Greek Cuisine

RECIPE FORUM International Recipes
21

Ancient Greek Gilt - head bream with cheese and oil - (Arxaies tsipoures me tyri kai ladi)

NOTES
Source:The Classical Cookbook, Andrew Dalby and Sally Grainger.
Excelent source regarding Ancient Greek cuisine
Serves / Yields : 4 persons
Season *: All season
*(our season proposal is not constraining)

INGREDIENTS
· 1 ½ kg ( 3-1/3 lb )gilt – head bream fish
· 225 gr ( 8 oz ) pecorino romano cheese
· 3 spoons olive oil
· 1 tea spoon salt
· 1 tea spoon cumin
METHOD
Clean the fish and scrape the scales carefully. Remove head and tail. Mash the cheese and beat it in a mixer with the olive oil. Baste a baking pan with oil and place the fish into it. Spread half of the cheese mixture on top of the fish and ensure that it is well covered by the mixture. Turn the fish upside down and spread the other side with the rest of the cheese mixture. Preheat the oven in 220 C and bake the fish for 10 – 15 minutes. Remove from the oven turn it upside down carefully and bake for another 10 – 15 minutes. Mix the cumin with the salt and dredge it over the cheese crust. Sprinkle the fish with one spoon olive oil and serve.

22

Ancient Greek Fish with coriander - (Arxaio psari me coliandro)

NOTES
Source:The Classical Cookbook, Andrew Dalby and Sally Grainger.
Excelent source regarding Ancient Greek cuisine
Serves / Yields : 2 persons
Season *: All season
*(our season proposal is not constraining)

INGREDIENTS
· 2 spoons of coriander seeds
· 1 tea spoon salt
· 2 steaks cod
· Vinegar, made from white wine.
METHOD
Preheat the oven in 190 C. Place the coriander seeds in a baking pan and bake them for 10 minutes. Let them coo for some minutes. Mash them with a mortar together with the salt. Drain the fish steaks and remove any tiny bones you can find. Sift them with the coriander mixture and place them in a baking pan (baste the baking pan with oil). Cover the pan and place it in the oven. Bake the fish for 20 – 25 minutes. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with vinegar and serve hot.
Note: Do not forget to sprinkle with vinegar.

23

Ancient Fruit Salad - (Froutosalata)

NOTES
This is an ancient Greek Recipe taken from the “Taste” Greek Magazine.
Serves / Yields : 4 persons
Season *: All season
*(our season proposal is not constraining)

INGREDIENTS
· 1 melon
· 2 peaches
· 2 pears
· 1 bunch of grapes
· 2 glasses Mosxato wine
· 1/2 cup peeled and chopped almonds
· 1/2 cup golden grapes
· 1/2 cup honey
METHOD
Cut the melon in half and carefully remove the flesh and cut into small pieces. Mix the melon with the rest of the cut fruit, the almonds and the grapes and fill the melon skins with this mixture. On a low heat, warm the wine with the honey mixing well. Pour this mixture over the fruit. Before serving, the fruit should be put in the refridgerator for an hour.

24

Ancient cooked tuna - (Fileta tonou sti katsarola)

NOTES
This is an ancient Greek Recipe taken from the “Taste” Greek Magazine.
Serves / Yields : 4 - 6 persons
Season *: All season
*(our season proposal is not constraining)

INGREDIENTS
· 8 tablespoons olive oil
· 8 leek cut in rounds
· 8 celery sticks finely chopped
· 1 full teaspoon rosemary
· 1 full teaspoon thyme
· salt and pepper
· half of a medium sized cucumber cut in rounds
· 2 1/2 cups water
· 2 1/2 cups dry white wine
· 6 pieces of tuna
METHOD
Heat the oil in a large saucepan and saute the leeks and the celery until soft. Add the herbs, the cucumber, the water, and the wine. Mix well and put the tuna slices on top of the vegetables. Cover the pan and boil on a low heat for 30 - 45 minutes, according to the thickness of the tuna. Serve with rice and a green tossed salad.

