Stuffed aubergines/eggplants.
(little shoes) melitzanes papoutzakia.
Ingredients. 6 servings.
6 aubergines/eggplants (round)
1/2 kilo (1lb 2oz) minced beef (ground beef)
2-3 ripe tomatoes diced (med) or 1 tin chopped tomatoes and 1 tbsp tomato ketchup.
2 med onions, finely diced
1/2 cup olive oil
1 bay leaf
1 clove garlic, crushed
Salt and pepper
oil for frying the aubergines.
Bechamel sauce
1 cup flour
2 cups milk
2 eggs
125g margarine
1/2 cup of grated cheese (kefalo/parmesan)
Salt pepper
1/2 tsp grated nutmeg.
Method
1.. Lightly saute the onions in oil. Add minced beef and stir to brown for 10 mins.
2.. Add garlic, stir for 2 mins and then add tomatoes (and ketchup if using tinned or if tomatoes are not sweet enough)
3.. Add a cup of water, bay leaf, salt and pepper allow to simmer for an hour.
4.. In the meantime, wash aubergines, cut them in half length ways. With a sharp knife make slits in the pulp and place in salted water for an hour to take a way the bitterness.
5.. Drain them, and fry them in hot oil.Leave them to drain on kitchen roll to absorb some of the oil and then arrange them in a pyrex oven dish.
6.. Scoop out the half of the pulp and add to meat mixture.
7.. Fill aubergine halves with meat mixture.
8.. Make bechamel sauce: Melt butter in deep pan. Add flour and cook over a med fire for 5 mins stirring constantly with a wooden spoon.
9.. Warm the milk and slowly pour it into the flour/butter mixture beating all the time. Remove from heat
10.. Beat the eggs seperately and add them to the milk mixture, stirring all the time to avoid the eggs curdling.
11.. Add nutmeg, salt, pepper and cheese. Cover the aubergines with the sauce (see photo), sprinkle with extra parmesan and bake them in 180c oven for 20mins (until sauce has turned brown and set).
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Tzatziki - Yogurt, cucumber and Garlic Dip
Tzatziki
Ingredients
1 tub of strained Greek yoghurt
1/4 cucumber
1 clove of garlic
1 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper
Method.
1. Strain any water out of yoghurt. Place in bowl.
2. Wash cucumber well. Grate onto a plate, using the side of the grater with the small holes.
3. Squeeze the grated cucumber with your hands, until all the water has been squeezed out. Add to bowl with yoghurt.
4. Grate the clove of garlic into the bowl, using the same side of the grater.
5. Add oil, salt and pepper.
6. Stir rigorously.
7. Serve as a starter (dip) or to accompany meat dishes.
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Stuffed Tomatoes and Peppers
This recipe is for a large or greedy family (like mine). One pepper and one large tomato is usually sufficient for each person.
This food does however taste better the next day, when it has absorbed all the juice.
Tomatoes and peppers stuffed with rice.
(Domates ke piperies yemistes.)
Ingredients.
12 medium sized ripe tomatoes
6 green (bell) peppers
2-3 onions, finely chopped
11/2 cups olive oil
3 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
1 tbsp sugar
2 cloves garlic (crushed)
salt/pepper
1/2 kilo white short grain rice
Method.
1. Wash the tomatoes and peppers well. Oven (stove) should be medium (200c)
2. Use a sharp knife to remove the top (stem) end, keep, as this will be used as a lid-like cover.
3. Use a teaspoon and carefully remove the seeds from the peppers and the pulp from the tomatoes.
4. Keep the pulp.
5. Arrange the tomatoes and peppers in a roasting tin (they must be tightly packed together) and season them inside and out.
6. Sprinkle a small amount of sugar inside the tomatoes.
7. Fry the onions slightly in a pan and add the garlic, rice, parsley, 2 glasses of water, tomato pulp, salt and pepper.
8. Allow to boil for approx 10mins.
9. Fill the tomatoes and peppers with the rice mixture, take care not to fill more than 3/4 .
10. Place lids on the tomatoes and peppers. Pour oil over them.
11. Bake for approx 11/2 hours until the tomatoes and peppers are brown on top and the peppers are cooked.
note:
If you wish you can place wedges of potato in the spaces in between the.veg (fruit) to ensure a tight fit.
You can also pour the juice of 2 extra tomatoes, mixed with the oil overthe stuffed tomatoes and peppers just before baking, this way your food will become more saucy.
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Country Lamb
Country Lamb.
Ingredients.
