Studio 5: Bulgogi (Korean BBQ Beef) & how to eat it!

Bulgogi is Korean BBQ Beef.  But really, it is SO much more!

First of all, you do not need to grill it or Barbecue it.  You can, if you want to, but I love using my heavy cast iron pan to cook it.  Get it scorching hot and listen to that sizzle!  Then that heavenly smoky, sweet aroma hits and you know you have a winner!

Takes a minute to cook and you're ready to eat.  On its own (it's so tasty, it might not even make it to the plate), or in lots of easy applications, like Salad, Bibimbap (rice bowl), lettuce wraps and tacos!

Bulgogi

I make a large amount, then freeze into Quart Freezer Ziplock bags for future use...alternatively, you can cook it all and store in the fridge for several days, or freeze.

3 lb chuck roast, shaved thinly 1/8"<

(freeze your meat for at least 12 hours to be able to slice it thinly, or ask your butcher and he'll do it!)  Typically, Koreans use Rib eye, sirloin or tenderloin.  I just like using chuck.

1 Asian Pear, finely grated (could use a Bosc pear if you can't find Asian Pear)

1 large onion, cut in half, then sliced very thinly

Thumb sized ginger, finely grated.

half a bulb of garlic, chopped

2 tsp freshly ground pepper

4 Tbsp Soy Sauce

4 Tbsp Toasted Sesame Oil

6 Tbsp Brown sugar

Mix marinade ingredients together, then pour over meat and gently mix.  Refrigerate overnight or at least 6 hours.  At this point, you can also divide your raw Bulgogi into smaller portions and freeze some of it.

Heat a cast iron pan VERY hot.  Drizzle a few rounds of Olive oil.   Carefully spread out and lay your Bulgogi meat over the pan.  It cooks very quickly because it's so thin.  Turn when browned on one side.  Do not overcrowd.  As you get to the bottom of the bowl, where there is more marinate, try to shake as much off as possible and put fewer pieces in the pan so it doesn't steam.

It'll take several times in the pan to cook all the Bulgogi.  Keep putting it in a bowl until it's all done.  Eat hot or refrigerate for a meal later on.

Now you've made a LOT of Bulgogi...how to serve it?  So many quick meals can be made with a Bulgogi...the following are just a few ideas, enjoy!

Korean Banh Mi with Bulgogi

Bulgogi (prepared...see recipe above)

French Baguette:  slice lengthwise & then diagonally for 3-4 sandwiches, depending how long your baguette is.

Carrot & Daikon radish (shredded and tossed with a little rice vinegar, Salt, Pepper and sugar)

Green onions, sliced thinly

cucumber (Sliced thinly & tossed with a little rice vinegar, Salt, Pepper and sugar)

Mayonaise

Sriracha (or Sriracha Mayo if it's too hot on it's own)

Cilantro, chopped

Option:  Thinly slice Japapeno if you like it really hot.

Combine carrots, diakon and green onions with pickling ingredients. 

Combine thinly slice cucumbers with pickling ingredients.

Lightly toast insides of baguette.  Schmear insides of bread with mayonaise.

Layer veggies first, then bulgogi.

Top with cilantro and green onions.

Drizzle with Sriracha or sriracha mayo.

Top with bread and enjoy!

Bulgogi Bibimbap (rice bowl)

{Bibimbap is like ramen, except with rice and no broth.  super comfort food!}

Bulgogi (prepared...see recipe above)

Rice (any rice will do, but Koreans use a medium grain rice, similar to sushi rice)

1 egg per bowl

Toasted Sesame Seeds

Vegetables:  This is where you can customize your rice bowl.  Koreans will often use up leftover vegetable sides, so really, anything that makes you happy goes.  But here are a few suggestions...

·         Sauteed spinach

·         Carrots, shredded  or ribbons (cooked or raw)

·         Bean sprouts

·         Baby Corn

·         Red or green onion

·         Mushrooms

·         Zucchini

·         Kim Chee

·         Cucumbers

·         Cabbage

Keeping it simple, just place rice in a bowl and top with ingredients, except for egg, which goes on top, as well as the Toasted sesame seeds.  Drizzle with Gochujang (Korean Sweet & Spicy Red chili paste. )

Bibimbap is typically arranged around the bowl, keeping ingredients separate.   Once served, you can mix it as you like.

However, true Bibimbap is serve in a hot stone bowl, which then  creates a crispy bottom texture on the rice.  To duplicate this texture, you can place your rice in a hot fry pan (with a little oil) and cook it until it gets that same crispy texture...then place in the bowl.

