Greece FoodandLit March February 28, 2022bookhippieAdult My library stack! This should keep me busy…. Greece is a country in southeastern Europe with thousands of islands throughout the Aegean and Ionian seas. Influential in ancient times, it’s often called the cradle of Western civilization. Athens, its capital, retains landmarks including the 5th-century B.C. Acropolis citadel with the Parthenon temple. Greece is also known for its beaches, from the black sands of Santorini to the party resorts of Mykonos. Greece has more than 2,000 islands, of which about 170 are inhabited; some of the easternmost Aegean islands lie just a few miles off the Turkish coast. The country’s capital is Athens, which expanded rapidly in the second half of the 20th century. Attikí (ancient Greek: Attica), the area around the capital, is now home to about one-third of the country’s entire population. Greek RiceDelicious Greek Rice that’s so easy to make and pairs beautifully with lots of Mediterranean favorites like my Chicken Gyros or Chicken Souvlaki! This easy side dish is flavor-packed with onions, garlic, lots of fresh herbs and lemon juice! Prep Time 10 minsCook Time 20 minsResting time 10 minsTotal Time 40 minsCourse: Side DishCuisine: Greek, MediterraneanKeyword: greek lemon rice, greek rice, lemon rice pilaf Servings: 6 Calories: 115kcal Author: Joanna CismaruIngredients2 tablespoon olive oil extra virgin1 small onion finely chopped2 cloves garlic minced1½ cups long grain rice washed well2 cups chicken broth low sodium, or more depending on rice used⅓ cup lemon juice freshly squeezed½ teaspoon salt or to taste¼ teaspoon black pepper freshly ground¼ cup fresh parsley chopped2 tablespoons fresh dill choppedInstructionsCook onion and garlic: Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan with a lid over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until translucent and soft. Stir in the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds until aromatic.Sauté rice with onion and garlic: Add the rice and cook (without liquid) until the rice turns almost translucent.Cook the rice: Add the broth, lemon juice, salt and pepper to the saucepan. Cover the pan with lid and bring to a simmer. Turn the heat to low and cook for about 20 minutes or until the rice is done, the liquid should be fully absorbed. Remove the rice from heat and leave it covered, undisturbed for 10 minutes.Finish with fresh herbs: Uncover the saucepan and stir in the parsley and dill. Garnish with lemon slices and serve.NotesAlways rinse the rice first to clean up any excess dirt or debris. Also rinsing rice, will wash away any powdery starch that can stick to the rice grains while cooking. Rinse the rise under cool running water in a fine-mesh strainer.The amount of liquid used when cooking rice may vary depending on the rice used. The 2 cups required in the recipe is just a general guideline, but if you find that after the rice has absorbed all the liquid but the rice is still too crunchy, add more broth as required.If using brown rice, keep in mind that it takes a lot longer to cook and may require more liquid.Be sure to store this Greek rice as soon as it’s cooled as rice is a breeding ground for bacteria. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 – 4 days. If freezing, store this dish in a freezer bag with the air pressed out. Thaw overnight in the fridge and fluff the rice before reheating. This dish will last up to 3 months in the freezer.NutritionServing: 1serving | Calories: 115kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Sodium: 220mg | Potassium: 133mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 222IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 17mg | Iron: 1mg Greek coffee is a strong brew, served with foam on the top and the grounds at the bottom of the cup. Although it can be made in a specialized pot, the traditional small pot shown here is best. It allows the proper amount of foam, which adds to the unique taste. RECIPE Traditional Greek Pita Bread.Soft and chewy and the flavor is just so goodPrep Time 25 minsCook Time 2 minsTotal Time 1 hr 30 minsCourse: BreadCuisine: GreekKeyword: pita bread Servings: 8 pita rounds Calories: 167kcal Author: halfbakedharvestIngredients1 cup hot water but not boiling2 teaspoons active dry or instant yeast2 1/2 – 3 cups all-purpose flour2 teaspoons salt1 tablespoon olive oilInstructionsMix the water and yeast together in the bowl of a stand mixer (a large bowl will also work if you do not have a mixer), and let sit for about five minutes until the yeast is dissolved. Add 2 1/2 cups of the flour (saving the last half cup for kneading), salt, and olive oil. If using a stand mixer attach the dough and need the dough on medium speed for 8 minutes, adding more flour until you have a smooth dough. If using your hands sprinkle a little of the extra flour onto your clean work surface and turn out the dough. Knead the dough for about 5-7 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic. Add more flour as needed to keep the dough from sticking to your hands or the work surface, but try to be sparing. It’s better to use too little flour than too much. If you get tired, stop and let the dough rest for a few minutes before finishing kneading.Clean the bowl you used to mix the dough and run it with a little olive oil. Set the dough in the bowl and turn it until it’s coated with oil. Cover with a clean dishcloth or plastic wrap and let the dough rise until it’s doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.At this point, you can refrigerate the pita dough until it is needed. You can also bake one or two pitas at a time, saving the rest of the dough in the fridge. The dough will keep refrigerated for about a week.Gently deflate the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces and gently flatten each piece into a thick disk. Using a floured rolling pin, roll one of the pieces into a circle 8-9 inches wide and about a quarter inch thick. Lift and turn the dough frequently as you roll to make sure the dough isn’t sticking to your counter. Sprinkle with a little extra flour if it starting to stick. If the dough starts to spring back, set it aside to rest for a few minutes, then continue rolling. Repeat with the other pieces of dough. (Once you get the hang of it you can be cooking one pita while rolling the next one out.)Warm a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat (you want a hot pan). Drizzle a little oil in the pan and wipe off the excess.Lay a rolled-out pita on the skillet and bake for 30 seconds, until you see bubbles starting to form. Flip and cook for 1-2 minutes on the other side, until large toasted spots appear on the underside. Flip again and cook another 1-2 minutes to toast the other side. The pita should start to puff up during this time; if it doesn’t or if only small pockets form, try pressing the surface of the pita gently with a clean towel. Keep cooked pitas covered with a clean dishtowel while cooking any remaining pitas.These are best eaten fresh, but will keep in a ziplock bag for a few days or in the freezer.NutritionCalories: 167kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 2g | Sodium: 585mgPotassium: 70mg | Fiber: 1g | Calcium: 6mg | Iron: 1.9mg Should be an interesting month! #FoodandLit Related Articles Final of FoodandLit 2024 with Finland 3 weeks ago FOOD AND LIT 2025 3 weeks ago