Gyro Sliders with Creamy Dill Yogurt Sauce

Gyro meets slider in this epic yet small bite. No lamb needed, just regular beef spiced to perfection to match that gyro flavor, topped with a tangy dill yogurt sauce!

This may be my BEST creation yet! I have made them 3 times now, that is how much I LOVE them! I am pretty sure I have told you I don't make something more than once unless I REALLY love it- even my own recipes. I am like that way with beer too! (That is how I have amassed an impressive 315 beers on untapped)

It all started one night... I was talking to my husband over dinner about what kind of restaurant I would open (if I ever did) and I decided it would be American pub food with a twist. So in discussing what kind of burgers I would create for the menu I decided there should be a Greek burger- it would be like a gyro. It would taste like a gyro in burger form with some sort of yogurt sauce... so the words were spoken and so this was born!

I researched common spices in a gyro and developed this fantastic spice blend. Just the right amount of spiciness with 1 tbsp of cayenne for that kick to your taste buds. Then with the smoked paprika give it a little smokiness and also give the delicious dribbling fat juices an orange hue. The drippings are also delicious when the slider's bottom bun picks up some of the luscious fat juices- even the bun become a joy to eat!

Spinach and Feta Strata

I cannot get enough of the spinach and feta combo. I made Spinach and Feta Orzo, I made a Spinach and Feta Salad and now I got for you a Spinach and feta Strata. It is part quiche, part potato and part fritata. In fact, I had a really had time naming this, LOL. But a food bloggers friend of mine came up with something sorta like this and called it a strata, so thanks Joanne from Joanne Eats Well with Others. You saved me on this one!

Why is this a Foodgasm?

Spinach and Feta, it is magical and delicious and totally Greek. I like to give a nod to my hetitage when I can and they knew what they were doing with this flavor combo. Salty, creamy and you got a little bitter from the spinach, it just works. Then of course I add in some caramelized onions, garlic and you got yourself a full blown Greek-gasm. I love that this has a layer of potatoes too. It's a great filling meal, especially nice with a side salad for breakfast, brunch, lunch or even dinner.

Holiday Baking Recap

So if you follow me on social media you may have noticed my #cookieabstinence for the week leading up until Christmas Eve. Well it was hard and I made it without any desserts AT ALL! I am so very proud of myself and I learned a lot about impulse control and determination. The whole reason I started it was because my baking marathon 2 weeks before Christmas left me feeling sick from all the cookies I "tried" and "tasted". There was also A LOT of craft beer consumed, so I gave up beer for 5 days too! Before I even stepped on the scale last week I was scared and knew I needed a break from all the holidays' consumption! So it was a win and a lose for me this holiday season. I got to try some amazing recipes, but it took it's toll on me- BUT I also made it a whole week without a single dessert. So I think it evened out... maybe. So this pic below was me totally deflecting cookies! I was literally like wonder woman!

So this post is a recap of ALL my holiday baking! Everything came out amazing! I decided to go full fat and just try other bloggers recipes. Like my husband says, you have to master something before you add any variables.  I have never been a good baker, like seriously I don't know much about it. By making other bloggers recipes I learn A LOT in the process and how I can make my own low fat version of it at some point. This is the experimentation and learning process behind the madness. I am also happy to report, I think I am really good at baking and cookie making now. I have learned a lot and I will share some tips with you! I will mark them clearly below.

This is my last post before #HolidayDetox begins! I am ready to get my healthy back on! If you are too, please stop in every Wednesday for healthy breakfasts, lunches, dinner and snacks- also lots of great tips to stay on track! 

So without further adieu here are the treats that I made. The links on the headings will lead you to the recipe.

Salted Chocolate Chip Cookie Baklava by Half Baked Harvest

This was definitely some over the top deliciousness! Its basically chocolate chip cookie dough with LOTS of nuts layered in buttered filo dough, then soaked in vanilla syrup and drizzled with chocolate ganache and sea salt. Yeah this is NOT for the faint of heart. It is totally opposite of what I usually make, my recipes are always reduced fat and think and sometimes reduced sugar, so this was a treat ONLY for the holiday season! I ate 1 piece and left it at my parents. It was beautiful and delicious but an indulgence. So that is why I left it behind, LOL. I love Half Baked Harvest's recipes, LOVE them. This one, to me, was a bit too over the top. More sugar! More butter! More Fat! I used 1 less stick of butter for assembly, that is something right?! I HAD to try it though! It was in my MUST Make Board on Pinterest, since I am half Greek and I love me some baklava and chocolate!

Pub Cookies by the Beeroness

These cookies are a craft beer lover's dream! There is beer extract in them: basically it's a beer you reduce down to a tablespoon or two. They also have chocolate chips, honey roasted peanuts and pretzels. I didn't have peanuts so I omitted them. Overall these wee great! Very chewy in texture. Had a but if beer flavor and the salty of the pretzel with sweet chocolate chips were great!

Peppermint Macarons with Dark Chocolate Ganache- Adapted from Martha Stewart

I took this basic recipe for macarons from Martha Stewart. The directions were good. To my surprise they came out great! As I am sure you heard macarons are difficult to make. But now I have gotten the hang of them. Made 2 kinds this season! I have great step by step pics with the gingerbread macarons I made. There are detailed directions in the link. Most important thing I learned is just take your time with it. All I did differently is I added a teaspoon of Peppermint Extract and some red food coloring. Then I made her dark chocolate ganache for the center. These were AMAZING! So light, so fluffy and just PERFECT!

