Ingredients

1 lb. ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
1/2 c. white rice
1 egg
1/2 c. dry mint
1 T. butter, softened
1/2 bunch fresh parsley
dill, if convenient
3-4 T. lemon juice
salt
pepper
water, if needed

Knead all ingredients in a bowl. If the consistency is too hard, add water, one tablespoon at a time (up to 4 T.).

Grape leaves are best picked from Grape Vines in the Spring, while they are still tender. They can be washed and frozen between layers of waxed paper and will keep for a year. They are also available in jars from some fruit markets (especially ones that carry a lot of Greek/Italian imported foods).

Depending on the size, you will need 20 to 40 grape leaves (Fila – pronounced fee’-lah). Small leaves tend to be more tender.

Boil grape leaves until they are soft, but not tender. The time will depend on the leaves. Fresh ones will only take a minute.

Fold grape leaves around small spoonfulls of meat mixture, sealing completely.

In a large pot (preferably one with a large surface area on the bottom), melt 1/2 stick (4 T.) butter. Arrange rolled dolmades on top. Do this all at once, not as you roll them. Pour 3-4 cups water or chicken broth over dolmades, cover, and simmer for 2 hours.

Avgolomono
1 egg
3-4 T. lemon juice
corn starch

Separate egg. Whisk egg white mixed with 1 tsp. water; add yolk and mix. Add corn starch (she gave no measurement) to lemon juice and stir; add to egg mixture. Skim broth off dolmades (it is now a chicken/beef broth and should be greatly reduced because of the rice) and add 1 T. at a time to the egg mixture, whisking well. Egg mixture should thicken.

Remove dolmades from heat. Arrange dolmades in a bowl for serving. Mix remaining broth into egg-lemon mixture. Stir well and pour over dolmades.

Ingredients:

Four pieces of boneless, skinless chicken breasts
juice of two lemons
four or five potatoes, peeled and sliced french-fry style
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 to 1 cup of water
one head of garlic, the cloves peeled but whole
oregano, salt, and pepper to taste

Directions:

Place chicken in a shallow baking tray.

Arrange potatoes around chicken pieces. Scatter whole peeled cloves of garlic around chicken and potatoes.

Mix together lemon juice and olive oil, and pour evenly over chicken and potatoes. Add water until potatoes are just about covered.

Add salt, pepper to taste. Cover chicken and pototoes with generous amounts of oregano.

Bake at 350 degrees, until tops of chicken are reddish brown.

Turn chicken, stir potatoes, and sprinkle on more oregano. If potatoes aren’t at least half-covered with liquid, add water.

Return to oven for about 15-20 minutes. Chicken is done when both sides a lightly browned and potatoes are soft when touched with a fork.

Serve with a crusty bread, or with pita bread.

Souvlakia (Greek marinated lamb kebobs)

Ingredients
1 small leg of lamb, 3-4 lbs (2-3 lbs meat boned)
1 cup good olive oil
juice of 2 lemons, strained
1/2 cup dry, hearty red wine
3 cloves garlic, peeled and slivered
salt and pepper to taste
3 TBL crumbled dried oregano
2 bay leaves, crumbled
2 to 3 TBL chopped fresh basil or 1 to 2 TBL dried basil
pinch dried or fresh thyme
pinch crushed rosemary
1 lb fresh white mushrooms, cleaned and sprinkled w/ juice of
1 lemon
2 large yellow onions, peeled and cut into quarters
3 large green bell peppers, scrubbed, seeded and cut into
1-1/2-inch chunks
12 to 18 firm cherry or Italian plum style tomatoes,
washed and left whole (allow 3 tomatoes per serving)

Directions
Remove fat and sinew from lamb, cut into 2-inch chunks like large stew meat. Combine olive oil, juice of 2 lemons, wine, garlic, salt, pepper, oregano, bay leaves, basil thyme and rosemary in large non-reactant kettle and bring to boil; drop mushrooms into boiling marinade and cook, stirring to coat about 1 minute. Drop in onions and green pepper, stir to coat, cook about 1 minute; remove kettle from heat; let stand uncovered til cool. Add meat chunks, stir to coat, add tomatoes, cover tightly and refrigerate 6 to 24 hours (flavors are better with longer marination). Thread ingredients alternately on skewers, salt and pepper lightly if desired. Grill on barbecue, turning frequently and basting with marinade til meat is brown on outside and slightly pink in middle. Slip off skewers using a fork and onto plates; serve immediately. 4-6 servings. Good with crusty bread, saffron-laced rice pilaf, black Green olives, red wine and anything from fruit to pastry for dessert; also good eaten by hand in pockets of warm pita bread.

