Top Greek Recipes for Beginner Cooks

Butter Cookie Twists (Koulourakia)

At home, we generally make these into a ring or spiral shape, but they can be easily formed into any shape by creative hands. Because the cookies are small and the strips of dough are fun to work with, kids have a great time coming up with their own shapes.

Ice Cream (Pagoto Kaimaki)

An easy no-cook recipe for ice cream that's perfect for kids. Eat as is, or add pieces of favorite sweets, fruits, cereals, nuts, etc.

Feta Cheese Pie (Pita Me Feta)

Different than the more well-known "cheese pies" made with phyllo dough, this is a delicious pie similar to a quiche, made with feta cheese, eggs, and yogurt. Very easy to make, serve at room temperature.

Greek Yogurt With Thyme Honey (Yiaourti Me Meli)

To make this as authentic as possible, use good quality Greek strained yogurt and Greek honey. Thyme honey is our choice, but there are many wonderful varieties of Greek honey including chestnut, fir, wildflower, pine, orange blossom, and others. A simple drizzle of honey over a bowl of yogurt makes this not only a wonderful dish representative of Greek tastes but easy and delicious as well.

No honey? Top the yogurt with preserves and (optionally) toasted almonds.

Jam Tart (Pasta Flora)

Pasta Flora is easy to make as evidenced by the photo of a tart made by a team of young cooks (preschool and elementary schoolers). Fabulous!

Oranges With Honey (Portokalia Me Meli)

Fresh fruit is a favorite Greek dessert, sweet snack, and a great addition to the breakfast table. It's delicious served alone, but you can dress it up with a drizzle of fabulous Greek honey. Whether you slice the oranges or separate them into pieces, this 1-2-3 recipe (one step, two ingredients, three minutes) adds a lovely touch.

Sesame Honey Spread (Tahinomelo)

A simple and easy combination of honey and tahini, this no-cook recipe has fewer calories than peanut butter, and it's healthy and delicious. Try spreading tahinomelo on whole grain bread or toast, or in a sandwich with slices of banana.

Tomatoes and Feta on Grilled Bread (Riganatha)

A Greek bruschetta, if you will, this is very quick and easy and incorporates the classic Greek tastes of olive oil, tomatoes, feta cheese, and oregano. To use this recipe for a school project, dry toast, rusks, or even crackers can be used in place of the grilled bread.