Passport to Greece!
by I love Greek food but I am not very experianced in making it. I tried this dish tonight, which is a simple Greek dish...and it was fantastic!!!
Chicken with Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Feta and Spinach in Phyllo Cups
* You will need a muffin tin, 6 portion tin for large muffins or a traditional 12 portion tin, to prepare this recipe. Disposable muffin tins in both sizes are available in many large markets on baking aisles.
1/2 stick butter, melted
3 sheets phyllo pastry dough, found in the freezer section
Coarse salt and black pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 thin cut boneless skinless chicken breast, sliced into thin strips on an angle
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 small yellow skinned onion, chopped
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained, 10 to 12 pieces, chopped
2 boxes chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry
3/4 pound, 12 ounces, feta cheese, crumbled
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Brush 6 or 12-cup muffin tins with butter using pastry brush. Brush a layer of phyllo dough with butter, top with a second sheet of pastry, butter, then season the phyllo with salt and pepper and then top with a third sheet. Cut into 6 or 12 squares and arrange the phyllo in cups, allowing the dough to crumple and spill out of the tops of the tins. Brush the inside of the pastry cups with remaining butter. Bake until golden, 5 to 8 minutes. Cool.
To a skillet preheated over medium high heat add chicken, garlic and onions and season with salt and pepper. Saute 5 minutes, add the sun-dried tomatoes and spinach and cook another 3 to 5 minutes. Add feta and taste to adjust seasonings.
To serve, place phyllo cups on a serving platter and fill with mounds of chicken, sun- dried tomatoes and spinach mixture. A hearty vegetable and olive salad makes a perfect starter or side to this delicious, quick cross between chicken pot pies and spanakopita.
ps: this dish needs quite a bit of salt & pepper...make sure you taste it before serving to get the seasonings right
Greek Salad
1/2 seedless cucumber, chopped
2 vine-ripe tomatoes, chopped
1 medium red onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 can quartered artichoke hearts in water, drained
1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves, coarsely chopped
Coarse salt and black pepper
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 small shallot, minced
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar, eyeball it
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, eyeball the amount
2 cans imported tuna in oil, drained
12 pepperoncini hot peppers
1 cup pitted kalamata olives
Arrange the cucumbers, tomatoes, onions and peppers, artichoke hearts and parsley on a platter. Squeeze the lemon juice over the platter, juicing the fruit cut-side-up to keep the seeds from falling into salad. Season with salt and pepper.
Place shallots, vinegar and oregano in a bowl and let stand 5 minutes. Whisk in extra-virgin olive oil in a slow stream. Pour dressing over salad. Garnish salad with chunks of tuna, hot peppers and olives.
(With this one, i left out the tuna)
Any other Greek recipes? i really want to try & make chicken soulvaki.
AI Summary
22 Comments
EASY SLIMMED-DOWN VEGETARIAN GREEK BRUNCH - Serves 4 for less than $10
Calories 512 (Calories from Fat 204), Protein 26g, Carbs 53g, Fat - Total 23 g, Sat. Fat 5g
YOGURT WITH THYME, HONEY AND PECANS
2 cups nonfat Greek yogurt
4 tablespoons good quality honey, preferably Greek
5 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves picked off the stems
¼ cup toasted pecans, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon olive oil
Pinch of salt
Cracked black pepper
1 pinch each, nutmeg and cinnamon
1) Strain any excess water out of the yogurt and reserve for making the frittata.
2) In a small pot, heat honey with equal amount (4 tablespoons) of water.
When simmering, pull of the heat and add a pinch of salt, cracked black pepper and thyme leaves. Let honey sit to absorb flavors as you work.
3) Put strained yogurt into a mixing bowl and whip with salt, pepper, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Whip in honey to desired sweetness.
4) Toast nuts in olive oil seasoning with salt, pepper, nutmeg and cinnamon. Divide yogurt amongst bowls, drizzle with honey and garnish with nuts.
FRITATTA WITH TOMATO, CRISPY POTATOES, AND SCALLION
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 Idaho potatoes (peeled, parboiled, cooled, and cut into French fry size)
8 eggs
1 to 2 tablespoons water or reserved yogurt liquid
2 Roma (plum) tomatoes, seeds removed and diced
1 teaspoon paprika
1 tablespoon fresh dill
½ cup chopped scallions
2 tablespoons grated Kefalotiri (or a sharp Pecorino cheese)
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
1) In a cast iron or oven-proof stainless steel skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil. When hot add parboiled potatoes and sear until crispy, about 5 minutes. Season well with salt and pepper. Add remaining olive oil over potatoes to cook eggs.
2) Beat eggs with excess yogurt liquid or water and add to hot skillet. Season well, add paprika, chopped scallion, tomato, and dill and bake in 375 degree oven until just set, about 10 minutes. While hot, finish with grated cheese, nutmeg and scallions.
ARUGALA SALAD WITH RED WINE VINAIGRETTE
2 cups arugula
½ cup fat-free red wine vinaigrette
Toss the greens with the vinaigrette and serve atop the frittata.
I just made Baklava! I am so stinkin excited about it, because it was something i was nervous about attempting, and it came out PERFECT!!!! I feel so proud! lol
We am having a Greek BBQ tomorrow, I hope everyone enjoys it!!
Last night I made Chicken Soulvaki and homemade tzatziki. The chicken breast I cut up into cubes and marinated in a lite greek salad dressing for a few hours that I doctored up with some extra lemon & dill. (Then skewerd it and grilled it)
For the tzatziki I used the Fage Greek Yogurt. (You can use regular yogurt but you'll have to drain it in a cheese cloth for a couple hours because it's not thick enough) I added:
1 medium cucumber finely diced and squeezed of excess liquid.
