COOKING

TZATZIKI

The famous greek tzatziki! A refreshing dip for all occassions.

Ingredients:

1 medium cucumber, peeled and shredded
½ kilo yoghurt
1-2 tablespoons of vinegar
¾ cup of olive oil
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon chopped dill
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Mix until well combined. Chill for at least 2 hours before serving.

TARAMOSALATA

Taramosalata is a rich and salty dip, but the ingredients, as with most Greek foods, are healthy. Fish roe is an excellent source of Omega-3 fatty acids and protein; olive oil as we all know is an excellent source of the good monounsaturated fats and antioxidants and lemon juice is also rich in vitamin C, an antioxidant.

Ingredients:

100gr. tarama (fish roe – avoid the pink colored kind, it should be light beige)
300gr. stale wheat bread without the crust
2 cups of olive oil
1 onion, grated
juice from 1 ½ lemon
Remove crusts from bread and soak it briefly in a bowl of water. Squeeze out excess water and set aside. Add tarama and onion to blender and mix until well blended. Cut the bread into pieces and add to blender. Mix until combined. With the blender/processor running, add the lemon juice a bit at a time and blend until smooth and creamy. At the end, add the olive oil slowly into the mixture forming a paste.

SALAD HORIATIKI - GREEK SALAD

GREEK SALADIt's the typical greek salad, so refreshing and preferred by everybody especially in the summer time...

Ingredients:

4-5 tomatoes, cut in wedges
1-2 cucumbers, sliced
1 small onion, sliced
1 green pepper, cut in rings
12 black olives
200 gr feta cheese, cut in square pieces
1-2 tablespoons of vinegar
1-2 tablespoons of capers
4 tablespoons of olive oil
dry oregano
salt & pepper
Place the tomatoes, cucumbers, onion and green peppers in a large salad bowl. Mix together the olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Pour the dressing over the salad. Top with capers, the squares of feta cheese and the olives. Sprinkle with oregano.

YIOUVARLAKIA IN EGG-LEMON SAUCE

Meatballs in egg-lemon sauce. Tasty and nutritious!!

Ingredients:

500gr. minced beef
4 tablespoons of rice
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2-3 tablespoons of parsley, finely chopped
2 carrots, sliced
2 sticks of celery, sliced
½ cup of olive oil
salt & pepper


Egg-lemon sauce

2 eggs
1 or 2 lemons (juice), according to your taste
2-3 teaspoons of corn starch
2-3 cups of the broth
Put all the ingredients for the meatballs (except the olive oil, the carrots and the celery) into a large bowl and knead well. Shape the mixture into small balls. Place the meatballs in a pot and cover them with water. Add the olive oil, the carrots and the celery. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about half an hour. When the meat balls are cooked prepare the egg-lemon sauce and serve hot.

Egg-lemon sauce


Dissolve the corn starch in the lemon juice. Remove the pot from the heat. Beat the eggs very well, pour the lemon juice in the eggs slowly and continue beating. Add the broth slowly and beat continuously. Pour the egg-lemon sauce in the pot, stir carefully, allow a few minutes to settle and then serve.

SPAGHETTI WITH TUNA, OLIVES AND CAPERS SAUCEA

delicious quick and easy mediterranean recipe which is really worth trying.

Ingredients:

500gr. spaghetti (or any pasta of your choice)
6 tablespoons of olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
600gr. fresh ripe tomatoes, peeled and finely chopped
1 teaspoon dried basil
200-300gr. canned tuna (drained well)
10 black or green olives pitted and cut into small pieces
1 – 2 tablespoons capers (optional)
salt, pepper
Heat the olive oil and saute the onions until soft. Add the chopped tomatoes, dry basil, salt and pepper and boil the sauce for about 15–20 minutes over low heat. 2–3 minutes before cooking is complete, add the drained tuna, olives and capers. Meanwhile, boil the pasta in plenty of lightly salted water as stated on the packet and then strain. Pour 1 – 2 tablespoons of olive oil in the pot over high heat and add the pasta back into the pot stirring carefully for about one minute. Serve spaghetti with tuna sauce and olives.

TRADITIONAL GREEK FOOD GEMISTA

Tomatoes and peppers stuffed with rice. One of the famous traditional greek dishes, ideal for summer time and not only...

