So, if you want to try something beyond traditional Greek dishes but stick with something that many Greeks enjoy, Imam Bayildi is a perfect idea. This dish is a classic of Ottoman and “Politiki” cuisine, that is the best way to serve eggplants (or aubergines if you like) and is really easy to make!

What is Imam Bayildi?

Imam Bayildi is a classic vegetarian dish that can be served as a main or side dish. The story behind the name of the dish is that the first Imam to try it was so impressed by the flavor that he fainted! So the dish is called ‘the imam fainted’ in Turkish.

What you’ll need to make Imam Bayildi the traditional way

You can make this Imam Bayildi recipe at any time of the year but to get the best results, it is worth using summer aubergines and the best tomatoes. But if you can’t get good quality plum tomatoes, you can use the tinned variety. You might find you need to add some sugar to the sauce as tinned tomatoes tend to be a bit more acidic and the sauce will be sharper.

Imam Bayildi Key Ingredients

Basics: For this imam Bayildi recipe, you will want 1 large eggplant per 2 portions you want to create. You’ll also want onion and garlic cloves along with plum tomatoes for the basics of the dish.

Seasoning: To add flavor to the ingredients, use cumin, smoked paprika, oregano and either a little fresh parsley or mint. Have some tomato puree to use to bind them together and a little black pepper to finish.

Key Preparation steps 

There are three main steps involved with this Imam Bayildi recipe:

1. Prepare the eggplant
2. Make the filling 
3. Finish the dish

Prepare the eggplant 

Preheat the oven to 150 degrees (300 F). Half the eggplant and score the flesh with a cross-hatch marking with the tip of the knife, being careful not to break the skin. Rub plenty of salt into the flesh and set it aside.

Measure the olive oil in a cup or jug and keep it to one side by the stove. Add more oil to a large, non-stick frying pan over a high heat then fry the eggplant in batches, adding more oil as needed. The flesh needs to be golden.

Place the cooked eggplant in a baking dish snugly.

Make the filling for Imam Bayildi 

Reduce the heat under the pan to medium and cook the thinly sliced onions with a bit of oil and salt. Cook for 5-6 minutes until soft and starting to change color.

Finely slice the garlic cloves and add them to the pan then cook for another few minutes until soft and aromatic.
Roughly dice the tomatoes and add them to the pan, cooking for another 5 minutes until breaking down into a rough sauce.

Stir in the cumin, paprika, oregano and fresh herbs with tomato puree and season with salt and black pepper.

Tip: If you don’t like tomato skins in your sauce, the easiest thing to do is make a small cross on the top of each tomato with a sharp knife. Then submerge them in some boiled water. Once the water is cool enough to put your hands in, remove the tomatoes and the skin will come off.

Finish the dish

Remove the filling from the heat and stir in 4 tablespoons of water.

Use a spoon to add the mixture over the cut sides of the eggplant then drizzle with olive oil and cover the dish with foil.
Bake in the oven for 1 hour 30 minutes or until the eggplant is soft and has collapsed.

Leave to stand and serve warm or at room temperature.

Do you need to salt eggplants?

You may have heard that you need to salt eggplants before cooking them, but is this really necessary? Modern eggplant varieties are bred to be less bitter, so in most cases, there’s no need to salt them.

However, if you find that the eggplants you usually buy are bitter, or if you’re using an heirloom variety, it’s worth salting them.

To do this, simply season the eggplant halves with salt and leave them to sit for 30 minutes. This will help to remove any bitterness. Rinse the salt off and squeeze out any excess moisture before proceeding with the recipe.

It may seem strange to double-salt them, but the key to a delicious dish is to be bold with the seasoning!

Making ahead of time and storing

If you have any leftovers, allow them to cool then store them in an airtight container and keep them in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

You can freeze it once it is cold and use a freezer-safe bag or container. Store for no more than 3 months and allow to defrost overnight before reheating in the oven for 10-15 minutes.

Serving suggestions

Imam Bayildi is great on its own but you can also serve it as part of a meze-style meal. You can serve it with some plain rice or steamed vegetables but avoid anything too spicy as this could make the meal too strongly flavored.

Love eggplant? More recipes to try

Take a look at my some of my favorite Greek eggplant recipes like:

1. Traditional Moussaka with aubergines and potatoes
2. Stuffed eggplants with mince (Melitzanes papoutsakia)
3. Eggplant dip (Melitzanosalata)
4. Pan-fried battered eggplants (Melitzanes tiganites)
5. Vegan Moussaka with Lentils 
6. Vegetarian Moussaka with mushroom sauce

Imam Bayildi recipe

(97 votes, average: 4.78 out of 5)
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• Author: Eli K. Giannopoulos
• Prep Time: 15 minutes (plus cooling time)
• Cook Time: 2 hours
• Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
• Yield: 4 pieces
• Category: Main
• Method: Baked
• Cuisine: Politiki
• Diet: Vegan

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Description

Imam Bayildi (stuffed eggplants) is a simple, delicious vegan dish, packed with so much flavor! An amazing combination of fresh aubergines stuffed with a juicy tomato based filling, caramelised onions, garlic with aromatic herbs and spices!

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Ingredients

• 2 large eggplant
• salt
• 150ml olive oil
• 1 brown onion
• 4 large garlic cloves
• 4 large plum tomatoes
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp sweet smoked paprika
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tbsp tomato puree 
• handful fresh parsley or mint, or a mixture of the two, plus extra to serve
• black pepper, to taste

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Instructions

1. Pre-heat the oven to 150 degrees (300 fahrenheit).
2. To make this Imam bayildi recipe start by preparing the eggplants. Half the eggplant and score the flesh on a cross hatch, trying not the break the skin with the tip of your knife. Rub a generous amount of salt into the flesh, and set aside. 
3. Measure out the olive oil in a measuring cup or jug, and keep it by the stove. Add a generous splash to a large, non-stick frying pan set over a high heat. Fry the eggplant, working in batches and adding a little more oil if necessary until their exposed flesh is golden. As you remove them from a pan, nestle them cut side up in a baking dish just large enough to fit them snugly.
4. Reduce the heat to medium and add the onion, thinly sliced into half moons along with another splash of oil and another pinch of salt. Fry for 5-6 minutes or so until they’re soft and just starting to colour.
5. Finely slice the garlic cloves before adding them to the pan and cook for another couple of minutes until they’re soft and aromatic. 
6. Roughly dice the tomatoes and add them to the pan, cooking for a further 5 minutes until they start to break down into a rough sauce. Stir in the cumin, paprika, oregano, tomato puree and the fresh herbs, finely chopped. Season generously to taste with more salt and a little black pepper.
7. Remove from the heat and stir in 4 tbsp of water before spooning the mixture over the exposed cut sides of the eggplant. Drizzle the remaining olive oil over the dish before covering with foil and baking for 1 hour and 30 minutes, or until the aubergines and soft and have collapsed. 
8. Leave to stand and serve either warm, or at room temperature. Enjoy!

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Keywords: imam bayildi

The post Imam Bayildi recipe appeared first on My Greek Dish.

What is Lamb Stifado (Greek Lamb stew)?

Stifado dishes are classics of Greek cuisine that use a combination of onions, tomatoes and vinegar as the base with different seasonings to add more flavor.

Originally, the dish came from the Venetians in the 13th century but didn’t include tomatoes as they weren’t known in the country at the time. But adding tomatoes is now common and makes the dish even more delicious.

