A Taste of Travel
Greek Salad
Ingredients
- 1 small red onion, cut into 1/2-inch wedges
- 1 medium head romaine lettuce, rinsed and drained
- 1 pound ripe tomatoes, cut into wedges or chopped
- 1 cucumber, seeded and chopped
- 1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
- 1/4 cup black olives, pitted and halved
- 1/4 cup kalamata olives, pitted
- 6 to 8 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
Ingredients: Dressing
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1/8 teaspoon each salt & black pepper
- 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Cut the red onion into wedges and soak them in ice water for 5 minutes; drain well. Tear or chop the lettuce leaves and place them in a large salad bowl. Add the onion wedges, tomatoes, cucumber, green pepper, olives and feta cheese.
Dressing: Pour the lemon juice in a small bowl. Add the salt and pepper and whisk in the olive oil.
Pour the dressing over the salad and toss gently to combine. Serves 6 to 8.
Recipe by Kaela Severa.
Tyropitakia (Cheese Pies)
Ingredients: Cheese Filling
- 2 eggs
- 3 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped
- 8 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
- 8 ounces ricotta cheese
- 1/2 cup kasseri cheese, grated
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
- freshly grated nutmeg, to taste
- black pepper, to taste
1-16 ounce package frozen phyllo dough (thaw and store in refrigerated until ready to use) 1/2 cup melted butter
Cheese Filling: In a medium bowl, whisk the egg and parsley together. Add the feta, ricotta, kasseri and cream cheese and stir until well combined. Season the mixture with pepper and nutmeg. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Unroll one 8-ounce package of the phyllo dough at a time. (Work quickly and keep the unused dough covered at all times because it dries out quickly.) Stack 3 to 5 layers of phyllo dough on a cutting surface and using a knife, cut the phyllo into lengthwise strips about 2 to 2 1/2 inches wide. Brush the top strips with the melted butter and place a small dollop of the cheese mixture in the middle of the top of the strip. Fold one corner of the dough over the filling to form a triangle. Continue turning over the triangle until you reach the end of the dough strip, as in folding a flag. Repeat with remaining phyllo dough and filling.
Place the triangles on a lightly oiled baking sheet, brush the tops with melted butter and bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until golden brown. Serve warm or room temperature. Makes 40 to 50 cheese pies, depending on size.
Recipe by Kalli McClure.
Meatballs Patties with Fresh Mozzarella and Tomato
- 1/2 slice white bread, crusts removed
- 3 tablespoons milk
- 1 egg
- 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 2/3 cup dried breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 2 large tomatoes, sliced into 1/2-inch slices
- 1 tablespoon fresh oregano, finely chopped
- salt & black pepper, to taste
- 1 8-ounce ball fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into 6 slices
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the bread in a small saucepan, cover with the milk and heat over low heat until the bread absorbs the milk. Remove the pan from the heat and using a fork, mash the bread to a pulp and cool to room temperature.
Place the egg in a large bowl and beat with a whisk. Stir in the bread. Add the ground beef, Parmesan cheese, 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper. Mix well and shape the meat mixture into six patties. Place the dried breadcrumbs on a plate and coat the meatball patties with the crumbs.
Heat the vegetable oil in large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Place the patties in the pan and fry for about two minutes on each side, until golden brown. Transfer the patties to large, shallow baking dish. Lay a slice of tomato on top of each meatball patty. Sprinkle each with fresh oregano and season with salt and pepper to taste. Top with the mozzarella slices. Bake the meatball patties for 10 to 15 minutes, until cooked throughout. Serve immediately. Serves 6.
Serving suggestion: Serve the meatball patties with freshly cooked fettuccine tossed with butter and Parmesan cheese.
Recipe by Emily Lamb.
