Greek Recipes, Main

Moussaka

Ingredients
3 large eggplants
Kosher or Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 lemon, sliced in thin circles
1 handful fresh oregano leaves, chopped
2 handfuls fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
2 pounds ground lamb
1 cinnamon stick
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 16-ounce can of whole tomatoes, drained and hand-crushed
8 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1 cup fresh bread crumbs

Method
To prepare the eggplants: Cut off the stems, remove the skin with a vegetable peeler, and cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch thick slices.
Season all the pieces of eggplant with salt and pepper on both sides.
Coat a large skillet with oil and heat over medium flame.
Fry the eggplant in a single layer, turning once, until brown on both sides– you will need to do this in batches, adding more oil,
as necessary.
Drain the eggplant as they cook on a paper towel-lined platter.
Add a little more oil to the pan and toss in the onion, garlic, lemon slices, oregano, and parsley.
Cook and stir until soft and fragrant, about 3 minutes.
Add the ground lamb, stirring to break up the meat; season with salt and pepper, and toss in the cinnamon stick.
Stir in the tomato paste and hand-crushed tomatoes.
Simmer until the liquid has evaporated, stirring occasionally.
Remove from the heat.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Line the bottom of a 9 by 13-inch glass or ceramic baking dish with 1/3 of the eggplant slices; they should completely cover
the bottom with no gaps.
Spread 1/2 of the meat sauce over the eggplant, evening it out with a spatula.
Sprinkle with 1/2 of the feta and Parmesan.
Repeat the layers again, ending with a final layer of eggplant.
Cover the top with a nice even layer of bread crumbs.
Bake the Moussaka for 30 to 40 minutes or until the top is golden.
Let cool 10 minutes before serving.

Sofrito

Ingredients (Serves 4)
1 Kilo of tender beef steak
1 garlic (whole)
1 glass of dry white wine
parsley
salt and pepper
2 spoons of plain flour.
a little light oil
rice for 4

Method
Lightly cook the steaks until no blood.
Place in a casserole dish with a little light oil and the crushed garlic.
Simmer for a few minutes and add enough water to cover the meat.
Season and add sprinkle of parsley.
Simmer until meat is cooked leaving enough liquid for the sauce.

Sauce
In a cup of hot water add the flour and stir until smooth.
Add to the casserole and stir until well mixed.
Traditionally served with rice but potatoes and/or other vegetables may be used.

Stifado

Ingredients (Serves 4)
I Kilo of diced beef (Can be made with Rabbit)
I can chopped tomatoes
500g of baby onions
1 large onion
1 soup spoon of tomato paste
1 small glass of red wine
a little olive oil
a few bay leaves
salt pepper (taste)

Method
Finley chop up the large onion and stir fry with the meat in a little oil.
When the meat starts to fry add the wine, bay leaves, salt and pepper.
Add tomatoes and tomato paste and water to well cover the meat.
When meat is nearly cooked and the baby onions.
Leave to simmer for around 1-1/2 to 2 hours until sauce reduces and meat is tender.
Serve with rice or potatoes.

Pastitsada

Ingredients
1 kg beef or one medium-sized Chicken
1 tea cup oil
1 tea cup red wine
4 ripe tomatoes
3 medium-sized finely cut onions
2-3 cloves garlic cut in half
Cinnamon, cinnamon-cloves
Little sugar
Pepper
1 packet macaroni
Grated cheese

Method
Wash the meat, pierce it in different places and fill each hole with a clove of garlic, salt and pepper.
Warm the oil in a pot and brown the onions with the meat.
Add the wine, tomatoes (peeled and passed through the blender) or tomato paste as well as all the other ingredients except the
macaroni and the cheese.
Let the meat simmer for approximately 2 hours.
Boil the macaroni in lots of salt water, strain and serve it with the sauce and the grated cheese sprinkled on.
Serve the meat on a separate platter together with the remaining sauce.

Kleftico

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 4 hours
Serves: 4

Ingredients
5 Potatoes, cut into wedges
1.5kg joint of Lamb, cut up into pieces
Juice of 2 Lemons
1 tbsp Olive oil
Small handful of Bay Leaves
Salt and fresh Ground Black Pepper

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas 4.
2. Place the potato wedges in a large ovenproof dish, season them with salt and freshly ground black pepper and add the bay leaves.
3. Season the lamb pieces and place them on top of the potatoes.
4. Mix the lemon juice and oil together and pour all over the meat and potatoes.
5. Cook for 4 hours, basting with juices occasionally, to keep the meat moist.

Tip
Roll the Lemons over your Chopping Board or Work Surface.
This, agitates the juices in the Lemons (and Limes), therefore when cut, more juice is extracted.

(Thanks to Sailor for the Kleftico recipe)

Prawn Saganaki

Prep Time: 10/15 minutes
Cooking Time: 30~40 minutes (may vary)

Ingredients
1 kg large prawns, peeled and heads removed
500g Fresh chopped (ripe) tomatoes.
300g Feta cheese, coarsely crumbled.
1 large onion, finely chopped.
5 big garlic cloves, crushed.
½ Teaspoon Oregano.
1 Teaspoon Paprika.
Pinch of Pepper.
1 Tablespoon Parsley, coarsely chopped.
Vegetable stock cube.
3 Tablespoon Olive oil.

Method
1. Put olive oil, onions and garlic in a deep pan and seal.
2. Add chopped tomatoes, pepper, stock cube (crumbled) 1/2 of the paprika, oregano and parsley,
and cook while stirring gently for 5 minutes.
3. Add prawns, Feta cheese and cook (while stirring gently) for a further 3 minutes.
(Note if your Feta cheese is not very creamy then add 150g of fresh cream during this stage.)
4. Place in a large terracotta pot or similar and sprinkle the remainder of the oregano, paprika and
parsley over.

Cook for 30~40 minutes at 200C until starting to brown. (Please note that cooking time may vary)

(Thanks to Sailor for the Prawn Saganaki recipe)

Spetsofai - Spicy Sausage-and-Pepper Stew

Ingredients
2 - 3 links spicy, firm sausage
3 - 4 tbsp olive oil
12 mild green peppers (hotter if you prefer)
2 large onions
2 cloves garlic crushed
1 - 2 12 oz cans chopped tomatoes
Oregano (I use a good amount, but it is up to you)
2 bay leaves

Slice the sausage into half-inch pieces.
Heat olive oil in a large cooking pot. Saut? sausage until browned; remove and drain on paper towel.
Seed peppers and slice into half-inch rings.
Slice onions into thin rings.
Add peppers, onions, and garlic to pot. Saut? until vegetables are wilted.
Add sausages; stir.
Add tomatoes, oregano, and bay leaves.
Cover and simmer over low heat for about an hour, stirring frequently.
Serve steaming hot with a robust wine and crusty bread for dipping.
Serves two, with leftovers.

In Greece, they use "Spicy Village Sausage" for this dish?but you can substitute kielbasa.

(Thanks to Chris for the Spetsofai recipe)