slow cooker greek lamb tacos

Oh, Texas. I was so optimistic in my last post about spring weather, and you had me going for a bit there. Saturday, 75 and sunny. Sunday, ice storm. WHAT.

A surprise ice day calls for a warm, hearty meal like this. The slow cooker does all the work here, and gives you the most tender, tasty lamb ever. Pile some warm tortillas with the shredded meat and some bright Greek flavors, and you have heaven in taco form. It's a thing.

Slow Cooker Greek Lamb Tacos (adapted from Foodie with Family)
serves 6

for the lamb, you'll need:
4 lb. boneless leg of lamb
zest and juice of 1 lemon
8 garlic cloves, peeled
olive oil
3 tablespoons dried oregano
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

for the tacos, you'll need:
flour tortillas
baby spinach
sundried tomatoes, chopped and excess oil blotted
kalamata olives, pitted and halved
tzatziki
crumbled feta

Rub the lamb with olive oil, then sprinkle with oregano, salt, and pepper. Place it in your slow cooker. Add the lemon juice and zest and scatter the garlic cloves over the lamb. Cover and cook on high for 4-5 hours. When lamb is done, use two forks to shred the meat.

To assemble tacos, pile warm flour tortillas with baby spinach, lamb, olives, sundried tomatoes, and feta. Top with a dollop of tzatziki and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. YUM YUM.

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greek lamb naan pizzas

Happy Monday, friends! How was your weekend? I'm heading back to school today after a glorious Christmas break. While I'm not relishing waking up early again, I am always glad to settle back into more of a routine. And since one of my intentions for 2014 is to become more organized, I kinda need to be busier to put myself to the test. :)

Another goal I have for this year is to try to plan our meals for the week. Do you do this? I never have, but rumor has it that it saves time and money, so I thought I'd give it a go. If you're a meal planner, I'd love to hear any tips or tricks you have!!

One of my go-to meals that will definitely show up in our planning is naan pizzas! I love them because they take no time at all to make (it's really more assembling than cooking!), you can top them with whatever you want, and most of all because they're super yummy.

Since Miles and I are crazy about Greek flavors, we absolutely loved these! They were fast, fresh, and flavorful... perfect for a weeknight dinner!

Greek Lamb Naan Pizzas
makes 4 pizzas

you'll need:
4 naan breads
olive oil
1/2 cups tomato puree (like Pomi)
1/2 lb. ground lamb
1 cup shredded mozzarella
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup Kalamata olives, halved
1/2 cup sundried tomatoes, chopped
1 English cucumber, seeded and sliced
1/2 cup crumbled feta

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. If using a pizza stone, place it inside the oven to preheat.

While the oven is preheating, heat a bit of olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook lamb until completely done, breaking up the meat as it cooks. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside.

Lightly brush naan with olive oil. Once the oven is preheated, place the breads on the pizza stone or baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven. Spread about 2 tablespoons tomato puree over each pizza. Divide the lamb, mozzarella, onion, olives, and sundried tomatoes evenly over each pizza. Return to the oven and bake for 10 more minutes, until cheese is bubbly.

Remove pizzas from the oven and top with cucumbers and feta. Enjoy!

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braised greek pot roast linguine

Oh, y'all. This meal. It's my favorite thing to come out of this kitchen in I don't know how long. I know I go on and on all the time on here about food, but every now and then there's a meal that extra special and deserves a serious spotlight... and this is one of them. It's decadent and out-of-this-world delicious. It's special occasion-worthy, but still comforting as can be.

One of the best things about this meal is the hours it just simmers away on your stove... your house will smell INSANE. So, so good. This is the kind of meal that's just meant to be shared with the people you love... and when they taste this, oh how they will love you back.

Braised Greek Pot Roast Linguine (adapted from Heather Christo)
serves 4-6

you'll need:
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 1/2 lbs. beef loin tri tip, cut into 4 pieces
salt and pepper
all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 (14 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup red wine
3 tablespoons minced Italian parsley, plus more for serving
1/2 lb. linguine
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
shredded Parmesan, for serving

Melt the butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Rub the meat with salt and pepper generously. Coat lightly with flour and shake off the excess.

Sear the meat on all sides until golden brown (3-4 minutes per side). Once browned, remove from the pot and set aside.

Add 4 tablespoons olive oil and the onions to the pot and cook 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and saute 1 more minute.

Transfer the meat back to the pot and add tomatoes, red wine, and parsley. Cover and simmer on lowest heat for 4 hours, or until the meat is falling apart. Remove from the heat and let sit for 10-15 minutes uncovered. (The fat will come to the surface while the meat is resting; skim and discard.)

While the meat is resting, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, add a generous amount of salt and pasta to the water. Cook to al dente according to package directions. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water before you drain. Add pasta back into the pot you cooked it in, then add 1 1/2 tablespoons butter and salt and pepper as necessary. Stir to coat.

Serve the braised pot roast and sauce over linguine. Garnish with Parmesan and parsley. Grab a fork and prepare to fall in love!

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greek chicken salad sandwiches

Happy Monday, y'all!

Most of you know that I teach fifth grade. As a teacher, I have to pack my lunch every day so that I can eat with my kiddos during our lunch hour (which is really only like 20 minutes). And lunches can get a little boring. So it's super important for me to have a bunch of delicious lunch recipes that not only break up the monotony, but that I can actually look forward to eating!

This Greek chicken salad is a fantastic twist on a lunch staple. The kalamata olives and sundried tomatoes give it an amazing flavor, and the little bit of feta is just perfect. Prep this at the beginning of the week and have delicious lunches all week long!

Greek Chicken Salad Sandwiches (adapted from Cooking Classy)
yields 6 sandwiches

you'll need:
1 lb. chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
1 cup seeded and diced English cucumbers
10 sundried tomatoes packed in oil, drained and thinly sliced
1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled
1/3 cup chopped red onion
1/4 cup diced Kalamata olives
1 cup tzatziki (store-bought or homemade)
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
12 slices bread (I like a hearty, grainy bread for chicken salad)

In a large bowl, stir all ingredients (except bread) together until tzatziki is evenly distributed and everything is well-mixed. Taste and add salt and pepper as desired. Refrigerate for at least an hour to allow to flavors to develop. Serve between slices of bread (I like to toast mine!). Enjoy!

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