Favorite Greek Recipes With Feta, Orzo, and Phyllo
Greek food is easy for new cooks to make because many ingredients commonly used in Greek recipes are available at the grocery store. Some of the recipes in this article suggest foods that can be made in advance, including orzo with tomatoes and feta cheese, additional salad recipes, chickpea soup with lemon, chicken with rice, phyllo pastry recipes, eggplant recipes, and sweet orange pie. Other recipes include lemon and other citrus flavors, feta cheese, olives, and other warm spices.
Why These Greek Recipes Are Helpful
- Common Ingredients: Orzo, chickpeas, tomatoes, spinach, chicken, feta cheese, and eggplant are common ingredients that can give Greek flavor to dishes.
- Basic Cooking Tools: Objects in the collection include everyday cooking and baking tools and appliances but not more specialized cooking tools and appliances.
- Make-Ahead Ideas: Some salad and other prepared foods can be made ahead of time to be convenient for other family members or dinner guests.
- Forgiving Cooking Techniques: Casseroles, salads, and soups made at home involve less cooking than those served in restaurants.
1. Greek Orzo with Tomatoes, Feta, Olives, and Fresh Basil
A simple boiling and covering technique allows orzo pasta to cook completely in its cooking liquid for tender but firm pasta in the same pot. This vegetarian Mediterranean orzo recipe contains olives, feta cheese, tomatoes, lemon juice and other seasonings, and fresh basil. Orzo is prepared with chicken or vegetable broth or water as directed in the recipe. Other ingredients added after cooking include halved cherry tomatoes and dried tomatoes, kalamata and green olives, and feta cheese. Finish the orzo dish with lemon or lime juice and extra virgin olive oil. Season the pan with smoked paprika, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes for added flavor. Stir the orzo after five minutes of cooking to avoid burning the small pieces of orzo as the cooking liquid evaporates. The final dish should contain cooked orzo with no hard center. The most common problem when cooking orzo is liquid evaporating too quickly. Add a small amount of water if the orzo is not fully cooked rather than allowing the orzo to become dry. Serve with reserved feta and chopped basil. Enjoy as a meatless main course or side dish with grilled, oven-baked, or sautéed meat and seafood dishes. To reheat leftovers, add a small amount of olive oil and stir frequently.
2. Greek Orzo Pasta Salad with Tangy Marinated Feta and Olives
Chop the feta cheese, tomatoes, olives, red onion, and garlic for the dressing a day or more in advance. Stir in cooked orzo and cucumber and green pepper shortly before serving. Make four servings of this Greek orzo pasta salad with red-wine-vinegar dressing seasoned with age. Extra virgin olive oil and red wine vinegar are combined to create the dressing for this salad. Parsley and oregano and salt and pepper are added to the dressing. Feta cheese, baby plum tomatoes, Kalamata olives, and red onion and garlic are added to the dressing. Cucumber and green pepper are not included in the bowl yet. Cut ingredients into small pieces for easy eating and a mix of flavors. Find prepackaged orzo that has been rinsed and drained to avoid clumping in a salad. Benefits of rinsing prepackaged orzo include avoiding overcooking and further cooling and rinsing of orzo. Risks of not rinsing and draining orzo in a colander before adding it to a salad include extra liquid added to the salad and heating other salad ingredients. Season the salad with the juice of half a lemon and salt and pepper. Let it sit for about 10 minutes if you plan to eat it right away. To serve with chicken, gyros, hamburgers, or moussaka, or to pack salads for lunch, prepare individual salad servings in advance. Salads you pack often become dry.
3. Flaky Spanakopita Spiral with Spinach, Feta, and Crisp Phyllo
This 45-minute spinach spiral made with phyllo dough feeds nine. Spinach and three types of cheese layered in rolled phyllo dough turn out with a golden crust and fully cooked interior. The filling consists of sautéed onions and garlic in olive oil and wilted spinach cooked until all moisture is removed. Other filling ingredients include lemon juice, parsley, pine nuts, nutmeg, cheeses, and an egg. Feta, goat cheese, cream cheese, and shredded cheddar cheese add a sharp, savory taste to the filling. The egg helps bind the filling. Cover unrolled phyllo dough with a damp kitchen towel to keep it moist during assembly. Four tablespoons of filling are placed between two sheets of rolled phyllo to form a log, which is then spiraled into a baking dish. A golden-brown top and firm filling are indicators that the baklava is done. Overfilling or rolling the phyllo too tightly can lead to cracks and problems with spiraling the baklava. Serve baked spirals after they cool for a few minutes, sliced into squares or triangles. Uses for baked spirals include appetizers, side dishes, and main dishes. The article says that unbaked spirals can be assembled, covered, refrigerated, and baked at a later time.
