Garlic Feta Dip

WARNING: this dip is dangerous.  Not only does it take minutes to make, but it is super addictive.

It makes your breath stinky too.

Bring it on!

Garlic Feta Dip
slightly adapted from food. com

4 ounces crumbled feta cheese
4 ounces cream cheese, slightly softened
1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon dried dill
1/8 teaspoon dried thyme

Combine all ingredients and mix.  Cover and chill until ready to serve.

Makes about 1 1/2 cups.

Orzo Salad with Zucchini, Feta & Olives

As much as I love the fall, I have to remind myself that technically, it is still summer.  It reached 80 degrees yesterday (with low humidity!) so the weather is still keeping it real.

Not that it needs to be summer to enjoy some of this deliciousness.

With the addition of kalamata olives, this salad was amazing.  Make this soon!

Orzo Salad with Zucchini, Feta & Olives
adapted from Real Simple

8 ounces orzo (1/2 box)
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
3 small zucchini, thinly sliced, cut into half moons
salt and pepper
1 cup kalamata olives
2 cups crumbled feta
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill

Cook orzo according to package directions.  Drain and run under cold water to cool.

While orzo is cooking, combine oil, vinegar, red pepper and zucchini in a large bowl with a bit of salt and pepper.  Let marinate for about 20 minutes, tossing occasionally.

Add orzo, olives, feta and dill to to zucchini mixture.  Toss to combine.  Serve immediately, at room temp or cold.

Watermelon, Feta & Basil Salad

I've been trying to come up with creative ways to satisfy my sweet tooth that aren't too "bad".  Don't get me wrong, I've been loving my ice cream, but sometimes you have to push it aside and behave yourself.

And when it's a dish like this, you don't mind one bit.

I love this salad for so many reasons...it's quick and easy, it's healthy, and best of all it tastes delicious.  Refreshing doesn't even begin to describe it.  And using my garden herbs always makes me happy.

I have to say, although this recipe is terrific, this salad tastes really great even without the extras.  Straight up watermelon, feta and basil is perfect if you don't feel like dressing it up.  Either way, you can thank me later :)

Watermelon, Feta & Basil Salad
slightly adapted from In Good Taste

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste
1 (approximately 8 pound) watermelon, cubed
1 cup feta cheese
1 cup coarsely chopped basil leaves

Whisk oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a large bowl.  Add watermelon and feta and toss gently.  Top with basil and serve.

Linked to:  Sweets for a Saturday

Baked Orzo with Shrimp, Tomato Sauce & Feta

LOVE this dish.  Another Greek classic...

This dish wasn't a common one during my childhood - why, I'm not sure - but it's always been a favorite.  The combination of flavors is just awesome.  Get some nice fresh crusty bread and you're all set!

YUM.

Baked Orzo with Shrimp, Tomato Sauce & Feta
slightly adapted from Gourmet

1 onion, chopped
5 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 pounds shrimp, shelled and deveined
1 pound orzo
1/2 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
1 pound feta cheese, crumbled

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  In a dutch oven, cook onion, garlic, oregano and crushed red pepper in 1 tablespoon oil.  Stir until onion is soft.  Add wine and boil until reduced by half.  Stir in tomatoes and salt, reduce to simmer and and stir frequently until slightly thickened, about 8 minutes.  Stir shrimp in and simmer for about 3 minutes.

While sauce is cooking, boil orzo in a dutch oven (follow package directions, but shorten time a few minutes to cook al dente).  Reserve 1/2 cup cooking water and drain orzo.  Return orzo to pot and add remaining tablespoon of oil.  Add orzo to sauce, followed by reserved cooking water, then olives, and salt and pepper to taste.

Add feta to pot and bake, uncovered, until cheese is melted, about 10-15 minutes.

Serves 6.

Linked to: Tastetastic Thursday

Mediterranean Couscous

Incase you haven't noticed by now, we're big into mediterranean dishes and flavors here.  I seem to always have the ingredients on hand, which makes it easy for me to come up with different ways to use them.

I've made something similar to this many times, most recently when we had greek pork tenderloin (you can even see it on the plate with the pork in that post).  I could eat sides like this every day.  So easy, so fresh, so delicious.

You could even throw the pork directly into it...or shrimp, chicken, salmon...you get the idea.  And if you haven't tried Israeli couscous before, now's your chance!  I buy it at Trader Joe's.  Love it.

Not too many exact measurements here, as you can see...just taste as you go along.

Mediterranean Couscous
1 box Israeli couscous (1 1/3 cup), cooked according to package instructions
feta cheese (plain or Mediterranean flavored, crumbled)
1/2 cucumber, chopped
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
1/2 large tomato, chopped
12 kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
chopped parsley
extra virgin olive oil
freshly squeezed lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste
dried oregano

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix.  Refrigerate and serve cold later, or serve immediately warm.

