Showing posts with label Savory. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Savory. Show all posts

Kléftiko - lamb with garlic, fresh oregano and mustard, baked in paper

Apr 10, 2013


   


  Fighters who led an outlaw existence in the mountains during the War of Independence (1821-28) were called Kléphts. They were rebel bands forced to hide in the forests.  To survive they had to forage for whatever food was available. Often this meant stealing sheep, or goats from the villagers in the area.  Having an open fire over a long period to cook their meal would have betrayed their position to the Turks, so they would dig holes in the ground, for the coals , get them hot, then wrap the meat and cover the package with clay or dirt to slow cook it without the tell-tale smoke or aroma.   It was delicious and today meat that is baked sealed in a container (or wrapped in baking paper) is still called kléftiko – or stolen meat! 
     Traditionally Kléftiko is made with lamb or goat meat along with kefalotyri cheese, potatoes or other vegetables wrapped all together and baked for at least two hours. I personally prefer lamb shoulder cooked only with herbs, olive oil and mustard.




Bakaliáros skordaliá - fried salt cod with garlicky potato puree

Apr 1, 2013


  



   It may sound strange that a product from the North Atlantic Ocean like salted cod became the key ingredient of one of the most famous traditional dishes in Greece.
Bakaliáros (cod) was first imported to  Greece  via England at the end of 19th century at the same time the famous and  tasty Greek black and sultana raisins were being exported to England.  Quite a fair trade I would say. Salted cod became available to a wide range of the population especially in the mountainous regions of the country where fresh fish was difficult to find before the invention of fridges. Salted cod actually came to be called  ''mountain fish''.
      In the Peloponnese especially around the port city of Patras where sultanas were (and still are) cultivated, salt cod became the base of many creative dishes. The most simple and the most famous of all recipes is fried cod  served with skordaliá, a potato puree flavored with garlic, lots of garlic, and olive oil. Skordaliá is made with bread or walnuts in some parts of Greece, but boiled and then mashed potatoes are the most popular base for this side dish. This garlicky puree can also be served with fried zucchinis or cooked vegetables like beet roots.






Krassáto - braised pork with white wine, carrots and celery

Feb 20, 2013


   



  Wine is widely used in cooking all over Europe,  red wine mostly, and, as expected, such
recipes have been developed in wine producing regions. In the Peloponnese we grow both
red and white varieties of grapes, either  local or French, but where I live white is the most often cultivated . This is true of our own  family vine yard as well.
     We often use wine in cooking just for ''seasoning'' although there are recipes like the one presented here where wine is the star ingredient. Wine gives both taste and moisture to meat and you should never worry about the alcohol since it evaporates during cooking.





     Wine is called krasi in Greek, so a dish with wine as the key ingredient is called ''krassáto''.
I use a dry white wine from the local variety ''roditis'' but you can use your own
favorite  white wine, keeping in mind to buy an extra bottle for serving. And something
important to remember:  never use in cooking a wine that you wouldn't want to drink!



Tirópsomo - Feta bread

Jan 28, 2013


   


  In Greece we love both feta and bread and this pair, together with some olives, are the most common choice for a quick snack between meals.
Tirópsoma, sold in every bakery across the country, are savory breads made from common bread dough with the addition of feta in the batter, making it an easy snack to enjoy while on the go. 
     These feta breads can be flavored with oregano, olives, or even sun dried tomatoes in a   ‘special’ version. When feta bread is made at home the list of seasonings, herbs, cheese or even flour is endless. Here I give you the basic feta bread recipe that we make at home.  You can be more creative and try various additions or just follow this classic traditional version.





