Greek Zucchini Fritters

Ingredients

• 1 lb zucchini 
• 1 medium onion, grated 
• 1 1/4 cups feta cheese, crumbled 
• 4 tablespoons breadcrumbs ) 
• 1 tablespoon chopped parsley 
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint 
• 3 medium size eggs 
• 1 cup sunflower oil 
• salt and pepper 

Directions

1. Grate the zucchini and put it in a colander. Sprinkle salt on top and leave it to drain for 1 hour. Rise with cold water.
2. Beat the eggs lightly and place in a mixing bowl then add the rest of the ingredients (except zucchini). 
3. Drain the zucchini well between the palms of your hands and add to the mixture; mix lightly. 
4. Put the oil in a frying pan and heat well. 
5. To make each fritter use a tablespoon to take a scoop from the mixture and with the aid of another spoon push it into the frying pan. 
6. Fry the fritters for a few minutes until they are nicely browned. Drain on towels on a plate.

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Garithes Yiouvetsi (Greek Shrimp)

 Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 3/4 cup chopped green onion
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 cups chopped, peeled tomatoes
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 pounds large uncooked shrimp, peeled
• 4 ounces crumbled feta cheese (flavored is better but plain is ok)

Method

1. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Saute onion in oil until transparent. Stir in green onions and garlic; cook, stirring frequently, for 2 more minutes. Stir in tomatoes, wine, most of the parsley, oregano, and salt and pepper to taste. Cover, and simmer gently for 30 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 500 degrees.
3. Spread half the sauce on the bottom of a large oven dish. Arrange shrimp evenly over sauce, and pour the remaining sauce on top. Sprinkle with feta cheese.
4. Cook in preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes, until shrimp are pink and the feta is melted and lightly browned. Sprinkle with remaining parsley, and serve immediately.

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Vegetarian Quinoa Moussaka

Ingredietns:

(Yield:  2 servings)

Eggplant:

• 1 small (1/2 lb) eggplant, thinly sliced into about 1/4-inch rounds
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Quinoa/Tomato Layer:

• 1/4 c quinoa
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 c tomato sauce (store-bought or homemade…if you want to make homemade, roasted tomato sauce or thick marinara sauce would be nice)
• 1/4 tsp dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp dried mint
• Pinch allspice
• Salt and pepper

Greek Béchamel: 

• 1 TB unsalted butter
• 2 TB all-purpose flour
• 3/4 c milk (low-fat or fat-free is fine)
• 1 egg yolk
• Pinch nutmeg
• Salt and Pepper
• 1-2 TB grated Kefalotiri cheese (you can use Pecorino Romano cheese if you can’t find Kefalotiri)
• 16 oz gratin dish

Method:

1. For eggplant:  Preheat broiler.  Arrange sliced eggplant in a single layer on a baking sheet; brush both sides with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Broil for 3-8 minutes on each side, until the eggplant is tender and golden.
2. For quinoa/tomato layer:  Soak quinoa in cold water for 15 minutes.  Strain it through a fine mesh sieve, then thoroughly rinse it under cold running water.  Heat 2 tsp oil in a small/medium saucepan with a lid over medium to medium-low heat; add onion and sauté until softened, about 5 minutes.  Add garlic and sauté another 30 seconds.  Transfer the rinsed quinoa, 1/2 c water, and a pinch of salt to the saucepan with the onion/garlic mixture.  Bring to a boil over medium heat with the lid off; once it boils, give it a stir, cover it, and turn heat down to a gentle simmer.  Cook 14 minutes, turn the heat off, and let it sit with the lid on for 5 minutes before fluffing with a fork.  Stir tomato sauce, oregano, mint, and a pinch of allspice into quinoa.  Taste and season with salt and pepper as desired. 
3. For béchamel:  Warm the milk in a small saucepan over low heat.  In a separate small saucepan over medium-low heat, melt butter, then whisk in flour and cook 30 seconds to 1 minute.  Slowly whisk in warm milk and cook until smooth, about 1 minute; turn off heat and whisk in a pinch of nutmeg, salt, and pepper.  Slowly whisk 1/4 c of the béchamel sauce into the egg yolk, only adding a little at a time.  Add egg yolk mixture to the saucepan with the rest of the béchamel, turn the heat on low, and cook 1-2 minutes until thickened.
4. To assemble:  Preheat oven to 350F.  Arrange half of the eggplant in the bottom of a 16 oz gratin dish; spread the quinoa/tomato mixture evenly on top of the eggplant.  Arrange the remaining eggplant on top of the quinoa/tomato mixture; pour the béchamel on top and sprinkle on the grated cheese.  Bake about 35 minutes, or until light golden brown on top.

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Saganaki

Ingredients:

(Yield:  serves 4 as an appetizer)

• 4-6 oz Kefalotiri cheese, sliced into about 1/4-inch thick slabs
• 1 TB flour
• 1 TB unsalted butter
• Lemon wedges, for serving

Method:

1. Coat the cheese with flour and gently rub off the excess.  In a medium pan, melt the butter over medium heat.  Once melted, add the cheese and fry until golden brown on both sides.  Serve immediately, with lemon wedges to squeeze on top.

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Greek-Inspired Omelet

Ingredients:

(Yield:  1 serving)

• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 to 2 large eggs
• 2 TB fresh minced chives, plus more for garnish if desired
• 1/2 to 1 oz Kefalotiri cheese, shredded
• Salt and pepper
• 6-inch skillet

Method:

1. Whisk the eggs with a small pinch of salt and pepper and the chives.  Add the oil to a 6-inch skillet over medium-high heat, and when the oil is hot, add the egg mixture.  Rotate the pan so that the egg mixture coats the bottom.  As the egg starts to set, use a spatula to gently push the uncooked egg to the edges.  When the omelet is nearly set in the middle, sprinkle most of the cheese onto the omelet (reserving a little cheese to sprinkle on as garnish).  Cook until the omelet is set and the cheese is starting to melt (about 30 seconds), then flip one half of the omelet over.  Transfer to a plate and garnish with remaining cheese and more chives if desired.

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