Greek Lemon Lust 101

Lust (epithimia, ἐπιθυμία, pronounced eh-pee-thee-MEE-ah): An intense longing or desire for the taste and aroma of all Greek foods, especially those made with lemon.

When life hands you lemons, Greek up your cooking!

Following are a couple of our favorite fundamental recipes that can transform plain food into lemony Greek meals and define the term lust!
LADOLEMONO (olive oil and lemon dressing, λαδολέμονο, pronounced lah-tho-LEH-moh-noh)
This basic Ladolemono is the perfect dressing for broccoli and spinach/greens. When we were little, we loved our veggies while our non-Greek friends refused to eat them. Why? Ours had this lusty dressing and theirs didn’t.
Prep time: 5 minutes
Yield: about 3/4 cup
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (from 2 medium lemons)
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
In a medium bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients. Toss with cooked broccoli or steamed spinach/greens (about 3 tablespoons per serving, or to taste). (Can be made ahead. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 2 weeks. Bring to room temperature before serving, as the olive oil will solidify when chilled.)
Variations: To make a classic Greek salad, add a teaspoon of dried Greek oregano to this recipe. To use as a marinade for chicken or lamb (to grill, broil, or roast), add the oregano and a couple of crushed garlic cloves. Feel free to adjust the amounts of olive oil and lemon juice to suit your taste—flexibility is the beauty of this recipe.

This enhanced Ladolemono is whisked with parsley to make the ideal accompaniment for, but not limited to, grilled or broiled fish, such as porgy/sea bream (Kukla’s favorite) and red snapper.
Prep time: 10 minutes
Yield: about 1 cup
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (from 1 medium lemon)
1/4 cup (packed) fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves (optional)
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
In a medium bowl, whisk together the olive oil, rind, and lemon juice until emulsified. Stir in the parsley and thyme (if using), and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a serving bowl and stir again to combine just before spooning over fish. Use 1 to 2 tablespoons for a small fish (such as a porgy).
Recipes © copyright 2017-2019 Kukla's Kouzina: A Gourmet Journey~Greek Island Style, kuklaskouzina.com
Healthy Lemon

I hope you enjoyed our lusty celebration of lemon. More recipes featuring this Greek ingredient that ignites our passions are in our cookbook series, starting with Meze and Spreads & Dips, available on Amazon!
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Until then~
Kali orexi! Good appetite!
Kelly
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