Delicious Traditional Greek Meal

When last did you enjoy a Delicious Traditional Greek Meal?

I’ve always loved Greek food and lately, and I have been following traditional ones. So tonight I decided on a full-on Greek meal starting with Garlic and Feta pull-apart rolls, Keftedes (Greek Meatballs), Fasolakia (Greek Green Bean Casserole), and then the toss between Greek Salad and Tzatziki, of course, Tzatziki won! What a delicious meal!

Garlic and Feta Pull-Apart Rolls

Ingredients

1. 1/3 cup olive oil
2. 1-2 cloves garlic, grated
3. 1 tsp Greek oregano Mix the above in a glass bowl and microwave for 15 seconds. Set aside.

In a processor add:

1. 800g sifted flour
2. 1 sachet instant yeast
3. 3 tbsp olive oil

Pulse a few seconds to mix then add

1. 150g crumbled feta cheese
2. 500g water

Method:

• Pulse a few more times until it is all combined.
• Toss onto a floured surface and knead into a dough.
• Place into a bowl and cover with cling wrap and set aside for 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 160 °C.
• Grease a round pan with a few drizzles of olive oil.
• Pinch off pieces of dough and form golf ball sized rolls.
• Fill the pan.
• Brush each one evenly with the garlic/oregano oil you had set aside
• Bake for approximately 45 minutes.

Keftedes: Greek Meatballs (With Lemony Sauce)

Ingredients

1. 1 red onion, grated
2. 3 garlic cloves, minced
3. 1 slice, day-old bread, soaked in milk
4. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
5. 1 kg lean ground beef
6. 1 large egg PLUS 1 egg yolk, divided
7. ¼ cup chopped fresh mint leaves
8. 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
9. 1 tsp ground coriander
10. 1 tsp dried oregano, preferably Greek oregano
11. ½ tsp ground cinnamon
12. 1 tsp ground cumin
13. ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
14. Salt and pepper
15. 3 lemons, zested and juiced
16. Flour for dredging
17. 1¼ cups chicken stock

Method:

• Wring the excess milk out of the soaked bread.
• To a mixing bowl add the ground beef, onion, the bread. garlic, 1 egg, mint, parsley, spices, salt and pepper, and 1 tbsp lemon zest.
• Mix by hand until the mixture is fully incorporated.
• Form the meat mixture into balls (each the size of a heaping tablespoon.) and place them on a large tray and refrigerate for 1 hour.
• Roll meatballs into the flour to lightly coat. In a large skillet, add 1/4 cup olive oil.
• Heat over medium-high.
• Turn heat to medium and add the meatballs to cook (do this in batches if you need to.)
• Cook meatballs for 10 minutes or so, turning occasionally, until fully cooked and well-crusted on all sides.
• Remove meatballs from skillet onto paper towels.
• Discard most of the cooking fat from the skillet.
• Return skillet to stove-top over medium heat.
• Whisk the 1 egg yolk with the chicken stock and lemon juice.
• Add to cooking skillet with the remaining lemon zest, then add the meatballs back in.
• Cook over medium heat for another 5 minutes until the lemon sauce thickens.

How about you add Fasolakia (Greek Green Bean Casserole) to your Delicious Traditional Greek Meal

Ingredients

1. 500gr Green beans washed and ends trimmed
2. ½ cup olive oil
3. 1 medium onion, finely chopped
4. 4 garlic cloves, grated
5. 1 (28oz) can tomatoes, pureed
6. 3 potatoes, peeled and quartered
7. 1½ cups water (I used chicken stock – hardly ever use plain water 😏)
8. 1½ tsp salt (used 1 tsp ços of stock)
9. 1 tsp ground black pepper
10. ¼ tsp crushed pepper flakes
11. 1 tsp dried dill
12. 1 tbsp fresh chopped parsley
13. Feta cheese for serving

Method:

• Cook the onions in the olive oil over medium heat till golden (about 10 minutes).
• Add garlic and cook 20 seconds till warmed through.
• Add green beans and potatoes, tomatoes and spices.
• Now add the water and bring to a boil.
• Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes until vegetables tender and sauce reduced.
• Uncover, mix and raise heat to high and cook a further 15 minutes, stirring often until sauce thickens.
• Stir in the parsley.

Tzatziki

Ingredients

1. 3/4 English cucumber, partially peeled
2. 1 tsp kosher salt, divided
3. 4 to 5 garlic cloves, peeled, finely grated, or minced (you can use less if you prefer)
4. 1 tsp white vinegar
5. 1 tbsp chopped fresh dill
6. 2 cups Greek yogurt
7. 1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
8. 1/4 tsp white pepper

Method

• Grate the cucumber.
• Toss with ½ tsp kosher salt.
• Transfer to a fine-mesh strainer (sieve) over a deep bowl to drain.
• Spoon the grated cucumber into a cheesecloth or a double thickness clean tea towel and squeeze dry. Set aside.
• In another bowl, place the garlic with the remaining 1/2 tsp salt, white vinegar, and olive oil. Mix to combine.
• Add the cucumber. Give it a quick mix.
• Stir in the yogurt and pepper. Combine thoroughly.
• Cover tightly and refrigerate for a couple of hours.
• When ready to serve, stir the tzatziki sauce to refresh and drizzle with more olive oil.

What more can you ask for a treat than this Delicious Traditional Greek Meal?

Prepared, tried, and tested Melanie Kramar

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