Grilled Feta

I wanted to make grilled halloumi but couldn't find any, so I bought some feta and found that you can grill it as long as it's in a little tinfoil packet. This is a great appetizer or accompaniment to a light dinner of Greek salad and chicken souvlaki. You can really add in whatever you want for seasoning. I kept it pretty simple with grape tomatoes, herbs de provence, lemon, and garlic, but you could add cooked tomatoes, capers, chilies, olives... The cheese gets hot and melty and it's super tasty, and couldn't be easier.

Kiki's Greek Tavern in Chinatown

Found such a great spot! Kiki's Greek Tavern in Chinatown. The Times wrote it up two weeks ago so I tried it out with my friends Kara and Alice. It's adorable! It's down a tiny street in deep Chinatown (off the East Broadway stop) and to fit in with the neighborhood, the awning says "Kiki's Tavern" in Chinese characters. The inside is sparse and charming and the waiters are so friendly and don't rush you at all. Most importantly, the food is fantastic. 

Roasted Butterflied Leg of Lamb

This year for New Year's we decided to have a few friends out to Southampton for the weekend for a low key celebration. To make it special, I wanted to make a really great dinner. I started with Prune-Stuffed Gnocchi with a Foie Gras-Madeira Glaze and then for the main, Michael Psilakis' Stuffed Lamb recipe and some green beans. For dessert, we did a make your own ice cream sundae - always a big hit. It was a delicious and special dinner and a really fun night. The lamb was savory and had great Mediterranean flavors. The spread you make to rub into the middle of the lamb is extremely tasty - I could have eaten it straight. If you have the time, definitely do it the night before and let it air dry in the fridge. It makes such a great, crispy sear. Also, the broth under the lamb as it roasts smells heavenly.

Serves 6-8
Ingredients:
For the stuffing:
1 1/2 cups large sundried tomatoes, roughly chopped
1/4 cup oil-cured black olives, pitted
1 tsp minced rosemary
leaves from 3 sprigs of fresh thyme
1 tsp dry Greek oregano
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
10 cloves of garlic, mashed into a paste
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp fresh ground pepper

Moussaka

Moussaka is one of my favorite Greek recipes. I love eggplant and the great flavors of cinnamon and onions and garlic in the tomato-meat sauce. This is a great alternative to lasagna and is good for feeding a large group (there were six of us and we ate the moussaka twice - once the first night and then another night we ate the leftovers, yum!). It's a bit of a labor of love, so you have to set out an hour or two to make it, but it's well worth it. It also tastes even better the next day.

Ingredients:

4 eggplants

Olive oil

4 medium onions, chopped

6 garlic cloves, minced

1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes in tomato puree

2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 cinnamon stick (or 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon)

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar (maybe more to taste)

2 pounds ground beef

1/2 cups dry white wine

Black pepper to taste

Tzatziki

Every night in Greece we have a little cocktail hour when we snack on tzatziki, carrots, pita, olives... and drink some cheap but pretty good white jug wine while the sun goes down (not too bad, right?). Maria, the Greek woman who takes care of the house and speaks zero English, taught me to make authentic tzatziki about eight years ago. It's very simple and incredibly good - creamy, refreshing, with a great garlic zestiness. It's a wonderful hors d'oeuvres to have out at a party. This version is very simple, and I like it a lot more than those that add sour cream or dill etc, and it brings back great memories of watching the sun set!

Ingredients:
1 hot house cucumber
1-2 cups Greek yogurt (full fat is better, but you can use the low fat versions)

Roasted red pepper and feta dip

Jamie and I ordered this at one of my favorite restaurants on Ios (Old Byron's) and I finally recreated it - to the best of my ability. It's so tasty, and not a dip you really see. Plus it's easy to whip up. We ate it with some grilled ciabatta bread. I'm definitely going to make it again next time I have people over - much more interesting than the usual suspects with crudités.

Ingredients:
2 red bell peppers
half a block of feta
1 glove garlic (chopped)
quarter of a lemon
pinch red pepper flakes
olive oil

Directions
Put the two red peppers under the broiler and turn them when until they are charred all around. Put the peppers in a bowl, cover with saran wrap, and let sit for 10 minutes. Then peel off the skin (they steam in the bowl, separating the skin from the meat of the pepper). If you're pressed for time, you can use store bought roasted red peppers.

Place the feta, peppers, and garlic in a food processor and grind, adding between 1 and 2 tablespoons of olive oil as needed. Squeeze in the lemon to taste and add the red pepper flakes, pulse, then salt and pepper to taste.

 For the bread, slice some ciabatta in half, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle salt and pepper, and throw on the grill or under the broiler. Extra tasty if once it's toasted you rub it with a clove of garlic.