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Authentic Greek Recipes

Authentic Greek Recipes

Craving a little Mediterranean magic? These easy and authentic Greek recipes, from crispy calamari to classic moussaka and sweet loukoumades, bring the bold, sunny flavors of Greece right to your kitchen. Perfect for family meals or a taste of something new!

Fried Calamari

Serves 4 | Prep. time 10 minutes | Cooking time 15–20 minutes 

Ingredients

  • 1½ pounds calamari, cleaned
  • ½ tablespoon paprika
  • 1 tablespoon oregano
  • 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons salt
  • ¾ cup bread flour
  • ¼ cup semolina flour
  • Vegetable oil as needed
  • Salt to taste
  • Juice of half a lemon

Directions

  1. Cut the calamari into ½-inch slices.
  2. Combine all the spices in a bag and add the flours. Put in the calamari rings and shake to coat well.
  3. In a medium-sized deep frying pan or pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat.
  4. Working in batches, when the oil reaches 350°F, fry the rings for about 2 minutes, turning halfway. Let the oil return to temperature between batches.
  5. Set them on a plate lined with paper towel to drain, and sprinkle with some salt. Top with lemon juice and serve.

 

 

Santorini Salad

Serves 2 | Prep. time 5 minutes

Ingredients

  • ½ cucumber, peeled, halved and sliced
  • ½ red onion, thinly sliced
  • ¾ green bell pepper, thinly sliced
  • ½ cup Greek olives
  • ½ cup cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • 1 tablespoon dill, chopped
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 slice of feta cheese
  • 1 tablespoon capers

Directions

  1. Toss all the ingredients together in a bowl EXCEPT the feta and capers.
  2. Lay the feta cheese on top, sprinkle with capers and serve.

 

 

Pork Souvlaki

Serves 6 | Prep. time 15–20 minutes | Cooking time 15 minutes 

Ingredients

  • 3 pounds pork tenderloin, cut into 1 ½-inch cubes
  • ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • ⅓ cup lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons sea salt
  • 2 tablespoons ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon dried Greek oregano
  • 2 red onions, quartered
  • 3 bell peppers, any color, cut into 1-inch squares
  • Lemon slices, for garnishing
  • Barbecue skewers, for bamboo, soak before using for 30 minutes

Directions

  1. Preheat a grill to medium-high.
  2. In a mixing bowl, combine the pork, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and oregano. Set it aside for 15 minutes.
  3. On the skewers; alternately pierce the pork pieces, red onion, and bell pepper.
  4. Grill for 6–7 minutes. Turn and cook for 7–8 minutes more, or until the meat is cooked through.
  5. Serve warm, garnished with lemon.

 

 

Pork Souvlaki Pita Sandwich

Serves 6 | Prep. time 10 minutes | Cooking time 12 minutes 

Ingredients

  • 1 recipe pork souvlaki
  • 6 pita breads
  • 2 cups shredded green leaf lettuce
  • 1 small white onion, thinly sliced into half moons
  • 3 large round tomatoes, medium dice
  • ½ cup olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • Tzatziki or feta sauce or crumbled feta cheese (optional)

Directions

  1. Preheat the grill to medium-high, and cook the pork until done (remove any skewers after grilling) or fry it in a lightly oiled skillet over medium-high heat.
  2. In a medium bowl, toss the lettuce, onion, tomatoes, olive oil, vinegar, oregano, salt, and pepper together.
  3. Spoon the meat into a piece of pita (grilled, if desired) and top with lettuce mixture and tzatziki, feta sauce, or crumbled feta cheese (optional). Serve.