Avgolémono - gives taste and texture to any soup

Nov 22, 2012


       



 Avgolémono is the most characteristic Greek method to thicken a soup. I remember my grandmother's ritual when making an avgolémono soup.  She used to claim that we should only stir the soup clockwise because stirring the opposite way would make the eggs curdle. 
        Thankfully things are not that complicated; you just have to mix the eggs very well, preferably with a mixer before adding lemon juice and gradually a cup of the hot stock (without stopping mixing as you add the stock). Once that is done, you return your avgolémono mixture back into the rest of the hot soup and you have a rich soup in both   taste and texture. If avgolémono is made properly there is absolutely no egg flavor in your soup. Soups thickened with avgolémono should be served immediately, so always make it at   the last minute, just before serving..

Apart from soups, the avgolémono method is used to give taste to other dishes such as chicken fricassee or lamb stew with greens.





Soutzoukàkia - Cumin flavored meatballs in rich tomato sauce

Nov 11, 2012






    In classic Greek cuisine we don't use a great variety of spices, except pepper of course, cinnamon, cloves or allspice in tomato based sauces and, rarely, nutmeg in flour based sauces. 
     Some recipes, though, which have  an eastern origin but which have been completely incorporated in our cuisine contain different spices than we normally use. Soutzoukàkia are meatballs flavored with cumin and cooked in a rich tomato sauce. What makes this dish different is the cumin, an exotic flavored spice used widely in the Middle East, India and Mexico; cumin is also one of the spices used in curry powder. If you eliminate cumin from this recipe you will simply have ordinary meatballs, not a bad thing but we all need something exotic every now and then.
     Soutzoukàkia are usually served with fried potatoes, steamed rice or mashed potatoes. Tzatziki is a matching side dish giving freshness to this meal.
Believe it or not, soutzoukakia taste much better the day after, maybe because the aromas have spread more evenly over time.





Pastitsio - baked pasta with meat and creamy bechamel

Oct 15, 2012


   


  Pastitsio consists of bucatini shape pasta( a thick spaghetti-like pasta with a hole running through the centre ), ground meat, and tomato filling, which are then  topped with creamy béchamel sauce and baked in the oven until golden.  Since everyone likes pasta, pastitsio is a wonderful dish for family gatherings. It brings back childhood memories,- the perfect mummy style comfort food.
     Pastitisio has an Italian origin (pasticcio) but in Italy it is made with lasagna pasta and without the bechamel sauce. I don't know when it was first imported but it was many decades ago and in its altered form it is now considered a classic Greek dish.







Kotopoulo me bámies - chicken stew with okra and tomatoes

Sep 12, 2012


   


  If we didn't like okra (sometimes called lady fingers or gumbo) for their wonderful taste, we would surely grow them for their big beautiful flowers.
     The okra harvesting period is from July to late September, and since they don't bloom all at the same time, you can enjoy their flowers all summer long.
     In Greek okra are called bámies, and we use them in many summer dishes. They actually compliment both meat and poultry, but also other vegetables in summer stews. In fact, the most common okra dish is a simple stew with tomatoes, cooked the same way we cook green beans.
     Many people don't like okra because they had a bad first experience with their gelatinous sauce, but if you toss them with vinegar and let them stand for an hour in a strainer, you will have a perfect result  no matter how you choose to cook them.
For my taste the ideal combination for okra is chicken, a quite popular dish all over Greece. 






Gemistà - stuffed tomatoes with rice and herbs

Aug 29, 2012





Stuffed tomatoes are called gemistà in Greek.
Red, ripe tomatoes with their natural sweetness can turn this humble dish into a wonderfully flavored summer meal. As a kid I remember we would cook this dish at home, mostly in August, when the tomatoes from our garden were ideally ripe.

Rice and finely grated vegetables together with herbs is the classic stuffing for gemistà. In some parts of Greece, raisins and pine nuts are used to give a festive touch to the dish. 
Another version calls for minced meat in the stuffing, but it’s not nearly as popular. 
Gemistà  can describe not only tomatoes but also other stuffed summer vegetables such as aubergines, green peppers, and zucchinis.





