Greek Style Shrimp with Feta

(3-4 servings)

I just returned from an extended trip to southern California. During my visit there I prepared this dish a couple of times for my aunt who loved it. This has always been one of my favorite ways to cook shrimp. It's quick and easy to prepare, especially if you can get your hands on pre-cleaned raw shrimp.

Don't add any salt during the preparation as the feta will more than likely be salty enough. Add it later, if you must.

1 tbsp olive oil

2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 large onion, chopped

3-4 tomatoes, roughly chopped

freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/2  tsp dried oregano
1 tbsp double concentrated tomato paste

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 lb shrimp, shelled and deveined

6 oz feta cheese, cut into small cubes

fresh parsley, chopped for garnish

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and when it gets fragrant (about 30 sec.) add the onions. Saute them until they soften. Add the tomatoes, ground pepper, oregano, tomato paste and wine. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the liquid evaporates, the onions and tomatoes soften, and the mixture thickens; 8 - 10 minutes. (Don't worry if the mixture seems too thick, once you add the shrimp it should thin out again. If it doesn't, then add a splash of wine or water.)

Turn up the heat a bit, add the shrimp and cook for 4-6 minutes or until the shrimp turn opaque. Take care not to overcook them. Gently fold in the *feta. Cook another minute or so.

Garnish with chopped parsley. Serve with crusty bread or cooked rice.

*I usually use regular feta cheese for this, but this time I tried one which contained bits of tomato and basil. It was quite nice.

Moussaka

(about 6-8 servings)

Moussaka is usually considered a Greek dish although there are different versions of it to be found throughout the Mediterranean and Middle East. The seasonings might differ a bit as well as the vegetables used. It might be served hot or cold, with or without the creamy cheese enhanced béchamel.

Whenever I make moussaka, I prefer preparing the meat sauce the day before because it just tastes so much better when the flavors have had the chance to meld.

meat sauce
2 tsp olive oil
1 3/4 - 2 lbs lean ground lamb or beef
1 large onion, chopped
2-3 large cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cardamom
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/8 tsp allspice
1/2 cup dry red wine
15oz can crushed or pureed tomatoes
2 bay leaves
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Heat the olive oil in a large pot (with lid) over medium high heat. Cook the lamb or beef until it's nicely browned. Reduce the heat to medium low and add the onions and garlic. Continue to cook until the onions have softened.

Stir in the salt, oregano, cinnamon, cardamom, pepper, and allspice. Cook for about 2 minutes while stirring, then pour in the wine and continue to cook another minute or two.

Stir in the tomatoes and add the bay leaves. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot and allow the sauce to gently simmer for about an hour or so.

Check and adjust the seasoning, if needed. Remove from heat, stir in the parsley and allow to cool. Store in the refrigerator overnight or until you are ready to assemble the moussaka.

eggplant
2 - 3 tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic minced
2 large eggplant

Combine the olive oil and garlic in a small container and allow to fuse for at least 30 minutes or longer.

Wash, then slice the eggplant into slices about 1/2 inch thick. Place the slices in a single layer onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or foil. Lightly brush the tops with the garlicky oil. If there's any oil left over, set that aside to grease the baking dish later.

Place the sheet into the middle of the oven and broil the slices until the tops are lightly browned. My oven has a Hi and Lo broiling setting. I used the Hi setting and it took about 12 minutes for the eggplant to be done.

Remove the eggplant from the oven and allow to cool.

béchamel
4 tbsp butter
1/2 cup flour
2 2/3 cups milk
1/4 tsp salt
3 eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup pecorino romano
2 pinches nutmeg/mace

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Slowly whisk in the flour and cook for about 1-2 minutes. Slowly whisk in the milk until you have a smooth mixture. Stir in the salt and cook, stirring until the sauce thickens; about 5-8 minutes. Remove from heat.

Whisk a small amount of the hot sauce into the eggs, then whisk the egg mixture back into the béchamel. Stir in the cheese, reserving a tablespoon or so to sprinkle over the top of the casserole later. Stir in the nutmeg or mace and set aside.

To assemble

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Grease a 3 qt baking dish with any leftover garlic oil or use extra olive oil. Place a single layer of eggplant over the bottom of the dish and cover that with a layer of meat sauce. Repeat and continue until all of the eggplant and meat sauce has been used up. The baking dish I used measured 8.5" x 11" x 3". I ended up with 3 layers of eggplant and 2 layers of meat sauce.

