Greek Feast

In July 2009, my husband Bill and I went to Budapest, Hungary and Prague, Czech Republic. Our daughter had been in Hungary for 18 months on a mission for our church, so we made it a vacation and then picked her up and travelled around her areas. Bill also worked there on movies for NBC and wanted to show me some of the amazing sites in both cities. Honestly, I had no idea just how interesting and fun this trip would prove to be. I was under the impression that in order for a vacation to be complete, it needed to include palm trees and the ocean. Not true. Rivers, ornate architecture, beautiful cathedrals, charming streets and international food can be just as romantic and relaxing.

One night while in Hungary, we went to a street fair on the Szechenyi Chain Bridge, a suspension bridge built in 1849 between Buda and Pest over the Danube River. Look how beautiful it was at night…

There were several vendors and food stands. One had all kinds of dried fruits and gummy candies ready to be purchased by the pound. I kind of wondered about flies, but never saw any.

The next photo shows kürtöskalács (or chimney cakes) a traditional sweet bread cooked over hot coals and covered in sugar, which was tasty!

Another stand that really sparked my interest was grilling beautiful chicken kebabs and serving an amazingly fresh Greek Salad. Both were so delicious that I came home and created these recipes based on my memory of the flavors.

Me eating a chicken kebab fresh off the grill in Budapest, Hungary!

The Greek Salad is perfect for those hot summer days when you don’t feel like cooking but want to feel satisfied. I’ve got my recipe for Greek Salad on a separate post here since it’s great as a meal all on its own!

For my Greek Feast, I made Chicken Kebabs and Lemon Rice (recipes below), Greek Salad, creamy Tzatziki and Roasted Vegetables (recipes linked) . I must say this feast of delicious food took us right back to our wonderful memories of Hungary. You’ll need plenty of lemons, fresh garlic and herbs to make this meal so be prepared!

Greek Feast Chicken Kebabs

3-4 chicken breasts
1 red pepper
1 onion
5 T lemon juice
1 T Dijon mustard
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp oregano, dried
1 tsp rosemary, dried/chopped
Wood skewers, soaked in water

Cut chicken, red pepper (or whatever type of pepper you enjoy or have on hand) and onion into bite sized pieces. Place 1 piece of red pepper, then a piece of onion, then 3 pieces of chicken on a skewer. Or you can do every other like I did in this photo (above) – not necessary…I just wanted a pretty photo! Repeat this order until skewer is filled, ending with the onion and pepper. Mix remaining ingredients with whisk and either pour over kebabs or brush on both sides. Marinate for 1-2 hours. Before grilling, salt and pepper to taste. Grill until chicken is cooked through and vegetables are tender.

Lemon Rice

1 lemon
3 T fresh parsley
2 garlic cloves
4 cups water
2 cups rice
1/8 tsp turmeric
1 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper

Zest and then juice the lemon. Rinse and chop the parsley. Set aside. Bring water to a rolling boil on high heat. While that’s happening, peel and chop the garlic. Add rice, turmeric, garlic, salt and pepper to boiling water and stir to combine. Bring water back to a boil then cover pot and turn down to very low heat. Cook for 15 minutes or until all water is absorbed. Add fresh chopped parsley, lemon juice and lemon zest. Fluff with a fork to combine and serve.

Here’s the entire feast all ready for me to dive into…oh yeah!

Root Notes

Recipes for Tzatziki, Greek Salad and Roasted Vegetables, are linked above. Simply click on their names highlighted in red!
Feel free to substitute regular mustard for Dijon and fresh herbs for dried. If the recipe calls for 1 tsp dried, use 3 T fresh.