25

Ancient Bean soup - (Fasolada)

NOTES
This is an ancient Greek Recipe taken from the “Taste” Greek Magazine.
Serves / Yields : 6 persons
Season *: Autumn,Winter
*(our season proposal is not constraining)

INGREDIENTS
· 2 cups white beans
· 1/2 liter ( 2 cups ) water
· 200 gr. ( 8 oz or 1/2 lb ) lard
· 3 onions finely chopped
· 1/2 liter ( 2 cups ) beef broth
· 2 garlic cloves
· 2 tablespoons olive oil
· 1 tablespoon honey
· 1/2 teaspoon coriander
· 1 bunch parsley
· 2 bay leafs
· salt and pepper
METHOD
Soak the beans in water over night. Then boil them in a little water for 5 minutes. Take the pressure cooker off the heat and cover for 1 hour. Pour the beans and bay leaf into the beef broth and slowly boil for 2 hours. Sauti the onion in the lard and then add the parsley, the coriander, the salt and pepper. Add this to the beans. Add the honey and allow to boil slowly for a few more minutes. Before serving, add the garlic cloves that have been passed through a garlic press and mixed with the oil.

26

Hi everyone.

Sorry, but I didn’t know how to convert these to American standards… I have yet to try these out but they sounded so delisous, I wanted to share them with you…so, salute!, enjoy! be happy!

27

Grilled Tuna Souvlaki with Tzatziki

Yields 4 servings.

Ingredients:

Tuna:

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon minced fresh oregano
1 clove garlic, passed through a garlic press
2 teaspoons finely minced lemon zest
3/4 pound fresh tuna loin, cut into 4-inch x 2-inch strips
• fine sea salt and freshly ground white pepper, to taste

Tzatziki:

1/4 cup finely grated peeled and seeded cucumbers
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup plain yogurt, drained
1 clove garlic, passed through a garlic press
1 teaspoon minced fresh mint
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 to 2 drops hot sauce (i.e. Tabasco)
• fine sea salt and freshly ground white pepper, to taste

Assembly:

4 pita bread rounds
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 leaves romaine lettuce, cut into julienne
1 large ripe tomato, diced
4 green onions, green tops only, cut into 1/8-inch-thick slices

  1. Combine olive oil, oregano, garlic, and lemon zest in a medium bowl. Rub mixture over tuna strips to coat; set in the refrigerator for 10 to 20 minutes.

  2. Preheat grill or a non-stick grill pan to high heat. Season tuna with salt and pepper, and cook on all four sides until desired doneness is achieved, about 30 seconds per side. Cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices.

  3. Combine all the tzatziki ingredients in a small bowl and mix thoroughly.

  4. If using grill pan, place over medium-high heat. Brush pita rounds with olive oil and grill for 30 seconds to 1 minute on each side.

  5. Spread 2 tablespoons of tzatziki onto each pita round. Top each with lettuce, tomatoes, and cooked tuna. Garnish each with a small dollop of tzatziki and green onions.

Make It Light: Use low fat sour cream and yogurt. Reduce olive oil to 1 tablespoon.

Make It Ahead: Make Tzatziki up to 1 day in advance.

B-man :smiley:

28

Hi mmchummel… Hope you don’t mind, but I edited your posts to reflect Imperial Measure, from metric. Now, they contain both. Thank you for your recipe contributions - it is very considerate of you to share.
*
If anyone would like an electronic measurement conversion program, I have one that I’d be willing to share/give to you. ONE CATCH: Contribute one or more post(s) here in any of the threads of the International Recipe Forum. Then send me a PM with your email address, and the name of the recipe you posted, and in which thread. That’s it! The program is very small (568 kb), and can easily be sent via email. It converts to and from metric\imperial …so all of our UK friends, and anyone else using the metric system …don’t be shy…just post, then ask. I obtained this program free…so there’s no copyright concerns.
*
Happy Posting!

B-man :smiley:

29

Greek-Style Beef Skillet

Tender pieces of beef combined with the unusual flavours of the Mediterranean for a quick-to-fix meal. Garnish with black olives.

