It was my birthday a couple of weeks ago, and I decided that I would celebrate with a Greek Feast. And a Greek Feast, we had! Here was the line up:
Greek Feast
Chicken Souvlaki with Tzaziki Sauce
Roasted Lemon Potatoes
Lemon and Garlic Rice Pilaf
Grilled Asparagus
Greek Salad
Hummus Quartet and Pita Bread
Pomegranite Seeds
Devils Food Cake with Dark Chocolate frosting, Fresh Strawberries and French Vanilla Ice Cream
We used 8 lemons and an entire CLOVE of garlic in the cooking, and easily spent over $100 in groceries, but we fed a crowd, had plenty of leftovers and most importantly, I had a great time cooking and eating.
Chicken Souvlaki with Tzaziki Sauce
16 bamboo skewers
3 lemons
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh oregano leaves
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
16 chicken tenders, about 1 1/2 pounds
2 cups Greek style yogurt
1/2 seedless cucumber, peeled and grated
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Soak skewers in water for about 30 minutes. Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Combine the zest and juice of 2 lemons, oregano, red pepper flakes and olive oil in a dish. Paste the garlic by mashing it with coarse salt then add 3/4 of it to the marinade, reserving some for dipping sauce. Add chicken tenders to the marinade and season with salt and pepper, turn in marinade to coat, let stand 10 minutes. Thread tenders on damp skewers and cook 7 to 8 minutes, turning once, until firm and juices run clear.
While skewers cook, combine yogurt with juice of remaining lemon, remaining clove of garlic, grated cucumber, cumin and salt, to taste. Divide the dip among 4 ramekins.
Serve 5 skewers per person with dipping sauce alongside.
Roasted Lemon Potatoes
3 pounds baking potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 cup olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano, crumbled
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup chicken stock (I used water and it worked fine…)
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
2-3 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
Preheat oven to 400°F. Place the potatoes in a single layer in a 13-x-9-inch baking dish and pour the oil over them. Add the garlic, dried oregano, salt and pepper to taste and toss well to coat with the oil. Bake the potatoes for 15 minutes. Add the stock, toss and bake for 10 minutes more. Add the lemon juice, toss and bake for 10 to 15 minutes more, or until the potatoes are cooked through. If you like, preheat the broiler and broil the potatoes for 2 to 3 minutes, or until golden brown. Sprinkle with the fresh oregano and serve at once.
Greek Lemon Rice Pilaf
3-4 T. butter
2 cups uncooked brown rice (you could use white but I like brown better)
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
5 cups hot chicken broth
salt & freshly ground black pepper
Heat butter in a heavy skillet. When it's hot, add the rice and, stirring constantly, saute on medium heat until transparent but not brown. Add the lemon juice, chicken broth, and salt.
Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat and let pilaf stand uncovered for 5 minutes before serving.
Greek Salad
3 vine ripe tomatoes, cut into chunks
1 red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 European seedless cucumber, cut into bite-size chunks (I used seedless but think regular cucumber would work just as well…)
1 small red bell pepper, seeded and chunked
1 small green bell pepper, seeded and chunked
1 cubanelle pepper, seeded and chunked (have no idea what this is and didn’t use it)
1 cup Kalamata black olives (I’m not an olive fan so I skipped these)
Several sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley, about 1/2 cup
2 (1/4 pound) slices imported Greek feta
Greek Salad dressing (you can make this with EVOO and Red Wine Vinegar but I wanted a sure thing)
1 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed in palm of your hand
Coarse salt and black pepper
Chop up the veggies and toss together. I had my guests add the dressing of their choice, shake to coat, and then sprinkle feta on top.