4. Lemony Greek Chickpea Soup with Orzo and Silky Egg-Lemon Broth
Choose lemons that are solid and yellow with no blemishes and that produce at least 1/4 cup of juice. Lemon peel and juice provide lemon flavor to this Greek chickpea soup. Other soup ingredients include orzo pasta, vegetables, and tempered eggs to give the soup broth a smooth, somewhat thick texture and rich flavor. Two cans of chickpeas are a key ingredient. Dry orzo adds pasta-like texture without citrus flavor. Sautéed onion, carrot, celery, lemon zest, and garlic in olive oil add other flavors. Vegetable broth is the soup base. Eggs and extra egg yolks are prepared like in Avgolemono. Kale is added to the soup base. Fresh dill is added when serving for extra flavor. The vegetables should be partially cooked but still firm when broth is added. The orzo should be al dente after simmering uncovered. Slightly thickened broth after the egg and kale mixture is added over low heat is a clue that the dish is done. Mistakes to avoid include adding hot broth to the egg mixture too quickly and scrambling the eggs. Tips to prevent mistakes include streaming the hot broth into the egg mixture slowly while whisking constantly. Serve the soup with garnishes of fresh dill and black pepper and, optionally, olive oil. The soup can be a meal by itself or served with other sides, such as bread or broccoli and Brussels sprout salads. The orzo in the soup will soak up liquid as it sits. Adding broth or water may help when reheating leftover soup.
5. Tuscan Artichoke Tomato Salad With Chickpeas and Simple Vinaigrette
Prep vegetables, herbs, chickpeas, and vinaigrette ahead of time. Assemble before serving or chill the complete salad for 1-2 hours. This Tuscan artichoke and tomato salad with no lettuce features marinated artichoke hearts and cherry tomatoes mixed with capers and chickpeas. Cherry tomatoes are cut in half, not diced. Other ingredients that complement chickpeas and artichokes include thinly sliced red onion, cut basil leaves, chopped chives, and capers. Dressing ingredients include olive oil, red wine vinegar, dried parsley, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Marinated artichokes are suggested but not required; artichokes packed in water may be substituted. The salad is ready when the other salad ingredients and herbs are thoroughly mixed. The main concern with this salad is making it soggy. Tips for avoiding a soggy salad include draining artichokes, washing and drying chickpeas, and using cherry tomatoes. Heirloom and Roma tomatoes were tested in this recipe and added too much moisture to the salad and dressing. Serve immediately as a flavor combination or chilled for a few hours to absorb some dressing flavors. Other salad ingredients and toppings are arugula and sliced cucumber, if desired; pitted olives; shredded carrot; and feta cheese. Leftover salad can be refrigerated in a covered container for up to 2 days.
6. Greek Chicken and Lemon Rice with Feta, Chickpeas, and Spinach
Choose fresh, boneless, skinless chicken thighs to add moisture and cooking liquid to the rice dish. This Greek-style chicken and lemon rice dish with paprika and oregano-seasoned chicken and lemon and other ingredients includes spinach, chickpeas, tomatoes, and feta cheese. Jasmine rice is the main ingredient in this skillet recipe. Chickpeas add volume to the jasmine rice dish. Half the grape tomatoes are cooked with garlic and oregano to add moisture to the jasmine rice dish. The remaining half of grape tomatoes are added to the dish at the end to preserve their freshness. Fresh lemon juice adds flavor to the jasmine rice and feta mixture. Oregano and olive oil add flavor to the feta cubes. The tomatoes should become soft and release their juices before adding spinach. Spinach is cooked when it wilts down into the rice. Keep a close eye on the oil and chicken juices to prevent burning in the pan. Do not move the chicken thighs while cooking each side to brown them before slicing. Serve the chicken with lemon rice and additional feta mixture and oregano. Side dishes to serve with this meal include Greek salad, arugula salad, and spinach salad. To reheat leftover rice, add a small amount of olive oil to a pan and stir the rice until heated through.
