Food Network Star Cat Cora Shares Her Greek-Style Nachos

Self Magazine

by Sarah-Jane Bedwell



courtesy photo
courtesy photo

Normally, we think of nachos as a fattening mound of fried corn chips, meat, sour cream and cheese. (Unless you're thinking of our lightened-up version of the bar-food staple.) But Food Network's Cat Cora put a Mediterranean spin on classic nachos by replacing the typical, high-saturated fat ingredients with flavorful, heart healthy ingredients like tomatoes, herbs, olive oil and nonfat Greek yogurt. And in case y'all forgot, the Mediterranean diet has some serious health benefits: cut your risk of heart attack and stroke, with recent studies confirming the diet's powers to help you slim, too. Bonus: Tomatoes are at the peak of their freshness right now -- so get a jump on this recipe and make it like ASAP.

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 Cup Roasted Red Peppers
1 Teaspoon Garlic (Minced)
Pinch Kosher Salt
1 1/2Teaspoon Fresh Oregano (Minced)
1 1/2 Teaspoon Cat Cora's Kitchen by Gaea Sitia, Crete or Kalamata D.O.P. Greek extra virgin olive oil
12 Ounce Pita Chips
2 Cup Pepper Jack Cheese (Shredded)
8 Ounce Mild Feta Cheese (Crumbled)
1/2 Cup Cat Cora's Kitchen by Gaea Green Greek Olives (Pitted and Sliced)
1/4 Cup Cat Cora's Kitchen by Gaea Kalamata Olives (Pitted and Sliced)
1/2 Cup Cherry Tomatoes (Quartered)
1/2 Cup Nonfat Greek yogurt

INSTRUCTIONS:
For the Roasted Red Pepper Salsa: Cut the red peppers into a medium dice and mix in a bowl with the garlic, salt, and oregano. Stir in the olive oil. Taste and add more salt if necessary. Chill the mixture in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.

See more:Secrets To Firing Up Your Metabolism

For the Nachos:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Take the roasted red pepper salsa out of the fridge and set it aside. Spread the pita chips in a single layer on a baking sheet or a large heatproof platter. Sprinkle both cheeses evenly over the chips. Scatter the pepperoncini over the cheese. Bake the chips just until the cheese is melted, about 7 to 10 minutes. Remove the chips from the oven and scatter olives and cherry tomato quarters over the top. Spoon some of the red pepper salsa on the nachos and then dab on small dollops of Greek yogurt. Place the remaining salsa into a bowl so folks can dip while they eat. Serve the nachos right away with the remaining salsa on the side for folks to dip.

Twist It: Make the salsa into a smooth, creamy sauce in your food processor. Just add the roasted pepper, garlic, salt, and oregano to the bowl of a food processor and pulse until ingredients are pureed. You don't need to mince the garlic and oregano but just chop them roughly and let the processor do the work. (If your food processor is larger than a 1-quart model you may need to double the salsa recipe; serve any leftover salsa with eggs the next day.) With the motor running, pour in the olive oil until the mixture is completely smooth. Scrape the puree into a small bowl and mix in the yogurt until blended. Taste and add more salt if necessary. This gives you a creamy, bright red sauce that's a complete flavor blast. As soon as you pull the warm nachos from the oven, drizzle this sauce over the top in a lattice pattern. Cut the red peppers into a medium dice and mix in a bowl with the garlic, salt, and oregano. Stir in the olive oil. Taste and add more salt if necessary. Chill the mixture in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.

More fromSELF:
2013 Best Healthy Beauty Buys
6 Moves To Resize Your Butt and Thighs
What to Eat for Gorgeous Hair
20 Superfoods For Weight Loss