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.

no way around it. today, and every september eleventh for the rest of my life, will have a somber tone. seventeen years ago, i woke to my radio (back before we woke up to cell phones) and news of the first plane hitting the tower. i spent the morning with my parents watching the second plane hit, and both towers fall. i was a a sophomore in high school and it was the first time in my life i remember experiencing a national tragedy.

lucky for me, none of my nyc family was harmed, but our next door neighbors brother died in one of the towers. even on the other side of the country, it all felt VERY close to home. and every year when they play the coverage i feel that same burning in my chest as i well with tears.

but the older i get, the more i realize that the best way to honor the dead is to LIVE. and one of mine and wes’s BEST friends has a birthday today. i took a moment of silence today with my yoga students, but for the rest of the day i’m celebrating those i love with steak and cake. i encourage you to do the same!

steak & stone fruit salad

prep time: 10 minutes

active time: 15 minutes

total time: 25 minutes

ingredients: 8 oz flank or flap meat steak (note that flap meat will be a bit thinner than flank and will take less time to cook). 6 cups arugula. 3 small or 2 medium plums, sliced into wedges. 1 medium yellow onion, halved and sliced into .5 inch thick slices. 3 tbs olive oil. 1 tbs kosher salt. 1 tsp freshly ground pepper. 1 tsp cumin. .25 cup mayonnaise. 2 tbs greek yogurt. 2 tbs lemon juice. 2 tbs orange juice. 2 garlic cloves, minced. 1 tbs finely chopped italian parsley. grill pan or large heavy pan. aluminum foil.

start by preheating your grill pan or pan to a medium high heat. combine the olive oil, salt, pepper and cumin in a small bowl and whisk together till combined.

drizzle two-thirds of the oil over the meat and brush the meat till it is evenly coated with oil and seasoning.

while your grill pan is getting nice and hot, combine the rest of of the oil & seasonings with the mayo, greek yogurt, both citrus juices, the garlic and parsley.

whisk it together till well combined and set aside.

when your pan is nice and hot, add the meat to the pan. flank and flap meat are both very thin, so you are just looking to get a really good brown on both sides and your meat will be pretty much done. about 4-5 minutes a side. if you prefer a more well done cut, you will want to give your meat an extra minute or two each side. while your meat is cooking, add your onions to the pan and start to let them brown.

while your meat is cooking, toss your plums in with your arugula till they are well combined. when your meat is done, remove it to a clean platter or plate and cover with aluminum foil to rest. allow the meat to rest for 5 minutes before slicing the meat against the grain into .5 inch strips.

when the meat has come off the grill, spread your onions out and allow them to soak up any bits of meat from the pan. cook the onions till they are soft and browned. when the onions are done, place them right onto your arugula. add your sliced steak to the salad.

lightly dress the salad.

toss and serve.

xo, a

steak & stone fruit salad

prep time: 10 minutes

active time: 15 minutes

total time: 25 minutes

ingredients: 8 oz flank or flap meat steak (note that flap meat will be a bit thinner than flank and will take less time to cook). 6 cups arugula. 3 small or 2 medium plums, sliced into wedges. 1 medium yellow onion, halved and sliced into .5 inch thick slices. 3 tbs olive oil. 1 tbs kosher salt. 1 tsp freshly ground pepper. 1 tsp cumin. .25 cup mayonnaise. 2 tbs greek yogurt. 2 tbs lemon juice. 2 tbs orange juice. 2 garlic cloves, minced. 1 tbs finely chopped italian parsley. grill pan or large heavy pan. aluminum foil.

start by preheating your grill pan or pan to a medium high heat. combine the olive oil, salt, pepper and cumin in a small bowl and whisk together till combined. drizzle two-thirds of the oil over the meat and brush the meat till it is evenly coated with oil and seasoning. while your grill pan is getting nice and hot, combine the rest of of the oil & seasonings with the mayo, greek yogurt, both citrus juices, the garlic and parsley. whisk it together till well combined and set aside. when your pan is nice and hot, add the meat to the pan. flank and flap meat are both very thin, so you are just looking to get a really good brown on both sides and your meat will be pretty much done. about 4-5 minutes a side. if you prefer a more well done cut, you will want to give your meat an extra minute or two each side. while your meat is cooking, add your onions to the pan and start to let them brown. while your meat is cooking, toss your plums in with your arugula till they are well combined. when your meat is done, remove it to a clean platter or plate and cover with aluminum foil to rest. allow the meat to rest for 5 minutes before slicing the meat against the grain into .5 inch strips. when the meat has come off the grill, spread your onions out and allow them to soak up any bits of meat from the pan. cook the onions till they are soft and browned. when the onions are done, place them right onto your arugula. add your sliced steak to the salad. lightly dress the salad. toss and serve.