Healthy Greek

Taramasalata is a Greek dip or spread made with salted fish roe, olive oil and bread (or sometimes potatoes). Chef Zoi Antonitsas's creamy version is a perfect accompaniment for grilled asparagus.

A classic Greek salad has tomatoes and feta; this version by chef André Natera of Dallas's Fairmont Hotel also takes advantage of the mint and arugula that grow so well in his roof garden.

"On the Greek island of Kalymnos, fishermen make a stew with shellfish, whole fish, lemon, onion and water," says Andrew Zimmern. "They eat it straight from the pot with their hands—no bowls. It tastes of sweat and iodine, but it is easily one of the best soups I've ever had. I make my version with halibut, throwing in mussels at the end."

This is Michael Psilakis's modern take on the traditional Greek combination of watermelon and feta cheese. It features the creamy yogurt he grew up eating in New York's Long Island: "My mom made it at home all the time, and we'd snack on it with honey after school."

"We had a boat when I was a kid, so fishing was a part of my youth," Michael Psilakis says. Here, he mixes ladolemono (lemon juice and olive oil) with mustard and yogurt to create a tangy, creamy sauce for succulent roasted fish and vegetables.

Avgolemono is a classic sauce of chicken broth, egg yolks and lemon juice; the addition of a bit more chicken broth, rice and shredded chicken turns it into a satisfying soup.

Michael Psilakis uses a grilled, sliced scallop as the "bread" in his playful version of a finger sandwich, filled with plums, prosciutto and pea tendrils and topped with Greek yogurt. He says, "It's English high tea meets crazy Greek chef."

To jazz up arugula salad and give it a slightly Greek twist, Michael Symon tosses it with chopped fresh dill, briny Greek feta cheese and kalamata olives. He finishes the salad with extra-virgin Greek olive oil, which he says has a pure flavor and is generally more affordable than olive oil from Italy.

For a playful presentation, slide a fat, flat slice of cucumber onto the bottom of each skewer so these hors d'oeuvres can stand upright on a serving platter.

Michael Psilakis feels strongly about using dried Greek oregano to make this vinegary, feta-packed salad. Greek oregano, he claims, has a lovely floral fragrance that ordinary dried oregano doesn't. Look for it at specialty food markets.

This is a play on a Greek dish called spanakorizo that's popular during Lent because it's made without egg, cheese or meat. Michael Psilakis updates it with zucchini, arugula and peas. To make the dish richer (if less Lent-appropriate), he recommends topping the risotto with sharp goat cheese or grated Parmesan.

Michael Psilakis describes this delicious dish as "like pork souvlaki tossed with a salad."

For Michael Psilakis, macaronia ("pasta") has always meant chicken stewed with spaghetti, tomatoes, cinnamon, raisins and pine nuts. Those are the dominant ingredients here, except he's substituted chicken with cauliflower.

Packed with vitamin A, kale is tasty when it's blanched and tossed with a lemon–olive oil dressing and olives, good sources of healthy fat.

With its blend of chicken stock and vitamin-C-rich lemon, this restorative soup (inspired by the classic Greek lemon-egg soup avgolemono) is a good way to fight colds or the flu.