Hello friends! Happy first day of May! With Greek Orthodox Easter coming up this Sunday, I wanted to share some of my favorite recipes. If you are hosting Easter this Sunday or need a recipe, then look no further! I hope you enjoy these delicious recipes.

Serves: 4 

Ingredients 

2 containers plain hummus (I used Esti hummus) 

2 Persian cucumbers, sliced 

1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced

1/2 cup Kalamata olives

1/4 cup sliced peperoncini peppers

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 teaspoon paprika 

1 tablespoon fresh parsley

Crispy chickpeas 

1/2 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed 

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon paprika 

1/2 teaspoon oregano 

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Salt 

Pepper 

Directions 

Preheat oven to 400° F. After chickpeas are drained and rinsed, add them to a mixing bowl. Drizzle olive oil, paprika, oregano, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Stir chickpeas until coated in mixture. Spread chickpeas on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Roast for 25-30 minutes. Make sure chickpeas are crispy and a deep golden color. Remove chickpeas from oven and set aside. In a shallow bowl, add hummus, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, peperoncini peppers, olives and crispy chickpeas. Drizzle olive oil on top. Sprinkle paprika on hummus and garnish with parsley. Enjoy!

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Serves: 2

Ingredients 

3 Barley rusks (or you can use two thick slices of sourdough bread toasted & cut into chunks) 

1 large tomato, chopped 

1/3 cup Kalamata olives pitted 

1 tablespoon capers 

1/2 cup feta cheese 

2 small Persian cucumbers, sliced 

1 green pepper, chopped

1/2 teaspoon fresh dill, chopped (dried is fine too) 

1/2 teaspoon fresh oregano, chopped (dried is fine too) 

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil 

1-2 tablespoons red wine vinegar 

Salt 

Pepper 

Directions 

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, dried oregano, salt and pepper. Whisk until all ingredients are well combined. Set aside. To a salad bowl, add barley husks or sourdough bread, tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, capers and feta cheese ( you can crumble the feta cheese or leave it as a block on top of salad and break it up). Pour dressing over salad and toss well. Garnish with fresh dill. Make sure if you are using barley rusks they get softened. Enjoy!

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Greek Grilled Chicken Platter

Serves: 3

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice 

1 tablespoon lemon zest

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried basil 

1-2 cloves of garlic, chopped or crushed in a garlic crusher

1 tablespoon dijon mustard 

Salt

Pepper 

1 pound chicken breasts (if you prefer chicken thighs instead use those) 

2 cups lettuce, chopped 

1 tomato, sliced

1/2 red onion, sliced

1 cucumber, sliced

1 small block feta cheese, cubed 

Directions

In a mixing bowl add olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, dried oregano, dried basil, garlic, dijon mustard, salt and pepper. Stir marinade very well. Pat chicken breasts until they are dry and then place in a ziplock bag. Add marinade to the bag and shake very well until chicken is coated. Marinade chicken for 2 hours or overnight. Preheat grill to medium heat. Add chicken to grill and cook for about 10-15 minutes or until completely cooked through. Make sure the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 degrees. On a platter, add lettuce, tomatoes, red onions, cucumbers, and feta cheese. Enjoy!

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Koulourakia (Greek Easter Cookies)

Yields: 45 cookies

Ingredients

1/2 lb & 2 tablespoons butter 

6 eggs, plus 1 egg yolk 

2 cups sugar 

1 tablespoon baking powder 

1/4teaspoon baking soda 

8 cups flour 

Juice 1/2 lemon 

Juice 1/2 orange 

3 teaspoons vanilla extract 

1/4 cup milk

Zest of a lemon and Orange 

2 tablespoons oil

Directions 

Beat butter and sugar adding eggs one at a time. Beat until smooth and sugar has dissolved completely. Mix baking powder and baking soda with 2 cups of flour and blend. Add remaining ingredients- do not add all of the flour all at once. Make sure your dough is soft, elastic and not sticking to your fingers. Place the dough in a bowl and cover for about 30 minutes. Take a small piece of dough and form into either an S shape or O shape. I shaped the majority of my koulourakia into braids, by overlapping the two pieces of the dough. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat oven to 375 degrees. Beat 1 egg yolk with 1 teaspoon water and brush cookies. Place cookies on middle rack of oven. Bake between 25-30 mins, or until golden brown. Remove from oven and place on a cooling rack. **Store in an air tight container**

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Mare’s Traditional Greek Pasta

Serves: 4

Ingredients

1 bag of Adamantina House Striftadia-Casarecce pasta (casarecce pasta is fine to use) 

1 cup olives, cut in half (you can use either pitted or non-pitted) 

1 cup capers

2 cloves garlic, chopped or in a garlic presser 

1 eggplant, chopped 

4 roma tomatoes, chopped 

1 shallot, chopped 

2 tablespoons butter 

2 tablespoons basil, chopped 

1-2 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese ( if you don’t like feta cheese you can substitute goat cheese or any other cheese you prefer) 

Directions

Cook pasta according to package. When pasta is done cooking drain and set aside. Add a little oil so pasta does not stick together. Chop olives, tomatoes, eggplant, shallots, garlic (if you are not using a garlic press) and basil. In a sauté pan over medium heat add butter. Let butter melt and add in garlic and shallots. Cook garlic and shallots until fragrant. Add in eggplant and tomatoes and stir for 2-3 minutes. Lastly, add in olives and capers to pan and stir. Once the sauce is stirred well, add in pasta. Stir pasta until well combined and coated in sauce. When you are ready to serve, plate pasta and garnish with crumbled feta cheese and fresh basil. Enjoy!

Photo Credit: Karen Greenberg