I must apologize to our Lepp Farm Family for taking 13 years to highlight a Greek dinner menu. I can’t explain the oversight, as it’s my favourite ethnic food to cook and is always a crowd pleaser. I had been working on perfecting a Greek Potato recipe, but when we introduced Grandpa J’s seasoning mix to our shelves a few months ago, the final puzzle piece fell into place. We have so many delicious grocery products to help you create a delicious Greek meal, and there’s no longer any excuse for you not to delight your lucky family and friends with these tasty options.
FUME-eh Smoked Olive Tapenade is packed with flavourful ingredients like smoked olives, capers and sundried tomatoes. It takes just a few added pantry items to create a delicious salad dressing.
Ingredients
Scale
3 Tbsp FUME-eh smoked olive tapenade
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp white balsamic vinegar (of course, our Acetaia Dodi Condimento Bianco is my favourite) or red wine or apple cider vinegar
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Optional:
1 tsp Oilala Hot Peppers and Olives Pate
Instructions
Whisk all ingredients together in the bottom of the salad bowl. Add diced cucumbers, sweet peppers, olives, diced tomatoes and thinly sliced red onion. Mix all ingredients and adjust seasoning according to taste.
Top with crumbled feta cheese, preferably Little Qualicum’s Sunshine Feta
2 Tbsp finely chopped fresh dill, plus more for garnish
1 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 Tbsp olive oil, plus more for garnish
Salt and pepper to season
(I find tzatziki needs a good amount of salt to bring out the best flavours, start with 1 tsp, adding more to taste)
Instructions
Put grated cucumber in a colander and allow to drain for at least 30 minutes. Gently squeeze with hands or in a clean towel to remove excess moisture. Place drained cucumber in a bowl, add all the other ingredients; stir to combine.
Refrigerate for a minimum of two hours to allow flavours to develop
I’ve tested many different variations of Greek potatoes and finally settled on this multi-step recipe from Epicurious. While it does involve a little bit of watching and timing, its easy to prepare and I found this to have the best balance of the essential ingredients of lemon, garlic and oil.
Ingredients
Scale
3 lbs baking potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
½ cup olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
1½ tsp dried oregano, crumbled
1 tsp salt
Freshly ground black pepper
½ cup chicken stock
⅓ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
2–3 Tbsp chopped fresh oregano
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Place the potatoes in a single layer in a 13-x-9-inch baking dish and pour the oil over them. Add the garlic, dried oregano, salt and pepper to taste and toss well to coat with the oil.
Bake the potatoes for 20 minutes. Add the stock, toss and bake for 15 minutes more. Add the lemon juice, toss and bake for 15 minutes more, or until the potatoes are cooked through. If you like, preheat the broiler and broil the potatoes for 2 to 3 minutes, or until golden brown.
Sprinkle with the fresh oregano and serve at once.
Before using, shake the container of seasoning well. Preheat over to 350°F. Adjust oven rack to lowest position.
Wash and peel 3 lbs of Russet or Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into equally-sized quarters or large chunks.
Mix warm water, olive oil, and seasoning in a small bowl.
Evenly spread out potatoes in a large metal pan.
Stir approximately every 15 minutes. They will naturally fall apart into smaller pieces, just try and do it as gently as possible.
Roast in oven until the liquid is mostly absorbed and potatoes are soft, about 45 minutes.
If desired, place under the broiler for a few minutes to crisp them.
Notes
For a delicious sheet pan dinner, mix a few tablespoons of seasoning with olive oil to marinade chicken pieces, cubed lamb or pork and add to the pan. Bake for approximately one hour, or until a meat thermometer registers a safe internal temperature.
Make an authentic pork souvlaki using SpiceWorks Greek Souvlaki Marinade
Ingredients
Scale
1 lb pork
1 Tbsp water
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Tbsp Lemon Juice
1 Tbsp Spice Works Greek Souvlaki Marinade
Instructions
Mix 1 Tbsp each of marinade, olive oil, water & lemon for each lb of meat.
Pour over meat and mix to coat thoroughly.
Cover and refrigerate, ideally for several hours or overnight.
Drain and discard excess marinade.
Bake or BBQ as usual.
Notes
Don’t have SpiceWorks Greek Souvlaki Marinade on hand? I recommend following the marinade instructions for the Greek Lamb Skewers below, substituting lamb for pork.
Are you looking to switch things up by trying lamb and preparing homemade fries? Here are two recipes for a fun twist on a Greek-inspired dinner.
OR simply use a package of SpiceWorks Souvlaki Marinade, following these instructions:
Combine the ingredients for the lamb marinade in a bowl. Add lamb, stirring to coat each piece. Place in fridge for at least one hour, preferably up to 12 hours. Set your grill, grill pan or skillet to medium-high heat. Thread lamb pieces onto skewers. Discard marinade.
Instructions
Grill lamb until lightly charred and cooked to your liking, turning skewers occasionally throughout cooking, about 8 to 10 minutes total. Cooking time will vary depending on the thickness of your lamb and your desired doneness. Transfer skewers to plate.
½ tsp cayenne pepper, optional but gives a great little kick!
Kosher salt and black pepper
4 medium russet potatoes, cut into ¼-inch-thick matchsticks
½ cup crumbled feta cheese, preferably Little Qualicum’s Sunshine Feta
Instructions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, garlic, oregano, cayenne, and salt and black pepper to taste. Place the potato matchsticks in a large bowl and pour over half the garlic mixture. Gently toss to coat. Divide the fries between two parchment-lined baking sheets, arranging them in a single layer. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, then flip, reduce the oven temperature to 400 degrees, and bake for 15 to 20 minutes more or until browned in spots. Remove from the oven and toss with the remaining garlic mix and the feta.