6 servings of lamb (1 1/2 kilo/ 3lbs 6oz)
4-4 fresh onions (spring onions)
500grams round small potatoes (1lb 2oz)
500grams carrots coarsely chopped. (1lb 2oz)
300gr unsalted cheese (11oz)
300gr peas (11oz)
2 tbsp dill finely chopped
salt-pepper
1/2 kilo filo (phyllo)very thin sheets of pastry (can buy this ready made - frozen)
1 1/2 teacups olive oil
1/2 teacup butter melted
Method.
a.. Heat oil in pan and saute onions.
b.. Add boned lamb and brown for 10mins. Add a glass of water and allow meat to simmer for 1 hour.
c.. Add veg to pan after an hour and contiue cooking for another 20mins.
d.. Remove from fire. Leave to cool.
e.. Cut filo pastry into 20cm (width) strips and at the end of each place a piece of lamb and some veg. Cut a slice of cheese and place on top of lamb.
f.. With a brush, spread butter on the edges of the filo pastry and carefully wrap to form a parcel. Bring the long edges up first over the lamb mix and then gently roll and seal.
g.. Place the parcels in a buttered baking tin (or pyrex dish) and bake in a medium oven for about 35-40 minutes. Serve hot with tzatziki. (yoghurt/cucmber/garlic dip)
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Sweet Pleats
Sweet Pleats.
Diples.
Ingredients.
8 eggs
1kilo (2lbs 4oz) plain flour
1 small glass of ouzo (optional)
1 teaspoon baking soda
juice of half a lemon
250g (9oz) walnut crumbs
2tsp cinnamon powder
Oil for frying
SYRUP.
2 teacups sugar
1 teacup honey
2 glasses of water
a stick of cinnamon
Method.
1.. Beat eggs using a whisk for 5mins. Add ouzo, baking powder, lemon and flour.
2.. Empty mixture onto a work surface and kneed until you have a tough dough.
3.. Cover the dough and let it 'rest' for 2 hrs (at room temp)
4.. With a rolling pin - roll the dough out into very thin pieces. cut into small sqaure and pinch together in the middle of the square to form bow shapes.
5.. Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the pleats on both sides until golden brown.
6.. Place the pleats on a tray and prepare the syrup.
7.. In a pan put the sugar, honey, water and cinnamon and boil for 15mins. Leave to cool then pour over the pleats and sprinkle with walnuts and cinnamon.
8.. Serve cold.
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Small Onion Pies.
Small Onion Pies.
Ingredients.
Filling.
1 kilo onions cut into fine slices
3 finely chopped tomatoes
100g crumbled feta cheese.
1/2 cup olive oil.
salt+ pepper
Dough
1/2 kilo flour (plain)
1 cup water
4tbsp olive oil
the grated peel and juice of one lemon
1/2 tsp salt
Method.
1.. Brown the onions in the oil and add tomatoes, salt and pepper.
2.. Simmer until sauce thickens and add cheese
3.. Prepare the dough with the above ingredients and roll it out 1/2 cm thick.
4.. Cut out 10 circles (use a glass to cut round) and place 1 teaspoon mixture on each.
5.. Fold over and seal edges firmly (press with fork)
6.. Deep fry in oil until golden brown on each side
7.. Place on kitchen roll (paper) to absorb oil.
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Leek Pie.
Ingredients.
1/2 kilo leeks chopped. (1lb 2oz)
4 eggs
1 cup self raising flour
2 tea cups milk
250g (9oz) feta cheese
1/2 cup chopped dill
1 tea cup oil
Method
1.. Heat the oil and saute the leeks for about 10 mins, stirring constantly.
2.. Beat the eggs in a bowl and slowly add the flour, cheese, milk, dill, leeks and salt and pepper.
3.. Mix very well.
4.. Pour the mixture into a non- stick pan (approx 26cm) and bake in a medium oven for an hour.
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Cauliflower in egg and lemon sauce
Ingredients
1 med cauliflower
1/2 cup olive oil
1 finely chopped onion
salt, pepper
1 tbsp corn flour (corn starch)
2 eggs
2 lemons
Method.
1.. Separate the florets, wash them and saute them in the oil with the onion. Cover with water, salt and pepper and cook the cauliflower until soft (not too soft)
2.. Remove from heat. Beat the whites of the eggs until quite thick then slowly add the yolks, cornstarch and lemon juice - slowly beating all the time. Slowly add a little of the water from the cauliflower and add to pan. Re - heat very slowly. Do not boil or the eggs will separate.
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Moussaka
MOUSSAKA.
(with aubergines/eggplants)
Ingredients.