Traditional stew: Ideal for colder nights, this is a great comfort food.
Use lamb or other meat: You can swap the lamb for other meats that you enjoy.

What you’ll need to make lamb stifado the traditional way

One of the key ingredients in a stifado dish is the onions and I like to use pearl onions for it.

Pearl onions are small, round onions that are most commonly used in dishes like stews, slow-roasted meats or mashed potatoes. They have a mild flavor and tender texture; however, they can be tedious to peel because of their small size.

If you don’t want to go through the trouble of peeling pearl onions yourself, frozen and canned versions are widely available on store shelves.

As an alternative to fresh or frozen pearl onions, shallots make an excellent replacement. Shallots have a more complex flavor than plain onion and tend to add sweetness and depth to recipes.

Greek Lamb Stew Key Ingredients

Lamb: You’ll want 1.5kg or around 53 ounces of lamb for the recipe, ideally with bone in to cut into large portions.

Sauce: Pearl onions, garlic and tinned tomatoes make the base of the sauce with tomato paste, white wine vinegar, olive oil and seasoning with rosemary, allspice berries, cinnamon sticks plus a little sugar.

Key Preparation Tips

There are three main steps involved with this Lamb stifado recipe:

1. Prepare the lamb
2. Make the sauce
3. Cook the dish

Prepare the lamb

Start by preparing the lamb to cut into large portions. Add to a bowl and season with salt and black pepper.
Take a frying pan on high heat and add 4 tbsp olive oil then saute the lamb until sealed and browned on all sides. Use a slotted spoon to remove it from the pan, set to one side and cover it.

Make the sauce for Lamb stifado

Peel the pearl onions and add them to the pan from the lamb, saute them until caramelized. Try to avoid stirring too much so the onions don’t break apart, shake the pan as much as possible.

Add the chopped garlic, rosemary, allspice berries, cinnamon sticks, tomato paste and sugar and continue to cook.
Add the vinegar and deglaze the pan.

Add the canned tomatoes and water and gently stir everything together then add the lamb.

Cook the dish

Place a lid on the pan and once it starts to boil, turn it down to a medium heat. Cook for around 2 hours, although check regularly as it can take as little as 1.5 hours if the lamb is on the small side.

Keep checking the sauce (see tips below) then serve with some feta cheese and crusty bread.

How do you stop the sauce from drying out?

When it comes to making Lamb stifado, or any other type of tomato-based sauce, the key is to keep its consistency just right. The good news is that stopping the sauce from drying out is relatively easy – but requires some vigilance as you cook.

Firstly, it’s important to check if water needs to be added regularly before the dish starts to dry out; adding boiled water can produce a nice balance of soupy and thicker texture.

To make sure that your sauce doesn’t become too runny, remove the lid near the end of cooking time. By doing this you make sure that there’s enough evaporation so you aren’t left with an overly liquid end result.

Remember that even after taking it off the heat, the remaining liquids will continue to reduce over time as it slowly cools down as well – so don’t leave your stifado unattended for too long.

As long as you keep these simple tips in mind, you won’t have any problems making a delicious and well-balanced tomato sauce!

Variations

While the most popular option for this recipe is lamb, you can also make it with goat if you enjoy that meat. Other variations include beef stifado, pork or even rabbit stifado.

Making ahead of time and storing

You can keep any leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days and reheat them on the stove. Some people even say that the dish is better after the first day as the flavors have had more time to blend together!

Serving suggestions

Something simple like crusty village bread works well with this stew or you can add some roasted potatoes or a Greek salad. Other options include orzo pasta or egg noodles.

Lamb Stifado recipe (Greek lamb stew)

(87 votes, average: 4.84 out of 5)
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• Author: Eli K. Giannopoulos
• Prep Time: 20 min
• Cook Time: 2 hours
• Total Time: 2 hours 20 minutes
• Yield: 4-6 portions
• Category: Main
• Method: Stew
• Cuisine: Greek

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Description

If you are searching for proper Greek comfort food then Lamb Stifado will be perfect! This Greek lamb stew is easy to make and is ideal for those cooler evenings when you want a hearty, warming dish.

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Ingredients

• 1.5kg lamb, bone in, cut in large portions (53 oz.)
• 700g pearl onions, peeled (25 oz.)
• 2–3 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 2 tbsps tomato paste 
• 400g tinned chopped tomatoes (14 oz.)
• 6 tbsps (80g) white wine vinegar 
• 6–7 tbsps extra virgin olive oil 
• 1 tsp chopped rosemary 
• 5–8 allspice berries (or ground allspice)
• 1–2 cinnamon sticks 
• 1 tbsp sugar
• Salt and pepper 
• 800ml-900ml water (3-4 cups)

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Instructions

1. To prepare this delicious Greek lamb stifado (lamb stew) recipe, start by preparing the lamb. In a large bowl add the meat and season well with salt and pepper.
2. Place a large frying pan over high heat. Add the olive oil (4 tbsps) and the lamb and sauté over high heat, until browned on all sides and sealed. When done, remove with a slotted spoon, place on a platter, cover and set aside.
3. Peel the baby shallot onions.
4. Place a pot over high heat. Add the remaining olive oil and the pearl onions and sauté until caramelised. 
5. Add the chopped garlic, allspice berries, rosemary, cinnamon sticks, sugar and tomato paste and sauté.
6. Pour in the vinegar and deglaze. 
7. Add the canned tomatoes and water and stir. At the end add the sautéed lamb. 
8. Place the lid on. A soon as it comes to a boil, lower the heat down to medium and cook for approx. 2 hours. 
9. While the stifado is simmering, check if it needs some water; you don’t want it to dry out. If it does, pour in some boiled water. On the contrary if your sauce needs more thickening towards the end of cooking time, then remove the lid and let it boil to evaporate. 
10. Serve this delicious lamb stifado with crusty bread and feta cheese. Enjoy!

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Keywords: greek lamb stew, lamb stifado

The post Lamb Stifado recipe (Greek lamb stew) appeared first on My Greek Dish.

What is Spanakopita (Greek spinach pie)?

Spanakopita is a traditional Greek dish that combines spinach and feta cheese in a pastry filling. It is often made with phyllo pastry (spanakopita with phyllo) but I went for puff pastry here because it is easier to work with! If you have the time, you can also make it with homemade phyllo (spanakopita with homemade phyllo).

Sometimes you see the spanakopita made into small pies (spanakopitakia) as well as in larger casserole dishes like this one. In Northern Greece, it is known as spanakotiropita (spinach feta pie) while the term spanakopita tends to be used in Southern Greece but both are referring to a tasty spinach and cheese pie.

• Classic Greek dish: Ideal for larger family gatherings.
• Delicious combination: Spinach and feta cheese are at the heart of the dish.

Tip: During religious fasts, a version of the recipe is often made without using cheese and eggs.

What you’ll need to make Spanakopita with Puff Pastry

You will want good quality feta cheese for this recipe to bring out the best of the flavors. Don’t be tempted to go for something lesser quality or even try a different cheese as it won’t produce the same results as feta does.

Key Ingredients for Spanakopita with Puff Pastry 

Filling: For the spanakopita pie filling, you need leeks, garlic cloves, fresh spinach and then some spring onions, mint, lemon zest and nutmeg. Feta cheese is added for the classic Greek flavor.

Pastry: You’ll need eggs, puff pastry and some flour for rolling to prepare the pastry for the dish.

