Greek Meatballs With Tzatziki And Toasted Pita Food

EASY GREEK MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Combine all the ingredients and mix until the ingredients are just combined, taking care not to over mix (this can cause the meatballs to be very dense).
• To mix the meatballs: With wet hands (this prevents the meat from sticking to your hands), form meatballs of approximately 3cm/1in and place on a chopping board.
• To fry the meatballs: pre-heat a non-stick frying pan and add a tablespoon of olive oil. Fry the meatballs in batches until golden brown on both sides and cooked through.
• To bake the meatballs: Pre-heat the oven to 220ºC. Line 2 baking sheets with baking/parchment paper and add the meatballs, keeping some space between them. Drizzle the meatballs with 1-2 tbsp olive oil and place in the oven. Allow to bake, turning over halfway, until golden brown and cooked through (approximately 20-30 minutes).
• Remove the meatballs from the heat, drizzle with lemon juice (optional) and serve.

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 MEATBALL STUFFED PITAS WITH SIMPLE TZATZIKI SAUCE

Steps:

• For the Tzatziki
• Place the grated cucumber in the center of a clean kitchen towel. Roll up the towel and squeeze out the excess water from the cucumber. Place the cucumber in a medium bowl. Add the yogurt, garlic, salt, pepper and lemon juice. Stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. This can be made several days in advance.
• For the Meatballs
• Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly grease the foil with cooking spray. In a medium bowl, stir together the bread crumbs and milk and let the mixture sit for a few minutes to let the crumbs soften. Add the parsley, egg, oregano, garlic, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine. Add the turkey and mix until well combined.
• Portion the meatballs into tablespoon-sized balls and place ½-inch apart on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes until the meatballs are no longer pink in the center.
• To Serve
• Slice the pita breads in half. Dollop a spoonful of tzatziki sauce on the bottom of each pita. Add a layer of tomatoes and greens. Stuff meatballs inside and serve.

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 WITH TZATZIKI AND TOASTED PITA

Steps:

• Remove the ground beef from the refrigerator at least 15 minutes before you start cooking. In a large bowl, soak the slices of bread in the red wine vinegar. Let them sit for 5 minutes so they can absorb the vinegar. Squeeze them dry and if there is any vinegar left, discard it. Grate the onion using a box grater and then grate the garlic cloves with the help of a microplane. Add them both to the bowl.
• Next, add the ground beef, egg, olive oil, seasoning, and parsley and mix until all the ingredients are thoroughly incorporated. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least half an hour. (This step will make them easier to roll and hold their shape.)
• Measure out heaped tablespoons of the mixture and roll into balls. It should make about 25 meatballs. Place them on a tray and set aside.
• Place a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat (medium if you have a powerful gas stove). Add enough olive oil to generously cover the bottom of the skillet.
• While the oil is heating, dredge the meatballs lightly in the flour, shaking off excess and place them in the hot skillet. (You will need to cook the meatballs in two batches.) Cook on all sides for about 6 minutes, rolling them around so they cook evenly. Once they are nicely browned, remove them from the skillet and keep warm while you work with the second batch.
• Place three or four of them on a warm pita and add some tzatziki. Sprinkle with some thinly sliced red onions and minced parsley. Wrap the pita tightly around the meatballs and enjoy!
• Peel the cucumber, seed it and grate it. Place it in a colander, sprinkle with some salt and let it sit for half an hour. Squeeze the water out by pressing it between the palms of your hands. Place the grated cucumber in a medium bowl.
• Press the garlic through the press (or use a microplane) and place it in a bowl. Add the minced fresh dill.
• Add the rest of the ingredients, season with salt, mix well and refrigerate overnight or for at least a couple of hours to allow the flavors to develop.
• Before serving, stir it well and taste it. Adjust the seasoning if needed, drizzle with some extra olive oil and serve with toasted Greek pita bread cut in triangles.

GREEK MEATBALLS WITH TZATZIKI SAUCE

Steps:

• Add 1 tbsp olive oil to a large skillet on the stove over medium high heat.
• Add the onion, saute 4-5 minutes.
• Add the garlic, saute for an additional minute, then remove from the heat.
• In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, ground pork, diced tomato, cinnamon, allspice, cayenne pepper and ground cloves.
• Add the parmesan cheese, feta cheese, breadcrumbs, egg and cooked onions and garlic.
• Use your hands to mix all of the ingredients together until well combined.
• Form the mixture into approximately 28 golf ball sized meatballs.
• In the same skillet you cooked the onions and garlic, add the additional 1 tbsp olive oil and place on the stove over medium high heat.
• Add the meatballs to the skillet and sear on all sides for 3-4 minutes.
• Cover the skillet, reduce the heat to medium-low and continue cooking for an additional 20 minutes. (You can also bake the meatballs in the oven or grill them, see notes below for further instructions.)
• Prepare the Tzatziki sauce by combining all of the ingredients for the sauce in a medium mixing bowl.
• Refrigerate the sauce until ready to use.

GREEK MEATBALLS

Steps:

• In a large bowl combine the grated onion, and the rest of the meatball ingredients (excluding olive oil) and mix well.
• Form the meatballs into small 1 inch balls.
• Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the meatballs and fry until golden all around, about 7 minutes. You will have to do this in 2 batches, so do not overcrowd the meatballs.
• Transfer onto a plate and serve either as appetizers or with Greek salad, tzatziki sauce and pita bread as an entree.

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.