NOTE: This menu was written a LONG time ago and it’s really not organized properly, but it’s incredibly tasty. My advice is to read through the whole thing first before shopping/cooking. These are some modern Greek Easter dishes. I love to take traditional recipes and change them up a little bit. This is what I did with these dishes. None of this menu is hard to make and they are all fast recipes. The cheesecake takes some time in the oven, but that’s a make-ahead dish since you want it to chill in the fridge. Enjoy. If you have questions, feel free to email me at [email protected].
Ingredients
Saganaki
1 lb fresh mozzarella cheese
4-5 oz of good brandy
1 loaf of crusty bread
2 lemons
sea salt
Hummus
2 15 1/2 oz cans of chick peas
1/4 cup tahini
olive oil
1/4 tsp cayenne
1/8 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp minced garlic
1 1/2 tsp lemon juice
large bunch of parsley
regular paprika to dress the dish
pita bread cut in wedges
Greek salad
1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes
4 green onions
1/2 red onion
10-12 calamata olives, pitted
1 English cucumber
8 oz Feta cheese
1 bell pepper
Exotic Peppercorn Blend
1/4 cup white vinegar
Potatoes for Greek salad
1 lb potatoes
2 TB red vinegar
4 large eggs, plus one egg yolk
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/4 cup olive oil
Lamb
2 racks of lamb, Frenched
2 slices of bread
Dijon mustard
fresh flat leaf parsley
2 cups of orzo, cooked per package
4 TB mint, chopped
Cheesecake
1 lb of Greek yogurt
8 oz of cream cheese
1 cup of sugar
2 cups honey graham sticks
4 oz melted butter
Tupelo honey
4 oz walnuts, chopped
Take out the yogurt and cream cheese to allow to come up to room temperature. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Buzz honey grahams in food processor with melted butter. Place mixture in the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan, coating the bottom. Bake at 350 for ten minutes. Let cool. In a mixer, combine yogurt, cream cheese and sugar. Mix until smooth and sugar has dissolved. Add one egg at a time. When smooth, pour into the springform pan and bake for 50 minutes. Allow to cool, then put into fridge until serving time. Serve each slice with a drizzle of Tupelo honey and some chopped walnuts.
Peel, dice and boil potatoes until tender. Drain and add 1/2 tsp salt and 2 TB red wine vinegar. Allow to cool. While they are cooling, in a medium mixing bowl add egg yolk, Dijon, 1/4 tsp peppercorn blend and 1/2 tsp sea salt. Slowly whisk (one drop at a time at first) in 1/4 cup olive oil until you have a thick mayo. Thinly slice two green onions and chop 1 TB of parsley. Add to potatoes, then dress with the mayo. Cool in the fridge until serving.
Cut each tomato in half and add to a large salad bowl. Cut the olives in half and add to bowl. Thinly sliced 1/2 red onion and add. Dice 6 oz of feta cheese and add. Peel and slice cucumber and dice bell pepper and add. Add organic white vinegar and 1/4 cup good olive oil. Add 1/4 tsp of exotic peppercorn blend and 1/2 tsp of sea salt. Stir to combine. Set aside. When serving, place a scoop of potato salad in the middle of the plate surrounded by this salad.
Drain garbanzo beans, reserving liquid. Place beans in processor with tahini, 4 TB olive oil, 1 tsp minced garlic, 1/4 tsp cayenne, 1/8 tsp smoked paprika, 2 TB chopped parsley, add 1 – 2 tsp of sea salt to taste. Buzz until it’s a thick paste. Add reserved garbanzo liquid until a smooth, spreading consistency. Garnish with regular paprika and olive oil. Serve with pita wedges.
Heat a non-stick pan to high. Cut a large round of fresh mozzarella in half (cold from the fridge). Place in HOT pan with 2 oz of brandy. Flambe it. When flames subside, flip the cheese over and add another 2 oz of brandy and flambe again. Serve melty cheese with crusty bread, sea salt and lemon wedges.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Take out lamb chops and let warm up at room temperature for a few minutes. Salt and pepper each rack and drizzle with some olive oil. Roast for ten minutes on a sheet pan. While they are roasting, add two slices of bread and 1/4 cup chopped parsley to a food processor. Buzz until you have parsley bread crumbs. When the rack has roasted the first ten minutes, take it out, brush with Dijon mustard and the wide side. Add bread crumb mixture over the Dijon. Roast another ten minutes. Allow to cool for five minutes.
Dress the cooked orzo with lemon and chopped mint before serving. A drizzle of olive oil is a nice touch.
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