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Olive Oil Recipes
One of the key benefits to cooking with olive oil
is that it prevents cardiovascular disease.
This is why there has been so much talk
recently about "The Mediterranean Diet",
which has olive oil as its basic
ingredient.
Click for a few simple Greek recipes that make the most of olive oil's health benefits.
Greek Salad
Vegetable Souvlaki
Moussaka
Potatoes with Oregano
Baked Fish
Vegetable Casserole
Walnut Cake (Karythopita)
Easy Eggplant dip
(Melitzanosalata)
Cretan “Dakos” salad
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Greek Salad
(serves 4) |
| Ingredients:
|
Preparation: |
2 ripe tomatoes
1 cucumber
1/2 small onion thinly sliced
1/2 small green pepper thinly sliced
olives for garnish
4 ounces feta cheese cut in small cubes
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp vinegar
salt, pepper, and pinch of oregano |
Thinly slice the tomatoes
and cucumber. Mix with onion slices, peppers, olives, and feta cheese in a
bowl. Drizzle with oil, vinegar. Season with crushed oregano,
salt, pepper to taste. Toss and serve.
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Vegetable Souvlaki (serves 6-8) |
| Ingredients:
|
Preparation: |
1 bell pepper
1 eggplant
10-12 pearl onions
1 zucchini
6 medium size mushrooms
1 cup cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tspn oregano
salt, pepper
1/2 cup bread crumbs |
Cut pepper in large chunks and blanch in boiling
water along with the pearl onions, then drain and set aside. Peel the
eggplant. Cut the zucchini and the eggplant in large cubes. Cut mushrooms into
halves. Whisk the olive oil with the salt, pepper and oregano. Skewer the
vegetables and brush with the olive oil mixture. Sprinkle with bread crumbs
and grill over hot charcoals, turning occasionally. Serve with meat, fish, rice or by
themselves. |
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Moussaka
(serves 6-8) |
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Ingredients:
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Preparation: |
2 large potatoes
2 eggplants
2 zucchinis
1 cup olive oil
1.5 lb lean ground beef
1/4 cup red wine
1 large onion
3 large peeled and pureed tomatoes or 2 cups crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup finely chopped parsley
1 tbsp dried basil
salt, pepper
For Béchamel sauce:
1 stick of unsalted butter
8 tbsp all purpose flour
4-5 cups milk
1 egg
season to taste
bread crumbs |
For meat sauce:
Sauté the meat in 1/4 cup
of olive oil. Finely chop the onions and add to meat. Cook till onions are translucent.
Add wine. Cook for five more minutes and add tomatoes, chopped parsley, salt and pepper
and crushed basil. Simmer mixture for 15-20 minutes. (This step can be done the day
before.)
For Moussaka: Vegetables were once fried in olive oil in this traditional
recipe. They are grilled here instead, with healthier results, and lighter taste.
Peel
and slice the potatoes into 1/2 inch thick medallions. Brush with olive oil and broil in a
flat pan. Turn over when golden. Brush with oil and bake the other side. Repeat
process with 1 eggplant and zucchini. Arrange the potatoes on the bottom of a 13 X
9X2 inch baking dish. Pour meat sauce over them. Layer the eggplant and
zucchini slices over meat sauce. Top it with Béchamel sauce (see below).
Sprinkle with bread crumbs and two tbsp of olive oil. Bake at 350° C for 35-40 minutes or
until crust is golden.
