26 Popular Greek Mezes and Side Dishes - check them out here.
Eat and Enjoy!
Showing posts with label Dips and Sauces. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dips and Sauces. Show all posts
How to Make Greek Tzatziki - Video
Greek Tzatziki - A delicious side dish and dip and very simple to make. For recipe go here.
Eat and Enjoy!
26 Popular Greek Mezes and Side Dishes
A Greek meze is a small dish - an appetizer or side dish - and it is very popular here for people to eat a selection of these as lunch or dinner. More often than not they are accompanied by ouzo or tsipouro. There is something quite idyllic about sitting by the sea, listening to the waves lapping onto the shore and nibbling at your mezes whilst slowly sipping your drink!
The word meze came from the same Turkish word, which in turn came from the Persian word maze, meaning 'taste, flavour, smack, relish'.
Greek Eggplant Dip (Melitzanosalata) With Walnuts And Mastic
We have previously published the recipe for Eggplant Dip (Melitzanosalata), but this is a delicious variation with walnuts, red peppers and mastic. A wonderful accompaniment for your meal!
Ingredients
12 large globe eggplants
2 long red peppers
150g strained yoghurt
2 tbsp crushed walnuts
1 garlic clove crushed
¼ tsp mastic powder
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp vinegar
3 tbsp olive oil
Salt to taste
Preparation
Pre heat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius.
Poke some small holes in the eggplants with a fork and
place them in an oven dish.
Cut off and discard the top stem from the peppers, as
well as the seeds and place them in the oven dish with the eggplants.
Roast them for approx. 30-40 minutes, until the peppers
have started to turn black, so that you are able to peel them.
The eggplants should also have started to turn black
and if you tap them with your finger, you’ll hear a hollow sound.
Peel the peppers and cut them into small squares.
Peel the eggplants, sprinkle with the lemon juice and
a little salt and leave them in a colander to drain.
When they have drained, chop finely and add the
peppers, walnuts, mastic, yoghurt, vinegar and olive oil.
Mix, add salt and then leave in the fridge for 1 – 2 hours.
If you've tried this recipe please rate it!
If you've tried this recipe please rate it!
Eat and Enjoy!
5 Greek Recipes With Eggplants
Eggplants are both common and popular in Greek cooking. I know that they are a favourite vegetable with a lot of people, so I've put together some Greek dishes with eggplants in them. As well as three main dishes, I've also included a delicious dip and and a side dish.
This is a side dish which can be served with any meat, fish or vegetable dish. Traditionally it is made with Greek strained yoghurt but can also be made with mayonnaise instead. A delicious, rich accompaniment to any meal!
Eat and Enjoy!
This is a side dish which can be served with any meat, fish or vegetable dish. Traditionally it is made with Greek strained yoghurt but can also be made with mayonnaise instead. A delicious, rich accompaniment to any meal!
These are delicious little rolls that you can have as a side dish or as part of a buffet. Ideally, the Greek cheese anthotiro is used (see post on Anthotiro Cheese), but if this is unavailable, riccota can be used.
A light but delicious main dish that can be accompanied by Greek salad. The name 'papoutsakia' means 'little shoes' in Greek and refers to the shape of the eggplants when they are served.
A firm favourite! This is probably starting to become more popular than the 'classic' moussaka which is made with meat.
Very popular in Greece, but perhaps not quite so well known outside the country. A delicious and healthy meal, ideally accompanied by a large slice of Feta cheese.
Eat and Enjoy!
Greek Taramosalata
This is another dish that is traditionally eaten on Clean Monday at the beginning of Lent before Easter. It is also well-known worldwide. It is made from taramas, which is the fish roe from cod (mosy common) or carp. You may know Taramosalata as being bright pink in colour, but this is usually due to food colouring being added. It should be a colour varying from beige to light pink, depending on the fish roe.
Ingredients
200g taramas
1 chopped spring onion
1 kg white bread
1 ml extra virgin oil
Juice from 2 lemons
Preparation
Cut up the bread, soak it in water and then drain.
