# Traditional Greek recipes



## Linux (Aug 18, 2010)

​*Traditional Greek recipes from the Dodecanese  islands of the Mediterranean*


*Greek Grilled Marinated Chicken  *

1 cup olive oil 
¼ cup fresh lemon juice 
4 garlic cloves, mashed to a paste 
2 tablespoons dried oregano, crumbled 
2 to 3 pound chicken, cut into serving pieces 

Rinse and pat dry chicken pieces. 
In a large shallow dish, whisk together the oil, lemon juice, garlic  & oregano with salt & pepper to taste.
Add chicken and turn to coat. Let marinate for 2 days, covered and  chilled. 
Turn chicken pieces twice each day. Drain chicken pieces, reserving  marinade. 
Grill skin side down over glowing coals ,basting with marinade for 30-35  minutes, turning once (chicken breast should be just springy to the  touch). 
Transfer the chicken breasts to a platter to keep warm. Continue  grilling remaining chicken for about 10 more minutes or until thigh meat  is tender.

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My Greek Summer Chicken Kebabs 

1 ½-2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts 

2-3 lemons, juice of 
¼ cup fresh oregano, chopped 
¼ cup fresh mint, chopped 
10-15 mint leaves (additional) 
2 garlic cloves, minced 
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil 
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 
½ teaspoon salt 
½ teaspoon pepper 
1 large red onion 

If using wooden or bamboo skewers soak at least 1/2 hour in advance. 

Prepare grill to med-high heat. Cube chicken breasts into approximately  1.5" pieces. 
Place in a zip lock bag and ¼ cup oil, chopped herbs, lemon juice  (reserve about 1 tsp juice set aside), garlic salt and pepper. 
Press out as much air as you can and seal. Allow meat to marinate for  about 15-20 minutes. (Reserve 2 tablespoons oil for brushing while  grilling). 

In a small bowl whisk 2 tbs olive oil and 1 tsp lemon juice. 
Cut onion into large (1" chunks for skewering. Skewer a piece of onion, a  piece of chicken then a mint leaf. Continue repeating this pattern  until the skewer is nearly full.
(Do not push pieces together they should be a little loose on the  skewer.) 
Grill over medium high heat (or medium high coals) turning occasionally  and brushing with olive oil/lemon mixture until chicken is cooked  through and juices run clear. 

Very nice served with rice pilaf and/or some grilled eggplant. 

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*Chicken Souvlaki *


1-2 pounds chicken breast 
1-third cup Olive oil 
1-third cup lemon juice, fresh squeezed 
¼ cup red wine vinegar 
½ onion, grated 
3 cloves garlic, minced 
1 tablespoon Oregano 
2 dried red chillies 
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 
¾ teaspoon salt 
½ teaspoon black pepper 
Metal or wooden skewers 
Pita or flatbread 

Pound the chicken with a mallet to tenderize and give them an even  thickness. Trim away visible fat and tendons. Cut the chicken into  strips crosswise about an inch wide. Whisk the rest of the ingredients  together. Marinate in a large Ziploc bag or bowl in the refrigerator a  couple of hours before cooking or the morning of. If using wooden  skewers soak in water for a half hour or so before grilling. Skewer each  piece twice lengthwise. Grill on all sides until cooked through. Serve  on warm pita with tzatziki sauce and dressing. 


*Tzatziki  Sauce*

1 cup Greek yogurt 
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced small 
1 clove of garlic, minced 
2 teaspoons lemon juice, fresh squeezed 
1 tablespoon fresh dill 
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste 

Drain your Greek yogurt in a strainer lined with cheesecloth or a paper  towel for a few hours before or overnight. Combine all the ingredients  together. Cover and refrigerate for an hour or two before serving. 
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*Piperies Gemistes - Stuffed Peppers *

This traditional Greek dish was intended to feed an average Greek family  including Grandpa and Grandma.  

2 lbs ground chicken - though this recipe originally calls for - ground  lean ground beef 
12 red peppers, washed, tops cut and inside cored 
2 medium onions, diced 
1-3rd cup olive oil 
3 cloves of garlic, minced 
½ cup of fresh parsley, finely chopped 
½ cup of fresh dill, finely chopped 
2 teaspoons fresh mint, finely chopped 
1 cup of good tomato sauce 
¼ cup Arborio rice 
salt and pepper to taste 

Wash then cut the tops off your peppers. Hollow out the peppers to rid  them of 
any ribs or seeds. Put aside. 

