DGTG Recipe: A Fresh Summer Meal Greek Style, Courtesy of Kouzzina

On a recent trip to Walt Disney World, my family dined for the first time at Kouzzina, Cat Cora's restaurant located at the Boardwalk Resort. Many of you know I own a restaurant, and one of our signature dishes is the traditional Greek soup Avgolemono which is also featured on Kouzzina's menu... this pair fabulously with a fresh Greek salad, known as Spiro's Greek Salad at Kouzzina.

I made this for our dinner last night and thought I should share it with you!  Please keep in mind, that this recipe came directly out of my head, so conventionally, it is probably the most wacky recipe you've ever tried to follow.  I can already hear you giggling as you read the directions.

Since you will be making this at home, I have changed a few steps to make this process easier and faster while still resulting in a delicious soup.

What you'll need:

• 1.5 lbs. Chicken Tenderloins (They cook fast)
• 32 oz. Chicken Broth ( I use low sodium Organic)
• 3 Chicken Bouillon Cubes (Since we didn't have time to make broth from whole chickens)
• 1.5 c. Orzo Pasta
• 1/2 c. shredded carrot (You can buy it pre-shredded)
• 4 Lemons (No, bottled Lemon Juice doesn't cut it...Don't skimp on this one)
• 5 Eggs (room temperature)
• Sea Salt and Black Pepper
• Fresh Basil for garnish

Directions:

• Find a stock pot and boil just enough water to cover your chicken.  Once the water is boiling, add the bouillon cubes and chicken and cook until chicken is cooked through.
• Remove the chicken and set aside to cool.  Add Chicken Broth and bring back to a boil.
• Add Pasta and shredded carrot and cook until tender (about 10 minutes)
• In the meantime, juice the lemons and set aside
• Crack the eggs in a Large Mixing bowl
• Add Lemon juice to Eggs and whisk vigorously until slightly foamy
• Ladle 2-3 spoonfuls of hot broth into the egg/lemon mixture while stirring to keep the eggs from "scrambling" in your soup
• While stirring the pot, slowly pour the egg/lemon/broth mixture into the pot of soup
• Shred the chicken by hand and fold into the pot of soup
• Add Sea Salt and Freshly Ground black pepper to taste
• Let simmer on low heat for about 3 minutes to thicken
• Ladle into shallow bowls and garnish Lemon twists and fresh basil

While the soup is simmering, you should throw together this traditional Greek Salad, also from Kouzzina:

What You'll Need:

• Fresh Arugula (enough for a bed on each plate) or European Spring  (Not too much)
• Large Ripe Tomatoes (I like Heirlooms)
• Sliced French Seedless Cucumber (I actually cut large chunks for presentation)
• Thinly sliced Red Onion (I mean shoestring thin if ya can)
• Kalamata Olives (sans pits if possible)
• 1/2 lb. Chunk of Feta in Brine (The crumbles also work and are probably easier to come by)
• Good Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Good Red Wine Vinegar (Or your favorite bottled Greek Dressing)
• Ciabatta Loaf (optional)

What to do:

• Arrange a bed of greens on each plate
• Add Sliced Tomatoes (or wedges) I think the chunkier the better with this salad
• Arrange cucumber, onion, and olives on each plate
• Top with slices or crumbles of the Feta
• Drizzle with Olive Oil and Vinegar (or dressing)
• And Be SURE to season with Sea Salt and Fresh Ground Black Pepper
• Cut a slice (long ways looks cool) of Ciabatta and lay across each plate