Avgolemono soup

Greek Avgolemono soup is a warm, comforting, and creamy soup made with tender chicken, lemon, and eggs, bringing together a perfect balance of tangy and savory flavors. This traditional Greek soup with a delicate lemony broth, combined with the richness of egg makes it a lovely meal that’s quick and easy to prepare.

Ingredients

• 3 lbs. whole chicken
• 2 cups yellow onion, chopped
• 2 ribs of celery, chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tsp salt or to taste
• 1/4 tsp oregano
• 3 quarts cold water
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cups arborio or risotto rice
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp black pepper
• Pinch cayenne pepper
• ½ cup fresh lemon juice

Directions

Place chicken, 1 chopped onion, celery, carrot, bay leaves, salt, and oregano in a large pot.  Pour water over the top and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, skimming foam as necessary, until chicken is falling off the bone, 60 to 90 minutes.

Transfer chicken to a large bowl to cool. Strain all vegetables from simmering broth, discard vegetables, and return broth to the pot. Chop chicken meat into bite-sized pieces and set aside.

Combine 2 cups diced onion, olive oil, and a pinch of salt in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir onion mixture until onion is soft and golden, 7 to 10 minutes.

Stir onion mixture into broth in the pot and set over medium-low heat; add rice and a pinch of salt. Bring to a simmer; cook, stirring occasionally, until rice is very tender and broth flavors combine, about 45 minutes.

Whisk together eggs, black pepper, and cayenne pepper in a medium bowl; whisk in lemon juice until combined. Slowly pour 1 cup broth mixture into egg mixture, whisking constantly. Whisk another 1 cup broth mixture into egg mixture, then pour egg mixture into the pot. Stir well.

Add chopped chicken and cook until heated through, about 5 minutes more.

Baklava

Baklava is a delicious Greek pastry dessert that is flaky with a crunch and made with layers of crispy phyllo dough, chopped nuts, and honey syrup that’s very easy to make.  It has a relatively long shelf-life, lasting for about two weeks stored in an airtight container. Keep it in the pantry if you like your baklava crispy. If you like it chewy, opt for the fridge.

Ingredients

• 16 ounces walnuts or pecans
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground cardamom or ground cloves
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 16 oz phyllo dough (not frozen)
• 1 cup butter, melted

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Butter a 9 X 13-inch baking dish.Coarsely chop walnuts or pecans.  Add and mix in cinnamon, cardamon or cloves and salt.Place two sheets of phyllo dough in the bottom of a buttered baking dish. Brush generously with butter. Sprinkle 2 to 3 tablespoons of the nut mixture on top. Repeat layers until all ingredients are used, ending with about 6 – 8 sheets of phyllo.

Bake in preheated oven 50 minutes, until golden and crisp.

Ingredients for the sauce

• 1 cup water
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup honey
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• orange peel
• lemon peel

While baklava is baking, combine sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Stir in honey, vanilla and orange and lemon peels, reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes. Remove the orange and lemon peels.  Remove the baklava from the oven and immediately spoon the syrup over it. Let baklava cool completely before serving. Store uncovered.

Dolmades

Greek Dolmades are considered to be little bites of heaven! A great vegetarian appetizer made from tender vine leaves wrapped into little rolls and stuffed with rice and fresh herbs. This is an authentic Greek dolmades recipe as an ultimate bite-sized appetizer.  Grapevine leaves can be found in Greek, Mediterranean or Middle eastern grocers.

Ingredients

• Grapevine leaves
• fresh herbs (dill, mint and parsley)
• green onions
• Yellow onion
• long grain rice rinsed well or soak rice in water overnight
• Fresh Lemon juice
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt & pepper

Ingredients for sauce

• Lemon juice
• all-purpose flour

Directions

Drain vine leaves in a large colander.  They will likely be a jumbled-up mess at this point.  Take each vine leaf individually, open it and stack them, onto a dish, one on top of the other. Use immediately or store in the refrigerator for another day.

