Lois, Sharon, Kathy Date and Walnut Phyllo Rolls with Greek Yogurt and Honey... 2 Stuffed Grape Leaves in Egg-Lemon Sauce - Dolmathes Avgolemono... 3 Tsatsiki... 4 Kittencal's Greek Chicken Marinade... 5 Greek Pasta with Tomatoes and White Beans... 6 Spiced Fresh Orange and Honey Sorbet... 6
Date and Walnut Phyllo Rolls with Greek Yogurt and Honey 14 ounces Medjool dates (about 1 1/2 cups), pitted 1/2 cup walnuts, toasted 3 tablespoons plus 1/4 cup Greek honey or other honey 1 teaspoon finely grated orange peel 1/2 teaspoon cardamom seeds (from about 10 pods), finely ground in spice mill or in mortar with pestle 8 17 1/2x12 1/2-inch or sixteen 13 1/2x8 1/2-inch sheets fresh Phyllo pastry or frozen, thawed 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted 1 cup Greek whole-milk yogurt Combine dates, walnuts, 3 tablespoons honey, orange peel, and cardamom in processor. Blend until paste forms. Preheat oven to 375 F. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment. If using 17 ½ x12 1/2-inch Phyllo sheets, place stack of 8 Phyllo sheets on work surface. Halve stack crosswise, forming 16 sheets, each 12 1/2x8 3/4 inches; arrange in 1 stack. Or if using 13 1/2x8 1/2-inch Phyllo sheets, stack 16 sheets on work surface. Cover Phyllo stack with plastic wrap, then damp kitchen towel. Remove 1 Phyllo sheet from stack and place on work surface; brush with melted butter. Top with second sheet; brush with butter. Starting 1 inch from edge at short end of Phyllo, spoon 3 tablespoons date mixture in dollops in row parallel to edge. Mold date mixture into log, leaving 1/2-inch border at edges of Phyllo. Roll up date log in Phyllo, enclosing filling and forming roll (filling will be exposed at ends). Transfer to baking sheet; brush with butter. Repeat with remaining Phyllo, butter, and date mixture. Bake until golden, about 23 minutes. Cool on baking sheet. Spoon yogurt into small bowl (or 8 individual bowls); drizzle remaining 1/4 cup honey over yogurt. Place 1 Phyllo roll on each of 8 plates. Serve with honey-yogurt for dipping. 2
Stuffed Grape Leaves in Egg-Lemon Sauce - Dolmathes Avgolemono Stuffed Grape Leaves with Ground Meat and Rice These tender and delicious stuffed grape leaf rolls known as dolmathes (dol-mah-thes) are stuffed with a hearty meat and rice filling and are commonly served as a main entree. The smaller, rice and pine nut filled dolmathakia (dol-mah- THAH-kya) are usually served as an appetizer or meze. Yield: About 40 Rolls 50 fresh grape leaves or 1 jar (16 oz.) brined grape leaves 1 lb. ground lamb or ground beef (or a mixture of both) 1 large onion, finely diced 2 tbsp. fresh dill, minced 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped 1 cup uncooked rice (short grain preferably) salt and pepper to taste 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, strained 1/2 cup olive oil 2 cans (15 oz.) chicken broth or stock water For the Avgolemono Sauce: 3 large eggs, at room temperature Juice of two or three lemons, strained Note: Brined grape leaves are packed by weight so the quantity may vary from jar to jar If using brined leaves, rinse well to remove brine. Blanch the leaves in some boiling water for 3 5 minutes to soften them and make them more pliable. Remove from water and set aside. In a large skillet or Dutch oven, over medium high heat, brown the ground lamb (or beef) until no longer pink in color. Add the onions and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the dill, parsley, and rice. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice. Line the bottom of a heavy saucepan or Dutch oven with a layer of grape leaves. (I use the broken or torn ones for this.) Roll the Dolmathes: (Click here to see a step by step tutorial on "How to Roll Grape Leaves.") 3
