From Naples, Florida: Savor the Authentic with Old World Market

This is a light summer salad full of flavors.It takes less than 10 min. to prepare. The combination of greens beans, Feta and Kalamata olives is wonderful. Ingredients: 1 lb. green beans, trimmed 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil juice of 1 lemon 1 tsp. Dijon mustard 1/2 cup Kalamata olives, chopped 1/2 cup Feta, crumbled salt and pepper, to taste Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Drop in the beans and cook for 3-4 min. or until they are tender but still crisp. Drain the beans and rinse with cold water until the beans are no longer warm. Pat them dry with paper towel and place them in a serving dish. In a small bowl prepare the dressing mixing lemon juice, mustard, salt, and pepper. Whisk in the olive oil. Season to taste. Pour the dressing over the beans. Garnish with Kalamata olives and crumbled Feta. Enjoy with a glass of Zinfandel or Chardonnay. https://www.facebook.com/OldWorldMarket  

I found this recipe a couple of months ago at www.npr.org and since then I've been baking these pastries almost every week. Flaky and crispy they are great for breakfast or as a snack. Ingredients: 1/2 cup crumbled Feta cheese 1/2 cup Kashkaval, grated 1 sheet 9x13 puff pastry dough 2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped Preheat the oven to 400F. In a bowl, mix together the feta, kashkaval and parsley. Dust the counter top with flour, and lay the puff pastry sheet. Spread the cheese mixture evenly to the ends, leaving a 1-inch exposed lip along one long edge. Roll from the opposite edge and press to secure the roll when finished. Cut 1/2-inch rounds. You can press the rounds slightly between your hands to keep the filling into the dough. Place them on a baking sheet and bake for about 20 min. or until light brown. Serve with cherry tomatoes and olives. https://www.facebook.com/OldWorldMarket

These mini muffins are great as a snack or party appetizers. You can taste everything that goes onto the Greek pizza in one savory bite. Ingredients (for 2 dozen mini muffins): 2   tbsp  extra virgin olive oil   2/3   cup  finely chopped onion   2/3   cup  finely chopped red bell pepper   1/3   cup  whole wheat pastry flour   1/3   cup  all purpose flour   2   tsp  baking powder   1/2 teaspoon dried oregano 1   tsp  sugar   1/4   tsp  garlic powder   1/4   tsp  salt   1/3   cup  low fat milk   1/3   cup  crumbled feta cheese   1     large egg , well beaten 2   tbsp  tomato paste   2   tbsp  chopped Kalamata olives Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and bell pepper and cook, stirring often, until the onion is tender, abo...

I've tried baked pears with blue or mascarpone cheese before and last week I decided to use Feta instead. Pears, cheese and honey is a wonderful combination and I hope you'll love this simple and delicious dessert. Ingredients: 2 pears, cored, thickly sliced (or halved) olive oil crumbled Feta cheese honey Preheat the oven to 350 F. Place the pears on a baking sheet. Sprinkle feta over each pear and drizzle with olive oil. Bake for about 20 min. or until tender and golden brown. Remove from the oven and drizzle with honey. Sprinkle with cinnamon and garnish with chopped walnuts if desired.

This is a traditional Balkan appetizer but it works well as a light main dish too. The recipe is easy to make and the result is savory summer meal. Ingredients (for 4 servings): 2 red bell peppers 1 cup Feta cheese, crumbled 2 eggs 1/4 tsp. dried oregano 2 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped 2 tbsp olive oil 1/2 cup grated Kefalograviera or Kashkaval salt and pepper, to taste Preheat the oven to 375 F. Cut the peppers in half lengthwise, remove the stems and seeds. Set the peppers in a casserole or glass dish In a bowl mix the cheese, eggs, oregano, parsley, 1 tbsp. olive oil, salt and pepper. Fill each pepper with the mixture. Drizzle the peppers with the rest of the olive oil. Bake for 25-30 min. or until the filling gets brown on top. For the last 5 min. add layer of the grated cheese and allow the cheese to melt.

Zaatar (Za'atar) is Middle Eastern mix of wild herbs, spices and sesame seeds. Zaatar is good as seasoning to sprinkle on vegetables, salads, meatballs or kebabs and flatbread, mixed into olive oil or yogurt. You can use it to marinate fish or chicken. Ingredients: 4 salmon steaks 1/2 cup Greek yogurt 1 tbsp olive oil 1 tbsp lemon juice 1 garlic clove, minced 1 tbsp Zaatar   1/2 tsp cumin salt and pepper to taste Whisk together yogurt, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper. Set marinade aside. Mix Zaatar, cumin and salt. Dry the salmon and rub it with the spice mixture.  Place the salmon into marinade. Cover and refrigerate for 40-60 min. Preheat and lightly oil the grill. Grill the steaks, turning once, until the fish is opaque, about 10 minutes. Serve with lemon and fresh salad.  More Zaatar recipes: Za'atar Puff Pastry Appetizers

Sumac (Sumak) is considered essential for cooking in much of the Middle East.  Like lemon juice, Sumac is used to add fresh acidity to the grilled meat and other meals but it is much more complex than lemon . It has a tart flavor that is very nice sprinkled on fish, chicken, rice, hummus or boiled eggs.  Sumac complements lentils and other beans as well as vegetables. Try it with Feta cheese or grilled Halloumi cheese. Ingredients (for 2 servings): 2 chicken breasts 2 tbsp ground Sumac 4 tbsp balsamic vinegar cayenne pepper salt and pepper to taste Rub sumac, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper into the chicken breasts. Pour balsamic vinegar over and marinate in the fridge for about 1 hour. You can bake the chicken breast for 20-30 min. in 350F oven, grill it in a grill pan or BBQ. Serve it with Maftoul salad with vegetables and feta cheese  Enjoy! https://www.facebook.com/OldWorldMarket