Many modern-day food dishes originated in Greece, the cradle of Western cuisine. Greeks wrote the first cookbook, gave us olive oil, wine and wheat, and invented the chef’s hat! Oregano, mint, dill and bay leaves are mainstays in Greek cuisine, and warming spices like cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves are common in Greek-style meat dishes. Using Greek olive oil, if available, will truly bring out the unique flavor profile of these dishes.
MOUTHWATERING MOUSSAKA
SERVES 8–12
Vegetables
1 large russet potato, thinly sliced
1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup olive oil, divided
3 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, divided
1 medium eggplant, thinly sliced
2 small (or 1 large) zucchinis, thinly sliced
Filling
1–2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch of ground cloves
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 pound ground beef or ground lamb
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 14-ounce jar crushed tomatoes
¼ cup red wine
Bechamel sauce
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2–3 cups milk
Freshly ground black pepper
Pinch of nutmeg
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish
Thyme leaves for garnish
Preheat oven to 375 F. Grease a 13-by-9-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
For vegetables. In a large bowl, add potatoes, onions, salt, pepper, ¼ cup olive oil and 1 teaspoon thyme. Toss well, and spread over bottom of greased baking pan. Bake 20 minutes. Remove from oven. In same bowl, combine eggplant, salt, pepper, ¼ cup olive oil and 1 teaspoon thyme (add another ¼ cup olive oil if eggplant is still dry). Toss well, and layer on top of potatoes. Bake 20 minutes more, and remove from oven. Finally, to same bowl, add zucchini, salt, pepper, ¼ cup olive oil and 1 teaspoon thyme. Toss well, and spread on top of eggplant. Bake 20 minutes and remove from oven. Set aside.
For meat filling. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, saute onions in 1–2 tablespoons olive oil until tender; add garlic, and cook another minute. Add cinnamon and ground cloves; stir, and cook 1 minute. Add tomato paste and ground meat, using wooden spoon to break meat into pieces while cooking. When meat has browned, add salt, pepper, crushed tomatoes and wine; cook 5–10 minutes or until the liquid has evaporated. The mixture should be very thick. Set aside.
For sauce. In a medium pan over medium heat, melt butter and add flour. Whisk to combine into a sand-like consistency. Very gradually, add milk, whisking constantly, until smooth and slightly thick, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add pepper and nutmeg. Whisk in Parmesan cheese until smooth. Set aside.
To assemble. Spread meat filling evenly over vegetables. Using a spatula, spread sauce evenly over filling. Bake 30–40 minutes, until bubbling and brown. Let rest 45–60 minutes to set before serving. Garnish with Parmesan and thyme leaves.
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Recipe tip
Use butter wrappers to grease pans. When preparing baking pans, you can take advantage of the butter leftover on empty butter stick wrappers. This eliminates the need to use cooking spray or use additional butter.
MY BIG FAT GREEK BURGERS
SERVES 4
Burgers
4 pita flatbreads with pockets
1 pound ground beef or ground lamb
½ cup crumbled feta cheese (more, if desired)
½ small red onion, chopped
1 large garlic clove, minced
¼ cup chopped Kalamata olives
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
1 teaspoon Greek seasoning
Olive oil
4 lettuce leaves, ribs removed
4 beefsteak tomato slices
12 cucumber slices
4 pepperoncini peppers for garnish
Tzatziki sauce
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
½ small English cucumber, peeled, grated and drained
2 teaspoons finely chopped dill
1 garlic clove, minced
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Cut 1/3 off the top of each pita flatbread. In a medium mixing bowl, add ground beef, feta, onions, garlic, olives, oregano and Greek seasoning, and mix thoroughly. Divide into four patties, and lightly drizzle with olive oil. Grill patties on outside grill or on indoor grill pan. Keep warm.In each pita pocket, insert a lettuce leaf and a burger. Top each with a tomato slice and three cucumber slices. Add feta, if desired. Drizzle with tzatziki sauce, and garnish with a pepperoncini pepper.