Melitzanes me tomata & feta - baked eggplants with tomato sauce and feta

Aug 19, 2012



     Eggplants and tomato; tomato and feta!  Add some basil or oregano and this chain reaction can give an explosion of taste in your mouth.
     Slices of eggplant covered with tomato sauce, and topped with feta can easily become a filling summer dish, served either as a first or as a main course.
     In Greece we season tomatoes with oregano, but basil is a classic Mediterranean companion for tomato as well;  so  it’s up to you.
Cooking this dish, won't take you more than 20-30 minutes.




Sfougàto - zucchinis and kefalotyri cheese frittata.

Aug 5, 2012


   
zucchini frittata 1




 Zucchinis are widely available in summer and since they are quite popular for their light fresh flavor, many dishes are based on them.
    At this time of the year we usually have more time for cooking but we prefer spending time eating instead, so easy and fast recipes like omelets are always popular.
    This frittata with zucchinis, which on Aegean islands is called sfougàto (spongy), is easy to make and quite filling.


zucchini frittata





Mosharaki me lahanika - beef stew with summer vegetables

Jul 11, 2012


   




   This classic beef stew with tomato sauce is usually served with pasta or fried potatoes. However, in hot weather there are many tasty seasonal vegetables that can take the place of pasta and fried potatoes making a lighter dish with a summer touch.
      The stew can be made with beef or with any other meat or poultry. Zucchinis, eggplants, sweet peppers and potatoes( or carrots) are the most popular summer vegetables chosen for this dish. 
      We usually serve kokkinisto with graviera cheese as a side dish. It is a lightly salted yellow hard cheese with a sweet aftertaste. If you can't find graviera, then gruyere could be a good choice.





Melitzanosalata - eggplant spread, the monks' way

Jul 4, 2012


   


      Eggplants are the basic ingredient of many summer dishes; they make wonderful combinations with tomato, garlic, onion, peppers, basil and many other summer vegetables, all producing very tasty dishes.


     Today we harvested the first eggplants of the season and the best way to taste them without too much cooking is melitzanosalảta, a spread made with roasted eggplants, olive oil, vinegar and just an idea of garlic. Roasted red peppers can  also be added for extra color and sweetness. This vegan version is called agioritiki and takes its name from the monks’ community of Athos peninsula (Agio Oros). The addition of yogurt or mayonnaise does give a rich taste but one closer to what you find in the store bought melitzanosalata.


Zucchini fritters and choriảtiki salad - a light summer meal

Jun 22, 2012


    




     Mediterranean summers are very hot and heat calls for light meals. In Greece we use many vegetables in our summer cuisine - in salads, in vegetable stews, grilling them, baking them,  or making fritters for more filling bite size snacks. 
     The most famous Greek salad among locals and tourists is choriảtiki the base of which is tomato, cucumber, and onion topped with a generous slice of feta cheese. Choriatiki is also garnished with olives, green pepper, capers and dry oregano. Olive oil is the final and most important ingredient of any salad; it has to be fresh extra virgin olive oil because salads are not cooked, and therefore all special characteristics of the oil used affect the taste.
     A zucchini fritter (kolokythokeftẻdes) is a nice way to turn zucchinis (kolokỳthia) into a tasty snack. It is usually served as a first course or as a meze for your ouzo or wine. Some Greek yoghurt  is always nice with fritters.





Fava - yellow split peas puree with caramelized onions

May 28, 2012


     




Yellow split peas or fava, as we call them in Greece, are cultivated in many regions of the country where different microclimates give them completely different tastes. Santorini, apart from being one of the most beautiful islands, is the place of origin of the best quality fava beans produced in our country. The volcanic soil and the unique dry climate give to the beans an exquisite taste but the limited production makes it difficult to find them outside the island. Very good fava is also produced in the valley of ancient Feneόs here in the Peloponnese.   
     Fava is usually cooked as a puree and since its taste is quite neutral, caramelized onions, capers or some finely chopped Greek salad on top, can transform it into a gourmet dish. 





