Cuisine Eric

July 4th is a grilling holiday. So grill this! A simple but flavorful lamb kebab flavored with fresh herbs, and garnished with a delicious Greek tzatziki yogurt condiment. It's the simple pleasures in life. 1-1/2 lb lamb (I used boneless leg), cubed into 20 1-inch pieces 1 large red pepper cut into 24 pieces (about 3/4-inch) 2 Tbsp fresh rosemary leaves 2 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves 2 Tbsp fresh oregano leaves 3 cloves garlic juice of 1 lemon 1/4 cup olive oil 4 kebab skewers Tzatziki for serving Mince the herbs and garlic and mix with lemon juice and oil in a bowl.    Add lamb cubes and season with salt and black pepper.   Marinate for at least an hour (or in the refrigerate overnight). Heat grill to high. Alternate 6 pieces pepper and 5 pieces lamb on four skewers.  Grill, turning on all sides, until the internal temperature of the lamb reads 135F on an instant read thermometer for medium rare. Serve with rice and tzatziki , and flatbread if desired.   Serves 4.

These flavorful burgers are one of my favorite burgers to grill.  Deep flavor notes of garlic and cumin are rounded off with the salty, earthy softness of Feta cheese.  Served with warmed flatbread and slices of crispy veggies, the dish is brought to another level with a heady flavorful Tzatziki dip on the side. 1 lb ground lamb 2 cloves garlic, minced 1/2 tsp cumin powder palmful fresh cilantro (or parsley), minced 1 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves, minced 1 Tbsp fresh rosemary leaves, minced 2-3 oz Feta cheese, coarsely crumbled Pita or Naan bread Garnish: Cucumber slices 1/4 purple onion sliced Grape tomates, halved Tzatziki dip Mix together the lamb, herbs and spices. Then gently mix in the Feta cheese,   being careful not to grind down the feta chunks too much. Ideally, they should remain the size of peas. Form into 4 patties.    Grill or fry patties, turning once or twice, until an instant-read thermometer registers 125F in the center, for rare.   The patties...

Tzatziki is a wonderful Greek yogurt dip and condiment.  It's great with pita bread or veggies, or as a topping on all kinds of grilled foods. Make sure you use a full fat, thick Greek yogurt, and that you squeeze as much water out of the grated cucumber as you can - you don't want a watery Tzatziki; it should be thick and rich. 1/2 English cucumber (about 6-inches), sliced lengthwise in half 1/4 tsp kosher salt 1 cup full fat Greek Yogurt (I used Fage 5%) 2 cloves garlic, grated with microplane or minced through a press 1/2 shallot, very finely diced 1 Tbsp fresh dill weed, minced (or 1/4 tsp dried dill) 1/8 tsp Aleppo red pepper (or fine-ground Korean chili pepper), or to taste 1 tsp red wine vinegar Cut cucumber in half lengthwise. Use a teaspoon to gently scrape out the seeds in the center of each half. Coarsely grate cucumber and toss in a colander with the salt.   Allow to sit 10-15 minutes. Squeeze water from cucumber and then tip onto the center of a full-sized paper t...

This is classic comfort food.  Fresh and tangy with lemon, while rich with flavor from olives and artichoke, this dish cooks up with a beautiful sauce - serve with crusty bread to sop up this golden sauce. 1 roaster chicken cut into individual serving pieces (or favorite individual portions serving 4-6) 2 lemons, sliced 1 cup roasted marinated artichoke heart halves (I used Kirkland), drained 1 onion, diced 2 tomatoes, diced 1 cup black Greek olives 2 Tbsp capers 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves dash crushed red pepper flakes 3-4 sports fresh rosemary Preheat oven to 375F. Arrange chicken in a single layer in a large roasting pan. Season with salt and pepper. Stir together the lemons, artichokes, onions, tomato, olives and capers evenly atop the chicken.   Season with thyme leaves and crushed red pepper flakes.   Garnish with rosemary. Bake uncovered for about 30-45 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and nicely browned (internal temperature reading at least 165F based o...

Toronto has a vibrant Greek community, and the chef at the company I worked at was Greek.  He taught me the basics of this classic Greek side dish he made and I've loved them ever since. 1-1/2 lb petite potatoes, quartered 1 firm Honeycrisp apple or equivalent, peeled, cored and diced 2 Tbsp olive oil crushed red pepper flakes to taste palmful fresh parsley leaved, minced 2 green onions, sliced juice of 1 lemon, plus zest 2 Tbsp cider vinegar 1/4 cup chicken broth Preheat oven to 400F.  Fold together the ingredients in a large mixing bowl.   Tip into a casserole and place in oven. Bake 30-45 minutes, turning once or twice, until veggies are cooked through and browned. Serves 4.

Lamb sautéed with onion and then served in a tortilla (or Greek flatbread) is heaven, especially served with a tangy salad, like a Greek salad or a fresh tomato salad.  This is simple delicious family fare. 1 lb ground lamb 1/2 tsp ground cumin 1/4 tsp ground coriander 1/4 tsp ground fenugreek (or turmeric, or paprika if you don’t have fenugreek - but get fenugreek at your local Indian grocer because it is fantastic) 2 cloves garlic, minced palmful fresh cilantro leaves, minced 1/2 yellow sweet onion, diced 1 jalapeño pepper, minced 4 6-inch tortilla wraps (I used Trader Joe’s Cilantro Jalapeño wraps) Gently turn together the lamb, spices and cilantro, in a bowl.  Form into four oblong patties.   Heat a dash of olive oil in a large skillet and start sautéing the onions and the jalapeños.  Allow them to soften and brown up just a bit for about 5-8 minutes, then add the patties to the skillet.   Brown the patties to medium r...