For tzatziki sauce, mix all ingredients, and refrigerate until ready to use. Recipe makes 2 cups; leftovers keep 3–4 days in refrigerator and go well with Greek-style kebabs.
PISTACHIO BAKLAVA
MAKES 24–30 PIECES
1 pound pistachio nuts
¼ cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup butter, melted
1 roll phyllo dough (20 sheets)
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup honey
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
½ tablespoon ground cinnamon
Chopped pistachios for garnish
Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray a 13-by-9-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
In a food processor, pulse pistachios, sugar, cinnamon and cloves. In a small bowl or cup, melt butter in microwave.
Place phyllo dough on a clean, dry, flat surface or large cutting board, and cover with a damp towel to prevent it from drying out. Layer eight sheets of dough in baking pan one at a time, brushing each layer with butter. Cover with 1/3 of nut mixture. Layer two more sheets of dough, brushing each with butter, and cover with another 1/3 of nut mixture. Repeat two more sheets of dough, brushing each, and cover with remaining 1/3 of nut mixture. Cover with remaining eight sheets of dough, brushing each sheet with butter. Using a sharp knife, cut baklava into 1½-inch diamonds or squares. Bake 30–35 minutes or until golden brown.
While baklava is baking, make syrup. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine sugar, honey, lemon juice and cinnamon. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low; simmer 5–7 minutes, until slightly thickened. Stir occasionally to prevent mixture from boiling over. Drizzle over hot baklava and let cool completely. Garnish with pistachios.
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Recipe tip
Keep phyllo dough covered. Phyllo dough dries out very quickly. While you are working with it, keep the dough covered with a damp towel. You can use double- or triple-folded damp paper towels. Work very quickly and uninterrupted—phyllo dough needs your full attention, so don’t try to juggle multiple projects in the kitchen while you are working with it.
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Related Story
Fun with phyllo dough – Phyllo dough is fun to work with when you know how. Learn Chef Belinda’s tricks and a shortcut version of baklava in her latest how-to video. (Link the video article page)
GREEK-STYLE KEBABS
SERVES 6–8
3 pounds beef sirloin, tenderloin or lamb, cut into 1½-inch cubes
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1½ teaspoons cardamom
1½ teaspoons nutmeg
1 teaspoon paprika
1 red onion, sliced
2 large garlic cloves, smashed
½ cup olive oil
½ cup red wine
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
2–3 red bell peppers, cut into 1½-inch pieces
1 large red onion, cut into 1½-inch pieces
Tzatziki sauce (optional)
Place meat chunks in a large bowl. In a small bowl, combine salt, pepper, oregano, cardamom, nutmeg and paprika. Season meat with this dry rub, tossing well to make sure all pieces are covered. In a large zippered plastic bag, place meat chunks, onions and garlic.
In a medium measuring cup with a spout, whisk oil, wine and lemon juice; pour over meat, and seal bag. Toss in bag to thoroughly coat meat. Place sealed bag in a large baking dish in refrigerator; marinate meat overnight or at least 4 hours, turning bag occasionally.
To grill, remove meat from refrigerator and let sit 30–45 minutes. If using wooden skewers, soak them in water 30 minutes. Thread pieces of meat, peppers and onions alternately on skewers. (Flat skewers will prevent meat and vegetables from twisting when flipped on grill.) Grill kebabs (or broil in oven) 8–10 minutes, turning occasionally. Remove from grill; let sit 15 minutes before serving. If desired, serve with tzatziki sauce.
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BELINDA SMITH-SULLIVAN is a chef and food writer who lives in Trenton, where she is a member of Aiken Electric Cooperative. She has a culinary degree from Johnson & Wales University and is certified in wine studies from the Culinary Institute of America in Napa Valley, Calif. Her articles have been published in several regional magazines and in her blog, “The Flying Foodie.”