Thursday for Dinner

Greek salad (or village salad) is one of the most common dishes found throughout Greece.  These salads are a great way of using your garden tomatoes, especially in late August when they are so plentiful.  To make a truly great salad you really should invest in a good quality olive oil.  Sprinkle this wonderful salad with feta cheese and oregano and you’ll experience a truly authentic Greek experience!

4 tomatoes cut in wedges
½ cucumber sliced
½ red onion thinly sliced
A large slice of feta cheese
A handful of kalamata olives
About 3-4 tablespoons of olive oil
Season with dried oregano, salt and pepper (to taste)

Cut the vegetables and place in medium bowl.  Add the thinly sliced feta cheese and olives.  Drizzle with olive oil and season with oregano, salt and pepper.  Mix well.

Enjoy!

This recipe makes 4 servings.

Rizogalo is one of my favourite desserts. When making rizogalo, you can’t stray too far away from the kitchen, as this dish requires constant stirring otherwise the milk will burn. You may add raisins if you like, although Eva prefers this recipe without the raisins. Rizogalo can be served either warm or cold. This recipe provides 8 servings.

1 cup of Italian rice (washed and strained well)
4 cups of milk
1 cup of sugar
1 tbsp vanilla
2 egg yolks
1 tsp of cornstarch
Ground cinnamon for sprinkling

In a medium pot, bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Add 1 cup of rice and turn the heat to medium-low. Allow to cook, stirring occasionally, until all of the water has evaporated.

Add 4 cups of milk and continue to stir (in the video Eva added 3 cups of milk but later added another cup of milk). Turn the heat up and add the sugar and stir. Add the vanilla and the egg yolks. Once the liquid has come to a boil, turn the heat to low and allow it to simmer. Allow the liquid to reduce, stirring often. This may take between 30 to 45 minutes.

To thicken the pudding, add 1 tsp of cornstarch (diluted with water). Continue to stir and allow it to simmer for another 10 to 15 minutes.

To serve, pour the pudding into individual cups and sprinkle with cinnamon.

Enjoy!

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Eggplant Parmesan makes a wonderful vegetarian side dish. Rather than fry the eggplant, Eva prefers to bake them in the oven with a little olive oil for about 20 minutes. It is delicious and a much healthier alternative to the traditional recipe.

To prepare the eggplant:
4 eggplants (Eva uses the long slender eggplant, but you could use the larger type if you prefer)
Salt
1/3 cup of olive oil
About 1 cup of mozzarella cheese (shredded)
About ½ a cup of parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon of breadcrumbs

To prepare the sauce:
1 small onion (finely chopped)
2 cloves of garlic (finely chopped)
3 tablespoons of olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 cup of tomato juice
½ teaspoon of basil

Clean the eggplants well and cut them in ¼ inch slices. Salt the sliced eggplant and allow the bitter juices to sweat out. Wash the eggplant under running water and drain them well. Place the sliced eggplants on a pan and brush each piece with olive oil. Bake the eggplant in the oven for 20 minutes at 400 degrees.

Over medium-high heat, sauté the onion and garlic with 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and add 1 cup of tomato juice. Turn the heat to low and allow the sauce to thicken (about 10 minutes). When the sauce is just about finished add the basil.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

To assemble the dish, begin by putting a small amount of sauce on the bottom of your pan. Spread a layer of eggplants on the sauce, and add another small spoonful of sauce. Add a handful of mozzarella cheese and sprinkle some parmesan cheese. Add another small spoonful of sauce on the cheese. Repeat until you have used up all of the eggplant slices. Add the remaining tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, and parmesan cheese. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs.

Bake the dish in the oven for about 20 minutes.

Allow the dish to cool for a few minutes before serving. Enjoy!

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Green Beans with Potatoes or ‘Fasolakia me Patates’ in Greek is a vegetarian village classic Eva (and other Greeks) grew up with. As with many of Eva’s dishes, this recipe requires only a few simple ingredients and makes a great meal or side dish. Keep in mind the length of time the beans need to cook depends on not only your beans, but also how soft (or crunchy) you want them, so be sure to sample them as this delicious dish is cooking.

Flat green beans
2 medium sized potatoes
1 cup crushed tomato or tomato juice
1 medium sized onion
1/3 cup of water
1/2 cup of olive oil
1 table spoon of salt
Pinch of pepper
1/2 cup of white wine

Cut the edges off the green beans and slice each down the middle leaving the ends still connected. If your green beans are narrow, there’s no need to slit them down the middle. In a separate bowl, peel the potatoes and chop them into fours. Chop the onion and fill a cup with either crushed tomato or tomato juice.

Preheat a large pot on the oven at a high temperature. Once sufficiently heated add 1/2 cup of olive oil. Allow the oil to heat up and add the chopped onion. Saute the onions slowly till they receive a light brown color. Once ready, add the beans to the pot. Cover the pot, lower the heat to medium and allow the beans to cook for roughly 5 minutes.

