Mediterranean recipes to help you live longer

We can't guarantee these recipes will lend to eternal life, but we can promise you'll end the night feeling like Dionysus.

We can't guarantee these recipes will lend to eternal life, but we can promise you'll end the night feeling like Dionysus.

“Olive oil is the reason why we are still here,” 75-year-old Helen Zafirakos told us.

Fad diets are ephemeral, but the Mediterranean diet has stood the test of time. It’s high in antioxidants, and low in animal protein (particularly red meat). It’s good for our bodies, and, according to some studies, our brains too.

Most importantly, it's delicious.

We're lucky in Australia, our Greek dining scene is rich: from The Apollo in Sydney, Hellenika in the Gold Coast, and Jim’s Greek Tavern in Melbourne. Life would be flat without the time-honoured gyro or souvlaki on a drunk walk home. 

You may be tempted to leave the dolmades stuffing to the professionals, but cross my heart, Greek cooking is not as intimidating as it may seem. So take this as an opportunity to master a recipe or two to bring to your next dinner party. Food is best when shared with company, and we could do with taking a leaf out of the @yiayianextdoor playbook.

Libations are always in order, so end the night with a digestif. If you haven't tried Mastika, do so. It's a piney Greek liquor, that's said to have healing and medicinal properties.

So with that in mind... OPA! 

Barbecued lamb cutlets with watermelon and feta salad

Alice Zaslavsky uses olive brine and feta whey to season and tenderise the meat, after trying it, we're convinced there's no other way.

Alice Zaslavsky's lamb cutlets. Photo: Craig Wall.

Ingredients: 

• 2-3 garlic cloves, finely grated
• 1 tablespoon feta whey
• 1 tablespoon olive brine
• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano or 1 bunch fresh oregano, sprigs picked
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 12 lamb cutlets, frenched
• Grilled lemon halves, to serve

Recipe:

1. Combine garlic, whey, brine, oil, dried oregano and honey in a large container; add the lamb cutlets and swish around to coat. 
2. Cover and leave to marinate for at least 1 hour. When ready to cook, bring cutlets to room temperature and preheat barbecue to smoking hot. 
3. If using the fresh oregano, scatter sprigs over a tray. Grill lamb for 2-3 minutes each side, depending on the thickness, and transfer to the tray of oregano. 
4. Cover loosely with foil and leave to rest for 5 minutes. Grill the lemon halves, cut side down, for 2 minutes.
5.  Serve lamb with lemon halves and watermelon and olive salad
   Serves 4
   
   

Watermelon & olive salad

• ¼ small seedless watermelon, flesh roughly chopped4-6 red radishes, thinly sliced
• 2 Lebanese cucumbers, chopped
• 1 small Spanish onion, thinly sliced into rounds
• ½ cup kalamata olives, pitted and brine reserved
• 1 cup small mint leaves (see tips)
• 200g Greek feta, whey reserved
• Chilli & feta whey dressing
• 2 mild long red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, finely grated
• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons feta whey
• 2 tablespoons olive brine
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice

Combine dressing ingredients in a jar and set aside. Arrange watermelon, radish, cucumber, onion, olives and mint in a salad bowl, crumble feta over the top, then drizzle with dressing. Serves 4-6

Stuffed Greek chicken with Cayenne, Oregano & Orzo

Risoni is the unsung hero of the pasta world, not convinced? Try this Diana Henry stuffed chicken recipe. 

Stuffed Greek chicken. Photo: Laura Edwards

Ingredients

• 1.8kg chicken
• 75g feta cheese, crumbled
• 115g tomatoes, chopped
• 75g coarse country bread, torn into small pieces
• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more to drizzle
• 2 garlic cloves, finely grated
• 3 teaspoons dried oregano
• Sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 225g orzo (risoni)
• 500ml boiling chicken stock
• 1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves

Recipe

1. Preheat oven to 190ºC (fan). Put chicken into a 30cm diameter ovenproof dish (I use a cast iron one).
2. Mix feta, tomatoes, bread, olive oil, garlic, half the dried oregano and some seasoning in a bowl, then stuff into the chicken cavity.
3. Rub chicken breast and legs with cayenne, sprinkle with the rest of the dried oregano, then season the bird and drizzle with olive oil. Roast in the oven for 50 minutes.
4. Sprinkle orzo around chicken and pour over boiling stock. Return to the oven for a final 20 minutes. Check during this time to make sure the orzo isn’t becoming dry: top up with boiling water if you need to.
5. To check the chicken is cooked through, pierce it deeply between the leg and the body. The juices that run out should be clear, with no traces of pink. The orzo should be tender and the stock absorbed.
6. Stir chopped parsley into the orzo and serve the chicken straight from the dish. A green salad or a dish of roasted red peppers is all you need on the side. Serves 6

Kofta with pumpkin & green tahini

After a failed attempt at making hummus, you've let that neglected jar of tahini whimper away in your fridge for far too long. It's time to show it some love, with Alice Zaslavsky's morish kofta recipe. 

