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xmelissaa

Active member
This is the process for making the meatballs with bulgar. It's one of my favorite dishes and I like to make an extra batch and freeze it so I can eat them later :)

Add meat, 2 tablespoons of the parsley, scallions, bulgur, egg, and 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 2 cloves of the minced garlic, cumin, salt, and pepper to a large bowl and stir with a wooden spoon until mixture is well combined. You can also use your fingers to mix it. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 – 4 hours to let the flavors set.

Remove bowl from the refrigerator and shape into balls of about 1-2 inches thick. Your goal is to make them a consistent size. Place the balls on a plate, cover with plastic wrap, and place in the refrigerator.

Add the rest of the olive oil to a deep skillet and set the heat to medium. Saute the onion for about five minutes or until the onions are soft. Add the rest of the garlic and saute for about a minute until the flavor of the garlic releases. Add the wine and cook for one minute. Stir in the tomatoes with their juices as well as the cinnamon stick and water and stir the mixture with a wooden spoon. Slowly add the meatballs so they don’t fall apart. The sauce should be deep and the meatballs should be covered.

Cover the skillet and bring the mixture to a boil. Drop the heat to a simmer after it boils and cook for twenty minutes or until the meatballs are cooked all the way though. Sprinkle the meatballs with remaining parsley just before serving.

Ingredients:
  • 1 pound lean ground beef
  • 1 cup finely chopped, fresh parsley
  • 4 scallions, finally chopped
  • 1/2 cup bulgur (uncooked)
  • 1 large egg, beaten
  • 1/3 cup Greek olive oil
  • 4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • Salt, to taste
  • Pepper, to taste
  • 1 large onions, halved and sliced lengthwise
  • 1/2 cup red wine
  • 16 ounces canned, diced tomatoes
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1/2 cup water
Voli-Me-Plyguri-720x480.jpg
 
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I had these meatballs once and I didn't even realize they were made with Bulgur. They're so good, thank you for sharing the recipe!
 

Do You Put Cinnamon in Your Keftedes?

I’m curious how everyone here makes keftedes, especially when it comes to cinnamon. I know some Greek families add a little cinnamon to the meat mixture, while others would never think of putting it in.

In my experience, even a small amount can change the flavor quite a bit. It gives the keftedes a warmer, slightly sweeter spice in the background, but I can also see how it might not be for everyone. I’ve had versions that lean more heavily on oregano, mint, parsley, garlic, and onion instead.

Do you put cinnamon in your keftedes? If you do, how much do you usually use, and was that something your family always did? I’d also be curious to know if it varies depending on what part of Greece your family comes from.

Would love to hear how everyone seasons theirs and what you consider essential for really good keftedes.

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I love the idea of slowly cooking the meat in a rich tomato sauce with orzo until everything becomes tender and flavorful. However, I'm wondering whether lamb or beef would be the more authentic choice.

Is one traditionally preferred in certain regions of Greece? I've read that lamb is often associated with older Greek recipes, but beef seems to be very common in modern versions of giouvetsi.

I'm also curious whether the choice of meat changes the way the dish is prepared. Does lamb require different seasonings or cooking times than beef?

For those familiar with traditional Greek cooking, which version do you prefer, and which would you recommend trying first?

How Much Garlic in a Batch of Tzatziki?

How much garlic do you usually put in a batch of tzatziki? I think I may be using a little too much. I usually make mine with about 2 cups of Greek yogurt and 4 cloves of garlic, along with cucumber, olive oil, and the other usual ingredients.

It tastes great when I first make it, but we usually take about three days to finish the batch. By the second or third day, the garlic flavor and smell become really strong. Some people in my household love that and don’t mind it at all, but others think it becomes a bit overpowering. I’m starting to agree that four cloves might be too much, especially since the garlic seems to get stronger as it sits.

What do you all do? How many cloves would you use for about 2 cups of Greek yogurt?

What herbs do you use when making Greek stuffed zucchini?

I've been thinking about making Greek stuffed zucchini (kolokithakia gemista), and I'm curious about which herbs everyone uses in the filling. I've seen quite a few variations, and it seems like the combination of herbs can really influence the overall flavor of the dish.

Some recipes use plenty of fresh dill and parsley, while others include mint or even a little oregano. I've also noticed that some people add green onions for extra flavor. I'm wondering whether certain herbs are considered more traditional, especially when making stuffed zucchini with rice and ground meat.

Do you use a combination of herbs, or do you prefer to keep the seasoning fairly simple? Does your family have a particular recipe that has been passed down through generations?

I'm especially interested in how the herbs complement the avgolemono sauce. What combination do you think gives Greek stuffed zucchini the best flavor?

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.

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