quickandeasycooking

Anything with kalamata olives and feta cheese makes me happy. Try this quick and easy Greek salad.

Greek Salad

4 cups of torn romaine lettuce (get it already washed and packed)

2 tomatoes, chopped

1 cucumber, peeled and chopped

1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped red onion

12 pitted kalamata olives

1 tsp. oregano

1/4 cup bottled Italian dressing (or you make your own)

4 oz. crumbled feta cheese

Combine all ingredients except Italian dressing and feta cheese in a large bowl and toss. Be gentle when you toss! Add Italian dressing and cheese. Toss once more and serve immediately.

This makes about four servings. Add sliced grilled chicken and you have a quick and easy meal. Delicious!

(In my opinion, the Paul Newman brand of Italian dressing is the absolute best you can find.)

My city now has a Whole Foods Market! Last year, I went to the one in Manhattan and fell in love. As a person who loves to cook, that place kept me entertained for hours. Beautiful, beautiful produce, incredible meats, bread, hot bars, flowers. I could have spent several days there.

The one here is not nearly as big, of course, but it has that same feel. I went to the grand opening this past weekend, and sampled cheese, pizza, fish, fruit, chicken salad and ice cream. I have to say their cheese section is probably my favorite. Any kind of cheese I could think of was there, and I could sample any of them. And, everyone who works there seems to be so friendly. I don’t know if that’s true of all the Whole Foods stores, but these were surely nice folks!

Yes, it’s expensive, and more than I usually spend for groceries. But you can get stuff there you can’t get anywhere else. I’m not ready to do all my shopping there, but I’m certainly returning soon for another visit.

I love dips. I think it goes back to my childhood when I thought the ulitmate in party food was California Dip with potato chips. Every teenage event I took part in had California Dip with potato chips!

Here are some easy dips that are a little more sophisticated. You start with the basic, but let your imagination go to town for the rest.

Basic Sour Cream Dip

1 8 oz. carton sour cream

1 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened

Mix with electric mixer until creamy. Add in any of the flavors below.

• Bacon bits, blue cheese and chopped celery
• Chopped smoked almonds, curry powder and garlic
• Cucumbers drained and diced, tomatoes drained and diced and parsley
• Chopped avocado, lemon juice, garlic and diced red onion

Serve with crackers, raw veggies and of course, potato chips!

Chicken spaghtetti is a quick and easy main dish to make for your family any night of the week. It’s also a great go-to dish for potlucks and family get-togethers. If you cook the chicken ahead of time and keep it in your freezer, it takes even less time to put this one-dish wonder together. You can also use the cooked chicken strips now available in the grocery store.

Chicken Spaghetti

Olive oil

1 cup of chopped onion

1 tbsp. minced garlic

2 14 oz. cans stewed tomatoes, undrained and chopped

1 tbsp. Worcestershire saue

1 tbsp. Italian seasoning

salt and pepper to taste

2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

3 cups chopped cooked chicken

Cooked spaghetti

Coat skillet with olive oil and heat to medium high heat. Add onions and cook about five minutes. Add garlic and cook another minute, stirring constantly to prevent the garlic from burning. Add the tomatoes, Worcestershire sauve, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil; then reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes. Sitr in one cup of the cheese, the cooked spaghetti and the chicken. Spoon into a greased casserole. Sprinkle with the rest of the cheddar cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 to 20 minutes. You can easily substitute another type of pasta if you want.