Armenian Salad

Ingredients:

1 cup cooked chopped beef, ham or bologna
2 cups canned green peas, drained
2 potatoes
2 carrots
2 eggs
1 cup pickles, diced
1 1/2 cups sour-cream
2 TB oil (optional)
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
salt and pepper to taste


 Directions:

Put raw potatoes, carrots and eggs into a medium pot with water to cover the veggies and cook on the stove until they are all tender. Drain and peel them once they are cool to touch and then dice them. Mix everything in a big bowl. You can add more sour-cream if you like.


Araksya's Tip: You can cook the meat with the veggies or you can use leftover meat for the salad.

2 in 1: Greek Mousaka & American Shepherd's Pie

Ingredients:

• 1 large eggplant (2 1/2 pounds), peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 can (14.5oz) stewed tomatoes
• 1 cup chopped bell peppers
• 1 cup chopped mushrooms 
• 2 teaspoons tomato paste
• 2-3 large potatoes
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 2 tsp dried basil
• 1 cup (9 ounces) ricotta cheese*
• 1 large egg
• Salt and pepper to taste
• red paprika
• olive oil 
• 2 TB butter 

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. On a baking sheet, toss eggplant with oil and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Spread in a single layer, and roast in the oven until soft and golden, 20 to 30 minutes. Transfer eggplant to casserole dish, spreading in an even layer. In a large saucepan, warm oil over medium heat. Add onions, and ground meat; cook, stirring to prevent sticking, until meat is browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Add peppers and mushrooms and cook a couple more minutes then stir in tomatoes, tomato paste, parsley, garlic, salt and pepper. Simmer 15 minutes. Spread the mixture evenly over the eggplant. 

In a pot boil potatoes in water until cooked. Drain and mash them with butter. Add ricotta, egg, 1/8 teaspoon pepper and salt to taste.  

Pour mixture over the casserole, and spread evenly to the edges. Sprinkle some red paprika on top. 

Heat broiler.  Broil until topping is browned in spots, 5 to 10 minutes. Serve hot. 

Makes 6 Servings   

*Araksya's Tip: You can use other kinds of cheeses you have. You can replace cheese with sour-cream.

Araksya's Spaghetti Sauce

My husband says it's the BEST spaghetti sauce he has ever eaten!

Ingredients:

1 jar spaghetti sauce with basil (store bought or homemade)
1/2 eggplant peeled and diced
1/2 yellow squash diced
1 onion sliced
1 green pepper diced
1 cup chopped mushrooms
2-3 cloves garlic minced
1/2 lb bacon pork sausage (I added some hot sausage to it)
2 TB tomato paste and 1 cup hot water mixed together
1 tsp dry basil
2 TB fresh parsley chopped

salt and freshly ground pepper
coconut oil

Directions:


In a big skillet heat oil. Cook pork sausage until golden brown. Add onions and let them cook until translucent. Push the meat and onions aside and cook the eggplant, squash and mushrooms in small batches for couple minutes each time you add more veggies. After they get cooked, mix everything together, add tomato paste, the spaghetti sauce, garlic and spices/herbs. Turn the heat down, cover the lid and let it simmer for 15 minutes.

Serve over any kind of pasta with Parmesan cheese.

Makes 8-10 servings