Spread the béchamel over the top of the layered eggplant and meat sauce layers. Sprinkle the reserved pecorino romano over the top.

Bake for about 1 hour or until the casserole is bubbling hot. Remove from the oven and allow to stand for about 10-15 minutes before cutting into it.

Htipiti; Zesty Greek Feta Dip

(about 2 1/2 cups)

This zesty Greek cheese dish makes a great party dip.  It's very easy to make and wonderful with cut up vegetables, bread, pita or crackers. I love tossing this spicy hot dip with pasta. It's delicious!

Htipiti typically contains olive oil, but I prefer using a small amount of yogurt instead.

2 red bell peppers
2 jalapeno peppers
3-5 cloves garlic, leave the skins on.
1/4 cup Greek style plain yogurt
1/2 lb feta, drained and cut up
1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tsp sweet paprika
1/4 tsp ground cumin
grated black pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 450°F.

Wash bell peppers and jalapeno peppers. Cut in half and remove the seeds. Place the peppers skin side up onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Add the garlic cloves, keeping everything in one layer. Bake in the middle of the oven for about 20-30  minutes or until the tops are blistered. Remove from oven and cool.

Slip the blistered skins off the peppers and place them into the bowl of a food processor. Remove the skins from the garlic cloves and add those as well. Add the yogurt, feta, lemon juice, paprika, cumin and grated pepper. Process until smooth.

Greek Salad

(2 servings)

It's hard to believe another year has passed so quickly..  heirloom tomatoes are already back at the market!

Roasted Bell Peppers Stuffed with Feta Cheese

Pin It
(4 servings)

I love this style of peppers although I don't always have the patience to make them. I broil the peppers first, wrap them and allow them to cool slightly before finally stuffing them and returning them to the oven.

When I do make them I often regret I didn't make more because they are very delicious.

4 red bell peppers
1/4 cup shallots, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 serrano pepper, seeded and chopped
1 handful fresh parsley, chopped
2/3 cup bread crumbs
1/2 lb feta cheese (give or take), cut into small cubes
1 tbsp olive oil
freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Turn on your oven broiler.

Wash, then cut the red peppers in half (lengthwise) and scoop out the seeds. Place the cut side down on a baking sheet and move them into the oven. Broil (keeping an eye on them) until the skins have blackened.

Remove from the oven and cover securely with aluminum foil.. or place them on a large plate and cover them with plastic wrap for about 10-15 minutes.

Pull off the blackened skins and place the peppers onto an oiled baking dish, cut side facing up. Don't worry if you can't pull all of the skin off. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 450°F.

Toss together the shallots, garlic, serrano pepper, parsley, bread crumbs, feta, egg yolk, olive oil and ground pepper in a bowl until evenly mixed.

Divide the cheese mixture evenly between the peppers filling their cavities.

Bake for about 20 minutes or until the tops have browned. Remove from oven and serve.

Greek Style Baked Haddock

(2 servings)

When baking fish in foil, it steams in it's own juices preventing it from drying out. The tender fish and resulting sauce is delicious.

1 tsp olive oil
2 large pieces of heavy foil (or double the layers)
2 pieces of haddock, about 7-9 oz each
salt, freshly ground black pepper and paprika
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 small bulb of shallot, thinly sliced
2 tbsp pitted kalamata olives, sliced
2 tbsp sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
2 tsp capers
1 lemon

cooked rice for serving

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Brush the olive oil on the upper surface of each piece of foil. Place a piece of fish on the centre of each and generously season with salt, pepper and paprika.

Sprinkle each piece of fish with the chopped garlic. Add some shallot, olives, sun-dried tomatoes, parsley and capers.

Slice the lemon in half and slice enough thin rounds to cover each piece of fish. Squeeze the juice from any remaining lemon over the fish.

Carefully fold up the corners of the foil first, creating a little "boat", then fold together the top flaps leaving a bit of space between the fish and the upper portion of the foil. Seal the edges as best you can.

Place both packets onto a baking sheet and bake for about 15-20 minutes depending on the thickness of the fish. It will be done when it flakes easily with a fork.

Remove from foil and serve with rice.