In a large bowl combine the herbs, onions, rice, eggs, lemon juice, salt, pepper and olive oil.  Mix well until thoroughly combined.

To wrap the dolmades, take a vine leaf and lay it on a plate, rib side up with the stem end (you will have removed the stem) down toward you.  Drop a teaspoonful of filling near the stem end.  Begin wrapping, first folding up, then folding in one side, and then the other. Continue until you have a tight, taut roll.  After each one, examine it to ensure that no filling poking through.  If filling poking through, unwrap, and repeat.

Using a pot large enough to hold the dolmades.  Add 3 tablespoons olive oil to the bottom of the pot and line it with vine leaves (if there are torn leaves, this is a good place to use them).

Place dolmades in the pot, arranging them so that they are snug.  Layer them one on top of the other.  Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt.

Boil enough water in a separate pot or kettle and pour over the dolmades so that the dolmades are completely, but just barely covered.

Take a heat-proof plate, which is slightly smaller than the circumference of the pot, and lay the plate on top of the dolmades.  Cover the pot with a lid and bring to a boil.  When the water has come to a boil, lower the heat to a medium low and cook for approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes. Periodically check on the dolmades to ensure that they are still covered with water. If not, boil more water and add to the pot to cover the dolmades.

Check the dolmades for doneness by tasting them.  They are ready when the rice is cooked.

Remove from heat.  In a small bowl mix together 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice and 1/2 tablespoon flour.  Mix with about 1/2 cup (125 ml) water from the pot.  Mix well until not lumpy, and pour this over the dolmades.  Gently shake the pot so that the lemon mixture coats all the dolmades. Dolmades are best served at room temperature.

Fasolada

Fasolada is a delicious, rustic and nutritious Greek bean soup. It is simple to make and extra comforting. Fasolada is, with no doubt, the national Greek dish! This is the authentic recipe for Greek bean soup, a trademark dish that has nourished generations!

Ingredients

• 8 oz. dried Navy or Cannellini beans
• 6 cups of fresh water
• 1 sm. red onion, chopped
• 2 medium celery stalks (with their leaves), thickly sliced
• 1 medium or large carrot, thickly sliced
• 2 medium garlic cloves, minced
• ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 large bay leaves
• 1½ cups tomato passata, like Pomi (or thick, crushed tomatoes)
• 1 Tbsp tomato paste
• 1 medium Yukon gold potato, cubed
• ½ tsp. dried Greek oregano
• ¾-1 tsp. sea salt
• freshly ground pepper
• red pepper flakes
• 1-2 Tbsp vinegar (optional)
• ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil

Rinse beans and discard malformed or stone-like ones. Soak the beans for at least 8 hours (overnight is preferable).  Drain and rinse the beans. Place in a large pot with just enough fresh water to cover them. Bring to a boil. White foam will rise to the surface of the water. Remove foam with a spoon and then drain the beans in a colander. (This step is necessary to get rid of any impurities and it also makes the beans easier on the stomach!).

Place the beans back in the pot with six cups of fresh water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer for about 30 minutes. While the beans cook, prep the vegetables. Add the onion, celery, carrots, garlic, ⅓ cup of extra virgin olive oil and bay leaves to the pot.

Simmer, partially covered for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Next, add the tomatoes, tomato paste, potato and the seasoning. Cover the pot partially and continue simmering for about 30 minutes more, or, until the beans are very tender and the soup is thick and creamy (*see note). Check to see if a little more liquid is needed, and if it does, add a little warm water. The consistency of the soup should be thick.  Just before removing from the heat, discard the bay leaves and stir in the vinegar and the remaining ⅓ cup of extra virgin olive oil. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.

Serve hot with some hearty bread, seasoned olives and Greek Feta cheese.

Pastitsio

Pastitsio is a Greek pasta dish that is assembled and then baked. It is similar to Italian lasagna. Traditionally, it consists of pasta, a meat sauce, and topped with a creamy,  béchamel sauce.

