Easter Leg of Lamb

The first day I realized I had the craziest family on the block, was Easter morning somewhere in the decade of 1990. When I looked outside into the yard I remember seeing my dad and grandpa on the grass, with long spearlike metal rods, and a whole dead lamb laying out on plastic. They had just gotten back from Sears with all new roasting rods. It was 6am. 

If you don't want to get a whole lamb and save some of your grass- this is a great way to keep up with tradition.

There are two people in my family who make leg of lamb the best. My uncle Chris and of course my cousin Christina. She is my twin in every way. I love her. 

Ingredients:
1 bone-in leg of lamb, 5-8 lbs depending on how many people you are serving (don’t forget the lamb will shrink!)
5 lbs potatoes, peeled and cubed
5 cloves of garlic, sliced in half
4 additional garlic cloves, smashed slightly
3 lemons
1 cup extra Virgin greek olive oil
1-2 cups chicken broth
Oregano
Salt and pepper
4 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced

Directions: 

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

2. Trim away most of the visible fat and silver skin. 

3. Make ten slits into the lamb with a pairing knife. You can make 5 slits on each side. Insert each half of the garlic clove into the lamb. 

4. Drizzle olive oil on to each side of the lamb and rub it in. (You shouldn’t need more than 1/4 cup). 

5. Season both sides with oregano, salt and pepper.

6. In a roasting pan, add the potatoes, the remainder of the oil, 1 cup of the chicken broth and lemon juice from the 3 lemons. Mix well. 

7. Spread the potatoes to the periphery of the pan and place the leg of lamb into the middle of the pan. 

8. Add one of the 4 additional smashed garlic cloves to each corner. Season the potatoes with salt and pepper. 

9. Add the seeded diced tomatoes around the pan.

***note*** If the liquid in the pan doesn’t reach to about half way up the lamb, add more chicken broth.

10. Slow roast in the oven for about 5 hours, turning the lamb over every hour.

Wait 20 minutes before carving. Enjoy. 

Greek Peas

Sometimes I only post hard recipes and forget that the simple ones are just as important and delicious! These are the things that keep me up at night and probably why I always dream of food! So here is a STAT midnight greek pea recipe on request- brought to you from my bed. This dish is also known as Arakas Kokinistos! 

Ingredients: 

2 lbs green peas 

16 ounce can of chopped tomatoes 

1 onion, chopped 

2/3 cup of olive oil 

2/3 cup water 

1 1/2 teaspoon of salt 

1 teaspoon of pepper 

A bunch of fresh dill, chopped. (Avoid using the stem of the fresh dill) 

Directions:

1. Heat olive oil on medium heat. Add onions and sautée until translucent. 

2. Add the peas and coat well in the oil. Try not to let the onions brown by mixing well. 

3. Add the tomato, dill, salt and pepper. Stir the sauce well. Bring to a boil while stirring to keep the bottom from burning. 

4. Once at a boil, lower heat to simmer for 45 minutes. Keep the lid halfway covering the pan. Serve and enjoy! 

Notes: 

-You can use frozen peas, just defrost for 20 minutes and rinse. 

-There are many variations, the longer you cook it the less chunky the sauce will be.  

-If you like dill- just keep adding it in. 

FYI 

-It comes out differently depending on who is making it, but this recipe is as good as I can get it considering no one measures! 

The importance of this dish is the oil, the use of only onion (no garlic!), and the dill. It is present on just about every holiday. It is often used as a side dish for everyday dinners. It is definetly a more exciting way to make peas and worth a try! 

Background: 

The base of this dish- of the oil, tomato and onion is called kokkinisto. That base can also be used when making meats such as chicken, beef or pork.

If you were using meat, instead of the dill, you would add something like cloves or cinnamon! 

Spanakorizo

Delicious recipe for traditional Greek rice. 

Ingredients: 

1 cup of basmati rice 

2 tablespoons of olive oil 

1/2 cup chopped onion 

1 tablespoon chopped garlic 

1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin 

1/2 pound of baby spinach 

2 cups of vegetable or chicken broth

4 tablespoons of fresh dill 

1/2 teaspoon of salt 

Fresh ground pepper 

Juice from one lemon 

Zest from one lemon 

Directions: 

1. Heat olive oil in a medium pan with a tightly fitted cover over medium high heat. Add onions 5-7 minutes until translucent. Add garlic and continue to sautée for another minute. 

2. Add the lemon zest, cumin, and spinach. Cover the pan and cook 3-5

minutes until the spinach wilts. 

3. Add rice, stock, half of the dill, salt, 3 turns of cracked pepper, and stir well. Bring to a boil. 

4. Reduce heat to a simmer, replacing lid on the pan. Cook 15-20 minutes until the rice is tender. 

5. Before serving, add the remaining dill and lemon and stir into the rice. 

Mom's Greek Lemon & Dill Chicken

You know what they say about a dish, if it's eaten with someone you love, then it will taste even better. I know my mom is a phenomenal cook, but it tasted ten times better cause we sat down and ate together. 

This recipe is a quick fix especially for cold nights! It reminds me most of my mom because I'm pretty sure she invented it.  It was always a nice surprise to come home from school and see it simmering on the stove. The aroma of the lemon and garlic you can smell first, and will have your mouth watering. Soon you will be asking "Mom, is it ready yet?" 

