Starting the New Year Clean and Bright.

Recently I discovered there are various superstitions regarding what you should, or should not, do on New Year’s Day.  I have no idea where I must have been when these superstitions came about, but have not ever heard of them before.

Supposedly you should not shower or bathe, clean anything, or any room of the home, and not do any laundry as it will “wash away” all the good luck of the new year.  I, on the other hand, showered, did two loads of laundry and cleaned the kitchen.  I wanted any residue of lousy 2024 to be washed away, and start off 2025 with a poltergeist moment of, “This house is clean!”.   By the way, did you know that the color of your underwear, on New Year’s Day, brings a desired wish?  The color I was wearing?  Whoa there, TMI.

Depending upon which state you reside in, in the USA, a certain food or grouping of foods, eaten will bring good luck throughout the new year; same for many countries as well.  It was always lasagna when I lived in New York; and pork, sauerkraut and mashed potatoes in Pennsylvania.  For Utah, it is…nothing special; that is correct, there is no traditional food to be eaten for New Year’s Day.  So, each year, Roy and I do our own “tradition” of, “What are you in the mood for?”

2025 called for something easy, pleasing, and full of bright colors to warm every sense.  A stir-fry of shrimp, various vegetables and angel hair pasta; oh, not a traditional Asian stir fry, but one using Mediterranean influences.  Those influences are olive oil, garlic, parsley and Feta cheese; lemon juice does not have to be used for every recipe of this cuisine.  With Feta cheese being used as a topping, using lemon juice would make this dish too tart and tangy, and overwhelm all the other flavors.

Stir-frying is a cooking technique that originated in China about 1500 years ago during the Zhou period (771-256 BCE). Ingredients are fried in a small amount of very hot oil while being stirred or tossed in a wok.  A wok is a deep bowl-shaped pan with sloping sides which traps, and evenly distributes, heat for fast and complete cooking of all ingredients. There are many wok sets available for sale with varying prices dependent on “name brand”, metal used, and accessories that come with the set.  Otherwise, a deep, 12-inch wide, skillet will do the trick just as well, just make sure to keep the ingredients moving so as to not burn, or have semi-cooked items.

For my dish, the protein used was shrimp, but chicken, pork, beef or tofu will work; all depends on what you enjoy.  A mixture of brightly colored vegetables included broccoli, green and red bell peppers, sugar snap peas and carrots.  Do you have to use a protein?  Only if you want to, this dish can become purely vegetarian or vegan.  Instead of ramen or udon noodles, or rice, angel hair pasta was the main carbohydrate. Worried about gluten?  There are many varieties of gluten-free pasta products, and carb consumption, in general, is like anything else, ruled by moderation.

While this could be classified as one-pan cooking, sometimes there are stages when cooking with a wok, or a skillet.  Many ingredients might need to cook at different temperatures, or need a longer or shorter cooking time.  At the end though, after all stages have been completed, the result in the one-pan displays a masterpiece of colors, textures, scents and tastes.

 

Mediterranean Stir-Fry

Ingredients:

2 (12 oz.) bags stir-fry mix (broccoli, carrots, red and green bell peppers, sugar snap peas)

2 lbs. raw large shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 lb. angel hair pasta, cooked and kept warm

¼ cup olive oil

1 Tbsp. minced garlic

1 Tbsp. dried parsley leaves

1 tsp. cracked black pepper

¼ tsp. salt

1 (5 oz.) container crumbled Feta cheese

 

Preparation:

In a wok or large skillet, heat 4 Tbsp. olive oil, medium-high heat.  Add in vegetable mix, garlic, parsley, black pepper and salt; mix thoroughly.  Cook for 3 minutes, stir to keep from sticking or burning as this will keep vegetables crisp and colorful.  Remove to bowl.

 

Increase heat to high, add 4 Tbsp. olive oil; add in shrimp.  Cook for 5 minutes, but keep them moving so they can turn pink, and get a slight sear.  Remove to bowl.

 

Reduce heat to medium-high, mix 4 Tbsp. into pasta and then place into wok or skillet.  Leave pasta alone for one minute; sizzling sound will be heard. 

 

 

Add back vegetables and shrimp, combine well and let cook for 3 minutes, mix together once every minute.  Remove from heat.

 

Place serving into large soup/salad bowl; sprinkle crumbed Feta cheese on top.

Makes 8 servings.

No matter how your new year started, try to make the year bright, colorful, and clean of negativity.

Mary Cokenour

 

 

 

 

Yummy Mediterranean at Yummy Town.

