Enjoy this healthy Greek vegetable recipe with family and friends!

Ingredients:

2 lbs okra
1 cup olive oil
2 onions, finely chopped
4 ripe tomatoes
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Vinegar

Preparation:

Trim the tops from the okra, wash well, and sprinkle with vinegar and let stand for one hour. Rinse well and drain. Put the oil in a pot and saute the onions and okra. Add the tomatoes, peeled and put through a food mill, the salt, pepper and a little water. Cook over medium heat until all the water has evaporated.

Serves 6 to 8

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This Greek dish takes its name from the “little shoes” that the stuffed eggplants resemble when cooked. Enjoy this traditional Greek recipe! It is also possible to make this dish with zucchini as well.

Ingredients:

2 large eggplants, stems cut off
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cups meat sauce
2 cups bechamel sauce
3 tbsp breabcrumbs
2 tbsp grated kefalotiri or parmesan cheese

Preparation:

Halve the eggplants lengthways, score the flesh in a crisscross pattern with a sharp knife, then scoop out most of the flesh to allow room for the stuffing, being careful not to break the skin. Chop the eggplant flesh. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat and saute the eggplant flesh for about 5 minutes or until softened. Add to the meat sauce and combine well.

Preheat the oven to 350F. Add the eggplant halves to the skillet and saute for 5 minutes or until softened, turning them once. Remove from the pan, drain on paper towels and place on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Fill the center of each eggplant with some of the meat mixture and then spread the bechamel sauce over the top. Sprinkle with the breadcrumbs and cheese.

Bake for 45 minutes or until golden brown. Serve hot.

Serves 4 to 6

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This classic Greek vegetarian soup recipe is simple to make. Served with plenty of crusty bread, it makes a perfect dish for a large impromptu party!

Ingredients:

1 lb dried white beans
1 large yellow onion, peeled and roughly chopped
3 carrots, peeled and sliced
3 sticks celery, strings removed and sliced
3 ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and roughly chopped (or 1 15oz can peeled tomatoes)
2 tbsp tomato paste
5 tbsp olive oil
2 bay leaves
Handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:

Drain the beans and place in a large saucepan. Cover with cold water and bring to a boil, skimming off any froth with a slotted spoon. Add all the other ingredients except the seasonings, and simmer for 1 1/2 hours or until tender. Allow to cool slightly, season with salt and pepper, and ladle onto bowls.

Serves 6 to 8

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Keftedes (fritters) can be made with almost anything. Most familiar are the small minced lamb, beef or chicken balls simply served with a squeeze of lemon. Greeks also love to use an abundance or seasonally available vegetables, such as spinach, wild greens, tomatoes, eggplants and zucchini, by making them into fritters. The vegetables are always chopped with onion or green onion and fresh or dried herbs, then bound with a little egg, breadcrumbs, flour or cheese, before being lightly floured and fried. Enjoy this easy Greek recipe!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lb zucchini, trimmed and grated
2 bunches green onions, including green stems, finely chopped
6 oz feta cheese, crumbled
1/2 cup grated kefalotiri, or parmesan
2 eggs, beaten
4 tbsp finely chopped fresh dill
4 tbsp finely chopped fresh mint
1 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil for frying
1/2 lemon

Preparation:

Mix the zucchini, green onions, cheeses, eggs and herbs together in a large bowl. Add the flour to the mixture, season to taste with salt and pepper, and stir well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Heat about 1/2 inch of olive oil in a heavy-bottomed skillet. Shape the mixture into round, flat fritters, adding a little more flour if the mixture is too wet. Cook several fritters at a time for 5 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Using a spatula, transfer the fritters to paper towels to drain. Set aside in a warm place while you cook the remaining mixture. Serve with a squeeze of lemon.

Serves 6 to 8
Makes about 30 fritters

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In the summertime, large tomatoes and peppers are most commonly stuffed with rice or meat, placed in tapsia (large metal baking pans), surrounded by some potatoes and baked in the oven. They are delicious hot or cold. Enjoy this Greek recipe!

Ingredients:

7 medium tomatoes
6 medium green peppers
1 1/2 cup rice
2 medium onions, finely chopped
Parsley, finely chopped
1 1/2 cup olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Rusk crumbs
2 cups tomato juice

Preparation:

Wash the tomatoes and peppers. Cut a thin slice off the stem-ends and hollow out the interiors. Keep the tomato pulp, and chop it up or puree it in the blender. Mix the rice, onion, parsley, tomato pulp, 1/2 cup olive oil, slat and pepper. Fill the tomatoes and peppers with the mixture, cover them with the lids you have sliced off and arrange them in a baking pan. Pour the tomato juice and the rest of the oil over them and sprinkle the lids with rusk crumbs. Bake them in a moderate oven (350F) for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Serves 6 to 8

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