Key Preparation Tips

There are three main steps involved with making spanakopita with puff pastry:

1. Prepare the filling
2. Prepare the puff pastry
3. Finish the spinach pie

Prepare the filling

Heat some olive oil in a large frying pan or skillet over medium heat. Trim the leeks into 1cm or ⅓ inch pieces then fry in the pan with some salt until soft and starting to color, usually around 10 minutes.

Peel and crush the garlic clove then add to the pan, cooking for another minute until soft.

Chop the spinach roughly and add to the pan, a handful at a time. Stir it frequently and let it wilt then add more. Cook the spinach until almost all of the liquid has evaporated from it, around 15-20 minutes then remove from the heat.

Prepare the spring onions and add them to the mixture with roughly chopped fresh mint, lemon zest and nutmeg. Crumble in the feta cheese, season with salt and black pepper then leave to cool.

Prepare the puff pastry

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees (390 F). Lightly flour a surface or board and divide the pastry block into two.

Generously grease a 20 x 20cm baking tray that can hold at least 4 inches of filling with butter then roll out one piece of pastry making sure it can line the dish. Press into the corners with your fingertips for complete coverage.

Finish the Spanakopita (Greek spinach pie)

Beat an egg and stir into the spinach mixture before spreading it across the pastry, pushing into corners and using a spoon to have a smooth surface.

Beat the other egg and brush it across any exposed pastry above the filling.

Roll out the second sheet and add it to the top, using fingers to pinch the two sheets together. Trim off any excess and brush with the rest of the egg.

Cook for 30 minutes until the pastry is crisp and golden. Remove from the oven and leave for another 30 minutes before slicing and serving. Warm or room temperature is perfect for this recipe.

Can you Use Frozen Spinach?

I prefer to use fresh spinach when making this Spanakopita with puff pastry recipe but you can use frozen spinach too.

Spinach is a great leafy green to keep in your freezer for when you need it. It can work for this recipe too because you don’t need to cook it in advance, just as part of creating the filling.

Just make sure to fully thaw the spinach and squeeze out all the liquid before adding it to the rest of the filling ingredients. This will help to prevent the spanakopita from becoming too waterlogged.

Making ahead of time and storing

You can make the Spanakopita with puff pastry ahead of time and store it until you want to serve it. Follow the instructions for assembling but don’t bake it. Cover it tightly and store it in the refrigerator until you are ready to bake it then follow the instructions.

It will also store in the refrigerator for 2-3 days after cooking. You can heat it back up in the oven.

To freeze it, take the cooked recipe and cut it into portions then freeze it like this. Once cooled pop into an airtight container. Defrost overnight then heat up in the oven.

Serving suggestions

This delicious Spanakopita with puff pastry works well on its own as a standalone dish, but is also great if you have a few people to feed alongside dishes such as Greek lemon chicken or a lamb recipe. You can serve it with Greek salad and some dips such as Tzatziki or garlic hummus.

More delicious Greek Pies!

If you love a traditional Greek pie, the below recipes are made for you! 

1. Greek Meat Pie (Kreatopita)
2. Greek Chicken Pie Recipe (Kotopita)
3. Traditional Greek Leek Pie Recipe (Prasopita)
4. Mini Spanakopita Triangles Recipe (Spanakopitakia / Greek Spinach Triangles)
5. Greek Feta Cheese Pies Recipe (Tiropitakia)
6. Spiral-Shaped Greek Cheese Pie Recipe (Kichi Kozanis)
7. Traditional Zucchini Pie Recipe With Feta Cheese (Greek Kolokithopita)
8. Traditional Tiropita Recipe (Greek Cheese Pie With Feta)
9. Delicious Little Cheese Pies! (Pitarakia Milou)

Easy Greek Spanakopita with puff Pastry

(89 votes, average: 4.79 out of 5)
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• Author: Eli K. Giannopoulos
• Prep Time: 25 min
• Cook Time: 1 hour
• Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
• Yield: 4-6 portions
• Category: Side dish
• Method: Baked
• Cuisine: Greek
• Diet: Vegetarian

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Description

Making spanakopita sounds too complicated? Well not anymore with my super easy spanakopita with puff pastry recipe!

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Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 leeks 
• salt
• 2 large garlic cloves
• 400g-500g fresh spinach (roughly 1 lb)
• 4 large spring onions
• large handful fresh mint
• zest of 1/2 lemon
• generous pinch ground nutmeg
• 150g feta (5 1/4 oz)
• black pepper to taste
• 2 eggs
• 1 x 500g block puff pastry (1 lb 1 1/2 oz)
• flour, for rolling out the pastry 
• softened butter, for greasing the baking dish

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Instructions

1. To prepare this super easy spanakopita with puff pastry recipe, start by making the filling first.
2. Heat the oil in a very large frying pan or skillet set over a medium heat. Trim and slice the leeks into 1 cm (1/3 inch) pieces and fry with a pinch of salt for about 10 minutes until they’re soft and just starting to colour.
3. Peel and crush the garlic into to the pan, cooking for a further minute until it has turned soft and aromatic. 
4. Roughly chop the spinach and gradually add handfuls to the pan, stirring often until it has wilted enough to allow you to fit more. Then, continue to cook the spinach until almost all of its liquid has evaporated; this should take around 15-20 minutes, depending on the size of your pan. Remove it from the heat.
5. Top, tail and finely slice the spring onions before stirring them into the spinach mixture along with the fresh mint, roughly chopped, the lemon zest and the nutmeg. Crumble in the feta, before seasoning to taste with more salt and a little black pepper. Leave the spanakopita filling to cool.
6. Meanwhile, pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees C (390 fahrenheit).
7. On a lightly floured surface, divide the pastry block into two. Generously butter a 20x20cm (roughly 8×8 inch) baking dish and roll out one piece of pastry to be big enough to line the dish allowing the filling to take up at least 4cm (1 1/4 inches) of depth, and the other to form a lid. Line the dish, pressing the pastry into the corners carefully with your fingertips.
8. Lightly beat the first egg, and stir it into the spinach mixture before spooning the cooled filling into the prepared pastry case, pushing it into the corners and smoothing the surface with the back of the spoon. 
9. Beat the other egg, and brush the egg wash across the exposed lip of the pastry, just above the filling. Top with the lid, and again use your fingertips to press the edges together. If necessary, trim off any excess that overhangs the dish with a sharp knife before folding the pastry over and crimping it with your fingertips to seal the pie. Brush with the remaining egg wash and cut two small slits in the middle of the pie to allow steam to escape.
10. Bake for 30 minutes until the pastry is crisp and golden. Remove from the oven, and rest for a further 30 minutes at least before slicing and serving either warm or at room temperature. Enjoy!

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Keywords: spanakopita with puff pastry, spinach pie with puff pastry, spinach pie, easy spinach pie, easy spanakopita

The post Easy Greek Spanakopita with puff Pastry appeared first on My Greek Dish.

So go ahead, read along to discover how to make it to perfection with my delicious recipe, step by step photos, tips and tricks, variations and ingredient suggestions!

What is Greek Orzo Salad?

Greek Orzo Pasta salad is a traditional dish that is used as a side for parties, gatherings and even as a light mid week dinner! It is a simple recipe that can be adapted to whatever vegetables you have around the kitchen but is usually made with tomatoes, cucumber, onion and olives.

• Easy to make: There’s just a short preparation time and a little cooking needed to make this recipe. Then simply chill it and it will be ready to serve.
• Use up ingredients: Once you’ve tried it the traditional way, mix up those ingredients for a great use-up recipe.