 

 

Classic Moussaka

Serves 7–8 | Prep. time 30–40 minutes | Cooking time 70–80 minutes 

Ingredients

  • 6 eggplants, cut into ½-inch slices
  • Vegetable oil as needed

For the meat sauce:

  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 2 red onions, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1 ½ pounds ground beef or lamb
  • 1 cup red wine
  • 1 (14-ounce) can chopped tomatoes
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • Sea salt and ground black pepper to taste
  • Pinch of cinnamon
  • 1 bay leaf

For the sauce:

  • ¾ cup butter
  • ¾ cup all-purpose flour
  • 3 ½ cups milk
  • 2 egg yolks
  • Pinch of nutmeg
  • 1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Directions

  1. Season the eggplant slices with salt, mix well, and set them aside for 30 minutes in a colander.
  2. Rinse and remove any excess liquid. Dry them as well as you can with paper towel.
  3. In a frying pan, heat the oil and fry the slices until they are golden. Cover, and set them aside.
  4. Prepare the meat sauce. Place a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.
  5. Add the oil and onions. Stir-fry until they are softened and translucent.
  6. Add the tomato paste, garlic, and meat. Cook until everything is evenly browned, breaking up the meat with the spoon as you go.
  7. Mix in the wine and cook to allow it to reduce a little. Then add the tomatoes, sugar, salt and pepper, cinnamon, and bay leaf.
  8. Bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium, cover, and simmer for 25–30 minutes. Remove the bay leaf.

For the sauce:

  1. Place a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.
  2. Melt the butter and mix in the flour. Whisk for about a minute, and then add the milk, whisking constantly to avoid lumps.
  3. Cook over medium heat until it thickens, and then take it off the heat and add the egg yolks and nutmeg. Mix well.

For the moussaka:

  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
  2. In a large baking dish (greased with some butter), place half the eggplant slices and top them with the meat sauce.
  3. Layer on the remaining eggplant, and top with the sauce. Spread it evenly.
  4. Sprinkle with Parmesan.
  5. Bake for 55–60 minutes, until evenly brown.
  6. Slice, and serve warm.

 

 

Chicken Feta Orzo

Serves 4 | Prep. time 10–15 minutes | Cooking time 30 minutes 

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 red onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 4 chicken breasts
  • 1 cup orzo
  • ½ cup chicken stock
  • 1 tablespoon brandy (optional)
  • 1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
  • Ground black pepper and salt to taste
  • ½ cup crumbled feta
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in two

Directions

  1. Place a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.
  2. Add the oil, onion, and garlic. Stir-fry until the onions are softened, about 1 minutes.
  3. Add the chicken breasts, and fry until cooked through, about 5-7 minutes per sides or until the chicken has an internal temperature of 165°F. Remove from pan and set aside.
  4. Add the orzo, stock, brandy, pepper, and salt to the pan.
  5. Bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium, and simmer until the pasta is cooked through, 8–10 minutes.
  6. Dice chicken and add to the pan with the oregano, basil, and tomatoes. Stir to combine.
  7. Top with crumbled feta and serve.

 

 

Honey Loukoumades

Serves 10 | Prep. time 60–70 minutes | Cooking time 25–30 minutes 

Ingredients

  • 1 cup water, lukewarm
  • ½ ounce active dry yeast
  • 1 cup milk, lukewarm
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 3 ¼ cups flour
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • Vegetable oil sufficient for frying

Garnish

  • ¾ cup honey
  • Ground cinnamon

Directions

  1. In a mixing bowl, combine the water and yeast and stir gently.
  2. Add the remaining dough ingredients and combine to form a smooth batter.
  3. Cover and set aside for an hour to rise.
  4. In a large, heavy saucepan, heat the oil to 350°F over high heat. Try to maintain this temperature.
  5. Spoon the dough in balls one by one into the hot oil, and fry them until they are golden brown from all sides, turning as needed.
  6. Drain them on paper towel, and then arrange them on a large platter. Top with the honey and sprinkle with cinnamon and walnuts.

 

 

***These recipes and more are found in Sarah Spencer’s A Taste of Greece: Greek Cooking Made Easy with Authentic Greek Recipes. To get your copy, click on the cover below or click here.

Greek Recipes

To download or print the featured recipes, click here.

Delicious Authentic Greek Recipes Made Easy!

Delicious Authentic Greek Recipes Made Easy!

Greek cuisine is a celebration of fresh, wholesome ingredients and bold, distinct flavors. It offers a diverse range of flavors and textures. In this blog post, here are some of my favorite authentic Greek recipes that are sure to transport your taste buds to the sun-drenched shores of Greece.

