Fresh Garlic Facts

I found this information about fresh garlic on Recipe Zaar.  I thought it was helpful, so I'm sharing it with you.
Spice: garlic 

Season: available year-round

How to select: Choose firm, plump bulbs with dry skins. Avoid soft or shriveled cloves and garlic stored in the refrigerated section of the produce department.

How to store: Store fresh garlic in an open container in a cool, dark place. Unbroken bulbs can be stored up to 8 weeks. Once broken from the bulb, individual cloves will keep 3-10 days.

How to prepare: Crushed, chopped, pressed, pureed, minced or roasted

Matches well with: beans, beef, beets, cabbage, chicken, eggplant, fish, lamb, lentils, mushrooms, pasta, pork, potatoes, rice, shellfish, spinach, tomatoes, zucchini

Substitutions: 1 clove = 1 teaspoon chopped garlic = 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic = 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder = 1/2 teaspoon garlic flakes = 1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic = 1/2 teaspoon garlic juice

Egg Hotdog

I know what you're thinking--that sounds disgusting!  But this was something I grew up eating, and I loved it!  It was a Coughlan family breakfast tradition.  My brother was also known for eating it as a midnight snack.  As a child, my mom would only buy the turkey hotdogs.  Eventually she decided it was okay for us to eat pork, but honestly, I prefer the turkey dogs.  The original recipe is only eggs and a hotdog sliced up.  But for this platter, I changed it up a bit...

A little backstory on the face plate.  My old roommate, Lindsay, gave me the plate for Christmas.  Pretty much the best gift ever!  I forget to use him most of the time, but it's always a blast to make up new faces when I do remember.  :)  Thanks, Lindsay!  Maybe some day my imaginary children will use it.  For more information on the face plate and other fun products, please visit Fred and Friends.

Egg Hotdog

• 2 eggs
• 1 turkey dog
• grated cheese
• smoked paprika
• salt
• pepper

Turn burner on medium-low.  Spray a small skillet with a non-stick cooking spray.  Cut the turkey dog into slices.  Place slices in skillet.  Let cook for a minute or two.  While the turkey dog is cooking, crack eggs into a bowl.  Scramble.  Add salt and pepper.  Pour eggs over turkey dog slices in skillet.  Cook until eggs are almost done.  Sprinkle with cheese and smoked paprika.  After eggs are cooked, place strategically on a face plate.  If you don't have a face plate, use eggs to make a face on a regular plate.

It's me. I'm the hamburger.

Ryan sent me a link today.  With it, he stated, "I saw it, and thought of you."  Here's the link.

Whole Wheat Zucchini Bread

This zucchini bread makes a great dessert for a steak dinner!  It also goes great with greek yogurt and blueberries for breakfast.  Still not satisfied?  Since this recipe makes two loaves, why not try it for a Californian-themed Pot Luck at work?  Basically, zucchini bread can be eaten anytime of the day.  Give it a shot! 

Whole Wheat Zucchini Bread

• 1 c all-purpose flour
• 2 c whole wheat flour
• 1 t baking powder
• 1 t baking soda
• 1/2 t salt
• 2 t cinnamon
• 3/4 c oil
• 1-1/2 c sugar
• 3 eggs
• 2 t vanilla
• 2 zucchini, grated (about 3 cups)
• 1 c chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon together in a bowl.  In a large bowl cream the oil and sugar together.  Beat in the eggs, vanilla, zucchini, and walnuts.  Then gradually beat in the dry ingredients.

Grease and flour two bread pans.  Pour half of the batter into each pan.  Cook for 1 hour.

Black Bean Hummus

Got bored using chick peas all the time...

Black Bean Hummus:

1 T fresh garlic, minced
1 15oz can black beans, drained and reserved liquid
2 T reserved black bean liquid
2 T lemon (or lime) juice
1-1/2 T tahini
3/4 t ground cumin
1/2 t salt
1/4 t ground red pepper
1/4 t smoked paprika
1 T olive oil

Put all ingredients in a food processor.  Process until smooth.  Add additional black bean liquid and seasonings to taste.

Tabouleh

Tabouleh (in this picture, it's the salad stuff in the back) is the side dish I made to go along with Sufflaqe when Jess and David came to visit.  This particular recipe makes enough for 8 entree servings...not sure why I made the full batch since there was only 4 of us eating it as a side.  However, I actually liked having the leftovers for lunches since the flavors intermix even more each day.  In the future though, I'll probably make a smaller batch, especially since it's usually only Ryan and me.