Bulgogi Noodle Salad

{or just with veggies...it's all good because there is Bulgogi on top!}

This makes a big bowl, reduce amounts for a smaller salad.

 

Bulgogi (prepared...see recipe above)

1/2 of a small green cabbage, sliced thinly

1 red, yellow & orange sweet pepper, sliced thinly

1 bunch green onions, sliced thinly on  the diagonal (reserve some for top)

several handfuls of snow or snap peas (edible pods), sliced on the diagonal

1/2 a bunch of cilantro, chopped

1 pkg of noodles, cooked and cooled

·         any Asian kind will do, but I used Thai rice noodles, because I had them on hand

1 pkg of frozen edamame, thawed and lightly salted.

Toasted sesame seeds

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, toss with dressing (add a little at a time and taste).

Place in a bowl and top with Bulgogi (it can be freshly cooked, or cooled).  Top with Green onions and sesame seeds.

Gochujang Salad Dressing (or sauce)

2 Tbsp Gochujang

·         Korean Sweet & Spicy Red chili paste.  Add less/more depending on your heat tolerance.

4 Tbsp Rice Vinegar

4 Tbsp Cooking Sake

4 Tbsp Soy Sauce

4 Tbsp Brown sugar or Honey (or more is you like it a bit sweeter)

2 Tbsp Roasted Sesame Oil

Mix well and drizzle over.

Option:  Thicken with heat & a slurry of cornstarch for a dipping sauce or drizzle over lettuce wraps

Bulgogi Lettuce Wraps

{light lunch or appetizer}

Bulgogi (prepared...see recipe above)

Carrot (matchsticks)

cucumber (matchsticks)

Rice Vinegar

Salt & Pepper

tsp sugar

1 bunch green onions, sliced thinly on  the diagonal (reserve some for top)

Toasted sesame seeds

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, toss with dressing (add a little at a time and taste).

Place in a bowl and top with Bulgogi (it can be freshly cooked, or cooled).  Top with Green onions and sesame seeds.  Drizzle with straight of the bottle Gochujang (Korean Sweet & Spicy Red chili paste.) or thicken the Gochujang Salad sauce.

Studio 5: Rouladen & Other Rolled/Stuff Meats

I'm not a big red meat eater, but come Winter (It's January here in Utah) and its accompanying cold weather, I'm just craving hearty, meaty meals.

My very favorite childhood meat & potatoes meal, compliments of my Mom, was Rouladen and I'm excited to share it with you today.  Consider it the German version of the quintessential American Sunday Roast, except with a unique tangy gravy that makes my mouth water just thinking about it!

But wait...there's more!  Almost every European country has their own version of a stuffed beef roll, so I'm sharing 2 more with you; one from Italy, called Braciole (pronouced 'bra'zhul) and then my own version of a French Roulade.  But don't stop there, I've been thinking of all sorts of creative versions and so can you!

But first, let's make Rouladen!

The most important part of any rolled beef recipe is the cut of beef.  This is a slow braising dish, so the best cut is the Top Round.  It'll cook in 1 1/2 hours, but you could instapot (Pressure cooker) in 15-20 minutes.

Make sure, even if it's labeled Rouladen meat that it is from the Top round.  Once I got Bottom Round and  it was not good!

Click on image to enlarge

German Rouladen

{this makes 6 large Rouladen or 12 mini Rouladen}

6 slices of Top Round, 1/8" thick and about 3-4" wide and 12-13" long

German Mustard (Sweet, sharp), or whatever mustard you have on hand

Kosher Salt & Freshly Ground Pepper

1 strip of bacon (or 2 if they are thin

Dill pickles, cut into spears

1 large Onion, chopped and sautéed (with butter)

Kitchen twine

Beef Broth

Tomato paste

Directions: 

Lay meat on  parchment paper or counter so narrow end is nearer to you.

Optional: pound with a mallet to further tenderize).

Spread top generously with mustard.

Sprinkle with salt & pepper

Lay bacon slice (s) along length of roll.

Place a few spears of Pickles at bottom narrow end.

Spoon some of the onions next to pickle.

Roll up beef, (see my photo tutorial below the recipe) starting at narrow end with filling.  Roll tightly, pushing ends in as you go.

Once completely rolled up, tie with kitchen twine (see photo tutorial or use toothpicks).

Sear well in a deep pan, until browned on all sides.

