it’s all greek(ish) to me

Busy week, busy day. What to have for dinner? Greek burgers and Israeli couscous with roasted grape tomatoes and basil.

My take on Greek excludes lamb. Not sure why but I can’t stomach it. Lamentably lamb was the celebratory meal of choice in my first husband’s family. Because he was the last of five to marry there was lots to celebrate. This barrage of engagement feasts with it’s monolithic menu made me feel like I was a kid back in Minnesota sitting at our wooden kitchen table with its lazy susan longing for one of my father’s three labs to snatch up the bites of the mutton I had hidden in my napkin.

My grown-up kitchen is a lamb-free zone. This utter lack of baa might be why my youngest craved it. As a little girl in her restaurant booster seat she would ask if she could substitute a lamb chop for the chicken fingers on the kid’s menu. Many a time we were saddled with a $30 plus entrée for this little pipsqueak. To her credit, that teeny tot was an unfailing member of the clean plate club.

Tonight’s recipe for Greek burgers came from (how apropos) my old sorority sister and godmother to the girl who loves all things lamb. This version sports a fresh combo of ground turkey, chopped spinach, crumbled feta, seasoned panko and a splash of olive oil.

Serve it up with Israeli couscous, a fuller and meatier version of its Middle Eastern counterpart.

Cooked off in chicken broth, drained and tossed with roasted grape tomatoes and slivered basil.

A heart healthy meal rounded out with a salad of arugula tossed with emulsified dressing. After grilling add a dollop of fresh Tzatziki and some sliced roasted red pepper.

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