Category Archives: Greek Inspired
Greek Style Shrimp with Angel Hair Pasta
I had to repost this as it was scrumptious! … I have been trying to replicate the delicious meals I had in Greece. This is inspired by all the delicious ingredients one gets to taste in Greek cuisine- like, garlic, dill, feta, etc.. The topping for this pasta is absolutely delicious…
- tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup pancetta, chopped
- 1 medium shallot, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 pound medium shrimp, cleaned and deveined, sprinkled with salt
- 2 cups fresh tomato sauce
- Salt
- ½ pound angel hair pasta, cooked al dente
Heat a frying pan with olive oil. Add the pancetta and sauté on medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the shallot and garlic on medium heat and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the shrimp and brown on both sides for a minute each. Take out of pan and transfer to a plate. Add the tomato sauce and bring to a boil and simmer for about 15 minutes. Add the shrimp back to the sauce. Cook the shrimp for another minute or so and check for seasonings. Serve on top of angel hair pasta.
Topping
- 3 green onions, chopped
- ½ cup parsley, chopped
- 1/3 cup dill, chopped
- ½ cup feta cheese, crumbled
Mix the green onions, parsley and dill in a small bowl and sprinkle over the pasta. Sprinkle the cheese and serve.
Chicken with Lemon and Dill
Simple, simple dish to make through the week…
- 2 pounds chicken breast, cut into chunks
- Juice of half a lemon
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup fresh dill, chopped
- 1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
- 1 teaspoon salt
Marinate the chicken chunks with the lemon juice, olive oil, dill, parsley, oregano and salt for 2 to 3 hours. Skewer the chicken pieces and grill till done. Serve warm.
Greek Style Beef and Orzo
I love all my recipes but there are some that are extra special and absolutely yummy. This is one of them… I think I saw a version of it on tv but now I can’t remember exactly where.. but I got the idea to do this one pot meal. The orzo is cooked right in the ground beef and then topped with dill and feta!! Absolutely yum… serve it with a delicious crunchy salad and a red wine. Great for a cool, rainy evening…
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pound ground grass fed beef
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 14 oz can of tomato sauce
- 2 to 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup orzo
- ½ cup parsley, chopped
- ¼ cup dill, chopped
- ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
Heat a saucepan with the olive oil. Add the ground beef and separate and brown with a wooden spoon over high heat for 3 to 5 minutes. Add the onion, garlic, cumin, cinnamon, coriander and salt. Saute for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the tomato sauce and bring to a boil. Simmer with the lid on for 20 minutes. Take lid off and add 2 cups chicken broth. Bring to a boil and add the orzo. Cook for 8 to 9 minutes or till the pasta is cooked. Add more broth if needed. I made this in advance and needed to add more broth while reheating. The consistency should be of a stew. Check for seasonings and garnish with parsley and dill. Crumble feta before serving.
Lemon and Dill Roasted Chicken Quarters
I am always looking for easy, flavorful chicken dishes. For this one I took inspiration from Greece. I am looking forward to our trip to the Athens, Mykonos and Santorini next month.. I thought I should get used to the yummy flavors!!
- 4 chicken quarters
Marinade
- Juice of 3 lemons
- 7 to 8 garlic cloves, grated
- ¼ cup parsley, chopped
- ¼ cup dill, chopped
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons salt
Mix all the ingredients in a small bowl. Marinate the chicken pieces in the mixture for 4 to 6 hours.
- 1 cup chicken broth
- Salt
Preheat oven to 375
Place the chicken pieces in a baking pan with the marinade. Add the chicken broth at the bottom. Top the chicken with a bit more salt. Roast in oven for about an hour and a half or till the juices run clear. Serve with potatoes and green beans.
Greek Style Cucumber and Tomato Salad
I balanced the meal off with the delicious yet simple salad. The feta gives it a fabulous flavor!!
- 1 large European cucumber
- 2 cups yellow grape tomatoes, cut in half
- ½ cup crumbled feta
- ¼ cup fresh chives, chopped
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 – 3 teaspoons red wine vinegar
- Salt
- Pepper
Slice the cucumber in half and scoop out all the seeds with a spoon. Slice the halves into ½ inch half moons. Add the cucumber, tomatoes, feta and chives to a salad bowl. Add the olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Toss well and let the salad sit for an hour before serving.
Greek Style Potatoes and Zucchini with Feta
A friend was talking about an amazing dinner she had in the city at a Greek restaurant. She described the freshly grilled fish served with roast vegetables topped with feta.
The vegetable dish included potatoes, zucchini and tomatoes- roasted perfectly and topped with feta. As I heard the description, I was already envisioning it in my mind. I wanted to make the dish soon- the combination sounded amazing.
As I was cooking the shrimp bisque, I was wondering what to serve with the soup to balance it off. I thought of roasted vegetables my friend had described and decided on serving it with the soup.
I went to the farmers market and purchased fresh zucchini, fingerling potatoes and some delicious tomatoes. I cut them up and added garlic, oregano and olive oil. Once the vegetables are roasted to perfection, I added the feta. The vegetables were delicious with the oregano and feta. They were a perfect complement to the shrimp bisque. The crusty bread finished the dish off beautifully…
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