♥︎Spanakorizo ​​(Greek spinach rice).

For ➋

400 g spinach leaves (wild spinach)

150 g onions

20 g dill

4 tbs olive oil

120 g carnaroli rice

5 cl dry white wine

25 cl water

1 lemon

salt & freshly ground black pepper

Check the spinach, wash it several times in plenty of water, drain and chop coarsely. Peel the onions and chop them finely. Remove the dill from the stems, set some tops aside and chop the rest finely.

Heat 2 tbs olive oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium to high heat. Fry the onions until translucent; stir regularly.

Add the rice and fry briefly. Deglaze with the wine. Reduce the wine almost completely.

Add the chopped spinach and let it shrink. Add 25 cl of water, add some salt and let it simmer without a lid for about 15 m (depending on the type of rice) over low heat, until the rice is al dente; stir occasionally.

The rice should be cooked, but not falling apart. 

Stir in the dill. Season with the finely grated zest of ½ lemon, 1-1½ tbs lemon juice, 1-2 tbs olive oil and black pepper. The rice should taste fresh and lemony.

Divide the spinach rice over two deep plates. If desired, drizzle some olive oil over it and grate over the zest of a few lemon wedges. Sprinkle the dill tops over it.

Moussaka

For ➍ 

600 g potato, sliced 

2 large eggplants, in thin slices of 3 mm. 

2 tbs flour or cornflour oil (for frying) 

handful of fresh parsley (for garnish) 

300 g minced beef or vegetarian minced meat 

1 onion pinch of oregano 

2 cloves of garlic 

1 ts cinnamon 

2 tbs tomato paste 

40 cl tomato cubes 

béchamel:*

30 cl of milk 

30 g butter 

30 g flour 

1 bay leaf 

50 g grated cheese 

pinch of nutmeg 

1 egg 

Heat a grill pan. Brush the eggplants with a little oil and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. Grill them nicely brown and then sprinkle with a little flour. 

Finely chop the onion and garlic and fry in a (wok) pan for a few m. Add the minced meat and fry it.  Add the oregano, cinnamon, salt and pepper and the tomato cubes and puree. Let this simmer for 20 m. Taste to see if the sauce is well seasoned. 

Preheat the oven to 180°C. 

Heat the butter in a saucepan for the béchamel sauce. Add the flour and fry the roux for 5 m. Then add the milk little by little and keep stirring with a whisk until there are no lumps left. Add the bay leaf and let it simmer for a few m. Melt about 25 g of cheese in the sauce and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Let the sauce cool down a few m, remove the bay leaf and then also beat the egg into the sauce. 

Grease the baking dish with a little oil. Spread about half of the grilled eggplant over the bottom of the baking dish. Divide the potato slices over this. Cover with the layer of minced meat mixture. Divide the rest of the aubergines over this. Pour the béchamel sauce over this. Sprinkle with the rest of the cheese. 

Place the moussaka in the oven for about 45 m. 

Let cool a few m, garnish with parsley and divide the moussaka into pieces. 

*Replace the béchamel sauce with 20 cl Greek yogurt mixed with 2 eggs to make a gluten-free moussaka.

Low-fat tzatziki

For ➍
½ non-coated lemon
pepper & salt
1 medium-sized cucumber
1 sprig dill
1 clove garlic
250 g low-fat yogurt,

Wash and grate the cucumber, mix with ½ teaspoon of salt and leave to draw for about 10 m. Spoon into a kitchen towel and squeeze out the excess moisture. Wash the dill, shake dry and chop finely.
Press the garlic and mix with yogurt, grated cucumber, dill, lemon juice, pepper and saltGrate the lemon zest and squeeze the lemon.
Wash the dill, shake dry and chop finely.
Press the garlic and mix with yogurt, grated cucumber, dill, lemon juice, pepper and salt.
Serve the tzatziki with chicken skewers f.i.

Halloumi saganaki

For ➍-➑
2-3 tbs olive oil
225 g block halloumi or kefalotiri cheese
1 small free-range egg, beaten
3 tbs fine semolina
2 tbs clear honey
1 ts black sesame seeds
1 ts dried oregano
freshly ground black pepper

Heat the olive oil in a non-stick frying pan.
Cut the halloumi horizontally through the middle. Dip the halloumi slices in the beaten egg then roll in the semolina. Fry on a medium heat for a couple of m on each side until golden-brown.
In a separate small pan, warm the honey. Serve the halloumi cut into squares, drizzled with warm honey and sprinkled with sesame seeds, oregano and black pepper.
Serve as a special mezze.

