Greek Recipes

[ewriggs]

You might get the idea that I like many different cuisines - you are right!

This thread will be for posting Greek recipes.

Yummm!

Cheerio!
Elizabeth

[ewriggs]

Kourabiethes (Small Almond Cakes)

This is a traditional Christmas cookie recipe from Greece - but I like them year 'round!! :D

Ingredients:
1lb 9oz butter (5 sticks plus 1 Tbs)
1 1/4 cups olive oil
1/2 cup sugar
3 yolks and 1 egg white
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 tbsp cognac
1 tbsp cinnamon powder
1lb 9oz blanched and ground almonds
10 cups (or less) flour
4 cups of icing sugar (caster sugar) in a bowl for coating. (can use 10X sugar)

Procedure:
* Line cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
* Preheat oven to 350deg F.
* Using a large bowl, cream the butter and the oil with the sugar until fluffy.
* Beat eggs, and stir into the creamed mixture. Mix soda with cognac, and stir into the mixture along with the cinnamon and the ground almonds.
* Add the flour to the mixture very gradually, and knead thoroughly until it becomes a dough ball.
* Form balls the size of a walnut from the dough.
* Arrange about an inche apart on the cookie sheets and bake 15 - 20 mins.
* Remove from oven and cool slightly. Cover really *thickly* with 10X sugar.

Cheerio!
Elizabeth

[ewriggs]

There are many different ways of making Baklava - this is one of them.

Baklava

Ingredients:
Filling
1 pound walnuts, coarsely chopped
1/4 c sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Pastry
1 pound. phyllo pastry (available in freezer section of grocery)
6 Tbs unsalted butter, melted

Syrup
8 oz caster sugar
1 1/4 c water
2 cinnamon sticks
2 teaspoons lemon juice
some lemon peel
2 tablespoons honey

Procedure:
* Generously butter a rectangular baking dish. Set aside. Preheat oven to 375 deg F.
* Mix all filling ingredients together in a bowl.
* With a very sharp knife, cut phyllo pastry a little longer than the inside length of the baking dish.
* Line the entire dish with 5 layers of phyllo, brushing each layer with melted butter before placing in dish. Sprinkle the 5th layer with a thin coating of filling all over the surface. Add 3 more layers of phyllo, generously brushing each layer with butter. Sprinkle a thin coating of filling and place 2 more sheets of buttered phyllo on top. Sprinkle on all the remaining filling, spreading it evenly, and cover with 7-8 more layers of phyllo, again brushing each layer generously with butter.
* Fold any excess pastry on either of the sides over the filling and brush it with butter. Brush the top layer generously with butter in order for it to become crisp and golden when baking. Trim excess pastry with a small sharp knife. It will shrink, so keep that in mind. Cut the top layers of phyllo carefully, either diagonally into diamond shapes or straight, which will result in square or elongated pieces. Be careful to not cut all the way down to the base, but only the top layers. This is done in order to make cutting and lifting the pieces out, once it is cooked, much easier and efficient. Sprinkle drops of water all over the surface and cook in preheated oven for about 15 minutes; lower the heat to 350 deg Fand bake for 20 more minutes.
* While the phyllo is cooking, prepare the syrup. Place the sugar, water, cinnamon sticks, lemon juice and lemon peel in a saucepan and stir to dissolve the sugar. Simmer for 6-8 minutes, add the honey and simmer for 5 more minutes until it thickens. After the baklava cools, pour the hot (but not boiling) syrup (through a strainer) slowly all over the top. Let the baklava stand and absorb the syrup.
* When serving, cut the pieces rest of the way through. Use a small spatula to remove from pan as needed. Leave unused baklava pieces in the dish so it will continue to absorb any remaining liquid syrup.

Cheerio!
Elizabeth

[ajrsmom]

MMM! I like Greek food too so I look forward to seeing your recipes!

[DeBora4BobbyL]

Elizabeth, this is a great thread idea. I too love different cuisines. My DH hates anything but "American" type food and will not try anything different. Back in 2001, his cousin took him out to lunch. She took him to a Greek restaurant. I was shocked! He ate baklava and loved it!!! I asked her how she did it, because I can never get him to try these things! lol Thanks for opening the topic. I love Greek food as they know how to eat. lol

[ewriggs]

Lemon Chicken

Ingredients:
1 whole chicken
3 - 4 lemons
half a cup of olive oil
2 - 3 pinches of oregano
Salt & pepper to taste
4 - 5 potatoes cut in half

Juice of additional lemon plus 1/4 c olive oil

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 deg F

Wash the chicken and dry. Place chicken in a roasting pan. Baste generously inside and out with lemon juice, pouring remainder into the cavity of the chicken. Rub inside and out with salt, pepper and oregano. Pour olive oil over the chicken, making sure all parts are coated very well.