Ingredients

1/2 C olive oil
1/4 C lemon juice (use real lemon) or red wine vinegar (I use half of each)
1/4 C red wine
1/2 t minced garlic (I put more like 1 T. I luvs me some garlic)
1 T oregano
3 Whole Chicken Breasts cut into 1″ squares.

Directions

Let marinade for at least 3 hours. Then take skewers and put onion-chicken-mushroom-chicken-green-pepper-chicken. Do this for until all the chicken is used up. I don’t like to make these until the guests come over. Participation required. I also like to use different colors of peppers – orange, red,etc.

Grill these and brush with the leftover marinade. Be sure to constantly rotate. Will take about 15 minutes.

Grilled Pita:

This is absolutely required when making chicken soulvaki.

Store bought Pita Bread
Olive Oil
dab of butter

Grill the pita bread until they are kinda toasty on the outside. Don’t turn up the burner too high! Pita should be brought to the table warm.

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Ingredients

1/2 cup uncooked rice or orzo
7-8 cup stock
juice of 1 lemon
2 Tbsp. water
2-3 eggs
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Prepare a stock by boiling slowly lean lamb, meat bones, or chicken with enough water to cover. Strain stock when meat is done. 1/2 hour before serving, boil stock and add rice or orzo. When orzo is done, reduce heat
to simmer. In a bowl, beat eggs with 2 Tbsp. water and the lemon juice. Spoon broth into egg mixture STIRRING CONSTANTLY to prevent curdling. After adding about 5 Tbsp. broth to eggs, add eggs to the broth on the stove STIRRING CONSTANTLY. Remove from heat. It should be slightly thick. Serve immediately. I like this pretty “lemony”, so I sometimes add more lemon.

Salata
1 head leaf lettuce, torn in pieces
tomatoes, cut in wedges
cucumber, cubed
Calamata olives
chunks of good feta cheese

Dressing
1 small clove of garlic
oregano
dill
basil
pepper
red wine vinegar
olive oil
Mash the garlic with a mortar and pestle, add herbs and grind. Rinse sides with vinegar and whisk in oil.(If you don’t have a mortar and pestle, mince garlic very finely and rub herbs between your hands.)

Arrange salad on plates and dress.

(Like a reverse moussaka. One of my favorites. Papoutsakia means ‘little shoes’.)

Ingredients
2 medium onions, finely chopped
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 lb. minced meat (lamb preferred)
1/2 cup grated cheese (what ever greek hard cheese you can get)
1/4 cup butter
2 Tbsp. dry breadcrumbs
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
2 1/4 lbx aubergine (about 12)
2 tsp. salt
1 cup bechamel sauce (recipe follows)
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 egg, beaten
chopped parsley
1 1/2 cups tomato sauce

Bechamel Sauce (makes one cup)

2 Tbsp. butter
1/8 tsp. pepper
3 Tbsp. flour
dash of nutmeg
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup milk

Brown onions and meat lightly in butter, stirring constantly. Add tomatoes, salt and pepper. cook covered for about 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Add parsley, egg, 1/4 cup cheese and bread crumbs.

On the ‘top’ of each aubergine, peel an inch strip from one end to the other and make an incision along strip to within an inch of each end. Place in baking dish and bake in moderate oven (about 350F) until soft and light brown (about 30-45 minutes). Insert knife blade into incision and stuff with meat mixture.

Prepare bechamel sauce. Melt buter over low heat; add flour, salt, pepper and nutmeg; stir until well blended. Remove from heat. Gradually stir in milk and return to heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until thick and smooth. Add the egg and remaining cheese to the sauce. Pour abouta tablespoon on top of each aubergine. Sprinkle with additional grated cheese and dot with butter. If desired, add tomato sauce to the pan. Bake in a moderate oven for about 35 minutes. Serves six.

Ingredients
2 1/2 lbs. stewing lamb, cut in cubes
2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 lemon
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 cup butter
small piece cinnamon (optional)
2 lbs. chopped tomatoes
1 Tbsp. sugar (optional)

Directions

Sprinkle lemon juice over meat and leave for 1 hour. Heat butter in a frying pan and brown meat. Transfer to large saucepan. Put tomatoes in frying pan. Add salt, peeper, cinnamon and sugar. Boil for 5 minutes and
add to meat. Simmer covered for 2 hours. Serve with potatoes, rice, macaroni or spaghetti. Serves 4 to 5.

Ingredients

6 cups chicken broth
6 Tbsp. rice or orzo
3 eggs
juice of 1 large lemon (or more)

Preparation

Bring broth to boil and add rice or orzo. Cover and cook for 20 minutes (rice) or 10 minutes (orzo). While the rice cooks, lightly beat the eggs and the lemon juice together. Remove the broth from heat. Slowly mix
about one cup of the hot broth into egg-lemon mixture. Add to the soup gradually while stirring. Serves six.