The following salad is one of those that i could never imagine that i would spend even a second cooking it when i was young. You see eating greens or horta as we call them in Greek was by far anything than enjoyable when i was a kid.
Category: Salads
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“MelitzanoSalata” or ….just Eggplant Salad
Having different kind of sauces where you can dip your bread is one of the main characteristics of the Greek cuisine.
It’s something that defines what we call “meze” where you place a lot of small plates in the middle of the table and people can eat small portions from everywhere.
What I wanted to try and make was the eggplant salad or in Greek “Melitzanosalata” which is one of the most famous sauces you can find in the local taverns. I just happened to remember it couple of days ago when I was talking with a friend during lunch break.
One thing that i noticed was the different variations that exist in Greece for that and clearly is something that you can experiment on as it seems that everyone is doing something different in every city in Greece.
Additional to that I have to say that I am never good on putting down the exact quantities of the ingredients each time and the quantities I put over here are just an indication. However, with this one I have to say that you will need quite a few Eggplants if you are going to make a dip for several people as 2 was barely enough for me.
INGREDIENTS
- 4-5 Eggplants
- 1/2 of onion smashed
- 1- 1.5 lemon juice
- Salt,Pepper
- Parsley
METHOD
Put the eggplants on the grill until they become brown from all sides. Remove the skin and put the flesh on a blender. Add onions, lemon juice, salt and pepper and parsley. Mix them good until they become one and serve.
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Salad with Bread and Asparagus
Salads are so nice to have along with you main dish. I always remember my dad was saying how he disliked eating without having a salad to mix the flavours. There are different kinds of salads and many versions of the typical Greek salad that people use.
The thing is that with salads you can always be a bit more creative without problem as it is always just a side dish.
Sometimes however, it can easily become your main healthy meal of your day which isn’t too bad to be honest…
The following is a great way to use also that day old bread that you didn’t eat the previous day and now it’s too hard to eat just like that. While on the other hand the asparagus make a difference..
SALAD WITH BREAD AND ASPARAGUS
INGREDIENTS
- 1 bunch of asparagus chopped
- 2 cups of old bread
- 1 small cucumber chopped
- 250gr of Greek Feta cheese chopped in small pieces
- Olive Oil
- 1 table spoon (more or less) Red Wine Vinegar
- Oregano
- Salt
METHOD
Place the asparagus on a baking sheet and sprinkle it with olive oil and some salt. Put in a preheat oven and broil it from all sides for 4-5 minutes. Then let it aside to relax Add all the ingredients in a big bowl together with the asparagus.
In a glass add 1/3 of olive oil and then the Red Vinegar, oregano and a bit of salt. Stir them well with a spoon and then pour the dressing on top of our salad.
Enjoy!
Dad’s tip: As soon as i send the picture of the salad to my dad he replied back: “Really nice Antonis! I will go make one also but i will add also olives and Capers.” Grrr.. Why didnt i think of that?
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Beetroot Salad with Yogurt
Going in a restaurant in Greece to eat sometimes suprises me to see how many different salads exist that I have never tried. Surely most know the typical Greek salad or “country salad” as it is also said but there are so many more.
Especially during summer it is ideal to try as many as possible as they are fresh and so tasty to combine them with any food. On the other hand having a salad with beet roots wasn’t something that I really had in mind but it is always nice to experiment.
When I was younger I never liked beetroots because of that red liquid they get out when you eat them or cut them. Minor details now I say…
They make excellent salads, and this is one way to eat them.
INGREDIENTS FOR BEETROOT SALADS WITH YOGURT
- 3-4 Small beetroots
- 500gr of strained yogurt
- 2-3 cloves garlic mashed
- 1 small cup of olive oil
- Salt and pepper
METHOD
Clean the beetroots and wash them. Start boiling them in a pot for 15-30 mins until you start to feel that they are soft
When they are ready, strain them well discarding the stalks and cutting them into cubes.
Add the yogurt, the mashed garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper and mix them well. Your salad is ready to serve!
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Potato salad with mustard
Years ago I remember when I was working in a beer restaurant in Athens where we served all kind of food –but mainly german- where I was obsessed with the potato salad of the chef. It was so filling and tasty that I could eat just that for days.
Sometimes I try different kind of salads that can be accompanied with my food and even if the typical greek salad is my favourite, it is good to mix it sometimes. Don’t know the history behind it but I don’t think the Greeks have the copyrights of the potato salad even if it is widely used also.
So I decided to make my own first attempt in a potato salad and i have to say I was quite proud of it.
POTATOSALAD WITH MUSTARD
INGREDIENTS
- 5-6 potatoes
- 1 onion
- ½ bunch of parsley
- ½ cup of oil
- A small teaspoon of English mustard
- Salt and pepper
METHOD
Boil the potatoes peel them and cut them into cubes.
Put them in a big deep plate and add the onion the bunch of parsley ½ cup of oil , salt and pepper Stir them for a while with a spoon and then add the English mustard.
Continue to stir until all the ingredient go around. Be careful not to over do it and make mash potatoes instead. Ideally you should be able to see the potatoes and not be melted.
Serve them with any kind of meat or as a starter maybe(? ) . The spicy flavour of the mustard is unique together with the potatoes.