By: Kenton and Jane Copyright

2nd edition printing Lemon & Olives Copyright 2017. All Rights Reserved Please do not reproduce, giveaway, copy, or share this book without the written consent of the authors. If you think someone would benefit from this book, Please share this link with them: http://www.lemonandolives.com/newsletter/

Disclaimer / Terms Of Reading This eBook

Your faithful authors love to talk about and create Greek recipes, but we’re not experts nor health professionals. As such, we fully recommend that you consult with your doctor BEFORE attempting anything found in this book in terms of a diet. Each of us are different, and what may be good for one person is not necessarily good for another. If you are under the age of 18, please consult with your parents or legal guardian, too. Furthermore, make sure your food is always cooked properly! Eat- ing raw, uncooked or contaminated meat can result in illness and/or death. If you’re under 18 seek an adult before you start cooking. This book is not meant to treat or cure any medical problems, that is what your doctor is for. Reading this book is your acknowledgment of this disclaimer and waves us of any wrongdoing or legal actions as a result from anything found within book or on our website, Lemonandolives.com.

Keep in mind some links may point to outside websites and each has their own policies and are not affiliated with Lemon & Olives unless noted.

Affiliate disclaimer: There are Amazon links within this book that if you click on and buy what we use, we’ll get a small percentage. It’s nothing extra on your end, just a little something from Amazon. Every little bit helps us continue Lemon & Olives and creating valuable products like this eCookBook.

About The Authors

This book is co-written by two amateur cooks who love, and have a passion for, Greek food. Kenton and Jane started Lemon & Olives in August of 2013 with the goal of documenting and exploring the delicious foods of Greece.

As we begin to share our recipes, we started to meet people from all over the world who shared our passion.

We soon started recreating traditional dishes, modernizing the classics, and introducing new flavors that others seemed to love as well. We also started creating our own Greek inspired recipes and exploring the Mediterranean lifestyle of healthy eating - one of the healthiest diets in the world as it turns out!

There is still so much more to explore and create. Greece gives us endless possibilities to examine Mediterranean foods, spices, and flavor combinations.

We thank you, our faithful reader, for your support.

To read our whole story (how we met, etc.), you can read our about section on our website.

Okay then, let’s get to cooking!

καλή όρεξη! (Kali Orexi -Bon Appétit!)

Kenton & Jane Lemon & Olives

P.S. Please do not hesitate to contact us with any comments or questions!! Thank you for supporting Lemon and Olives and signing up for our newsletter. Opa! Before you start your Greek cooking journey, we wanted to share with you some of the tools we use in the kitchen. We’re not affiliated with any of the following brands, we just personally use them and wanted to share them with you:

KitchenAid Mixer

Cuisinart Hand Blender

Cuisinart Food Processor

Spiralizer

Calphalon Pans

Garlic Press

Henckels Knives

Henckels Knife Sharpener

Cherry and Olive Pitter

Weber Meat Thermometer

Zester

Artisan Non-Stick Silicone Baking Mats

Master Cutlery 5-Piece Chef Basic Knife Set How Food Connects Us

Beyond its values of basic nourishment, food has the ability to bring people together. Be it strangers or significant others, one cannot deny the unspoken potential food has to unite.

There is also something else food does so wonderfully well - it creates memories with the capability of transporting you to a particular time in your life.

Every time I create Pastitsio for example, I feel like my grandparents are right there with me. I have my Thea (aunt) looking over my shoulder telling me exactly how to make it. Too much of this or a little less of that. The only thing missing is her pushing me aside to finish it because, well, no one does it like her. And she was right, despite the fact that she never used measuring cups.

This connection to the past is something we think about often. Being part Greek, it’s given me the ability to connect with family roots and be exposed to foods and a culture found outside of the US. It makes me feel part of something bigger. It makes me feel proud of my heritage.

If there is one thing Jane and I have learned while building Lemon & Olives, it’s that food brings about connections to people, places, and things, in ways nothing else can. Experiencing a dish that hasn't changed in hundreds of years, or one that was creat- ed by your great grandparents is something truly magical. So when you travel, be it via cookbooks or on location, explore the cuisine and connect with the people over it.

Whether you’re Greek, married to a Greek, or just like Greek food - as you explore the recipes found within this book, know you’re partaking in a culinary adventure through history and time. You’ll soon see how powerful cooking a meal at home and sharing it with family and friends can be.

Get lost in this wonderful cooking adventure. Create memories and introduce people to your heritage or to a cuisine you enjoy. Either way, there’s always room for baklava.

