Flay Grills Up Greek Cuisine

Some people bring back photos, souvenirs and memories from their travels.

But The Early Show's resident chef, Bobby Flay, returns with all sorts of cooking ideas, as well.

He and his wife vacationed in Greece last month and, sure enough, Flay prepared Greek staples using lamb and fetta cheese on the show Thursday.

He explained that Greek cuisine has a rich culture, not only in the way the food is prepared, but how the meal is eaten. It's long been a Greek tradition to enjoy lavish meals with family and friends, turning the normal dinner into a social event.

Traditional Greek cuisine is distinguished by a combination of unique ingredients, the Greek philosophy regarding eating and sharing meals, the country itself, and the atmosphere in general.

BASIC INGREDIENTS

Greek cuisine has four secrets: fresh ingredients of good quality, proper use of herbs and spices, the famous Greek olive oil, and its basic simplicity.

Greek olive oil deserves a special mention. Present in almost all Greek dishes, and in abundant quantities in most of them, it's very good for people's health.

Then, there are the vegetables and herbs. Due to the mild Greek climate, greenhouse cultivation of vegetables isn't widespread. Therefore, most vegetables are grown outdoors and are very tasty and full of aroma. You'd be delighted with the taste of Greek tomatoes, lettuces, carrots, onions, parsley, and garlic, not to mention the rich flavor and aroma of fresh fruit: grapes, apricots, peaches, cherries, melons, and watermelons, among others.

The herbs collected by most Greeks on the mountains and in the countryside are renowned for their taste, scent and healing properties. When eating one of the many different Greek dishes, the aroma of oregano, thyme, spearmint or rosemary will inebriate you.

Don't forget to also try Greek cheeses, particularly feta.

Since lamb and goats in Greece are free-grazing and pastures are very rich in herbs, meats have a unique taste you won't find anywhere else. Seafood from the Mediterranean is far more tasty than that from oceans. In the Aegean and the Ionian Seas, the waters are crystal clear and abound with fish. Charbroiled fresh fish is considered a treat.

THE GREEK PHILOSOPHY

The time of day when the Greeks gather around a table to enjoy a meal, or some appetizers (mezedes) with ouzo, is a time held in reverence by all inhabitants of the country. For the Greeks, sharing a meal with friends, either at home, at a restaurant or a taverna, is a deeply-rooted social affair. The Greek word symposium, as ancient as the country itself, if translated literally, means drinking with company. The atmosphere in typically Greek restaurants and tavernas is very relaxed, informal and unpretentious. Food preparation, on the other hand, has its own sacred rules. Good amateur cooks are held in great esteem in their social circles. A good housewife, in Greece, means a good cook. And a good cook can spend days preparing a meal for his or her friends.

LAMB

Lamb is a prime source of high-quality protein, vitamins, and minerals. As with other red meats, its protein is nutritionally complete, with all eight essential amino acids in the proper ratio. A three-ounce serving of lamb provides 43 percent of an adult male's Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of protein. Lamb is also high in B vitamins, niacin, zinc, and iron. Red meats, especially lamb and beef, are among the best sources of absorbable iron. For those watching their intake of carbohydrates, lamb has ZERO carbs.

Compared to other meats, lamb contains very little marbling (internal fat throughout the meat). Since most lamb fat is on the outside edges of the meat, it is easily trimmed. That means fewer calories — only 176 in an average three-ounce serving, or 7 percent of the average daily caloric intake recommended for a 23- to 50-year-old male. A recent study also shows that only about 36 percent of the fat in lamb is saturated. The rest is mono or polyunsaturated, the "good" fat in one's diet.

MENU

Grilled Lamb with Greek Spinach Pita Salad

Lamb, spinach, feta, lemon, oregano, dill — ingredients you'll always find on a Greek menu. Flay says he's enamored of Greek food because of all its bold flavors, and he definitely put those to work in the dish he made on The Early Show plaza. You might not think of lamb as being particularly light, but this dish manages to be just that with its fresh, crunchy salad base. Crisp, grilled pita bread serves as an edible salad plate and makes for a really fun presentation.

Serves: 4

Lamb

6 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
1 1/2 lbs lamb tenderloin, trimmed of fat
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 pocket-less pita pockets

1. Whisk together 4 tablespoons of the oil, garlic and oregano in a medium baking dish. Add the lamb and turn to coat. Cover and let marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours.
2. Heat the grill to high.
3. Remove the tenderloins from the marinade and season with salt and pepper on both sides. Place on the grill and grill until golden brown and slightly charred, 3 to 4 minutes. Turn the lamb over and continue grilling to medium-rare doneness, 2 to 3 minutes longer. Remove to a cutting and let rest for 5 minutes before slicing into 1/2-inch thick slices.
4. While the lamb is resting, each pita on both sides with the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill on each side until golden brown and slightly crisp, approximately 30 seconds per side.
5. Top each pita with some of the salad and top with several slices of the lamb.

Salad

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh dill
Salt and pepper
2 teaspoons honey
1/2 cup olive oil
12 ounces baby spinach, washed and dried
1/2 English cucumber, diced
Beefsteak and heirloom tomatoes, quartered
1/4 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
1/2 pound feta cheese, crumbled

1.Whisk together the lemon juice, vinegar, dill, salt and pepper and honey in a large bowl. Slowly whisk in the oil until emulsified.
2. Add the spinach, cucumber, tomatoes, olives and feta to the bowl and toss to combine.