Place rest of onions in pan and cover with enough beef broth so it comes at least half-way up the Rouladen.  Add a Tbsp or two of Tomato paste.

Cook for 1 1/2 hours or until tender.

Remove Rouladen and thicken gravy with flour & water mixture.  Put through sieve for a smooth gravy.  Return to pan.  Keep warm until ready to serve.

Serve with Spaetzle and purple cabbage for a true German experience, or mashed potatoes and any vegetable works too!

A few tips

The most important thing is get the right cut of meat.  You'll need "rouladen meat", which is a long, thin strip cut from a Top Round.  Be careful that you don't get bottom round, as that will be tough and dry and unpleasant.

Ask your butcher (although I have seen it at Harmons") for Rouladen meat, as many strips as you want rolls.  Ask for 1/8" thin and about 3 - 4 inches wide and about 12 - 13 inches long.

Get Creative!

The following Italian & French versions and anything else you can think of follows the basic Rouladen recipe above with simple ingredient switches, as noted in the photos.

Braciole (pronounced 'Bra'zhul), which is rolled with Proscuitto, Pesto, Pine Nuts, Parmesan, Mozzerella, Parsley and garlic, then braised in your favorite tomato sauce and served with pasta.

I also did a French Roulade with Pork Sausage, Spicy grainy mustard, fresh herbs, Mushrooms, Garlic and Boursin Cheese.  Then braised in beef broth and some red wine.

For every stuffed beef roll you'll need 3 things.

• Meat
• Stuffing
• Braising liquid

A few other ideas I'm dying to try...another day!  What are some of your creative combinations?

·         Sun Dried Tomatoes, Brie, parsley

·         Chorizo, goat cheese, apples, carrots

·         Mustard, Bacon, Blue Cheese, Pears

Studio 5: Dinner Dice Challenge

I just didn't want the green beans.  I love food.  Pretty much all food, but NOT green beans.  I can eat them, and I do like how my Sister-in-law prepares her Haricot Verts, but I don't buy them  and I would never order them.  So...relief! I didn't get green beans, in fact, I kind of lucked out!

In case you are wondering 'what the heck' I'm talking about... Studio 5 did a Dinner Dice Challenge all this week.  Cooks (that's me!) came into the Studio, rolled the dice to find out which ingredients we would have to cook with and then we had 45 minutes during the show to 'whip' something up!

I loved this idea.  I'm not much of a recipe gal, I'm an open the fridge, connect the dots, create kind of gal.  This is more fun, more creative and takes less time too!

I'll post the video here in a few hours so you can watch what I rolled and how it turned out!





In the meantime, let me share a couple of my "lifelines".  They allowed us to bring in 3 items from our own kitchen.  Things we rely on when cooking like this.  I brought two confits.  A confit is basically a method of preserving food. 

Typically you cook and then cover the food in oil.  You may have heard of Duck confit (Oh My...so good).  In this case, I made a Roasted Tomato Balsamic confit and a Garlic confit.  SO easy and SO delicious.  It adds a punch of flavor to pretty much anything you cook.

Garlic Confit

Garlic confit is as simple as super slow (as in poaching...lowest temperature possible) cooking garlic in oil for a few hours.  Place in a jar.  Keep in the fridge.  Now you have super flavorful garlic oil AND mellow garlic all ready to add to just about anything.

Here's an easy way to get a lot of garlic peeled quickly! I used 3 bulbs for this recipe.

Crush you bulb with the palm of your hand until it breaks apart.  Remove the cloves and place in a jar. Place lid on jar and shake vigorously until it looks like the peel are coming off.  

Poor garlic out of jar and remove peels.

Now...there are some other great ways to remove peels easily.  Here's one I enjoyed from Youtube, same concept, but using 2 bowls instead.  I also heard that putting them in the microwave for 30 seconds make them come off easier as well.  The trick here is to keep the clove as intact as possible.

If I'm using fresh garlic, just a few for a recipe, I will go ahead and smash the whole clove with the flat side of my large knife.  In this case, I'm going to chop up the entire clove anyway, so smashing it gives it a head start releasing all it's garlic loveliness.  

Roasted Tomato Balsamic Confit

I found a recipe for this on our recent, ubiquitous source of food info...the Facebook!  Seriously, one of best things I do in my kitchen.

If you grew tomatoes in your garden, this is the way to go!  If not, I've still done this in winter with Costco tomatoes and they were still good. 

