This is a crisp salad with the ultimate pairing of zesty dressing and feta cheese. The olives are just a bonus 🙂
Cucumber and Radish Salad
7 servings
90 calories per serving
4 large cucumbers
8 radishes, thinly sliced
½ c low fat crumbled feta cheese with basil and tomato
1/3 c low fat zesty Italian dressing
1/3 c pitted kalamata olives
Greek food is so flavorful and fresh tasting. And many of the dishes are surprisingly simple to make. Using store bought tzatziki here is a time saver, but if you want to make it from scratch, it’s pretty easy. It’s just a mixture of plain Greek yogurt, garlic and cucumber pieces. You can skip the tzatziki if you don’t like it, then just substitute some hummus to add in more moisture.
Greek Chicken Pitas
4 servings
310 calories per serving
1 lb. chicken tenders
1 t Greek seasoning (mix of oregano, salt, onion powder, garlic powder and paprika)
1/2 c tzatkizi
4 8 inch pita breads
2 c romaine lettuce, chopped
2 plum tomatoes, sliced
1 cucumber, seeded and cut into strips
1/4 c crumbled feta cheese
Pam
Spray a large skillet with Pam. Heat on medium high and add chicken. Sprinkle with the seasoning and cook 6-8 minutes or until lightly browned and done throughout.
Slice pitas so you will be able to fill the pocket. Add chicken, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, feta and tzatziki. I often slice the chicken up first so it gets more distributed throughout the sandwich.
This is a terrific, easy to make appetizer with the wonderful flavors of Greece just shining bright. The feta cheese, lemon, cucumbers and olives are a perfect topping to the toast triangles. Fancy tasting without a ton of work !
Greek Cucumber Toasts
4 servings
158 calories per serving
4 slices light whole wheat bread, crusts removed and cut diagonally into triangles
4 t olive oil
3 oz. low fat feta cheese
1/2 t lemon juice + a few squirts extra
Kosher salt
Coarse pepper
1 small English cucumber, halved and then thinly sliced crosswise on the diagonal into 8 slices
4 pitted kalamata olives, sliced
Preheat oven or toaster oven to 450 degrees. Brush the bread pieces with the oil and bake until they are golden, about 5 minutes. Mash up the feta and mix with oil and ½ t lemon then add salt and pepper to taste. Spread the mix over the toast points and to with a slice of cucumber. Garnish with olives and then spritz with lemon juice and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper.
There’s lots of flavor packed into this sandwich ! It makes an excellent brunch or lunch meal.
Greek Lunch Sandwich
4 servings
146 calories per serving
4 Light English Muffins
1/4 c hummus
1/4 English cucumber sliced into 28 thin slices
1/4 c crumbled reduced fat feta cheese
8 thin slices of tomato
4 lettuce leaves
Toast muffin lightly and spread with 1 T hummus. Add cucumber, cheese and tomato. Top with lettuce.
This is a fantastic dish – the feta cheese brings a nice flavor and makes the dish much more special. It’s a great balanced meal in a bowl – all your protein, veggies and carbs all in one nice package.
Pork and Orzo
6 servings
373 calories per serving
1 ½ lb. pork tenderloin
1 t coarsely ground pepper
2 T oil
½ t Kitchen Bouquet (flavoring in the gravy or spice section of your market)
3 qt. water
1 ¼ c orzo
¼ t salt
6 oz. baby spinach
1 c grape tomatoes, halved
¾ c reduced fat feta cheese, crumbled
Lemon juice
Rub pepper into meat and cut into bite sized pieces then cook in oil over medium heat for 10 minutes or until no longer pink. Stir in Kitchen Bouquet and stir well. Cook pasta for 9 minutes in boiling water and then stir in spinach and cook a minute longer. Add tomatoes to the pork and cook 1 minute then add the drained orzo and finally add the feta cheese. Just before serving, splash with some fresh lemon juice.
Add a little feta cheese to an already great side and you end up with an outstanding side dish that is sure to please.
Couscous Greek Style
6 servings
190 calories per serving
1 c whole wheat couscous, uncooked
1 ¼ c water
1 c halved cucumber slices
1 large tomato, chopped
4 oz. crumbled low fat feta cheese
1 t dill weed
1/2 cup light Italian Dressing
Cook couscous in boiling water without any butter or oil. When done, cool 15 minutes and then add in the rest of the ingredients.. Refrigerate to chill.
Serve this one on top of a bed of your favorite greens for a super lunch salad.
Black Bean and Feta Salad
6 servings
230 calories per serving
2 15 oz. cans of black beans, rinsed and drained
2 T fresh basil, chopped
4 oz. low fat crumbled feta with garlic and herbs
2 T oil
1 T lemon juice
¼ t black pepper
Mix all together and cover and chill for several hours.
Looking for a special salad ? This one has the extra special something that makes it great for entertaining and holiday meals. But it’s so easy to put together you that you’ll find yourself making it all the time !
Strawberry Feta Salad
4 servings
140 calories per serving
5 oz. baby arugula
1 c sliced strawberries
1/2 c low fat crumbled feta cheese
3 T walnuts, chopped and toasted
1/4 c balsamic vinaigrette
Salt and pepper to taste
Place the arugula on 4 separate plates – add all the other ingredients and serve immediately.
So different from your typical stuffed pepper – this is a great vegetarian recipe. These make a great dinner with a side salad. Or serve half a portion (1/2 a pepper) as a side.
Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers
4 servings
324 calories per serving
4 yellow bell peppers
1/2 c orzo
15 oz. can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
Pam
1 large shallot, chopped
6 oz. baby spinach, chopped coarsely
1 t oregano flakes
1 t garlic powder
1/2 c crumbled feta cheese
½ c shredded low fat mozzarella cheese
1/4 c sun dried tomatoes, (dehydrated, not the ones in oil), chopped
1 T sherry vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Take the peppers and cut them in half lengthwise. Leave the stems on. Clean out the insides (seeds and membranes) and set aside. Cook orzo according to package instructions. Heat a skillet and spray with Pam. Saute shallot for 3 minutes adding a tablespoon or 2 of water if they start to dry out. Take ¾’s of the chickpeas and roughly mash them. Add spinach to shallots and cook another minute. Add orzo, chickpeas, oregano, garlic, tomatoes, salt and pepper and heat through. Add cheese and vinegar and stir well. Spoon mix into the pepper shells. Spray a baking dish with Pam and place peppers in pan. Sprinkle with mozzarella, cover and bake 30 minutes.
Steak cooked to perfection with added Mediterranean flavors of lemon, garlic, feta cheese, and kalamata olives. What a meal !
Garlicky Mediterranean Skillet
4 servings
253 calories per serving
2 lean rib eye steaks (8 oz. each) (or similar cut)
1 ½ t oregano flakes
1 t basil flakes
½ t salt
¼ t pepper
1 T oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 cloves garlic each cut in quarters
2 T crumbled feta cheese
1 T lemon juice
1 T chopped pitted kalamata olives
When preparing steaks stovetop, I like to use a cast iron pan – I find it distributes heat the best and puts a nice sear on the outside of the meat. Sprinkle both sides of the steak with the oregano, basil, salt and pepper and rub into the meat. Heat oil in a skillet and cook garlic quarters 1 minute. Then add minced garlic and cook another minute then add the steaks and cook 8-10 minutes each side or until desired doneness. Remove from heat and sprinkle with lemon juice and garnish with feta and olives. Cut each steak in half before serving.
