The Greek name for these sausages is ’sousoukakia’. They are more like large meatballs than the sausages we are accustomed to. Traditionally they are served with pasta, rice or fresh, crusty bread, accompanied by a green or mixed salad.

Serves 4

What you need

50g/2oz/ 1 cup fresh breadcrumbs
150ml/1.5lb/3 cups minced (ground)lamb
30ml/ 2 tbsp grated onion
3 garlic cloves, crushed
10ml/ 2 tspn ground cumin
30ml/ 2 tbsp chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
flour, for dusting
olive oil, for frying
600ml/1 pint/2.5 passata (bottled strained tomatoes)
5ml/ 1 tsp sugar
2 bay leaves
1 small onion, peeled
salt and ground black pepper
a few sprigs of fresh flat parsley, to garnish

What you do

1 Mix together the breadcrumbs and milk. Add the minced lamb, onion, garlic, cumin and chopped parsley and season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 Shape the mixture with your hands into fat little sausages, about 5cms/2ins long, and roll them in flour. Heat about 60ml/4tbsp olive oil in a frying pan

3 Fry the sausages for about 8 minutes, turning them frequently until they are evnly browned all over. Remove from the pan and drain on a plate covered with a few sheets of kitchen paper.

4 Put the passata, sugar, bay leaves and whole onion in a pan and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the sausages and cook for a further 10 minutes. Serve garnished with parsley.

NB Sousoukakia can also be made with minced (ground) beef.

This is a popular summer dish in Greece and is made with different kinds of beans according to what is available. It is served with feta cheese and fresh bread.

Serves 4

What you need

• 800g/1.75lb green beans, trimmed
  150ml/0.25 pint/two thirds of a cup extra virgin olive oil
  1 large onion thinly sliced
  2 garlic cloves, chopped
  2 small potatoes, peeled and chopped into cubes
  675g/1.5lbs tomatoes or a 400g/14oz can plum tomatoes, chopped
  150mls/0.25 pint/two thirds of a cup hot water
  3-4 tspn chopped fresh parsley
  salt and ground black pepper

What you do

1 Cut the beans in half if very long. Drop them into a bowl of cold water so that they are completely submerged. Leave them to absorb the water for a few minutes

2 Heat the olive oil in a large pan, add the onion and saute until soft. Add the garlic, then stir in the paotatoes and saute the mixture for a few minutes.

3 Add the tomatoes and the hot water and cook for 5 minutes. Drain the beans, rinse them and drain again, then add them to the pan with a little salt and pepper. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Stir in the chopped parsley, with a little more hot water if the mixture looks dry. Cook for 10 minutes more, until the beans are very tender. Serve hot with slices of feta cheese.

Thinly sliced potatoes are cooked with Greek feta cheese and black and green olives in olive oil for thos flavoursome dish. Toasted pitta bread and a green salad go well.

Seves 4

What you need

• 900g/2lb potatoes
  150mls/0.25 pint/ two thirds of a cup extra virgin olive oil
  1 sprig fresh rosemary
  275g/10oz feta cheese, sliced and then crumbled
  115g/4oz/1 cup pitted black and green olives
  300ml/0.5 pint/1.25 cups hot vegetable stock
  salt and ground black pepper

What you do

1) Preheat the oven to 200C/400C/Gas 6. Cook the potatoes in plenty of boiling water for 15 minutes. Drain and cool slightly. Peel the potatoes and cut into thin slices

2) Brush the base and sides of a shallow 1.5 litre/2.5 pint rectangular ovenproof dish with some of the olive oil

3) layer the potatoes in the dish with the rosemary, cheese and olives. Drizzle with the remaining olive oil and pour over the stock. Add salt and freshly ground balck pepper.

4) Cook for 35 minutes, covering with foil to prevent the potatoes from getting too brown. Serve hot, straight from the dish.

A lamb Yiouvetsi is one of the most popular dishes and is often made for family lunch on 15th August, another important date in the Greek Orthodox calendar as it marks the Feast of the Assumption of the Virgin mary and the end of the long fasting period through the summer months.
Serve with salad to refresh the palate.
Serves 6

What you need

• 1 shoulder of lamb, sliced into serving portions (remove most of the fat)
  600g/1lb 6oz ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped, or 400g/14oz can chopped plum tomatoes
  use fresh vine tomatoes if possible as it is their flavour that make the difference.
  4 or 5 garlic cloves, chopped
  75ml/5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  5ml/1 tsp dried oregano
  1 litre/1.75 pints/4 cups hot water
  400g/14oz/3.5 cups orzo pasta or spaghetti, broken into short lengths
  salt and ground black pepper
  50g/2oz/half a cup freshly grated Kefalotiri or parmesan cheese

What you do

1 Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/Gas 5. Rinse the lamb to remove any obvious bone splinters and place it in a large roasting pan.

2 Add the fresh or canned tomatoes and the crushed garlic, extra virgin olive oil and dried oregano. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and stir in 300ml/0.5 pint/1.25 cups of hot water

3 Place the lamb in the oven and bake for 1 hour and 15 mins, turning and basting the meat twice.

4.Remove the lamb from the oven and reduce the temperature to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Add the remaining 700ml/1.25 pints/2.75 cups of hot water to the roasting pan. Stir in the pasta and add more seasoning.

5. Mix well, return to the oven and bake for 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the meat is fully cooked and tender, and the pasta is soft.

6. Serve immediately with a bowl of grated cheese to be sprinkled over individual plates.
This dish can also be made with young goat, katziki, or beef, but these have to be bolied first

This delicious dip can be served with a garnish of fresh coriander leaves, olives or pickled cucumbers, hot pepper sauce or a little ground corriander. 

Serves 2 - 4

What you need

• 1 large or two medium aubergines (eggplants)
  2 - 4 cloves garlic, chopped
  90-150mls/6 - 10 tbsp tahini
  juice of 1 lemon
  salt and ground black pepper

What you do

1 Brush the aubergines lightly with extra virgin olive oil and place under a hot grill. Turn frequently until charred all around.

2 Put the aubergine(s) in a plastic bag and seal the top tightly, or place in a bowl and cover with kitchen paper. Leave to cool for about 45 minutes.

3 Peel off the blackened skin from the aubergine(s), keeping the juices. Chop the aubergine flesh by hand for a coarse texture, or blend for a smooth puree. Put in a bowl and add the juices.

4 Add the chopped garlic and tahini to the aubergine and stir until smooth. You mat prefer not to add all of the other ingredients at once, but keep a little to one side to add after tasting.

5 Stir in the lemon juice. If the mixture becomes too thick, add 15-30mls/1-2tbsp water. season with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste and spoon into a serving bowl. Serve at room temperature. Garnish with olives and a few sprigs of corinader or fresh mint.

Adjust the ammount of aubergine, garlic and lemon juice depending on how creamy, garlicky or tart you want it to be.