Greek Orzo Pasta Salad Key Ingredients

There are a few key ingredients needed to make this salad recipe:

1. Orzo salad: As well as the orzo pasta, you’ll want some cherry tomatoes, red onion, English cucumber and Kalamata olives to mix in. Season with olive oil, fresh basil and dill.
2. For the dressing: A simple dressing made with olive oil, red wine vinegar, a little lemon zest and oregano works perfectly.
3. To finish: As well as salt and pepper, adding some cubed feta is always my favorite option.

Tip: Use good quality Greek dried oregano here for the best results as some of the big-name brands tend to be very dry. If you can’t get Greek oregano, the next best would be a quality Mexican oregano.

Key Preparation Tips

There are three main steps involved with making this orzo salad:

1. Cook the orzo pasta
2. Prepare the dressing
3. Make the salad and finish

Cook the Orzo pasta

Boil up your kettle full of water and, at the same time, heat some olive oil in a large saucepan over a medium-high heat. When the oil is shimmering, add the orzo and cook until it starts to color, stirring regularly.

Then add the boiling water from the kettle with a teaspoon of salt and cook for 10-12 minutes until just tender and al-dente.

Drain the orzo and rinse it under a cold tap until the water flowing out of the pasta is clear. This will cool the orzo down, stopping it from cooking any further and preventing it from getting too soft and soggy.

Finally, set aside to drain any extra moisture, stirring occasionally to prevent the pasta from sticking together.

Make the dressing for Greek Orzo salad

For the dressing we keep it nice and simple using classic and earthy Greek flavours. Just make sure you use good quality and fresh ingredients!

My favourites are some extra virgin olive oil, a little red wine vinegar to add some acidity, lemon zest for some delicious freshness and of course some Greek oregano. In a small dish, combine all the ingredients together, season and whisk to combine.

Prepare the Orzo feta salad

Prepare the salad ingredients by quartering the cherry tomatoes, peeling and finely chopping the onion and cucumber and cutting the olives into quarters. If you find red onion is a little sharp in flavor, run it under the cold water tap before adding it to the salad mix.

Pour the orzo pasta into a large mixing bowl and add the salad vegetables. Roughly chop the fresh herbs and add them to the mix as well. Pour in the salad dressing and toss.

Stir in the cubed feta and gently stir so your feta doesn’t break apart. Taste and if needed, season with some more salt and pepper before serving. Just be careful not to add too much salt as both the feta and olives are usually quite salty on their own.

Tip: For maximum flavour, allow your salad to marinate for about an hour before serving so that the orzo absorbs the sauce.

What is Orzo?

If you’ve ever eaten orzo before, it is easy to confuse it with rice due to its shape! However, Orzo is, in fact, pasta and you can find it at the grocery store alongside other shaped kinds of pasta.

Flavor wise, Orzo tastes mild, making it the perfect match for pasta salads like this Greek Orzo Salad, but also it is a wonderful pairing for soups and even risotto-like dishes.

You’ll also find whole wheat orzo, much like most kinds of pasta. If you want to increase the fiber and protein in this dish, use the whole wheat variety instead.

Can I Use Another Type of Pasta?

While there’s something just perfect about orzo for this recipe, you can swap it for other types of pasta if that’s what you have. Spiral, bowtie, penne or even macaroni pasta will work the same, just use the same weight. You could even test something like a cheese-filled tortellini but use double the weight listed.

Variations

Many traditional Greek recipes will use green bell peppers in this dish but it is a controversial flavor in our house! So we left it out but if you want to add some, finely chop one pepper and add it to the salad. They will add some extra crunch to the orzo salad together with some additional freshness.

Finally, you could also add artichoke hearts which will add some delicious tenderness to the dish or some salad greens such as spinach or arugula.

Making ahead of time and storing

You can keep the pasta salad in the refrigerator for 2-3 days in an airtight container. If it feels a little dry when you take it out, mix some olive oil into it to refresh it.

Can You Freeze Greek Pasta Salad?

While you can freeze pasta salads, some of them don’t freeze as well as others. It all depends on the components in the dish.

In general, if you use raw crisp vegetables such as cucumbers or tomatoes, I don’t suggest freezing them since they won’t work well when frozen.

Therefore, this dish is best eaten fresh, rather than frozen. Alternatively, wait to add the veggies until after it’s thawed!

Serving suggestions

You can serve the dish as a side salad, where this recipe will make around 8 portions. It works well alongside burgers, chicken souvlaki, beef souvlaki, pork souvlaki and of course chicken gyros and pork gyros as well as other side dishes such as briam (mixed roast vegetables).

Finally, you can make this into a more substantial meal by adding something like some grilled shrimp or shredded chicken to the recipe once you have made it. Serve it with some homemade crusty bread for a simple and filling meal.

Other delicious Greek salads

If you love my Greek orzo pasta salad, then you’ll also love my following handpicked recommendations!

1. Delicious Greek Lentil Salad Recipe with Feta cheese (Fakes Salata)
2. Refreshing Watermelon Feta Salad recipe
3. Grilled Halloumi and Roasted Vegetables Salad Recipe
4. Traditional Greek Salad recipe (Horiatiki / Xoriatiki)
5. Greek Pasta Salad recipe
6. Potato Salad (Greek Patatosalata)
7. Greek chickpea salad 

Greek Orzo Salad (Orzo feta salad)

(113 votes, average: 4.58 out of 5)
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• Author: Eli K. Giannopoulos
• Prep Time: 15 minutes (plus 1 hour chilling time)
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: 4 as a main, 8 as a side
• Category: Salad
• Method: Boiled
• Cuisine: Greek
• Diet: Vegetarian

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Description

Greek Orzo Salad with feta cheese is one of those super simple dishes that take just so little effort to prepare! Short cooking time, little preparation and you will have a delicious light meal or side dish in 30′!

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Ingredients

For Greek orzo salad

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• a kettle of boiling water
• 300g orzo (1 3/4 cups)
• 400g cherry tomatoes (14 oz)
• 1 small red onion
• 1 English cucumber
• 2 handfuls Kalamata olives
• 30g fresh basil leaves (1 oz)
• 15g fresh dill (1/2 oz)

For the orzo salad dressing

• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 4 tsp red wine vinegar
• 1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• zest of 1 lemon

To season and decorate

• salt to taste
• black pepper to taste
• 180g cubed feta (6 oz)

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Instructions

1. To prepare this delicious Greek orzo salad recipe, start with cooking the orzo pasta. Boil the water in the kettle. At the same time heat the olive oil over a medium high heat in a large saucepan. Once the oil is shimmering, add the orzo and cook, stirring often until the orzo starts to color. Fill the pan with boiling water, stir in a of teaspoon of salt and cook the orzo for 10-12 minutes, until just tender and al-dente.
2. Drain the orzo and rinse under a cold tap until the water running out the pasta runs clear. Set aside to drain away any excess water, stirring occasionally to prevent the pasta sticking to each other.
3. Meanwhile, quarter the cherry tomatoes, peel and finely chop the onion and the cucumber, and quarter the olives.
4. Transfer the cooked orzo to a large bowl and stir in the salad vegetables. Roughly chop the fresh herbs and add those too.
5. To make the dressing, in a small bowl combine the extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, dried oregano, lemon zest, and a generous amount of salt and pepper. Stir this into the orzo mixture.
6. Add the cubed feta and stir carefully, making sure the cheese pieces don’t break up too much. Season to taste with more salt and pepper, if needed, and leave to stand in the fridge for roughly an hour before serving to allow the orzo to soak up the dressing. Enjoy!