Traditional Greek Hummus

Serves 4–5 | Prep. time 10 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1 (14.5-ounce) can chickpeas
  • 1 tablespoon tahini paste
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil (or more as needed)
  • Black pepper to taste

Directions

  1. Combine all the ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. If the mixture is too thick, add more olive oil and blend again.
  2. Spoon the hummus into a serving bowl and top with some more black pepper and a drizzle of oil.
  3. Serve with vegetable sticks, toasted bread, olives, or crackers.

 

 

Spanakopita – Spinach Cheese Pie

Serves 12 | Prep. time 30-40 minutes | Cooking time 45 minutes 

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds fresh spinach, chopped
  • 3 bunches scallions, white and green parts, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 8 ounces cream cheese
  • 4 ounces feta cheese
  • 2 cups grated kefalotiri or Romano cheese
  • ⅓ cup chopped dill
  • ⅓ cup chopped mint
  • ⅓ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 2 tablespoons farina

For the pie

  • 1 pound phyllo, at room temperature
  • ½ – ¾ cup butter
  • 1 egg yolk, beaten
  • 1 tablespoon water

Directions

  1. In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, steam the spinach for about 4 minutes. Drain and set aside.
  2. Return the pan to the burner and add the scallions and olive oil. Sauté for about 3–4 minutes.
  3. In a mixing bowl, combine the spinach with the scallions. Stir in the cream cheese, feta, kefalotiri, dill, mint, parsley, pepper, eggs, and farina. Mix well.
  4. Prepare the pie. Preheat the oven to 400°F and butter a 9×13 baking dish.
  5. In a small saucepan over low heat, melt ½ cup of butter.
  6. Lay out 1 phyllo sheet in the baking dish. Brush it with butter. Repeat layering and buttering for the next 11 phyllo sheets.
  7. Top the phyllo evenly with the prepared filling.
  8. Top it with 1 phyllo sheet, butter it, and repeat for the next 11 sheets, buttering each. (Melt more butter if needed.)
  9. Combine the egg yolk with the water, and mix well.
  10. Brush the egg yolk and water mixture over the top.
  11. Bake for 45–60 minutes, until the top is brown.
  12. Serve warm.

 

 

Greek Burger with Kefalotyri

Serves 12 | Prep. time 15 minutes | Cooking time 12 min. for grilling or 1 hour in the oven

Ingredients

  • 12 pieces bread of choice (burger buns or pita)
  • 4 small tomatoes, sliced

For patties

  • 1 cup kefalotyri cheese, grated
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped
  • ½ carrot, grated
  • 2 sprigs parsley, finely chopped
  • ½ teaspoon spearmint
  • ½ teaspoon oregano
  • ½ teaspoon paprika
  • ½ salt or to taste
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1 loaf or 10-12 slices crustless bread, slightly soaked and strained well
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • Juice of ½ an orange
  • Dried bread crumbs, as needed

Directions

  1. Combine all the patties’ ingredients until thoroughly blended EXCEPT the kefalotyri cheese and dry bread crumbs. Gradually add some dry breadcrumbs if too moist or sticky.
  2. If baking, preheat the oven to 375°F.
  3. Divide the meat mixture into 12 portions and form each into a patty.
  4. Sprinkle each patty with kefalotyri.
  5. Place patties on a baking sheet and bake for about 1 hour or until cooked through.
  6. May also be cooked on a grill or in a skillet over medium-high heat (about 3 minutes). Flip over until some bits of meat are slightly charred and of the desired doneness. Sprinkle with cheese just before removing from heat.
  7. Place in the bread and serve topped with tomato and tzatziki, if desired.

 

 

Chicken Gyro

Serves 4 | Prep. time 15–20 minutes

Ingredients

  • 4 Greek pita breads (find recipe below)
  • Tzatziki sauce to taste (find recipe below)
  • 2 medium tomatoes, diced
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 2–4 Greek-style grilled chicken breasts, sliced (find recipe below)
  • Crumbled feta cheese and dried Greek oregano to taste

Directions

  1. Lay out the pita breads and spread with tzatziki sauce to your liking.
  2. Top with the tomato and onion and arrange the chicken on top.
  3. Top with some more tzatziki sauce if desired.
  4. Sprinkle with crumbled feta cheese and dried oregano.
  5. Roll into wraps and serve warm.

