Is there anyone w/ good Greek recipes?

Question

I have recently tried Greek Food and I love it. Greek resturants are expensive, is there any recipes that I could try at home?

Answer 1

Chicken Shawarma

• 1 cup fresh lemon juice
• 10 cloves garlic, mashed
• 2 TB white vinegar
• 4 bay leaves
• 2 3-inch cinnamon sticks, broken
• 2 tsp. salt
• ¼ tsp. ground cloves
• 2 tsp. ground cardamom
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp white pepper
• 1/4 tsp grated nutmeg
• 4 pebble-size pieces of mastic, crushed
• 4 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs cut into 2”× ½” pieces
• 1 Tbsp. Garlic Paste (recipe below)
• Pita bread

Make a marinade by combining ½ cup of the lemon juice with the garlic, olive oil, vinegar, bay leaves, cinnamon sticks, salt, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, pepper, nutmeg and mastic in a shallow baking dish. Place the chicken in the marinade and toss the pieces to coat. cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight. Remove from the fridge and bring to room temperature.

Heat a thick bottomed pan (I use stainless steel) and bring to high temperature. Drop pieces of chicken being sure to prevent crowding, as you want to sear, not steam, the meat. Cook in 4-5 batches, depending on the size of the pan.

Prepare the sauce; mixing the remaining ½ cup of lemon juice and the Garlic Paste together, set aside.

Place the chicken on your bread of choice, drizzle with the garlic sauce, the sumac onions, tomatoes and even some tangy yogurt.

Garlic Paste
• 10 cloves of garlic, peeled
• 1/2 tsp. salt, to taste
• 1 Tbsp. tangy yogurt or yogurt cheese
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice, to taste

Combine the garlic and salt in mini food processor until garlic is minced. Add the yogurt and olive oil and incorporate well. Mix with the lemon juice. Taste and add more salt and lemon juice as desired.
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Tzaziki
4 cups plain yogurt, whole milk or low-fat
2 hothouse cucumbers, unpeeled and seeded
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
2 tablespoons good olive oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic (2 cloves)
1 tablespoon minced fresh dill
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Place the yogurt in a cheesecloth-lined sieve and set it over a bowl. Grate the cucumber and toss it with 2 tablespoons salt; place it in another sieve and set it over another bowl. Place both bowls in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 hours so the yogurt and cucumber can drain.

Transfer the thickened yogurt to a large bowl. Squeeze as much liquid from the cucumbers as you can and add the cucumbers to the yogurt. Mix in the sour cream, vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, dill, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper. You can serve it immediately, but I prefer to allow the tzatziki to sit in the refrigerator for a few hours for the flavors to blend. (makes 5 cups)
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Tabbouleh

1 cup bulghur wheat
1 1/2 cups boiling water
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
1/4 cup good olive oil
3 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 cup minced scallions, white and green parts (1 bunch)
1 cup chopped fresh mint leaves (1 bunch)
1 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley (1 bunch)
1 hothouse cucumber, unpeeled, seeded, and medium-diced
2 cups cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Place the bulghur in a large bowl, pour in the boiling water, and add the lemon juice, olive oil, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Stir, then allow to stand at room temperature for about 1 hour.
Add the scallions, mint, parsley, cucumber, tomatoes, 2 teaspoons salt, and the pepper; mix well. Season, to taste, and serve or cover and refrigerate. The flavor will improve if the tabbouleh sits for a few hours.

--Barefoot Contessa Parties! cookbook
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HUMMUS

4 garlic cloves
2 cups canned chickpeas, drained, liquid reserved
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/3 cup tahini (sesame paste)
6 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
2 tablespoons water or liquid from the chickpeas
8 dashes hot sauce

Turn on the food processor fitted with the steel blade and drop the garlic down the feed tube; process until it's minced. Add the rest of the ingredients to the food processor and process until the hummus is coarsely pureed. Taste, for seasoning, and serve chilled or at room temperature. Serve w/ warm pita bread or pita chips.

Answer 2

MELITZANOSALATA / EGGPLANT SALAD

* Four medium size eggplants/aubergines
* Three garlic cloves
* 1/2 cup of olive oil

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.

KEFTEDES / MEATBALLS

* 1lb / 1/2kg of ground beef
* One choped onion
* 1 egg
* Some olive oil
* Some chopped mint leaves
* Some flour
* Salt, pepper and oregano seasoning

Mix the meat with the mint, the egg and the onion. Season with oregano, salt and pepper. Form into egg size balls. Heat the oil. Roll the meatballs in flour and place in the hot oil. When turning brown, turn, cook other side and serve hot.

TASKEBAP / STEWED MEAT

* 1 kg / 2 lb meat in squares
* One sliced onion
* 1 litre/1 quart of liquid tomato paste for cooking
* Two spoons of sugar
* 1/2 cup olive oil
* Salt, pepper and oregano seasoning

Chop the onion and brown in a pot with the oil. Add the meat and brown the sides. Sprinkle salt and pepper. Add the sugar, cover with the tomato juice and add the same amount of water. Let cook for an hour or more until the meat is soft (in a pressure cooker it takes 20 minutes). Serve with rice or fries/chips.

Good Luck!!!

Answer 3

This is my favorite hummus recipe! The only "special" ingredient you will need is tahini, which you're going to need anyway for Mediterranean cooking. If you live in a city of a half-million or more, it should be in your regular grocery store. It might be with the peanut butter and/or in the "specialty" or "organic" section. One $5 bottle will make this recipe 4 or 5 times.

Hummus
2-3 green onions, chopped
1-2 cloves garlic, chopped
a handful of fresh parsley leaves
6 TBSP fresh lemon juice (juice from about 4 medium lemons)
6 TBSP tahini
1 can (16 oz) garbanzo beans, aka chick peas, rinsed at least 3 times
1 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. cayenne or paprika
salt to taste

In a food processor, pulse the garlic, green onion and parsley 3 or 4 times. Don't puree! Add the beans, lemon juice, tahini, cumin and cayenne or paprika. Puree until smooth. If mixture is too thick, add water 1 TBSP at a time. Season with salt to taste. Serve with pita bread, chips, crackers, sliced veggies, whatever. Makes a great sandwich.

So easy! Doesn't use sesame oil, which a lot of people will say you need, but it's so good without it. My friends who've lived in Greece like it--so do my friends who don't like hummus. Lasts about 15 minutes at a party.

Answer 4

You can find some online. You could try www.foodtv.com or google greek food and find some recipes. Souvlaki is a good recipe that contains diced meat with chopped vegetables grilled on a stick like a shish kebob. There is a recipe for the marinade that makes the dish perfect.

Answer 5

if you have a greek orthodox church in your area call them and see if they have a gift shop they might sell recipe books there,or go to a local book store and get a cook book,but here's a couple sites


http://www.eatgreektonight.com
http://www.hookerycookery.com/greek-menu.htm

Answer 6

I've made this moussaka before and its really nice