friends are friends forever

i love getting to spend time with my bestie. especially if good food is going to be involved. below is a picture of my lil man, and if you look in the corner you can catch a sneak peek of my bestie and her adorable girls. i got to hang this afternoon with her and we decided to share dinner with her and her family. on the menu tonight was souvlakia and tzatziki.

i just realized the picture doesn't look very appetizing, but looks can be deceiving. this dip was delicious and the hubby and i were discussing all kinds of uses for it in the future.

TZATZIKI

preparation time: 15 minutes + 2 hours refrigeration time

total cooking time: 20 minutes

serves 6

3 small cucumbers coarsely grated

16 oz thick natural yogurt

3 cloves garlic, crushed

1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh dill

1 Tablespoon olive oil

salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

1. line a fine strainer with cheesecloth. spoon cucumber into strainer, cover with cloth to enclose. press and squeeze firmly to remove the moisture from the cucumber. place cucumber in mixing bowl.

2. add yogurt, garlic, dill and oil; mic well to combine season to taste. cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.

the next part of dinner was souvlakia.

SOUVLAKIA

preparation time: 20 minutes + overnight refrigeration

total cooking time: 10 minutes

serves 4

2 pound leg of lamb, boned

1 green pepper cut into 3/4 inch squares

1 red pepper, cut into 3/4 inch squares

1/3 cup lemon juice

2/3 cup olive oil

1 Tablespoon white wine vinegar

2 cloves garlic, crushed

3 teaspoons dried oregano leaves

2 bay leaves, crumbled

salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

1. trim the lamb of excess fat and tendons. cut lamb evenly into 1 1/4 inch cubes.

2. thread the meat and the peppers alternately onto oiled skewers; place in a shallow non-metal dish

3. combine the lemon juice, olive oil, white wine vinegar, garlic, oregano, bay leaves, salt and pepper. pour the marinade over the meat on skewers. cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight, turning occasionally. drain skewers and reserve the marinade.

4. place the skewers on a lightly greased grill. cook over medium heat for 10 minutes or until the lamb is tender, brushing with reserved marinade several times during cooking. serve with warm pita bread and Greek salad or tzatziki.

i will admit to cheating. lamb is expensive so we used our angel food steaks in place of the lamb. we also broiled ours in pans in the oven. they turned out fantastic. we all thoroughly enjoyed the dinner.

check back here tomorrow for another yummy recipe.