Place a large skillet on your stove and heat under medium high heat.  Pour in your 
olive oil then add the onions and garlic and lower to medium heat and  simmer for 
10 minutes to soften the onions. 

Add your parsley, dill, mint and the tomato sauce and simmer until most  of the liquid is gone and you have a thick mixture. Take off the heat  and allow to cool 
for 5 minutes. 

Add your rice and ground chicken to the onion/herb mixture and mix  everything using a wooden spoon. Add 2 teaspoons of salt and pepper and  mix. To ensure the seasoning is correct, take a spoonful of the mixture  and fry it or cook it in the microwave to taste for seasoning.  Afterwards, adjust the seasoning in the mixture to your liking. 

Using a spoon, stuff your peppers and line the bottom of a roasting pot.  Pour 1 cup of water over the peppers and place them in a preheated 375F  oven for 1 hour.


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## Linux (Aug 19, 2010)

*Perfect for two hungry people*





​ ​ 

*Rhoda  Koullias' Greek salad is our family recipe and is copyright*
 Serves 8 comfortably 

500 g / 1 pound Feta cheese,  drained and set aside 
6 beef tomatoes, chopped medium 
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded,  halved, and cut into ½ inch pieces 
1 small to medium red onion,  finely chopped 
1 seeded and slice green bell  pepper 
½ cup Kalamata olives (we never  use stoned because they have no flavour) 
1½ tablespoons chopped fresh  oregano, but marjoram will do, or, ½ teaspoon dried 
1½ tablespoons chopped fresh  coriander or parsley, or, ½ teaspoon dried 
2 tablespoons of the best extra  virgin olive oil 
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar 
juice of half a fresh lemon 
pinch salt 
pinch freshly ground black pepper 


Setting aside the Feta and a  little of the fresh herbs, mix all the salad ingredients in a large  bowl, sprinkle over the vinegar and lightly season. 

Slice the Feta into pieces and  lay them on top. Sprinkle with the rest of the fresh herbs 

Drizzle extra virgin olive oil on  top of the Feta. 

Cover the Greek salad with cling  film and set aside for at least half an hour for the flavours to unite  then serve with warm fresh crusty bread or warmed pizza bread.


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## Nicholas Mosher (Aug 19, 2010)

Looks great!  I'll vouch for the "Greek Grilled Marinated Chicken" recipe you give... it's my absolute staple marinade for chicken.  Most of the pizza houses in my area are owned my Greek immigrants, and almost everyone serves a salad with boneless pieces of chicken utilizing this marinade.

I use a neutral flavored high-temp canola oil (instead of olive) along with a healthy pinch of kosher salt and black pepper, but otherwise it's identical (incl. ratios).

There is something about lemon, oregano, and charcoal...


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## Linux (Aug 19, 2010)

"There is something about lemon, oregano, and charcoal..."

Yes! So evocative of Greece, or good ol' home cooking shared out among special friends, loving family.. It's these simple  ingredients that make good food taste even better.

For seasoning we use freshly ground black pepper and ~ Welcome to the Maldon Salt Web Site


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## Gracie's Kitchen (Aug 26, 2010)

Yum! Our family loves Greek foods. We hosted a Greek dinner party last year and it was a hit. These recipes look really good. We will have to try them. Before our party I called a Greek restaurant and asked for a few tips. They were so nice to tell me how to make a great Baklava. Some recipes call for layering a couple of sheets of buttered phyllo dough then the nut mixture, repeat. He (Greek owner) told me the best way was to layer several sheets of buttered phyllo dough then nut mixture and repeat. I used a basic recipe online but followed his directions instead and it was amazing. The top was especially beautiful when it was done with so many layers on it.


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## ChefJune (Aug 27, 2010)

Greek food is one of my favorite cuisines.  In the summer I can't get enough of Tzatziki, and Melitzanosalata, the roasted eggplant salad is just divine.  Grilled fish and meats....

In the winter, the heartier foods, like my favorite, Pastitsio, along with Stifado and roast lamb....  making my mouth water!


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