greek festival deliciousness

This past weekend, one of Calgary's most delicious festivals, the annual Greek Festival, took place in the community of Spruce Cliff. Now, I know what you're saying, perhaps you're groaning thinking of all the "same old" stuff. Some souvlaki, some tzatziki. Who cares right? Perhaps. But just hold on though, when prepared with a little love and care, what can possibly be wrong with some juicy meat on a stick? Totally tender and delicious too. Okay, so there's nothing too extreme or bizarre at this festival, no octopus or cooked greens, but there was some good home-style cooking made with a lot of love and care. It's just good stuff. There were plenty of options to choose from including souvlaki, gyros, roast chicken as well as baklava, kataifi, and loukoumades (like donut holes!) for dessert. We opted for the Greek salad, tzatziki with pita, arni souvla (roast lamb on a spit), and tyropita (feta cheese pie). All in all it was very, very good, but the roast lamb was absolutely brilliant. Well seasoned, ridiculously juicy, and virtually fork tender, this lamb hit the spot. I could probably eat it every day. The thing I really like about the Greek Festival, besides the food of course, are the incredibly devoted volunteers. Not only do the volunteers make all of the food, which is very, very good, but they also serve it up. I have to say the amount of organization, and practice, it must have taken to get this right is quite impressive. There are a lot of people moving through the line in a short amount of time. They were on top of it; extremely efficient. It has to be a labour of love to cook lamb on a spit. I wish I had a picture of the two "old guys" tending to it as if it was their life's work. Maybe it was. Gotta love that. A close-up of the juicy succulent lamb roasting on the spit. Here's what I mean about the volunteers. They were efficient. I think it also takes a certain amount of guts to be able to serve up that roast lamb all day and not eat all of it. Stay tuned for next year's festival. I'll see you there! Calgary Greek Festival
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the weekend

I'll admit, I gladly relish any weekend I can get. But to have a bit of time to truly relax, and to be able to get a little ahead for the coming weeks, is always a nice treat. Jeff and I wanted (needed?) to get away for a few days, and just unwind. We headed to the Post Hotel in Lake Louise, for a little R&R. You know, sleep, eat, sit, repeat. Although, we did enjoy some sunshine while going for a walk. Sometimes a little laziness is just what is needed, whether it's for a couple hours, or for a couple days. And at home for Family Day Monday, wasn't a whole lot different, with lots of planning needed to get organized for the week. So there wasn't a lot of cooking today, well at least nothing fancy per se; well certainly nothing compared to dining at the Post Hotel! Sometimes, you just have to eat. But it doesn't mean it has to taste bad, or be terribly boring. At least once a week, it seems that we make crepes, French toast, or pancakes on the weekend. Although, I think we had our fill while in Lake Louise. But I still didn't want exactly the usual weekday smoothie. So some thick Greek-style yogourt, and fruit was just what I wanted. No heating involved. Berries are good, and especially tangy with some thick balsamic. But not quite enough all on its own, until paired with some thick Greek-style yogourt. I found Olympic's Krema Greek-style yogourt at Community Natural Foods, and it is absolutely delicious. Another simple treat - a tablespoon of honey, about an 1/8th of a teaspoon of cinnamon, as well as a lot more yogourt than pictured below. I also added some Udo's Flaxseed oil with DHA. This yogourt is very thickkkkk, rich, and extra delicious. It is a lovely treat. Sometimes, it is nice to feel like you are preparing a meal, even if it is really a cinch, and not really cooking at all. Dinner was somewhat the same way. This was also especially true since I wanted to have a few extra treats around, like some cinnamon oatmeal raisin cookies, and some chocolate rice pudding. Without hours to get dinner on the table in addition to getting everything done, but I still wanted to make something simple, healthful and delicious. Lamb pitas are delicious, and are fairly quick to prepare. Lamb Pitas Ingredients (serves 2) 1 lb of ground lamb 1 tbsp of freshly ground cumin kosher salt garlicky yogurt sauce: 3/4 cup natural, thick Greek-style yogurt 2 cloves of crushed garlic squeeze of fresh lemon juice (1 tsp) whole wheat pita pockets toppings: bunch of roughly chopped cilantro sliced tomato sliced cucumber 1. Brown the lamb on medium-high heat in a non-stick skillet, combining the cumin before it is completely brown. Add salt to taste. Remove the lamb from the pan, and drain on paper towels, if necessary. 2. Combine the yogurt, garlic, lemon juice, and taste for seasoning. Taste, and add a little more lemon, or some salt. 3. Prepare the toppings, and slice the pitas in half. 4. Smear some of the yogourt sauce inside the pita. Add some cilantro. Add some ground lamb, as well as tomato and cucumber. Enjoy!
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