Ingredients: 

6 Chicken cutlets, pounded or sliced very thin

Flour batter: 

2 tablespoons of Flour 

1/4 teaspooon of Lemon pepper 

1/4 teaspoon of dried oregano 

1/4 teaspoon of Garlic powder 

1/4 teaspoon of dried thyme 

2 1/2 tablespoons of paprika 

2 1/2 tablespoons of dill 

2 cloves of garlic sliced 

3 cups of Chicken broth (or 3 bullion cubes and three cups of water). 

1 fresh squeezed lemon 

4 tablespoons of butter 

4 tablespoons of olive oil 

1/2 cup white wine 

Directions: 

1. Slice the 6 chicken cutlets thin. You will end up with 10-12 smaller, thinner pieces. 

2. Make a flour batter of flour, lemon pepper, thyme, and garlic powder. Coat each peice of chicken well. Set aside.

3. Sauté chicken peices in 4 tablespoons of olive oil and 2 tablespoons of butter on either side until brown. When turning the chicken, add 2 more butter tablespoons of butter. 

4. Add chicken stock to the pan. 

5. Add garlic slices, water, fresh lemon juice. 

6. Add paprika and dill to the top of each chicken peice. 

7. Simmer for an hour, half way covered. Serve over white rice. 

Enjoy!!!

Shrimp Saganaki

Shrimp Saganaki is a delicious Greek appetizer made with a spicy tomato base and feta. 

Ingredients:

4-5 ripe tomatoes, cubed or sliced 

4 peices of garlic, halved

1 cubanelle pepper

1 cup of feta cheese

1 lb of shrimp 

3 tsp of extra virgin olive oil 

3 tbsp of ouzo

1 tsp of oregano 

1 medium yellow onion 

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 420 degrees. Heat oil in a pan that is oven safe. Add the diced and cubanelle pepper. Sautée for 5 minutes and then add in your tomatoes, oregano, and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes. 

2. Add the ouzo and turn up the heat and simmer for 8 minutes until thickened. The tomatoes will break down. You can break them up further with a spoon. 

3. Add in the shrimp and cook on each side for 2-3 minutes. 

4. When each side looks pink, give it a stir. Add the feta to the top and place into the oven. 

5. Cook for ten minutes and then garnish with fresh parsley. Serve with toasted bread. Enjoy! 

Stuffed Artichokes

For years my dad made these and I refused to eat them because I was a stubborn child and they looked weird. Let me tell you, after the first bite I was taring these apart to get to the very heart of the artichoke- which mind you is the best part. These will easily become a family favorite and will quickly make it's way into your "go to" section of your recipe book. 

These make a great side dish when entertaining, or they can be served after soup as the main dish. 

Ingredients: 

4 artichokes  

3 cups of breadcrumbs 

1 cup of shredded provolone cheese (buy the block and shred it)  

1/4 cup of grated Parmesan cheese 

1 1/2 liters of chicken broth 

1 heaping tablespoon of fresh garlic- processed through the food processor 

4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil 

Directions: 

1. Wash artichokes and cut the tips off each leaf with a scissor. Just enough to cut the pointy tips of while leaving the leaves big and full. Slice the stem with a sharp knife, leaving a level 1/4 inch of stem so it can stand on it's own. Then turn the artichoke on its side, and cut off the head of the artichoke about 1/2 inch off the top. 

2. Fill a large pot with water and let them soak for an hour or two. Let them drain and dry for an hour. 

3. Prepare your stuffing. In a large bowl mix your breadcrumbs, cheeses and garlic. 

You can see here the top of the artichoke was cut off, the leaves trimmed, and the base cut so it can stand on it's own. You must remember not to cut the entire stem or your artichokes will sit entirely in the broth and become soggy. 

4. Take 1 dry artichoke and stuff each leave with a teaspoon of the stuffing mixture. Go around each artichoke until it is fully stuffed. Repeat with the remaining three artichokes. 

5. In a large metal pot, place your artichokes alongside each other. Sprinkle the oil on top of each artichoke. Fill the pot with chicken broth right to the level of the first row of leaves- about half the chicken broth. 

6. Cook covered on low for 2 hours. Check it every 30 minutes to add more chicken broth as needed. Using a teaspoon sprinkle chicken broth to the dryer leaves while it's cooking. 

7. When the artichoke is falling apart it is ready. The leaves should seperate from the body, with the filling attached to the leaf. Serve immediately with a spoonful of the cheesy broth on top. 

8. The leaves should not be eaten, just the filling off the leaf and the vegetable at the base of the leaf. Once all the main leaves are gone, continue to pull apart the artichoke. You will get to a spiny center. Pull that all off and you will see the heart. Once you remove the white leaves that cover it, it and the stem are edible and quite delicious. Enjoy! 

Lamb Youvetsi

Ingredients:

2.2 lbs of lamb shoulder 

4-5 Roma tomatoes 

2 onions 

1 tablespoon of oregano 

1 teaspoon of cinnamon 

2 cinnamon sticks, snapped in half 

4 cups of beef broth 

4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

2 cups of orzo 

Directions: 

1. In a casserole dish, arrange the lamb,

Chopped onions, spices and cinnamon sticks. Pour the oil over the top and mix well with a spoon until everything is evenly coated. Place uncovered into the oven for 45 minutes at 350 degrees. 

Pictured here are 3 peices of lamb shoulder and a lamb shank. I chose to do this to see how the shank cooked in this dish. The original recipe is made with lamb shoulder. 

2. After 45 minutes, add in your diced tomatoes and beef stock. Add in the uncooked orzo. Place back into the oven and continue to cook for 1 1/2 hours. 

3. Turn and stir occasionally. You can top with cheese or serve warm as is.