Live the Live ™

It all started with a piece of Halloumi cheese my daughter and I had been keeping in the fridge for a couple of months. Halloumi is a Greek cheese used in saganaki, which is simply a dish of fried cheese. But it’s an absolute favorite starter of ours whenever we eat at a Greek restaurant.

I was already going to roast a slab of London Broil with potatoes, so I decided to use Greek-inspired seasonings. And then my daughter requested some tzatziki on the side. The meal was set!

The word “saganaki” means “little frying pan” in Greek, but it’s the name given to the dish of fried cheese, often flamed at the end with a little Ouzo (to the cheers of “Opa!” if you’re in a Greek restaurant.) Halloumi is the favorite cheese for saganaki, and it’s usually sliced and dipped in some egg, then tossed in semolina flour.

I didn’t have any semolina on hand, but I did have corn meal, so I milled it in my blender to give it a fine flour-like consistency, and placed it in a bowl, next to a bowl with an egg that I scrambled.

I dipped the cheese in a little scrambled egg, then the corn meal, shaking off any excess. I heated some grape seed oil in a pan, and placed the slices of cheese in the oil, flipping the cheese when it turned golden brown on the bottom.

Halloumi is a pretty dense cheese, so it didn’t get all gooey in the pan. I transferred it to a plate and we simply squeezed a little fresh lemon juice on it (no flames this time!) It was delicious!

I like to make tzatziki ahead of time, because I think it tastes better if the flavors are given time to mingle.

1 English cucumber, peeled
1 teaspoon Kosher salt, divided
3 garlic cloves, minced or through a garlic press
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 cups plain full-fat yogurt (Greek or non-Greek is OK)
A handful of finely chopped fresh dill
1/4 teaspoon white pepper

I used a box grater to grate the cucumber. It releases a lot of water when you do this. I discarded the liquid. Then I added 1/2 a teaspoon of the salt to the cucumber, and let it sit in a sieve to drain for a few minutes. (The salt extracts even more moisture out of the cucumber.)

In a separate bowl, I combined all the other ingredients, including the other 1/2 teaspoon of salt.

Using a super-clean dish towel or cheese cloth, I placed the cucumber in the towel, and squeezed as much liquid out as I could. Then I added the cucumber to the rest of the ingredients in the bowl, and mixed well.

I stored the tzatziki in a covered bowl in the fridge until I was ready to use it.

I wasn’t expecting to “go Greek” when I bought the London Broil, but I made a simple marinade that worked really well.

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper

I place the London Broil in a baking pan. I combined the marinade ingredients and rubbed them all over the meat, letting it sit at room temperature for a couple of hours.

I preheated my oven to 400.

I added some fabulous pork leaf lard to a large hot carbon steel pan on the stovetop, and when the fat melted, I placed the London Broil in the pan, making sure it got a good, hard sear on all sides.

Once that was done, the pan went into the oven, and I kept an eye on it, flipping the meat once, and checking the temperature. Once the London Broil reached 120 degrees, I removed it from the oven and place it on a cutting board to rest.

Let’s not forget the potatoes! I takes about an hour form them to cook, so I back-timed it to be ready with the London Broil.

2 lbs. Yukon gold potatoes, skin on
2 tablespoons grape seed or avocado oil
2 teaspoons lemon zest
1 /12 teaspoons Kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons dried parsley
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

I washed the potatoes, peeling away any blemishes. Then I cut them into steak fries-size pieces and placed them in a bowl of cold water.

In a separate bowl, I combined all the other ingredients.

I preheated the oven to 375 degrees. (I used my toaster oven for this, since the big oven was being used for the London Broil.)

I drained the potatoes, then dried them with a clean towel. I placed them on a sheet pan, and added the seasoning ingredients, mixing really well with my hands. It’s messy, but you want every bit of potato to be covered with the oil and spices. Then I played the potato slices “on their backs,” sliced side up.

I baked them for 45–60 minutes, keeping an eye on them.

Had to have some veggies with this meal! I roasted a tray of cauliflower alongside the London Broil: I cut the cauliflower into bite-sized pieces and tossed them in salt, pepper, a little oil and Italian seasoning, and baked them at 400 for 30 minutes.