We Wish You A Merry Greekmas!!!

Okay, so January is almost over and I am just barely getting around to posting what I made for Christmas but I've been busy with recipes and work and Boardwalk Empire so . . . here it is finally!

If anyone ever asks me what my favorite food is, i can't pick just one food, so I always answer with Mediterranean/Middle Eastern.  Of course, most people look at me cock-eyed when I tell them that.  But I love the food and the weird looks amuse me.

We went for a Greek Christmas this year.  I made pastitsio (baked macaroni with meat filling) and a yummy Mediterranean cucumber and yogurt salad.

So let us start with the salad first.

Ingredients

• 3 large cucumbers, shredded
• Salt
• 2 cups Greek yogurt
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons (or more to taste) fresh chopped mint leaves
• Fresh ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Directions

1. Toss the cucumber with a generous amount of salt and leave in a colander in the sink to wilt for 30 minutes.  Rinse and drain on paper towels.
2. Beat together the yogurt, garlic, mint, and olive oil.  Add salt and pepper to taste.
3. Stir in the cucumbers and serve.

Unfortunately, I forgot to snap a picture of this, but believe me, it is yummy delicious!

Now on to the main dish, pastitsio!!!

Ingredients

• 10 oz package of Mostaccioli macaroni
• 1-1/2 lb. ground beef
• 2 onions, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 cup white wine (I prefer Pinot Grigio.)
• 8 oz. can tomato sauce
• 1 cup water
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 pinch white sugar

Mix with cooked macaroni

• 3 eggs
• 3/4 cup Romano cheese, grated
• 1 cup milk
• 1/4 cup fine bread crumbs

Cream Sauce

• 1 stick butter
• 5 tbsp. flour
• 3 cups milk
• 3 eggs
• 1/4 cup Romano cheese, grated

Directions

1. To prepare meat sauce, saute chopped onions, garlic, and meat.  Cook until brown.  Ad tomato sauce, water, salt, pepper, cinnamon, and wine.  Simmer until all liquid has evaporated and sauce is thick.
2. Cook macaroni in boiling salted water for 12 minutes.  Drain well.  Mix together 1 cup of milk, 3 beaten eggs, and 3/4 cup of cheese.  Mix well with the macaroni.
3. Butter a 13x9 glass baking dish.  Cover the bottom with a thin layer of bread crumbs.  Place a layer of the macaroni mixture over the bread crumbs.  Add a layer of meat sauce, then the remainder of the macaroni mix.
4. For the cream sauce:  Melt the stick of butter, add flour and blend well.  Gradually add 3 cups of heated milk and continue to stir until the sauce is thick.  Remove from burner and add 3 beaten eggs, gradually, to sauce while stirring quickly.
5. Pour the cream sauce over the entire macaroni mixture.  Sprinkle with 1/4 cup of cheese.  Bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes until lightly browned.

And this is what the finished product looks like.

That's all for this episode of Cooking with RoXXXy.  Stay tuned for another fabulous episode from your favorite "Wannabe Celebrity Chef".  Heh!