Last updated on February 14, 2018
Greek food packs a hearty punch and are absolutely perfect for cooking at home!
If you’ve ever travelled to Greece you will know first-hand that the food served up in many Greek restaurants and tavernas is simple, rustic and utterly more-ish.
You can find most ingredients in your local supermarket. Kalamata olives from Greece are in my opinion the best olives you can buy, and you’ll find them fresh, in jars and in vacuum packs. The Kalamata olive is deep purple in colour and has a distinctive taste. They are great as an appetiser on their own or chucked onto salads. They also contain powerful polyphenols that protect against disease.
Picking up ingredients for our recipes should be easy. You may need to search further afield for vine leaves, but a lot of Mediterranean delis stock them preserved in brine in packets. Thanks to flexible packaging solutions like these, you can find almost any ingredient you want these days from almost anywhere in the world.
So, here they are, 6 plate-smashingly delicious Greek recipes you can try at home!
1. Avgolemono
Source: Taste
Avgolemono isn’t a Greek recipe most people have heard of, and it does take a while to cook. But, every Greek recipe poured over with love usually ends up with a satisfying end, and avgolemono is no exception.
The main reason we’ve put this recipe in (not just because it is utterly delicious) is because of its brilliant health benefits when you are feeling under par. This heavenly velvet soup is made from a savoury chicken broth, tart lemons and egg yolks, and it’s been penned as the ‘Greek chicken’ alternative to penicillin. Yes, really. It’s that good. This is a soup with greatness and should be your go-to recipe card when you can’t shake off a cold or flu. The Girl and the Kitchen has this recipe nailed.
2. Moussaka
Source: My Greek Dish
Let me first say, don’t be put off this recipe if you’ve sampled a plate of rubbery gloop in the past. This is one of Greece’s most classic dishes, and can be cooked to perfection at home. Its’s hearty, rich, incredibly comforting, and makes a refreshing change from the similar looking lasagne.
Moussaka is made from layers of savoury lamb mince and aubergine. At last the perfect recipe to use up the aubergine languishing at the back of the fridge that came in your veggie box. We have it on authority that this version is particularly good – see the recipe here.
Dolmades
Source: Houston Press
Dolmades are essentially stuffed vine leaves. The stuffing usually consists of fresh herbs and rice, but occasionally includes meat. You can buy these canned, but nothing compares to the freshly prepared version. If you can’t find vine leaves, you can use cabbage leaves instead, but due to the thin quality of vine leaves you won’t get such a small and neat package.
Here’s a really simple, traditional recipe. Don’t forget to cool for at least 30 minutes before serving. Make a big batch and any leftovers can be popped in the fridge and eaten cold the next day. If you are feeling confident add some other ingredients to make your own special version (though nothing tastes quite as good as a simple, lemony original version made with fresh herbs).
Gigantes Plaki
Source: Killer Bunnies
Greek cuisine isn’t particularly well known for its vegan options (much Greek food revolves around the fish and seafood captured from its long coast line). However, fresh fruits and vegetables play a large role in the Greek diet, and Gigantes Plaki is an authentic Greek recipe that is both traditional and vegan.
The dish is made from baked giant beans in a delicate tomato sauce, and is great served with crusty bread and a glass of buttery white wine.
Souvlaki
Source: Simply Recipes
Souvlaki is the ultimate Greek food experience. These delicious skewers of meat (usually chicken, but can be pork) are often referred to as Greek ‘fast food’, when in fact they are anything but. Souvlaki is a tasty and healthy meat lovers snack. Chicken is cut into small cubes, marinated, slipped onto skewers and barbecued. It doesn’t get simpler than that. For the ins and outs, marinade ingredients and what to serve them with, see the Lemons and Olives recipe here.
Saganaki Shrimp
Source: Food and Wine Magazine
It would be rude not to include a seafood recipe, so here it is! You may be confused, having seen a recipe for saganaki cheese. Don’t be. ‘Saganaki’ refers to the heavy bottomed frying pan this dish is cooked in, so yes there’s a cheese dish that uses the same cooking vessel, but has nothing to do with saganaki shrimp.
The distinctive flavour in this easy-to-prepare dish comes from traditional Greek ouzo (an aniseed-flavoured spirit). Once you’ve made this once, I guarantee you’ll be hooked and will make it again and again. It’s easy, delicious and authentically Greek.
Why not finish off your Greek home dining experience with an authentic Greek Coffee. You’ll find everything you need to know here. Smash plates if you must!
