Greek Cuisine
Greek cuisine has four secrets: the good fresh ingredients, the judicious use of herbs and spices, the famous Greek olive oil and its basic simplicity.
Greek olive oil merits a special mention. Present in almost every Greek dish and in most of them in abundance, it is of excellent quality and very good for the health.
Then there are the vegetables and herbs. Due to the mild Greek climate, forced growth of vegetables is not widespread. Therefore, most vegetables are grown naturally and full of aroma and taste. You will be delighted by the taste of Greek tomatoes, lettuces carrots, onions, parsley and garlic not to mention the rich flavor and aroma of its fresh fruit: grapes, apricots, peaches, cherries, melons, watermelons, to name but a few. The herbs, that almost all the Greek collect from their mountains and countryside, are renowned for their taste, scent and healing properties. Eating one of the many different Greek dishes the aroma of oregano, thyme, spearmint or rosemary will inebriate you.
Do not forget to try also the Greek cheeses and particularly feta. As lambs and goats in Greece are free grazing and the pastures are very rich in herbs, the meats have a unique taste not to be found anywhere else in the world.
Seafood from the Mediterranean Sea is by far tastier than that from the oceans. In the Aegean and the Ionian Sea the waters are crystal clear and abound with fish. Charbroiled fresh fish is considered a treat.
Greek Food Recipes
Taramosalata
Ingredients:- 1/4 lb Tarama (fish roe)
- 2/3 lb Boiled potatoes
- 1 cup Olive oil
- 1 Small onion
- 1 1/2 Lemons (squeezed)
Directions:
Mash the tarama the potatoes and the onion. Beat the mix until very soft and creamy. Add the olive oil and lemon juice together very slowly while mixing. Serve with olives.
Greek Salad
Ingredients:
- Four tomatoes, sliced in segments (must be hard, salad tomatoes
- One sliced onion
- 1/2 sliced cucumber
- Some olive oil
- Sliced féta cheese (a white, salty cheese made with goats milk)
- Salt, pepper and oregano seasoning
Directions:
Mix the ingredients together and spread the oil over them. Sprinkle some salt, pepper and oregano.
Saganaki - Greek Flaming Cheese
Ingredients:
- 1 lb Mozzarella cheese
- 2 tb Butter melted
- 2 tb Brandy
- 1/2 Lemon
Directions:
Heat oven to broil. Have serving tray ready with crackers lemon and brandy. Cut cheese into 3 wedges; arrange in star shape in a pie pan or shallow quiche pan suitable for broiling and serving. Pour melted butter over cheese. Broil 4 to 6 inches from heat until cheese is bubbly and light brown. Add to serving tray and take to guests. Pour slightly warmed brandy over cheese and ignite immediately in front of guests. Squeeze lemon juice over cheese to extinguish flame. Serve at once with firm crackers toasted pita bread or crusty French bread slices.
Eggplant Salad
Ingredients:
- Four medium size eggplants/aubergines
- Three garlic cloves
- 1/2 cup of olive oil
Directions:
Put the eggplants in the microwave or normal oven, and cook until it feels very soft(about 10 minutes in the microwave/40 minutes in a normal oven). Using a sharp knife, slice in half, and using a spoon, remove the inside 'meat' and place in a bowl. If the eggplants are well done, the inside should come out very easily. Put the garlic cloves in a garlic press and spread the garlic on top of the eggplant. Using a fork, start mixing the garlic and the eggplants together, and spread the oil a little at a time. When the oil is absorbed, the salad is done. Put in a fridge to cool down and serve with sprinkled parsley. Eggplant salad (also called poor man's caviar) is eaten with French bread.
Tsaziki Cheese
Ingredients:
- 500 grams (1/2 quart) of Greek yoghurt (or natural full, dairy yoghurt)
- Three garlic cloves
- 1/2 cup of olive oil
- 1/2 sliced cucumber
Directions:
Put the yoghurt in a bowl. Put the garlic through a garlic press and using the edge of a knife, spread the garlic coming our of the press on the yoghurt. Take the cucumber and peal the skin. Slice it thinly, either with a knife or using a salad slicer. Mix the ingredients with a mixer (or a fork) and slowly add the oil. The oil will be absorbed, and when it is done, the tzazki is ready. Serve with a spoon and a few olives spread on the top. Tzaziki is eaten with plenty of french bread.
Souvlaki
Ingredients:
- 1 kg/2 lb of pork meat, cut in cubes with 1 inch (2.5cm) sides
- 6 Pita breads
- Juice of 4 lemons
- Salt, pepper and oregano seasoning
- 6 wooden skewers
- Tzaziki (see above)
Directions:
Put the pork meat in the wooden skewers, salt and pepper them. Cook over a barbecue fire, on a skilet or under an oven grill. In the meantime, spread some oil on the pitas and place under the oven grill, browing slightly each side, but not drying them. When the meat is done, dip them in a long glass containing the lemon juice and then holding a pita bread in one hand empty the skewer contents in it removing the skewer. Sprinkle with oregano and salt, add tzaziki and the souvlaki is ready.
Gyros
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup minced onion
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/2 pound ground lamb
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 cup seeded and pared cucumber, diced
- 1/4 cup non-fat yogurt
- 1 tablespoon fresh mint chopped
- 2 pitas
- 1/2 cup shredded lettuce
- 1/2 cup diced tomato
Directions:
Spray skillet with non-stick spray and add onion and garlic. Cook until soft over low heat stirring constantly. Place in mixing bowl with lamb, lemon juice, oregano and cumin and mix thoroughly. Shape into 2 patties.
Place on rack of broiler and broil 3 to 5 minutes on each side, turning once, or until desired doneness.
Combine cucumber, yogurt and mint in small bowl and mix. Cut around edge of each pita bread and pull open to form pocket. Fill each pita with half the lettuce and tomato, 1 lamb patty and half the yogurt mixture.
Baklava - Greek Famous Dessert
Ingredients:
- 1 lb fyllo pastry
- 7/8 lb almonds (ground)
- 2 tspn cinnamon
- A pinch of clove
- 1 cup butter
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 cup thyme honey
- lemon juice
- 2 tspn vanilla
Directions:
Mix the almonds, cinnamon and clove. Butter a pan and place 4 buttered sheets of fyllo. Spread a thin layer of the mix and then two more sheets of fyllo. Repeat until you have 4 sheets left, which you use for the top layer. Cut the baklava in squares, all the way to the bottom of the pan. Top with the remaining butter and bake in medium oven for ~45 minutes. Mix the sugar, honey, vanilla, lemon juice and 1 1/2 cup of water in a pot and boil for 5 minutes. Remove any froth off the top and pour over the baklava. Serve cold.
Sources: AegeanFerries.com, GreeceByClick.com, All Recipes.com