Mix 1/4 c olive oil and juice of 1 lemon

Put into oven uncovered. Cook about 45 minutes, basting frequently with the olive oil / lemon juice mixture.

Add potatoes to the roasting pan, and cook for 45 minutes more. (NOTE: Cooking time will vary depending on size of chicken)

Goes great with a Greek Salad.

NOTE: I like to add one clove of finely minced garlic and 2-3 pinches of rosemary, too. I put the garlic in the basting olive oil, and use the rosemary along with the salt, pepper and oregano to rub into the chicken.

Cheerio!
Elizabeth

[ewriggs]

Wow! Y'all must be watching me post! those replies were FAST! here I was formatting the recipe for chicken, and y'all already posted!!

Glad you like the thread! I'll add more as I can. Greek and Middle Eastern cuisines are nearly identical (but don't tell them!!) so you may see some recipes that look "middle eastern" here.

Enjoy!

Cheerio!
Elizabeth

[DeBora4BobbyL]

Elizabeth, I have high-speed Internet. lol

I have never had middle eastern food, but I want to try it someday.

[ewriggs]

Greeks use lamb and pork more than beef. This is a wonderful dish.

Lamb with Yoghurt Sauce

Ingredients:
2 # lamb, cut up into 2-3 inch cubes
1/4 c butter
1 garlic clove
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt
Pepper

Sauce:
1 c plain yoghurt
2 cups milk
1 Tbsp cornstarch
4 eggs

Directions:
Sprinkle the lamb pieces with salt and pepper.

Mix garlic, lemon juice, butter and 1 c water in a pan. Add the seasoned lamb and bring to a boil. Turn down heat and simmer for about 45 minutes.

Move lamb pieces to a baking dish. Strain the juices and pour over the lamb. Bake at 375deg F for about an hour.

Yoghurt sauce: Mix yoghurt, milk, cornstarch and eggs in a bowl. Spread the mixture on top of the meat and continue to cook for 10 more minutes. Serve hot.

Cheerio!
Elizabeth

PS - More Later!!

[ewriggs]

Hummus
Hummus is basically a chickpea dip. My DH doesn't like it much, but I love it!! You can find Tahini at places like Whole Foods and ethnic groceries. Some of the larger grocery chains are carrying it, but it is generally a lower quality brand. I much prefer the Joyva brand. Tahini is like peanut butter, but made from sesame seeds. It does separate, so I store mine upsidedown to make mixing it up more easy.

Hummus is made all over the Middle East, from Arabia to Israel, to Greece. Each area has a slightly different "take" on it. This is a straight recipe, but you can vary the amounts as desired. You can also change the ingredients a bit as you want to.

Hummus - Arabian

1 Can Chick Peas
1 wedge garlic
2 tblsp lemon juice
1 tblsp tahini paste
1/4 tsp red pepper (optional)
1/4 tsp parsley

Drain chickpeas, save the liquid. Put chickpeas, lemon juice, garlic and tahini into a blender. Add about 2-4 Tbsp of the chickpea liquid. Blend, pulsing for a few seconds and scraping down the sides freqently until blended. As needed add some more of the liquid from the chickpeas as necessary to get a thick, but "dippable" consistence - a little thicker than commercial chese dip.

Place on a flat dish (I use cup saucers) and sprinkle with parsley. Red pepper is optional.

To make this more Greek than Arabian, make a small indentation in the middle of the dip and fill with olive oil, then add a sprinkling of chopped spring onion (not too much!).

Traditionally served with quartered pita bread, but you can dip with chips or crackers if you want to!

Cheerio!
Elizabeth

[ewriggs]

I first had Kibbee at a Middle Eastern Festival in the late 70's. Again, this is found all over the Middle East, with a little variation in spicing or proportions depending on where you are.


Kibbee (Kibbeh)

You can use chopped sirloin if lamb is not available - or if you don't like lamb.