Put the taramas and lemon juice in the blender for 5 minutes.
Add the bread and remaining ingredients and blend for another 3 minutes.
200g taramas
1 chopped spring onion
1 kg white bread
1 ml extra virgin oil
Juice from 2 lemons
Preparation
Cut up the bread, soak it in water and then drain.
Put the taramas and lemon juice in the blender for 5 minutes.
Add the bread and remaining ingredients and blend for another 3 minutes.
Garnish and serve as a side dish.
If you've tried this recipe please rate it!
If you've tried this recipe please rate it!
Eat and Enjoy!
Spicy Green Chilli Sauce
This recipe is an original - my wife and one of her "foodie" friends made it up! It's a delicious and simple spicy sauce - and I love spicy food!
I don't have a photo at the moment as we have finished all the sauce (!) but as soon as possible I'll upload a photo here.
Ingredients
2 ounces long green chilli peppers (the variety which is about 20cm long),
2 glasses of water
1 glass of olive oil
½ glass of medium wine vinegar.
Preparation
Wash the peppers and boil them whole in the water, oil and vinegar for 15 minutes.
Remove the peppers from boil and take them out of the pot, do not throw away the liquid.
Allow them to cool until you are able to remove the skin and the stem, but not the seeds (It will help if you wear gloves at this stage otherwise you may suffer an unpleasant burning feeling in your hands).
Finely slice the peppers, bring them back to boil - with their seeds - in the same liquid and simmer until only the peppers and the oil remain.
Liquidize them in a blender and put them in sterilized jars.
If you like, you can add a clove of garlic and few basil leaves to each jar for extra taste, or leave them neutral so you may use them in any recipe where you desire a strong and distinctive spicy taste.
You may keep them in the fridge for 6 months if they remain sealed.
You will have a delicious chili sauce -very spicy- to use it wherever and when you need it.
Eat and Enjoy!
I don't have a photo at the moment as we have finished all the sauce (!) but as soon as possible I'll upload a photo here.
Ingredients
2 ounces long green chilli peppers (the variety which is about 20cm long),
2 glasses of water
1 glass of olive oil
½ glass of medium wine vinegar.
Preparation
Wash the peppers and boil them whole in the water, oil and vinegar for 15 minutes.
Remove the peppers from boil and take them out of the pot, do not throw away the liquid.
Allow them to cool until you are able to remove the skin and the stem, but not the seeds (It will help if you wear gloves at this stage otherwise you may suffer an unpleasant burning feeling in your hands).
Finely slice the peppers, bring them back to boil - with their seeds - in the same liquid and simmer until only the peppers and the oil remain.
Liquidize them in a blender and put them in sterilized jars.
If you like, you can add a clove of garlic and few basil leaves to each jar for extra taste, or leave them neutral so you may use them in any recipe where you desire a strong and distinctive spicy taste.
You may keep them in the fridge for 6 months if they remain sealed.
You will have a delicious chili sauce -very spicy- to use it wherever and when you need it.
Eat and Enjoy!
Greek Tzatziki
This is a classic Greek side dish, which can be served with meat and vegetable dishes, as well as accompanying souvlaki or gyros.
Ingredients
1 cucumber
2-3 cloves of garlic
1 teaspoon medium wine vinegar
300g full-fat strained Greek yoghurt
100ml extra virgin olive oil
½ tablespoon finally chopped dill leaves
2-3 cloves of garlic
1 teaspoon medium wine vinegar
300g full-fat strained Greek yoghurt
100ml extra virgin olive oil
½ tablespoon finally chopped dill leaves
Preparation
Remove the skin of the cucumber and grate it. (not finely)
Finely grate the garlic.
Salt the cucumber and leave it in a colander for half-an-hour and then drain well.
Put it in a bowl with the garlic and the rest of the ingredients.
Mix them all well with the help of a fork.
Put the dip in a bowl, add salt and decorate it with few dill leaves.