OPA! Kenton and Jane Table of Contents

Top Ten Recipes Under 500 Calories 9 Meat Stuff Apples κρέας γεμιστό μήλα 10 Meat Stuffed Apples | κρέας γεμιστό μήλαa

Prep Time: 30 minutes Cooking Time: 30 minutes Serves: 3 The smell of baked apples makes this appetizer almost seem like a dessert. The filling itself has a wonderfully sweet aroma even though it is 90% beef. Either way, you'll adore these yummy and healthy apples!

Ingredients: Method:

• 3 large firm Granny Smith apples 1. Slice tops off of each apple and discard. • 1 tablespoon sugar 2. Remove center flesh from apple and set aside to bake for apple sauce! See photo. • 1⁄4 cup olive oil 3. Blanch apples in boiling water for 3 minutes (be careful as they can easily overcook; shorter the • 1⁄2 onion chopped better). See photo. • 5-6 oz ground beef, lean 4. Drain the apples and sprinkle the inside of them with some sugar. • dash of ground cinnamon 5. Heat oil in a pan, add onions and meat, cook over medium heat until lightly browned. • 2 tablespoons chopped ( fresh) parsley 6. Add parsley, cinnamon, and half of the stock. Season with salt and pepper and let simmer for • handful of pine nuts 15-20 mins. See photo. • handful of raisins 7. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. • 1 cup beef stock 8. Remove pan from heat mixture and stir in pine nuts and raisons. • 3⁄4 cups bechamel sauce *see recipe* 9. Fill each apple with meat mixture and place them inside an oven proof dish. 10. Top each apple with bechamel sauce. Lightly sprinkle top of each with cinnamon. 11. Use remaining stocks to cook up any left over bits from your meet Use remaining stocks to cook up any left over bits from your meat filling and then pour mixture at the base of the apples. See photo. 12. Bake for 30 mins; serve immediately. 11 Dolmades | Stuffed Grape Leaves With Avgolemono ντολμάδες αυγολεμονο 12 Dolmades | Stuffed Grape Leaves With Avgolemono | ντολμάδες αυγολεμονο

Prep Time: 40 minutes Cooking Time: 55 minutes Serves: 4-7 We’ve been making this exact recipe for years. Passed down from Kenton’s yiayia. Prepared by stuffing the grape leaves with meat, rice, and herbs, dolmades end up being quite hearty. Our favorite is the avgolemono sauce. The egg-lemon mixture seals the deal.

Ingredients: Method: 1 1/2 lbs ground beef 1. Put ground beef in bowl. Add rice, sea salt and pepper to taste, chopped onion, dill and chicken 1/2 cup rice broth, mix. Sea salt 2. Submerge leaves in water and microwave for fifteen minutes. pepper 3. Place about 1 tablespoon mixture in the bottom of each leaf (ribs up) and fold over the sides 1 can grape leaves of the leaf to cover the mixture. Then roll upwards. The tips of the leaf should be in a rectan 1 medium-sized onion, finely chopped gular shape. Place into deep pot in layers. Cover with water and add bouillon cubes. Bring to boil 1 teaspoon dill or mint then cover and simmer for about 15 minutes over medium heat until rice is cooked. 1 small can chicken broth 4. Once cooked, prepare the avgolemono sauce. 4 chicken bouillon cubes 5. Beat egg whites in bowl until fluffy, add yolks and mix. Sauce 6. Add lemon juice and while still beating slowly pour in 1 cup of hot broth from the pot into bowl 3 eggs with eggs – this tempers the eggs so they won’t curdle. 2 lemons, juiced (you can stare here, taste and 7. Now, pour egg mixture into pot with dolmades and slowly mix everything together. add more is needed) 8. Bring to simmer, cover, and remove from heat. 9. Place a few on a plate, pour some liquid over them, and serve! 13 Cheese Pie | Tiropita τυροπιτα 14 Cheese Pie | Tiropita | τυροπιτα

Prep Time: 25 minutes Cooking Time: 20 minutes Serves: 4-6 Much like the tiropitakia and spanakopita, this dish can be made in the ever popular triangle or pie format. Either way, it’s but- tery flaky phyllo with a 3 cheese filling -- YUM! Once out of the oven, the golden brown pie is something that will have your family or friends gathering around the table in no time.