1 lb flank or sirloin steak
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 medium onion, sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (28 oz or 19 oz) can stewed tomatoes
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp cumin
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp cornstarch
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese (optional)

Slice steak thinly across the grain.

Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat; brown beef on both sides; remove from pan.

Saute onion and garlic in pan drippings 2 minutes; drain off fat.

Stir in tomatoes, lemon juice, cumin and cinnamon; bring to boil; simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes.

Dissolve cornstarch in 1 tbsp water; stir into pan and cook until thickened.

Stir in beef and heat through.

Serve over cooked rice, if desired, and sprinkle with feta cheese.

Makes 4 servings. Calories per serving: 281

30

Citrus Roasted Olives

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
6 cloves garlic, peeled and flattened
1 lemon, juiced and zest cut into thin strips
1 orange, zes cut into thin strips
1 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
2 cups green and black olives in brine, any combination

Preheat oven to 400 F (200 C).

In an ovenprof skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and saute for 1-2 minutes, just until garlic begins to turn yellow on the edges. Do not let it brown.

Add lemon zest, orange zest and rosemary to pan and stir for 30 seconds. Add olives and continue stirring for another 30 seconds.

Place skillet into prehated oven and bake 5 minutes, stirring about halfway through. Transfer olives to a bowl and add lemon juice. Cool slightly before serving.

Olives can be refrigerated in the marinade for 2 weeks. Makes 2 cups.

31

Mediterranean Onion Dip

2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 roasted red pepper, minced
1 pouch Lipton Onion Recipe Soup Mix
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
9 oz cream cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
4-6 pitted Kalamata olives

Process all ingredients in food processor until smooth. Chill to blend flavours. Serve with flatbread, pita, cut vegetables or chips. Makes 2 cups.

32

Feta Cheese Triangles

1 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/3 cup goat cheese or ricotta
1 egg, beaten
1 green onion, finely chopped
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 pkg frozen puff pastry, thawed
beaten egg for glazing pastry

Preheat oven to 425 F. Lightly grease baking sheet. In medium bowl, combine feta, goat cheese or ricotta, egg, green onion and pepper. Set aside.

On lightly floured surface, roll out half the puff pastry to a 10-inch (25 cm) square. With a sharp knife, cut pastry into 9 even squares. Repeat with second half of pastry dough.

Working with one square at a time, place a spoonful of the cheese mixture in middle of each pastry square. Brush edges very lightly with water, then fold one corner over to meet the opposite corner, forming a triangle. Press edges to seal, then crimp firmly shut with the tines of a fork.

Place triangles on prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining pastry and filling. Brus tops lightly with the second beaten egg.

Bake for 13-15 minutes or until tops are golden and bottoms are nicely browned. Makes 18 triangles.

33

Kourambiedes (Greek Butter Cookies)

These crumbly cokies, coated with confectioners’ sugar, are traditionally served in Greek homes at all festive occasions. At weddings, they are served as a good luck token.

½ lb butter, at room temperature
¾ cup confectioners’ sugar
1 egg yolk
1-1/2 tbsp cognac or brandy
4-1/2 cups cake flour, sifted twice

Cream butter with an electric mixer until thick and lemon coloured. Sift confectioners’ sugar and add it gradually to butter. Add egg yolk, creaming well. Add cognac.

Gradually work in the flour to make a soft dough that will roll easily in the palm of the hand without sticking. If sticky, refrigerate the dough for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Pat and shape the dough into balls 1-1/2 inches in diameter. Place on ungreased baking sheet and bake until sandy-coloured (not brown), about 15 minutes. Cool and sift over generously with additional confectioners’ sugar.

Yield: about 4 dozen

34

Keftedes (Greek Meatballs)

*appetizers (about 32 meatballs)

1-1/2 lbs ground round steak
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 medium onions, finely chopped
1/2 cup fine, soft breadcrumbs
2 tbsp chopped parsley
1 tbsp chopped mint
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp allspice
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
oil for pan frying

Combine all ingredients, except oil, and mix thoroughly. Refrigerate for several hours.

