May 18, 2025

I hosted and had a Mediterranean theme.  This is my favorite cuisine as of late. Michelle joined us and it was a wonderful treat.

We started off with a very, very, very strong cocktail.  Ooops.  This Mediterranean Mule has limoncello, vodka and gin.  Ooops. You can cut the alcohol with the ginger beer. Bubbly and refreshing!

Angelica changed up this recipe to be a layered dip and served with pita chips.  It had a great flavor and creamy texture with the hummus and tzatziki. Mix all ingredients together and serve.

For the main dish we baked Greek chicken tenders. The secret is the marinade and instead of grilling we baked and they came out moist and perfect.

The side was saffron rice. The bright red strands of saffron give the color and mild flavor.  There is alot of onion in the rice too!

The salad was a beautiful couscous by Mary. 

Couscous Salad

Ingredients: 

1 box of couscous

Orange bell pepper, diced small

1/2 red bell pepper, diced small

1/2 yellow bell pepper, diced small

1 small/medium red onion, diced small

I large can black olives, chopped

6 oz feta cheese crumbles 

½ container of grape or similar style small tomatoes, cut in half.

Flat leaf parsley

1 seedless cucumber, chopped small

Salt and pepper to taste

Prepare couscous according to box instructions and let cool completely.  For added flavor, I substitute chicken broth for the water.

Once couscous is cooled, mix in as little or as much of the chopped vegetables as you like.

*Adding chopped boiled eggs, grilled chicken or other protein turns the salad into a one dish meal. Great option for a light meal during the summertime heat!

Dressing:

1 minced garlic 

juice from 1/2 lemon

1/2 tsp dried oregeno

2 tsp dijon mustard

salt, pepper

1/4 cup olive oill

2 tbs red wine vinegar

Mix all ingredients and add to salad.

Our side of roasted vegetables by Tonya also had a tahini sauce.  Look how colorful these vegetables are as they cook! The onions caramelize and sweeten, the tomatoes plump and pop and the zucchini has a nice crunch.

To finish our meal, Carol had the dessert course and made a delicious blueberry galette.  It was heavenly. The sweetness was the right amount and the homemade crust was rustic and tasty.