Amazingly, it's November and I still have tomatoes in my garden, we just haven't had a hard frost, but I think one is coming next week, so I better finish picking them!

Because it's late this batch used smaller tomatoes than during the summer. 
No biggie, doesn't matter the size.

Place parchment down on a baking sheet (makes clean up a lot easier).  Cut ends off of tomato.  Just a thin slice off the smooth side so it lays flat.  Arrange on sheet.

Drizzle (or brush) generously with olive oil.  Sprinkle lightly with balsamic vinegar (this is optional...I've also made them without the vinegar, but wow, what a punch of flavor with the Balsamic!).  Sprinkle with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.  Also, optional, but very good is to add chopped garlic to the tops and a sprinkle of dried oregano, thyme or your favorite herb.

Two ways to cook them.  High & Fast OR Low & Slow.  You'll get a slightly different product depending on which way you cook.  The low & slow will have a more dehydrated (almost sun roasted look) to the tomato.  I like them to be a bit juicy still, so I opt for 425 F for 45 minutes or so.  For Low & Slow, go 250 for 2 hours.

Here's what you DO NOT want to do.  THINK you can go do an errand while they are roasting, be later than you thought and end up overcooking them (hence my picture above).  LOL

The black is simply the sugar in the Balsamic burning, you won't end up using that anyway.  It should, however, not be black and you should see juices run if you're cooking it properly.  Don't leave the kitchen, hang out and keep an eye on them.  I just didn't have time to do another batch before the show.

Place tomato halves into a large mouth jar.  If some tomatoes are peeking through the liquid at the top, add enough olive oil so it is covered.

Keep in the fridge for a week or two or you can also freeze the bottles, or using a pressure cooker, can them so they are shelf stable.

How to use these little beauties?  So many ways!  I had one friend make these and she said they were eating them with every meal.  

Breakfast: On a fried egg, or Egg sandwich.  

Lunch:  add a few to a pot with some vegetable or chicken broth and something to make it creamy (milk, cream, coconut milk), puree for a wonderful tomato soup.  Don't add seasoning to this until you taste it at the end, as the tomatoes are already seasoned heavily.

Dinner: Same concept as above, but this time keep it thicker to make a lovely Rose sauce for pasta.  On a crostini, bruschetta, mexican sauce for enchiladas etc...

Enjoy!

Studio 5: Mango Sticky Rice

Last year, after 5 years of planning, we had our dream trip to Thailand.  It was incredible in so many ways; the people, the land, the culture and the food.  

But I will admit we were pretty obsessed about Mango Sticky Rice.

It took me awhile to start figuring out how to make this once I got back, but since I have I've made it a dozen times.  I've even made it while camping!

There is nothing ordinary about this dessert.  I love to see the reaction of people eating this for the first time.  It's such a surprising experience; sweet, but a touch salty.  Creamy, yet chewy and the perfect pairing of Coconut & Mango.

The best is, however, how easy it is to make.  5 ingredients & 45 minutes (most of that waiting for the rice to cook).

Let's start with the Rice.  You have to get to an Asian grocery store to buy this (visiting Ocean Mart in SLC is date night for us, love wandering the isles, talking to people and trying to decipher packages and cans and trying out new things).

Primarily you are looking for glutinous rice (this doesn't mean it's rice with gluten, it just means it's extra starchy, which makes it sticky).  Sweet Glutinous rice refers to the grain size (almost like Arborio), short and fat.  This is my favorite.  However, if you can't find Sweet glutinous rice, you can use simply Glutinous rice, which will be longer.

Besides being used for this dessert, Glutinous rice is a staple in South East Asia and used with many savory dishes as well (more on that later).

Most importantly and something I always forget is to soak the rice in water for at least 2 hours, but preferable overnight.  I use 1/4 cup per person.

This contraption is my set-up for steaming the rice.  It must be steamed!  If you boil it, it will wash away the gluten and  your rice will not be sticky.

If you have a proper rice steamer, by all means, use that!  My steamer doesn't have enough holes (and they are too big) for this rice.

Here, I've used a splatter guard (used for frying), available walmart and everywhere.  Find a pot with a circumference a little smaller than the splatter guard.  Fill with 3" or so of water and bring to a boil.
Place splatter guard over the pot and spoon the soaked rice in the center, spreading out into an even layer.

Place a bowl on top of the splatter guard/rice to capture the steam.  I like using a plastic bowl like you can see in the picture because it won't get too hot to handle like metal would...but still be careful when lifting; I use a knife to edge it up and a ove-glove (greatest invention!) to remove it.

