Greek Recipes (well... sort of)

Here's the recipes that I veganized and modified from various sources (see previous post). I cook mainly by taste so I had to approximate. I can't be held responsible if you make any of this and hate it! :p I liked it all and I hope you do too!

Also, I can't vouch for the authenticity of these. This is as close as I could get to the dinners that I used to get from fast-food type Greek restaurants when I lived on the Danforth (Greek neighbourhood) in Toronto.

Souvlaki

• 2 lbs seitan chunks or rehydrated large tvp chunks*
  (approx., I'm no good at judging how much I actually made)

Marinade

• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2/3 cup red wine vinegar or lemon juice
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp dried oregano
• 4 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• 4 tbsp chopped fresh mint
• 2 tbsp melted vegan margarine (optional)
• 2 tbsp vegenaise (optional)
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Mix up all marinade ingredients.
2. Marinade the seitan or TVP chunks for several hours. I marinated it for about 4 hours.
   
3. Heat up a grill or pan and grill/fry until nicely browned. You shouldn't need to use any oil since the marinade has plenty of olive oil in it.
   
4. Serve with tzatziki.

Notes:

When I made this I did not use margarine or vegenaise and it was missing some sort of "richness" in the taste which I think would be accomplished by the addition of these two ingredients.

Any leftover marinade can be used as a yummy bread dip or brush onto bread and grill for a delicious garlic bread.

* If using TVP chunks, rehydrate in vegetable stock, cool and squeeze out as much liquid as possible before marinating.

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Tzatziki

• 1 large container plain soy yoghurt (unsweetened)
  or 2 containers sour supreme
• 1 small cucumber (or 1/2 large), peeled and seeded
• 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 1 tbsp minced fresh dill
• salt and pepper to taste

1. If using soy yoghurt, put in a cheesecloth or a sieve lined with papertowel and set over a bowl. Allow to drain for a few hours (24 hours is optimal) in the refrigerator. If using sour supreme, just go on to step 2.
   
2. Grate the cucumber and lay out on several sheets of papertowel. Roll up the papertowel and squeeze as much liquid as you can out of it.
3. Mix the soy yoghurt or sour supreme with the cucumber and the rest of the ingredients. Taste and adjust seasonings.
4. Let chill for a few hours to let the flavours blend together. If you have time, let it sit in the fridge for 24 hours. Trust me, it'll taste better.
5. Before serving, taste and readjust seasonings if necessary.

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Tomato Rice Pilaf

• 1 cup long grain rice (uncooked)
• 1/4 cup vegan margarine
• 2 cups vegetable stock
• 2 tbsp canned tomatoes or pasta sauce or tomato juice
  or 2 tbsp tomato paste + 2 tbsp water
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Melt the margarine in a pan/pot and brown the rice in it for about 5 minutes.
2. Slowly add in the stock a little at a time until bubbling and then mix in the tomato and a little bit of salt and pepper.
3. Lower the heat to a low simmer and cover.
4. Allow to simmer for about 15-20 minutes until rice is done. Salt and pepper more to taste.

Notes:

If you want, you can saute some garlic and onion at the beginning before you add the rice. Oregano would be good in this too.

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Roasted Potatoes

• 3-4 lbs potatoes, diced in large chunks
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves minced
• 3-4 tbsp dried oregano
• salt and pepper to taste
  
• 2 cups vegetable stock
• 1/3 cup lemon juice
• 2 tbsp tomato paste

1. Preheat oven to 400F.
2. Mix all ingredients (except potatoes) together until well blended.
3. Toss potatoes with the mixture and put in a large roasting pan.
4. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and mix potatoes up so everything is well coated again. Continue baking uncovered for another 15-30 minutes or until the potatoes are tender (mix every 10 minutes or so).

Notes:

You can throw in some green beans with the potatoes and sauce before you bake it. That's what I did and it was awesome.