Potato Leek soup

It's a snowy icy day and this was the perfect thing to make for lunch!

Potato leek soup

This is my mommas recipe and my first time to make it. It was insanely easy to make and so yummy and filling !

Start off by sautéing onion, you cleaned chopped leeks, carrots and I added 4 cloves of chopped garlic.  Season with salt, red pepper, lemon pepper, garlic powder, a little cinnamon. I also added a lil butter when they were sautéing.

Then I added chopped golden potatoes.

Covered and let cook down until all the veggies were soft (other than the potatoes) 

I added 4 cups of chicken broth 

Brought up to a boil and just let simmer for a good 2 hrs

Then everything is nice and soft

I took my hand held mixer and puréed it a bit

That's it!

I have to say some recipes will call for heavy cream but I don't think it needs it!

But- I would top it with creame fresh if I would have had it! That would have perfected it!

Greek Pitas

Here's a super easy yummy recipe.

Greek yogurt marinated chicken-

Put 4 chicken breasts in ziploc 

Cover in Greek yogurt

Season with lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic, basil, salt, red pepper, lemon pepper. Let marinate for at least 2 hrs.

Grill until cooked

To go with we grilled pitas

And I made tzatziki sauce

This is my version

Greek yogurt

Lemon zest

Lemon juice

Sweet onion

Raw garlic

Fresh mint and basil

Tony chacheres

Mix it all up

The more garlic, the spicer it will be.

Greek pitas

Or lettuce wrap style 

Yum!!!

Cabbage Rolls

Do y'all do the traditional eat your cabbage and black eyed peas supper for New Years??? We do! 

This recipe is a traditional Lebanese dish we make year round but one we always have on New Years for good luck!

My family's recipe for cabbage rolls-

Start by blanching your cabbage to tenderize the cabbage leaves

Put your whole head of cabbage in boiling water, as the leaves tendorize, pull each leaf off

Set them aside and let cool

This is my platter after I finished my whole head of cabbage 

Couple of tips- use tongs to pull the leaf away from the head and then use knife to cut the leaf off at the core. You might need to cut the core out during the process to make it easier

Then while you let your leaves cool, prepare the mixture you are going to stuff them with.

I used 1.5 lbs of ground sirloin to 1 cup rice. Season with salt, garlic powder, lemon pepper, red pepper, and cinnamon. Mix well adding cold water while mixing it together to make it moist. 

Here is my stuffing.

Then prepare your cabbage leaves by cutting the hard white stem out of the leaves 

Cut out that middle hard part

And the big leaves you can cut in half

Then once you have all your leaves and mixture ready, prepare you pot you are going to cook them in. 

Line the pot with the big dark green outer cabbage leaves. 

*many traditional Lebanese recipes line their pots with lamb bones but I do not*

Mostly bc I cook them/ like them how my mom makes them and she doesn't!

So then you roll your cabbage leaves!

Lay a leaf out, line it with a decent amount of stuffing

Fold outside edges in and roll

*there is no right/perfect way to roll, you learn how to do it your way just by doing it and seeing what works best for you!

Then just place cabbage rolls in pot stacking them close together and place garlic cloves around the pot (I did 4)

Cover in chicken stock and add water if you need, you want liquid about an inch over the rolls 

Then I place a plate over all of it to hold them all down while it cooks

Bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer and let cook for a good 1 1/2 hrs, most if the liquid will cook out. Remove plate and squeeze fresh lemon and let cook another 15 mins or so.

Then empty into a dish and enjoy!

***many times I have extra stuffing, cook down in a lil chicken stock and water and it's a good snack for the kids***