Tag: kalamata olives

Potato Salad with Anchovies and Olives

5 to 6 red skinned potatoes, boiled and cut into ½ inch slices

Dressing

3 to 4 anchovies
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium red onion, chopped
¾ cup kalamata olives, sliced
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
¾ cup parsley, chopped
2 to 3 teaspoons salt

Heat a large non-stick frying pan with the olive oil. Add the anchovies and melt on a medium heat. Add the garlic and onions and sauté on medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes. Turn the heat off and add the olives and vinegar. Add the warm dressing to the hot potato slices. Mix well and check for seasonings. Add the salt and parsley. Can be made several hours ahead of time. Serve room temperature.

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.

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.

Italian Style Cheeseburgers

Another delicious one…

1 pound ground grass fed beef
1 cup fresh basil, chopped
5 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper

Transfer the meat into a medium bow. Add the basil, garlic, salt and pepper. Mix well and keep aside in the fridge for 2 to 3 hours. Form four patties and keep aside.

Mayonnaise

1 tablespoon mayonnaise
¼ cup non-fat Greek yogurt
¼ cup kalamata olives
3 to 4 sundried tomatoes
3 garlic cloves
Salt
Pepper

Process the olives, sundried tomatoes and garlic in a small processor. Mix into the mayonnaise and yogurt in a small bowl. Add salt and pepper and taste for seasonings. Keep aside.

2 medium tomatoes, sliced
4 burger buns, sliced
4 mozzarella slices

Cook the burgers according to desired doneness. Add the cheese on top. Spread the mayo onto the buns and add tomatoes. Serve the burgers with grilled potatoes and veggies.

Mushroom and Olive Meatballs

Here is another version of my delicious meatballs. Everyone loved them. I took two of my daughter’s favorite pizza toppings- mushrooms and olives, and added them to the turkey meat. I also added garlic and parsley. Of course the homemade tomato sauce helps with the taste factor. This is a good one!!

1 pound dark meat turkey
1 cup Cremini mushrooms, shredded
½ cup kalamata olives, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
½ cup parsley, chopped
1 egg, beaten
½ cup Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, grated
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup panko bread crumbs soaked in ½ cup milk (for 10 minutes)
2 cups tomato sauce

Transfer the tomato sauce into a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer.
Transfer the turkey, mushrooms, olives, garlic, parsley and cheese into a medium mixing bowl. Mix well and add the egg, salt and panko crumbs. Mix well and form meatballs and slide into the simmering sauce. Bring to a boil and lower the heat to a simmer and cook meatballs covered with a lid for 15 minutes. Taste for seasonings and serve with pasta.

Greek Style Turkey Burgers

2 pounds dark meat ground turkey
½ cup pitted kalamata olives
2 tablespoons fresh oregano
4 garlic cloves
1 medium shallot, chopped
2 teaspoons salt
2 eggs, beaten

Process the olives, oregano, garlic and shallot in a food processor till chopped well. Add the mixture to the ground turkey with the salt. Add the eggs and mix well. Transfer the mixture to the fridge for a couple of hours.
Form into 8 patties and keep aside.
Grill the burgers till cooked well inside.

Tzatziki Sauce

½ cup non-fat Greek yogurt
1/3 cup grated cucumber with excess water squeezed out
2 garlic cloves, grated
Juice of half a lemon
2 to 3 teaspoons salt

Mix the yogurt, garlic, lemon juice and sauce in a small bowl. Assemble burgers on toasted ciabatta rolls with a generous dollop of Tzatziki sauce and serve.

Broccoli Rabe with Kalamata Olives

Broccoli Rabe with Olives Broccoli rabe is by far one of my favorite vegetables. I love the earthy bitterness the leafy greens have. I usually cook them with pasta and some sausage. I add some pine nuts, garlic and basil and top it off with lots of parmesan cheese. It is the most delicious thing to have. Unfortunately my husband and daughter don’t love the pasta dish as much as I do. They prefer pasta with red sauce- I think a lot of people feel the same. I like pasta with all sorts of sauces and toppings but I have to say, I do like the sauceless ones the best. I like to be able to taste all the ingredients in my pasta.

Anyway, as usual I digress. I decided to use the broccoli rabe as a side dish. I like to pair the bitterness of the greens with super salty ingredients like olives and anchovies. I started with blanching the broccoli rabe and sauteed some garlic in olive oil. I melted anchovies into the mix and added the olives.

The dish was delicious with all the ingredients but I decided to take it to another level and added some crumbled feta on top. It made the dish come alive and gave it a creamy texture.

I could have eaten the whole dish by myself. All I needed was some warm crusty bread and a glass of red wine…
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