This Greek salad is one of my favorite things. No matter how much I make, it seems to always disappear.
Greek salad
Ingredients
- 4 tomatoes
- 1-2 cucumbers
- 1 bell pepper (any color)
- 1/2 red onion
- salt and pepper
- 1/4 tsp dry oregano leaves
- 100 g greek Kalamata olives pitted
- 100 g feta cheese
- 1/2 lemon
- 4 Tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- Cut the tomatoes in quarters.
- Slice the cucumbers in half long ways (remove seeds if desired) and cut 1/4 inch slices, starting at one end, so that you end up with bunch of half moon shapes or the letter “C”.
- Remove the core and seeds from the bell pepper and cut into strips.
- Peel the onion and cut into perfectly thin slices.
- Combine the tomatoes, cucumber, onion, bell pepper and olives in a bowl. Season with salt, pepper and dry oregano. Mix.
- Top it with sliced feta cheese. Squeeze the lemon on salad and drizzle with olive oil.
- If you like to serve your Greek Salad in individual cups, you can cut the vegetables into small cubes.
Chickpea salad with bell pepper
Cans are usually pretty handy at home or on the go; there is no need to go to a store and they are quick to prepare. This chickpea salad is a great example of the usefulness of cans. Just open a can and mix it with other ingredients available at home.
There are multiple recipes of salads with this legume: here is one of them with bell pepper, olives and fresh cilantro.
Chickpea salad with bell pepper
Ingredients
- 400 g (1 can) garbanzo beans drained
- 1 bell pepper cored and slices
- 80 g olives (black or green), drained and sliced
- 1 clove garlic pressed
- 1/2 red onion cut into thin slices
- Fresh herbs (cilantro or parsley), finely chopped
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 lemon
- 3-4 Tsp olive oil
Instructions
- Combine all veggies in a bowl. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper. Drizzle with freshly pressed lemon juice and olive oil. Toss gently.
Homemade Hummus
With or without tahini, homemade hummus made from scratch only takes 5 minutes to make. No needs to cook the chickpeas, just open a can and mix with garlic, lemon juice and olive oil! This delicious healthy snack can be serve for any occasion with pita bread or garden vegetables.
Homemade Hummus
Ingredients
- 1 can (400 g) garbanzo beans (chickpea)
- 1 lemon
- 2-3 cloves garlic chopped
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 Tbsp tahini (sesame paste) optional
- 3-4 Tbsp olive oil
- A few pinches chili powder (or paprika)
Instructions
- Drain garbanzo beans, keep half of the juice.
- In a food processor, place the chickpeas, lemon juice, garlic, salt, black pepper, tahini, chili powder and 2 Tbsp of olive oil. Mix until smooth. Add 1 or 2 Tbsp of the juice from the can (or water) to give a desired texture to the hummus.
- Transfer hummus to a serving bowl, drizzle with the rest of the olive oil and sprinkle with chili powder or paprika.
Lemon Rosemary Salmon
Tasty, simple and beautiful looking dish for everyday or special occasions.
Lemon Rosemary Salmon
Ingredients
- 4 salmon fillets remove bone and skin
- 1 large lemon thinly sliced
- 8 spring fresh rosemary washed
- 8 Tbsp olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tsp paprika
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF.
- Add 4 Tbsp of olive oil to baking dish. Place one slice of lemon and one rosemary spring under each salmon fillet.
- Add salt, pepper and paprika evenly over salmon and place one slice of lemon and one rosemary spring on top of salmon.
- Drizzle 4 Tbsp of olive oil over salmon.
- Bake 25 minutes until salmon is flaky.
- Place salmon on serving platter and enjoy.
Pork Schnitzel
Schnitzel is the German word for “cutlet”, which is usually made with veal and is thinly pounded, breaded and fried in oil. I make my Schnitzel with pork and it tastes just amazing, soft inside and crispy outside.
Pork Schnitzel
Ingredients
- 2 lb pork tenderloin
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1 cup bread crumbs
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 lemon thinly sliced
Instructions
- Cut the meat into 6 equal pieces. Place each piece between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound with the flat side of meat tenderizer, until about 1/4 inch thick.
- You will need four large dinner plates: In the first plate, combine together flour, salt and pepper. Whisk eggs and milk in the second plate. In your third plate stir together paprika with bread crumbs. And one empty plate.
- Dip each piece of meat one by one into the egg mixture.
- Then dip into flour.
- And again into egg mixture.
- Then into bread crumbs.
- Place your coated schnitzel on the plate number four.
- Pour oil into a large skillet about 1/2 inch. Heat the oil over medium heat.
- Once the oil is hot, carefully lay in each prepared schnitzel, cooking one at a time. Cook on each side for about 3 minutes. Turn it over to brown the other side.
- Transfer to paper towel. Repeat with remaining pork slices.
- Garnish with lemon slices and parsley.
Oven Roasted Eggplant Cubes
It doesn’t take much time to roast an eggplant in the oven, all you have to do is: cut it, salt it, drizzle with some lemon juice and olive oil, toss it and mix it couple of times while it is cooking. You can serve it by itself or as a main dish, with meat or fish. It tastes even better next day: perfect for lunch or picnic.
Oven Roasted Eggplant Cubes
Ingredients
- 2 large eggplant
- 1/2 lemon (juice only)
- 1 bulb garlic
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 6 Tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 bunch fresh parsley or cilantro finely chopped
Instructions
- Heat the oven to its hottest setting,typically around 500 degrees Fahrenheit, and turn on the broil. Cut the eggplant into 1-2 inch cubes. Transfer them to a baking sheet and spread out into a single layer.
- Drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice.
- Peel garlic and smash it with a heavy knife.
- Add garlic and pepper, give it a good mix with spatula or your hand.
- Place a rack on top of your oven and cook the eggplant cubes for 10 minutes. Carefully take the eggplant out and stir it with a spatula. Return to the oven for 10 more minutes. Taste the eggplant. Cook for another 5 minutes if needed.
- Remove the eggplant from the oven. Garnish with fresh herbs and serve hot or room temperature.