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Keywords: greek orzo salad, greek orzo pasta salad, orzo feta salad

The post Greek Orzo Salad (Orzo feta salad) appeared first on My Greek Dish.

So go ahead and discover how to make it to perfection with my delicious recipe, step by step photos and tips and tricks below! 

What is Kreatopita (Greek meat pie)?

Kreatopita is a traditional Greek meat pie that you’ll traditionally find made in the villages across Kefallonia. They may not look like the fanciest of pies, but they are packed with so much flavour! They are also easy to make and can be a great way to use up some cuts of meat that you have in your freezer. This pie is a:

• Two meat pie: A traditional pie that uses two different portions of meat in the filling.
• Rustic favorite: It may not look the most spectacular but there’s so much taste involved!

What you’ll need to make Greek Meat Pie the traditional way

You can use any combination of meats such as lamb, pork, veal or beef in the pie but it is always traditional to use at least two different types. I would avoid pairing veal and beef as these can taste quite similar so you’ll loose out a bit on the flavor!

When selecting your cuts of meat, I find that shoulder works best for both lamb and pork as it contains a bit more fat than the rest, which gives the pie a more intense flavor as well as they are pretty cheap to get!

Finally, traditionally, Carolina rice is used in the pie but this isn’t always widely available outside Greece. So instead go for white basmati rice in the dish as it works just as well! If you do spot Carolina rice, then by all means, give it a try instead.

Greek Meat Pie Key Ingredients

The traditional Greek Meat pie (kreatopita) needs just a handful of ingredients to make:

1. Meat: You’ll need 2 cuts of meat for this recipe with my favourite ones being diced lamb and diced pork.
2. For the pie filling: You’ll need some onion and garlic together with tomatoes, tomato paste and white wine. Finally the white basmati rice helps to give it extra bulk.
3. Meat seasoning: I love using some dried marjoram along with fresh mint and flat leaf parsley to season my filling. You could also use dried oregano if you don’t have marjoram but because it is stronger, use only 3/4 tsp.
4. Pie crust: I’ve opted to make my pie with puff pastry but you can also make it using your homemade phyllo. To finish off your pie you’ll need an egg to egg wash it and (traditionally) some kefalotyri cheese or, if you can’t find this, some halloumi cheese.

Key Preparation Tips

There are three main steps to prepare this Greek meat pie:

1. Prepare the meat
2. Make the pie filling
3. Finally, assemble the pie

Prepare the meat

To make the pie filling, heat a large heavy-bottomed, lidded saucepan or casserole over a medium high heat with olive oil.

Brown the meat in batches, lowering the heat as needed to avoid burning bits on the bottom of the pan, and set it aside.

Tip: If your pan is not a non-stick type or not well seasoned you may get some bits of burnt meat on the bottom of the pan. If the brown patches are excessive, move the meat to another pan with a fresh splash of olive oil otherwise they may spoil the flavor of the pie filling as it will taste burnt!

Make the pie filling

Start by reducing the heat to medium low – you want the sauce to simmer, not boil! Fry the finely chopped onion with a little salt and the fat leftover from the meat until they have softened, caramelised and started to brown. This usually takes about 6-8 minutes. Then peel and crush the garlic and add to the onion, cooking for another minute.

Then proceed to stir in the tomato paste and took for a minute or two to release the tomato flavor. Add the roughly chopped tomatoes and cook again until they start to break down then mix in the dried marjoram (or oregano if you’re substituting).

Add the white wine to deglaze the pan, let it simmer for a bit until it reduces by half then add 200ml or 3/4 cup of water and bring to the boil. Finally reduce the heat to low, add the lid on and simmer for an hour or so until the meat is tender.

Once done cooking, add the roughly chopped fresh herbs (parsley and mint) to the mixture, add the uncooked rice, stir then leave it to cool to room temperature. The rice will cook with the residual heat from the meat sauce and will soak up all its delicious juices! Once you are happy the pie filling is cooled, add more salt and pepper if needed.

Tip: Before adding the rice, if your sauce looks too dry, add a splash of water, bring it to a boil, remove from the heat then add the rice.

Assemble the Greek meat pie

To assemble your kreatopita, preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius / 350 Fahrenheit and grease a large square baking dish (about 22 cm/9 inches square) evenly with some butter.

Split the puff pastry into two parts, one slightly larger than the other. The smaller one will make the pie lid while the bigger one is for the pie base.

Flour your surface, then roll out the larger pastry block into a square that comfortably lines the bottom of your dish and leaves a few centimetres or 1/2 an inch over the filling line. Use this to line the dish, pushing gently into the corners with your fingers.

Proceed to spoon in the cooled filling. Lightly beat an egg and use this to brush the exposed edges of the pastry. Sprinkle some of your grated cheese evenly across the pie filling.

To make the lid, roll out the smaller block and add it to the top of the pie, pressing down to seal the pastry where you added the egg.

Trim off any excess and brush the top of the pie with egg wash. Cut two small holes in the centre so steam can escape as it cooks.

Finally, cook in the oven for 1 hour or until the pastry is golden. Leave your kreatopita to cool for 15 minutes before cutting and serving.

Can you use filo pastry?

You can definitely use homemade filo pastry for your pie! Feel free to give it a go using this easy homemade phyllo recipe. However, if you are not the most confident in working with pastry, use ready made puff pastry. It tastes great and it is also a huge time-saver! 

Finally, don’t worry if the block of pasty you’ve bought is a little different in size than in the recipe below. Just follow the measurements as a rough indication of what is needed to cover the dish and adapt for your own bakeware.

Making ahead of time and storing

I find it easiest to make the pie filling the day before I want to make the pie. Pop it in the refrigerator until you are ready to assemble the pie. Just take your filling out of the fridge, prepare your pastry, assemble and bake as per the recipe below.

If you have leftovers, let them cool and store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to three days. Just reheat in the oven before serving.

Finally if you want to freeze the entire pie, its best to do this before baking it. Assemble but don’t glaze with egg, cover with plastic wrap and some foil then freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw completely overnight then cook in the oven as directed.

Serving suggestions

As the main course, Greek meat pies are perfect with something like a tabouli or Horiatiki Greek salad. You can also enjoy it as a light meal on its own!

More delicious Greek Pies!

If you love a traditional Greek pie, the below recipes are made for you! 