Yummy Town Food Truck

83 S. Main Street

Moab, UT 84532

Phone: (970) 799-3720

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/yummytownfoodtruck/

Website: https://www.yummytownfoodtruck.com/

There’s nothing like a meat/veggie packed pita dripping with tzatziki sauce, but where to purchase one?  Answer is solved, and so is the craving for Mediterranean food at Yummy Town Food Truck.  Primarily located in Moab (parking lot next to Eddie McStiff Plaza), it is the pride and joy of owners Joelle Riddle and Max Schon.  They opened up July 2017, have developed a loyal following, often traveling to events within San Juan County and the entire 4 Corners region as well.

Yummy Town caters to, and yes, they do catering, carnivores as well as vegetarians with recipes spanning Greece to Spain.  The food products used are locally sourced from farms; meats are hormone and antibiotic free.  Joelle and Max love what they do; making fresh foods daily for breakfast and lunch; yes, it’s all homemade! 

Tzatziki sauce and hummus smooth and creamy, full of rich flavor that every drop is licked up.  Pork shoulder is the primary meat used for gyro making; roasted for tender meat and crispy edges.  Falafel are pureed and seasoned garbanzo beans, fried (olive oil only) to crispy perfection and so tantalizingly good dipped in hummus.  Are you drooling yet!?!

Still skeptical that Mediterranean food is to your taste?  Besides being amazingly delicious, it’s healthy and heart friendly.  Don’t just take my word on this, the Mayo Clinic endorses it, “The Mediterranean diet emphasizes: Eating primarily plant-based foods, such as fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes and nuts. Replacing butter with healthy fats such as olive oil and canola oil. Using herbs and spices instead of salt to flavor foods.”  With any food culture/diet, it’s all a matter of balance and moderation for the most part.  Therefore…

Thinking the sweet tooth will get jilted, not so!  Breakfast offers a coffee cake made with Greek yogurt, cardamom spice, walnuts and pistachios; lightly sweet and moist.  Baklava for a lunch time dessert is buttered filo (also spelled phyllo) dough, walnuts, pistachios, orange lavender syrup.

Yummy Town also offers a unique drink called a “Shrub”, and here is the description from their website (https://www.yummytownfoodtruck.com/): “Shrubs are an ancient method of preserving abundant harvests of fruit and vegetables by macerating them with sugar, adding vinegar, and letting the mixture develop with time. Yummy Town uses organic cane sugar, high quality vinegar, and local produce, mixed with carbonated water and lots of ice, to create refreshing combinations like raspberry and golden beet, kumquat and mint, or peach and basil; and our shrubs pair wonderfully with the bold flavors of the Mediterranean.”

We wondered what a fruit drink made with vinegar would be like and were surprised that it was actually quite refreshing.

Whether you’re in, or visiting Moab, make sure to take a Yummy Town food break; look for them around the 4 Corners area and especially at the Founders Day and Fry Bread Festival in Bluff, Utah this April.

Mary Cokenour

How to Prepare Spaghetti Squash.

Spaghetti squash is an oblong shaped (normally yellow in color, sometimes with an orange tint) winter squash which can be easily prepared.  After cutting the squash lengthwise, use a simple spoon to scoop out the seeds; the raw flesh is firm and the surprise comes after cooking.  This type of squash can be baked, boiled, microwaved or steamed; my personal favorite way is baking it in an oven.  I have tried the microwave way, but I believe the baking method gives the squash more flavor, especially if you allow the ends to brown slightly.  The squash in my photo is about seven inches long; what I would consider medium sized and gives up about four cups of cooked flesh.  Oh, when buying a spaghetti squash, be warned that it looks slightly like a honeydew melon, but the melon typically has a greenish tint to it, while the squash won't.


After cleaning the squash, preheat the oven to 375F; line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place the squash cut side down.  Some folks say to rub oil on the rind, but it really doesn't do a thing for the flesh inside and the rind will soften with or without the oil.  Bake the squash for 40 - 50 minutes; the edges will begin to brown and the flesh can easily be removed with a fork.  Clean the squash while it is still hot; hold the rind side with a folded towel and lean the bottom against the edge of your bowl; with a downward scraping motion pull the strands of the flesh into the bowl.  See how it looks like spaghetti, and the texture is almost the same also; the taste however is different, it does taste like a vegetable.  You can easily use the strands in any dish you would use the pasta in; top with your favorite pasta sauce, make a frittata, or go completely vegetarian with your recipe.  Could you add a protein?  Why not!?!  Small meatballs, grilled and sliced sausages, crispy bacon; treat it like a pasta that just happens to have more vitamins and minerals than grains.

