Roasted Garlic and Saffron Greek Yogurt Creamcheese Spread

Hello!  I hope you are enjoying spring.  Here’s the Greek yogurt cream cheese spread I mentioned in my previous post (most recent one).   I hope you’re a fan of garlic.  Yes, garlic!  I am.  I’ve been eating cloves of roasted garlic lately (yes, you can still talk to me and I won’t smell like garlic because I brush my teeth & gargle afterwards :D).  Just in case you missed my previous post, you can click here  to find out how I roast the garlic.  I have about 1 cup of roasted garlic in the fridge waiting for me to snack on 🙂   Anyway, without further a do.  Here it is.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cupful of roasted garlic plus more
• 4 oz. Greek Yogurt cream cheese
• salt and pepper to taste
• 3 tablespoons Saffron flower sauce (get the recipe here)
• 2 slices of multi-grain bread
• a handful of Brocco sprouts

Directions:

1.  In a medium bowl, combine the Greek cream cheese & saffron flower sauce and roasted garlic.  Season with salt and pepper to taste. Using a spoon or a whisk, mix until well-combined.
2. Spread about 1 -2 tablespoonful Greek yogurt cream cheese mixture on one slice of bread.  Layering in order by adding more roasted garlic on top, oven baked crusted tilapia, broccoli sprouts then the other slice of multi-grain bread or you can make your own combination using the roasted garlic and spread.
3. Enjoy. 🙂

Alternative:  You can chopped the garlic then mix with Greek yogurt cream cheese and add herbs of your choice (besides rosemary) then season with salt and pepper to taste.  You have garlic & herbs yogurt cream cheese spread. 🙂

Easy right?  You have a nice, healthy sandwich for lunch or dinner. ❤

Tip:  Wondering how you can determine “fresh” garlic?  The bulb is intact (not separated like saying hello to the world) and the first layer of skin has a trace of purple in color and it’s flawlessly attached to the stem and does not shred or peel easily when touched.   It’s quite firm when pressed.  If  it’s not purplish, just as long as it’s firm and intact, it’s good.  🙂

That’s all for today.  Until next time.  Don’t forget to Subscribe or Follow to get the latest recipes if you haven’t done so.  Please be kind and link back to source if you plan to use or share any of my recipes.  Thank you for stopping by.  Have a fabulous Monday.  🙂

Roasted Garlic and Herb Quinoa “Fried Rice”

It has been a gloomy and stressful week.  I found myself making one of my comfort foods, quinoa and made “fried rice”.   With all that stress, I wanted to be good to my heart, so I decided to add garlic; plenty of them.  But rather than the typical minced garlic, I settled to roast the garlic cloves whole in olive oil.   I added rosemary to make it more flavorful.

Skillet Grilled Shrimp with Tropical Couscous

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My husband took me out to dinner to celebrate our wedding anniversary.  I wanted to go to Bone Fish Grill because their snapper was excellent.   I didn’t want to go someplace else because the food might not be as good and I didn’t want to be disappointed, especially on a special day.  Well, my husband told me that someone recommended this place in Tyson’s Corner.  He convinced me that their food was great and that they were highly recommended by many, so I said okay.  Well, I was very disappointed to say the least.  Let me just say, I will never go back there again.  I conclude good food is not define by how  “upscale” a restaurant is.  It really depends.

When I couldn’t eat what I want, I can’t sleep.  I know I’m weird that way.   So,  the following night, I made my husband and I skillet grilled shrimp on skewers with tropical  couscous for dinner.  I also added some toasted garlic on top of the couscous and shrimp.  It was very delicious and so satisfying.

Ingredients for the shrimp:

• 16 pieces large shrimp, peeled and deveined, tail on
• Weber N’ Orleans Cajun Seasoning
• Weber Gourmet Burger Seasoning
• Weber Roasted Garlic and Herb Seasoning
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 cup diced garlic
• 4- size 8 Bamboo skewers

Directions:

1. Skewer the shrimp.
2. Sprinkle the shrimp with these three seasonings. Set aside.
3. Heat a flat, square skillet (pancake skillet) over medium heat.
4. Coat with olive oil and butter.
5. Add the garlic and saute until lightly brown.  Set aside on the edge of the skillet to prevent it from burning.
6. Turn the heat to medium-low at this point and grill the shrimp until opaque, about 5 minutes each side.
7. Meanwhile cook the couscous.

Ingredients for the couscous:

• 1 box(5.08 oz.) Near East Couscous with roasted garlic and olive oil plus the ingredients written on the box
• 1/2 cup of diced mango
• 1/2 cup pineapple tidbits
• 1/2 cup of finely chopped cilantro
• 1/4 cup plum tomatoes; seeded and diced
• 1/4 cup of diced red onions
• black pepper to taste
• juice of 1 lime plus more for garnish
• Toasted garlic (from above recipe)

Directions:

• Follow the cooking directions on the box to cook the couscous.
• Combine the mango, pineapple, cilantro, tomatoes, red onions, lime, and black pepper in a bowl.
• Add the tropical fruit mixture to the cooked couscous.
• Mix until all ingredients are well combined.
• Arrange shrimp and couscous on a plate. Garnish with lime and toasted  garlic.

Bon Appetite!

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