Bid your guests “Kali orexi” (Bon appétit!) with this Greek-inspired menu.
Greek Marinated Olives
1 cup mixed green and black olives, drained
1 tbsp. olive oil
¼ tsp. basil, dried
¼ tsp. oregano, dried
½ tsp. orange zest, grated
In a bowl, combine ingredients and let them rest for 1 hour. Serve with a small bowl for olive pits.
Cucumber Yogurt Dip (Tzatziki)
1 cup Greek yogurt, plain
1 tbsp. lemon juice, freshly squeezed
1 tsp. dill, dried
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
½ cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
In a bowl, combine yogurt, lemon juice, dill, garlic, and cucumber. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Shrimp Saganaki (Garides Saganaki)
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 large onion, thinly sliced
2 cups fresh tomatoes, chopped or 16 oz. can tomatoes, diced and drained
½ tsp. kosher salt
Pinch of crushed red pepper
1½ lb. large shrimp, deveined and shelled
½ cup olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
¼ tsp. dill
½ cup feta cheese, crumbled
Crusty bread, for serving
In a large skillet, heat oil until shimmering. Add onion and cook over medium-high heat stirring occasionally until lightly browned (about 5 minutes). Add tomatoes, season with salt and crushed red pepper, and cook until softened (about 5-8 minutes). Add shrimp and olives stirring occasionally until the shrimp are cooked through (about 3 minutes). Stir in dill and half of the feta cooking just until the feta is hot (about 1 minute). Transfer shrimp and tomatoes into shallow bowls, sprinkle with the remaining feta and serve with crusty bread.
Meze Platter (Mezedes)
Marinated olives (from previous recipe)
Feta cheese, cubed
Artichoke hearts, jarred, marinated, drained, and quartered
Sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained
Anchovies and/or sardines, canned, whole and drained
Pickled pepperoncini peppers or sweet roasted red peppers, drained
Raw vegetables, such as celery stalks, sliced cucumbers, trimmed scallions, halved cherry tomatoes, or sliced young zucchini
Tzatziki dip (from previous recipe), served in a seeded, halved sweet pepper “bowl”
Hummus, served in another halved sweet pepper “bowl”
Heat the oven to 350 F. Lightly spritz baking sheet with cooking spray. Bake quartered pita bread for 4-5 minutes. Attractively heap all (or some) of the ingredients around a large platter, placing dips in the middle.
Greek Fruit Yogurt Cream (Frouta Ke Yaourti)
4 cups mixed fresh fruit, such as halved grapes, figs, pears, berries, melon, or peaches, cut into bite-sized pieces
¼ cup almonds, slivered
1 cup Greek yogurt, plain
3 tbsp. honey
1½ tbsp. lemon rind, grated
In serving bowl, gently combine fruit and half of the almonds and set aside. In a separate bowl combine yogurt, honey and lemon rind. Fill individual dessert bowls with fruit. Spoon yogurt mixture over fruit and top with remaining almonds and drizzle of honey.
Greek Sidecar
4 oz. Metaxa or other brandy
1½ oz. Cointreau
1½ oz. lemon juice
3 oz. orange juice
Orange or lemon peel, for garnish
Ice.
By Lori Ross, Southern Boating Magazine September 2016