 

Basic Greek Pita Bread

Yield 8 pitas | Prep. time 1–2 hours | Cooking time 5–10 minutes 

Ingredients

  • 1 cup warm water
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 ½ teaspoons salt
  • 3 cups flour (white or wheat)
  • 1 (0.25 ounce) yeast packet

Directions

  1. In a mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients in the order listed.
  2. Combine to prepare a dough and knead it on flat, lightly floured kitchen surface for 4–5 minutes.
  3. Roll to make a ball and coat it with some more olive oil. Cover it loosely with plastic wrap and set it aside for 1 ½ hour to rise.
  4. Preheat the oven to 450°F and prepare two baking pans with parchment paper.
  5. Make 8 small balls from the dough and roll each of them into a round pita shape.
  6. Place them on the prepared baking pans. Bake for 5–7 minutes, until they are cooked through and puffy.

 

Tzatziki – Yogurt and Cucumber Sauce

Serves 5–6 | Prep. time 10 minutes | Cooking time 0 minutes 

Ingredients

  • 1 cucumber
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 ¼ cups strained Greek yogurt
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 2–3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
  • Salt and ground black pepper to taste

Directions

  1. Peel the cucumber and discard the seeds. Grate it finely, and place it in a colander. Season with black pepper and salt.
  2. Set it aside for 10 minutes, and then press to squeeze out excess liquid.
  3. Combine the cucumber, garlic, and olive oil in a mixing bowl.
  4. Mix in the yogurt, lemon juice, and mint. Taste, and season with salt and pepper to your liking.
  5. Serve with pita bread or any souvlaki recipe.

 

Greek-Style Grilled Chicken

Serves 4 | Prep. time 5 min. plus 30–60 min. marinating time | Cooking time 10 min. 

Ingredients

  • ½ teaspoon chopped rosemary
  • ½ teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts

Directions

  1. In a resealable bag, combine the rosemary, oregano, thyme, salt, pepper, cayenne, garlic, vinegar, lemon juice, and olive oil. Mix well.
  2. Add the chicken breasts. Combine and refrigerate for 30–60 minutes.
  3. Preheat the grill to high heat, and grease the grates with some olive oil.
  4. Place the chicken breasts on the grill and discard the marinade. Cook for 5–6 minutes per side.
  5. Serve warm.

 

 

Greek-Style Ice Cream

Serves 10–12 | Prep. time 20 min. plus 4–6 hours freezing time | Cooking time 15 min. 

Ingredients

  • 2 ½ cups 2% milk, divided
  • 2 cups heavy cream, divided
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 3 eggs, beaten
  • ¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
  • ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
  • 3 tablespoons chopped Greek basil
  • 3 tablespoons ground cinnamon

Directions

  1. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, warm ½ cup of milk, ½ cup of heavy cream, the sugar, eggs, and ¼ cup of olive oil.
  2. Cook for about 15 minutes, until the base turns a light yellow and thickens. Do not let it boil.
  3. Remove the pot from the heat and let it cool down completely. Cover and refrigerate for 40–60 minutes.
  4. When it is chilled, add the remaining ingredients. Mix well.
  5. Churn the mixture in an ice cream maker for 30–45 minutes, until it is thick and creamy. Freeze in an airtight container for at least 4 hours before serving.
  6. Alternatively, to make it without an ice cream maker, freeze the mixture in a baking pan in your freezer for 2 hours. Take it out and stir to combine the mixture.
  7. Place it back in the freezer for 1 ½ hours, then freeze and churn again. Repeat until you get an ice cream consistency.

 

 

 

***These recipes and more can be found in Sarah Spencer’s A Taste of Greece: Greek Cooking Made Easy with Authentic Greek Recipes. To get your own copy, click on the cover below or click here.

Greek Recipes

To download a copy of the featured recipes, click here.

Fabulous Greek Recipes!

Fabulous Greek Recipes!

Bring the flavors of Greece into your kitchen with easy-to-make, authentic Greek Recipes from Sarah Spencer’s cookbook A Taste of Greece!

