Thursday, June 28, 2007

Small bites with big Greek flavors



Did a lot of cooking at the restaurant today, so cooking a big meal at home was not a option. Here is a quick saute of spinach and diced garlic in a touch of olive oil, then its topped with slices of good quality Greek feta cheese, fresh lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil and fresh cracked pepper. A delicious light bite in five minutes. Great warm or at room temperature as a first course.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Feta is a very common Greek cheese, in Athens and all over Greece you can find local Feta, each one with a slight difference in taste and texture. I have found a number of varieties at Middle Eastern markets; the French Feta is very nice with a creamier and milder flavor. Buy the chuck type, not the pre-crumbled, why pay more for the same cheese.

A great way to eat Feta is to bake it. In Greece, baked cheese is a common side dish, and it is very easy to prepare. Take a single block of Feta, about 4 to 8 ounces, put it on a piece of foil, thinly slice some peppers and onions and put on top of the cheese, grind some pepper and drizzle a little olive oil over it. Seal the foil around the cheese and bake for about 15 to 20 minutes at 350 or just put it on the BBQ for about 15 minutes. The cheese will be a little firm and loose some of the sharp taste, no need to add salt, has enough in the cheese. A great first course or a compliment to a main course.

Gregory Clausen said...

yes, always buy the block cheese, how long is going to take you to crumble it anyway? another idea:Feta wrapped in buttered filo and baked till golden then drizzled with honey.