Growing up in a Greek community on Long Island, I did not eat meatloaf as a kid because that was always thought to be very much an American dish. But as an adult, it’s one that I have really adopted as my own, and I love it as an easy, high-protein main dish for weeknights. I also think it’s a perfect vessel for Greek flavors like Kalamata olives, feta, and oregano, with tzatziki served on the side. As a nod to the classic, I give you the option of an American-style, ketchup-based glaze, which I am partial to, but it’s easy to leave out, based on your preferences.
Tigania, from tigani, the word for “frying pan,” usually refers to a dish of quickly seared small pork cubes finished with wine that is one of Greece’s favorite carnivorous mezedes. But vegetarians and vegans are having their day in Athens, too, and despite the incredible wealth of traditional plant-based dishes that are part of Greek cuisine, there’s also a move toward redesigning the classics to appeal to a growing audience of vegetarians. This dish in so many ways represents the new Athens: Greek but international, too, culled from tradition but changed, a mix of well-known Greek ingredients like honey, with newcomers like soy sauce, which would have been an unthinkable, even unknowable, addition a generation ago.
These deliciously sweet, totally vegan stuffed eggplants from season 2 of My Greek Table are a riff on a classic dish, Imam Bayldi, eggplants stuffed with onions and tomatoes. It’s one of the great ladera (olive-oil-based) dishes of Greece, and one of my favorite stuffed vegetable dishes. If you have access to a wood-fired oven, try baking it in there, which is what I like to do in our village on Ikaria in the summers, when the eggplant harvest from our garden overflows.
This is our spin on a classic American tuna salad. It can be enjoyed plain, with crackers, on a sandwich, or over a bed of crisp lettuce as a salad.
Who says Greek salad is only for summer? By using winter veggies, but keeping the same feta-oregano flavour profile, you can easily extend this salad’s seasonality and eat it year-round. I love the combo of bitter leafy radicchio with the sharp, creamy cheese and fragrant, anise- like flavour of the fennel. Almond feta is a vegan nut cheese (sourced from speciality organic shops) - even if you’re not vegan, it’s a delicious swap in any dish requiring a soft white cheese.
Not an authentic keftedes recipe, but (a hugely popular) one I developed for my half pescatarian family. It combines the Greek love of fritters and meatballs with mustard sauce – a common addition to souvlakia or gyro.
They know us by name at Mr. Gyro’s here in Seattle. I love its falafel sandwich and the kids all love the chicken gyro. For dinner one evening, I completely wowed my family by making my own version of their favorite takeout. It has since been requested for birthdays and dinners on a regular basis. The whole thing freezes beautifully, so consider doubling the recipe while you’re going through the process. This recipe usually lasts us a couple of meals. Fried up in the morning with a side of soft scrambled eggs is our favorite.
Sometimes we feel like a substantial salad that is a meal in itself with all the elements of good food—plenty of greens, crunchy raw pepper, and loads of flavor. This is also a great way to use up leftover chicken or turkey. Serve with a tzatziki dressing and tomato salad. This is our friend Anne Hudson’s method of preparing the wonderful Greek yogurt and cucumber dip, which she learned to make the local way when living in Greece. You can also enjoy the tzatziki with bread or as a dip for vegetables. (Gluten-free if using quinoa or brown rice.)
Greeks use this condiment, known as tzatziki, on just about everything. It's one seriously flavorful and healthy sauce.
Normally, keftedes are made with ground meat (they're basically meatballs). These vegetarian alternatives are packed with flavor.