Greek Recipes

GREECE

Baked Meatballs With Potatoes

Baked Meatballs With Potatoes
1kg (2.2 lbs) mined meat (ground beef)
5 slices of stale bread, soaked in water and squeezed
1 egg slightly beaten
1 med onion grated
1/2 cup finely chopped parsley
salt and pepper
4 medium potatoes
Sauce
5 tbsp olive oil
1 finely chopped onion
1/2 kilo grated tomatoes
1 teaspoon thyme or oregano
salt pepper
Method.
In a large bowl combine the meat with bread egg, onion, parsley salt and pepper.
Prepare the sauce; heat the oil in a pan and saute the onions. Stir in tomatoes, salt, pepper, thyme or oregano and 1 cup water, simmer for 10 mins.
Peel the potaoes cut into wedges, sprinkle with salt and pepper, place in an oiled baking tin.
Shape the meatballs (quite large) and place them in the baking tin. Pour over sauce and bake in pre-heated medium oven for about 1 hour.


Note from Jayne: I like to put a cube of feta cheese in my meatballs. Flatten out the meat balls, place a cube of feta in the middle and gently fold the meat over it. Place in pan.
It is better to grate tomatoes, do not remove the skin, just make a slit, use the side of the grater with the large holes and gently grate the tomatoes into a bowl, You should be left with the skin in your hand.
Chicken with Olives and Red Peppers


Ingredients
6 portions of chicken
4 red peppers (bell) cut into large pieces
250g (9oz) black olives
3 ripe tomatoes (diced or grated)
1 cup red wine
2 (med) onions finely diced
1 teacup olive oil
salt- pepper
pinch of thyme

Method
In a large pan heat the oil, add the chicken portions and brown on all sides for 10mins
Add onions, peppers and olives (stirring all the time)
Pour in wine.
Add tomatoes and thyme, salt and pepper, and enough water to cover the chicken.
Cook over a med heat for one and a half hours.
Serve hot with green salad.

Marinated Mullet

Marinated Red Mullet
Ingredients
1 kilo red mullets (2lb 2oz)
1/2 cup olive oil
flour
100ml white wine (1/2 cup)
2 tbsp vinegar
2 tbsps rosemary
Method
Scale gut and rinse fish. Add salt and leave aside for 1 hr
Heat oil in frying pan, coat fish with flour and fry until golden brown. Olca on kitchen paper so oil is absorbed.
Strain cooking oil, put back in pan and heat. Add 1 tbsp flour, wine vinegar salt, pepper and rosemary. Stir for a couple of minutes and pour sauce over fish.
Fish prepared in this way can be preserved for a few days



Meatballs from Smyrna
Soutzoukakia
sout - zou - KA - kia
Ingredients..
2 slices of bread
1/2 teacup butter or oil
2 cloves garlic
4 med tomatoes
2 tbsp butter
1 egg (beaten)
1/2 kilo (1lb 2oz) minced meat (ground beef)
1/2 teacup red wine
salt-pepper
1 tsp cumin
sugar
Method
Soak the bread in water and drain it by pressing it between your hands.
Put the bread in a bowl and add the salt and pepper, the cumin, egg, a little oil and the mincemeat.
Combine the mixture well. Shape into meatballs (approx 20) cylindrically shaped.
Heat oil in pan until hot and fry the soutzoukakia in it.
Prepare the sauce
Wash tomatoes and grated them, this will leave the skin in your hand. Put tomato pulp in a pan and add butter or oil, salt and pepper, wine, a tea spoon of sugar. Cook the sauce for half an hour.
Put the soutzoukakia in the pan of sauce and gently simmer for 15 mins. Serve hot. Usually served with mashed (creamed) potatoes.



Lentil Soup
soupa fakes
Ingredients
1/2 kilo (1lb 2oz) lentils
2-3 ripe tomatoes - grated (1 med tin)
2 onions finely chopped
2-3 garlic cloves (just peeled)
1/2 cup vinegar
1 bay lef
salt and pepper

Method.
Clean lentils and soak them in water over night.
Drain and place in large saucepan, cover with water. When the water boils change the water. Bring to boil again and add onions, garlic, tomatoes, bay leaf salt and pepper.
Leave them to boil for approx 11/2 hours.
Ten minutes before end of cooking add vinegar.
Remove garlic and bay leaf.
Serve warm - add a few tablespoons of olive oil to serving bowls (optional) . Serve with olives or grilled herring.
A healthy, warming soup.


Wild Hog with corn and red peppers

Ingredients
wild hog (wild pig/boar) 1 1/2 kilo (3lbs 6oz)
1 cup oil
500g (1lb 2oz) corn
500g (1lb 2oz) red peppers, coarsely cut
2 onions, finely diced
2-3 ripe tomatoes (diced)
1 small branch rosemary
salt
coarse black pepper
1 glass red wine
Method
Heat the oil in a pot and saute the onions slightly over a med fire.
Add hog cut into serving portions and let it brown for 10 mins. Constantly stirring.
Pour in red wine, tomatoes, rosemary salt, pepper and enough water to cover the meat. Cook for one hour over a med heat.
Add corn and red peppers and continue cooking for another hour. Add more water if needed.
If there is too much broth left at the end of the cooking time, remove the meat and veg and boil to reduce and thicken the sauce. Serve hot.

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Note from Jayne - CAREFUL - this meat, like all game meat is heavy on the stomach, avoid eating it late in the day.



