Greek-Inspired Menu

Ryan and I really like Middle Eastern food (hummus, tzatziki, gyros, kabobs, etc.), and decided to make our own Greek food instead of going out for dinner (although Carter is a really good baby, it is still much easier to hang out at home as opposed to a restaurant).  We made a trip down to Whole Foods to get some organic produce for Carter (will post another blog with some easy baby food recipes) and got a few things for ourselves.  We also picked up some Bulgarian feta from Sahara (right by Sarasota High on 41 in Sarasota; it's seriously the best I've ever had and is definitely worth the extra stop).  On the menu for last night: Greek-marinated grilled chicken thighs, grilled naan bread, pan-fried potatoes, tzatziki sauce, feta, and bellinis to drink!

Dinner is served!

Greek-Marinated Grilled Chicken Thighs:

Ingredients-

4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (this recipe would work with any piece of chicken you prefer)

1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano

1 tablespoon lemon zest

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper

1 teaspoon red wine vinegar 

2 tablespoons olive oil

Mix all the ingredients (besides chicken) together in a bowl and then add to a Ziploc gallon bag; add the chicken and massage the marinade into the chicken.  Let marinate in fridge for 1-2 hours (any longer, the chicken will start to cook from the vinegar).  Heat grill (for some reason our grill doesn't do the whole "low and slow" thing, so we always end up grilling on high heat...works for this, a little more difficult for chicken breast) and add chicken.  Cook on first side about 7-8 minutes until there are some nice grill marks, flip and cook on the other side for another 2-3 minutes until when you push on the chicken it's nice and "springy" and the juices are clear.  Let rest for about 10 minutes before cutting and serving.

Grilled Naan Bread:

Ingredients for homemade (ahh, just kidding, I don't have the time for that!!) naan:

Store-bought Naan bread (it's sold at Whole Foods and Publix I know for sure)

2 tablespoons olive oil

Sea salt

Brush olive oil on both sides and sprinkle with sea salt.  Put on the grill at the very last minute and cook for a minute (or less) on each side, or until you just start to get some grill marks.  Serve immediately. 

Pan-Fried Potatoes:

Ingredients:

2 pounds of sliced red potatoes

Olive oil for frying

Zest of 1 lemon

1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano

1 teaspoon sea salt (plus more to taste)

1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper

Pan-fried potatoes with oregano and lemon zest

Using a mandalin, slice potatoes into 1/4 inch slices (keep in an ice bath to prevent from browning, but make sure to dry before frying).  Add enough olive oil to just coat the bottom of the frying pan, turn onto medium-high heat (ever stove is different, so whatever temperature you need to make sure it won't burn, if it's smoking, it's too hot!).  Mix together the zest, oregano, salt, and pepper in a small bowl and set aside.  When oil is ready, add potatoes in a single layer (I had to do four batches) and fry on each side until golden brown (about 5 minutes per side).  When each batch is done, add to a big bowl and add a pinch of the herb/zest mixture and toss to combine.  Continue doing so until all potatoes are cooked and all the herb/zest mixture has been used.  This turned out so well, it might be my new favorite.  For a little healthier option, you could bake potatoes on high heat.  

Tzatziki Sauce:

Ingredients:

1 small container (6 or 8 oz) of 2% plain Greek yogurt

1/2 cucumber grated

Zest and juice of 1 lemon (might need more juice depending on how juicy lemon is)

1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano

1 teaspoon red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon olive oil

Tzatziki sauce

Salt and Pepper to taste

Add all the ingredients in a bowl and serve (that was hard, huh?).  The leftovers make for a great salad dressing or condiment for a sandwich or burger.

Bellinis:

Ingredients:

2 cups fresh or thawed, frozen peaches peeled

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup peach schnapps

Juice of 1 lemon

1 bottle of sparkling wine (doesn't need to be anything fancy, look for $10 range, I prefer cava)

In a small sauce pan, mix together everything except the sparkling wine.  Cook on medium-high heat, stirring frequently until sugar has dissolved.  Allow to cool and then add to a blender.  You can strain it if you prefer it to be a bit smoother, but I like the little bits of pulp.  Put in the fridge for a few hours until cooled.  Add peach puree to a chilled champagne flute about 1/4 of the way up and top with sparkling wine.  It's not quite as good as Petrossian at the Bellagio (or in NYC), but it's mighty tasty and a nice way to end a long week.