If you've tried this recipe, please rate it!
Finely grate the garlic.
Salt the cucumber and leave it in a colander for half-an-hour and then drain well.
Put it in a bowl with the garlic and the rest of the ingredients.
Mix them all well with the help of a fork.
Put the dip in a bowl, add salt and decorate it with few dill leaves.
If you've tried this recipe, please rate it!
Eat and Enjoy!
Greek Tirokafteri (Spicy Cheese Dip)
This is a traditional spicy cheese dish, which can be served as a meze with ouzo or beer, or as a dip. It is quick and easy to make. Garnishing with chopped sweet red peppers (see photo) is optional, though normally it is not done. The red peppers do add a refreshing flavour to the dip, though.
We specify that you should use young, tender chili peppers - the reason for this is that if you don't, then you will have to grill the peppers until they colour and then remove the skins. With young, tender peppers, this is not necessary.
We specify that you should use young, tender chili peppers - the reason for this is that if you don't, then you will have to grill the peppers until they colour and then remove the skins. With young, tender peppers, this is not necessary.
Ingredients
3 young, tender green chili peppers (approx. 15-20cm long)
250g feta cheese
125g Greek anthotiro cheese (ricotta if you can't get it)
2 teaspoonfuls lemon juice
100ml extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp sweet red peppers chopped for garnish (optional)
1 tbsp sweet red peppers chopped for garnish (optional)
Preparation
Wash the peppers, remove the stalk and the seeds.
Put all the ingredients in a liquidizer and mix them well.
Place it in a bowl and sprinkle with some olive oil and garnish with chopped sweet red peppers if you so wish.
If you've tried this recipe, please rate it!
If you've tried this recipe, please rate it!
Eat and Enjoy!
Greek Eggplant Dip (Melitzanosalata)
Mmm!! One of my favourites! Smooth and tangy. This is traditionally made with Greek strained yoghurt but can also be made with mayonnaise instead. Try both ways and see which you prefer - with mayonnaise it has a slightly thicker, richer taste.
This is a side dish which can be served with any meat, fish or vegetable dish.
Ingredients
3 large eggplants
300g strained Greek yoghurt or mayonnaise
3 medium-sized cloves of garlic
2 tablespoonfuls extra virgin olive oil
1 lemon
Salt
300g strained Greek yoghurt or mayonnaise
3 medium-sized cloves of garlic
2 tablespoonfuls extra virgin olive oil
1 lemon
Salt
Preparation
Wash the eggplants and make a few deep cuts in their skin with a sharp knife.
Bake them whole in a very hot oven for approximately 1 hour until the skin is burned and cracks if you tap it with your fingers. It is important to be burned because that gives a special smoky taste to the dip.
Allow them to cool and cut them in two lengthwise.
Scoop out the white flesh and try to remove the dark seeds.
Put the flesh in a colander, add salt which will remove the bitterness from the eggplants and lemon juice which will help them to remain white.
Allow them to stand and drain for an hour.
Mash them as much as you can with the help of a fork, do not use a blender.
Add the yoghurt (or mayonnaise), the crushed garlic and the olive oil and stir them well.
Place them in a shallow bowl and decorate them with parsley leaves and a few drops of olive oil.
If you've tried this recipe, please rate it!
Bake them whole in a very hot oven for approximately 1 hour until the skin is burned and cracks if you tap it with your fingers. It is important to be burned because that gives a special smoky taste to the dip.
Allow them to cool and cut them in two lengthwise.
Scoop out the white flesh and try to remove the dark seeds.
Put the flesh in a colander, add salt which will remove the bitterness from the eggplants and lemon juice which will help them to remain white.
Allow them to stand and drain for an hour.
Mash them as much as you can with the help of a fork, do not use a blender.
Add the yoghurt (or mayonnaise), the crushed garlic and the olive oil and stir them well.
Place them in a shallow bowl and decorate them with parsley leaves and a few drops of olive oil.
If you've tried this recipe, please rate it!
Eat and Enjoy!
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