Chopped Greek Salad

Greece still being  on my bucket list, I have no idea how authentic any Greek salad really is, actually.  Is it  like  pizza.....mostly an American version of some vaguely similar dish?    Whatever  the answer,  as for salads ,  there's nothing like a tangy Greek salad.     If you're in the market for a superb  traditional recipe, check  my   January '08  blog entry.   But lettuce  doesn't always hold over or travel well,  so I  often rely on this crisp, crunchy  alternative.  With nothing  delicate  to wilt,  and no  sour cream, yogurt  or mayonnaise to be concerned about,  there are  no  worries about  refrigeration  issues when taking this  version  anywhere. It was great tonight  served with  rack of lamb roasted with a little dijon and breadcrumb coating, and I love munching on it for a tasty low-fat, low-cal, low-carb lunch or snack.    

  Keep the veggies chopped in a uniform size, about nickel size, in order to get a taste of several veggies  in each bite. This will easily serve 8 hungry people, it  makes a substantial  bowlful.   I double it when taking to a party and it disappears  in a flash. 

Chop everything  &  toss together in a large bowl:

1 1/2 c. fresh broccoli ( no stems) , 1 1/2 c. fresh cauliflower ( no stems) , 1 medium cucumber with the  peel on,  1 c. cherry tomatoes, halved,  1/2 pepper  of each color: green, red, yellow;    1 large can  whole ripe pitted  olives, drained and cut in half; ( you can use Greek or Kalamata if you choose) ,  3 sliced green onions, green and white  parts,   8 oz Greek vinaigrette salad dressing, Kraft or any brand;   and 1 c. feta cheese.  Don't skimp on the feta !     It's ready to eat  or will keep  for several days,  keep  refrigerated.    After a day or two the dressing may congeal a  bit; just set it on the  counter  briefly, stir, and it will become clear again.

Superb Greek Salad

With chunks of tangy feta cheese, salty black olives and a red wine vinaigrette, Greek salads are meant to be bold  flavor statements. But too often, they  suffer from pale lettuce, watery tomatoes and cucumbers, and a greasy pool of dressing at the bottom of the bowl.

 I enjoy Cook's Country magazine because the recipes are accompanied by detailed descriptions of  how and why they were tested and developed.   Here's an example of  comments on how this staple salad was improved ....it is terrific!

"To reduce the amount of liquid released from the vegetables, seed the cucumbers and use fleshy cherry tomatoes rather than larger (and juicier) tomatoes. The taste of raw onion can overpower the other ingredients. Marinate sliced onion in the dressing for 20 minutes to tame its harshness. We  lost the iceberg lettuce for the crunchiness of romaine.For creamier dressing with better cling, we added a bit of plain whole-milk yogurt. Blending some of the feta cheese into the dressing ensures that every bite has tangy cheese flavor"

 

Process together: 1/2 c. feta cheese, 3 TB whole milk or Greek style yogurt*, 1 tsp organo, 1 garlic clove, minced, 3 TB red-wine vinegar, 6 TB extra virgin olive oil in blender til smooth, about 30 seconds.  In a large bowl, combine the dressing and 1/2 red onion ,sliced thinly, and let sit 20 minutes.

 

Add 3/4 c. crumbled feta, 1 cucumber - peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded & sliced thin, 1 pint cherry tomatoes, 3/4 c. pitted Kalamata olives, and 2 heads romaine ( about 8 c.) torn into bite -size pieces.  Toss everything to combine, season with salt and pepper, and serve.

 

*Use regular yogurt if necessary, but you can duplicate the creaminess of whole milk- or Greek style- yogurt by draining skiim or regular yogurt on a coffee filter for an hour or  longer.

Greek Gyro Burgers

Better than a making 'real' gyro any day, simply because  finding  and roasting the lamb/beef meat  for slicing is a hassle.   I can find ground lamb almost anywhere, it tastes just as good,  and while white pitas are wonderful, I've found some whole wheat versions that are terrific too, so I have zero guilt  with these sandwiches.

Don't be tempted to skip the fresh mint even if you do have to pay a small fortune  for  a  little package in the produce section...it's key to  the true flavor of both the burger and the tzatzaki sauce, and you'll make this recipe again.  Put the leftover mint, stems discarded, leaves chopped up, in an ice cube tray, fill  with water.  When frozen, pop the cubes into a freezer bag and save til you need some again.

Make the burgers:  mix 1 lb ground lamb ( substitute beef if you must, but I don't want to know about it) , 2 TB plain dry breadcrumbs, 2 TB plain yogurt, 2 TB chopped fresh mint leaves, 1 egg, 1 tsp each: minced garlic, ground cumin, dried oregano.   Shape into 4 patties,  cover and refrigerate while making the tzatziki sauce:

In a small bowl, mix 8 oz plain yogurt, 1 c. seeded, diced, skin-on cucumber, 3 TB chopped red onion, 2 TB chopped fresh mint leaves, 3/4 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp minced garlic.

Grill or broil  for about 10 minutes, til cooked through, to 160 degrees.  Serve in pita bread halves with lettuce leaves, halved cherry tomatoes, and the sauce.