Best 5 Authentic Greek Recipes

AUTHENTIC GREEK MOUSSAKA

Steps:

• Sprinkle eggplant slices with salt and place in a colander set in the sink or over a plate. Let sit for 30 minutes to 1 hour so the salt can draw out any bitterness.
• Meanwhile, make bechamel sauce. Heat milk in a saucepan almost to a boil. Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Whisk in flour until a smooth paste forms. Lower heat and gradually pour in hot milk, whisking constantly until bechamel sauce thickens. Season with salt. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
• Rinse eggplant slices under cold running water. Squeeze out liquid and pat dry with paper towels. Whisk egg yolks into the cooled bechamel.
• Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet and cook eggplant slices in batches until each side is lightly browned, about 3 minutes per side. Drain on a large plate lined with paper towels.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with olive oil.
• Heat remaining 4 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over low heat. Cook grated onion until soft, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Increase heat to medium-high and add ground beef. Cook and stir until browned and crumbly, about 5 minutes. Season with allspice, sugar, cinnamon, salt, and pepper.
• Stir in tomato sauce and bring to a simmer. Cook until all excess liquid has evaporated and mixture appears dry, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in parsley and remove from heat. Allow to cool slightly, then stir in the egg white.
• Arrange a layer of eggplant in the prepared baking dish. Cover eggplant with all of the beef mixture and sprinkle with 1/3 of the Parmesan cheese. Cover with remaining eggplant and sprinkle another 1/3 of Parmesan cheese on top. Pour bechamel sauce over the top and sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the top of the moussaka is set and golden, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Remove from oven and let rest at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing and serving.

AUTHENTIC GREEK TZATZIKI

Steps:

• Stir together olive oil, vinegar, and garlic in a bowl and let sit while you prepare the cucumber.
• Peel cucumber and cut in half lengthways; scrape out all the seeds. Grate cucumber with a cheese grater into a sieve set over a bowl. Sprinkle with salt. Strain out as much liquid as possible by pressing down in the sieve with the palm of your hand. Alternately you can wring cucumber out in a clean tea towel. Add cucumber and yogurt to the garlic mixture. Mix until well combined and season with salt to taste.

DOLMADES - AUTHENTIC GREEK STUFFED GRAPE LEAVES W/ MEAT (SOUTHER

Steps:

• Unroll grape leaves and place in a pot of boiling water. Reduce heat to medium and let boil for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, pour out hot water, and cover leaves with cold water. Let soak while preparing stuffing.
• Knead the rest of the ingredientes together. Spoon filling inside a leaf and roll like a burrito, sealing completely.
• In large pot, add olive oil to cover bottom or butter. Arrange rolled dolmades on top. Do this all at once, not as you roll them. Pour chicken broth over dolmades, cover, and simmer for 2 hours.
• Serve with Greek yogurt and lemon wedges.

AUTHENTIC GREEK SPANAKOPITA WITH MIXED GREENS

Steps:

• Place a large skillet over medium-high heat. Heat ¼ cup of olive oil then add the onions and the leeks and cook them until tender and soft. Remove them from the heat, place them in a bowl and set aside to cool.
• Trim the spinach and the chard, removing the hard part of the chard stems. Chop them and place them in a large colander. Sprinkle the greens with 1-2 tsps. of salt, toss them and let them sit for about twenty minutes.
• Massage the greens with your hands and squeeze them between your palms to drain the water. This is the traditional way of preparing the greens and it is a very important step, as it allows us to reduce the volume of the greens to about one quarter of its original mass by getting rid of their water (this method allows us to wilt the greens without cooking them). Add the greens to the bowl with the cooled onions and leeks. To the same bowl, add the cheese and the aromatics (dill, parsley, fennel fronds), then sprinkle it with some salt and freshly ground pepper. Mix well and set aside. If you want you can drizzle the mixture with a little more olive oil.
• Preheat the oven to 375° F. Unwrap the filo and arrange it on a clean work surface with the long side nearest to you.
• Brush some olive oil on all sides and the bottom of a 14"x10"x2" ceramic or glass baking pan and set it aside. On a clean work surface, place the first sheet of filo and brush it with olive oil. Place a second sheet over the first and brush it with olive oil too. Repeat this process with 6 more sheets of filo and until you have created a stack of 8 filo sheets. Lift them carefully and place them in the prepared baking pan. Pour the mixture of greens and feta over the stacked filo and spread it evenly in the pan. On your clean surface, repeat the process of brushing each one of the remaining 8 filo sheets with olive oil, then carefully lift the second stack of filo and place on top of the filling. Fold the edges over the spanakopita, so the filling is completely enclosed. Brush the top sheet with some more olive oil. With a sharp knife, carefully score the top filo sheets into square shapes. This step ensures that the filo does not crumble after it is baked and when it is cut through.
• Bake the spanakopita for 30-40 minutes, or, until the filo is nice and golden. The cooking time depends on the kind of filo you use and on your oven. Let it cool for 15-20 minutes before cutting and serving.

ROB'S MIND BLOWING AUTHENTIC GREEK SALAD (SERVES 4)

Steps:

• This dish is easy to make and a big hit full of flavor, the trick is to shop for the best ingredients possible at a good grocery story. If you get good produce then the rest is cake.
• Watch your fingers with this one as it's all slicing and chopping with a sharp knife.
• You'll need a big serving/mixing salad bowl.
• Prepare all the above items and then mix/toss.
• Enjoy with loads of red wine, pita, hummus, grilled chicken kabobs, basmati rice, and endlessly silly dancing with fun Greek friends. Don't even THINK about adding lettuce to this recipe, you'll blow it you silly American! :).
• This dish serves four but I usually make it for groups of 20 so just time 5 and it works great! Same with the wine.