Bring the flavors of Greece into your kitchen with easy-to-make, authentic Greek Recipes from Sarah Spencer’s cookbook A Taste of Greece!

Fried Calamari

Serves 4 – Prep. time 10 minutes – Cooking time 15–20 minutes

Ingredients

• 1½ pounds calamari, cleaned
• ½ tablespoon paprika
• 1 tablespoon oregano
• 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons salt
• ¾ cup bread flour
• ¼ cup semolina flour
• Vegetable oil as needed
• Salt to taste
• Juice of half a lemon

Directions

1. Cut the calamari into ½-inch slices.
2. Combine all the spices in a bag and add the bread and semolina flours. Put in the calamari rings and shake to coat well.
3. In a medium-sized deep frying pan or pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat.
4. Working in batches, when the oil reaches 350°F, fry the rings for about 2 minutes, turning halfway. Let the oil return to temperature between batches.
5. Set them on a plate lined with paper towels to drain, and sprinkle with some salt. Top with lemon juice and serve.

 

 

Tomato Greek Salad

Serves 6 – Prep. time 15 minutes – Marinating time 2 hours

Ingredients

• 4 fresh tomatoes, chopped
• 1 cucumber, peeled and chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, cut into ½-inch pieces
• ½ cup red onion, chopped
• ¼ cup Kalamata olives
• ½ cup feta cheese, crumbled

For the dressing

• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped

Directions

1. Whisk the ingredients for the dressing together.
2. Toss in the rest of the ingredients.
3. Marinate for 2 hours (or less) in the refrigerator for flavors to meld.

 

 

Pork Souvlaki

Serves 6 – Prep. time 25 minutes – Cooking time 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 3 pounds pork tenderloin, cut into 1½-inch cubes
• ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• ⅓ cup lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons sea salt
• 2 tablespoons ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon dried Greek oregano
• 2 red onions, quartered
• 3 bell peppers, any color, cut into 1-inch squares
• Lemon slices, for garnishing
• Barbecue skewers, for bamboo, soak before using for 30 minutes

Directions

1. Preheat a grill to medium-high.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine the pork, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and oregano. Set it aside for 15 minutes.
3. On the skewers; alternately pierce the pork pieces, red onion, and bell pepper.
4. Grill for 6–7 minutes. Turn and cook for 7–8 minutes more, or until the meat is cooked through.
5. Serve warm, garnished with lemon.

 

 

Greek-Style Classic Lamb Rack

Serves 2 – Prep. time 5 minutes plus 10 minutes resting time – Cooking time 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 (1-pound) rack of lamb
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon chopped rosemary
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon ground pepper
• 2 garlic cloves, minced

Directions

1. Preheat the grill to medium-low.
2. Rub the lamb with the olive oil, and season with rosemary, salt, pepper, and garlic.
3. Sear the lamb rack, meat-side down, for 4–5 minutes. Move it from time to time so it will cook evenly.
4. Flip and move the lamb rack to indirect heat.
5. Grill, covered, for 8–10 minutes.
6. Let rest for 10 minutes. Cut into chops and serve.

 

 

Baklava

Serves 8–10 – Prep. time 40 minutes – Cooking time 60 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 pound filo pastry, at room temperature
• 1 cup butter, melted
• ¾ cup sugar, divided
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 cups walnuts, chopped
• ½ cup cold water
• ¼ cup lemon juice
• ¼ cup honey

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F, and grease an 11×17 baking dish with some olive oil.
2. Layer half of the filo sheets in the greased dish, brushing each sheet with butter as you go.
3. In a bowl, combine ¼ cup of the sugar with the cinnamon, and mix in the walnuts.
4. Top the arranged sheets with the walnut mixture.
5. Top with the remaining filo after brushing each of them with more butter.
6. Using a very sharp knife, cut diagonally into squares or diamonds, cutting through all the layers.
7. Bake until golden and crisp, 55–60 minutes.
8. Place a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the remaining sugar, together with the water, lemon juice, and honey. Cook, stirring, until the sugar dissolves.
9. Pour the syrup over the hot baklava. Allow it to cool down, and serve.

 

All these recipes are from Sarah Spencer’s cookbook A Taste of Greece: Greek Cooking Made Easy with Authentic Greek Recipes! To get yourself a copy of the book, click on the cover or here.

To download or print the recipes, click here.