3 Recipes for World-Famous Greek Foods: Mousaka, Gemista and Tzatziki
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Greece is a country with a rich culinary history. Many of their dishes are world-famous, and it's no wonder why! In this blog post, we will be sharing three recipes for some of the most popular greek foods. First up is Mousaka, a dish made with layers of eggplant, ground beef, and béchamel sauce. Next is Gemista, stuffed tomatoes, and peppers with rice and herbs. And finally, we have Tzatziki, a cucumber yogurt sauce that goes great with everything!
Ok, let's not lose time on the "side-dish" information!
Mousaka, the king of the Rhodian Kitchen
Ingredients for the perfect Mousaka:
1 eggplant, sliced1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
250 g ground beef
1 teaspoon dried oregano
50 ml red wine
400 ml canned crushed tomatoes
salt and pepper to taste
For the béchamel sauce:
30 g butter 30 g flour
500 ml milk
salt and pepper to taste
Topping:
100 g grated cheese (Graviera, Parmesan, Gruyère or Cheddar)
1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celsius.
2. In a large frying pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the eggplant and fry until golden brown. Remove from pan and set aside.
Add the onion and garlic to the frying pan and fry until softened. Add the ground beef and fry until browned. Add the oregano, wine, tomatoes, salt and pepper. Simmer for 15 minutes.
Butter an oven-safe dish and layer in the eggplant, beef mixture and béchamel sauce. Sprinkle with cheese and bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown. Serve hot!
Gemista: The Perfect Comfort Food of our Grandma's
Ingredients:
For the vegetables:12 small tomatoes
12 green peppers, tops removed and seeded
200 g short grain white rice
50 g butter
40 ml olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
For the tomato sauce:
750 g fresh tomatoes, peeled and seeded
25 ml olive oil
onion, chopped
garlic cloves, minced
fresh thyme leaves or dried oregano, to taste
salt and black pepper to taste
Directions:
To make the Gemista, first prepare the tomato sauce. In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and fry until softened. Add the tomatoes, thyme (or oregano), salt and pepper. Simmer for 30 minutes to allow the flavors to develop.
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 190 degrees Celsius.
Cut the tops off the tomatoes and peppers and remove the seeds. Rinse the rice in a fine mesh strainer. In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add olive oil and rice and stir until well coated. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cook for a few minutes until the rice becomes translucent.
Pack the tomatoes and peppers tightly into an oven-safe dish. Fill each tomato with a bit of rice, then spoon some of the tomato sauce over the top. Bake for 30-40 minutes, until the vegetables are cooked through and the rice is tender. Serve hot!
Tzatziki: The Perfect Sauce to Compliment any Meal
Ingredients:500 g plain yogurt
250 g cucumber, peeled and grated
garlic cloves, minced
lemon juice, to taste
salt and pepper to taste
chopped fresh parsley leaves, to taste
Directions:
Mix the yogurt, cucumber, garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a bowl. Place in the fridge for at least an hour to allow the flavors to blend. Stir in the chopped parsley before serving. Enjoy with pita bread, on a falafel wrap, or just about anything!
There you have it – three delicious greek recipes that will have you coming back for more! So what are you waiting for? Get cooking!