Ingredients: Method: 1/2 lb. phyllo dough 1. Set oven to 400F 3 eggs 2. Lay phyllo flat on counter (or wax paper) and cut to size of baking dish. 1 1/2 cups feta cheese, crumbled 3. Cover phyllo with damp paper towel (if not, they may dry out and crack!). 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese or (kefalo- 4. In a large bowl, add eggs, cheese, cinnamon, olive oil, and mix well. graviera) 5. Brush baking dish with melted butter. 1 cups ricotta cheese 6. Lay one sheet of phyllo in baking dish, brush with butter and add another sheet and brush with Dash of cinnamon butter - repeat phyllo butter process until you have 8 sheets. 1 tablespoon olive oil 7. Add cheese mixture. 1/2 cup butter, melted 8. Add 8 more layers of phyllo (like step 7) on top of cheese mixture. 9. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until golden brown. 10. Serve! 15 Greek Bruschetta | Cretan Dakos Ντάκος 16 Greek Bruschetta | Cretan Dakos | Ντάκος

Prep Time: 10 minutes Cooking Time: 10 minutes Serves: 4 We first had these in Crete, the birthplace of this delicious recipe. The combination of flavors is reminiscent of bruschetta with the added touch of olives, hence the name we gave them. No cooking is involved. The feta tames the acidity of the tomatoes, all while bringing everything together in every bite. The recipe calls for rusk, which you can either buy you make your own (see recipe

Ingredients: Method: 8 slices of rusk or baked/day old french 1. If using rusk: sprinkle the rusk with water to soften a bit. Don’t want them too hard.* bread 2. Dice tomato, removing soft center with seeds - set aside. 1 fresh tomato 3. In and bowl, mix: tomatoes, oregano, feta, olive oil, sea salt, and pepper. Dash of oregano 4. Mash soft center from tomato, spread over French bread/rusk. 1/3 cup feta 5. Add tomato mixture to top of bread. 3 tablespoons olive oil 6. Top with diced Kalamata olives. Sea salt and pepper to taste 7. Serve! 7-10 Kalamata olives, diced

Notes

• *If using canned tomato, save the juices from the can to pour over rusk before adding mixture. Make Your Own Rusk With A French Baguette

1. Heat oven to 120F. 2. Add bread and bake for 2-3 hours. 3. Baking at low heart will make the bread hard, which is what rusk is. - Additionally, you can leave bread out overnight to get hard. 17 Avgolemono | Egg Lemon Soup With Chicken | αυγολέμονο με κοτόπουλο 18 Avgolemono: Egg Lemon Soup With Chicken | αυγολέμονο με κοτόπουλο

Prep Time: 10 minutes Cooking Time: 60 minutes Serves: 5-7 This is like the Greek’s version of chicken noodle soup – just a lot different. It’s base is the lovely egg-lemon mixture known as avgolemono, which can be found on many dishes in Greek cuisine. This is best served with some nice baked bread (think French baguette or sourdough). A favorite of ours during the winter months.

Ingredients: Method: 1 to 2 lbs chicken 1. Place skinless boneless chicken breasts in large pot and fill with broth (go about 1inch above 6 cups chicken broth chicken), 3/4 cup Greek orzo (or white rice) 2. Bring to a boil. *Sauce* 3. Cover and reduce heat to simmer for about 30-45 min (or until chicken is cooked). 3 eggs 4. Once chicken in cooked, remove from water and set aside. 2 lemons, juiced* 5. Bring broth back to boil and add orzo and cook until pasta is tender (about 10min). Sea salt to taste 6. Once chicken is cool enough, shred by hand. 7. Add chicken back into pot and reduce heat to low 8. --Avgolemono Sauce-- 9. Crack eggs into a bowl and beat until frothy (a few minutes). 10. One frothy, stop and add in lemon juice. 11. Take 1 1/2 cups of hot broth and slowly pour into lemon-egg mixture, continually stirring.** 12. Pour mixture back into soup, mixing well. 13. Bring back to simmer and then remove from heat. 14. Season with sea salt. Serve!

Notes

• * For the sauce: you may need to add more for a stronger lemon flavor. Taste and adjust to fit your preference. • ** This is important. Don’t forget this step or the eggs will curdle when you add to soup. 19 Greek Meatballs in Egg-Lemon Sauce Recipe | Youvarlakia Avgolemono γιουβαρλακια αυγολεμονο 20 Greek Meatballs in Egg-Lemon Sauce Recipe | Youvarlakia Avgolemono | γιουβαρλακια αυγολεμονο

Prep Time: 25 minutes Cooking Time: 45 minutes Serves: 4-5 We absolutely love Youvarlakia Avgolemono. We make this more than any other soup. Youvarlakia combines everything we love about a hearty soup with the light and zesty flavors that we enjoy from a Mediterranean dish. We get creative with the meatballs sometimes and add in a handful of pine nuts along with the Greek orzo or rice.

