Tag Archives: greek

Watermelon Bites with Fresh Basil and Halloumi Cheese

These are ridiculously easy to make and a delightful combination!

Watermelon, grilled or fried Halloumi (Greek cheese) and fresh basil on a skewer makes for a lovely appetizer.

watermelon halloumi basil skewers blog (2)

watermelon halloumi basil skewers blog (3)

watermelon halloumi basil skewers blog (1)

Ingredients

  • Watermelon
  • Fresh basil leaves
  • Halloumi (Greek cheese)

Directions

  • Fry or grill the Halloumi for a minute or two, then slice it into small <1″ cubes
  • Slice watermelon in cubes
  • Layer watermelon, Halloumi and basil on skewers
  • Serve and enjoy!

dit-elle-Esther

Greek Salad with Roasted Chicken

Love greens, veggies and chicken! This is really a variation on the classic Greek Salad but adding chicken makes it a wonderful meal in and of itself! And paleo!

Blog greek chicken salad

Dressing

  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
  • 2 tsps. tahini (sesame-seed paste)
  • 1 tsp minced garlic (fresh or bottled)
  • salt & pepper, to taste

Salad

  • 1 lb chicken breast, roasted & cubed
  • 8 cups chopped romaine lettuce
  • 1 cup peeled chopped English cucumber
  • 1 cup chopped tomatoes (grape tomatoes halved work well)
  • 1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives
  • 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese (minus the cheese for dairy free and paleo)

dit-elle-Esther

Greek Salad

Tomatoes, cucumbers, kalamata olives and feta drizzled with olive oil, lemon juice and a dusting of oregano sound good? Yes please! Here are two easy ways to make Greek Salad!

blog greeksalad_veggies1 blog greeksalad_veggies2 blog greeksalad_greens2 blog greeksalad_greens1

Ingredients

  • Tomatoes, diced
  • Cucumbers (English hothouse cucumbers work well), peeled and cubed
  • Kalamata olives
  • Feta cheese, crumbled (omit for paleo version)
  • Mixed greens

Dressing

  • Olive oil
  • Lemon, freshly squeezed
  • Oregano, 1tsp dried or 1 Tbsp fresh chopped
  • Salt & pepper to taste

Directions

  • Mix the veggies and toss with dressing
  • Crumble feta cheese on top
  • Serve

dit-elle-Esther

Lamb Lettuce Wraps with Feta Sauce

Tasty seasoned lamb patties wrapped in lettuce with cucumbers, tomato and yogurt feta sauce – these are great prepared on the BBQ or simply in the broiler of your oven. Yum! 🙂

Blog lambpattiesfeta

Ingredients

  • 2 Tbsp chopped fresh mint
  • 2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1 Tbsp chopped fresh oregano (or 1 tsp dried)
  • 1 Tbsp sherry vinegar (or red wine vinegar)
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1/8 tsp ground allspice
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 3/4 lb lean ground lamb

Dressing

  • 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
  • 1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
  • 1 English cucumber, sliced
  • 10 romaine lettuce leaves
  • 1 1 tomato, sliced

Directions

  • Combine first 8 ingredients – herbs and spices, add lamb and combine
  • Shape into 10 small 1/4 inch thick oval patties
  • Place on a broiler pan (or BBQ) and broil ~2 minutes on each side or until done
  • Combine cheese and yogurt in bowl
  • Serve lamb patties with cucumber and tomato slices on lettuce with a dollop of yogurt/cheese mixture

dit-elle-Esther

Tzatziki Sauce

This is a no frills, super easy, super yummy tzatziki sauce! Serve with fresh cut veggies as an appetizer, as a dressing for gyros, lamburgers or Greek salad. Any recipe that can be made in a food processor is a winner in my book!blog tzatziki1

Ingredients

  • 1 8oz container of Greek yogurt
  • 1 hothouse cucumber, peeled & diced
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • Splash of lemon juice
  • 1 tsp chopped fresh dill (or dry)
  • 1-2 cloves garlic, crushed
  • Salt / pepper to taste

Directions

  • Put everything in a blender
  • Process until well combined
  • Transfer to a separate dish, cover and refrigerate
  • Let flavors meld for at least an hour for best taste

This Tzatziki sauce is not quite as thick as some recipes – I saved a few steps by NOT pressing water out of chopped cucumber or de-seeding it, but it tasted great!

dit-elle-Esther