Healthy Greek Recipes

Halloumi, a firm Greek cheese, can be cooked on the grill or in a skillet without melting all over the place. In this healthy appetizer recipe, it's paired with tangy and sweet blueberry jam. The berry jam recipe makes enough so you'll have leftovers for your morning toast or for a spectacular peanut butter and jelly.

Fragrant lemon zest, briny olives and salty feta balance the bitterness of the dark leafy greens in this Greek-inspired tart. The crackerlike crust is quite sturdy so you can serve this as finger food at your next party or alongside a mixed green salad for a light supper.

Salty feta, briny olives and earthy beets give a Greek feel to this vegetarian spinach dinner salad recipe. We prefer the taste and texture of freshly cooked white beans, but you can skip that step and use 2 cups rinsed canned white beans instead. If you have a special olive oil, now's the time to break it out.

This roasted eggplant and feta dip gets a kick from a fresh chile pepper and cayenne pepper. There are countless variations on this classic Greek dip. Out-of-season eggplant or eggplant that has been heavily watered often has an abundance of seeds, which make the vegetable bitter. Be sure to taste the dip before you serve it; if it's a touch bitter, you can remedy that with a little sugar. Serve with toasted pita crisps or as a sandwich spread.

All the flavors of a Greek pizza make these savory muffins bite-size treats for adults and kids alike.

This quick, healthy Greek pasta salad recipe is tossed with all the elements of a Greek salad--plus chickpeas for added protein. This pasta salad holds well in the refrigerator or a cooler and tastes even better as the pasta absorbs the tomato-infused vinaigrette. Serve with pita chips.

Canned tomatoes and frozen chopped onions and lima beans make this hearty side dish a cinch. If you like, make it more substantial with the addition of crumbled feta cheese or chopped Greek olives.

In Greece, moussaka is made with beef or lamb, layers of sliced eggplant and a creamy béchamel sauce all baked together in the oven. This variation takes plenty of liberties to make it easy, quick and healthful. Serve over whole-wheat pasta or with potatoes.

This mushroom sandwich comes topped with a luscious Greek-style salad. Make it a meal: Serve with cucumber spears and a glass of Firestone Gewürztraminer.

With flavors reminiscent of the classic Greek spanakopita, this easy omelet is just right for a light dinner or brunch. Frozen leaf spinach makes it ultra-quick.

This recipe combines two popular components of Greek cuisine: souvlaki and tzatziki. Souvlaki consists of skewered, grilled meat, and tzatziki is a yogurt-based sauce traditionally served with grilled meats.

The fresh, tangy elements of a Greek salad--tomato, cucumber, feta, olives and lemony vinaigrette--pair well with rich-tasting sardines. Look for sardines with skin and bones (which are edible) as they have more than four times the amount of calcium as skinless, boneless sardines. If you're lucky enough to have fresh sardines available in your supermarket, try them in place of the canned sardines. Lightly dredge them in salt-and-pepper-seasoned flour and sauté them in a little olive oil. Serve with: Warm pita bread and a cold beer.

Lamb loin chops are a healthy alternative to the more popular and more fatty lamb shoulder chops. The loin chops have quite enough flavor to stand up to this herbaceous couscous.

Have a warm-weather supper on the table quickly with this Greek-inspired chicken salad. Feel free to substitute other chopped fresh vegetables, such as broccoli or bell peppers, for the tomatoes or cucumber. Use leftover chicken, store-roasted chicken or quickly poach a couple boneless, skinless chicken breasts while you prepare the rest of the salad. Serve with pita bread and hummus.

Homemade broths are easy to whip up with leftover bones and freeze well.

This frothy delight is a great summer treat when the summer heat makes hot coffee less appealing.

Lamb and eggplant are combined in dishes throughout the Mediterranean. Together they deliver a complex, hearty, earthy flavor that's truly satisfying. In this dish, toasted pine nuts and tangy feta cheese are excellent accents.

Sautéed mushrooms, celery and garlic add flavor and help keep calories in check and portions hearty in this easy lamb meatball recipe. We like to serve these meatballs Middle Eastern-style: with warm pita, cucumbers, tomatoes and tzatziki sauce or hummus.

Grated butternut squash adds color and nutrients to this brown rice pilaf. This is a riff on a traditional Greek dish that calls for Greek pilaf rice and pumpkin; here we've substituted instant brown rice and butternut squash.

Surprise your taste buds with this Greek twist on the Mexican staple.

Thinly sliced radishes lend a peppery bite and pretty pink hue to this traditional Greek cucumber yogurt dip recipe. Serve the tzatziki as an appetizer with pita bread, lavash-style flatbread or vegetable crudités, or as a refreshing sauce with grilled fish or chicken.

Lots of freshly chopped herbs add zing to our white bean dip. Serve with assorted vegetables, such as baby carrots, bell pepper strips, radishes, snow peas, broccoli and cauliflower florets.

Feta, spinach and dill flavor these tofu patties. Slice some lemon wedges and pick up some whole-wheat pita bread to serve with this Greek-inspired meal.

Slowly braising chicken legs in your slow cooker leaves them falling-off-the-bone tender-making them the perfect vehicle for the Greek spices recommended here.