A Greek Weekend

This weekend I decided to have a greek theme for all our meals. I hate buying something for a specific recipe that I don't normally buy, then not being able to use for anything else, and ending up throwing it out because it goes bad. So I picked three recipes that used similar ingredients (in this case plain yogurt, pitas, and feta cheese) that I could use throughout the weekend. Friday we had greek pizzas that were really yummy and a fun change, Saturday we had Gyros with Tzaziki sauce (its a cucumber dill sauce that you can dip plain warm pitas or really anything in), and then Sunday a little more formal grilled fish (I omitted the olives). I thought it was a great idea and it worked out well. It was a nice change from our routine meals and well worth it!

Greek Pizzas

Ingredients

• 2 whole pita breads (6 inches)
• 1 teaspoon olive oil, divided
• 4 cups torn fresh spinach
• 2 tablespoons chopped green onion
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh dill
• 4 tomato slices, halved
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 1/8 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper

Directions

• Place pita breads on a baking sheet. Brush each with 1/4 teaspoon oil. Broil 6 in. from the heat for 1-2 minutes or until lightly browned. Turn pitas over; brush with remaining oil. Broil 1-2 minutes longer.
• In a microwave-safe dish, microwave spinach on high for 1 to 1-1/2 minutes or until wilted; drain well. Add onion and dill; mix well.
• Top each pita with four tomato pieces, half of the spinach mixture and half of the cheeses. Sprinkle with oregano and pepper. Bake at 450° for 7-9 minutes or until cheese is lightly browned. Yield: 2 servings.

Gyros

Ingredients

• 1 cup (8 ounces) plain yogurt
• 1 cup diced peeled cucumber
• 1 teaspoon dill weed
• 1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1-1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1-1/4 pounds lean boneless pork, thinly sliced
• 6 pita breads (6 inches), halved and warmed
• 1 medium tomato, chopped
• 2 tablespoons chopped onion

Directions

• In a small bowl, combine the yogurt, cucumber, dill and seasoned salt; cover and refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight.
• In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the oil, lemon juice, mustard, garlic, oregano and thyme; add pork. Seal bag and turn to coat; refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight, turning occasionally.
• Drain and discard marinade. In a large skillet, stir-fry pork for about 4 minutes or until juices run clear. Stuff into pita halves; top with cucumber sauce, tomato and onion. Yield: 6 servings.

Greek Grilled Fish

Ingredients

• 8 tilapia fillets (4 ounces each)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 cup plain yogurt
• 2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1 small red onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup pitted Greek olives
• 1 teaspoon dill weed
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

Directions

• Sprinkle tilapia with salt and pepper. Place on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray.
• In a small bowl, combine the yogurt, butter and lime juice. Stir in the onion, olives and seasonings. Spread down the middle of each fillet; sprinkle with feta cheese. Broil 3-4 in. from the heat for 6-9 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Yield: 8 servings.