Greek lemon foil roasted potatoes

For ➍
500 g potatoes, scrubbed or peeled and cut into 2.5 cm cubes
2 tbs olive oil*
1 lemon, zest & juice
3 cloves garlic, chopped**
2 ts oregano
salt & pepper to taste

Toss the potatoes in the mixture of the oil, lemon, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper and wrap in foil.
Roast over a medium-high 200°C, grill or oven until tender, about 20-30 m.
Serve with roasted lamb.

*Replace the olive oil with lard, bacon geese or other meat drippings.
**Add lemon wedges to the package.

Greek grilled vegetables with halloumi

For ➍
250 g mushrooms
1 red chilli, seeded & quartered
2 zucchini, chopped
1 small red onion, peeled & sliced
2 small eggplants, roughly chopped
6 tomatoes, halved
4 cloves garlic
9 tbs extra-virgin olive oil
8 tbs balsamico vinegar
2 tbs sugar
juice of 2 lemons
500 g halloumi cheese, cut into 0.5 cm slices*
½ small bunch basil
salt & pepper

Heat oven to 180°C.

Place the chilli, zucchini, mushrooms, onion, eggplant and garlic in an oven-proof roasting pan. Drizzle with a third of the olive oil and half the vinegar.

Place the halved tomatoes face up in another oven-proof pan. Sprinkle with the sugar, salt and pepper and drizzle with another third of olive oil and the rest of the vinegar. Place both pans in the oven and roast for thirty minutes, turning vegetables occasionally.

5 m before vegetables are ready, heat the remaining oil in a large skillet. When sizzling, let the halloumi slices slide in and sear quickly (2 m a side).

Combine dish and dot with basil.

Serve with bread.

*Obviously you can omit the halloumi. Or serve with grilled fish or chicken.

Read more halloumi recipes: red sparkled halloumi or a recipe for balsamic roasted vegetables.

Skordalia (Greek potato mash)

For ➍
500 g floury potatoes, washed but not peeled
2 cloves of garlic
14 cl olive oil (1 cl extra for serving)
juice of a small lemon
salt & pepper
80 g finely crushed toasted flaked almonds or walnuts to sprinkle on top or some olives

Boil the potatoes with their skins on in plenty of salted water. Once cooked, drain and, when cool enough to handle, peel them from their skin.
Crush the garlic with a pinch of salt into a paste. Push the potatoes through a sieve, mouli or a potato ricer and add the garlic paste. [Skordalia must be absolutely smooth – use a potato ricer to mash the potatoes or push the cooked potato through a sieve with the back of a spoon.]
Beat in the oil and lemon juice into the potato mix. Check the mix for salt and pepper.
If the skordalia is a bit too thick (it should be the consistency of hummus) thin with a bit of hot water.
If using the nuts, spread the skordalia onto a plate or bowl and sprinkle the nuts on top.
Add the extra trickle of olive oil to serve.
Serve with grilled meats. or as dip sauce. Or as a spread on fresh bread.

Greek lamb & fennel

For ➍
500 g lamb neck, boneless*
sea salt
5 tbs olive oil
1 brown onion
6 golden shallots
2 cloves garlic, sliced
zest of 1 lemon
1 tbs dry oregano
25 cl white wine
200 g natural yogurt
1 tbs honey
1 fennel bulb
6 sprigs flat leaf parsley

Preheat oven to 160°C. Season lamb necks with salt.

Pour olive oil in a deep pot. Put on fire. Seal meat until golden brown on all sides.

Roughly chop onion and shallots. Add to pot with garlic, lemon zest, oregano and white wine.

Cover the lamb with the yogurt and drizzle with honey.

Cover with foil and cook in oven for 1½ hours.*

Once cooked, remove the lamb from the pot and allow to cool. Refrigerate for 1 h. Slice meat into thin strips. Grill strips on both sides (on a BBQ or in a grill pan), then serve.*

Strain the juices from the remaining onions in the pot and place onions in a bowl. Add finely sliced fennel and picked parsley leaves.