Stifảdo - chicken and baby onions stew

May 7, 2012





      My father liked hunting with my uncles on the winter weekends when hunting was permitted; so we often had wild rabbits and birds for special meals at home. 
     The most common and delicious way to cook game in Greece is  stifảdo (στιφάδο). This is a meat stew with baby onions. Since most people, including myself; don’t  like hunting,  stifảdo can also made with beef, rabbit or any kind of poultry hunted down at your local butchers
      Baby onions keep their shape during cooking making for a nice presentation and giving  a sweet taste to this dish. Adding a teaspoon of tomato paste gives a warm rich color to the sauce.





Fakẻs soupa - lentil soup

Apr 30, 2012




     Legumes are an important part of the Greek diet. Lentils (fakẻs in Greek) are usually cooked as a soup with carrots and garlic and are traditionally served with a drizzle of olive oil and vinegar.
     I remember lentil soup was a Tuesday dish in my home and, as you know, kids don’t usually like legumes. So my grandmother would make omelet for me with my mother hesitating to agree, - thinking  that I would become spoiled. So I was almost ten years old when I first tasted my mother’s lentil soup. We were on summer vacation with my cousins who loved lentil soup and they convinced me to try it. Since that day I have never argued about this dish. Actually I really like lentils a lot, so why don’t you try them for yourself?



Arnảki me aginảres - Lamb stew with artichokes

Mar 31, 2012




    Artichokes (aginảres in Greek) are the most tasty and unique vegetable of Spring. These flower buds can be found fresh only at this time of the year and the list of recipes to cook them is endless.
    Globe artichokes are cultivated worldwide but the ‘wild’ variety, although they are smaller and have thorns, have been preferred in Greece since ancient times. They cost double the price of Globe artichokes because of their wonderful taste. Wild artichokes are more difficult to find in the market but in the island of Tinos they are widely cultivated, marinated in olive oil, and sold canned,  -  a great meze.
    In Greece we also make a very nice vegetable stew with artichokes, broad beans and peas, all of which are in season at the same time.  
   Since Easter is getting close, one of our favorite traditional festive dishes is lamb stew with artichokes ( arnảki me aginảres)This dish combines lamb, (the Greeks’ favorite meat); with artichokes, fresh herbs, greens (in this case fresh green onions and dill), and olive oil, -  all producing a real taste of Spring.
    To be honest, fresh artichokes are a bit messy to peel. On the internet you can find videos and plenty of information about that process, but always remember that frozen artichokes will work fine; we use them often, especially when fresh ones are not in season.

                                                          
                                                              Wild artichoke

Youvarlảkia – Rice Meatballs (soup or not soup)

Mar 20, 2012








       Youvarlákia are meatballs made with ground beef, rice, and herbs. They are cooked in stock and then thickened with avgolẻmono sauce. Avgolẻmono is the most characteristic Greek sauce and consists of whole beaten eggs with the addition of lemon juice. This is added carefully to the meatballs just before serving to give taste and a velvety texture to the final dish.


       When you have no time to cook two dishes for a meal, Youvarlảkia can be the best choice. It can be served either as a hearty soup in winter or as a main dish anytime, - especially in summer when the weather is hot and soup is not a good choice. We then cook youvarlákia with half the amount of stock in order to end up with a thick sauce. This version of the dish is usually served with fried potatoes.





Wild asparagus made it clear; Spring has come!

Mar 9, 2012




Yesterday, under the olive trees, we found the first wild asparagus of the year.
What a treat! Have you ever tasted wild asparagus? That is not something you wouldn’t remember!. Their taste is superb. . In Greek they are called σπαράγγια-sparảgia and in my opinion, wild ones are ten times better tasting than cultivated ones.
In the mountains you can find native wild asparagus from late February to late April. As I read on wiki, wild asparagus are found all over Europe and Asia as native plants, so look out for them in scrubland, roadsides, and river valleys near you. Their shape is much thinner than the cultivated variety and their color is green or purple.
The most common way we cook them in Greece is in omelets. You can also make nice risottos or simply cook them for a minute in boiling water and serve them strained with olive oil and lemon.