Fried Calamari

Serves 4 – Prep. time 10 minutes – Cooking time 15–20 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1½ pounds calamari, cleaned
  • ½ tablespoon paprika
  • 1 tablespoon oregano
  • 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons salt
  • ¾ cup bread flour
  • ¼ cup semolina flour
  • Vegetable oil as needed
  • Salt to taste
  • Juice of half a lemon

Directions

  1. Cut the calamari into ½-inch slices.
  2. Combine all the spices in a bag and add the bread and semolina flours. Put in the calamari rings and shake to coat well.
  3. In a medium-sized deep frying pan or pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat.
  4. Working in batches, when the oil reaches 350°F, fry the rings for about 2 minutes, turning halfway. Let the oil return to temperature between batches.
  5. Set them on a plate lined with paper towels to drain, and sprinkle with some salt. Top with lemon juice and serve.

 

 

Tomato Greek Salad

Serves 6 – Prep. time 15 minutes – Marinating time 2 hours

Ingredients

  • 4 fresh tomatoes, chopped
  • 1 cucumber, peeled and chopped
  • 1 green bell pepper, cut into ½-inch pieces
  • ½ cup red onion, chopped
  • ¼ cup Kalamata olives
  • ½ cup feta cheese, crumbled

For the dressing

  • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped

Directions

  1. Whisk the ingredients for the dressing together.
  2. Toss in the rest of the ingredients.
  3. Marinate for 2 hours (or less) in the refrigerator for flavors to meld.

 

 

Pork Souvlaki

Serves 6 – Prep. time 25 minutes – Cooking time 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • 3 pounds pork tenderloin, cut into 1½-inch cubes
  • ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • ⅓ cup lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons sea salt
  • 2 tablespoons ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon dried Greek oregano
  • 2 red onions, quartered
  • 3 bell peppers, any color, cut into 1-inch squares
  • Lemon slices, for garnishing
  • Barbecue skewers, for bamboo, soak before using for 30 minutes

Directions

  1. Preheat a grill to medium-high.
  2. In a mixing bowl, combine the pork, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and oregano. Set it aside for 15 minutes.
  3. On the skewers; alternately pierce the pork pieces, red onion, and bell pepper.
  4. Grill for 6–7 minutes. Turn and cook for 7–8 minutes more, or until the meat is cooked through.
  5. Serve warm, garnished with lemon.

 

 

Greek-Style Classic Lamb Rack

Serves 2 – Prep. time 5 minutes plus 10 minutes resting time – Cooking time 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 (1-pound) rack of lamb
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon chopped rosemary
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoon ground pepper
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced

Directions

  1. Preheat the grill to medium-low.
  2. Rub the lamb with the olive oil, and season with rosemary, salt, pepper, and garlic.
  3. Sear the lamb rack, meat-side down, for 4–5 minutes. Move it from time to time so it will cook evenly.
  4. Flip and move the lamb rack to indirect heat.
  5. Grill, covered, for 8–10 minutes.
  6. Let rest for 10 minutes. Cut into chops and serve.

 

 

Baklava

Serves 8–10 – Prep. time 40 minutes – Cooking time 60 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 pound filo pastry, at room temperature
  • 1 cup butter, melted
  • ¾ cup sugar, divided
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 2 cups walnuts, chopped
  • ½ cup cold water
  • ¼ cup lemon juice
  • ¼ cup honey

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 325°F, and grease an 11×17 baking dish with some olive oil.
  2. Layer half of the filo sheets in the greased dish, brushing each sheet with butter as you go.
  3. In a bowl, combine ¼ cup of the sugar with the cinnamon, and mix in the walnuts.
  4. Top the arranged sheets with the walnut mixture.
  5. Top with the remaining filo after brushing each of them with more butter.
  6. Using a very sharp knife, cut diagonally into squares or diamonds, cutting through all the layers.
  7. Bake until golden and crisp, 55–60 minutes.
  8. Place a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the remaining sugar, together with the water, lemon juice, and honey. Cook, stirring, until the sugar dissolves.
  9. Pour the syrup over the hot baklava. Allow it to cool down, and serve.

 

All these recipes are from Sarah Spencer’s cookbook A Taste of Greece: Greek Cooking Made Easy with Authentic Greek Recipes! To get yourself a copy of the book, click on the cover or here.

To download or print the recipes, click here.