ALL GREEK TO ME!

by Sarah Villafranco, MD

For children with half-Italian blood coursing through their veins, my daughters sure like to get their Greek on! Perhaps it's because we used to let them eat shirtless at the table in the summers—we called it "greek-style"—or maybe it's an oregano thing, as the herb is used extensively in both Greece and Italy. Whatever the reason, I'm not going to look a gift horse in the mouth. My girls each eat multiple servings of this salad when we make it, so I have to set some aside for me and my husband or they will devour ours, too!

How To Make The Best Greek Salad

This recipe is super easy, especially since I used the dressing from this recipe on Cookie + Kate, my favorite food blog. I made a few changes to the dressing, as I don't eat garlic or onions, and I like things a little less salty than the average Jane. Here's what you'll need to feed four people (as well as 20 minutes of prep time), but it's super easy to adjust for a large gathering!

For the salad:

One large head or two packages of organic romaine lettuce, roughly chopped
3/4 cup pitted kalamata olives, quartered
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cucumber, quartered and sliced
1 package of gluten-free tempeh, sliced
2 T olive oil
Juice of one lemon
2 T mirin
1 T soy sauce or tamari

For the dressing:

(via Cookie + Kate)

1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1.5 teaspoons oregano
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon agave nectar
a few turns of pepper
1/2 cup olive oil (I use half regular and half garlic-infused olive oil)

STEP 1: Tempeh

I use a gluten-free soy tempeh, but you could substitute a different kind if you don't eat soy.

Add the olive oil to a skillet and heat on medium-high heat. Add the tempeh and cook for 7-10 minutes, turning as needed. Add the lemon juice, mirin, and tamari and continue to sauté until tempeh is slightly blackened on both sides, Remove from pan and set aside to cool.

STEP 2: Dressing

Combine all ingredients except the olive oil. Let them sit for a few minutes to allow the salt to dissolve in the vinegar, and then whisk in the oil. Set aside.