i’m going to lead off this post with the statement that i’m not a huge fan of feta. the briny saltiness that feta and olives contain just isn’t really my thing. i purchased a bunch of feta for an event that we catered and i overestimated how much i would need for my watermelon & feta skewers. so now i have a bunch of left over feta and no clue what to do with it. after some internet research, i found some inspiration that i thought i might actually enjoy.

and now that you know all that, you should also know that i devoured this dish with feta as the star.

this dish is great as a vegetarian main dish or as an appetizer shared among friends. it is perfect with some crusty bread or pita and it was also delicious over a bed of arugula, salad style.

baked feta + crispy chickpeas & lemon yogurt

serves: 2 for a main course/4-6 as an appetizer

prep time: 10 minutes

active time: 15 mintues

total time: 25 minutes

ingredients: .5 lb greek feta, sliced into .5 inch thick pieces. 1 medium brown onion, halved and sliced .25 inch thick. 1 bunch rainbow chard, stems & leaves chopped but keep the leaves and stems separate. 6 tbs of coconut oil. 15 oz can of chickpeas (also known as garbanzo beans), rinsed and dried REALLY well. 1 tsp kosher salt. .5 tsp freshly ground pepper. .25 tsp garlic powder. .25 tsp turmeric. .25 tsp paprika. .25 tsp ginger. 3 pinches of cinnamon. 4 garlic cloves, smashed. .5 cup greek yogurt. 1 tbs honey. juice of 1 lemon. large cast iron skillet (or other heavy pan that can go in the oven) and 1 large nonstick pan. lemon slices for garnish. pita, crusty bread or bed of arugula for serving.

start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees f. while the oven is preheating, heat 2 tbs of the coconut oil over medium high heat until nice and hot. add in the onions and a couple pinches of salt. once the onions start to soften, add in the chopped chard stalks. cook for another 1-2 minutes till the stalks start to soften.

meanwhile, combine the rest of the salt, pepper, garlic powder, turmeric, paprika, ginger & cinnamon in a small bowl. mix well till combined.

add in the greens in two or three batches, waiting till the first batch is wilted before adding more.

season the mixture with one third of the spice blend and stir well. place your feta pieces among the onions and greens and place it in the oven. bake for 8-10 minutes, till the cheese is nice and soft.

while the feta is baking, heat the remaining oil in a large nonstick skillet. if you only have a smaller skillet, work in batches so you do not over crowed your pan. if you over crowed your pan, your chickpeas will not get crispy. when the oil is really hot, you can test it with one chickpea to see if it sizzles, pour in all your chickpeas. make sure they are in an even layer with a little space in between. add in the garlic and the rest of the spice blend. toss well till the chickpeas are nice and toasted and then spread them out once again in an even layer with space. and then walk away. don’t touch them. let them crispy up. cook for 5 minutes, toss and then let them toast for an additional 5 minutes. when they are done, they look like this.

while the chickpeas are crisping, mix together the lemon juice, greek yogurt and honey and set it aside. when your feta is baked, remove it from the oven.

top with crispy chickpeas. drizzle some of the lemony greek yogurt on top.

finally, top with lemon slices.

serve with your choice of bread or over your favorite greens as a salad.

xo, a

baked feta + crispy chickpeas & lemon yogurt

serves: 2 for a main course/4-6 as an appetizer

prep time: 10 minutes

active time: 15 mintues

total time: 25 minutes

ingredients: .5 lb greek feta, sliced into .5 inch thick pieces. 1 medium brown onion, halved and sliced .25 inch thick. 1 bunch rainbow chard, stems & leaves chopped but keep the leaves and stems separate. 6 tbs of coconut oil. 15 oz can of chickpeas (also known as garbanzo beans), rinsed and dried REALLY well. 1 tsp kosher salt. .5 tsp freshly ground pepper. .25 tsp garlic powder. .25 tsp turmeric. .25 tsp paprika. .25 tsp ginger. 3 pinches of cinnamon. 4 garlic cloves, smashed. .5 cup greek yogurt. 1 tbs honey. juice of 1 lemon. large cast iron skillet (or other heavy pan that can go in the oven) and 1 large nonstick pan. lemon slices for garnish. pita, crusty bread or bed of arugula for serving.