Mediterranean Spaghetti Squash

 

 

Ingredients:

 

4 Tbsp olive oil

1 and 1/2 cups sliced mushrooms

1 and 1/2 cups cup sliced zucchini

1 Tbsp minced garlic

1 and 1/2 cups diced tomatoes

3/4 chopped fresh parsley

4 cups cooked spaghetti squash

salt and ground black pepper to taste

Option: grated Parmesan cheese on top

 

 

 

 

Preparation:

 

 

 

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat; saute' the mushrooms, zucchini and garlic together until the mushrooms soften and begin to brown.  Keep stirring to keep the garlic from burning.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Add the tomatoes, mix and let them cook down for about five minutes, so the excess liquid can evaporate.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Add the parsley, but only cook for one minute to allow it to wilt a little.  If you want it to look more dramatic though, instead of chopping the parsley leaves; leave them whole.  Add the spaghetti squash and toss well to make sure it gets a good coating of the vegetables and parsley.  Add salt and pepper to taste; depending on how vegetarian you want this dish, you might want to sprinkle a little grated Parmesan cheese over the top of each serving.

 

 Makes 4 servings.

 

I served this to both my husband and his mother; neither had ever had spaghetti squash before, nor knew what it was.  They ended up splitting the four servings up between them.  Good thing I keep a jar of peanut butter in the house; made myself a sandwich for lunch while they chowed down on the squash.  Oh well, at least I know they enjoyed it...a lot!

 

Mary Cokenour

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Meat and Potatoes - Greek Style

So there I was one day, staring at a London Broil and bag of potatoes, "Ho Hum" I thought, "I don't want to do this the same way again".  I went on Facebook to waste some time when I saw a notification from My Big Fat Greek Restaurant, and I remembered their most delicious Gyros and Lemon Potatoes. Being about 2 and 1/2 hours away from home though, as much as I wanted a repeat of that meal, I didn't want to drive all that way and then back. Oh, but then the inspiration hit me; I might not be able to make Gyro meat, but I can make those potatoes! I opened up my Mediterranean cookbooks, and looked online, for any Greek inspired meat recipes. 

Essentially I came up with a roasted London Broil to die for, a Greek style "salsa" as a side dish for the meat, and the lemon-parsley potatoes with a Parmesan cheese crust...yeah, it was all so good.

 

 Greek Inspired London Broil

 

Ingredients:

1 tsp crushed dried basil, divided in half

1 tsp crushed dried oregano, divided in half

1 Tbsp minced garlic

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

2 lb London broil, trimmed of fat

1 cup diced Roma tomatoes

1 large shallot, diced

1/2 cup sliced Kalamata olives

1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

 

Preparation:

 

In a small bowl, whisk together half each of basil and oregano; the garlic, olive oil, vinegar and lemon juice.  Before placing the meat inside a resealable plastic bag, lightly score both sides with a sharp knife diagonally against the grain.  This will allow the marinade to seep more easily into the meat, and can be used as a guide for slicing later on.  Pour the marinade over the meat, massage it onto the meat, seal the bag and refrigerate for two hours; after one hour, turn bag over.



                                                                                                                  Also after one hour, prepare the "salsa" by lightly combining the tomatoes, shallot, olives and remaining half teaspoon of the basil and oregano; cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.   Add the feta cheese to the mixture just before serving with the meat and potatoes. 

 

The London Broil can be made three ways: under the broiler, in a roasting pan, or on the grill; the temperature should be 350F to 400F for the pan or grill methods; the broiler should be on high.  While the broiler and grill will take 7 to 10 minutes on each side; the roasting pan will require 15 to 20 minutes per side.  I chose the roasting pan method, and set my oven temperature at 375F, since the potatoes would be roasting along with the meat.

Line a roasting pan with aluminum foil, spray the rack with nonstick spray and insert into the pan.  Take the meat out of the bag (discard the bag and excess marinade), place on the rack and place the pan on the center rack inside the oven.  After 20 minutes, turn the roast over; after 15 minutes the meat will be rare, 20 minutes for medium-rare.  Remove to a cutting board and let it rest for 5-7 minutes to allow its juices to settle within itself before slicing;  slice against the grain and thinly.  Serve with the Greek "salsa".

Makes 8 servings; or 6 generous servings.