Ingredients: Method:

1 lb. ground beef 1. In a large bowl, combine: beef, rice, onion, garlic, parsley, sea salt, pepper and egg. 1/3 cup uncooked orzo (or rice) 2. Mix all Ingredients well (use your hands!). 1 finely chopped onion 3. Now, take a bowl and add your flour to it. This will coat the meatballs. 1-2 chopped garlic cloves 4. Roll the meat mixture into small balls and then roll it around in the flour (shaking off any excess 2 tbsp. finely chopped fresh parsley flour). Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste 5. Place the meatball in the pot and repeat until meat mixture is finished. 1 large egg 6. Fill the pot with chicken broth so the broth goes about an inch above the meatballs. 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 7. Bring to a boil. 5-8 cups chicken broth* 8. Cover and simmer for 30 - 45 min or until meat is cooked. for the Avgolemono Sauce: 9. Once meat is cooked, remove meatballs and set aside. 3 large eggs (at room temperature) 10. Prepare Avgo/ Egg-Lemon Sauce: 2 lemons squeezed (more to taste) 11. Crack eggs into a bowl and beat until frothy (a few minutes). 12. One frothy, stop and add in lemon juice. 13. Take 1 1/2 cups of hot broth and slowly pour into lemon-egg mixture, continually stirring.** 14. Pour lemon-egg mixture into pot with rest of broth and mix well-should be creamy (see picture). 15. Add meatballs back in and bring to simmer and remove from heat. 16. Place some meatballs in a bowl and ladle some of the Avgolemono sauce from the pot over them. 17. Serve.

See notes on next page 21

Notes 1. *You’ll want enough chicken broth to cover the meatballs. 2. **This is important. Don’t forget this part or the eggs will curdle when you add back in! 3. You can also experiment with herbs here as they subtly shine through the sauce when you least expect it. Adding in parsley is wonderful, but substituting that for dill or oregano is also fabulous in this recipe. 4. If you want to make this a touch healthier, opt for ground turkey instead of beef (don’t skimp on the herbs in this case as they will add flavor to the turkey). 22 Eggplant Dip | Melitzanosalata Μελιτζανοσαλατα 23 Eggplant Dip | Melitzanosalata | Μελιτζανοσαλατα

Prep Time: 10 minutes Cooking Time: 15 minutes Serves: 5 This popular dip is served with everything from meat and fish to bread and vegetables. The trifecta of lemon, olive oil, and garlic really highlight the eggplant flavor and bring everything together wonderfully. Cooking it over the BBQ gives it a delicious smokey flavor, but you can also use your a broiler.

Ingredients: Method: 2 medium sized eggplants 1. Pierce eggplants with fork a few times and place on the BBQ for 10-15min turning every few 1/8 cup chopped parsley (optional) minutes. Alternatively, place under the broiler for 10-15 min, or until soft (and turns black). 1 garlic clove, grated 2. Remove and let cool. 2 tablespoons lemon juice 3. Remove outer skin (black part) by hand, should come off easy. 1/2 cup olive oil (or desired amount) 4. Cut the eggplants into pieces. Sea salt and pepper to taste 5. Place in a large bowl and add parsley and garlic. 6. Mix in the lemon juice and olive oil and crush eggplants with a fork. 7. Add in sea salt and pepper. 8. Serve with bread!

Notes

• Feel free to add more sea salt or lemon to achieve your desired taste. 24 Chicken Skewers | Souvlaki σουβλάκι 25 Chicken Skewers | Souvlaki | σουβλάκι

Prep Time: 30 minutes Cooking Time: 8 minutes Serves: 2-5 This dish is the full Greek experience. The juicy bits of meat loaded on a skewer provide for the ultimate meat lovers meal. Usually wrapped inside piping hot pita bread and topped with fresh vegetables, Souvlaki is an amazingly light meal. Crisp onions, tomatoes, cucumbers, and a dollop of tzatziki sauce finish this dish off to perfection. This particular recipe has been shared over 11,000 times so people seem to like it as much as we do. Ingredients: Method: 3lbs beef, pork, or chicken 1. Clean meat (remove extra fat) and cut into small cubes. 3 tablespoons olive oil 2. Putting the meat aside, in bowl combine all other ingredients and mix. 2 lemons, juiced 3. Taste mixture and when happy add in raw meat - coating well. 2 tablespoons oregano 4. Cover and let marinate for 30mins in the refrigerator. 1 tablespoon thyme 5. Fire up the BBQ. 1 clove garlic, grated (optional) 6. Take skewers and add meat (start at bottom and work your way to the top of the skewer). Zest from 1 lemon 7. Place skewers on BBQ and cook for about 5-6mins on each side (this will vary depending on what Sea salt and pepper to taste meat you are using, so cook to preference (e.g. med, well, etc.,). 8. Once done, remove, and serve with some fresh tzatziki!

