven’t paid much attention to the dates.

Sunday marked the four year anniversary of me quitting smoking. I last bought a pack of cigarettes on October 11th, 2011, smoked maybe a couple cigarettes from that pack, and got rid of the rest. And I haven’t looked back since. Yay for smoke-free living!

I think I missed it because I was too busy playing catch-up on blog stuff along with everything else. With working overtime the last couple of weeks, it’s been a little tough keeping up with life!…

Tourlou Tourlou

[heart_this] · Sep 25, 2015 · 18 Comments

I love when healthy tastes good. I don’t mean just good, but goooooood. You know what I’m saying?

Today, I’m sharing a tasty recipe called tourlou tourlou! It’s one of my favorite things to say. You gotta know how to roll those Rs to say it properly. It’s basically pronounced like “toodaloo,” but a little quicker than you might say toodaloo and also, you would say it twice because reasons.

Actually, tourlou tourlou basically means “all mixed together” (in Greek, duh) and it’s a medley of vegetables roasted in the oven long enough for them to soften and sweeten. And I find it tastes even better the next day. Whenever I visit home and my dad happened to make this, he offers me a bunch to take home and I never say no. Cause it’s too good to say no to. <3

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Horta Vrasta (Boiled Dandelion Greens)

[heart_this] · Sep 21, 2015 · 16 Comments

Okay, guys. I have a confession to make. I’m slowly re-branding my blog.

I don’t know; does that really make it a confession? A little dramatic, maybe? Either way, tiny changes are happening and I’m excited!

First: the bigger change: I’m going to start focusing more on Mediterranean food, especially the Greek stuff! I’ll still share recipes outside of that because really, I love all food (duh), but I can’t deny how passionate I am towards Mediterranean cuisine. Being a first generation American, I grew up in a typical old school Greek household and had a strong connection with the food and culture. So while you’ll see recipes like homemade marshmallow sauce and bacon and egg lo mein from time to time, you’ll be seeing a lot more Greek food and such, like this psari plaki! I hope you’re hungry. I know I am….

Kale and Avocado Salad

[heart_this] · Jul 10, 2015 · 16 Comments

Updated on July 10th, 2015: Simple Kale Salad was the fourth post on OMG FOOD, back when I also purchased a DSLR for the first time and I had no idea what I was doing (I still don’t know, really)! I’ve updated this post with a new photo, new title: Kale and Avocado Salad, and a “new” recipe with instructions that make better sense.

Originally published on February 26th, 2014.

Kale has become a staple in our kitchen the last few months. If you were to look in my fridge each week, you are almost guaranteed to find some in there. I can’t guarantee that 100% because there’s always the chance it will all have been eaten before the next trip to the grocery store.

Anyway, I’m trying to tell you here that I’m really into kale and one of my favorite things to make with kale is this kale and avocado salad. Moving on.

Sound boring? Only if you make it so! Whenever I cook with kale or make salads, I make sure to dress it include properly. Because, yeah. Kale as is? It is kind of boring in my opinion! It can also be a tough and bitter to eat raw without preparing it the right way. How do you prepare it for raw foods such as salads? You massage it!…

Spaghetti with Browned Butter and Mizithra Cheese

[heart_this] · Jul 5, 2015 · 14 Comments

Okay, guys. OMG FOOD has a new meaning: “Oh My Greek Food.” Cool? I’m into it.

Today, my friends, we are having spaghetti with browned butter and mizithra cheese. I tried calling my mom to tell her I was posting this recipe, but she didn’t answer her phone. Typical mom. Ignoring her daughter’s phone call. THANKS A LOT, MOM. NO, REALLY. IT’S FINE. I’M NOT MAD. (Nah, it’s cool.)

Anyway, I’ll tell her the next time I do talk to her and she’s going to get so excited. Because she made this SO MUCH when I was growing up. I loved it then and I love it now. It’s one of those meals you can make without thinking about it much, you know? I mean, it involves three ingredients and the flavor is anything but boring. The brown butter is the secret ingredient and the mizithra cheese packs a unique punch….

Swiss Chard and Mushroom Quinoa

[heart_this] · Jun 8, 2015 · 4 Comments

Okay, people. It’s Monday. If you had a wild weekend of food and drinks like I did, you are probably in need of some healthy eating tonight. I got your back.

