I have always loved Greek Salads, one of my faves for sure. This past August when we were visiting Greece I am not ashamed to say that I ate a Greek salad every single day.
The photos are some of the Greek salads that I had in Greece. What I did find interesting is that not all Greek salads are alike. Each Greek island or each region of Greece creates their unique signature Greek salad.
So we all think of a Greek salad having
- Cucumber
- Tomato
- Kalamata olive
- Feta cheese
These are the basic ingredients, and I need to point out that the Kalamata Olives and Feta Cheese were the best that I have ever tasted. While I was traveling thru Greece and ordering my daily salads I began to notice a variety of extra ingredients.
- Green bell pepper
- Red onion
- Fresh dill
- Fresh oregano
- Capers
- Barley rusk
- Tzatziki
- Salad greens
This is the Greek salad that I created today. I wanted to add a little protein, and shrimp sounded good. I dredge the shrimp in flour then dipped in a egg that had been whisked and then Panko bread crumbs that had been seasoned with freshly grated Parmesan and Penzeys Greek seasoning. I cooked the shrimp in a pre heated air fryer at 400* for 5 minutes.
The crispy shrimp were just perfect with a squeeze of fresh lemon and tzatziki. What I also noticed that in Greece the Greek salads were not traditionally served with a vinaigrette but with fresh lemon on the plate and red wine vinegar and EVOO that were brought to the table. I am kind of a tzatziki snob, I typically do not like store but, I prefer mine freshly made.
Tzatziki Sauce
1/2 English cucumber, peeled & seeded
16 oz Cold plain Greek yogurt
4 cloves garlic, pressed
1/3 cup chopped fresh dill
1 1/2 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
Salt & pepper to taste
The Cucumber should be peeled, seeded grated with a box grated and strained of it’s juices. Squeeze it really tight by the fistful. You can use a a paper towel for this. Changing the paper towel several times. Getting rid of excess juice is important so that your tzatziki sauce isn’t watery the next day.
Combine the strained cucumber with the plain greek yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, dill and season with salt & pepper. Refrigerate. I like to prepare my tzatziki several hours before I plan to serve it, so that the flavors have time to develop.
Hope you all makes Greek salad this week.
Signing off for now,
Chef Shelly