Your Cooking Coach
Show MenuHide Menu

Category Archives: Greek Inspired

Greek Style Lamb Burgers with Olive Mayonnaise

This is a great recipe to make for the long weekend. It is not your typical burger. It is made with lamb and super flavorful. You can substitute beef or turkey if lamb is not preferred… and don’t forget to make those yummy fries from yesterday…

  • 2 pounds ground lamb
  • 1 tablespoon fresh oregano
  • ½ cup fresh parsley
  • 1 large shallot
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • ½ cup feta crumbles
  • 2 teaspoons salt

Process the oregano, parsley, shallot and garlic in a food processor. Add the mixture to a bowl with the ground lamb. Add the salt and feta and mix and keep for an hour (it can be marinated the night before as well).

Form into 6 patties and keep aside.

Olive Mayonnaise

  • ¼ cup mayonnaise
  • ½ cup Greek yogurt
  • ¼ cup olives, chopped fine
  • 1 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • Juice of half a lemon

Mix all the ingredients in a small bowl. Keep aside.

  • 6 focaccia rolls

Grill the burgers and place them on toasted focaccia rolls. Add the olive mayo and serve with potatoes and a salad.

 

 

Greek Style Chicken and Cauliflower Stew with Bread Crumbs

  • 1 small cauliflower, broken into small florets
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • Sprinkle of salt
  • Preheat oven to high broil.

Transfer the cauliflower florets onto a lined cookie sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Broil on high for 5 to 10 minutes, turning the florets over after 5 minutes so they are golden brown all over. Keep aside.

  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil + more
  • 4 to 6 chicken thighs, boneless, skinless, cut in half
  • Salt
  • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tablespoons, parsley stems, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon, dill stems, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
  • 1 bottle tomato pasata (tomato puree)
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ½ cup kalamata olives, pitted and sliced

Heat a heavy saucepan with the olive oil. Add the chicken pieces, sprinkle some salt and brown in two batches, turning once. Take the chicken out and add more olive oil if needed. Add the onion, garlic, parsley and dill stems. Saute on medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the red wine vinegar, tomato sauce and cinnamon. Let cook and come to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the chicken pieces and let simmer with lid on for 15 minutes. Take the lid off and add the olives cooked cauliflower. Simmer for another 5 to 7 minutes. Check for seasonings and serve with a garnish of breadcrumbs.

Bread Crumb Topping

  • ½ cup panko bread crumbs
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1/3 cup fresh dill, chopped
  • 1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped
  • Zest of one lemon
  • ¼ cup pine nuts, chopped

Heat a small pan with the oil. Add the bread crumbs and garlic and sauté on medium low heat for 5 minutes. Turn heat off and transfer the bread crumbs to a medium bowl. Let cool. Add the dill, parsley, lemon zest and nuts to the bowl. Mix well and serve the stew with a sprinkling of the bread crumb mixture.

 

 

Greek Chicken with Potatoes & Feta

  • 1 to 1½ pounds chicken thighs and legs (bone in)
  • 5 garlic cloves
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon fresh oregano (1 teaspoon dry)
  • ½ cup kalamata olives (pitted)
  • Juice of half a lemon
  • 2 teaspoons salt

Transfer the garlic, oil, olive, oregano, lemon juice and salt into a mortar and pestle (or a processor). Take the paste out and add to a large zip lock bag with the chicken pieces. Marinate for 3 to 4 hours.

  • 3 to 4 medium yellow potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
  • 3 to 5 plum tomatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces and seeds squeezed out
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt
  • ½ cup crumbled feta cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Add the chicken with the marinade. Add the potatoes, tomatoes, oil and salt. Mix well and bake in oven for 40 to 45 minutes till the chicken is tender and potatoes are crisp. Take out of oven and garnish with feta. Serve with roast vegetables and couscous.

Grilled Shrimp with Dill and Tzatziki Sauce

This is my nod to our delicious trip to Greece a couple of summers ago. All the flavors I loved and enjoyed are in this delicious dish. Perfect dish for a summer evening with a glass of Rose!!

