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Serve up scrumptious Greek dishes at home

Try Michael Psilakis’ recipes for Tsatziki, roasted pepper and feta spread

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  Cook up delicious Greek dishes
Oct. 29: Chef and restaurant owner Michael Psilakis cooks up roasted pepper and feta spread and Tsatziki.

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updated 10:29 a.m. ET Oct. 29, 2009

Chef and restaurant owner Michael Psilakis grew up in a Greek household, always eating traditional Greek foods. He's turned many of those foods into the centerpiece of his career, serving them in his New York restaurants and sharing them in his new book, "How to Roast a Lamb." Here, he shares his recipes for roasted pepper and feta spread and Tsatziki.

Roasted pepper and feta spread
Chef and restaurateur Michael Psilakis

Makes 1 quart

This traditional roasted pepper and feta spread resembles a Greek romesco. It goes well with just about anything and is wonderful on its own as a dipping agent for crudites or potato chips.

INGREDIENTS

1/2 Spanish or sweet onion, thickly sliced
  Extra-virgin olive oil
  Kosher salt and cracked black pepper
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
2  fire-roasted red bell peppers, home roasted or store-bought, cut into strips
1 to 2 pepperoncini (pickled yellow peppers) to taste, sliced
0.5 teaspoon dry Greek oregano
2 pinch ground coriander
2 pinch ground cumin
4  small, picked sprigs parsley
4  small, picked sprigs dill
1 tablespoon snipped chives or scallion greens, sliced
1/2 teaspoon dried lemon zest or 1/4 teaspoon grated lemon zest

Recipe continues below ↓
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DIRECTIONS

Brush the onion slices with a little olive oil and season with kosher salt and pepper. On a hot grill pan or in a cast-iron skillet, grill the onion until tender and slightly char-marked. Separate into rings.

In a food processor, combine all the remaining ingredients and process until very smooth. Taste for seasoning but be careful not to add too much salt, as the feta is very salty.

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Tsatziki
Chef and restaurateur Michael Psilakis

Makes 1 quart

INGREDIENTS

1  English cucumber, peeled
10  cloves garlic, smashed and finely chopped
1 cup distilled white vinegar
4  shallots, thickly sliced
1 cup small, picked sprigs dill
2.5 cup strained or Greek yogurt or labne spread
2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  Kosher salt and cracked black pepper

DIRECTIONS

Quarter the cucumber lengthwise and trim off the triangular wedge of seeds. Cut the cucumber into a very small, even dice. Transfer it to a mixing bowl.

In a food processor, combine the garlic, vinegar, shallots and dill. Pulse until finely chopped but not pureed. Add the mixture to the cucumbers; add the yogurt. Fold together with a rubber spatula, adding the olive oil and lemon juice. Season liberally with kosher salt and pepper, starting off with 1 tablespoon salt. Taste for seasoning. You can store Tsatziki in a covered, clean jar in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

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