Cook for 45 minutes.  It should tender, but still have a bit of chew in it (Al dente).  You can always grab a bit to taste if you're not sure and cook a bit longer if you want a more tender rice.

Not all coconut milks are the same.  What we're looking for here is the opposite of what I use when cooking my summer soups (re: last summer's Studio 5 segment) where I wanted a light version.  

This is dessert!  I want all that creaminess (ie: fat).
My favorite brand is Chaokoh, which you can find at Asian grocer as well. You can see here in my side by side comparison the striking difference.  Any brand will do in a pinch, but since you're at the Asian grocers for the glutinous rice anyway, pick up a bunch to keep on hand.

You'll need just one can for 4-5 people.  Place in a pot, bring to a simmer (do not boil).  Add 1/2 sugar and a 1/4 tsp salt.  This stuff is heavenly and would also be great over pancakes or waffles, with bananas, big flake coconut and chopped macadamia nuts...oh and while we're at it, a dollop of whipped cream!

Cook until salt & sugar are dissolved then keep this warm until ready to serve...easy, peasy!

Okay, let's talk about the hardest part of this dessert, preparing the Mango!  It's a delicious fruit, but tricky to get all that sweet, silky fruit out without destroying it in the process.  I've watched a lot of videos online, but I actually prefer mine.  But Before I show you how...let's give you the complete recipe.

Mango Sticky Rice
{serves 4 people)

1 cup glutinous Sticky Rice
1 can coconut Milk
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 large Mango
opt: Toasted Coconut flakes

Soak rice overnight (or min 2 hrs).
Bring 3 inches of water to boil in a large pot.  Place splatter guard over pot and spoon soaked rice in an even layer on it.  Place bowl on top of rice. Steam for 45 minutes.

In the meantime, place coconut milk, sugar and salt in a small pot and heat gently until sugar/salt are dissolved.  Keep warm.

Prepare Mango (see tutorial below) and set aside, covered.

When rice is finished, cut rice into quarters and roll up and place in four dessert bowls.  Pour coconut syrup in each bowl.  It will soak in, so wait a minute and add more if necessary.  I like it submersed in the sauce.  Place chopped Mango on top and sprinkle with toasted coconut on top.  Serve immediately.  It really should be served right away. 

Enjoy!

Here's a photo tutorial on how I prepare my Mango.  Click on the image to embiggen.

Mangos have this nasty oblong, sticky pit that can be a pain to work around.  But I breeze through my Mangoes now with this technique.

Hold Mango upright (small end up).  With a sharp filet knife (long and thin), start slicing just off-center until you hit the pit or some resistance.  Slowly move the blade away from the pit and continue cutting downward and around the pit.

Repeat on other side.  You now have 2 beautiful Mango cheeks!  But wait, there's more!

Turn what's left of the mango with the cross section facing you.  Starting at the top, slice around the pit to get the last of the meat off.

Here's the best part...cooks treat!  There's still a little bit of Mango lusciousness left on that pit.  Impossible to cut off, but perfect to nibble on!

The last hurdle is taking the skin off.  The two last bits are easy, just slide your knife along the skin to remove the meat.

The cheeks are a little trickier.  Many tutorials have you hold the cheek in your hand and then run your knife along the length, but just through the meat, stopping at the skin.  Ok, I don't know about you, but I try to avoid running sharp knives anywhere near the palm of my hand, so DON'T. DO. IT. :)  A simpler and safer way to accomplish this is to place the cheek, skin down on a cutting board.  

If you're using a ripe Mango, which goes without saying, your knife will slip through the soft meat and stop at the skin naturally, just have a soft touch.  

Once you've cut your slices (about 1/2" apart), flatten the cheek, almost turning inside out (this breaks the tension of the skin and will make it easier to lay flat).

Holding the cheek flat with one hand, start cutting with the knife on one end. As you move forward with the knife, move your hand back towards the end as you continue cutting through to the other end, releasing all the meat.  At this point you can cut the strips into pieces.

Sometimes, if I haven't flattened the cheek enough, not all the skin will be cut off.  Just turn the cheek around and repeat from the other end.  (of course, this is what happened to me on tv!).

Toasted coconut!  This isn't traditional, but I love it!  It add some nice color and texture to the dessert.  (Traditionally, toasted sesame seeds are used.)  I like using non-sweetened large flake coconut.  Broil for just a few seconds (don't leave!!!!).

