Greek recipes* by Dimitris Simple, nutritious and flavorsome, the food is one of the pleasures of travel through Greece. Rustic Greek Cuisine reflects the history and bounty of its diverse regions and relies in the fresh, seasonal home- grown produce and generally simple, unfussy cooking that brings out the rich flavors of the Mediterranean. Greek dishes are simply seasoned. Lemon juice, garlic, pungent Greek oregano and extra virgin oil, the elixir of Greece, are the quintessential flavors, along with tomato, parsley and dill, and spices such as cinnamon, allspice and clove. Contents 3. Tzatziki 4. Melitzanosalata (Eggplant salad) 5. Skordalia (Garlic Salad) 6. Taramosalata (Roe Salad) 7. Horiatiki (Greek Salad) 8.Lentil Salad 9. Dakos 10. Ntomatokeftedes (Tomato balls) 11. Kolokithokeftedes ( Zucchini Balls) 12.Marathokeftedes (Fennel balls) 13.Ntolmadakia (Grape leaves with Rice) 14.Artichokes Napolita 15.Spinach Pie 17.Gemista (Stuffed tomatoes and peppers) 19. Briam 20.Imam 21.Meatballs 22.Mousaka 24.Seafood pasta 25.Stifado 27.Orrange cake 29.Pasteli Tzatziki 1/2 kilo yoghurt 1 small cucumber 1 large spoon crushed garlic Please note that this amount will be strong 1 large spoon wine vinegar 1 wine glass olive oil Salt and pepper to taste Grate the cucumber and squeeze out the excess water Mix all the ingredients together and serve *Tip: Remove the seeds of the cucumber. You can also add other herbs, such as mint. Melitzanosalata 2 eggplants 1 bunch of parsley 1 small onion 3 cloves of garlic 1/2 wine glass olive oil 2 large spoons wine vinegar Salt and pepper to taste We first spread olive oil in the eggplants and we bake them in the oven until they get softer. We let them cool and we peel them. We put in the blender the parlsey, the eggplant, the onion, the garlic, the olive oil, the vinegar. The salad is ready! *Tip: It would be better to put in the fridge for some hours, before we eat it. Skordalia 2 cups of breadcrumbs 5 cloves of garlic 7 big spoons of olive oil 4 large spoons wine vinegar Salt and pepper to taste We soak and wrung the breadcrumbs. We mash the garlic in a bowl, we add the breadcrumbs, salt and pepper, and slowly as we stir we add the olive oil and the vinegar. *Tip: Instead of bread we can add boiled smashed potatoes and instead of vinegar we add lemon juice. Taramosalata 100 grams of roe (tiny eggs) of carp, cod or mullet 1 small onion 1/4 of cup Lemon juice 1 1/2 of cup olive oil 2 cups of breadcrumbs We soak and wrung the breadcrumbs. We put the onion in the blender, the roe and the breadcrumbs. We slowly add olive oil and lemon and we keep stir. At the end we add a bit of olive oil more. Tip: There are two types available of roe in Greece: white and pink. White tarama is undyed and is difficult to find. Pink tarama has had color added to it, a custom that originated for purely cosmetic reasons several decades ago, as producers surmised that the coral-pink color was more attractive, hence more saleable, to consumers. Both types of tarama have similar flavor, which is very rich and salty. Horiatiki 3 Tomatoes 1 Cucumber Several Olives 1 Green pepper 1 Onion Caper Feta cheese Salt and pepper to taste Oregano We just cut all the ingredients and we add the seasoning! The salad is ready! Tip: You can cut all the ingredients in small cube pieces so in one bite you taste everything! Lentil Salad Lentils 2 Tomatoes 1 Onion 1 cup of chopped parsley 100gr of Feta cheese 4 large spoons of olive oil 3 large spoons of wine vinegar 2 large spoons of lemon juice 1 small spoon of Dijon mustard Salt and pepper to taste We boil the lentils in water with salt and we remove them from the casserole before they get really soft. We let them cold and then in a big bowl we put them alongside with all the rest ingredients. It would be better to put the salad in the fridge before we eat it. Tip: We can use sundried tomatoes instead and add a leave of laurel in the water when we boil the lentils. Ntakos 1/2 kilo dry hard whole meal bread 1/2 wine glass olive oil 1 kilo fresh tomatoes cut into very small pieces 12 olives 1 large spoon capers 1 teaspoon oregano 250 grams feta cheese cut into pieces Arrange the dry bread on a plate and sprinkle with a little water. Cover the bread with the chopped tomato. Pour olive oil over this. Place the pieces of feta on top. Arrange the capers and olives and sprinkle with the oregano. Tip: You can also add a bit of chopped basil Ntomatokeftedes 750 grams tomatoes 1 large zucchini 1 large onion 1 teaspoon of crushed garlic 1 bunch of mint 1 bunch of parsley A little oregano 2 large spoons flour 1/2 wine glass olive oil Salt and pepper to taste Vegetable oil for frying Cut the tomatoes, zucchini and the onion into very small pieces. Also, chop the mint and the parsley. Place all these ingredients in a sieve for one hour to remove the water. Mix all the ingredients together with the flour and salt and pepper and add also the olive oil. Mix well. Make little balls and fr