1. Greek Chicken Pie Recipe (Kotopita)
2. Traditional Greek Leek Pie Recipe (Prasopita)
3. Spanakopita Recipe With Homemade Phyllo (Authentic Greek Spinach Pie)
4. Mini Spanakopita Triangles Recipe (Spanakopitakia / Greek Spinach Triangles)
5. Greek Feta Cheese Pies Recipe (Tiropitakia)
6. Spiral-Shaped Greek Cheese Pie Recipe (Kichi Kozanis)
7. Traditional Zucchini Pie Recipe With Feta Cheese (Greek Kolokithopita)
8. Traditional Tiropita Recipe (Greek Cheese Pie With Feta)
9. Delicious Little Cheese Pies! (Pitarakia Milou)

Greek Meat Pie (Kreatopita)

(88 votes, average: 4.88 out of 5)
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• Author: Eli K. Giannopoulos
• Prep Time: 30 minutes (plus cooling and resting time)
• Cook Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
• Total Time: 3 hours
• Yield: 6 portions
• Category: Sides
• Method: Baked
• Cuisine: Greek

Print Recipe

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Description

If you are looking for a classic Greek meat pie, then this recipe for Kreatopita will be just what you need! Combining two different types of meat, it is a traditional, rustic pie you would see in villages across parts of Greece

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Ingredients

For the Greek meat pie filling

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 325g diced lamb (11 1/2 oz)
• 325g diced pork (11 1/2 oz)
• salt
• 1 brown onion
• 2 large garlic cloves
• 1/2 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 large tomatoes
• 1 tsp dried marjoram 
• 200ml white wine (3/4 cups)
• 50g white basmati rice (1/4 cup)
• handful flat leaf parsley
• handful fresh mint
• butter, at room temperature 

To assemble

• 500g block puff pastry (1 lb 1 1/2 oz)
• 100g kefalotyri or halloumi cheese (3 1/2 oz)
• 1 egg

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Instructions

For the Greek meat pie filling

1. To make the filling for this traditional Kreatopita, heat the olive oil in the bottom of a large heavy bottomed, lidded saucepan or casserole dish set over a medium high heat. Salt the meat well and fry the meat in batches until well browned, adjusting the heat if necessary to make sure you don’t get burnt bits on the bottom of the pan. Set the meat aside.
2. Lower the heat to medium low. Finely chop the onion and gently fry it along with another pinch of salt in the fat leftover from the meat for 6-8 minutes until the onion has softened and started to brown. Peel and crush the garlic cloves and add them to the onion, cooking for a further minute until aromatic. 
3. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for another minute or two until slightly caramelised. Roughly chop the tomatoes and stir them in too, cooking for another few minutes until they start to break down. Add the dried marjoram. 
4. Add the wine and allow to reduce by half. Add 200ml / 3/4 cups water, and turn up the heat to bring the filling up to a boil. Reduce to low, clap on the lid and leave to simmer for an hour, until the meat is tender.
5. Roughly chop the herbs and stir them into the pie filling, along with the uncooked rice. Leave to cool to room temperature.
6. Check the seasoning of the cooled pie filling, adding pepper and more salt if necessary. 

To assemble the Greek meat pie

1. To assemble the Kreatopita, pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius / 350 Fahrenheit and liberally butter your deepest square baking dish roughly 22 cm / 9 inches square.
2. Divide the puff pastry block into two, one half slightly smaller than the other to make the lid. 
3. On a well floured surface, roll the larger pastry block out into a large square, large enough to comfortably line the dish with a few centimetres / at least 1/2 inch to spare above the filling line. Use this to line the dish, using your fingers to push the pastry into the corners.
4. Spoon in the filling. Lightly beat the egg, and brush the exposed edge of the pastry along the top.
5. Grate the cheese and sprinkle it evenly across the top of the pie filling. 
6. Roll out the second block of pastry and top the pie with it, pressing down to seal the pastry along the egg wash line and trimming off any excess. Brush the top with egg wash and cut two small holes in the middle of the pie to allow steam to escape. 
7. Bake for 1 hour until the pastry is golden. Leave to stand for 15 minutes before cutting and serving. Enjoy!

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Keywords: Greek meat pie, kreatopita recipe, Greek meat pie puff pastry

The post Greek Meat Pie (Kreatopita) appeared first on My Greek Dish.

With my Vegan Lentil Moussaka, you get all the delicious potatoes and eggplants along with a vegan-friendly Béchamel sauce that even uses a clever ingredient to create that cheesy flavor on the topping and my delicious, packed with flavour, lentil based filling! 

So read along to discover what you’ll need to make the most delicious vegan lentil moussaka, my tips and tricks to help you make it to perfection, my step by step photos, and of course my unique recipe!

What is a traditional Moussaka?

Moussaka is arguably the most famous Greek dish. It is served in every Greek taverna and is the dish of choice for a large family gathering and special occasions.

Moussaka is a delicious eggplant, potato and mince meat casserole topped with a deliciously creamy and cheesy béchamel sauce. The essence of the traditional moussaka is summarised in:

1. Its umami packed filling: The traditional Moussaka sauce is a deep dark red/brown ragu, which is both meaty yet fragrant and is packed with umami flavours. The traditional moussaka uses a combination of beef or lamb to make the sauce together with garlic, bay leaves, cinnamon and red wine.
2. Its creamy béchamel: The traditional Moussaka is topped with a creamy, thick béchamel that is packed with a distinct savoury taste yet is extra fragrant because of the grated cheese and nutmeg!
3. Its deliciously juicy vegetables: Aubergines and potatoes are cooked separately and then added to the moussaka when ready to assemble. The aubergines give it a delicious juiciness and the potatoes that extra starchiness and robustness in its flavour, making it a complete meal!

So keeping the above in mind, how can we make the perfect Vegan moussaka while keeping its “essence” – the umami packed filling, its creamy béchamel and its deliciously juicy vegetables intact?

Making the perfect Vegan Moussaka with Lentils – Key Ingredients

In order for your Vegan moussaka recipe to keep its authenticity, we need to carefully select our meat and dairy substitutes. After plenty of experimentation I’ve narrowed it down to the following key ingredients:

• Lentils: they are the perfect meat substitute. They are nutritious, natural and healthy. Also they are a staple ingredient in the Greek cuisine! In my recipe I’ve opted to use green Lentils but you can also use any variety of whole (not split) brown lentils as well.
• Dried mushrooms: To make the sauce more “meaty” I’ve opted to use a sprinkling of dried mushrooms. They will expand when cooking and will impart their natural umami flavour that makes this vegan moussaka so delicious!
• Herbs and spices: After plenty of experimentation and keeping to the moussaka tradition, I’ve put together a delicious herbs and spices mix that makes this moussaka taste just like the original! You’ll need some garlic, cinnamon, tomato paste, chopped tomatoes, red wine, oregano and a bay leaf to season your sauce to perfection
• Vegan friendly béchamel: The classic Bechamel sauce is unfortunately using cows milk and butter so is not vegan or lent friendly. In keeping with the Greek tradition, I’ve opted to prepare my vegan béchamel using olive oil for the roux. To give it that extra creaminess but without sacrificing its flavour, I’ve found that soy milk is an excellent substitute for regular cows milk. To bring in those delicious Greek flavours and aromas, I’ve also infused the béchamel with a brown onion, cinnamon stick, bay leafs, nutmeg and garlic powder.
• Nutritional yeast: This is my one secret ingredient that makes the béchamel taste so special! So what is nutritional yeast? It’s a natural product that is made out of deactivated bakers or brewers yeast. It is highly nutritious, containing plenty of vitamin B and proteins. And best of all? It imparts a deliciously cheesy flavour to the béchamel!
• Potatoes and Aubergines! A Moussaka is not a moussaka without potatoes and generous helping of aubergines. So make sure you grab yourself a bunch and let’s get cooking!

Tip: You can use almond milk in place of soy milk if you prefer. It will give the sauce a nuttier flavor but it won’t brown as much as it would with soy milk. So if you want to use this option, add some breadcrumbs to the top to help brown the dish.

Preparing your Vegan Moussaka with Lentils

To prepare your Vegan Lentil Moussaka you’ll need to follow the following four key steps:

1. Prepare the lentil sauce
2. Prepare the vegetables
3. Prepare the bechamel
4. Assemble and bake!

So get your pans out and let’s get started!

Preparing the Vegan Moussaka Lentil sauce

To prepare your Vegan Moussaka recipe lentil sauce, you’ll firstly need to soak your dried mushrooms in 500ml / 2 cups of boiling water. This will help the mushrooms hydrate!