Cool-the-Kitchen Greek Dinner

I'm always looking for cool summertime meals that don't heat up my kitchen and takes advantage of all the fresh produce at the market and in my garden.   I'm making this tomorrow and thought it was time for a repeat in case you missed it the first time.  I did this on Studio 5 in 2013...enjoy!

I love to cook, but in the summer I want to spend as little time in the kitchen as possible and create as little heat in my house as possible.

Hopefully you have tomatoes and cucumbers and maybe even peppers & onions growing in the garden, but if you don't, they abound at farmer road-side stands and are inexpensive in the grocery stores. 

Staying seasonal and grilling outdoors meets all my summer-time demands with a tasty Greek street food known as Souvlaki.

Souvlaki is basically meat on a skewer.  Typically this is made with lamb or chicken, but I think Shrimp would be great too.

The method that makes Souvlaki special is using typically Greek ingredients and marinating the meat before grilling.  Pita bread, Tzatziki Sauce and a Greek salad round out the flavor and nutrition of this perfectly light and summery meal.

Chicken Souvlaki  (serves 6)

1 1/2  lb chicken breast

1/3 cup olive oil

1/3 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice

1/3 cup red wine vinegar

2 tsp. dried oregano

1 tsp. dried thyme

2 tsp. coarse kosher salt

3-4 cloves garlic, minced

 Directions:

Slice chicken diagonally so you have strips (about 1/4" or so thick).  I like to thread my chicken on the skewers (back and forth) instead of cubes.  I find the chicken cooks more evening, the chicken won't rotate on the skewer and you get more crispy bits.

Place in a bowl with all the marinade ingredients and place in refrigerator for a minimum of 3 hours, but overnight is better.

If using wooden skewers, soak in water for 30 minutes before adding meat.  Otherwise skewer meat onto metal skewer in a back and forth method until the skewer is almost full.  You want the meat snug but not overly tight.

Cook on a medium/high grill until each side is seared, about 8 minutes total.  Look for no pink in center of chicken.  You can continue to baste chicken with leftover marinade as long as it's cooking.  Do not baste chicken after it's cooked.

Sprinkle with finishing salt (coarse kosher salt).  Add a  lemon wedge on the plate for an extra lemon-punch.  Serve with warmed pita, shredded lettuce, Greek Salad and Tzatziki sauce.

Tzatziki Sauce

1 whole English cucumber (no seeds), grated

2 cups Greek yogurt (or strain reg. plain yogurt until thickened)

1 Tbsp (about 4 cloves) garlic, minced finely

1 heaping Tbsp fresh chopped dill (or 2 tsp. dried dill)

1 Tbsp Lemon Juice

1 Tbsp Red wine vinegar

3 Tbsp olive oil

1 tsp. coarse kosher salt (to taste)

Directions:

Place grated cucumber in a strainer over a bowl.  Sprinkle with kosher salt.  This will help to reduce the amount of moisture in the cucumber.  Let sit for 20 minutes or so, then push against strainer to remove excess moisture.  You can also dab with paper towel.

Add to the rest of the ingredients.  Taste and add more salt if necessary.  I would make this ahead of time as it tastes even better when it has time for the flavors to marry.  Will store in the fridge for as long as the yogurt says (a good week or more).

Greek Salad

1/2 English Cucumber, sliced in quarters, then 1/2" pieces

3 vine ripe tomatoes, quartered, then slices in 1/2" pieces

1/2 red pepper, chopped

1/2 yellow pepper, chopper

1/2 cup Kalamata black olives (sliced or whole)

1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced

1/4 cup Flat Leaf Parsley, chopped

1/2 cup Feta cheese

3 Tbsp Olive Oil

3 Tbsp Red wine Vinegar

1 Tsp dried oregano

1 tsp coarse kosher salt

1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper

Directions:

I've give you measurements for the salad dressing, but you'll save time and get a perfect salad if you dress and taste.  Add dressing ingredients directly to the bowl without measuring.  A round (pouring olive oil from a spout one full turn) is approx. 1 Tbsp.   So 3 or 4 rounds.  3 or 4 shakes of the vinegar will equal approx. 1 Tbsp.  Taste...need more salt?  More vinegar?  Just add a bit more.  Try it!

Add all ingredients together except the cheese, sprinkle it on after it's done.

**Low carb version:  Use Sour cream instead of Yogurt (or half & half) for the Tzatziki.  Use a low carb wrap instead of a pita bread.