Ingredients:
1 lb ground lamb (usually from the leg, but can be from other cuts if necessary) (Should not be too finely ground - more like a chile grind)
1 cup bulgar, fine (fine wheat) soaked in 2 c water
1 medium onion, peeled and quartered
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
4 oz cream cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350deg F.

Puree onion in blender. Add small amount of water if necessary to make blending easier.

Place meat into mixing bowl and add onion, cinnamon, salt, cream cheese, and salt and pepper to taste.

Drain water from bulgar wheat, squeezing out any excess water. Add to the meat mixture.

Mix well, using your hands, then shape into about 6 football-shaped meatballs (about 4" x2"). Make a hole in one end with your finger to about 3/4 length of the meatball. Put a chunk of cream cheese (about 1"x2") into the hole and close the end. Reshape as necessary to make it look like a football.

Bake for 45 minutes.

Alternatively, kibbee can be made into patties and fried. If so, coat patties with coarsely ground chikpeas.

NOTE:Bulgar can be bought at Whole Foods, natural foods stores, ethnic stores or a Greek store. If there is a Greek Orthodox Church in your area, see if they have a shop or can get it for you, if necessary. Some supermarkets in your area may sell boxes of tabouleh. If so, just use the wheat inside and discard the seasoning packet.



Kibbeh Nayeh
This is a Lebanese recipe rather than Greek. If you like Steak Tartare, you'll love Kibbeh nayeh!! If you want to try this, be sure the meat is very fresh (not frozen), and has been butchered in a very clean environment. I'd suggest going to a Lebanese or Middle Eastern restarant and see if they'll tell you where they get their lamb for kibbeh nayeh.

Ingredients:
1small onion peeled and quartered
handful of fresh basil or mint leaves
1# **very fresh** lamb from the top of the leg, boned, skinned, defatted and minced
2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp finely ground black pepper
salt to taste
1 c fine bulgar wheat (as above)
small bowl of lightly salted water
pine nuts for garnish

Directions:
Put quartered onion into blender and finely chop adding basil or mint until a smooth paste forms. Add the lamb, cinnamon, allspice, pepper and salt and blend together until smooth. Put the wheat into a bowl with cold water to cover. Change the water 2 or 3 times. Drain well and add to the lamb mixture.

Mix with your hands dipping your hand regularly into the bowl of lightly salted water to moisten. Knead for about 3 minutes until the meat forms a smooth paste. Remove any last pieces of ligament from the lamb paste. Transfer to shallow dish and flatten into a shallow cake. With a small spoon make little curved dips down the middle and sides and trickle a little olive oil and scatter a few raw pine nuts and serve with spring onions and sprigs of fresh mint.

Dip with pita quarters. Yummm!

You can use this same recipe to make baked or fried Kibbee. If frying, coat the meat patties with coarsely ground chikpeas (ground to consistency of cornmeal).

Cheerio!
Elizabeth

[DeBora4BobbyL]

These are wonderfully interesting ideas! I cannot wait until I have some time to try them.

[cat lover]

Looks like some interesting recipes to copy and save for future use, thanks!

[ewriggs]

"Real" Greek Salad

Ingredients (NOTE: amounts determined by number of servings desired):
tomatoes, peeled and sliced
cucumber, washed and cut in thin slices. Do not peel the cucumber!
green pepper, cut finely in thin stripes
onion, finely sliced
at least 1/3 c hard feta cheese (preferably fresh from the barrel) broken in to about 1/2" pieces
Black Kalamata olives (do NOT try to substitute black olives for black kalamata olives!!)
parsley
oregano
coarse salt (Kosher or sea salt)
extra virgin olive oil
any good vinegar (a white wine vinegar or red wine vinegar is good)

Directions:
Place all ingredients on a salad bowl, salt them, pour vinegar and oil over, and mix very very well.

In the USA, we usually put finely broken iceberg lettuce in a salad bowl and cover with the salad, but in Greece, the above, without the lettuce, IS the salad!

Cheerio!
Elizabeth

[DeBora4BobbyL]

Elizabeth, this is very similar to the one that we get at the Greek restaraurant here. Cool!

[barbszy]

Elizabeth, thanks for the Hummus recipe. I have some tahini that I bought so I could make hummus, after trying it somewhere. It makes a delicious & different lunch, with pita strips.