Feta Cheese and Fresh Tomato Salad

Once again this recipe is a basic concept - it is quick and easy to prepare. You can vary the amounts of the ingredients to your liking. The ingredients are for 2 generous servings - this recipe doubles and triples nicely.
[Rating – easy]

[Preparation time: 10 minutes to cut up ingredients + 10-20 minutes toasting pita in oven or toaster oven + 5 minutes to combine ingredients and serve]

top: Cubed red onion & cubed tomatoes
bottom: mashed feta cheese & garlic

Ingredients:

For the Pita:

1 pita – cut in cubes then separate each piece into two (see picture)

1 tablespoon chopped garlic (or more or less if you like)

Olive oil (2 tablespoons)

           *   *   *

For the Salad:

150 grams Feta cheese mashed

1 medium size onion cut into small cubes

2 medium size tomatoes cubed (with the juices)

4 tbls lemon juice

Olive oil (2 tablespoons)

Black pepper to taste

The red onion actually gives the dish a bit of a sweet flavor, but if you don’t like the taste of onion, you can leave it out. There are many ways you can “bump it up” - add sliced olives, little cubes of pickled peppers, fresh basil or slices of sun-dried tomato for example.

Preparation:

Pita croutons [while this is browning prepare the salad ingredients]

• Place cubed pita in a hot oven for about 10 minutes.
• When the pita starts to brown sprinkle with olive oil and add the garlic, STIR. 
• Continue baking until pita looks toasty and a bit crunchy, STIR every so often. 
• Remove from the oven. 

Pita cut in cubes with the layers separated

Pita after browning (with olive oil & garlic)

Salad Mix 

• In a large bowl mix the cubed onion with the mashed feta cheese.
• Add lemon juice, olive oil, pepper  - mix.
• Pour the baked pita pieces into the bowl - mix.

 Mashed feta cheese with red onions,
 olive oil and black pepper before mixing

With oven roasted pita before mixing

• Add the cubed tomatoes - mix [don't forget to add the juice from the tomatoes]
• Serving suggestions follow.

Salad in a bowl

On lettuce 

Same salad bumped up

Looking forward to your suggestions and questions.

Cinnammon Carrot Cake



This carrot cake is a major favorite with my family and friends. I actually MIX the ingredients together by hand using a large spoon in a large bowl, so you don't need to get your mixer out and clean up is easy. This is important to me because I seem to be making this cake at least once a month to take to friends or for my brother-in-law when he visits.

Important: don't be tempted to add walnuts, raisins, pecans or even frosting on top to bump things up - honestly this recipe stands on its own; try it this way first.

Top left: sugar & oil
Top right: Flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt
& 6 tablespoons of cinnamon
Center: grated carrots
Bottom left: pineapple chuncks
Bottom right: eggs

Ingredients:

2 cups flour

3 tsp baking powder

1 ½ tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

2-6 tbls ground cinnamon

2 cups sugar

1 ¼ cup canola oil (1 cup is enough) 

4 eggs

1 large can of pineapple pieces - drained

2 cups grated carrots (use a food processor small sized grater blade or grate by hand)

Preparation:

• In a large bowl add the sugar and the oil and mix until sugar almost dissolves.
• In a separate bowl MIX the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon (the original recipe called for 2 tbls of cinnamon – I use about 6 tbls of cinnamon, sometimes more) until well blended.
• Add the dry mixture to the sugar and oil mixture and MIX.
• Add the eggs and MIX together.
• Finally add the grated carrots and drained pineapple pieces and MIX.
• Pour into prepared pans (I use silicon molds and lightly spray them with canola oil).

 

Bake at 350F/180 C - approximately 40 minutes if you are making one large cake or approximately 30 minutes for these little ones. If the toothpick comes out dry they are ready.

  

Suggestions and Options"
The cake does puff up a bit on top, so don't overfill your pans. The first time you make the cake check if after about 20 minutes - baking time depends on your individual oven and you don't want to under or over bak the cake. I sometimes tap the top of my cakes instead of using a toothpick, if they sound hollow and/or bounce back I know they are ready.

This cake freezes well - defrost 30-40 seconds in the microwave.

Looking forward to hearing your comments, suggestions or answering your questions.