Greek Meze Dips

These Greek Meze Dips are so tasty and delicious and so much fun to prepare. There are many types of Greek cooking and the best way to taste them all is to actually try some Greek Meze Dips when you visit Greece. Each island has their own version. I am really familiar with Cyprus, but it’s not really fair to choose which you think might be the best as they all differ so much.

Tapas dishes are traditionally from Spain but it has the same meaning as meze – so it means ‘lots of dishes’ or ‘a good selection’. The word ‘Mezé’ is shortened from ‘Mezedhes’ (or at least that’s what I was told by my friend Stella) Well here in Europe we use the word ‘nibbles’ but that usually refers to a few snacks and crisps – perhaps our equivalent is more like a small finger buffet perhaps….

In a Cypriot restaurant, a meze can be small dishes of moussaka, kleftiko, stuffed vines and stifado and many more varied types of dishes. I will try to make them all eventually as they are really worth doing. I have travelled to Greece and Cyprus many times, and I have been lucky enough to try many different dishes – to me they are all delicious. The Greeks and Cypriots also drizzle extra virgin olive oil over all the dips as they are very proud of their oil and so they should be – delicious!

Lets see how to make these lovely little Greek Meze Dips:

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Greek Meze Dips

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Rating: 5
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Course

side dishes, Starter

Cuisine

Greek

Prep Time

45 minutes

Cook Time

30 minutes

Servings

people

Ingredients

For the feta cheese:

• 1 small Block of feta cheese
• 1/2 tsp Extra virgin olive oil

For Kalamata olives:

• 3 tbsp Kalamata olives

For the salad:

• 4 small Cherry tomatoes cut in half
• 1/2 cucumber Sliced
• 1/2 Celery stick sliced
• 1/2 Onion sliced
• 6 Kalamata olives
• 1/2 tsp Dried origano
• 1/2 tsp Black pepper freshly ground
• Salt to taste
• 1 tbsp Lemon Juice
• 50 grms Feta cheese diced
• 1 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil

For garlic dip:

• 1/2 cup Extra virgin olive oil
• 5 Cloves of garlic minced
• 1 lrg boiled potato with the skin on
• 2 tbsp Vinegar
• 1/2 tsp Salt

For Taramasalata:

• 100 grms Fish roe fresh
• 1 small Onion grated
• 4 slices White bread No crusts, then soaked in water
• 1/2 cup Extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup Lemon Juice freshly squeezed
• Salt & Pepper to taste

For Tzatziki:

• 1.5 cup Natural yoghurt
• 1/2 cucumber grated
• 2 lrg Clove of garlic minced
• 2 tbsp Lemon Juice or vinegar
• Salt & Pepper to taste

For Houmous

• 1 cup Tinned chick peas keep the water
• 2 tbsp Tahini paste
• 2 medium Garlic cloves minced
• 1/2 cup Lemon Juice
• 1/2 cup Extra olive oil
• 1 cup chick peas water that you have kept from above
• Salt & Pepper to taste

Course side dishes, Starter Cuisine Greek Prep Time 45 minutes Cook Time 30 minutes Servings people Ingredients For the feta cheese: 1 small Block of feta cheese 1/2 tsp Extra virgin olive oil For Kalamata olives: 3 tbsp Kalamata olives For the salad: 4 small Cherry tomatoes cut in half 1/2 cucumber Sliced 1/2 Celery stick sliced 1/2 Onion sliced 6 Kalamata olives 1/2 tsp Dried origano 1/2 tsp Black pepper freshly ground Salt to taste 1 tbsp Lemon Juice 50 grms Feta cheese diced 1 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil For garlic dip: 1/2 cup Extra virgin olive oil 5 Cloves of garlic minced 1 lrg boiled potato with the skin on 2 tbsp Vinegar 1/2 tsp Salt For Taramasalata: 100 grms Fish roe fresh 1 small Onion grated 4 slices White bread No crusts, then soaked in water 1/2 cup Extra virgin olive oil 1/2 cup Lemon Juice freshly squeezed Salt & Pepper to taste For Tzatziki: 1.5 cup Natural yoghurt 1/2 cucumber grated 2 lrg Clove of garlic minced 2 tbsp Lemon Juice or vinegar Salt & Pepper to taste For Houmous 1 cup Tinned chick peas keep the water 2 tbsp Tahini paste 2 medium Garlic cloves minced 1/2 cup Lemon Juice 1/2 cup Extra olive oil 1 cup chick peas water that you have kept from above Salt & Pepper to taste

Votes: 1 Rating: 5 You: Rate this recipe!

Instructions

For Feta cheese:

1. Make sure you buy the best cheese you can find. I use the village one as it has the best flavour. Cut the cheese in middle of the block and then drizzle with olive oil.

   

For Kalamata olives:

1. Find the best quality kalamata olives, then pour them in a nice dish then serve. always serve this dish in a clay dish, this will add not just the look but the flavour too.

   

For Salad:

1. In your choice of a bowl mix all the ingredients together then season, add one dice of feta cheese then drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. You can can add more salad choice if you wish.

   

For Garlic dip:

1. Peel the potato then place in the food processor with the rest of ingredients and then blitz well. Serve in your choice of dish. Decorate with an olive then drizzle with olive oil.

   

For Taramasalata:

1. Soak the bread well, then add to the food processor, then blitz. Add the fish roe, then blitz well again, then add the oil slowly and then the lemon juice, and lastly the food colouring (optional) then blitz again. Serve in nice dish and decorate with a slice of lemon.

   

For Tzatziki:

1. Put all the ingredient in a bowl mix well then taste to see if you need more lemon juice. serve in a nice bowl and then garnish with a slice of cucumber.

   

For Houmous:

1. Add all the ingredients and blitz well, then add the liquid that you have reserved from the tinned chick peas and blitz. Add more water if you like your dip runny. Drizzle olive oil over then sprinkle with paprika.

   
2. Always serve a Meze with pita bread and a nice bowl of fruit - there's nothing more Greek than figs and grapes. Enjoy with a nice Cyprus or Greek wine.

   

Recipe Notes

You can use dried chick peas but you must soak them overnight in water then boil them the next day before you add them to the ingredients.

I like mine from the tin -  it's so much quicker when you are in a hurry.

You can add mint and olive oil to Tzatziki if you wish but traditionally you don't.

I did not get a chance to decorate my dips as I was in a hurry, but like I said before, it makes a great difference when you do.

For the rest of the meze see these links:

Authentic Greek Meze Recipes       Pastitsio Greek Macaroni pie     Stuffed Tomatoes and Peppers and many more.

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