Tim says: “Golden and crispy on the outside and deliciously soft and moist when you bite into them, these fritters are one of our Athenian favourites. They are easy to make at home and perfect for freezing (see tip below).”

Serves 2-3

Ingredients

• 1 large courgette (zucchini) coarsely grated
• ¼ tbsp sea salt
• 1 bunch flat-leaf (Italian) parsley, chopped
• 1 bunch of mint chopped
• 60g/2oz (1/2 cup) diced feta cheese
• 1 medium free-range egg
• ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 30g/1oz (1/2 cup) fresh white breadcrumbs
• 120ml/4fl oz (1/2 cup) olive oil, for frying
• Greek yoghurt or tzatziki (see page 24), to serve

Method

Place the grated courgette in a bowl and sprinkle with the salt. Mix well, then set aside for the liquid to drain away from 30 minutes. Squeeze out any excess liquid with your hands and pat dry the courgette with kitchen paper (paper towels)

Put the courgette in a clean, dry bowl with the herbs, red onion, feta, egg, black pepper, and breadcrumbs. Mix well until everything comes together. If the mixture is too damp, add some more breadcrumbs to bind up.

Divide the mixture into 6 or 8 equal sized portions and mould each one into a ball

Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan (skillet) set over a medium heat and fry the keftedes for 2 minutes on each side until crisp and golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper (paper towels)

Serve piping hot with Greek yoghurt or tzatziki on the side.

Variation:
To make courgette (zucchini) burgers, form the mixture into 2 or 3 patties and brush lightly with beaten egg before dipping them into breadcrumbs. Bake in a preheated oven at 180/350/gas mark 4 for 45 minutes.

Tip:
You can make double the quantity and place the uncooked balls on a lightly floured tray in the freezer for 1 day before transferring to a sealed plastic bag and freezing for up to 1 month. Defrost for 20 minutes before frying as above. 

Tim says: “When you want a tasty plant-based souvlaki, this is the perfect solution. Vegans can substitute non-dairy vegan tzatziki and vegan halloumi for the traditional Greek ones.”

Serves 4 

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 500g/1lb 2oz halloumi, sliced
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 4 pita breads 
• 4-8 tbsp tzatziki 
• A few crisp lettuce leaves, e.g. cos (romaine), shredded
• 3 ripe tomatoes, sliced or coarsely chopped
• 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
• Oregano potato fries or French fries, sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Chopped flat-leaf (Italian) parsley, for sprinkling
• Smoked paprika, for dusting

Method

Heat the oil in a large frying pan (skillet) or ridges griddle (grill) pan set over a medium heat. When the pan is hot, cook the halloumi in batches for 2-3 minutes on each side until crisp and golden and starting to soften inside. Do not overcook or it will be charred and rubbery. Remove and drain on kitchen paper (paper towels). Sprinkle with the oregano

Warm the pita breads in the oven or on a hot griddle pan. Spread the tzatziki over each one and top with the lettuce, tomato, and onion.

Arrange the halloumi on top with the oregano potato fries or French fries. Season with salt and pepper, sprinkle with parsley and dust with smoked paprika.

Fold the pitas over and around the filling and roll up in some baking parchment or kitchen foil (aluminium foil) to hold the filling in place. Enjoy!

Variations:

• Dust the halloumi with a little flour before cooing for a crisper coating.
• Drizzle with hot sauce or pomegranate molasses.
• Use talagani cheese instead of halloumi.

Tip:
The halloumi tastes fabulous if you cook it over hot coals on a barbecue. Place on the oiled grill and cook for 2 minutes on each side until golden brown. 

Tim says: “This healthy spinach pie is as Greek as it gets! And the good news is that it’s packed with vitamins and minerals, especially iron from the spinach. Eat it as a snack, with salad as a light meal or take a slice to work as a packed lunch.”

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 4 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for brushing
• 1.5kg/3lb spinach, washed and trimmed
• 2 bunches of spring onions (scallions), finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 small bunch of dill, finely chopped
• 300g/10oz feta crumbled
• 100g/3 ½ oz (1 cup) grated Kefalotyri or Graviera cheese
• Grated zest of 1 lemon
• ½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• 2 medium free-range eggs, beaten
• 300g/10oz pack (or 12 sheets) filo (phyllo) pastry
• Freshly grated black pepper

Method

Preheat the oven to 190ºC/375F/ gas mark 5. Lightly brush a deep 30x20cm/12x8in ovenproof dish or baking pan with olive oil.

Put the damp spinach leaves into a large saucepan. Cover with a lid and cook over a medium heat for 2-3 minutes, shaking the pan a few times, until the spinach wilts. Drain in a colander, pressing down hard with a small plate or saucer to extract all the excess water. Put the strained spinach between 2 large pieces of kitchen paper (paper towels) and press down lightly. When cool, chop coarsely.

Heat the olive oil in a frying pan (skillet) and cook the spring onions and garlic for 4-5 minutes, or until tender. Remove and cool.

Put the spinach, spring onions, garlic, dill and cheeses in a bowl. Stir in the lemon zest, nutmeg and beaten eggs. Season with pepper – don’t add any salt as the feta is salty

Place a sheet of filo pastry in the oiled dish and brush lightly with olive oil. Add 5 more sheets, brushing in between in the same way, so you end up with 6 layers

Spread the spinach mixture over the pastry and level the top. Cover with a sheet of filo pastry, brushing it lightly with oil, and then add the remaining 5 sheets in the same way.

Brush the top of the pie with oil, then bake in the preheated oven for 30-40 minutes until crisp and golden brown. Remove from the oven and stand for a few minutes betfore cutting into squares or slices. Serve lukewarm or cold.

Variations

• Use grated Parmesan if you can’t find any hard Greek cheese for grating.
• Cook a sliced leek with the spring onions and garlic.

Tip:
While you assemble the pie, make sure you cover the pack of filo pastry with a clean damp cloth to prevent it drying out and cracking. 

The Athenian: Eat Like a Greek by Tim Vasilakis (£14.99, Ebury Publishing) is out now