Notes

• Feel free to add more olive oil if you feel it's not coating all the meat. 26 Grilled Shrimp with Lemon and Oregano Γαρίδες με λεμόνι και ρίγανη 27 Grilled Shrimp with Lemon and Oregano | Γαρίδες με λεμόνι και ρίγανη

Prep Time: 60 minutes Cooking Time: 8 minutes Serves: 2-3 We love cooking shrimp because it’s quite easy,; just a few minutes on each side and bam--a delicious meal. And talk about it being extremely healthy! The oregano, lemon zest, and olive oil mixture goes so lovely with the shrimp. Remember, be as active as possible--your body will thank you ;)

Ingredients: Method: 1 pound of shrimp, shells removed 1. Place shrimp in large bowl. 1 lemon (for juice and zest) 2. Combine zest of the lemon, olive oil, oregano, sea salt, and pepper. 1/4 cup olive oil 3. Marinate in refrigerator for 1 hour. 1-2 tablespoons oregano (to preference) 4. Start grill and place shrimp on skewers. Sea salt 5. Cook on each side for 2-4 minutes, or until done. Pepper 6. Place skewers on plate and squirt with lemon. For a kick, add some red pepper flakes (op- 7. Serve! tional) 28 Cod And Potatoes In Avgolemono μπακαλιάρος και πατάτες στο αυγολέμονο 29 Cod And Potatoes In Avgolemono | μπακαλιάρος και πατάτες στο αυγολέμονο

Prep Time: 10 mintes Cooking Time: 25 minutes Serves: 2 Here’s Avgolemono again. I told you it was popular in Greek cuisine. This is a simple dish made with fish. You can make this super light and ditch the potatoes, but we think this is healthy enough. I mean, it’s fish after all!

Ingredients: Method: 2 cups chicken broth (may substitute water) 1. Fill pan with chicken broth (or water) and bring to boil. 2 pieces of cod 2. Add cod, potatoes, onion, garlic, sea salt and pepper. 1 pound baby red potatoes (cut into halves or 3. Cover and simmer for 25 min or until tender. fourths - to preference) 4. For Avgolemono sauce: 1/4 cup onions (chopped) 5. Beat 2 eggs in bowl. 1 large garlic clove, pressed 6. Add juice from one lemon. Sea salt 7. While stirring, slowly ladle hot liquid from fish pan into egg bowl. Pepper 8. Stir for few seconds and then add egg lemon mixture back into pan with fish. For sauce: 9. Stir and mix well. 2 eggs 10. Taste- if desired, add more lemon. 1 lemon, juiced 11. Remove from heat, serve in bowl along side some bread. 12. Enjoy! 30 Greek Cucumber Yogurt Dip | Tzatziki Τζατζίκι 31 Greek Cucumber Yogurt Dip | Tzatziki | Τζατζίκι

Prep Time: 15 minutes (we recommend letting it rest for up to 4 hours) Cooking Time: 0 minutes Serves: 8-10 Tzatziki. The stuff legends are made of. One of the most well known dips in all the land. Seriously, who doesn’t like this stuff? This is an authentic non-watery tzatziki that’s loaded with all the flavors you’d expect. The perfect combination of cool yogurt, dill, garlic, and a hint of lemon. This goes with so many things, you can never go wrong making a lot.

Ingredients: Method: 17 ounces plain Greek yogurt 1. Place Greek yogurt in a bowl. ½ English cucumber peeled 2. Grate cucumber on plate. 3 tablespoons Greek olive oil 3. Squeeze out all juices from cucumber and add to yogurt. 1 lemon, juice 4. Combine remaining ingredients in bowl. 1-2 teaspoon Sea salt 5. Mix well. 1 teaspoon ground black pepper 6. Resting period. Place in refrigerator for a minimum of 4-6hrs. Preferably, overnight. (suggested 2 tablespoon chopped fresh dill but not needed). 1-2 teaspoons red wine vinegar 7. Serve! 1 small garlic clove, pressed (if you’re a garlic lover, feel free to add more after tasting.)

Notes

• Above is a recipe that’s been in our family for a very long time. As it stands, it’s really just the minimum requirement, so use it as a base. You’ll notice that sometimes you may need to add more of an ingredient. Really, no two tzatziki makings will be the same! • Flavor tip: you really should let the flavors mix and work together. Flavors that may seem lacking (or mild) may come to life during the resting process. So, make the dip, put it in the refrigerator for a few hours, and take it out and test it again--you’ll be amazed at how different it tastes and how different flavors become present. • Lastly, traditional tzatziki is thick and creamy; so make sure you squeeze out all the water from the cucumbers before adding.