Shape into small, bite-size balls and fry in hot oil until brown. Serve hot.

35

Greek Pork Souvlaki

Ingredients:

Pork Souvlaki
Greek Salad Dressing
Tzaziki
Lime juice
Tomatoes

You’ll just have to eyeball quantities!

Marinate Souvlaki in Greek Salad Dressing & Lime juice, for at least one hour; longer is best. Overnight is not necessary.

Once Souvlaki are marinated, pre-heat grill to High.

Reduce heat to Medium and begin grilling souvlaki.

Cook about 10-15 minutes per side.

Serve on Pita bread with Tzaziki sauce and fresh tomatoes.

B-man :smiley:

36

Greek Spinach Salad

Ingredients:

2 bunches spinach
1/2 cup red onion – thinly sliced
1/2 cup peeled and seeded cucumbers – thinly sliced
1/2 cup sliced radishes
4 ounces feta cheese – crumbled
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 green onion – sliced
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup pine nuts – for garnish
1/4 cup Greek olives (optional) – for garnish

  1. Wash spinach, remove stems, and pat leaves dry, then tear into
    bite-size pieces. Place spinach in a salad bowl with red onion,
    cucumbers,
    radishes, and half of the feta.

  2. In a blender puree remaining feta, mustard, parsley, green onion,
    lemon juice, garlic, and olive oil. Pour over salad. Garnish with pine
    nuts and Greek olives (if desired).

NOTES : Greek Spinach Salad is a refreshing dish on a hot summer day. Prepare the spinach ahead of time – wash and store in
plastic bags. The cucumbers can be premarinated in the dressing,
which gives them an additional zest. Feta cheese, an important ingredient in many Greek dishes, is added both to the greens
and to the dressing. Pine nuts top the salad as a garnish. Serve
with crusty French bread and chilled white wine.

B-man :smiley:

37

GREEK COUNTRY STYLE STUFFED ROAST CHICKEN

Ingredients:

1 large roasting chicken
2 chopped chicken giblets
2 chopped chicken livers
1 small chopped tomato
2 medium peeled & diced potatoes
2 chopped garlic cloves
2 halved & sliced garlic cloves
3 pinches rosemary
4 pinches rosemary
30 gr - 1 oz chopped very spicy hard cheese
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup olive oil
2/3 cup lemon juice
salt, pepper

FOR THE STUFFING: Pour the 1/4 cup of olive oil into a pan and heat it. Add the chopped chicken livers and giblets and sauté them. Then add the diced potatoes and chopped garlic and mix everything together and continue to sauté them for approximately 3 minutes. Add the chopped tomato, the 3 pinches of rosemary, salt and pepper and mix them all in well and continue cooking everything until the tomato softens completely, stirring everything regularly with a wooden spoon. When the tomato has softened well, add the cheese, mix it in and remove the pan from the fire. The heat contained in the stuffing mixture will continue to heat and soften the cheese without burning it.

FOR THE CHICKEN: Place the chicken in a roasting pan and salt and pepper it. Spoon the stuffing into the chicken and press it every so often with the back of the spoon so the stuffing is a little more solid inside the chicken. Tie the chicken drumsticks together with a string to prevent the stuffing from falling out while the chicken is roasting. Evenly sprinkle the sliced garlic throughout the pan and then sprinkle the 4 pinches of rosemary in the same manner. Pour the 1 cup of olive oil on the chicken and throughout the pan. Pour in enough water to 1/2 fill the roasting pan, add salt and pepper to the pan juices and cover the chicken with aluminum foil and place it in a well preheated oven to cook at 200º C/400º F. Cooking time varies with different chicken but on average roasting will take about 75 minutes. Test the chicken at 20 minute intervals, while turning it over so it will cook evenly in the pan juices. When the chicken is half cooked remove the foil and, if necessary, add a little more water if the pan juices are not sufficient. Approximately 10 minutes before the chicken is completely done pour the lemon juice over the chicken and allow it to continue cooking for the remainder of the required time.