4-5 aubergines (egg plants)
4-5 potatoes boiled and sliced
1/2 kilo mincemeat (ground beef)
2-3 ripe tomatoes ( or:1 tin chopped tomatoes)
1 teacup olive oil
2 med onions finely chopped
1 bay leaf
1 garlic
pinch of dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon or one stick (remove after cooking)
salt and pepper
(1/2 glass of red wine and 1/2 beef stock cube) optional - added 'Jayne' ingredients!!!!
Oil for frying aubergines/eggplants
1/2 cup grated cheese (parmesan)
Bechamel sauce
1 cup flour
2 cups milk
1 cup butter / margarine (melted)
2 eggs
1 cup grated cheese - (kefalo or parmesan)
salt pepper
grated nutmeg
Method.
a.. Slice aubergines/eggplants and soak them in salted water for approx 1hr to remove the bitter taste.
b.. Heat oven to 180c/350f/gas 4
c.. Heat cup of oil in a large pan and saute the onions in it
d.. Add meat and continue to cook for 10mins.
e.. add tomatoes, garlic,all herbs(not nutmeg this is for the sauce) and salt and pepper.
f.. Allow to cook for 1 hr.
g.. Drain aubergines, coat them with flour and fry them in very hot oil.
h.. In a baking tray/tin (pyrex) place a layer of potato slices, season, a layer of aubergine/egplant, slices on top, season and finally a layer of meat sauce (drained of all excess liquid).
i.. Continue this way until all ingredients have been used.
j.. Make the bechamel sauce: In a large saucepan: Add butter, slowly add flour, stirring all the time. Cook for 5 mins over a medium fire, stirring with a wooden spoon.
k.. Warm milk and pour into the pan gradually beating all the time (good idea to use electric whisk)
l.. Remove from heat, leave to cool slightly.
m.. Beat eggs in a separate bowl and slowly add to pan, do not stop stirring!!
n.. Finally add salt, pepper, nutmeg and cheese.
o.. Pour over moussaka. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake for approx 30-40mins. Until bechamel is a light brown colour.
p.. Leave to cool for approx half an hour before serving, cut into
squares and serve warm... not too hot as it masks the delicious taste.
Note from Jayne: As this is a dish which takes a long time to prepare I always make the meat sauce the day before and keep it in the fridge until I need it. Don't be too greedy on the first day as it always tastes better on the 2nd when the real flavour comes through. Takes a while to make but well worth it!
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Small port shrimps. (Garides mikrolimano)
Ingredients.
1 kilo (2lbs 4oz) medium sized shrimps
2-3 ripe tomatoes (finely diced)
1/2 teacup olive oil
2 onions (finely diced)
2 cloves garlic (sliced)
2 tsp fresh parsley (chopped)
250g (7oz) Feta cheese
2 tsp sugar
1 bay leaf
salt/pepper
Method.
1. In a pan saute the onion in the oil.
2. Add the tomatoes, garlic, bay leaf, sugar, salt and pepper.
3. Add a teacup of water and simmer for 30mins
4. Clean the shrimps well.
5. Add the shrimps to the sauce and continue cooking for another 4mins.
6. In a small oven proof dish (pyrex) empty the shrimps and sauce.(remove bay leaf)
7. Lay the feta cheese over the shrimps and bake in a hot oven for 10mins. (or grill)
8. Remove from oven, sprinkle with fresh parsley and serve immediately.
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Beetroot (beet) salad and Potato Salad.
Patzaria Salata kai Patata Salata.
Beetroot Salad.
Ingredients
1 kilo (2lbs 2oz) beets (heads and stalks)
4-5 tablespoons vinegar
4-5 tablespoons olive oil
salt
1 garlic clove crushed.
Method.
1.. Separate the beet heads from the storks and leaves and boil them separately. The heads for about an hour and a half and the stalks/leaves for 15mins.
2.. In a bowl mix together oil, vinegar, garlic and plenty of salt.
3.. When beets have cooled, peel them and slice. Drain the stalks. In a bowl mix the stalks and slices together and pour over oil mixture, mix well.
4.. Beet (beetroot) and its leaves/stalks are wonderful eaten with baked or fried fish.
Potato Salad.
Ingredients
3 large potatoes
3 spring onions or 1 small onion sliced
3 table spoons fresh chopped parsley
4 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper
5 black olives
Method.
1.. Boil the potatoes taking care not to over-boil. Rinse in cold water. Drain and leave to cool.
2.. Chop the spring onions
3.. Once the potatoes have cooled slice and place in a bowl, add all the remaining ingredients and mix carefully.
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