I was going through some really old pictures I posted on facebook sometime last week, so that I could see what my food photos looked like back then (I used to drown my newsfeed in food photos before I started blogging) and I came across this swiss chard and mushroom quinoa dish and I said to myself, “Oh, yeah! I remember making this. That was good. I should make that again.”

Good story, right?

Nah, but for real, it had been a while since I made a good quinoa dish, so naturally, I got excited about it.

Also, the food photos I used to take were really awful. I mean, REALLY. At least now, I try to make the food look good in my photos, but these were simple iPhone shots in the worst lighting possible taken at the worst angle possible. I thought about sharing some with you in this post, so we both could laugh at me, you know? But I’d rather not scare you off. It’s for the best. Trust….

Garlic Roasted Carrots and Onions

[heart_this] · Apr 23, 2015 · 9 Comments

Let me just tell you, I am so glad winter is over. All the snow has melted in our yard. The weather has been SO NICE. I’m in love with the warm weather. I am not meant for cold weather, which makes me wonder why I still live in New England.

I mean, I do love it here. I just hate winter.

This past weekend, I did a lot of container garden planning. I’ve never grown much outside of some herbs I keep in my kitchen, but I’m super excited. I got 38 seedlings going (lol that’s a lot and I’m kind of a crazy noob) and I’m really excited to see how many of them end up to be successful sprouts. I have a feeling I’ll be handing off a bunch of seedlings to friends soon. That or I’ll have to buy a bunch more containers!

Something else I did last weekend was prep a bunch of veggies for easy cooking/snacking throughout the week and a semi-big cook-up to have food for at least a few days. One of the dishes being garlic roasted carrots and onions in this post! As of today, I am out of back-up food and my next meat delivery comes tomorrow. Cooking tonight with limited options will be very interesting. Just kidding, that’s not interesting at all. I’m probably going to hit up Whole Foods for a rotisserie chicken….

Potatoes and Chorizo

[heart_this] · Mar 17, 2015 · 6 Comments

It’s after midnight and I’m in bed writing to you while Friends is on in the background. Did you know Friends was on Netflix? I think I’ve watched it start to finish about 50 times. Not since it’s been on Netflix though; it’s only been a few months since that happened. That’d be insane! Anyway, it doesn’t get old for me. Ross and Rachel forever. Their relationship was a huge roller coaster throughout that series, amirite? Spoiler alert: they get together in the end.

I’ve been so tired getting up in the mornings lately, but I can’t fall asleep so easily at night. I might be drinking too much coffee, but I can’t help it. I love coffee! Even though I can’t sleep, at least I get to write to you and tell you about how I’m also watching Friends. I think I’ll put on Bob’s Burgers after this episode to mix it up, though.

Yeah, my mind is all over the place right now. Allow me to introduce you to Delirious Marissa. She’s kind of awesome….

Skillet Home Fries

[heart_this] · Feb 19, 2015 · 6 Comments

OMG, what a busy last couple of weeks.

In my last post, I mentioned why I haven’t been able to post as much these last few weeks. One big reason was because I messed up everything I cooked! The other is because of crazy snow!

We’ve been getting hit every weekend with a major amount that has caused commuting to be nearly impossible, so my office has been closed at least one to two days a week. I’ve also been doing so much shoveling which brought up some neck pain due to an injury from last summer, so I’ve been either shoveling, working to catch up from snow days, or resting. Exciting times, right!?…

Chicken Kale Caesar Salad

[heart_this] · Jan 14, 2015 · 4 Comments

Chicken Kale Caesar Salad

I’ve got a good salad recipe for you!

Is it me or is it a little weird to say recipe when talking about salads? Anyway.

Remember my post earlier this week for that basil caesar dressing? Well that tasty dressing is going into this tasty salad. What do you get when you add tasty to tasty? Lots of tasty! Obviously.

I was actually planning to post this on Thursday, but I got too excited and decided to post it early. I know. I’m living on the edge!…

Quick Caramelized Bananas

[heart_this] · Mar 21, 2014 · 2 Comments

I worked from home yesterday and whenever I do that, I tend to get into a snacky mood. I had eaten leftover chili for lunch, and I was craving something sweet after that. I’ve been kind of overdoing it on the sweets lately (sometimes, I just can’t help it), so I wanted my snack to be a little bit healthy. I forced myself to avoid the ice cream and mochi in the freezer. That was difficult.

I had some ripe bananas, so I thought of what I could quickly make with those to satisfy my sweet tooth. I wanted a break from my usual smoothies….