Stuffed grape leaves are common throughout the Middle East. The stuffing varies, as does how they're served, but in this typical Greek preparation they're vegetarian and served cold with yogurt on the side. The quality of jarred grape leaves varies. We found that Yergat and Sadaf brands were the most tender and had fewer damaged leaves per jar.
Advertisement
This syrup-soaked walnut cake—a traditional Greek dessert that's often served for holidays—gets its structure from breadcrumbs instead of flour. It's delicious unadorned, but feel free to top it with unsweetened whipped cream, vanilla ice cream or warm chocolate sauce for an extra layer of decadence.
Adjust these boozy, nut-stuffed, chocolate-dipped prunes to suit your taste buds. While prunes are traditional for the bite-size Greek treats, you can substitute apricots, dates or dried figs, or play with the flavor by using rum, cognac, amaretto or cherry liqueur in place of the whiskey.
This version of the classic Greek dish layers eggplant with an aromatic meat sauce and creamy béchamel for a satisfying summer casserole. The eggplant slices are commonly fried, but here we broil them to cut back on calories. Graviera, a hard grating cheese, is popular in Greece. Look for it with other specialty cheeses at well-stocked grocery stores, or substitute Pecorino Romano.