Pita me Feta: Feta Cheese Pie
What You'll Need ●
1 1/4 pounds of feta cheese, crumbled
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14 ounces of Greek strained yogurt
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4 eggs
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7 ounces of margarine, softened
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1 cup of flour
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2 1/4 tablespoons of baking powder
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2 tablespoons of olive oil
How to Make It Use a 10 inch diameter round baking pan or equivalent. Preheat oven to 355F (180C). Using an electric mixer, add eggs and margarine to mixer bowl and beat at high speed. When the margarine has been well blended (about 2 minutes), add yogurt and reduce mixing speed to medium-low until it starts to blend in, then increase to high. Let the mixture continue to beat and brush the bottom and sides of the baking pan with olive oil. Mix or sift together the flour and baking powder and add to mixing bowl. Add crumbled feta 1/4 of the quantity at a time to allow to mix in. Scrape sides of mixing bowl occasionally to push cheese in toward center. Continue mixing at high speed for 6-8 minutes until very well blended and creamy (small pieces of cheese will still be visible). Pour into baking pan and spread evenly. Bake at 355F (180C) for 40 minutes (check at 35 for doneness) until golden brown. Use a sharp knife to cut into small squares, diamonds, or triangles.
Yiaourti me Meli: Greek Yogurt With Honey What You'll Need ●
1/2 - 3/4 cup of yogurt (Greek, strained, per serving)
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1-2 teaspoons of thyme honey (Greek, per serving)
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Optional: Walnuts (crushed and/or almonds)
How to Make It In individual serving bowls, drizzle honey over the yogurt and sprinkle with walnuts and/or almonds if desired.
Sesame Tahini Honey Spread Recipe What You'll Need 1/4 cup honey 1/4 cup tahini (light)
How to Make It Start with a measuring cup and pour in 1/4 cup of the honey. Spoon in the tahini on top to the 1/2 cup mark and then stir to combine well. Stir the tahini in its jar first. The oil will rise to the top while stored and it should be mixed in before using. Serve on slices of toast. (Try adding slices of banana for another great taste.) Tahinomelo can be stored unrefrigerated for several days, well covered. Stir before using.
Koulourakia - Greek Butter Cookies with Sesame
What You'll Need ●
1 lb. unsalted butter
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1-1/2 cups sugar
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6 eggs (reserve 2 for brushing cookies)
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6 tsp. baking powder
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1/2 tsp. baking soda
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4 cups all-purpose flour
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2 tsp. vanilla extract
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2 oz. Ouzo
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Sesame seeds (optional)
How to Make It Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Using the mixer beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract and ouzo and mix well. While the mixer is running, add eggs one by one and mix until well incorporated. In a separate bowl, sift the flour with the baking powder and soda.Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture little by little. The dough will be soft and malleable but it should not be sticky. You should be able to pinch off a ball of dough and roll it into a cord or thin tube. If the dough is too sticky, add a little bit more flour. Allow the dough to rest a bit before rolling into shapes. To shape the cookies, pinch off a piece of dough about the size of a walnut. Roll out a cord or thin tube of dough about the length of a dinner knife. Fold in half then twist two times. You can also make a coiled circle or an “S” shape.
Beat the remaining two eggs in a bowl and add a splash of water to the egg. Brush the cookies lightly with the egg and sprinkle with sesame seeds if desired. Bake cookies on parchment paper or on a lightly greased cookie sheet at 350 degrees for approximately 20 minutes or until they are nicely golden brown.
Souvlaki Ingredients: 4 – 6 thick boneless pork chops (I used those ultra-thick pork chops from Costco and cut each one into six pieces) Marinade Ingredients: 1/2 cup olive oil 1/2 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice 1 T red wine vinegar 1 T dried oregano (if you have fresh oregano, even better, use 2 T of fresh) 1 T finely minced garlic Instructions:
Cut pork chops into cubes about 1 1/2″ – 2″ square and place in zip lock bag. Combine marinade ingredients and pour over meat. Marinate in refrigerator for 6-24 hours. Preheat grill to high and let meat come to room temperature. Thread on to skewers, pressing meat closely together so it doesn’t spin on the grill. (Double skewers are great if you can find them.) When grill is hot, place Souvlaki skewers on grill and reduce heat to medium-high. Grill until very well browned on all sides, about 20-25 minutes. This is good served with Tzatziki sauce , a traditional Greek sauce made from yogurt, cucumbers, onions, garlic, and dill.