Koftas Pumpkin dish by Alice Zaslavsky. Photo: Guy Bailey.

Pumpkin & green tahini

Ingredients

• 1kg pumpkin (see tips)
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
• 2 tablespoon sesame seeds
• 2 tablespoon pepitas
• ½ lemon, cut into wedges
• Small mint leaves, to serve
• Green tahini dressing
• ½ cup natural yoghurt
• ½ cup dill stalks (fronds saved for garnish)
• ¼ cup (60ml) tahini
• 2-3 garlic cloves
• Zest & juice of half a lemon

Recipe

1. Preheat oven to 220C (200C fan) with oven tray inside. 
2. Wash pumpkin well (no need to peel) and slice into 2cm-thick wedges. Coat in oil, arrange on preheated tray and bake for 45-50 minutes, turning halfway through. Place dressing ingredients in a blender or food processor; blitz until combined. (Alternatively, mince garlic and finely chop dill stalks; stir through other ingredients.) Season to taste. 
3. Pop sesame seeds and pepitas into a pan, place over medium heat and set a timer for 5 minutes. Give them a shake halfway through. 
4. Turn off heat, toss seeds again and leave for a minute or so. 
5. Slather half the dressing on a platter or board, arrange pumpkin (and kofte, if doing) on top; drizzle over remaining dressing and scatter with seeds, dill and mint. 
6. Finish with a drizzle of oil and serve with lemon wedges. Serves 4-6

Lamb kofta

• 600g lamb mince
• ¼ cup currants
• ¼ cup pine nuts
• 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• ¼ teaspoon chilli flakes (to taste)
• 1 tablespoon chopped mint leaves, plus extra to garnish
• 1 teaspoon salt flakes, plus extra to garnish
• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

Recipe:

1. Combine everything except olive oil in a bowl, massaging until the lamb becomes sticky. With wet hands, shape the mix into 3cm-long footballs. 
2. If not cooking immediately, chill until half an hour before use. Heat a barbecue grill plate or griddle pan until smoking. 
3. Brush kofte with olive oil, then grill until char marks emerge – about 3-4 minutes each side. Finish with a sprinkle of salt flakes. 
4. Makes about 20

Moussaka

A classic, David Herbert's way. 

Moussaka. Photo: Guy Bailey

• 3 medium (or 2 large) eggplants
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 large onions, finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1kg minced lamb
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste, mixed with ½ cup water
• 300ml red wine
• Small bunch flat-leaf parsley, chopped

For the béchamel

• 500ml milk
• 60g butter
• 60g plain flour
• 50g kefalotyri or pecorino cheese, grated
• 2 eggs, beaten
• ½ teaspoon grated nutmeg

Recipe:

1. Preheat oven to 180ºC. Cut eggplants lengthways into 0.5cm thick slices and place on oiled baking trays. Brush both sides with olive oil and season. Bake for about 25 minutes, turning once, until tender and golden.
2. Meanwhile, put 2-3 tablespoons olive oil into a frying pan over medium heat and cook onions until soft. Add garlic, cinnamon and oregano and cook for a further couple of minutes, then stir in the lamb.
3. Turn up heat and brown lamb well, cooking until mixture is quite dry. Break up any lumps with a fork.
4. Stir in tomato mixture and wine, bring to a simmer, then reduce heat and simmer gently for 30-40 minutes, until most of the liquid has evaporated.
5. Season to taste and stir in parsley.
6. To make the béchamel, bring milk to just below boiling point and melt butter in another medium-sized saucepan. Stir flour into butter and mix well. Cook flour and butter mixture for 2 minutes, then gradually whisk in hot milk. Cook, whisking, until you have a thick sauce, then add cheese and stir until melted. Take off heat and allow to cool slightly, then beat in eggs and nutmeg. Season to taste.
7. Arrange about a third of the eggplant in the base of a 2.5 litre, deep ovenproof dish, and top with half the lamb.
8. Repeat these layers, finishing with a layer of eggplant, and top with béchamel sauce.
9. Bake for about 45 minutes until well browned; leave to rest for 20-25 minutes before serving. Serves 6-8