Tabouleh:

• 2-1/4 c water
• 1-1/2 c bulger
• 1 medium bunch of fresh parsley
• 2 medium tomatoes
• 1/4 of a red onion
• 1 medium cucumber
• 1 small jalapeno
• 1 glove garlic
• 1/2 c fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
• 2 T olive oil
• 1-1/2 t salt
• 1/2 t pepper 

Measure bulger into a large bowl.  In a sauce pan bring water to a boil.  Once water begins to boil, pour over bulger.  Let bulger soak for 30 minutes to an hour, or until all water is absorbed.  While bulger is soaking, mince parsley leaves (they don't really have to be too small).  Set aside in a medium bowl.  For the next part, a food processor works great, but you can also just use a knife.  Dice tomatoes, red onion, and cucumber; add to the bowl of parsley.  Finely mince the jalapeno and garlic clove; place in a small bowl.  Add lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper to the small bowl.  Check to see if all of the water in the bulger is absorbed.  If so, stir in the parsley, and vegetables as if you were making a salad.  Pour the dressing (lemon juice mixture) over the salad.  Chill for at least 30 minutes before serving so that the flavors can blend.  Also try adding chopped fresh spinach, feta cheese, red pepper, or olives.

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The Fast Food of Albania

The European country of Albania holds a special spot in my heart.  In high school, I spent a spring break in Albania.  Although I experienced some culture shock in the beginning of my visit, I soon fell in love with the country--the people, the landscape, the climate, and the food.

While there, I had the opportunity to try some authentic Albanian fast food called Sufllage (aka Greek Souvlaki--meat and vegetables grilled or rotisseried on a skewer).  Ever since I had Sufllage, I've been trying to find a recipe for it.  Of course there was one problem with my search; I wasn't sure how to spell it.  It was only recently that I finally got the spelling correct, and I was then able to find some more information on what exactly is in Sufllaqe.  All I could remember was that it was a pita stuffed full of meat, veggies, some sauce, and French fries.  So, when my friends, Jess and David, came to visit and wanted to cook some Middle Eastern and/or Mediterranean food, what did I suggest?  A knockoff of Sufllaqe, of course!  :)  Here's how we made it:

American Style Chicken Sufllaqe:

Place Chicken, French Fries, Tzatziki, Green Peppers, Hummus, and Feta Cheese in a Pita and enjoy!  You can also add other vegetables such as cucumber, onion, lettuce, or tomato (we were a little short-handed on veggies).

To make the chicken:

• 1 T chopped fresh garlic
• 1 t oregano
• 1 t thyme
• 1 t parsley
• 1 T fresh lemon juice
• 3 T olive oil
• 1 t salt
• 1/2 t freshly ground black pepper
• 1.75 lbs of boneless, skinless chicken breast

In a bowl, combine all ingredients except the chicken.  Stir until well mixed.  Pour into a plastic baggie.  Drop chicken into bag.  Marinate for at least 30 minutes.  This is where we cheated; for this to be true sufllaqe, you're supposed to cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces and skewer.  Then cook them either in a rotisserie or on the grill.  We did not do this.  Instead we preheated an electric grill, place the whole breast on the grates.  Grilled the chickens until cooked; then we sliced them into centimeter-wide strips.  Either way will work, but remember that Sufllage (Albanian) means Souvlaki (Greek) or meat grilled on a skewer.

To make the Tzatziki:

• 1 small cucumber, diced
• 2 T freshly chopped dill leaves
• 1 small container of Greek yogurt (7-or-8oz - we found this in the organic section at the store)
• 2 t lemon juice
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl.  If you want the tzatiki sauce to be a bit more spicy, add 1 or 2 teaspoons of hot sauce (we didn't do this).

To make the Hummus:

4 garlic cloves

2 cups canned chickpeas, drained, liquid reserved

1-1/2 t kosker salt

6 T fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons)

2 T water or liquid from the chickpeas

In a food processor, pulse garlic until minced.  Add the rest of the ingredients to the food processor and process until the hummus is smooth and pureed.  Serve either chilled or at room temperature.  For variation add 1/3 c tahini (sesame paste) or up to 8 dashes of hot sauce (for spicier hummus).

For me, this homemade Sufllaqe was one of the best entrées I've had in a while.  I can't wait to make it again. I'm also considering making the chicken to put on salads or eat alone.  Some other traditional Albanian fast food dishes include: Byrek (Turkish Burek), Pice (Italian Pizza), and Qofte (Turkish Kofte).  From what I have read, Byrek is similar to a meat pie made with flaky phyllo dough and filled with meat, spinach, and/or cheese.  Then it is fried.  The Pice I had when I was in Albania was topped with tomato disks and mozzarella cheese.  I recreated it once, but the tomatoes in Albania taste completely different than American tomatoes.  Needless to say, it was better in Albania.  Lastly, Qofte is basically the European meatloaf.  It is made from minced or ground meat (usually lamb) and spices.