Gingerbread Macarons with Dark Chocolate Ganache- Adapted from Martha Stewart

Same recipe from Martha with the same chocolate ganche, BUT I added 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon allspice and 1/2 teaspoon ginger. These were GREAT! All that great spice flavor, without being overly spiced, add some chocolate and you go MAGIC! I also let these set in the freezer for 5 minutes to get the ganache to firm up.

Gingerbread Blondies by The Baker Chick

Just look at that texture, yeah I would say fudgey- but it's not chocolate. But these totally blew my mind. Confession: I added some beer extract that I made for the Pub Cookies, just 1 tablespoon and man these are the BEST blondies I ever ate! Sooooo good, I broke my cookie abstinence with one of these puppies! Yeah they are THAT good! Seriously you MUST try 'em! I think I can make these low fat though. I will experiment with pumpkin in these! I think I can make that work!

Nutella Oatmeal Lace Cookies by Half Baked Harvest

Made these exactly as directed and they are not as Lacey as a Lacey cookie usually is, but there were AMAZING none the less. Buttery, not too sweet with nutella in the middle, pure magic! Would totally make them again!

Beer Molasses Spice Cookies- Adapted from Katrina's Kitchen

So I made some changes to this one too! I added a tablespoon of that beer extract and also rolled these in cinnamon sugar. I also did not dip them into white chocolate as the recipe calls for. These were sweet and had this great soft texture! Another big success!

Thanks to all the bloggers that made these incredible recipes and thanks to my friend Jenn, a real live pastry chef, that helped me experiment and ummm drink beer for ummmmm research!! LOL! Another BIG thanks to my neighbor Christine, that let me bake with her is her very large in beautiful kitchen!! She also helped me with beer research and brainstorm of ideas of what to do, if we have no bread flour as needed for the Pub cookies. LOVE my foodie friends and my ladies! Thanks so much! XOXO!

Greek Lemon Chicken Soup.... for the soul

Why is this a Foodgasm?

As I mention a lot, I am half Greek. Growing up with my yia-yia (grandma in Greek) when I wasn't feeling well she made me Chicken Soup, but not just any Chicken Soup. Chicken Avgolemeno Soup. A Greek Lemon Chicken Soup that she made with orzo, that is creamy, tangy, lemony and can eat like a meal. This always made me feel better from the inside out. Now that my yia-yia is no longer with me, it makes me feel nostalgic and reminds me of a simpler time. It is the ultimate comfort food.

I loved her soup, BUT there were always a couple things I wanted to change. She always used the whole chicken and tore off the pieces, but I have always been partial to white meat, hate dark. So I used chicken breast only, also happens it's healthier for you! I kept in the traditional holy trinity of celery, onions and carrots, but decided to add some mushrooms as well, why the hell not! I tried it and really liked it.

Now that cold and flu season is upon us, I thought this was appropriate. This will surely cure what ails you body and soul!

A nice Greek inspired side: Spinach orzo topped with feta

Why is this a Foodgasm?

There are some Greek classics that I just love. I'm not talking about literature or democracy...I'm talking Greek food. A staple in my home growing up was spanakopita aka spinach pie. Savory, salty crunchy and creamy: this was my favorite. Especially the way my grandmother made it, with some rice inside. It is basically phyllo dough filled with spinach, onions and garlic, sometimes with rice.

This is sort of a deconstructed take on the classic spinach pie. Some orzo topped with roasted garlic, onion and sautéed spinach and brightened up with some lemon juice all covered in some crumbled feta cheese. It's vegetarian, delicious and satisfying!

PS- I HATE looking in the ingredients when following a recipe's instructions, let me know if you like this new formatting and if it helps.

Greek Gyro Pizza

Why is this a Foodgasm?

So you like gyros? Well I took that gyro I laid it down and made it a guilt free pizza. Yup that gyro is my bitch! You got a crispy whole wheat crust topped with ground lamb, cucumbers, red onion, diced tomatoes, salty feta cheese and a tangy fat free tzatziki! Will you miss the fat? Hell no, this is a Foodgasm and that is my promise!

Classic Fusion Foodgasm: Greek Tacos with Purple Tzatziki

Why is this a Foodgasm? It has magic in it: lamb! Plus this is easy, took less than 30  mins to make this classic fusion. This is my favorite thing to do: take a classic and put my own spin on it. So instead of beef we have lamb **drool**, then I topped with some arugula, red onions and I made my own yogurt sauce to top it. So you got your meaty succulent lamb, some veggies and a creamy and tangy yogurt sauce al dancing on your taste buds. Oh boy I wish I was eating this NOW!

Yields 4 servings

Classical Fusion: Greek Nachos

Why is this a foodgasm? I aint perfect, I'm only half Greek (LOL!). This is a nod to my Hellenic Heritage. Baked pita chips topped with ground lamb, feta, yogurt sauce, tomatoes, cucumbers and red onions, it's the a gyro appetizer. Tangy Lamb-azing and creamy Food Love in yo mouth! You know you need this? Best part is I made it with some of my leftover Slow Roasted Rosemary Garlic and Lemon Leg of Lamb. It only took 30 mins to make!

This is a 5 Point foodgasm! (Makes 4 servings)

Greek Spiced Chicken with Spinach Rice pilaf

Why is this a Foodgasm? This was a spontaneous creation. You know how sometimes you just look in the fridge and freezer and make various combinations in your head, well that is what happened. I intended on making stir fry, but I find stir fry sooooo boring. I had me some orzo, brown rice, spinach, chicken breast and feta and I was feeling my Greek heritage saying "just do it!" So I made a kind of spanakopita inspired rice pilaf, similar to the filling in my yia yia's (grandma in Greek) spanakopita. Plus we needed some protein so I seared some chicken tenderloin in some Greek spices as well!

This is a 8 point foodgasm! (Recipe yields 5 servings)