2 cloves garlic very finely minced
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tbs olive oil
And fresh dill to taste
Salt & Pepper
I then grilled the pita bread on the grill with a little olive oil.
Serve with lettuce, tomato, red onion and feta.
Pile it all up on your pita bread and you have an excellant chicken soulvaki!
I served it with cous cous.
I just discovered Fage at the supermarket when I was picking up things for my Mediterranian/Middle Eastern BBQ. I mixed it with some tahini and lemon and put it out as a "condiment" for the chicken shawarma.
what's chicken shawarma and how do you make it?
traditionally it seems like it's like chicken kabobs, but you can prepare the chicken any way you like. you basically take all the really powerful spices in your spice rack and rub them on the chicken. rachel ray has a decent recipe for it: http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/?q=recipes/chicken-shawarma
it looks like rachel ray uses the greek yogurt + lemon + tahini for this recipe. i like it because it gives a little bit of creaminess against all the spices on the chicken.
yum, this sounds good. I really like middle eastern/morroccan/greek food. It has so many strong flavors.
people were kind of wary of it at my bbq, but everyone that tried it loved it. i highly recommend doing it on a kabob and lightly grilling up some flatbread. it's fun and easy.
i never had really had good greek food before i went there and now all the time i search out the best places for Soulvaki, tzatziki, and baklava. and fage greek yogurt is the best. they do actually eat it in greece. i love the containers they have with the side pocket of honey or jam. delicious!
oh my goodness. theres a new place by me called Gyros 2 Go. slammin' greek salads. you guys always make me so hungry in here.
God, I have so many Greek recipes from my family. I think the easiest, that I can recall from memory, is Manestra:
1 whole chicken, cut into peices
2 large cans pureed tomatoes
1 onion, sliced
2 cloves of garlic, sliced
1lb orzo
parmesean cheese, for sprinkling.
In a large, long baking dish, combine the orzo, tomato, onion and garlic. Place the chicken pieces on top.
Roast in a 350-400 degree oven for about 1 hour, or until the chicken is cooked through and the orzo is tender.
Remove the chicken from the baking dish. Remove the onion and garlic from the baking pan and discard. Drain the remaining tomato juices (if any) from the orzo using a sieve set over a bowl. Discard the juice.
Serve the chicken over the drained orzo and top with parmesean cheese.
(I found it easier to leave the onion and garlic in big pieces so it's easy to remove - the texture isn't quite right if they're chopped and blended with the orzo. The orzo should have a really creamy, rich flavor)
this sounds pretty good & simple. do you know how to make baklava? i have all this extra phyllo dough i'd like to use up.
Oh man, baklava is something I've never attempted. Basically, toast walnuts and almonds then remove their skin by rolling them around in a kitchen towel. Chop or pulse them in a food processor until pretty fine, but not a powder.
Soften, either on the stove or in the microwave, about 2 cups of honey.
Melt about 1 stick of butter again, on the stove or in the microwave.
(it might be easier if you left the honey in a double boiler and worked next to your stove while doing this)
Brush some melted butter over the bottom and sides of a large, long baking pan. Place 1 sheet of phyllo over the pan and brush it with butter. Place another 2 or 3 sheets on it and brush them with butter. Sprinkle a generous amount of the nuts over the phyllo, then drizzle a generous amount of honey over them. Place 1 phyllo sheet on top of it, brush it with butter; place 2 more sheets on it and brush them with butter, then repeat the nuts and honey. Keep repeating until you reach the top. Be sure to brush the top with a generous amount of butter - don't put honey or nuts on the top layer; they'll burn really quickly.
Cut the baklava BEFORE you cook it (if you try to do it after, it'll just crumble).
Then bake it for, maybe 30 minutes in a 350 degree oven.
I've never made baklava - I don't think I have the patience. But I can say, you can be generous with the nuts, but be more generous with the honey. If you have, or can get, flavored honey (like vanilla or lavender), I'm sure that would be delicious. And since you're placing phyllo directly on top of the honey, you have to be really sure about where you're placing - hold it taught across and lower it slowly - you only get once chance to make it fit.
I can't imagine how my 90 year old arthritic great grandmother made this like every day.
oh, nice! thanks for the recipe! i always thought that the nuts in baklava were pistachios...?
Pistachios are turkish - almonds and walnuts are greek. The greek islands have a turkish influence, so you might see pistachios there.
ah, okay. i think i've only had baklava w/ pistachios...we had arabic friends back in long island..and nadia made the most amaaaazing baklava.
Tikanis! I have done it a couple of ways, use pecans instead of walnuts, walnuts can be a bit bitter(they are more expensive but if it is for something special). Also be sure to infuse your honey or sugar concoction with lemon. It gives it that something special. Also I have done it once with by doing up two layers (three phylo, two nut) on a silpat mat and rolling it (like a swiss roll), it is quick and you can do alot more at one time (just don't forget to cut before baking).
And sorry Webtoe, but we never put the sugar or honey stuff in as we go, it goes on after it comes out of the oven like within 20-30min. YMMV
Excellent tips!
How'd you do with the phyllo? My first experience with that was a few months ago, and it drove me nuts! I thought I could get away with not keeping a moist towel on it, but I was very wrong.
i thought it was pretty easy to work with, i did work quickly so i didnt have to keep a moist towel on it...and it wasnt like i was making a whole lot, i only used like 4 sheets i think..
Oh - Yea, I should've started with that. I made like 30 appetizers and used a whole box of phyllo. Right before guests arrived at our house - I was sweating!