I have this enduring love of Mediterranean cuisine; truly I do, whether it's "Egyptian Lentil Soup" or "Italian Pasta with Garlic and Oil"

It seems to me no matter how much I love meat and potatoes, owing to my Austrian-Irish heritage, I just can't get enough of that delicious and healthy Mediterranean diet...
Be it Humus or Kebab, Branzino or Paella—there are just so many healthy, flavorful and delicious choices to choose from...

Today I decided on a fusion of favorites and flavors from across the Aegean and Mediterranean; what I ended up creating was a Greek Bifteki, shaped like an Italian meatball and filled with an incredible mix of cheeses, spices and herbs from all across Turkey, Greece, Hungary, Bulgaria and Italy...

Topped with fresh cucumber, tomato, red onion and the "Tzatziki" yogurt sauce inside of a griddle warmed Pita bread—it was truly just a perfectly wonderful blending of tastes and flavors reminding me of my lovely travels across the seas surrounding the beautiful shores of Italy, Greece and Turkey...

This is one healthy dish to serve for lunch or dinner and is sure to become a family favorite in your own home—so why not give it a try; I think you will find that it is, oh so
"Definitely Delish"

"Bifteki Style Meatball Gyro" with "Tzatziki"

Ingredients:
Bifteki:
8 oz. ground Pork
8 oz. ground grass-fed lean Beef
4 oz. ground Lamb
4 tablespoons Red Onion, minced
2 teaspoons Shallot, minced
2 cloves Garlic, finely minced
1 teaspoon Thyme, fresh chopped
2 tablespoons Italian Parsley, fresh chopped
1 teaspoon dried Greek Oregano (I used some I bought in Corfu at a roadside stand)
1/2 teaspoon Turkish Cumin
1/2 teaspoon Hungarian Paprika (Szeged brand)
2 teaspoons Mediterranean Sea Salt, fine
1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper, fresh ground
1 tablespoon Kalamata Olive Oil (I used a bottle I bought in Olympia Greece)
1 tablespoon Italian Red Wine Vinegar
2/3 cup Panko style plain Breadcrumbs
1 large Egg
3-4 oz. Feta Cheese, grated (I used Bulgarian Feta for the smoother, less salty & tart taste)
2 1/2 small vine ripe Tomatoes, minced after seeds and insides removed (mine were Hothouse variety, just smaller than a golf ball in size)

Tzatziki:
2 (7 oz.) containers fat-free Greek Yogurt
1 Cucumber, seedless
1/4 cup low-fat Sour Cream
2 tablespoons Lemon Juice, freshly squeezed
1 tablespoon White Wine Vinegar
1 tablespoon Dill, fresh minced
1 1/2 teaspoons Garlic, finely minced
2 teaspoons Mediterranean Sea Salt
1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper, freshly ground

Topping:
3-4 Kirby Cucumbers, diced
4-6 small vine ripe Tomatoes, seeded & diced
1 Red Onion, sliced or chopped
Sea Salt & Black Pepper
1/2 tablespoon Red Wine Vinegar
2 tablespoons Italian Parsley, fresh chopped

Other:
Fresh Made or Quality Store Brand Pita Bread

Directions:
Bifteki:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit; then in a large bowl add all of your minced and chopped ingredients along with your spices, meat, cheese, egg and breadcrumbs...
2. Mix well by hand. (I wear plastic gloves for this and when forming the meatballs)
3. Take out a baking tray with a rim and begin forming small meatballs, around 1 to 2 inches in size, placing them in the baking tray—then repeat with the remaining meat mixture until all of its used...
4. You'll end up with 40-60 meatballs depending on size. Now place the tray and bake them at 350 degrees for 35 minutes...
5. Once they are done cooking they can be stored in a container in the fridge for 3 or 4 days; when ready to use, heat a pan on the stove on medium high heat and brown the outside of the meatballs till warmed through and ready to eat...

Tzatziki:
1. Place the yogurt in a medium bowl…
2. Grate the cucumber on a grater and squeeze the grated cucumber with your hand, or using cheesecloth, to remove some of the liquid….l
3. Add it to the yogurt along with the sour cream, lemon juice, vinegar, dill, garlic, salt and pepper and stir to combine…
4. Refrigerate until ready to use…

Toppings:
1. Dice the cucumbers and place them in a small container or Ziploc bag with a dash of sea salt and pepper with the red wine vinegar—then toss to combine and refrigerate until ready to use...
2. Remove seeds and inside of tomatoes, then dice and store in a small container or Ziploc bag till needed—repeat with the red onion and parsley...

Gyro:
1. Warm a skillet or griddle pan on the stove at medium heat and lightly toast/warm your pita bread on both sides...
2. Put 2 tablespoons of Tzatziki sauce on the "Gyro" with 4-6 "Bifteki" meatballs, some of the cucumbers, tomatoes and parsley—then enjoy....

*"White on White on Blue"-Santorini by R.Fisher*

It's not every day that you come to the conclusion that you need to make a change; whether it's lifestyle or your job, when this epiphany occurs its sometimes best for you to take that chance and dive right in head first...

In my life this happened within the last few years; you see after surgery to remove a failing organ, as well as a terrible relationship which was dragging me down both physically and emotionally, I decided I had had enough and needed to get my life back on track and start taking care of myself for a change...

For too long I had let things slide and as a result I had put on more weight then some could realize, as my height tended to hide it well-but in actuality between my poor diet and stress, I was falling apart...

Now with sometime having passed, and with me having made the changes necessary in my life to get back on a healthier road and a healthier lifestyle, I see my Baby doing something similar with an old friend from school...

You see; after Nikki excitedly went back and forth talking with her friend, we decided we'd join up, with Emily, as Beachbody Coaches too. Between the exercise routines, challenges and wonderful Shakeology shakes-you get a full range of products that taste good and with the people you meet, the encouragement to keep on the straight and narrow...

So considering my not to modest cooking skills, and my love of experimentation, I decided to put them to the test and play around with different recipes and products to come up with some delicious 21 day fix meals as well as some tasty treats using, of all things, protein powder-of which this is the first...

So sit back and try the first in what I hope will be a series of dishes and treats, I think you'll find that they are oh so "Definitely Delish"

"Strawberry Shakeology Gelato"

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups fresh Strawberries
1 1/2 teaspoons Vanilla extract
2 teaspoons Sweetener (stevia, splenda, truvia, coconut palm sugar)
1/2 teaspoon Strawberry extract, if needed
2 scoops Strawberry Shakeology protein powder
1/2 cup unsweetened Almond Milk
3-6 drops of red food coloring
2 containers Fat Free Cool Whip (You could also make whipped cream using coconut milk)

Directions:
1. Defrost Cool Whip on counter for 1 to 2 hours. Take out strawberries, remove greens and then slice into smaller pieces. Place strawberries in freezer for 1 hour hour minimum...
2. Meanwhile take a bowl and add in the "Shakeology" protein powder, vanilla, sweetener, almond milk and blend using a hand mixer. Add the red food coloring, mix and then set aside...
3. Take frozen strawberry pieces from freezer and chop them up using a food processor, blender or nutri-bullet/ninja. You do not want them to completely puree, there should be some variation in texture with bigger and smaller pieces mixed in with the pulped berry...
4. Add the processed strawberries to the liquid protein powder mix and stir together. Now pour the combined mixture into a large bowl with the defrosted cool whip. Stir together slowly until completely combined...
5. Pour the mixture into a nice sized Tupperware container with a lid and then freeze for a minimum of four hours before serving, overnight is best, and then enjoy...