Greek Lemon Potatoes

This lemon potatoes recipe is part of a series of recipes from the Cretan Diet on the Greek Island of Crete. As with all the ingredients that make up recipes from the Cretan Diet, the Lemon Potatoes recipe is very simple, tasty and nutritious.

All the ingredients for Cretan Diet recipes are locally sourced, entirely natural without artificial additives or preservatives. The traditional simple ways of combining ingredients, cooking and serving are the key to tasty food packed with goodness, flavour and taste.

This has to be the simplest yet tastiest lemon potatoes dish ever. The key to its success however lies in the quality of the potatoes and lemon. Look for organic potatoes and freshly picked lemons , like we have in Crete - it will really make a difference to the taste.

Ingredients for Greek Lemon Potatoes

10 -12 medium waxy potatoes
Juice of 4 lemons
Lemon zest
2 garlic cloves 2 tablespoons of Cretan Olive Oil
1 tsp dried greek oregano
Sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

Method

Pre-heat the oven to 190°C: 375°F: Gas 5.

Peel, wash and cut the potatoes into quarters lengthwise.

Place into a large, deep ovenproof baking dish. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Peel and crush the garlic cloves and grind together with the oregano and mix with the olive oil, lemon juice and lemon zest. Pour this mix over the potatoes to completely coat them. (Add more olive oil if necessary.)

Bake uncovered for around 30 - 40 minutes or until tender.

You can at this stage place under a very hot grill for a few minutes to brown, if desired.

Serve with grilled meat or grilled fish or slow cooked casseroled meat dishes.

How to Follow the Cretan Diet

We are going to help you eat like they do in Crete. This will open up for you a whole new world of tasty, healthy eating and Cretan cooking that will improve your well-being and even prolong your life. (Be sure to drive carefully and stop smoking to reap the benefits of a longer lifespan!)

These are the basic rules for the Cretan Diet:

Use olive oil as the principal fat, replacing all other fats and oils for frying and dressings
Drink a moderate amount of wine, normally with an evening meal; about one to two glasses per day for men and one glass per day for women
Eat plenty of fresh fruit as a typical daily dessert; limit sweets with a significant amount of sugar and saturated fat
Include in your diet lots of food from plant sources, including fruits and vegetables, breads and grains, beans, nuts, and seeds
Eat low to moderate amounts of cheese and yoghurt daily
Consume low to moderate amounts of fish and poultry weekly; and limit eggs to a maximum of four per week
Include red meat rarely perhaps just once per week