7. Portokalopita Greek Orange Pie with Syrup-Soaked Phyllo
Give the finished product time to rest: The Greek orange pie takes 30 to 35 minutes to bake and rest in orange-flavored syrup. Portokalopita is a phyllo pastry dessert with Greek yogurt filling and crisp layers of phyllo pastry soaked in orange batter. The syrup is listed first because it needs to reach room temperature before meeting the hot cake. A light syrup made with sugar, honey, orange juice, halved mini oranges, ground cinnamon, and water is served with a dense phyllo cake. Ingredients for the cake batter include eggs, sugar, Greek yogurt, orange juice, vanilla sugar, orange zest, baking powder, corn oil, and dried phyllo pastry. No mixing is required. Drying the filo sheets thoroughly at 150°C / 300°F prevents the filo sheets from sticking together after baking. Arrange filo sheets evenly during baking for even texture. Bake at 170°C / 340°F until the filo cake is golden brown on top. Measure syrups precisely to avoid over- or under-syrupping the cake. A light layer of syrup will help the syrup absorb into the filo cake. Drizzle cooled syrup over the pie after baking. Cut the pie to allow it to soak up more syrup. Enjoy the pie cold or at room temperature with Greek yogurt and cinnamon, vanilla ice cream, frozen yogurt, or whipped Greek yogurt.
8. Stuffed Eggplant with Warm-Spiced Beef and Garlic Tahini Sauce
Roasted halves of eggplant can be served soft for stuffing but still firm. Stuffings include ground beef with spices and basmati rice, cherry tomatoes, and spicy tahini garlic sauce. The sauce contains Greek yogurt, sesame paste, garlic, lemon juice, cayenne pepper, salt, and water. The sauce ingredients are prepared separately from other ingredients. Half of a spice mixture of paprika, coriander, cumin, and cinnamon is mixed with eggplant and ground beef; the eggplant and ground beef take on the flavor of the spices. Other filling ingredients include onion, garlic, crushed red pepper, cooked rice, tomatoes, parsley, mint, and pistachios, optional. At 400°, eggplant is cooked through when a paring knife can be inserted to pierce it easily, about 35 minutes. Cook onion in a pan while eggplant is baking. Brown ground beef in the same pan. After baking, add eggplant mixture to the pan. This will allow you to fill the halved eggplant evenly without splitting the skin. Serve the baked eggplant halves with warm rice and beef filling and sauce. Fresh mint and parsley can be added as garnish, and pistachios can be added to the filling for added texture, if desired.
9. Greek Moussaka with Beef, Eggplant, and Pecorino Béchamel
Choose fresh, unblemished eggplants with smooth skin. Salting eggplant slices draws out moisture and bitterness. Eggplant slices are the primary ingredient in Greek moussaka. Other ingredients and toppings for moussaka include a seasoned ground beef topping and a sharp pecorino béchamel topping. Moderately lean ground beef is cooked with onions, garlic, tomato paste, red wine, passata, stock, herbs, and cinnamon. The ground beef sauce is simmered. Potatoes are used as a base layer, and zucchini and eggplant are added as other vegetable layers. A béchamel sauce made with butter, flour, milk, egg yolks, and pecorino cheese is added as a thick top layer that does not combine with the ground beef sauce. The vegetables should be browned and drained. The potatoes and zucchini should be cooked, and the eggplant should be browned. The meat sauce should be thick enough to spread with a spoon, not the consistency of a tomato sauce. Drainage problems with the vegetables can lead to other problems, such as the vegetables steaming rather than browning and layers of soggy vegetables in the final product. Layer potatoes, zucchini, and eggplant with meat sauce and more eggplant and béchamel with extra cheese. Let the baked dish cool before serving and garnishing with fresh parsley. This dish serves as an entrée for entertaining and a meal that can be eaten during the week.