start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees f. while the oven is preheating, heat 2 tbs of the coconut oil over medium high heat until nice and hot. add in the onions and a couple pinches of salt. once the onions start to soften, add in the chopped chard stalks. cook for another 1-2 minutes till the stalks start to soften. meanwhile, combine the rest of the salt, pepper, garlic powder, turmeric, paprika, ginger & cinnamon in a small bowl. mix well till combined. add in the greens in two or three batches, waiting till the first batch is wilted before adding more. season the mixture with one third of the spice blend and stir well. place your feta pieces among the onions and greens and place it in the oven. bake for 8-10 minutes, till the cheese is nice and soft. while the feta is baking, heat the remaining oil in a large nonstick skillet. if you only have a smaller skillet, work in batches so you do not over crowed your pan. if you over crowed your pan, your chickpeas will not get crispy. when the oil is really hot, you can test it with one chickpea to see if it sizzles, pour in all your chickpeas. make sure they are in an even layer with a little space in between. add in the garlic and the rest of the spice blend. toss well till the chickpeas are nice and toasted and then spread them out once again in an even layer with space. and then walk away. don’t touch them. let them crispy up. cook for 5 minutes, toss and then let them toast for an additional 5 minutes. when they are done, they look like this. while the chickpeas are crisping, mix together the lemon juice, greek yogurt and honey and set it aside. when your feta is baked, remove it from the oven. top with crispy chickpeas. drizzle some of the lemony greek yogurt on top. finally, top with lemon slices. serve with your choice of bread or over your favorite greens as a salad.

greetings from sao conrado, rio!

there was a ton of hype before we came down about the lack of safety, unfinished venues, and pollution. and while i'm not planning on swimming in the water, so far the dangers and chaos of rio seem to be completely over blown.

the city is stunning, the people are warm and helpful and the olympic venue we are frequenting is pretty stellar. 

even though we are only on our fourth full day here, it feels like we have already done so much. we've had some great meals out, attended our first two olympic games, navigated the hectic food markets, enjoyed the beach kiosks (delicious little beach bars with amazing food) and most notably, hiked up corcovado mountain to christ the reeder. 

thats right, all six of us, including my sixty+ parents hiked 2.5 hours through the jungle, using vines and roots and chain ladders to hoist ourselves to the second largest statue of christ in the world. 

even though it was a cloudy day at the top, the trek was well worth it. so worth it we are planning to go again on a sunny day for the full money shot. 

now, i'm sure you are expecting some amazing new recipe inspired by brasil. but remember, this is only my fourth day. and while we have done a fair job of navigating the markets, the harsh reality that this is not a place where i can get any ingredient i want at any moment has definitely set in. last night's chicken marsala had to be reworked to chicken with sherry and cauliflower (actually worked great as sub and the flavors were pretty spot on). 

but the thing i miss most is not having access to anything and everything. the thing i miss is walking out into my garden and picking stunning produce whose origin and growing process i'm certain of. 

so in honor of my little garden i love so much, here is a simple, quick, delicious vegan dish with a star from my garden. 

marsala mushrooms + swiss chard
serves: 2
prep time: 10 minutes
cook time: 15 minutes
total time: 25 minutes
ingredients: 4 oz baby bella or crimini mushrooms, sliced. 2 cups swiss chard leaves chopped + stems diced. 1 large shallot (or 2 small), sliced. 2 garlic cloves, minced. 1 tbs olive oil. .25 c marsala wine. juice of .5 lemon. .5 tsp salt. .25 tsp pepper. 

in a medium pan, combine mushrooms, chard stems and shallots with the olive oil over medium high heat. season with half the salt and pepper. cook until the mushrooms are softened and the shallots are translucent, about 5-7 minutes.

pour in the marsala and allow it to cook down with the veggies until most of the liquid is gone. about 2-4 minutes. 

add in the chard leaves, garlic and remaining salt and pepper. cook until the chard is wilted and the garlic fragrant. 30 seconds to 1 minute. 

drizzle the lemon juice over the veggies, stir well to combine and serve hot. 

xoxo
a

marsala mushrooms + swiss chard
serves: 2
prep time: 10 minutes
cook time: 15 minutes
total time: 25 minutes
ingredients: 4 oz baby bella or crimini mushrooms, sliced. 2 cups swiss chard leaves chopped + stems diced. 1 large shallot (or 2 small), sliced. 2 garlic cloves, minced. 1 tbs olive oil. .25 c marsala wine. juice of .5 lemon. .5 tsp salt. .25 tsp pepper.
in a medium pan, combine mushrooms, chard stems and shallots with the olive oil over medium high heat. season with half the salt and pepper. cook until the mushrooms are softened and the shallots are translucent, about 5-7 minutes.
pour in the marsala and allow it to cook down with the veggies until most of the liquid is gone. about 2-4 minutes.
add in the chard leaves, garlic and remaining salt and pepper. cook until the chard is wilted and the garlic fragrant. 30 seconds to 1 minute.
drizzle the lemon juice over the veggies, stir well to combine and serve hot.