Recipe Swap: Open-Faced Chicken Feta Gyros

There have been a few things that I've been craving during pregnancy: spicy tuna rolls (and sushi in general), reubens, frozen Greek yogurt, and gyros.  So when I received A Seasoned Greeting's blog for the swap, I was super excited to find these gyros.  Even better was that it used only 1/2 a pita since I'm trying to limit my carb intake right now in the event that I have gestational diabetes.

Because it's still (literally) freezing out, I was excited to use my new grill pan that my husband got me for Christmas.  It worked like a charm and created these gorgeous grill lines on the chicken.  The only thing I'm not so sure about is how to clean it.  I really should have oiled the pan first because I got some nice charred bits stuck to my now not-so-new and now extra-seasoned grill pan.

Now, it wasn't until I was sitting down to blog about this recipe that I made a *really* similar one many years ago. No matter, it didn't make this version any less delicious and it certainly fulfilled one of my cravings so thank you, Catherine!

Thank you to Sarah at A Taste of Home Cooking for being our awesome What's Cooking swap hostess and be sure to check out the rest of the group's collection in the blog hop, below.  You never know what great recipes you'll find!

Two Years Ago: Swedish Meatballs

Open-Faced Chicken Feta Gyros

Ingredients

For the Tzatziki sauce

• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1 regular cucumber, peeled and seeded
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• Salt and pepper
• Squeeze of fresh lemon juice

For the Chicken

• 2 chicken breasts, cut into slices
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon Greek seasoning
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• Salt and pepper to taste

For Assembling

• Whole wheat pita bread
• Fresh tomatoes, seeded and diced
• Red onion, sliced thin
• 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese (I like the cracked pepper variety!)

Directions

1. Shred the cucumber. Wrap in a towel or cheesecloth and squeeze to remove as much water as possible. Mix together the yogurt, shredded cucumber, garlic, salt and pepper to taste, and lemon juice. For best flavor, allow the flavors to meld overnight.
2. In a gallon sized zipper bag, mix together the garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, Greek seasoning, oregano, salt and pepper.  Add chicken slices and set aside.  For best flavor, marinate overnight.
3. Cut the chicken breast into slices and cook in a grill or fry pan over medium heat until cooked through.
4. To assemble, place 1/2 of the whole wheat pita bread on the plate. Top with chicken, tzatziki sauce, feta cheese, diced tomatoes and sliced onions.

Source: Slightly modified from A Seasoned Greeting

Chocolate Nutella Fudge with Sea Salt

Any Nutella fans in the house?  How about fudge fans?  Salted sweets?  Yeah, I got all of that here today and it's wrapped up in a neat little square of love.

Way back when I made my Homemade Nutella I decided I needed to find ways to use all of it.  This fudge was just one of the recipes that I made.  I'll admit I hesitated at first.  I mean the last time I tried to make fudge, it was an epic failure and didn't set!  But I was ready to tackle my fears again and this fudge recipe didn't require me to boil the mixture to a certain temperature in order for it to set properly.

I made it and held my breath.  Visually, mine looked softer than the photo for the original recipe.  I think this was as a result of my Homemade Nutella being a bit thinner than store-bought to begin with.  I had to store the fudge in the freezer first to get a good firm cutting texture.  But I forged on and what resulted were smooth melt in your mouth bites of goodness.  Success in my mind!

Three Years Ago: Carrot Cake

Chocolate Nutella Fudge with Sea Salt

Photo Credit: Emily H.

Ingredients

• Butter, for greasing pan 
• 1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk 
• 1 tsp vanilla extract 
• 8 oz. high-quality bittersweet (60% cacao) chocolate chips 
• 1 cup Nutella, room temperature (I used Homemade Nutella)
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into 1/2-inch pieces 
• About 1/2 tsp sea salt 

Directions

1. Grease a 8- by 8-inch baking pan with butter. Line the pan with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overlap on the sides. 
2. In a medium glass or stainless steel bowl, stir together sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, bittersweet chocolate chips, Nutella, and butter. 
3. Form a double-boiler by setting the bowl on a medium pot of gently simmering water. The water level should be lower than the bottom of the bowl. Stir until the chocolate chips are melted and the mixture is smooth, 5 to 7 minutes. 
4. Scrape the mixture into the prepared pan and smooth it out with a spatula. Sprinkle with sea salt.
5. Refrigerate until the fudge is firm, at least 2 hours. 
6. Run a knife under hot water, dry it off, and run it around the edges of the pan to loosen the fudge. Using the overhanging parchment paper, lift the fudge out. Peel off the parchment paper. Cut the fudge into 3/4-inch squares. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container or wrapped well in plastic wrap and foil. 

Source: Cookin' Canuck

Easy Spicy Garlic Bread in a Pot

It's supposed to be Spring right now...I think.  But the snow outside my window tells me otherwise.  I'm hoping that it's warmer where you're living...

There's something about cold weather that makes me want to bake.  Enter this gorgeous artisan bread.  It looks like something straight out of a fancy bakery and yet I made it in my own home.  In a pot.  Free of preservatives.  And it was easy!  All it takes is a bit of patience to wait for the magic to happen.  You're rewarded with a crispy crust (how does it do that??) and fluffy interior.

Enjoy!

Three Years Ago: Creme Brulee, Chicken Bruschetta, and The Easiest White Bean Chicken Chili

Easy Spicy Garlic Bread in a Pot

Ingredients

• 1 cup (8 ounces) of warm water (between 110 and 115 degrees F) 
• 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast 
• Pinch of granulated sugar 
• 4 ounces unsalted butter, melted 
• 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh herbs such as thyme, chives, rosemary, or basil (I used rosemary and basil)
• 3/4 teaspoon dried red chili flakes 
• 2 or 3 cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced 
• About 4 cups (20 ounces) bread flour, plus more for dusting the work surface 
• A few big pinches of coarse ground black pepper 
• 2 teaspoons salt 
• Olive oil, coarse sea salt, and chili flakes for topping 

Directions

1. Sprinkle yeast over warm water, add pinch of sugar and stir gently. Allow yeast and warm water to rest, foam and froth for about 5 minutes. If yeast does not foam and froth after 5 minutes, toss it and start over again with new yeast. 
2. Melt butter in a small saucepan. When butter is melted, remove from heat and add herbs, chili flake, and garlic. Set aside. 
3. Place flour in the bowl of an electric stand mixer, fitted with a bread hook. Add salt and pepper. Pour in activated yeast mixture, and butter mixture. Stir on low speed, with the dough hook, for about 10 to 12 minutes. The dough ball should clean the sides of the bowl and not stick to the bottom of the mixing bowl. The dough will be relatively smooth and supple.  
4. Place dough in a large greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rest in a warm place until double in size, about 1 hour. 
5. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. 
6. When dough has doubled in size, place on a lightly floured surface and knead by hand for about 2 minutes. 
7. In a large Dutch oven, add about 2 tablespoons olive oil, to coat the bottom of the pot. Place dough in pot and use a large knife to slice a fairly deep cross into the dough. Drizzle about 3 more tablespoons of olive oil atop the bread. Sprinkle generously with coarse sea salt and pepper flakes. 
8. Cover with tight fitting lid and bake for 30 minutes. Reduce oven heat to 400 degrees F, remove lid, and allow to make for about 15-20 minutes more. Remove from oven and allow to cool until easily removed from the pan. Bread will last, well wrapped at room temperature, for up to 3 days.

Source: Joy the Baker