Platter Greek Pasta Salad

          My husband and I have recently become obsessed with Greek food. I'm not quite sure why it started now, as its been 3 years since I have been to Greece, and he has never been. Regardless, I find myself constantly scouring cookbooks & blogs for Greek-themed recipes.

        This dish has a slight twist on a regular Greek salad, and makes for an excellent side dish or main entree. The recipe printed here serves 8-10 people as a side, and 4-6 people as an entree. I made it for dinner with my in-laws last week, and it was a big hit. It can be prepped & made in about 30-40 minutes, including the time it takes to boil the water & chop all the veggies.

Ingredients:

• Dijon Vinaigrette
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 large clove garlic, minced
• Big pinch of salt
• Black pepper, to taste
• 2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
•  
• Pasta Salad
• 2 medium zucchini, thinly sliced lengthwise
• 1 medium yellow pepper, halved lengthwise, seeded
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Ground black pepper and salt, to taste
• 2 tablespoons salt for pasta water
• 1 pound medium pasta shells (I used whole-wheat penne)
• 1/2 cucumber, sliced
• 8 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved
• 3/4 cup coarsely chopped, pitted Kalamata olives
• 1 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1/2 small red onion, cut into small dice
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano

Directions:

1. To make the vinaigrette, whisk together the first five ingredients, then slowly whisk in the oil for a thick consistency. 
2. Adjust oven rack to highest position and turn broiler on high. Toss zucchini and bell pepper with olive oil, salt and pepper, and arrange on a large baking sheet with sides. Broil eight to 10 minutes, until spotty brown, turning zucchini slices and pepper halves once. Set aside in a large bowl to cool, then cut into bite-sized pieces. (You could also cut prior to broiling),
3. Bring 1 gallon of water and 2 Tbs. of salt to boil. Add pasta; boil using package times, until just tender. Drain thoroughly and set aside to cool.
4. Put vegetables, pasta and remaining ingredients (except dressing) in the bowl and toss with 3/4 of dressing mixture to coat. Put in fridge until almost ready to serve (up to 24 hours).
5. Arrange romaine lettuce onto platter. Drizzle with remaining dressing. Place pasta salad mixture on top and serve immediately.

Lemon-Dill Rice

I really like rice, but it can get quite boring after a while. I wanted to serve rice with my chicken gyros, so I googled "Greek Rice" and discovered a whole new plethora of ways to make rice. I forgot to take a photo, but here is my adapted recipe for lemon-dill rice. Its perfect with a Greek-type meal.

Ingredients:

1 cup brown rice

2 1/4 cups chicken stock (could also use water)

1 tsp butter

1 whole lemon, juiced, plus zest

2 tbsp fresh dillweed

Directions:

In a large saucepan, bring rice, chicken stock & butter to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for approximately 30 minutes, until liquid has absorbed. Stir in lemon juice, zest and dillweed, and cook on low heat for a few minutes until lemon juice has absorbed. Fluff with a fork and serve.

Chicken Gyros

These gyros are my husband's new favourite food - he could seriously eat them every day. I recommend serving them with my lemon-dill rice & greek salad. You can substitute pork loin for chicken, if desired.

Chicken Marinade:

4 cloves garlic, smashed
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tsp. red wine vinegar
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 heaping tbsp. plain yogurt
1 tbsp. dried oregano
Salt and pepper
1 1/4 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into large bite-sized piece

Extras: Greek pitas, red onion, tzatziki sauce, diced tomatoes, wooden skewers

Directions: Soak wooden skewers in water. Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Pour over chicken and let marinate for at least one hour, preferably 2-3. Remove chicken and thread onto wooden skewers. Broil in oven or bake at 350F for approximately 20 minutes, until chicken is no longer pink.

Source: Adapted from www.annies-eats.com - thank you to the ladies at the Nest for sharing!!

Greek Salad

Justin & I love Greek food. For me, it started a few years ago when I visited Greece - before that, I hadn't eaten an olive or feta in my entire life! Now, Greek/Mediterranean food is a staple in our diet. We have "Greek Night" almost every week. Here is a staple: authentic Greek Salad:

Ingredients:

1 cucumber, washed & chopped

2-3 Roma (plum) tomatoes, chopped

1 small red onion, sliced

1/2 cup feta, crumbled in large pieces

1/2 cup pitted olives

1/4 tsp oregano

Dressing:

1/3 cup olive oil

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 tsp dijon mustard

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp salt (optional)

Whisk dressing ingredients in small bowl & mix well with ingredients. Let sit 30 mins in fridge & serve.