Then in a large saucepan, warm 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the red onion and cook for 5-6 minutes until translucent and just beginning to color. Add the crushed garlic and cook for another minute until its aroma is coming through.

Once your onions are soft and translucent and the garlic cooked, its time to add the spices. Start by adding the ground cinnamon, the tomato paste and simmer until the tomato paste has caramelised. This releases the delicious umami flavour in the tomato paste!

Next stir in the chopped tomatoes, red wine, balsamic vinegar and the water from the dried mushrooms, keeping a little aside to wash out the tomato tin to get all that delicious tomato juice! Stir in the lentils, oregano, the bay leaf and lastly add the soaked dried mushrooms.

Bring to a boil, then season with salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 1 hour until the lentils are soft, stirring occasionally.

Tip: Keep an eye on your lentil sauce when its cooking. If it looks like its drying out add a little more water and stir.

Preparing your Vegan Bechamel Sauce

To prepare our delicious Vegan Bechamel sauce firstly we will need to infuse the milk. In a medium sized pot add your soy milk, the roughly chopped white onion, the cinnamon stick, the peppercorns and the bay leaf. Cook over medium-high heat until it just comes to a boil then remove and set aside to infuse.

To make the béchamel sauce, you’ll first need to make a roux. In another saucepan, heat the extra virgin olive oil over medium heat. Once the oil is warm and has started to simmer, add the flour and whisk. Cook for 1-2 minutes stirring constantly so your flour cooks and looses that flour-y taste.

Strain your milk and gradually whisk in the flour mixture. You’ll need to keep whisking so no lumps form. To take some of the labour out, you can use your electric hand mixer with the whisk attachment!

Once all the milk has been absorbed into the flour and the sauce has thickened, remove from the heat and whisk in the spices – the nutmeg, garlic powder and salt. Add the nutritional yeast, whisk and taste. Add some more salt if needed to bring out the cheesy flavour of the yeast.

Your vegan moussaka béchamel sauce is now ready!

Preparing your Vegan Moussaka Vegetables

Start by preparing your potatoes. Slice them thinly and lay them our on a large baking sheet or two, depending on the size of your sheets and spray or brush with olive oil. Season your potatoes with some salt, flip them over and repeat.

Preheat your oven to 220C/430F and place your potato tray in to cook for approximately 30 minutes or until well browned.

Tip: Line your baking sheets with parchment paper – your potatoes won’t stick and you won’t have to flip them over while cooking either! Also, if you don’t have an olive oil spray you can brush olive oil onto the potato and eggplant slices using a pastry brush.

Now its time to prepare your eggplants. Cut them lengthwise into finger-width slices, place them on baking parchment lined baking sheets and season with salt. Spray or brush with some olive oil, flip them over and repeat.

In the preheated oven (220C/430F) bake your eggplants for approximately 20 minutes until tender. As with your potatoes, you won’t need to flip them over half way. However you’ll need to rotate the baking sheets in the oven half way to make sure they brown evenly!

Do you need to fry the potatoes and eggplant?

It is common to fry the potatoes and eggplant before assembling the dish but I roasted them instead for a healthier option. If you do prefer to fry them, cover the base of the pan with olive oil and cook over a high heat until golden on each side. Use some kitchen towel to blot away the oil and continue with the vegan moussaka recipe!

Do you need to salt the eggplant?

With modern eggplant varieties, there’s no need to salt them to remove bitterness. However, if you use heirloom varieties or find your eggplant is unusually bitter, you can salt the slices and leave them in a colander for about 30 minutes.

Rinse off the salt and squeeze out extra moisture before continuing with the recipe. Just skip the salt before roasting them if you do this.

Assembling your Vegan Moussaka with Lentils and baking it

Now that your key ingredients are all ready, its time to assemble the vegan moussaka and bake it. Start by spreading the potatoes in a single layer over the bottom of a deep 32cm x 20cm (12-inch x 8 inch) baking dish.

Then layer half of the eggplant slices, followed by the lentil mixture. Add the rest of the eggplant, spreading them evenly on top. Finally pour over the béchamel and smooth it over with a spoon or a spatula.

Reduce the oven temperature to 180C/350F and bake your moussaka for 30-45 minutes until the top is golden brown.

To serve, remove your vegan moussaka with lentils from the oven and let it rest for 10-15 minutes until it has cooled down a bit. This will help you cut the dish without it falling apart!

Making ahead of time and storing

From my experience, this recipe doesn’t freeze very well as the béchamel, filling and potatoes turn soggy when frozen. If you want to prepare it in advance, prepare all the key steps and assemble the dish. Cover it with some cling film and place in your fridge where it will last for 1-2 days. When you want to serve, preheat the oven and cook for approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour.

To store any leftovers, slice them up and place them in airtight containers. You can store them in the fridge for up to 3 days. To serve, place your slices on a baking sheet and reheat at 100C / 220F for approximately 30 minutes until piping hot throughout.

Serving suggestions

This vegan lentil moussaka recipe is delicious on its own and a complete meal! I do love serving it with some delicious village crusty bread, sourdough bread, some delicious vegan tzatziki and a delicious Greek Salad! If I’m looking to make it into a larger meal I love pairing it with some delicious Greek lemon roast potatoes and some roast vegetables (briam) on the side!

More delicious Greek Vegan recipes

For more Greek vegan and lenten recipes take a look at my hand selected collection below:

• Greek Peas And Potato Stew With Tomatoes
• Country-Style Greek Potato Stew
• Delicious Briam Recipe (Greek Mixed Roasted Vegetables)
• Traditional Greek Green Beans
• Chickpea Fritters Recipe (Revithokeftedes)
• Traditional Greek Kolokithokeftedes (Fried Zucchini/Courgette Balls)
• Tinos Fennel Fritters
• Tomatokeftedes (Fried Santorini Tomato Balls / Tomato Fritters)

And of course my vegan meze platter collection below:

Vegan Meze Platter:

• Vegan tzatziki sauce
• Greek Pita bread
• Greek “village style” rustic bread
• Hummus dip
• Crispy Greek Fried Eggplant
• Crispy Fried Zucchini – Courgette Fritters
• Greek Dolmades (stuffed vine leaves with rice)
• Authentic Greek Fava Recipe (Yellow Split Peas Puree)

Vegan Moussaka with Lentils

(100 votes, average: 4.88 out of 5)
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• Author: Eli K. Giannopoulos
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
• Total Time: 2 hours 5 minutes
• Yield: 8
• Category: Main
• Method: baked
• Cuisine: Greek
• Diet: Vegan

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Description

So you love moussaka but you are fasting for lent or you are a vegan? That doesn’t mean you have to miss out on your favorite dish anymore! This is my delicious vegan moussaka with lentils recipe that I’ve specifically crafted, so it keeps the essence of the traditional one, yet is fully plant based!

