No, I'm not Greek. But I can pretend, right?
This year, I'm playing pretend with a Greek-inspired Easter menu. Mediterranean food is fresh, vibrant and deliciously healthy. The flavor combinations are thoughtfully simple and affordable to create. Here's a look into our Easter dinner. Καλό Πάσχα!Eat your heart out Sandra Lee! Here's our blue and white, Greek flag inspired tablescape; complete with my oldest daughter's, prehistoric, blue and white vision. RAWR!
A deliciously EASY way to enjoy peas. Sautee leeks (white and some green) and shallots in bacon fat and butter in a large stock pot. Add dry sherry, frozen peas and chicken stock and simmer for 20 minutes. Puree in batches in a blender with a handful of mint. Return the soup to the pot and add salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste. Add a small dollop of creme fraiche or sour cream before serving.
Italian Sourdough Bread
"Pane Cafone" Countryman's Bread
I decided to go Italian with my bread. I was going to make the traditional Greek Easter bread, Tsoureki (the pretty one with the red egg) but my husband isn't a big fan and my oldest got a small batch of the chicken pox, so I decided to cut my losses and go with what I know... Italian. (Still Mediterranean, right?) I made this bread with a culture that my father-in-law gave to me. I'll submit more info on this process later. The proofing (yeast activation) takes about 5 days... but it was totally worth it. AND I'll have this culture for as long as I "feed" it to make bread whenever I want.
Spinach and Orzo Salad No Greek dinner is complete without olives and orzo! This dish so simple it makes itself. Cook a package of dry orzo and drain. Add garlic, olive oil, olive juice, vinegar, fennel (optional), feta cheese, cherry tomatos, baby spinach, red onions, olives, garbanzo beans, fresh basil, oregano and mint. Add salt & pepper to taste. Refrigerate. Serve cold. A perfect side dish for any occasion. 
Lemon Souvlaki Breasts I knew I didn't want ham... didn't we just eat ham for Christmas dinner? So we broke out the grill and prepared some lemon chicken breasts (my husband did the grilling... thank you, Nick) with garlic, S&P, oregano and mint. I whipped up a batch of garlic mashed red potatoes (thanks to my friend for the smashing/ mixing process) with chives and a side dish of sauteed green beans with lemon, pepper and shallots. I also added some tzatziki (the yummy, garlicky cucumber yogurt dip famously found on gyros) to accompany the chicken and the bread. 
We finished the meal with Cinnabunny Cakes and Baklava.
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