It's Greek to us

We had what ended up being "A Very Greek Christmas" the weekend before the actual holiday.  My immediate family got together a week ahead of time, since Christmas Eve always ends up being total chaos (fun!  but super chaotic), had some great food and wine, and exchanged gifts.

Mom went all out, making many of our traditional favorites from my Nana's homeland, like pastitsio, tzatziki and hummus with pita, tons of assorted cheeses and olives, and a few others that I'll be featuring in the next couple of weeks.

One of my absolute favorites is this...we've been making it FOREVER and it's always a crowd pleaser.  You can't eat just one piece of it...go ahead, I dare you to try!

We always eat this as an appetizer, but you could definitely serve larger portions and enjoy it as a main course.  And, I know what some of you are thinking, but don't fear the phyllo!  It's not as hard to handle as you think.  Plus, I'm providing a link within the recipe to help you along :)

Spanakopita (or Spanakopitta)
from The Greek Cookbook (our copy is an original, from 1967, and falling apart at the seams!  It's an amazing recipe source)

3 pounds spinach
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 cup chopped scallions
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, divided
1/2 cup chopped fresh dill
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup evaporated milk
4 eggs, beaten
3/4 pound phyllo pastry
melted butter, as needed
1/2 pound feta cheese, crumbled

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  Wash spinach and cut into small pieces, then place in bowl.  Salt lightly and stir.  Squeeze out excess water in handfuls, then place in another bowl.  Repeat until all spinach is squeezed dry.

Saute onion in half the butter until lightly browned, then add scallions and cook until wilted.  Add spinach and stir until color gets lighter.  Stir in dill, parsley, salt and pepper.  Cover and cook until all water is absorbed.

Remove from heat and place in bowl.  Immediately add milk.  Add cheese to eggs in another bowl, then add to cooled spinach and mix well.

Line a pan with 8 sheets of phyllo (for tips on how to work with phyllo, click here), brushing each sheet with melted butter before topping with next sheet.  Do not trim overhanging sections.  Pour in spinach mixture, spreading evenly over phyllo.  Fold part of phyllo that extends out of pan back over filling.

Lay remaining phyllo on top, again brushing each sheet with melted butter before adding the next.  Now trim off overlap.  Brush additional melted butter on top and score into diamond-shaped pieces.

Bake for 30-45 minutes.  Let stand for 30 minutes before cutting and serving.

Linked to:  Tastetastic Thursday

When I dip, you dip, we dip

I'm always looking for new ideas when it comes to cold dips, especially this time of year.  My ol' reliable is my 7 Layer Dip, but as most of my loyal readers know, I like my variety :)  So, I created this and brought it with us to see friends who invited us over.

This the Greek version of my 7 Layer Dip.  It's just as easy to make, but brings a whole new flavor combination to the table.  I built it around leftover tzatziki that I had in the fridge.  I think hummus would be fine in place of it, if that's what you have on hand.

It's great served with pita chips (very easy to make yourself!), tortilla chips, potato chips or vegetables.  Give it a whirl at your next party, or when you're on appetizer duty at the next barbecue you're attending.

Mediterranean Layer Dip
1 cup tzatziki
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 tomato, chopped
1 cucumber, chopped
3/4 cup chopped kalamata olives
2 scallions, chopped
1/2 cup crumbled fat free feta
2 tablespoons oregano

Mix tzatziki and cream cheese together, and spread it over the bottom of a 9 inch pie plate or dish.  Add remaining ingredients evenly on top and top with oregano.  Chill before serving.

Linked to: Dip Blog Hop

Feta makes everything betta

I'm a BIG fan of feta cheese.  I know it totally grosses some people out, and boy do I feel sorry for those people.  Come to the other side - you have no idea what you're missing!

I threw this together when I realized I had some green beans I needed to use up.  Simple, easy, delicious.  I think that description works.

These measurements are very approximate!  As I've said before, many times I don't measure when cooking, but I know I have to give you a guideline.  So, taste as you go and use the amounts you like/need.

Green Bean and Feta Salad
2 cups green beans, steamed (don't overcook - leave some crunch) and cooled
3/4 cup feta, cut into bite size chunks (or crumbled)
1/2 cup red onion, chopped
1 plum tomato, cut into bite size chunks
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar (red wine vinegar would be fine, too)
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste

Combine beans, feta, onion and tomato in a bowl.  Add oil and vinegar, then seasonings, tasting along the way.  Stir and serve, or keep in the refrigerator until ready to serve.