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seleanor

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Beans are so healthy and versatile, and there are so many Greek recipes where beans are the star of the dish! These are my top recipes, but I'm sure there are many more that I do not know of. Please add more in the the thread!!

- Gigantes (baked white beans with tomato sauce)
-Fava bean spread (boiled and mashed fava beans with lemon and olive oil)
-Fakes (simple lentil soup with onions and tomatoes, garnished with vinegar and olive oil)
 
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Fasolada
 
Beans are so healthy and versatile, and there are so many Greek recipes where beans are the star of the dish! These are my top recipes, but I'm sure there are many more that I do not know of. Please add more in the the thread!!

- Gigantes (baked white beans with tomato sauce)
-Fava bean spread (boiled and mashed fava beans with lemon and olive oil)
-Fakes (simple lentil soup with onions and tomatoes, garnished with vinegar and olive oil)
Thank you for writting about these wonderful bean dishes. What I remember in Greece, extra big lima beans were used for "Giantes" which means in English giants. From my expierence in Greece, fava is made with yellow split peas and cooked and prepared as you write. I think fava beans are called koukia in Greece and have to be shelled when you buy them fresh from the farmers market. What I remember about preparing them was you had to boil them for a long time and then you had to dump the water because it was toxic? Then re-boil them. But I'm not sure about that. I do remember eating them with local olive oil and fresh squeezed local lemons. A gastronomic heaven
 
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Thank you for writting about these wonderful bean dishes. What I remember in Greece, extra big lima beans were used for "Giantes" which means in English giants. From my expierence in Greece, fava is made with yellow split peas and cooked and prepared as you write. I think fava beans are called koukia in Greece and have to be shelled when you buy them fresh from the farmers market. What I remember about preparing them was you had to boil them for a long time and then you had to dump the water because it was toxic? Then re-boil them. But I'm not sure about that. I do remember eating them with local olive oil and fresh squeezed local lemons. A gastronomic heaven
Yes exactly, when making lentils you need to boil them for a few minutes first, dump out the water, rinse them, and then start cooking them again.
 
Beans are so healthy and versatile, and there are so many Greek recipes where beans are the star of the dish! These are my top recipes, but I'm sure there are many more that I do not know of. Please add more in the the thread!!

- Gigantes (baked white beans with tomato sauce)
-Fava bean spread (boiled and mashed fava beans with lemon and olive oil)
-Fakes (simple lentil soup with onions and tomatoes, garnished with vinegar and olive oil)
I love all of these! Sooo good. A lot of my family "Fava" recipes for some reason use yellow split peas. I know that they aren't the same thing... Maybe it was an issue of availability of ingredients back when they came over... almost 100 years ago now.
 

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?

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.

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.

What is your favorite Greek potato dish?

Potatoes show up in so many Greek meals, and I think they are often at their best when they soak up plenty of olive oil, lemon, herbs, and cooking juices.

Greek lemon potatoes are probably the first thing that comes to mind for me. I love when they are roasted until they are soft inside, a little crisp around the edges, and full of lemon and oregano. Potatoes cooked alongside chicken or lamb are also hard to beat because they absorb so much flavor from the pan.

I also enjoy simple boiled potatoes dressed with olive oil, lemon, parsley, and salt, especially with fish or grilled meat.

What Greek potato dish do you make most often? Do you prefer lemon potatoes, potatoes roasted with meat, fried potatoes, or something else? And is there a particular seasoning or family method that makes your version especially good?

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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