Season to taste, drizzle with oil and serve with lamb.

*When using other pieces of lamb, adjust cooking time. You might cut the meat in strips after browning and omit the grilling.

Spreading from the ancient Middle East, sheep was the primary livestock of ancient Greek civilization, for their meat, fleece, milk and wool. It played an important role in myths, like 'The golden fleece'. The god Hermes was believed to avert a pestilence from the city of of Tanagra by carrying a ram round the walls. Hermes Kriophoros (the ram bearer) was venerated in sculptures and paintings like this. The image was adopted by early Christians to represent Christ.
Read tip on cooking meat in the oven.

Broccoli omelet

For ➊
100 g broccoli florets
2 eggs
20 g grated hard cheese (like pecorino*)
1 ts basil, chopped
1 ts butter
1 ts olive oil
salt & pepper

Boil broccoli in salted water for 10 m. Or cook for 2 m in microwave oven.

Beat the eggs in a bowl. Mix in cheese, basil, salt and pepper.

Add the broccoli and mix well.

Melt the butter in a frying pan. Add olive oil to prevent burning.

Add mixture and cook at low heat.

When almost done, fold the omelet and gently push out any liquid and bake until dry.

Serve with bread and a fresh fruity white wine*.

*Originally a Greek dish with kefalotyri cheese. Serve with a white spicy Moschofilero wine to stay in tune.

Baked feta

For ➍
400 g pure sheep feta*
2 large mild red chilies
200 g ripe (cherry) tomatoes, skinned, seeded, finely chopped
3 spring onions, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic
2 tbs tomato purée
1 red onion, thinly sliced
handful oregano leaves, chopped**
1 tbs capers
olive oil
salt & pepper

Heat the oven to 200 °C. Cut the feta into 4 portions*** to make 4 parcels.

Finely chop the chilies, tomatoes, spring onions and mint. Mix with a good splash of olive oil.

For individual parcels, put the cheese on a slightly oiled baking paper. Spoon over a quart of the mixture.

For a big parcel, put 6 blocks on the paper, spread half the mixture over it. Cover with remaining cheese blocks. Spread the rest of the mix over it.

Close the parcel(s). Put a tin foil around it to seal.

Fold up the foil/paper into into a parcel and seal by crimping the edges.

Bake in the oven for 10 m.

Serve with lukewarm fresh bread and a glass of cool crispy Moschofilero wine.

*Rinse before using when the cheese is too salty. Dip dry.
Use 200 g feta for a starter and make 1 parcel.
Or use halloumi instead
**Use fresh mint instead. Or a mix.
***Cut into 12 squares when putting all together in 1 parcel.

Spanakorizo (spinach & rice)

For ➍
675 g fresh spinach
7 tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, finely sliced
juice of ½ lemon
15 cl hot water
115 g long-grain rice
3 tbs fresh dill, finely cut & some sprigs for decoration
salt & pepper

Wash the spinach. Cut in large pieces. Heat some oil in a stewpot and sautée the onion in it. Add the spinach for a few m. When tender, pour in the lemon juice and water. Bring to boiling point. Add the rice and half the dill, cover and boil the food on low heat for about 10 m. Serve hot, sprinkled with the rest of the dill.

Sprinkle with some feta cheese.

Can also be served cold, with quartered cold eggs.

A classic Greek recipe of the Lent and Easter period.

Red sparkled halloumi

For ➍
2 fresh red peppers, seeded & chopped*
4 tbs extra-virgin olive oil
500 g halloumi, cut into 0.5 cm slices
juice of ¼ lemon

Mix the peppers and oil.

Meanwhile bake the cheese without fat for 2 m a side.

Spread on a plate. Pour chilied oil over it and sprinkle with lemon juice.

Serve with a salad** and bread.

*Use 1 ts of red chili powder instead.
**Combine with grilled vegetables for a main dish.

Halloumi is a delicious Cypriot cheese that can be baked or grilled without melting. The name derives from the Arabic 'halum', 'being mild'. So treat it that way.
A more elaborate version with chilli sauce.
More halloumi recipes: Greek grilled vegetables (with halloumi)