• 2 1/2 cups of Penne pasta

Ingredients for meat sauce

• 3 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion
• 1 1/2 lbs. lean ground beef
• 3 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
• salt
• 1/2 cup red wine (Merlot is best)
• 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
• 2 dried bay leaves
• 3/4 tsp ground all-spice
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• pinch of sugar

Ingredients for béchamel sauce

• 1/3 cup plus 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp salt (more if you like)
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 4 cups milk, warmed
• 2 large eggs

Directions

Cook the pasta, make the meat sauce, and make the bechamel sauce. Use a large casserole dish or 9 1/2 X13 inch baking dish. Brush the dish with extra virgin olive oil.  Assemble the Greek lasagna layer by layer. Spread about half of the cooked pasta. Add meat sauce and spread evenly. Add the rest of the pasta on top of the meat sauce.  Spread the béchamel sauce on top.

Bake at 350 degrees F oven for one hour or until the béchamel topping bubbles and turns golden brown. Remove from heat and set aside for 10 minutes before serving.

Spanakopita

If you haven’t had Spanakopita, you’re in for a treat! Spanakopita is a savory Greek pie made with crispy layers of phyllo dough and a delicious filling of spinach and feta cheese. Spanakopita makes a great side dish with lamb or chicken but can easily stand alone as a main course. Serve it with a Greek salad or a Mediterranean chickpea salad.

Ingredients

• 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large red onion, diced
• 6 cloves of garlic, minced
• ¼ cup chopped fresh dill
• 2 cups fresh spinach
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp pepper
• 4 green onions, chopped
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups crumbled feta cheese
• ½ pound phyllo dough (not frozen)

Directions

In a large stainless-steel skillet over medium heat, heat 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. Add the onions and cook, stirring frequently, until they start to soften, about 5 minutes.

Add the garlic and dill and cook with the onions, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 2 minutes.

Add the spinach, salt and pepper to the skillet in two batches and cook with the onion mixture until well combined, and spinach is soft 5-7 minutes total.

Remove from heat and stir in the green onions and lemon zest until evenly combined.
In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, then add the feta cheese and continue to whisk until well combined. Stir into the spinach mixture.

Preheat the oven to 350°F and lightly oil a 9×13-inch baking dish with 1 tablespoon of oil.

Unroll one sleeve of phyllo sheets and cut off an inch at the end to make them fit into the 9 x 13 pan.

Lay half a sleeve (10 phyllo sheets) in the prepared pan. Spread the spinach mixture over the phyllo in one even layer. Lay the other half sleeve of 10 phyllo sheets over the spinach mixture.

Drizzle the remaining 3 tablespoons of oil over the top layer of phyllo sheets and use a pastry brush to brush the oil all over. Cut the spanakopita into 12 square or rectangle pieces.

Bake until golden brown all the way into the cut lines, 45-50 minutes, rotating the spanakopita halfway through baking.

Tips

Keep the Phyllo Dough Covered. Phyllo dries out quickly, so keep it covered with a damp towel while working to prevent it from becoming brittle.

Use a Sharp Knife for Cutting. Cut the spanakopita into pieces before baking to avoid shattering the crispy phyllo afterward.
Allow the spanakopita to cool for at least 10 – 15 minutes before serving to help the filling set and make slicing easier.

Tzatziki

Tzatziki is a creamy, very tasty and versatile cucumber yogurt dip or sauce made from simple ingredients including Greek yogurt, cucumbers, garlic, and fresh herbs. Serve with pita bread, in gyros, wraps, with pita chips, as a dip with fresh vegetables, on lamb, salmon, or with whatever you like!

Ingredients

• 1 cup whole-fat Greek yogurt
• 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1/2 cup finely chopped cucumber – after chopping or grating the cucumber, squeeze excess liquid out with paper towels
• 1 – 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

Directions – In a medium bowl, combine yogurt, Virgin olive oil and lemon juice. Add cucumber, garlic, and dill; season with salt. Serve chilled and enjoy! Tzatziki can be made 4 days ahead of time and stored in the fridge in an airtight container.