  • 1 pound fresh shrimp, cleaned and deveined
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • ¼ cup fresh dill, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
  • Zest of one lemon, save the lemon for juicing a bit later
  • 3 garlic cloves, grated
  • Salt

Marinate the shrimp with the olive, dill, oregano, lemon zest, garlic and salt for at least 2 to 3 hours. Half an hour before grilling, juice the lemon into the shrimp. Skewer the shrimp and grill until just done.

Tzatziki Sauce

  • ½ cup Greek yogurt
  • ¼ cup grated cucumber, excess water squeezed out (between your palm)
  • 2 garlic cloves, grated
  • Juice of half a lemon
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped

Mix all the ingredients together, taste for seasonings and let it sit for half an hour.

Serve with freshly grilled pita and shrimp.

Greek Style Roasted Chicken Breast

How about some delicious Mediterranean style chicken today??!!

  • 2 chicken breast, sliced in half and pounded thin (making 4 cutlets)
  • 3 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar

Mix the garlic, oregano, salt, olive oil and vinegar together and marinate the chicken in the mixture for 2 to 3 hours in the fridge. Take out half an hour before cooking.

  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • ½ cup all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • Pepper
  • 4 green onions, chopped
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, chopped
  • ½ cup kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • ½ cup fresh dill, chopped
  • Salt

Transfer the flour, salt and pepper to a wide bowl. Dredge the chicken pieces in the flour and set aside. Heat a wide frying pan with the butter and oil. Brown the chicken pieces on both sides for 3 to 4 minutes each or until they are golden brown. Take out of pan and transfer to a 350 degrees F oven to finish cooking. In the meantime, add more oil to the pan if needed and add the onions and sauté on medium heat for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and olives and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the chicken brown and bring to a boil and cook for 5 to 6 minutes or till the sauce has reduced to about half. Add the dill and salt if needed. Serve the sauce over the chicken cutlets.

Greek Style Branzino with Sautéed Spinach

I would make this for Valentine’s day… so, yummy and healthy… very garlicky but who cares if everyone will be smelling of garlic!!

  • 6 cleaned fillets of Branzino or any other white fish with skin on
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Drizzle of olive oil

Sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides of the fillets and drizzle olive oil

Sauce

  • 3 garlic cloves, chopped fine
  • 2 tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped
  • Juice of one lemon
  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon salt

Mix all the ingredients together and keep aside.

Preheat broiler to high.

Heat a wide frying pan on medium high heat. Add the fillets, skin side down to the pan, 2 to 3 at a time. Cook for 3 minutes on medium high heat and transfer to a cookie sheet, skin side down. Finish cooking all the fillets and transfer the cookie sheet to the broiler. Broil for 3 to 4 minutes or till the fish is cooked or opaque. Serve warm with a drizzle of the oregano sauce.

Sauteed Spinach

  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 2 10 ounces baby spinach
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese

Heat a wide frying pan with the oil. Add the garlic and sauté on medium heat for 15 to 20 seconds. Add the spinach and cook on high heat till it wilts. Continue sautéing on medium heat for 5 to 6 minutes. Add salt and serve with a garnish of feta cheese.

 

Roast Chicken with Orzo and Kale

This is a great, yummy, one pot meal to make through the week- doesn’t take very long but it tastes like you have spent hours cooking it!

  • 5 to 6 chicken thighs with skin on
  • 1 lemon, cut into wedges
  • 2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
  • 3 garlic cloves, smashed
  • 2 teaspoons salt

Marinate the chicken thighs in an oven-proof pan with the lemon, dill, oregano, garlic and salt. Mix well with fingers and keep aside for 3 to 4 hours in the fridge. Take out of the fridge 30 minutes before roasting. Preheat oven on 400 degrees. Roast for 30 minutes. Turn the broiler on and broil the chicken pieces until they are golden brown. Take out of the oven and keep aside. It is okay if the chicken is not cooked through.

  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1½ cups orzo
  • 3 cups chicken broth plus more if necessary
  • 5 ounces baby kale
  • Salt

Heat a saucepan with butter and oil. Add the orzo and sauté on medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer and add the chicken pieces including the lemon pieces and let simmer for about ten minutes or till the pasta is cooked and the chicken is cooked through. Add the kale slowly till all is wilted. Add more broth if necessary. Take the lemon pieces out. Mix and check for seasonings. Serve warm.