  • If you find that there are excessive pan juices (some ovens dry out liquids more rapidly than others) simply remove the chicken from the pan when it has cooked, cover it well and return the pan with the juices to the oven to continue cooking for a further 10 minutes so they reduce. Switch off the oven and place the chicken back in the pan with the juices for 3 - 5 minutes so the chicken may draw in some extra liquids and does not dry out, before serving.

B-man :smiley:

38

Greek Lamb Casserole

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
8 ounces eggplant, peeled and cut into -inch chunks
3/4 cup water
10 ounces well-trimmed lamb shoulder, diced
1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes
3/4 cup chopped fresh mint
3/4 cup chopped fresh dill
3/4 teaspoon salt
12 ounces orzo
1 cup plain low-fat yogurt
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 large egg whites

Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Add eggplant and water and cook, stirring frequently, until eggplant is tender, about 5 minutes. Add lamb and cook until no longer pink, about 3 minutes.

Stir in tomatoes, cup of mint, cup of dill, and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook 20 minutes, or until lamb is tender.

Meanwhile, cook orzo according to package directions. Drain.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine yogurt, flour and egg whites in small bowl.

Stir drained orzo into lamb mixture. Spoon mixture into 11-by-7-inch baking dish. Cover and bake 10 minutes. Uncover dish and spoon yogurt mixture over top. Bake until pasta is piping hot, about 20 minutes. Sprinkle remaining cup mint and cup dill on top and serve.

Makes 6 servings.

Note: To make this dish ahead, bake it, let it come to room temperature, cover and refrigerate. To reheat, spray foil with cooking spray,cover, and reheat in a 300-degree oven until heated through, about 30 minutes.

B-man :smiley:

39

Pan-Fried Eggplant with Crumbled Feta

Eggplants with feta are found in tavernas and prepared at home with equal gusto. You don’t even have to follow through on the last step—broiling the dish so that the cheese melts. Once the eggplants are softened in the skillet you can serve them, warm or at room temperature, with feta crumbled on top.

Ingredients:

2 medium eggplants, washed and cut into 1/4-inch rounds
Salt
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups
(about 6 ounces) crumbled Greek feta
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Paprika to taste
3 to 4 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley to taste

  1. Place the eggplant slices in a colander in layers and salt each layer. Place a plate or other weight on top and press down. Let the eggplants drain for 1 hour. Rinse in the colander and pat dry very well.

  2. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet. Place the eggplant slices in the skillet. Fry until lightly golden on both sides, turning once in the process. Repeat with the remaining eggplant slices and olive oil.

  3. Preheat the broiler. Place the eggplant slices on an ovenproof platter, sprinkle with the crumbled feta, pepper, and paprika and place under the broiler, about 8 inches from the heat source, for a few minutes until the feta starts to melt. Sprinkle with parsley and serve hot.

B-man :smiley:

40

Feta Saganaki with a Sesame-Seed Crust

Saganaki is a two-handled shallow skillet with a rounded perimeter, and any food cooked in it takes on its name. So, saganaki as a recipe includes many things. It can be a bubbling shrimp or mussel dish with spicy tomato sauce and melted cheese; it can be one of many flour-dusted pan-fried cheeses, too.

This recipe is a take on the fried-cheese tradition, and one that began to make its way onto Athenian menus in the late 1990s.

Ingredients:

1/4 pound hard Greek feta or telemes cheese, aged in tins, not barrels
1 large egg
1 cup sesame seeds
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil for sautØing
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

  1. The feta should be a rectangular, not triangular, piece. Cut it into four 1/2-inch slices and cut each slice into quarters to get bite-sized rectangles.

  2. Beat the egg lightly in a shallow bowl. Spread the sesame seeds onto a large plate. Dip the cheese in the egg and then in the sesame seeds. Heat the olive oil and butter in a large heavy, nonstick skillet. Place about 6 of the cheese pieces in the skillet, and sauté over medium-high heat. As soon as the feta begins to soften, flip it over to brown on the other side.

  3. Remove and serve hot. Repeat with the remaining feta and sesame seeds.

B-man :smiley: