GREECE: Grilled Cheese and Tomato Stacks with Lamb Kebabs

Grilled Cheese and Tomato Stacks

1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh mint

1/2 pound Halloumi cheese,* cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices

8 mini pitas

2 ripe medium tomatoes, cored, halved, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices

1. Whisk 1 teaspoon oil, mint, and pinch of salt in medium bowl to blend.

2. Add cheese and tomato slicesMarinate at room temperature at least 30 minutes and up to 2 days ahead. Keep covered in refrigerator

3. Heat grill or grill pan to medium high. Grill pitas until warm and grill marks appear, about 1 minute per side; transfer to serving plate. Place tomatoes on pitas. Grill cheese until grill marks appear and cheese begins to melt, about 1 minute per side. Stack each warm pita with slice of tomato and cheese

4. Drizzle with oil and salt

*Halloumi cheese is a Greek cheese that can withstand high temperatures without melting. It is sold at some Whole Foods stores. You can substitute Trader Joe’s frying cheese orSpanish Queso Para Frier or Queso Blanco. To maintain the Greek authenticity, you can grill feta by placing a thick slice on a piece of foil, with the edges folded up in case it softens too much.

Lamb Kebabs

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoonp chopped fresh garlic

1 1/2 teaspoon oregano

3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3/8 teaspoon kosher salt

3/4 lb lamb, cut from the leg, or chicken breast, cut into 16 equal-sized cubes

Combine first 5 ingredients

1. Marinate 3 hours or overnight

2. Thread onto either metal or soaked wooden skewers

3. Cook, turning every 203 minutes, until cooked, about 5-8 minutes

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FUN FACTS:

• No one in Greece can choose to not vote. Voting is required by law for every citizen who is 18 or older.

• Nearly 80% of Greece is mountainous.

• In the 1950s, only about 30% of Greek adults could read and write. Now, the literacy rate is more than 95%.