Lemon-Parsley Potatoes with Parmesan Crust

Ingredients:

3 lbs russet potatoes
1/4  cup plus 1 Tbsp melted butter
1/4 cup olive oil
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp minced garlic
4 Tbsp fresh chopped parsley
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 cup vegetable broth
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation:

Peel the potatoes, cut into 2 inch chunks and soak in cold water for 15 minutes; this will help remove excess starch and allow the potatoes to better absorb the cooking liquid.

                                                                                                            Preheat oven to 375F; brush the inside of a 2 quart baking dish with one tablespoon of melted butter.  Drain the potatoes and place inside the baking dish.  In a small bowl, combine all the remaining ingredients except the Parmesan cheese.  Pour over the potatoes, making sure to work the liquid between all the chunks.   Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 40 minutes.


Remove the foil; mix the potatoes around and spread the Parmesan cheese evenly over them.  Return the dish to the oven and bake for 20-30 minutes; until the potatoes are fork tender.  Allow the potatoes to rest inside the baking dish for 10 minutes to let them absorb any remaining liquid.


Makes 6 servings.

There you have it, my Greek Inspired London Broil and Lemon-Parsley Potatoes with a Parmesan Cheese Crust.  Believe me, the leftovers did not last very long.  Enjoy!

Mary Cokenour

Still Getting My Greek On.

While I still have not committed to going on a totally Mediterranean diet, I still make recipes with a Grecian accent. Participating in the Bountiful Baskets program sometimes give me the incentive to experiment. There are times I receive items in my basket and say to myself, "Now what in the heck am I going to do with this?"

Well here's the answer; not only is it quick and easy, but light and delicious.

 

Mediterranean Pasta

Ingredients:

8 oz tubular pasta (ziti or penne)
8 spears baby asparagus, cut into 1" pieces
1/2 cup olive oil
12 cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1 Tbsp freshly chopped parsley
1/2 tsp crushed dried oregano
2 Tbsp crumbled Feta cheese

*Optional: 1/2 cup grilled chicken or shrimp

Preparation:

Cook pasta until al dente'.  To save time and water; place the asparagus pieces in a colander; put on top of pasta pot of boiling water and steam asparagus until they turn a bright green.  Immerse asparagus into cold water to stop the cooking process.

In a large skillet, medium-low heat, warm up olive oil; add in pasta and asparagus; toss to coat and let cook 2 minutes.  Mix in tomatoes, parsley and oregano (also optional chicken or shrimp) and let cook another 3 minutes.

Divide between 2 plates and sprinkle tablespoon of cheese over each.

Makes 2 servings.

Mary Cokenour

Getting to the Greek.

While browsing at Amazon.com, I found that they were having a clearance sale on many cookbooks.   I had already decided that I needed to expand my knowledge base on certain cuisines, namely Thai, Indian and Mediterranean, so this was perfect.  I read reviews on many books and finally chose three which arrived on Wednesday of this week.

My first attempt is a dish I have renamed "Greek Chicken" or more commonly known as Lemon Garlic Chicken.  Why the name change?  Basically I changed a few aspects of the recipe, making it my own of course, and the name seemed to fit the concept better.  In the book, a Greek salad was used as a side course; I took out the lettuce component and ...well you see.

In case you don't know what it means to "butterfly", after cutting the chicken into two sections, turn each piece "skin side" down. Lightly run a sharp knife through the thickest part, but be careful not to cut all the way through. Carefully open it up, so it becomes thinner, larger piece of chicken.

For the tomatoes, make sure they are firm and meaty; a tomato with a lot of pulp just won't go very well with the dish.

Greek Chicken

Ingredients:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
3/4 cup olive oil
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp each crushed dried oregano, rosemary, basil, thyme and marjoram
3 Tbsp lemon juice

Garnishes:

2 firm, large sized tomatoes, cut each into 10 wedges
4 Tbsp sliced black olives
4 Tbsp crumbled feta cheese

Preparation:

Trim fat off chicken, cut each piece in half (shortways) and butterfly open. Place in plastic resealable bag, add olive oil, herbs and lemon juice; move chicken around to thoroughly coat. Place bag in refrigerator for 8 hours.

When ready to cook, heat a large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat; place chicken in skillet and cook each side for 7-9 minutes. Chicken will caramelize and juices will run clear.

Plate two pieces of chicken; place four wedges of tomato around chicken and one in center, scatter one tablespoon each of olives and cheese over chicken and tomatoes.

Makes 4 servings.

Mary Cokenour