For Béchamel sauce: Heat milk (do not boil) and set aside. In a separate sauce pan
melt the butter over low heat. Add flour gradually while stirring rigorously. Add the milk
and keep stirring until thick and smooth. When bubbles start forming, remove from
heat and add egg yolk, stirring vigorously. Season to taste. |
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Potatoes
with Oregano
(serves 4-6)
This is a classic recipe to accompany lamb, and
chicken dishes. In our home we like it as a dish by itself, served with a dandelion
or endive salad during the lent. |
| Ingredients: |
Preparation: |
6 large potatoes cut in four lengthwise
1/2 lemon
1 cup olive oil
1.5 tbsp crushed oregano
salt, and pepper |
Heat the oven at 375 degrees. Peel the potatoes. Wash
thoroughly. Cut in fourths and rinse them again. Place them in a 9x12 inch
baking dish. Squeeze the lemon and pour the juice over the potatoes. Pour the
oil on top. Season with the oregano, salt, and freshly grounded
pepper. Add 1/2 cup of water and bake for 1hour or until potatoes are golden but
soft when pierced with a fork, turning at least once. (If water is needed you may
add another 1/2 a cup when turning the potatoes.) |
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Baked
Fish (serves four) |
| Ingredients:
|
Preparation: |
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2lb filet halibut, scrod, or haddock
1/2 lemon
2 medium onions sliced in rings 1/4 inch thick
2 medium tomatoes sliced in rounds 1/4 inch thick
1
tsp thyme
2 tbsp. breadcrumbs
1/2
cup pitted olives for garnish
chopped parsley for garnish
1/2 cup olive oil
salt, pepper
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Wash the filet several
times with cold water. Remove from water. Let drain. Squeeze 1/2 a lemon
over the fish. Sprinkle with salt on both sides. Meanwhile blanch the onion
slices in parboiling water. Rinse them with cold water. Drain the onion
slices, and arrange them on the bottom of a shallow baking dish. Place the fish on
the top of the onions. Crush the thyme and sprinkle the fish with it. Arrange
the tomato slices on top of the fish, ant top each slice with an olive. Pour the
olive oil on top of the fish and tomatoes. Add freshly grounded pepper, and sprinkle
with bread crumbs. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 min. Remove from
oven. Garnish with parsley and serve. |
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Vegetable
Casserole |
| Ingredients: |
Preparation: |
|
1 large eggplant
sliced lengthwise, and cut in finger size strips.
2 medium size zucchini cut in strips (same size as the eggplant)
1 red pepper diced in small chunks
2 carrots sliced
in small sticks
2 medium onions
chopped
2 cloves of
garlic peeled
3 medium tomatoes
peeled and chopped, or 2 cups crushed tomatoes.
1tsp thyme, and 1
tsp oregano
chopped parsley for garnish
1 cup olive oil
salt, pepper
chopped parsley
for garnish
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Wash the vegetables
thoroughly. Chop the onion. Pour 1/4 cup of water into a small pan and parboil
the onion. When the water evaporated add the oil. Cook the onion for one min.
Add the pepper chunks and stir for one more min. Remove from heat. Set aside
to cool.
Slice the vegetables. Place
them in a large baking dish. Season with salt, pepper, thyme and oregano. Add
the peeled garlic in the pan. Pour the oil, chopped onions and the chunks of red
pepper over the vegetables. Toss them well. Bake at 375 degrees for about 45
min. When vegetables are tender, but not overcooked, remove from oven.
Garnish with chopped parsley just before you serve.
This dish has a much better flavor
if it stays for a few hours. It is nice compliment to all meats at a summer
barbecue, and a wonderful vegetarian meal.
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Walnut Cake (Karythopita) |
| Ingredients: |
Preparation: |
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5 eggs
1 cup of milk
2 cups plain bread crumbs
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup sugar
1 cup olive oil
1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
1 Tbsp baking soda
For
the syrup
3 cups sugar
2
cups water
I
stick cinnamon
2
slices lemon
|
In a
large saucepan boil all the ingredients for the syrup for 3 min. Remove from
heat and let cool.
Beat the
eggs with sugar at medium speed for 5 minutes.
Heat the
milk and dilute the baking soda in it. Add to the egg mixture. Add the
rest of the ingredients. Beat for another 2 minutes. Pour batter in a greased
13x9x2 inch baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 min. or until a wooden skewer
inserted in the cake comes out clean.
Remove
the cake from the oven, and pour the syrup over it. Cut in diamond shape or square
pieces. and serve cold. It is very good with fruits or ice cream.
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Easy Eggplant dip (Melitzanosalata) |
| Ingredients: |
Preparation: |
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1 clove
garlic, crushed
˝ cup olive oil
3 medium-sized eggplant
2 T vinegar
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Skin eggplants and cut into thin slices. Broil them in
oven for 15 minutes.
Let cool, then mash, adding the rest of ingredients.
Refrigerate. Serve with bread.
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Cretan “Dakos” salad |
| Ingredients: |
Preparation: |
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2 large
tomatoes, chopped
˝ cup olive oil
handful of
olives
2 large pieces
of double-baked bread (dried)
one large piece
feta cheese
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Put bread at bottom of salad bowl; add rest of
ingredients, allowing tomato juice and oil to soak bread. Serve cool. |
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OLIVE OILS