Fried Fish with Blistered Broccoli and Yogurt Sauce | You've Got Meal!

This post is supposed to be about a simple healthy recipe. Actually, when I think about a whole healthy dish the first option is some fish (simply cooked), broccoli (I love it in any way) and a cold yogurt sauce (no cooking required).

So, "surprise, surprise" last week we did just that because I wanted something really light.

For the fish:

• You will need fillets, so if you have a whole one, you need to try to fillet it.
• We used zander fish, you can also use perch or other fish of your choice.
• You will need to season the fish, just salt and pepper on both sides will be fine, we also added some chili flakes.
• Pour 1 tbs oil in a pan and fry the fillets on both sides, until golden/ golden-brown 

As a side:

• We have used broccoli like this in this dish.
• Cut the broccoli into florets, keeping a long enough stalk for each floret.
• Cut each one in half so you have a flat surface to place them in a skillet. 
• Heat up some olive oil on high heat, put the veggie with the flat side down in there and cook until you get a brown color. 
• Turn the broccoli on the other side and pop the pan in the oven for 10 minutes. 
• When plating the broccoli, add a splash of lemon juice, some chili slices or flakes and garlic slices.

The sauce is super simple, one you can use every time you have no idea what sauce to cook, if you run out of time or you you just need some freshness to your dish.

• Mix in some yogurt with lemon juice.
• To spice things up, add one crushed garlic clove, some paprika, pepper and dried oregano.
• Being so light, this works best with fish and salads.

Enjoy,

Fig and Honey Yogurt- Easy Dessert Recipe | You've Got Meal!

 This post is more about an idea than an actual recipe.

Mixing honey with yogurt is not a real brainstorm here, but you can use that base to build your own version of super easy, healthy and delicious dessert. Why bother to buy some artificial flavored yogurt or other type of sweets when you can make your own? For the version that we made for this post we decided to make the fig the star of the dish. Also, to bring a bit more crunch to the dessert we added some roughly chopped almonds. And to bring a little more zing to the whole dish , we sprinkled some pomegranate seeds on top.

 So, creamy yogurt, honey (use a flavorsome kind- acacia, orange blossom, pine tree, etc.), figs , almonds and pomegranate. Dead easy and incredibly savory. I’m sure you can think of many other combinations that can level this yogurt up, for example you can add a little touch of freshly grated ginger to spice things up or use some chopped fresh coconut as crunch. Go nuts, both literally and figuratively.   

Enjoy,

Thassos, Greece- Day 6

After the faboulous storm from the evening before, we did not expect the beautiful weather wainting for us in the morning.

After some well-deserved sun-bathing, some tennis playing  and some goofing around in the water, we talked to each other about how this lunch should be all about fish and sea food. We remember a nice place at the limits of Skala Potamia, that we saw and that our guide talked about in our first day.

It is called Captain, it is a fish tavern and it is worth the walk. From Golden Beach you can walk on the beach until you see the restaurant. The walk was really pleasant, it was really sunny, the sea was calm. Basically, you walk from Golden Beach to Golden Beach Camp (the beach for the camping area) and then to Skala Potamia.

Captain is the 2nd or 3rd restaurant in Skala Potamia, right on the beach, so it is really easy to spot if you walk on the beach. 

The food was no dissapointment: we had some fresh tuna souvlaki, which was so good and filling. and the best grilled octopus ever.

The octopus was cooked to perfection and eating it on the beach is definetely the best way to do it.

Honestly, just take a look, this was our view while enjoying the lunch. Not to shabby! Oh, memories! 

Walking with your feet in the sand, you can also spot the differences in the resorts. While Golden Beach is best known for the fine, golden sand and wide beach, as you come close to Skala Potamia, the beach is very rocky.

In that way, the water is perfect for snorkeling, but beware of sea urchins. It is best that you buy those special shoes  before going in.

We got back to our room for a quick shower, then back to our sunbeds. At sunset, we decided to go to a little bay area we could see from the beach.

We met some adorable cats on our way and  took some more pictures.

The place was filled with fishing boats and large blocks of marble. Again, the view was amazing and I saw some mansions that made me really jealous. :)

The water was beautiful and turquoise and you could easily spot the sea urchins here.  I was actually quite curious to see one up close, without getting hurt, so, if you are as curious, here you go.

Fascinating creatures, aren't they?

After our sea urchin hunt, we got back to the room and got ready for dinner. On our way to the taverns we stopped at some really old olive tree garden for some pictures.

Of course, petting a cat is not optional on this island. Oh, and in our last days of vacation I realised I fancy taking pictures of me walking. :)

We chose a light dinner, with some vine leaves rolls, some tzatziki and an arabian salad.

The salad was amazing and huge. It had rucola, tomatoes, salad leaves, bacon, fried haloumi and pita.
It was really tasty and flavorful.

For dessert, we finally went for Greek yogurt with honey and nuts and raisins. How can something so simple be so delicious and satisfying?

They also served us some mixed pudding on the house, so ordering dessert was not such a good idea.
We are definetely getting fat on this holiday.

The beach was really stunning that evening, it was like it was compesating for the previous night.                                          

Thank you for reading,

Beef Strips with Worchester Sauce Coating and Oven Baked Vegetables

Talk about a long title. Nonetheless, it was the only (reasonable) title that I could think of without sounding silly (not that is a genuine concern of mine). Again, this dish is one that represents one of my core beliefs about cooking: versatility. This meat you can cook and use for salads, serving as steaks, sandwiches or wraps and it’s super easy to make (you can also cook it in advance and store it for a day or two), and the vegetables make it justice with a simple saffron yogurt dressing (oh, yeah, the title could have been longer).

So, the meat, use a 3-4 cm thick piece of beef, that would be nice to be flat and even. Season your meat with some pepper, toss it in your dried herbs of choice (you can use rosemary, thyme, parsley, coriander, tarragon) and pop it in a preheated pan with 2 tbs of olive oil. The reason for using a less thick piece of meat is because we are gonna turn it once every minute or so for about 5 minutes, so we kinda make sure that the heat stays in all the time and it doesn’t dissipate through the meat. 

So, on high heat, meat in, turn it every minute for 5-6 minutes, depending on your desired taste and meat size and then add a generous amount of Worchester sauce (4-5 tbs). The thing is the sauce will caramelize very fast, and you need to make sure you coat the meat with it on both sides. After that, take the meat out and let it rest. 

For the veggies, it’s a matter of choice, I went with carrots, courgette (both diced), onion (sliced in rings), and I also used 3 garlic heads (I used a sort of baby garlic, not that it was small in size, but it was very young, without all of layers formed, it has a much sweeter taste with a bit of a green, grassy take). Mix everything (except the garlic) with some olive oil, salt and pepper and put them (including the garlic) in an oven, on high heat, for 20-25 minutes, after which you just have to put the veggies on a plate and sprinkle some chopped parsley on top. 

For the sauce, heat a up a tiny amount of water (couple of tbs), put in a pinch of saffron and let it infuse for 3-4 minutes. Then, in a pestle squish and bash with a mortar the contents of a baked garlic head (you’ll have a sort of a baked garlic puree, one of the most delicious things ever discovered), then put in the saffron infusion (condiments included), 1tbs olive oil, 150 grams of yogurt (I used the greek type, with 10% fat) and mix everything into a beautiful dressing for the meat.

And, hey, if you don’t feel like sitting at the table for this dish, then don’t: just grab yourselves a tortilla wrap, put the meat, veggies and sauce in and take it on the go, either way, it’s delicious. 

Enjoy,

Mr. G.