Place a leaf with the stem towards you on a flat surface. The underside of the leaf should be face up. (The veins of the leaf are raised on the underside.) Using the point of a sharp paring knife, cut out the stem of the leaf. Overlap the bottom two sections of the leaf toward the center. Place a large spoonful of filling in the bottom center of the leaf, just above the stem. Fold the bottom section up to cover the filling. Fold the sides in towards the center. Continue rolling the packet up toward the top point of the leaf. Place the rolls in tight layers in the saucepan or pot. Be sure to place them seam side down. Add 1/2 cup olive oil, chicken stock and enough water to cover the rolls by about an inch. Place an inverted heatproof plate on top of the rolls to keep them submerged. Cover the saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer over low heat for 45 minutes to an hour or until the leaves are tender and the rice is cooked through. Prepare the Avgolemono Sauce: You should have at least two cups of liquid in the pot. If you need to, add some water to supplement the liquid. Using a whisk, beat the eggs in a medium bowl until frothy. Slowly whisk in the lemon juice. Ladle one cup of the pot liquid little by little into egg-lemon mixture to temper the eggs. Remove pot from heat and add egg-lemon mixture and gently shake the pot to stir. Heat over very low heat until sauce thickens and is heated through. Take care not to allow the sauce to boil or the eggs will curdle. Dolmathes can be enjoyed warm or at room temperature. Tsatsiki Serve this yogurt-based Greek staple as a first-course accompaniment to pitas and other breads, or as a light but creamy sauce drizzled over spiced roasted meats. 1/2 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced 1 garlic clove 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 cup plain yogurt (preferably goat's or sheep's milk) 4
Accompaniments: pita wedges or chips Toss cucumber with 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper in a colander and drain 15 minutes. Meanwhile, mince and mash garlic to a paste with 1/4 teaspoon salt, then whisk together with olive oil, yogurt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Squeeze out any excess water from cucumbers with your hands, then stir cucumbers into yogurt mixture. Season with salt. Kittencal's Greek Chicken Marinade "This make a wonderful marinade for chicken, plan ahead the chicken needs to marinade for 6 hours, no more than the stated time or the vinegar will start to "cook" the chicken --- use only honey or pure maple syrup this is what contributes to tenderizing the chicken, sugar will not have the same effect." 1 cup olive oil ( or use 1/2 cup each vegetable oil and olive oil) 1/4 cup cider vinegar 2 tablespoons water 2 tablespoons fresh minced garlic (or more) 1 tablespoon dried oregano 1-2 teaspoon Dijon mustard (or 1 teaspoon mustard powder) 1 1/2 teaspoons seasoning salt 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon pepper (or use 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper) 1-2 teaspoon honey or 1-2 teaspoon pure maple syrup (do not substitute sugar for the honey or maple syrup!) In a medium bowl whisk all ingredients until well blended. Pour over chicken and refrigerate for 6 hours (no more than 6 hours). 5
Greek Pasta with Tomatoes and White Beans Go Italian. You can vary the recipe by using chickpeas instead of cannellini beans and grated Romano cheese in place of feta. 2 (14.5-ounce) cans diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano 1 (19-ounce) can cannellini beans or other white beans, rinsed and drained 1 (10-ounce) bag fresh spinach, chopped (about 8 cups) 4 cups hot cooked penne (about 1/2-pound uncooked tubular-shaped pasta) 1/2 cup (2 ounces) finely crumbled feta cheese Combine tomatoes and beans in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 10 minutes. Add spinach; cook 2 minutes or until spinach wilts, stirring occasionally. Place 1 cup pasta on each of four plates; top each serving with 1 1/4 cups sauce and 2 tablespoons cheese. Yield: 4 servings Spiced Fresh Orange and Honey Sorbet If you're stopping at a Greek market for ingredients, grab some butter cookies. 3 cups water 1 cup sugar 1/2 cup clover honey 2 tablespoons finely grated orange peel 1 tablespoon chopped peeled fresh ginger 2 whole star anise or cardamom pods 2 whole cloves 1 small bay leaf, preferably fresh 2 cups chilled fresh orange juice 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice Combine first 8 ingredients in heavy large saucepan. Bring to boil over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Boil until syrup is thick and mixture is reduced to 2 cups, about 12 minutes. Discard bay leaf; cool syrup. Strain syrup into medium bowl. Add orange juice and lemon juice. Transfer to ice cream maker and process according to manufacturer's instructions. Transfer sorbet to container, cover, and freeze until firm, at least 6 hours and up to 3 days. yield: Makes about 4 cups 6