Ingredients:

8 medium sized tomatoes
8 medium sized peppers (red, yellow, green)
a little sugar
2 large onions, chopped
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
2-3 potatoes
quartered1 ½ cup of olive oil
16 tablespoons of rice
1 zucchini, grated
1 bunch of chopped parsley
1 bunch of chopped mint
dry oregano
2 tablespoons of currants
2 tablespoons of pine
salt, pepper
1 glass of water
breadcrumbs
Wash tomatoes and cut a thin slice on the top (these must be saved and used later as lids). Scoop out pulp with teaspoon and sprinkle with a little sugar inside. Mix rice, chopped onions, grated zucchini, garlic, parsley, mint, oregano, ½ cup of olive oil, currants, pine nuts, salt, pepper and half of the tomato pulp, chopped. Fill tomatoes and peppers with mixture, replace the lids and arrange in baking pan. Press the remaining tomato pulp through a sieve and pour the juices into the pan. Pour 1 cup of olive oil over tomatoes and peppers and sprinkle with breadcrumbs. Add the potatoes between tomatoes and peppers. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and oregano. Bake in the oven (220oC) for 1 ½ hours.

DOLMADES YIALANTZI

Stuffed grapevine leaves with rice, raisins and pine nuts. So healthy..

Ingredients:

250 gr. of grapevine leaves (fresh or canned)
1 cup of olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
100 gr. spring onions, chopped
1 cup uncooked rice (arborio rice, for risoto)
1 bunch of parsley, chopped
1 bunch of dill, chopped
2 tablespoons of mint (fresh or dried)
2 2 tablespoons of currants
2 tablespoons of pine nuts
a little sugar
juice of 1 lemon
salt - pepper
Mix rice, chopped onions, spring onions, parsley, dill, mint, ½ cup of olive oil, currants, pine nuts, salt, pepper, a little sugar and half of the lemon juice. Rinse the grapevine leaves in cold water. If fresh, drop them in boiling water and boil for 3 minutes. Strain and rinse in cold water. In the centre of each leaf (shiny surface of leaf downwards) place a heaped teaspoon of the filling. Fold ends of leaf over the filling and roll it up. Place “dolmadakia” side by side in layers. Sprinkle with the rest of the lemon juice, ½ cup of olive oil and 2 cups of hot water. Place a plate over “dolmadakia” to prevent them from opening, cover and simmer over low heat for about 30 minutes. Allow to cool in the saucepan.

GARIDES SAGANAKI

Baked shrimps with feta cheese. An appetizer ideal with ouzo or white wine....simply perfect!!

Ingredients:

1 kilo large shrimp with shell
2 medium onions, chopped
½ cup olive oil
1 kilo tomatoes, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
parsley, finely chopped
½ cup white wine
½ kilo feta cheese
½ teaspoon sweet paprika
salt/pepper
Remove the shell from the body of the shrimp, leaving the head intact, and remove the black intestine from the shrimp.
Saute shrimp in olive oil for a few minutes, remove from pan and set aside.
Add onions to pan, saute until tender. Add wine, tomatoes, garlic, parsley, paprika, salt/pepper. Cover and simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occassionally.
Place the shrimp in a pyrex dish and pour the tomato sauce over the shrimp. Crumble the feta cheese over the top and bake on high for about 10-15 minutes or until the cheese melts. Garnish with parsley and serve.

OCTOPUS WITH WINE

A classic greek dish and all time favourite.

Ingredients:

1 – 1 ½ kilos octopus
½ cup olive oil
1 cup vinegar
2 cups red dry wine
1 large onion
¾ kilo tomatoes, peeled and pulped
2-3 grains pimento
1 bay leaf (laurel)
Boil the octopus in a saucepan with 1 cup of water for about 45 minutes on low heat until tender. Remove the octopus to cool and keep the broth aside for later. Once the octopus has cooled, cut into pieces.
In another saucepan, heat the olive oil and saute the octopus for 5 minutes. Add onion and saute for 3 minutes, then pour the wine and vinegar. Add the tomatoes , bay leaf, pimento and some of the broth from the octopus. Simmer for about 20 more minutes until the juices are absorbed.