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Ingredients

For the Vegan Moussaka Lentils sauce

• 5g dried mushrooms (1/2 tbsp)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 red onion
• salt to taste
• 2 garlic cloves
• 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 tbsp tomato paste
• 400g can chopped tomatoes (14 oz)
• 1 glass red wine (approx. 250ml / 1 cup)
• 1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 200g dried green lentils (7 oz)
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 bay leaf
• black pepper to taste
• sugar to taste

For the Vegan Moussaka Béchamel sauce

• 1 brown onion
• 600ml soy milk (2 1/2 cups)
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 black peppercorns
• 60ml extra virgin olive oil (1/4 cup)
• 80g flour (2 3/4 oz)
• 1 tbsp nutritional yeast flakes
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• salt to taste

For the Moussaka

• 3 large eggplant
• 3 medium potatoes
• olive oil
• salt

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Instructions

1. Pour 500ml (2 cups) of boiling water over the dried mushrooms and set aside to soak.
2. Infuse the milk for the béchamel. Roughly chop the white onion and add to a small saucepan or milk pan along with the soy milk, cinnamon stick, one of the bay leaves and the peppercorns. Set over a medium high heat and gently bring to the boil. Remove from the heat and leave to infuse.
3. Heat 2 tbsp of the olive oil in a large saucepan over a medium-high heat. Add the chopped red onion and cook for 5-6 minutes until translucent and just starting to colour. Add the crushed garlic and cook for a further minute until aromatic.
4. Stir in the ground cinnamon, followed by the tomato paste. Cook for a further minute or two until the tomato paste has caramelised slightly and turned brick red.
5. Stir in the chopped tomatoes, red wine, balsamic vinegar, and the dried mushroom soaking liquid, using a little soaking liquid or wine to wash out the tomato tin so you don’t leave any juice behind. Stir in the lentils, oregano, the remaining dried bay leaf, and the soaked dried mushrooms, finely chopped.
6. Bring to the boil and season well with salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to medium low and cook, uncovered, for 1 hour until the lentils are tender, stirring occasionally.
7. Meanwhile, pre-heat the oven to 220C/430F.
8. Slice the potatoes into 0.5cm (half a finger width) slices. Line a large baking sheet (you might need two depending on the size of your sheets) with baking parchment and lay out the potato slices. Spray with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Flip the pieces over and repeat. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes or until well browned – with the baking parchment, there should be no need to flip them to colour both sides.
9. To prepare the eggplant, slice lengthwise into 1cm (one finger width) wide strips. As with the potatoes, transfer to baking parchment lined baking sheets, season on both sides with salt, and spray with olive oil. Roast for 20 minutes; there will also be no need to turn the eggplant pieces half way, but you’ll want to rotate the pans in the oven roughly half way to make sure everything browns evenly.
10. Once the vegetables are done, drop the oven temperature to 180C/350F.
11. When the lentils are about 10 minutes from being cooked, start the béchamel. Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a medium, heavy bottomed saucepan over a medium heat. Once the oil has just started to shimmer, whisk in the flour. Cook for 2 minutes, whisking constantly to cook the raw flavour out of the flour.
12. Strain the infused milk and gradually whisk it into the flour mixture, whisking quickly to avoid any lumps. Whisk in the nutritional yeast, nutmeg, and garlic powder, and and season to taste with salt – you’ll probably need more than you think to bring out the ‘cheesy’ flavour of the nutritional yeast. Remove from the heat only when the mixture is thick, but still spreadable.
13. To assemble the moussaka, spread the potatoes in a single layer across the bottom of a deep 32cm x 20cm (12 inch x 8 inch) baking dish. Then, layer half the eggplant slices, followed by the lentil mixture. Add the rest of the eggplant, and smooth the béchamel over the top.
14. Bake the moussaka for 30 minutes or until the top is golden. Leave to rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

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Keywords: vegan moussaka, vegan moussaka with lentils, moussaka with lentils, vegan lentil moussaka

The post Vegan Moussaka with Lentils appeared first on My Greek Dish.

So try it out and be amazed by the freshness of all the ingredients adding a Mediterranean twist to your plate!

I must admit this Greek beef biftekia with lemon potatoes recipe is one of my top 5 favourite family meals. (I make it almost every week!) Everybody loves it and it’s really easy to make. And for those occasions that I want something extra in them, I stuff them with feta cheese like my greek burgers stuffed with feta cheese and burgers layered with feta cheese. And when in the mood for a burger, they go great with my delicious burger buns!

Tip: make 2-3 batches of the burgers so you can store them in the freezer wrapped in cling film or in airtight bags. When needed you can defrost them and have an effortless meal!

How to make traditional Greek Bifteki (baked beef patties)

1. Greeks enhance the flavor of their bifteki (burgers) with herbs, like oregano, spearmint and parsley, which give a unique taste.
2. The key, of course, is to get some good-quality minced meat. You can either go with beef or a combination of beef and pork or lamb (a little fat is necessary for extra flavour!)
3. Knead the mixture thoroughly until all the herbs and spices penetrate the meat. 
4. Using some grated ripe tomato and red wine vinegar will make the patties fluffier.
5. Sometimes bifteki can become a little bit heavy. To avoid this, a little trick is to sauté the onions and garlic before adding them in the ground meat mixture, so that the aromas are more gentle and discreet.

How to cook the potatoes

For this recipe you can use either potatoes, cut in wedges or baby potatoes. We make a quick marinade with olive oil, lemon juice, mild mustard, minced garlic, oregano, thyme and water and toss the potatoes to coat them. Then we bake the potatoes in the juices.

In Greece when preparing Greek Biftekia it is almost a rule to add the potatoes in the same pan with the patties, so that they get all the juices and aromas from the meat.

The main drawback is that the potatoes are not that crispy as when baked on their own. So it’s up to you to decide if you want to sacrifice a little crispiness for extra flavour.

Greek Bifteki (baked beef patties) with potatoes

(145 votes, average: 4.50 out of 5)
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• Author: Eli K. Giannopoulos
• Prep Time: 20 min
• Cook Time: 60 min
• Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
• Yield: 10 medium patties
• Category: Main
• Method: Baked
• Cuisine: Greek

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Description

Greek baked bifteki (beef patties) with lemon potatoes! A staple dish in every Greek household! Juicy, well seasoned minced beef, infused with the flavours of parsley, garlic, onions and oregano, paired with lemon roast potatoes.

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Ingredients

For the beef patties

• 1kg minced beef (35 ounces)
• 1 ripe tomato, grated
• 1 red onion, grated
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 cup breadcrumbs
• 2 eggs
• 4 tbsp parsley, chopped
• 2 tsp oregano
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 4 tsps salt
• 1.5 tsp freshly ground pepper

For the potatoes

• 1 kg potatoes, cut in wedges (or baby potatoes)
• juice of 1 lemon
• 1 tablespoon mustard
• 50 ml olive oil
• 100 ml water
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried thyme

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Instructions

1. To prepare this Greek beef bifteki (patties) recipe, add in a large bowl the minced beef along with the rest of the ingredients and mix thoroughly with your hands. If the mixture is too sticky add some more breadcrumbs (or some water if it is to dry), till the mix is solid. If you have the time, it is better to knead the mixture for about 10 minutes, until all the ingredients combine.
2. When done, put the mixture for the burgers (bifteki) in the fridge to rest for about 10 minutes.
3. Form the mixture in flat round burgers.
4. Preheat oven to 180* C (350* F).
5. If using large potatoes, cut the potatoes into wedges. In a large bowl add all the ingredients for the potatoes and whisk to combine. Add the potatoes and toss to coat.
6. Transfer the potatoes and the marinade to a 30×40 cm roasting pan. Spread them out in the pan and bake for 20 minutes.
7. Once the potatoes are partly cooked, place the patties over them. Bake covered with aluminum foil for 20 minutes. Remove the aluminum foil and bake for 10 more minutes.
8. Enjoy!

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Keywords: greek burger, greek bifteki, bifteki, greek burger with lemon potatoes, bifteki with potatoes, burger with potatoes, greek burger with potatoes

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