Saturday, May 21, 2016

What I Ate This Week: Tomato-Basil Couscous Salad, Oatmeal Pancake, and Gyros!!!!

This week I made a yummy salad, a not-so-yummy fake pancake, and I went out to eat for Gyros!!!

First up, my yummy salad!  Most of my regular readers know I love Mediterranean dishes, so of course I loved this recipe!

"Tomato-Basil Couscous Salad"


This is such a delicious and healthy recipe!  I love the mix of flavors, it's so hard to believe that it actually good for you!

It's basically just couscous, chickpeas, and tomatoes served on a bed of lettuce.  I got my recipe out of the actual South Beach Diet book, but there are various versions of that recipe available HERE.  I looked at all the recipes, and I would eat any of them.  I especially love the idea of adding mozzarella cheese!


My next recipe is also from the South Beach Diet.  And to be honest, I really don't care for it, but it is edible.  It's suppose to be a non-gluten pancake.  It is made with oatmeal, egg whites,  and cottage cheese, and then I have sugar-free syrup and Smart Balance spread on it.   It's O.K., and it is low-carb, healthy, and full of protein.  It's something to eat if you have been on a low carb diet for awhile, and you are really craving something different...or sweet!

                                        Oatmeal Pancake



 But seriously, it doesn't taste that great.  Does anyone out there have a better gluten-free, high protein pancake recipe they are willing to share?  I'd love to hear from you.

I looked on the website, and one reader came up with another way to make these pancakes so that they are not so dense.  Maybe I will try making them her way next time.

If your interested in this recipe, you can find it HERE.

And finally, my favorite meal I ate on my weekend trip to Chicago with my husband:

                                                                A Gyro Platter!

We were driving through Milwaukee, Wisconsin on our way to Chicago right at lunch time, so of course we had to stop at our favorite restaurant "Gyro Palace" and have our favorite dish the "Gyro Platter".

The restaurant is just a hole in the wall, and the owners actually remind us of the characters on the Nazi Soup Kitchen episode of Seinfeld.   They are Greek Americans and serve real authentic Greek food, but they always seem kind of  annoyed that you are there.  It's actually quite comical.  There is no ambiance...just really good food.

Here's the outside of the restaurant.


Gorgeous isn't it?  The inside decor is even better.


By now your probably saying to yourself "This is her favorite restaurant in Milwaukee?".  Yep, this and an Italian place called Mamma Mia's where my husband and I had our first date.  You see, I have a lot of memories of this place.  We spent a lot of time here with our good friends Kirk and Shannon, back when we were young.  But we also really do love the food, you couldn't find a better gyro anywhere on this planet than here...that's why the owners can get away with being annoyed with you.  You don't need fancy decor or great service if you have great food.  And to be honest, those type of places always make me feel uncomfortable anyway.  I'll eat in this charming cafe over a fancy restaurant any day!

We always get the Gyro Platter and order two extra pitas.  It's around $12.00 and it comes with more meat than you possibly know what to do with and an entire bottle of the white sauce...whatever you call it...that goes on gyros.  We split the dish between the two of us, but it could also easily be split amongst three people, there is honestly so much food!

So what about you?  Do you like hidden gem diners like this, or is a five star restaurant more your cup of tea?  I'd love to hear from you!

Have a Great Day!  Amy

2 comments:

  1. The salad does look delicious! I might have to give it a try and maybe I'll add some feta cheese.
    How funny that the owners seem annoyed when they have to prepare your food, but all that matters is that it tastes good. We have a Pizza place in a town close by that isn't fancy either, but it's run by Italians and better than any pizza I've ate in the US.

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  2. Hahaha! I had to laugh at the comment about the Greeks in the restaurant. I am also Greek and can never get used to the way we are. When we are speaking normal folks would think we are yelling or fighting. I think it is just a robustness of personality. As for your particular person, he may have relatives back home who are trying to borrow money.

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