MOUSSAKA

The famous greek dish with the most 'admirers'

Ingredients:

4-6 large sized eggplants
1 kilo potatoes
800 gr. minced beef
½ cup of olive oil
½ cup of white wine
1 onion, chopped
1 cup canned tomato pieces
2 tablespoons of chopped parsley
1 cup of water
1 cup of grated cheese
salt, pepper
extra olive oil for frying or baking the vegetables (potatoes, eggplants)

Ingredients for white sauce (Bechamel)
1 litre of milk
5-6 tablespoons of corn flour
2 tablespoons of butter (or olive oil)
2 eggs
salt, pepper, nutmeg

Saute onions in olive oil. Add minced meat, stirring until it browns. Add canned tomatoes, wine, water, salt, pepper, parsley. Cover pan and cook for about half an hour on low heat until the juices are absorbed. In the mean time, cut the eggplants and the potatoes lengthwise in slices about 1cm thick. Put them in salted water to bring out the bitterness, then strain in a colander and fry in olive oil.

Prepare bechamel sauce by first melting 2 tablespoons of butter and adding 5 tablespoons of corn flour. Stir in milk gradually. Beat eggs. Add eggs one at a time to milk mixture and continue beating. Add a little salt, pepper and nutmeg. Stir constantly and cook over very low heat. Arrange eggplants in a single layer in the pan then the same with the potatoes, sprinkling grated cheese between the layers. Then evenly spread the minced meat over the potatoes and repeat the same procedure once more. At the end cover with the bechamel sauce and sprinkle with more grated cheese on the top. Bake for 1 hour in 220ο C. Cool slightly, cut into squares and serve.

SPANAKOPITA

It's the very famous, traditional spinach pie that everybody loves to eat! Not one of the easiest recipes but it's really worth it...

Ingredients:

Dough for pastry sheet (fillo)
500 gr. flour
1 small cup (coffee cup) of olive oil
2 tablespoons of vinegar
1 cup of warm water
½ teaspoon of salt

Filling
1 kilo spinach
300gr. spring onions, chopped
1 bunch of parsley, chopped
1 bunch of dill, chopped
2 eggs beaten
200gr. feta cheese, crumbled
1 ½ cup of olive oil
salt, pepper

Put the flour into a small basin and make a small hole with your finger in the middle. Add olive oil, vinegar, salt and water. Mix the ingredients well and knead the dough until it becomes smooth. Divide dough into 2 equal portions and shape into balls (one for each pastry sheet, top and bottom). On a floured surface, start rolling out one of the dough using a rolling pin to make a (fillo) pastry sheet. Repeat with the other dough and set aside.

Wash the spinach and chop it finely. Put spinach in a big saucepan without water and blanch. Add ½ teaspoon salt. Squeeze spinach well to remove excess water. Drain and discard the water. Add spring onions, parsley, dill, eggs, feta cheese, pepper and ½ cup of olive oil. Mix all the ingredients until well combined. Pour ½ cup of olive oil around the baking pan and spread the first pastry sheet. Add the filling mixture and spread the second pastry sheet on the top. Cut with a knife in small square pieces and pour ½ cup of olive oil all on top. Bake the spinach pie in the oven, 200ο C for 45 - 60 minutes. Serve either hot or cold. Makes about 24 pieces.

"KARYDOPITA" (WALNUT CAKE)

Karydopita is the traditional walnut cake. A spicy, syrupy, delicious treat!!

Ingredients:

120 grams of sugar
150 grams of olive oil
5 eggs
250 grams of semolina
200 grams of walnuts chopped
2 teaspoons of baking powder
1 ¼ tablespoons of cinnamon powder
2-3 tablespoons of cognac

For the syrup: Boil for 5 minutes 1 ½ glasses of water, 1 ½ glasses of sugar, 1 cinnamon stick.
Mix the semolina with baking powder and cinnamon powder in a bowl. Beat the olive oil with the sugar well until creamy. Add the eggs one by one and continue beating. Then add the cognac and the combined semolina, baking powder, cinnamon and continue beating. Lastly, add the walnuts gradually to the mixture and mix all the ingredients well with a spoon.
Butter a baking tray and pour the mixture inside it.
Bake in a moderate oven (180ο C) for about 35 minutes. Let it cool and then pour the syrup gradually on the top for it to be absorbed.