Tag: greek food

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Greek Calamari Pita

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Greek Calamari Pita
Greek Calamari Pita

These calamari filled pita breads are the perfect casual weekend food for entertaining friends and family!! Serve them with a crisp, cold chardonnay and kick back Greek style!!

Lemon-Yoghurt Sauce:
125ml yoghurt
1 clove garlic, minced
5ml dijon mustard
45ml lemon juice
a handful of basil leaves, torn

1 kg calamari rings, washed and dried
45ml sunflower oil
1 lemon
salt and pepper

about 2 cos lettuce, shredded

Pita Bread – If you want to bake your own fresh pita bread you can go to the SEARCH goggle on this block to find the recipe

For the Sauce:
Add all the ingredients to a small bowl and mix well.
Cover with plastic wrap and set aside to infuse at room temperature.

Place a heavy-bottom pan over high heat and wait 2-3 minutes for the pan to get hot.
Turn the heat down slightly, more high than medium-high, add the oil to the pan and then the calamari rings.
Stir the calamari around for 2 minutes, NO MORE!, and immediately remove the pan from the heat.
Squeeze the lemon onto the calamari while it is still sizzling and season generously with salt and pepper.

Hold the pita bread upright (on the seam) and make an incision about a third of its circumference.
Lightly push two fingers in and wiggle them around to separate and open the inside of the bread, so that you have a large pocket.
Scoop a spoonful of the lemon sauce into the cavity and smear it around with the back of the spoon.
Place a thin layer of the shredded lettuce on the bottom of the pocket, then a layer of calamari and then a layer of the sauce.
Push all of this down with the back of the spoon so that you will have enough space for a repeat of layers.

Serve the calamari pitas with the leftover sauce on the side.


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Greek Lemon Potatoes

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Greek Lemon Potatoes
Greek Lemon Potatoes

(Patates Fournou Lemonates)
Unlike traditional roasted potatoes these lemon potatoes are soft, moist, tender and melting. The zing from the lemon cuts through the richness of lamb or meat dishes and is truly more-dish! This to me, is the essence of everything I love about Greece – do your tastebuds a favour…

12 potatoes, peeled
90ml olive oil
finely grated zest of 2 lemons
juice of 2 lemons
10ml salt
a handful of thyme leaves

Preheat your oven to 180℃.
Quarter each potato lengthwise and spread them in a large roasting tin.
Drizzle with the olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice and sprinkle over the salt and thyme leaves.
Mix together with your hands so that the potato is covered with the mixture.
Roast for 1 hour, turning once or twice during cooking.
Add another sprinkle of salt and serve.

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Pastitsio (Greek Lasagne)

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Pastitsio (Greek Lasagne)
Pastitsio (Greek Lasagne)

This Pastitsio is exactly as the hospitable Greeks intended: fit to feed a crowd! Makes 12 large portions.

300g Greek bucatini or Italian penne pasta
150g feta cheese
2 egg whites

Meat sauce:
60ml olive oil
2 onions, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
15ml tomato paste
1kg minced beef
90ml red wine
1 tin chopped tomato
10ml sugar
1 bay leaf
1 cinnamon quill
7,5ml salt
2,5ml black pepper

Béchamel Sauce:
125ml butter
190ml flour
1 litre milk
2,5ml nutmeg
2,5ml salt
110g Kefalotyri cheese or Parmesan, grated
2 egg yolks

For the pasta:
Cook the pasta, drain and return to the saucepan in which it was cooked.
Crumble the feta over the pasta and mix together.
Add the egg whites and mix through. Set aside.

For the meat sauce:
Place a heavy bottom saucepan on medium-high heat and add the olive oil and onion.
Fry for 2-3 minutes and then add the garlic, tomato paste and minced beef.
Cook for 5 minutes, stirring and breaking up the beef while browning it.
Add the red wine, tomatoes, sugar, bay leaf, cinnamon, salt and pepper.
Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook for about 40 minutes until most of the liquid has evaporated and the sauce is thick.
Remove the bay leaf and cinnamon quill and take the mixture from the heat. Allow to cool slightly.

For the Béchamel Sauce:
Place a saucepan on medium heat and add the butter to melt.
Add the flour and stir the paste around for 2 minutes while cooking.
Add the milk and whisk until the sauce has no lumps and has thickened.
Remove from the heat and add the nutmeg, salt and half the cheese. Whisk until smooth.
Cool the sauce for 5 minutes and then whisk in the egg yolks.

Preheat your oven to 180℃ and spray an oven dish of 23cm X 26cm with cooking spray.
Spoon the pasta into the dish and spread it into an even layer.
Spoon the meat sauce on top and then top it with the béchamel sauce.
Sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top in an even layer.
Place the dish in the oven and bake for 40 minutes.
The Pastitsio can be served at room temperature.