Greek Meatball Hero Food

GREEK BAKED MEATBALLS: SOUTZOUKAKIA

Steps:

• In a small bowl, place the toasted bread and cover with milk (or water) to soak. When bread is soft and well-soaked, squeeze the liquid out completely and discard remaining milk if any.
• Transfer the bread to a large mixing bowl. Add round beef and remaining meatball ingredients. Knead well until well-combined. Cover the meat mixture and rest in the fridge for now.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• While oven is heating, prepare the sauce. In a sauce pan or large skillet, heat 2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil over medium heat until shimmering but not smoking. Add onions and cook for 3 minutes or so. Add garlic and cook for another minute, stirring regularly. Now add red wine and cook to reduce by about 1/2, then add tomato sauce, bay leaf and remaining sauce ingredients. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
• Prepare a large baking dish and lightly oil the bottom with extra virgin olive oil.
• Take the meat mixture out of the fridge. Wet your hands and scoop portions of about 2 1/2 tbsp of the meat mixture and form into large elongated meatballs (football-shaped.) You should have 15 to 16 meatballs or so. Arrange meatballs in the papered baking dish and top with the sauce (be sure to have removed the bay leaf from the sauce.)
• Place the baking dish on the middle rack of your heated oven. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until the meatballs are well cooked through (check part-way through to make sure sauce is not dry, and if needed, add a little bit of water to the bottom of the baking dish.)
• Remove from oven and add another drizzle of EVOO. Garnish with parsley and serve over rice or orzo.

GREEK MEATBALLS RECIPE (KEFTEDES/ KEFTETHES)

Steps:

• To prepare this traditional Greek meatballs recipe (keftedes), add all the ingredients into a large bowl and mix well (for about 5-10 minutes), squeezing with your hands, to allow the flavours to blend. Cover the bowl with some plastic wrap and let it rest in the fridge for 1 hour.
• Turn the mixture for the keftedes out of the fridge and roll into meatballs the size of a walnut (or bigger if you prefer). If you're frying them, dredge the rolled meatballs lightly in flour making sure to shake off any excess. Fry until nicely browned on all sides.
• The traditional way of cooking Greek meatballs (keftedes) is frying them. Fry the keftedes in batches of 10-15 at a time, until nicely browned on all sides.
• Instead of frying you can bake / grill the keftedes in the oven. Preheat the oven at 200C, place the un-floured keftedes on greased baking sheet about an inch apart. Bake for about 20 minutes, turning the meatballs upside down midway through cooking time. The grilled version is much lighter than the fried so theres not excuse to not trying it now!
• Keftedes (Greek meatballs) are ideally served as an appetizer (meze) with some creamy tzatziki sauce and pita breads or as a main course with some basmati rice and a Greek salad. Enjoy!

GREEK MEATBALLS AND TZATZIKI

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Place a cooling rack over 2 baking sheets for roasting the meatballs and toasting the pita.
• Soak the bread in the milk. Peel the cucumber and grate into a strainer. Salt it and let it drain for 20 minutes.
• Pour the EVOO into a bowl, then add the meat and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Squeeze out the bread and crumble between your fingers as you add it to the meat. Add the mint, onions, oregano, cinnamon, 2 of the garlic cloves, egg and 1/2 of the lemon juice, and mix to combine.
• Using a small ice cream scoop, form the meat mixture into about 24 balls and place on the baking sheet. Roast to golden brown, 15 to 18 minutes. Remove the meatballs from the oven and place the broiler on high. Char the pita under the broiler, 30 seconds to 1 minute on each side.
• Press the cucumber in the strainer to get out the excess water and add to a food processor. Then add the yogurt, dill, remaining 1 clove garlic, zest and remaining juice of the lemon. Season the sauce with cumin and salt and process until smooth.
• Serve the meatballs with the sauce and pitas.

GREEK MEATBALLS

Steps:

• In a medium skillet, sweat onion and garlic in 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat until translucent, about 2 minutes. Let cool and set aside.
• Wring the excess milk out of the soaked bread cubes.
• Place all ingredients, except flour and garnishes, in a large mixing bowl and combine by hand until fully incorporated. Form into little meatballs (about 1-ounce each).
• In a large skillet, heat remaining oil over medium heat. Dredge, or roll the meatballs in flour, and fry in the skillet until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Remove from the pan and place on paper towels to drain the excess fat.
• Place on platter and garnish with lemon wedges and torn mint leaves.

GREEK MEATBALLS WITH TZATZIKI AND ORZO WITH FETA AND WALNUTS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Place a cooling rack over 2 baking sheets for roasting the meatballs and toasting the pita.
• Soak the bread in the milk. Peel the cucumber and grate into a strainer. Salt it and let it drain for 20 minutes.
• Pour the EVOO into a bowl, then add the meat and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Squeeze out the bread and crumble between your fingers as you add it to the meat. Add the mint, onions, oregano, cinnamon, 2 of the garlic cloves, egg and 1/2 of the lemon juice, and mix to combine.
• Using a small ice cream scoop, form the meat mixture into about 24 balls and place on the baking sheet. Roast to golden brown, 15 to 18 minutes. Remove the meatballs from the oven and place the broiler on high. Char the pita under the broiler, 30 seconds to 1 minute on each side.
• Press the cucumber in the strainer to get out the excess water and add to a food processor. Then add the yogurt, dill, remaining 1 clove garlic, zest and remaining juice of the lemon. Season the sauce with cumin and salt and process until smooth.
• Serve the meatballs with the sauce and pitas and alongside the Orzo with Feta and Walnuts.
• Heat a medium pot of water to a boil. Salt the water and cook the orzo to al dente, 7 minutes. Toast the walnuts until fragrant in small pan over medium heat. Combine the orzo with the walnuts, parsley, feta and a drizzle of EVOO and season with pepper.

GREEK HERO

Steps:

• For hummus, in a food processor, combine the lemon juice, oil and beans; cover and process until smooth. Stir in the garlic, oregano, salt and pepper., Slice bread in half horizontally. Carefully hollow out bottom half, leaving a 1/2-in. shell. Spread hummus into shell. Layer with the red peppers, cucumber, tomatoes, onion, olives, cheese and lettuce. Replace bread top. Cut into four portions.

GREEK LAMB MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a large shallow flameproof casserole or frying pan over a medium heat. Add the meatballs and fry for 5 mins or until golden brown. Set aside on a plate.
• Heat the remaining oil in the same pan and fry the potatoes over a medium heat for 5 mins, or until they're starting to turn golden brown.
• Add the garlic to the pan and fry for 1 min. Stir through the chargrilled veg, tomatoes and sugar, as well as the olives. Season. Add the meatballs back to the pan, cover and cook over a medium-low heat for 30-35 mins, stirring occasionally. Remove the lid halfway through, the potatoes should be just cooked through with the liquid slightly reduced.
• Remove the pan from the heat and serve at the table with the feta, mint and lemon zest scattered over.