Dinner for Two, Created Just for You by José Andrés

Ingredients for Tzatziki

Makes about 2½ cups

• 1 English cucumber, peeled, seeded and finely diced
  
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 2 garlic cloves, preferably garlic confit (see below)
• ¾ cup Greek yogurt
• ¾ cup labneh
• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh mint
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh dill
• Freshly ground white pepper to taste

Directions

Season the cucumber with a teaspoon of salt and let sit for 1 hour. Wring out the cucumbers in a clean dish towel to remove excess liquid.

Put the garlic into a medium bowl and smash into a paste with a fork or the back of a wooden spoon. (If using fresh garlic, mash the cloves in a mortar and pestle with a pinch of salt until it becomes a paste, then spoon the paste into a medium bowl.)

Whisk in the yogurt and labneh, then slowly drizzle in the olive oil while continuing to whisk. Fold in the cucumbers and herbs, then season to taste with salt and white pepper.

To serve, spoon tzatziki into a serving dish and garnish with a drizzle of olive oil. Cover any remaining tzatziki and refrigerate for up to a week.

To make the Garlic Confit

Preheat oven to 250°F. Separate one head of garlic into cloves, then peel and trim the ends. Place the cloves in a small baking dish, cover with olive oil and roast until tender, about 40 minutes. Strain the garlic, reserving the oil for sautéing vegetables or other uses. Store the cloves in the refrigerator, in an airtight container, for up to two weeks. Mash the sweet, soft roasted garlic cloves into sauces or yogurt.

Cypriot-Style Potatoes With Coriander and Wine (Patates Antinahtes)

These Cypriot-style potatoes absorb all the flavor from the simmering wine and develop a crispy crust from the olive oil.

Thomas Schauer/Courtesy Ecco/HarperCollins Publishers

This specialty of Cyprus, where “tossed” baby potatoes are combined with wine and spices, was taught to me by Greek food writer and mentor Aglaia Kremezi. She told me it’s important to crack not only the coriander seeds — the telltale spice of Cypriot dishes — but the potatoes as well, so they can absorb all the flavor from the simmering wine and then develop a crispy crust from the olive oil. The semisweet rosé wine commonly used in Cyprus can be difficult to find, so we like to use dry rosé with a touch of honey. We also like to add cilantro, which lends color and echoes the flavor of the traditional coriander seed in this dish. These potatoes make a great side dish to any seafood or meat and can easily go from dinner table to picnic table.

Ingredients

• 1 pound baby gold potatoes
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• Kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon whole coriander seeds
• ¼ cup dry rosé wine
• ½ teaspoon honey, preferably Greek
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro leaves

Directions

Place the potatoes in a pot large enough to hold them in one layer with a little room to spare. Add the olive oil and a pinch of salt, then add enough water to halfway cover the potatoes. Bring the potatoes to a simmer over medium-high heat, then cook until the water has evaporated and the potatoes start to gently fry, about 6 minutes.

Meanwhile, place the coriander seeds on a cutting board, cover with a dish towel, and use a rolling pin or the side of a chef’s knife to coarsely crack the seeds. Brush the cracked seeds into a small mixing bowl and set aside.

As the potatoes fry, reduce the heat to medium-low and gently crack them one by one with the back of a ladle or potato masher; you want to slightly crush them while still keeping most of their shape. Continue frying until the exposed potato begins to brown and get crispy.

Once the potatoes are browned, add the coriander seeds and toss until aromatic, about 30 seconds. Add the wine and honey and continue cooking until the liquid is absorbed and concentrates, about 1 more minute. Stir in the cilantro, season to taste with salt and serve warm or at room temperature.

Watermelon and Feta Salad (Karpouzi Me Feta)

The watermelon and feta salad is sweet and savory and a great way to get your daily dose of fruit.

Thomas Schauer/Courtesy Ecco/HarperCollins Publishers

Ripe summer watermelons are a thing of beauty. All across the Mediterranean they are found on breakfast tables and passed around after a big meal for a simple dessert. Try using a mix of watermelons, if you can find yellow or orange seedless varieties at your farmers market. This sweet, savory salad is a great way to get your daily dose of fruit and, with low-calorie watermelon as the star, it will surely become a summer favorite. 

Ingredients

• 2½ cups chopped seedless watermelon, preferably in 1-inch cubes
• ½ tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• ½ teaspoon honey, preferably Greek
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 3 pitted Kalamata olives, thinly sliced
• 4 mint leaves, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon thinly sliced scallions
• ½ cup red watercress or baby arugula
• ¼ cup crumbled feta
• Flaky sea salt

Directions

Chill the watermelon in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes. Whisk the lemon juice, honey and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large salad bowl until emulsified.

Add the watermelon, olives, mint, scallions and watercress and toss well. Scatter the feta over the salad, drizzle with a little more olive oil and season to taste with sea salt. 

Text copyright from Zaytinya: Delicious Mediterranean Dishes from Greece, Turkey, and Lebanon. Copyright 2024 by José Andrés Media. Excerpted by permission of Ecco, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.