The Greek Food

Tag: Salad

  • Orange Salad from Mani

    Orange Salad from Mani

    I never imagined that i could have orange as a salad but apparently there is a part of Greece where this kind of salad is quite common.

    Last summer i went for holidays in one really beautiful part of Greece, in the south east side of Peloponissos in the Sout Greece, called Mani. That area of Greece is most well know for the city of Sparti and history it holds but there are many more beautiful cities next to it.

    I did had the opportunity to drive in many cities around the Peninsula during that summer but i think Areopolis was one of the best ones to spend some days and eat in there local taverns

    The area is know for producing really high quality olives, and olive oil but also …oranges!

    INGREDIENTS FOR ORANGE SALAD

    • 2 ORANGES CUT AND SLICED
    • 1 ONION SLICED
    • COUPLE OF OLIVES
    • OLIVE
    • CAPER LEAVES
    • SALT

    Clean carefully the oranges removing there cover and cut them in slices. Place them in nice deep plate and the sliced onion and olives.

    Sprinkle with some olives, the caper leaves and add salt to your liking.

    Enjoy!

  • Tyrokafteri sauce – easy to make, delicious to taste

    Tyrokafteri sauce – easy to make, delicious to taste

    Ok, ok, lets be serious…you know it…I know it…we all know it! There has been at least one time in your life where you have been alone in the house and had some food and the only thing you wanted was a kind of sauce… something to dip.

    Just anything! But you didn’t…. L

    Ok ok caaaaaaaaalm down…that’s why we are here! That’s what we are going to do….we are going to save the moment …once again!

    The following is recipe for a sauce called Tyrokafteri. The direct translation to that is…hmmm…I guess spice cheese.  To be honest you will see it with different names across the web but …for now let’s settle with that…tyrokafteri or…greek spice cheese dip.

     

    Tyrokafteri Ingredients

    • 250gr of Greek Yogurt
    • 2 roasted sweet peppers
    • 1 green pepper
    • 2 garlic cloves
    • 1 teaspoon of olive oil
    • 250 gr of Feta Cheese
    • 1/2  tea spoon of paprika
    • 1/2  tea spoon of oregano
    • 1 tea spoon of vinegar
    • 1 chilli pepper sliced (or more if you want)

    The process is really simple to be honest. Just mix everything on the mixer and serve. Ideally you can add more ingredients depending on your taste.

    As I said those may vary in different areas of Greece or in the Balkans also. Despite that, those are the basic ones for a quite good amount of tyrokafter

    How to make tyrokafteri?

    Make sure that it has a creamy look and serve it with…more or less everything you want. Ideally as you put the ingredients you want to keep tasting it so you are sure that it doesn’t become too much or less spicy for your likings.

    Usually tyrokatferi was a typical dip when I was going to my grandmother and had any meat related food… but you can easily use it as a dip with chips or just pita bread. Well, i hope you will like it….but if you dont! There is always tzatziki !

    Enjoy!

    p.s. try adding yogurt or tobasco ..the variations as always dont have any limit..but the basic ingredients are those.

  • Lentil Salad

    Lentil Salad

    Lately I am trying to find more ways to cook healthy foods which I can take for my work lunch and the following was made for that exact reason.  Lentils were something that I missed lately but doing a soup, during summertime wasn’t exactly my thing.

    So I decided to see what else can we do with lentils, and I did..

    It’s a pretty famous dish to be honest in Greece and many Middle Eastern countries with different variations, and i have played around with lentils in a salad many times in the past. I like them as an ingredient as they can be used in various ways as i am recently learning.

    In addition to that they can be really fulfilling. So…fulfilling, tasty (well…at least i liked it :$ ) , healthy (not a doctor but i think it is healthy) and traditional …Middle East food . 🙂

    Ingredients

    • 300gr of lentils
    • Around 10-13 cherry tomatoes
    • 1 big green pepper chopped
    • 4-5 sping onions chopped
    • 3-4 teaspoons of olive oil
    • 1-2 teaspoons of wholegrain mustard
    • 1 bay leave
    • salt and pepper
    • 1-2 teaspoons of vinegar

    Lentil Salad

    In a big pot we prepare the lentils as we would when we are making the lentil soup. Add the bay leave,  a bit of olive oil and let them boil for  45 mins.

    Drain them and let it cool down

    Cut the cherry tomatoes in half and add them in a big bowl, add the lentils when they have cooled down and then the chopped spring onions and all the other ingredients including the mustard.  Be careful with the quantities of the vinegar so make sure you taste and add a bit more if necessary.

    Use your hands and mix them to go around!

    Put the bowl to the fridge and leave it over there for 15-20 minutes and… it is ready!

     

  • Greek traditional Tzatziki recipe

    Greek traditional Tzatziki recipe

    Every time when they are talking about Greece there are some things that stand out. Of course it’s the fact about the economy and the Parthenon…bla bla bla…but one thing that really makes the difference is Ouzo and Tzatziki.

    Well, even if Tzatziki is not my specialty (my brothers is) , this is a classic recipe about making a traditional Greek tzatziki as a side dish , salad.

    Additionally, it is one of the main ingredients of the Greek Souvlaki  that you can find on practically any corner in Greece. Now the problem you might face with that is that it has a lot of garlic..

    So essentially, if you are going to a nice dinner party or you going out with your girlfriend/boyfriend maybe that is not the best sauce to go. On the other hand tzatziki is ideal when you are with friends and refreshing as any other time you eat yogurt.

    You dont need any equipment to do it or cooking, you just need to devote 15 minutes of your time for tzatziki.

    Here we go.

    INGREDIENTS FOR TZATZIKI SAUCE

    • 3 cups Greek yogurt (around 350gr)
    • 2-3 garlic clove, minced
    • 1 large English cucumber, diced (the long, skinny ones)
    • 1 tablespoon salt (for salting cucumbers)
    • 1 tablespoon fresh dill (or both, depending on preference) or 1 tablespoon of fresh mint, chopped (or both, depending on preference)

     

    HOW TO MAKE TZATZIKI

    In food processor or blender, add cucumbers, garlic, dill and/or mint, and a few grinds of black pepper. Process until well blended, then stir into yogurt.

    Taste before adding any extra salt, then add salt if needed. Place in refrigerator for at least two hours before serving so flavors can blend.

    Serve your tzatziki together with warm bread to make your grilled meat lunch even better!

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2cc_4apFSo

  • How to make a Greek Salad

    How to make a Greek Salad

    The most basic of salads…..but the most famous one. The Greek Salad Recipe .

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