At this point add a table spoon of salt, a pinch of pepper and 1/3 cup of water. The water is necessary to allow the beans to precook before we add the tomato juice. Cover the pot and allow the beans to cook for approximately 5 to 10 minutes. During this time stir the beans periodically until the water has completely evaporated.

At this point add 1/2 cup of white wine, the potatoes and the crushed tomato (or tomato juice). Work the ingredients together and cover the pot. Turn the heat on the stove to low and cook the beans till they become soft. This should take approximately 20 minutes. That said, periodically come back stir the contents and test to see how the beans are coming along. When the dish is ready all the juice should have evaporated with only the oil remaining.

Enjoy!

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Spanakopita makes a wonderful side dish at a family meal and it also makes a perfect appetizer for parties. In this video, Eva shows us her take on the traditional Greek dish. Instead of using phyllo, Eva uses puff pastry, which you can find in the frozen section of your local grocery store. It is a lot easier to use and makes a delicious spanakopita.

1 package of frozen spinach
1 cup of chopped green onions
½ cup of chopped red onions
½ cup of chopped dill
½ cup of chopped parsley
1 cup of feta cheese
1 cup of ricotta cheese
Pepper to taste
3 eggs
1 package of puff pastry
Flour to work the dough
1/3 cup of butter melted
About 2 tablespoons of milk

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Allow the frozen spinach to defrost and squeeze out all the excess water. Coarsely chop the spinach and place it in a large bowl. Finely chop the green onions, red onions, dill, and parsley and add this to the spinach. Add the feta cheese, ricotta cheese, and eggs to the mixture and season with freshly ground pepper. Using your hands, mix all of the ingredients together.

Allow the puff pastry to defrost and separate it into two equal parts. Flatten the pastry with a rolling pin (the same way you would with pizza dough) to fit the size of a medium size pan. Butter the pan and lay out half of the puff pastry on the pan. Brush some melted butter on the dough and add the spinach mixture on top.

With your fingers, lightly dampen the top edge of the pan with a little water.

Place the second half of the puff pastry on top of the spinach and cheese mixture. Fold in the edges. Use a fork to help you fold in the edges. Butter the top layer with butter and brush a little bit of milk on top as well.

Cut the dough into squares (but don’t push your knife all the way down, just pierce the top layer).
Allow it to bake in the oven for 1 hour. Afterward allow the spanakopita to cool for a few minutes before you serve.

Enjoy!

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Souvlaki has become the quintessential Greek dish. You may prepare souvlaki with pork tenderloin, chicken breast, lamb, as well as pork shoulder. It is wonderful in a pita, or served with a side of rice, Greek salad, and tzatziki sauce. If you are planning to serve this dish, be sure to marinate the meat at least 24 hours before you start the barbecue.

2 to 4 pounds of pork tenderloin (depending on the number of people)
1 clove of garlic
½ cup of olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon of oregano
2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice
½ cup of wine
wooden skewers

Cut the meat into 1 inch cubes and place in a bowl. Combine the garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper, oregano, lemon juice, and wine together in a small bowl and mix well. Pour this mixture over the meat, making sure that all of the meat is equally coated. Cover the bowl and place in the fridge for at least 24 hours.

Skewer the meat, placing about 4 to 5 pieces of meat per skewer. Fire up the barbecue! Once you’ve placed the souvlakia on the grill, lower the heat to medium and allow the meat to cook, turning the meat over periodically. Allow the souvlakia to cook for about 20 to 25 minutes, or until cooked to taste.

Enjoy!

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Tzatziki is a popular Greek sauce that is often used as a dip with pita bread or enjoyed with various types of meat dishes such as souvlaki and gyros. It is best made with yogurt, but if you prefer not to use yogurt you may substitute it for sour cream. Keep in mind that the yogurt needs to strain for about 8 to 10 hours, so it’s best to begin the preparation the day before you plan to serve it. Some tzatziki recipes call for a bit of chopped dill or mint, but in this video Eva shows us how to prepare her version of this delicious sauce.

1 tub of plain yogurt
2 cloves of garlic crushed
Half a cucumber
1 tablespoon of olive oil
a pinch of salt (or to your taste)
1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice

To begin you need to strain the yogurt. Place a cheese cloth or a few sturdy paper towels on a strainer and place the strainer in a bowl. Scope out the yogurt into the strainer and allow the water to strain for at least 8 to 10 hours in the fridge. Once the yogurt has been strained, discard the excess water and place the yogurt in a medium-sized bowl. Add the crushed garlic to the yogurt. Peel the cucumber, slice it in half, remove the seeds, and shred the cucumber using a cheese grater. Squeeze out any excess water from the cucumber and add it the yogurt mixture. Add the olive oil, salt, and fresh lemon juice. Stir the mixture well. Garnish with an olive or a slice of lemon.

