Recipes Discovered - Recipes

Read my review of this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 small onion, finely chopped
  
• 4 cloves garlic, minced, divided
  
• 2 boxes frozen chopped spinach, defrosted
• 3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
  
• 1 pound ground chicken or turkey
  
• 1 tablespoons grill seasoning
• 1 1/2 cups Greek style plain yogurt or strained plain yogurt
• 1/3 seedless cucumber (about 1/2 cup), peeled and chopped
  
• 3 tablespoons fresh dill or 1 tablespoon mint
  
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
  
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
  
• 1 1/2 teaspoons coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
  

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.In a bowl combine onion and 3 cloves of garlic. Squeeze the water out of the spinach until completely dry. Separate the spinach as you add it to garlic and onion. Add feta, chicken or turkey and grill seasoning to the bowl. Mix the meat with veggies and feta and form into meatballs. Place the meatballs on a nonstick cookie sheet and bake 10 to 12 minutes until they are golden and juices run clear.

Place yogurt, garlic, cucumber, dill or mint, lemon juice, cumin, coriander and a little salt in a bowl. Adjust seasonings to taste. Serve meatballs alongside sauce with toothpicks.

Makes 48 small meatballs or 24 regular meatballs.

Nutrition:

Substitutions:

Recipe courtesy of Rachael Ray.

Read my review of this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 3 large eggplants (about 3 pounds)
  
• Kosher salt
  
• Extra-virgin olive oil
  
• 2 pounds ground lamb
• 1 medium onion, chopped
  
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
  
• 1/2 lemon, sliced in thin circles
  
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  
• 2 handfuls fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• 1 cinnamon stick
  
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
  
• 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 8 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
  
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan
  
• 1 cup fresh bread crumbs

Directions:

To prepare the eggplants: Cut off the stems, remove the skin with a vegetable peeler, and cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch thick slices. Evenly coat each slice with the salt and purge on a sheet pan fitted with a cooling rack for 30 minutes. Rinse with cold water and squeeze dry in paper towels. Preheat oven to 450 degrees and lightly oil a baking sheet. Lightly season each eggplant slice with salt and pepper and place on the oiled sheet. Bake the eggplant until the slices begin turning brown on top, about 12-15 minutes. Remove the eggplants from the oven and transfer them to a plate to cool.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the ground lamb, stirring it to break up the meat. Add the onion, garlic, lemon slices, oregano, and parsley. Cook and stir until soft and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, and toss in the cinnamon stick. Stir in the tomato paste and hand-crushed tomatoes. Simmer until the liquid has evaporated, 5 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat. Remove the lemon slices and cinnamon stick before layering the moussaka.

Turn the oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottom of a greased 9 by 13-inch glass or ceramic baking dish with 1/3 of the eggplant slices; they should completely cover the bottom with no gaps. Spread 1/2 of the meat sauce over the eggplant, evening it out with a spatula. Sprinkle with 1/2 of the feta and and 1/3 of the Parmesan. Repeat the layers again, ending with a final layer of eggplant. Cover the top with a nice even layer of bread crumbs and remaining Parmesan. Bake the moussaka for 45 minutes. Cover with a piece of foil if the top gets too brown. Let cool 10 minutes before serving.

Serves 8.

Nutrition:

Substitutions:

I added about 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon to the sauce. I also think I would skip the bread crumbs next time and just put Parmesan cheese on top.

Adapted from Tyler Florence.