Greek Recipes

Melitzanosalata- Eggplant dip

A very popular Greek appetizer!

Ingredients:

3 medium eggplants
½ cup olive oil
½ med onion
3 tsp Garlic
1 tsp White pepper
2 tsp Salt
1 ½ tbsp Vinegar

Garnish:

Olives
Parsley
Olive oil

Preparation:

Wash your eggplant very thoroughly. Place in pan and cover with aluminum foil. Bake for an hour 375 degrees or place a fork in the eggplant to make sure it is nice and soft.

Peel skin from the eggplant and cut off the stem. Cut eggplant and place in a strainer with onions. Let them drain until they cool. Place it in a food processor and mix all other ingredients in processor and pulse until it goes through one cycle. It is then ready. Garnish with kalamata olives, olive oil and parsley.

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Kreatopita (Greek Meat Pie) is a spicy Greek dish made with beef or lamb and feta cheese in a phyllo pastry. Greeks love all kinds of pies. Meat pies are a speciality of the Ionian Islands. Enjoy this Greek recipe!

INGREDIENTS:

24 sheets phyllo dough
4 cups cooked white rice
1 clove garlic, minced
3 cups cubed cooked lamb (or any meat you want)
1 lemon, juiced
2 potatoes, peeled and quartered
4 hard-cooked eggs, quartered
2 tablespoons lemon zest
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves
1 1/2 cups crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup olive oil
1 cup beef broth
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup butter, melted

PREPARATION:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes. Drain, cool and chop.
Lightly brush a 9×13 inch pan with melted butter. Place 1 phyllo sheet in pan and lightly brush with butter. Continue adding phyllo sheets for a total of 12, brushing each one lightly with butter (you don’t need to completely cover each phyllo sheet with butter).
Spread cooked rice over phyllo, then sprinkle with minced garlic. Add meat in an even layer, and sprinkle with lemon juice. Place 1 cup diced potatoes over meat.
Arrange quarters of eggs, then sprinkle with parsley, mint and lemon zest. Add crumbled feta cheese.
Pour on olive oil and beef broth. Sprinkle with oregano and pepper. Finally, add beaten egg.
Top with remaining 12 phyllo sheets brushed lightly with melted butter.
Bake for 40 to 50 minutes at 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). during the last 10 minutes, raise the temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Remove from the oven and cool on a rack for 15 minutes. Cut into diamonds or squares and serve warm.

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A classic Greek Recipe, enjoy!

Pastichio - Greek Lasagna

Preparation Time: 1-1 1/2 hours

Ingredients:

1 pound ziti
1 pound chopped meat
3/4 pound Feta cheese, crumbled
2 teaspoons grated Parmesan cheese
6 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup butter or margarine
2 heaping Tbsp. cream cheese
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Preparation:

Boil ziti then drain. Meanwhile, brown chopped meat with 1/2 stick butter and tomato paste. Add salt and pepper. Add remaining ingredients (except eggs) and let mixture cool completely. Then add eggs. Grease a 13×9 inch pan and pour mixture (with ziti) into pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 60 minutes or until lightly browned.

This recipe serves/makes 6

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Moussaka is the shepherd’s pie of Greece. It is a delicious combination of meat, vegetables and a thick, rich sauce. It’s the most traditional Greek dish and also absolutely delicious!

Ingredients:

2 medium eggplants
vegetable oil
1 lb lean ground beef
2 medium onions, peeled and chopped
1 tablespoon fresh minced garlic (or more if desired)
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 teaspoon dried oregano (or to taste)
1 teaspoon salt, divided (or to taste)
black pepper
2-3 tablespoons butter or margarine
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup half-and-half cream
1 egg
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese (can use more)

Preparation:

1-Peel the eggplants, slice 1/4-inch thick.
2-Brush cookie sheet with oil.
3-Coat each side of sliced eggplant with oil then season slices with salt and pepper.
4-Place the eggplant slices on cookie sheet; broil under the broiler until brown; turn and broil the other side, brushing with oil if needed; repeat with all eggplant slices.
5-In the bottom of a greased 9 x 9-inch or a 9 x 13-inch baking pan, arrange half of the eggplant slices.
6-In a large skillet, combine beef and onions; cook, stirring until the beef is no longer pink, and the onions are soft; drain fat.
7-Add in the garlic, tomato sauce, oregano, 1/2 tsp salt and pepper to taste; pour mixture over eggplant slices.
8-Arrange the remaining eggplant slices over the beef mixture.
9-PREPARE THE CHEESE SAUCE: Melt the butter in a saucepan, whisk in flour, 1/2 tsp salt and pepper to taste; gradually stir in half and half or milk, cook and stir over medium heat until thick and bubbly.
10-In a small bowl, beat egg; stir in some of the hot sauce, then add egg to sauce mixture, mix well; add in Parmesan cheese, and stir again.
11-Pour the cheese sauce over mixture in baking dish.
12-Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven, for 45 minutes.
13-Cut into squares.
Note: If you plan on doubling this recipe (to serve 8), it is best to make two separate casseroles, instead of one larger one.

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The famous Baklava Greek recipe!

Ingredients

1 Pkg Fillo Sheets
1 lb Butter, melted
1 lb Walnuts, chopped
3 cups Sugar, white granulated
1/2 tsp Ground Cloves
1 tsp Ground Cinnamon or
1/4 tsp Ground and 1 Stick Cinnamon
9 x 13 Pyrex Baking Dish
Pastry Brush

Preparation

Chop the walnuts to medium fine and mix with 1 cup sugar, 1/4 tsp ground Cinnamon and 1/4 tsp ground Cloves. Melt the butter. Cut the Fillo in half so that each sheet fits the bottom of the Baking Pan. Generously butter the bottom and sides of the baking pan and place the Fillo, one sheet at a time, in the baking pan. Generously spread butter on each sheet of fillo as it is placed in the pan.

On every 6 to 8 sheets of Fillo spread a layer of walnut mix. Continue layering Fillo sheets and walnuts until Fillo is complete. Pour any remaining butter over top of the Baklava. The secret to good flaky Baklava is to have each sheet of Fillo well buttered so that the sheets do not stick together. With a sharp knife, cut the Baklava diagonally to form diamond shaped pieces. Preheat the oven to 350F degrees and bake the Baklava for 40 to 45 minutes or until golden brown on top. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.

HONEY SYRUP

Mix one cup water, two cups sugar, 1/4 tsp ground cloves and either 3/4 tsp Cinnamon or the Cinnamon stick in a sauce pan and bring to a broil. Simmer for 20 minutes. Pour the boiling syrup over the cool Baklava and allow to cool completely again. When cool, serve individual pieces with strong sweet coffee and dried apricots for an exquisite dessert.

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