Enjoy!

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In this video Eva shows us how to prepare another family favourite: Yiouvarlakia, more commonly known as meatballs with tomato sauce over rice. Like many of Eva’s recipes, this dish requires only a few simply ingredients and is not overly complicated to make. We hope you enjoy!

To prepare the meat:

• 1 pound of lean ground beef
• 1 egg
• 1 small onion graded
• 2 medium cloves of garlic crushed
• 1 tablespoon of dried mint (use fresh mint if it is available)
• 1 tablespoon of parsley
• 1 teaspoon of olive oil
• 1 teaspoon each of salt and pepper

To cook the meat:

• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 small onion chopped
• 1 clove of garlic finely chopped
• 1 cup of tomato juice
• ½ glass of water
• Salt and pepper
• 1 tablespoon of flour
• ¼ cup of water

To prepare the rice:

• 2 cups of rice
• 4 cups
• Pinch of salt

Using your hands, combine the ingredients together in a large bowl. Once you have thoroughly mixed the ingredients you may begin to shape the meatballs. Rather than roll the meat into balls, shape small portions of meat in an oval shape.

In a large pot over medium-high heat, add the olive oil and sauté the onion and garlic until light brown in colour. Add the tomato juice and ½ cup of water. Season with salt and pepper and cover the pot with the lid. Once the liquid has come to a boil you may add the meatballs. Carefully place the meatballs in the pot and lower the heat to medium.

In the meantime you may prepare the rice. Eva suggests that you boil the rice for a few seconds and then drain the water in order to remove as much starch as possible. Once you have washed the rice, set the water to boil again and cook the rice for 15 minutes. Remember to use 2 cups of water for 1 every cup of rice.
Once the liquid in the meatballs has begun to boil for a few minutes, lower the heat and allow the meatballs to simmer for 20 minutes.

To thicken the tomato sauce add 1 tablespoon of flour to ¼ cup of water, stir well, and pour the liquid into the tomato mixture (be sure to strain the liquid as you pour it in). Allow the meatballs to cook for another 15 minutes.

When serving this dish be sure to place a generous amount of tomato sauce over the rice. Enjoy!

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With thousands of miles of coastline, it is not surprising that Greeks have developed numerous delicious ways of preparing fish. In this video, Eva show us how to prepare fish baked in the oven with onions, carrots, garlic, lemon, parsley and olive oil. We love this recipe for its simplicity and nutritional value. We hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

• 6 herring fillets (you can use a different type of fish if you prefer)
• 2 medium onions chopped
• 5-6 cloves of garlic (leave whole)
• 2 carrots coarsely chopped
• 4 small potatoes cut into small wedges
• ¼ a cup of chopped parsley
• About ½ cup of olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• Juice from 1 ½ lemons
• ¼ cup of wine
• 1 glass of water

Clean the fish well and season it with salt, pepper, and a few drops of lemon juice. Set the fish aside in the fridge for about an hour.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Grease a large pan with a few drops of olive oil and place the fillets on the pan. Place the chopped onion on top on the fish. Add the garlic, carrots, and potatoes to the pan. Season the vegetables with a pinch each of salt and pepper, and the fresh parsley. Add about 1/3 a cup of olive oil, the remainder of the lemon juice, the wine, and water to the pan.

Cook in the oven at 350 degrees. After an hour take the pan out of the oven and turn the potatoes over on the other side. Put the pan back in the oven for another 30 minutes. It is now ready to serve, enjoy!

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Giouvetsi is a traditional Greek dish made with only a few simple ingredients but it is packed with flavour. It is made with lamb (although you could also substitute the lamb for beef), tomato juice and spaghetti. In our fast-paced world, it really is comforting to sit down to a wholesome meal. As Greek-Canadians, we appreciate the authenticity of this recipe, even though today it is made in electric ovens rather than wooden ovens baked in clay pots. We hope you enjoy!

• A leg of lamb, about 1 to 1½ pounds (be sure to trim the fat)
• 1 heaping tablespoon each of salt and pepper (or to taste)
• 2 cups of tomato sauce
• 3 large glasses of water
• ½ a package of Number 7 spaghetti

Wash the lamb well and place it at the center of a roasting pan. Season the meat with salt and pepper. Add the tomato sauce and water. Cook the lamb in the oven for about 3 to 3½ hours at 400 degrees. For the first hour cover the pan with the lid, but for the remaining time remove the lid.
After about 3 hours, remove the pan from the oven. Remove the lamb and set it aside. Add the spaghetti to the same pan and mix it a bit. Place the lamb back in the pan, on top of the spaghetti, but be sure to turn the lamb over on the other side. Put the pan back in the oven for another 45 minutes.

It is now ready to serve. Enjoy! (serves 6)