As much as I try to venture into other cuisine, I always go back to Greek food. Growing up in a American Greek restaurant/lounge family has left its mark on every facet of who I am. I honestly never wanted to be a cook, seeing the ever so NOT glamorous side of it, I always wanted to be something else, something people notice, respect, someone special. In other words, for a long time I tried to be something I wasn’t. Pleasing others is such a hollow endeavor, most the time they only notice when you don’t do something they want, and what you realize is the folks who are worth it, like you even when there isn’t something in it for them, or when you are wearing your ugly night gown eating cheetos on the couch, watching netflix, relationships shouldn’t be a constant task of following rules or keeping your opinions to yourself to inflate someone’s delusion….if you have those types of relationships, romantic or platonic….run….like the wind! When I gave into my purpose, I finally started to find who the hell I am.Today’s recipe is a play on a recipe that I think has been over exposed, like the “Stairway to Heaven” of potato dishes,in fact, I wasn’t even going to make it because it had become so mainstream and trendy….but deep down I liked it, so instead of worrying about its pinterest popularity, I decided to put my own “Velis” spin on it. Greeks make a dish called “Potatoes Oreganata” they are cooked with lots of olive oil, chicken stock, lemon, and of course oregano. I wanted to take the tasty parts of that dish, make it vegan so you could easily share it with everyone, but use the hasselback method of thinly slicing the potatoes, I also added some tasty and interesting Mediterranean flair to differentiate this from both the other dishes.
You will need:
4 large russet potatoes, peeled and sliced as thinly as possible, I used a mandolin.
3/4 Cup vegetable stock
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt
1 tsp dried oregano
4 cloves of garlic, sliced.
1/4 Cup of olive oil
1/4 Cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, chopped.
2 lemons, zested and juiced.
a handful of chopped olives
a few tablespoons fresh herbs, I used basil and dill.
Preheat oven to 375 and pour half of the olive oil into a baking dish, making sure to cover the bottom and sides with the oil. In a large bowl, place the potatoes, stock,lemon juice, s&p, oregano, garlic, tomatoes, and olive oil, combine well. Layer potato mixture into stacked lines, or a circular pattern as I did. Bake uncovered for 1 hour. Remove from oven and add olives, bake another 20 minutes, until golden. Remove from oven and top with lemon zest, and herbs. Serve along side any thing you like, a great one for potlucks. Your house will smell soooo good, as I type I can smell them even here in the basement. Yassou!