Okay guys, this is the second to last installment of my recipes for my Mediterranean Medley class, which will be held this Thurday night! What a way to kick off summer, eh? But do not fear, I have been signed on to teach 3 more classes – 2 in July and 1 already in August, with more to come. So I will be posting some of those recipes as I go along.

This is the recipe for my version of stuffed grape leaves. I think this is the 2nd recipe that I ever created myself. Almost every country in the Mediterranean (minus Italy, Spain, France and Portugal – I think, correct me if I am wrong) have their own version of stuffed grape leaves. Some are served hot, some cold. Some are meat, some vegetarian. Some contain sweet elements like raisins or currants, some are mostly savory. So I created my own version based on what I enjoyed about the various kinds I had tried over the years. These grape leaves have had many incarnations, but this has been my tried and true version of them for the past several years. They are fresh and full of crunch! Some of you purists who are used to mushy grape leaves may not approve, but I trust if you try them, you may change your mind! I served them with Fattoush Salad and Baklava Ice Cream Bites recipes for which I will be posting very soon! Enjoy!
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This is a wonderful dessert that is perfect for the summer weather we have been experiencing! You know those bananas that are almost brown and all you can think to do with them is make banana bread? Well here is another “cool” alternative! The best thing about this ice cream is that it is 90% fresh banana which makes this an extremely healthy alternative to ice cream. Plus the bites themselves are so cute and inviting, that one or two is enough to satisfy you! I recommend drizzling some hot fudge on top or perhaps some melted peanut butter AND chocolate to really make it special! This is a great treat with none of the guilt and all the flavor! There is a lot of in and out of the freezer, to protect the shape and texture of the ice cream, but the recipe is really not complicated and the ice cream bites really make an impression!
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There are so many wonderful things for Foodies to participate in on the web. So many events and contests to keep our creative juices flowing and to really keep us all on our toes! I have been so inspired by these kinds of events that I became part of the Daring Bakers and started my own Foodie Event, the Royal Foodie Joust!

I came across one foodie event that a fellow Foodie Blogroll Member is doing! Jerry, the self-proclaimed Food Snob over at
Cooking By The Seat Of My Pants is hosting an ongoing event called
“Your Pantry or Mine?” I thought it was a very inventive idea, so I asked him some questions about it and his foodie lifestyle and he was kind enough to answer them. Here is the interview!
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Okay guys, I am a big cheater! Sssh…don’t tell anyone! So with a name like that, can you believe the main ingredient, the pudding itself is store bought cook and serve vanilla pudding? Well it is, so you can make this luscious, exotic tasting pudding in a snap in your kitchen too! I like to make things from scratch, but sometimes using some store bought ingredients can help you get creative too, by adding your own special touches to them that are home made! This is the perfect easy dinner when paired up with Pesto Burgers!
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Here is something really simple to give your next burgers a little somem’ somem’ to keep it fun! I had leftover ground turkey, fresh mozzarella and some ciabatta sandwich rolls that needed to be eaten ASAP. So this is what I came up with and it was really good for something quick and thrown together. I wasn’t even going to post it here, but it turned out so well , got such rave reviews- and was made with those classic Leftover Queen principles so I have decided to share it!
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So the title of this blog is called The Leftover Queen, right?
What kind of Leftover Queen would I be if I didn’t have any Tupperware?
Tupperware is like leftover’s sidekick! You really cannot have one without the other.
Tupperware is what keeps leftovers fresh and easily accessible for cooking. I love the way it keeps me organized too. They are now stackable and easy to store when not in use. I am not a big fan of cling plastic wraps, as many of them don’t work the way they are advertised. Plus it is not good for the planet. With my Tupperware I don’t waste or throw away as much plastic wrap, so it is good for the environment as well! Plus I can use it to transport things to my cooking classes, to parties or anywhere I need my food to travel.
So this week’s product of the week, pantry essential, is none other than Tupperware. Long gone are the days of Tupperware parties, now you can order straight from their webpage all of their Fridge Essentials which are now 35% off through June 29th.
So go check out their webpage – your leftovers will thank you!

These ribs always turn out great. Whether you like baby backs, spare ribs or country ribs you cannot go wrong with this method. The meat just falls off the bone every time! It is infallible! This recipe will also be giving away my prized BBQ Rib Rub – something I have kept to myself for quite a long while. But I figure, you guys would really appreciate it most, so I will share! I am also going to be sharing another of my Nana’s summer recipes – Nana’s Barbeque Sauce. So this is a two for one deal for all you summer-time grillers! Enjoy!
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This is one of my favorite meals. It is so easy to cook and tastes delicious. Placed on top of a salad with olives, feta cheese and crunchy veggies it is the perfect dinner salad for summer! If you are not a chicken lover this dish is perfect with Lamb – that is the way I am cooking it for my upcoming Mediterranean Medley Class. However, this week we seemed to have an over abundance of chicken so I made it this way. Serve with grilled pita bread and you have a wonderful, healthy meal! If you want to be a bit naughty, it tastes wonderful with home made baked oven fries (in addition to the pita of course!!!)! I also served it with the leftover
Baba Ganoush and some Hummus we had!

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