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dpappas87

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I love drizzling some olive oil, oregano, salt, pepper, lemon, garlic and rosemary!! Best dish ever

roasted-vegetables-768x509.jpg
 
I love this! So simple! I would love to add sweet potato as well :)
 
Love it! Also another dish I like is briam and even better is a dish called tourlou (a local traditional dish in some areas of Peloponisos) which is similar to briam but with boiled vegetables - it has a more refined taste. I first had this dish at a restaurant in Athens called Οψοποιείν on Ippokratous street.
 
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I do a version of this, except I tend to use oregano, fresh if I have it growing. I've also made "briam". On hot days in the summer, the last thing I want to do is roast vegetables in the oven, so I tend to gravitate towards making my vegetables on the stovetop. My favorite is to make them with a combination of green beans, summer squash, and zucchini. Served with rice pilaf, it even makes for a nice, light supper.
 
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I do a version of this, except I tend to use oregano, fresh if I have it growing. I've also made "briam". On hot days in the summer, the last thing I want to do is roast vegetables in the oven, so I tend to gravitate towards making my vegetables on the stovetop. My favorite is to make them with a combination of green beans, summer squash, and zucchini. Served with rice pilaf, it even makes for a nice, light supper.
How do you make vegetables on the stovetop?
 
I love drizzling some olive oil, oregano, salt, pepper, lemon, garlic and rosemary!! Best dish ever

View attachment 424

This is pretty much how I make it, too. I sometimes take the extra step to make a ladolemono and pour a little over the vegetables before baking, but I don't always take the extra step:

 
How do you make vegetables on the stovetop?
I saute a chopped onion or (or I use a half a chopped onion if I don't have a lot of vegetables to use) and then add the vegetables, a little water, and either some chopped tomato or a little tomato sauce or tomato space. I always season it with some oregano. If I have them, I stir in chopped fresh garden scallions just before serving.
 
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I saute a chopped onion or (or I use a half a chopped onion if I don't have a lot of vegetables to use) and then add the vegetables, a little water, and either some chopped tomato or a little tomato sauce or tomato space. I always season it with some oregano. If I have them, I stir in chopped fresh garden scallions just before serving.
Scallions are always a must!! And they look so great as a garnish :)
 
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Scallions are always a must!! And they look so great as a garnish :)
I agree, and I sometimes use chives instead if I have those. But, I like the taste of scallions in this much better.
 
I agree, and I sometimes use chives instead if I have those. But, I like the taste of scallions in this much better.
I’ve never heard of chives. Do they use them in Greece?
 
I’ve never heard of chives. Do they use them in Greece?
Yes they do! I saw chives growing in pots on balconies. It kind of looks like regular lawn grass, but it has a slight oniony flavor. Chives are best used as a garnish.
 
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Yes they do! I saw chives growing in pots on balconies. It kind of looks like regular lawn grass, but it has a slight oniony flavor. Chives are best used as a garnish.
Yes, best as a garnish. They don't have a super strong flavour
 

My Family’s Keftedes Recipe

Keftedes are one of those foods that always remind me of family gatherings. Everyone seems to make them a little differently, but this is the basic version my family has always used.

For about a pound of ground beef, we add one small grated onion, a handful of chopped fresh parsley, a little fresh mint, one egg, breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, oregano, and a small splash of red wine vinegar. Sometimes we add a little grated garlic as well.

The important part is mixing everything well and then letting the mixture sit in the refrigerator for a little while before shaping the keftedes. We make them fairly small, roll them lightly in flour, and fry them in olive oil until browned on the outside and cooked through.

We usually serve them with lemon, potatoes, salad, or tzatziki.

How does your family make keftedes? I’m especially curious about which herbs and seasonings everyone uses. Thought I'd share!

Do You Make Avgolemono Thick or Brothy?

I usually prefer avgolemono somewhere in the middle. I don’t like it so thick that it feels almost like a cream soup, but I also don’t want it completely thin and brothy. For me, the best version has enough egg and lemon to give the broth some body while still keeping it light.

A lot probably depends on what kind of avgolemono you’re making, too. In chicken soup, I like it a little more brothy because I want the rice or orzo and chicken to still stand out. With something like lahanodolmades, I don’t mind the avgolemono sauce being thicker because it is coating the food rather than serving as the soup itself.

The lemon level matters just as much as the thickness. I like enough lemon to make it bright and noticeable, but not so much that it overwhelms everything else. I think balance is really the key.

Do you put potatoes in your briam?

I've noticed that there are quite a few variations of briam, especially when it comes to which vegetables people include. One ingredient I'm particularly curious about is potatoes. Do you always put potatoes in your briam, or do you prefer making it without them?

I usually think of briam as a combination of zucchini, eggplant, potatoes, tomatoes, onions, and plenty of olive oil. I love how the potatoes absorb all those wonderful flavors as everything slowly roasts together in the oven.

However, I've seen recipes that leave the potatoes out entirely and focus more on the summer vegetables. I imagine that makes the dish a little lighter.

I'm also curious whether there are regional differences in how briam is prepared throughout Greece. Does your family have a particular way of making it? And what vegetables do you consider absolutely essential?

Greek cooking without a recipe?

I've been thinking about how much traditional Greek cooking relies on instinct rather than following exact recipes. Some of the Greek dishes I learned to make were taught to me by feel, with someone showing me what to do rather than measuring everything out.

I actually enjoy cooking this way, but I've noticed that it can make certain dishes difficult to recreate consistently! Sometimes everything comes together perfectly, and other times I wonder what I did differently.

I'm curious how others approach this. Did you learn Greek cooking by watching your yiayia, mother, or other relatives? Do you measure ingredients, or do you just know when something looks, smells, or tastes right?

Favorite Greek Cheeses Beyond Feta

Feta gets most of the attention when people talk about Greek cheese, but there are so many other varieties worth trying. I’m curious which Greek cheeses everyone enjoys most beyond feta.

Graviera is one of my favorites because it works so well on a cheese plate, grated over dishes, or just eaten with bread. Kasseri is another one I really like, especially melted. I’ve also been interested in trying more regional cheeses like metsovone, manouri, kefalotyri, and formaela.

Some Greek cheeses seem to be much easier to find outside Greece than others, so I’d also love to know which ones people regularly buy and where they usually find them.

What Greek cheeses do you keep coming back to? Are there certain ones you associate with a particular region, dish, or family tradition? And if someone has mostly eaten feta, which Greek cheese would you recommend they try next?
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