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Roundup of Easy Recipes to Start Cooking Greek Food

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mastichas09

Active member
I know a lot of people who want to start cooking Greek food but are intimidated. I want to help them out by brainstorming a list of "easy win" foods to get started making.

Here's what I have - do you have anything to add?

  • Greek Village Salad (Horiatiki)
  • Tzatziki
  • Greek Lemon Chicken
  • Greek Lemon Potatoes
  • Souvlaki
  • Greek yogurt with honey and walnuts
  • Grilled Halloumi cheese
  • Fasolakia
  • Briam
  • Greek style lamb chops
 
Love Greek food, and I remember feeling a bit intimidated when I first started cooking it at home. However, I found that starting with simple, classic dishes made the process much more manageable.
 
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One of the first Greek dishes I tried was Greek Village Salad (Horiatiki), which is essentially a mix of fresh vegetables, olives, and feta cheese dressed with olive oil and oregano. It's incredibly easy to make and tastes so fresh and flavorful. Well, I started trying more complex dishes like Greek Lemon Chicken and Souvlaki.
I've also found that having some Greek yogurt on hand is great for making quick and easy desserts, like Greek yogurt with honey and walnuts. It's a simple yet delicious treat that's perfect for satisfying a sweet tooth.
If you're interested in more tips to improve your Greek cooking skills, you can check out some CooksCrafter Kitchen Tips that have really helped me.
 
Last edited:
bdalqasmal said:
Love Greek food, and I remember feeling a bit intimidated when I first started cooking it at home. However, I found that starting with simple, classic dishes made the process much more manageable.
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Great advice. I would also say start small. Do the easier things, like village salad, tzatziki (especially easy if you have food processor). Them pick one or two things that you love that are a little more complicated, like spanakopita or braised lamb shank, and work on those until you feel comfortable. Then you can branch out.

The cuisine has its own mindset. I would also suggest talking to other Greek cooks, or even cooking with them, to learn this mindset. It will make navigating the cuisine a lot easier.
 
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What is the secret to making really good Greek lemon potatoes?

I've been making Greek lemon potatoes for years, and it's one of those dishes I make completely by feel. I don't measure anything, and I never really thought about how I make them because it's all second nature to me.

Recently, I tried teaching someone how to make them. Everything seemed straightforward while we were cooking together, but when they went home and tried making them on their own, all kinds of things went wrong! The potatoes weren't cooking evenly, the texture wasn't quite right, and the lemon flavor didn't come through the way it should.

It made me realize how much I rely on instinct when cooking traditional Greek food. I rarely write down recipes, so explaining every little detail is harder than I expected!

For those who make Greek lemon potatoes regularly, what tips would you give someone who's just learning?

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?

Is lamb or beef more traditional for giouvetsi?

I've been looking into traditional Greek giouvetsi recipes lately, and I'm curious about which meat is considered the most traditional. I've seen recipes that use lamb, others that call for beef, and even some that use chicken.

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 Is the Best Way to Serve Taramosalata?

I absolutely love taramosalata and have it pretty regularly at home, but I’m having some people over soon and was wondering about the best way to serve it when entertaining.

Normally I just eat it with some bread or pita, so I don’t really put much thought into presentation. For guests, though, I’d like to make it part of a nice Greek-style spread with a few other things on the table. I was thinking warm pita triangles, crusty bread, maybe some cucumber and other vegetables for dipping, but I’m curious what everyone else usually serves with it.

Do you drizzle a little olive oil over the top or add any kind of garnish? And are there particular meze that you think pair especially well with taramosalata?

I’d love some ideas for making it look a little more special while still keeping everything traditional and simple.
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