Stuffed Courgette (zucchini) flowers
Ingredients
40 courgette (zucchini) flowers (very fresh)
1/2 kilo rice (1lb 1oz)
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 kilo (1lb 1oz) ripe tomatoes
1-2 med onions
salt pepper
parsley, mint, fennel
(a small bunch of each herb)
Method
The flowers must be picked in the morning so that they will open. Wash them and prepare the stuffing.
Chop the herbs, onions and tomatoes very finely. Place in a large bowl.
Add oil, rice, salt and pepper and 1/2 cup water; mix.
Stuff the flowers and put the in a pan cover with water and place a plate over them to stop them opening.
Let them simmer until the water has been absorbed.

note from Jayne: You can use minemeat (ground beef) as well. Use half the rice and add 300g (approx 9 oz) ground beef (mince)


Liver in Egg and Lemon sauce.
Ingredients.
1 kilo lamb's liver
4 tbsps olive oil
4 spring onions, finely chopped
2 lettuces finely shredded
1 cup finely chopped fresh dill
2 eggs
2 lemons (med)
salt pepper
Method
Place the liver in boiling salted water for 5 mins. Take it out and chop it into small pieces.
Heat oil in a pot and saute the onions and liver for a few minutes.
Add dill, salt, pepper and enough water to cover the liver. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
After the 20 mins add shredded lettuces and simmer for a further 30 mins.
Prepare the egg and lemon sauce; Beat the egg whites in a bowl, slowly add the yolks and lemon (alternatively), beating all the time. Then slowly add the broth from the pan, continuously beating.
Remove the pot from the heat and pour sauce into pot and stir.



Lamb with Okra (ladies fingers)
ingredients
1 kilo (2.2lbs) lamb cut into servings.
1 kilo okra (ladies fingers) 2.2lbs
1/2 kilo chopped tomatoes (1.1lb)
1/2 cup olive oil
1 chopped onion
4 tablespoons vinegar
salt and pepper
Method
Wash the okra and cut off the stems, douse with vinegar and let them stand for a couple of hours.
Brown the meat in a pan with the oil and onion.
Add the tomatoes and 1 - 2 cups of water and simmer till the met is almost tender
Drain the okra and add to pan. with salt, pepper and a little water if needed, simmer for another 30 -40 mins.


Eggs with Mincemeat (ground beef)
Ingredients
Serves 4
12 eggs
500g (1lb 2oz) minced meat (ground beef)
1 onion finely diced
1-2 ripe tomatoes (finely diced)
1 clove garlic (crushed)
1/2 cup oil
1 stick cinnamon
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon oregano
salt and pepper
12 slices of bread
Method
In a saucepan place oil and saute the onion. Add mince meat (ground beef), tomato, oregano,garlic, cinnamon, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Add a small amount of water to cover meat and leave to simmer for approx 30 mins or until the liquid has evaporated.
Toast the bread. Place on a serving dish. Remove the bay leaf and cinnamon stick from the mince mixture and spoon over bread. Fry the eggs and place them on top of the bread slices. Sprinkle with pepper and serve.


Cheese Pies

Cheese Pies
Ingredients
1/2 kilo phyllo crust (1lb 2oz)
1 cup flour
1 cup butter or marg
2 1/2 teacups milk
350g (10oz) feta cheese
3 eggs (beaten)
1 teaspoon nutmeg
salt - pepper
Method
melt half the butter in pan.
Add flour and stir with a spatula for 5 mins. next add heated milk, Stir mixture constantly to avoid lumps. Remove pan from heat and add a small pinch of salt and pepper, nutmeg, eggs and the cheese .leave mixture to cool.
Cut phyllo into strips (5cm) 2 in wide. Place two strips together spread melted butter on themwith brush and prepare pies as follows; Place a small amount of filling on the edge of each phyllo strip and fold over to form triangles. Keep folding until you use the whole length of the strip.
Place the pies in lines on baking trays brush with a little beaten egg or milk and bake in a med oven for about 30 mins. Use both upper and lower elements of the oven when cooking these pies.
Serve hot or cold.
The Christmas Bread. - Christopsomo

Christopsomo.
Ingredients.
2 kilos flour (4lb 4oz)
100g (3 1/4 oz) yeast or 4 teaspoons dry yeast
3 cups sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup orange juice
2 - 3 cups water
1/2 cup raki (cretan drink) or cognac
Method
Prepare the leaven the night before: Dilute the yeast in 1 cup water in a large bowl, add flour until you have a thick batter. (If you use dry yeast you don't have to do that).
The following morning, add the rest of the ingredients and knead into a soft dough.
Leave in a warm place to rise until it's doubled in size. Divide into two balls saving a little dougn for a decorative cross. Shape each ball into a round loaf and place in oiled baking tins.
With the dough you have saved, roll out a thin rope and place it on the dough in the shape of the cross.
Leave them to rise again until once again the have doubled in size. Dab with beaten egg, place a walnut in the centre and bake in a medium oven until golden brown.

Melomakarona

Melomakarona
Ingredients.
1 kilo flour (2. 2lbs)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup butter
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup cognac
3/4 cup orange juice
grated orange rind
1 cup sugar
Stuffing
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground clove
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts.
Syrup
2 cups sugar
2 cups honey
2 cups water
Method.
In a blender place the olive oil, butter, cognac, orange rind and orange juice, blend well.
Ina large bowl mix the flour, soda, baking powder and sugar. Make a well in the centre and add pour in liquid mixture from blender. Mix well with a wooden spoon. The less you handle the dough the better. Mix until it forms a dough. Use your hands to form it in to a ball.
Mix together the stuffing. There are two ways of making these cakes, you can either stuff them or you can simply sprinkile the stuffing over the ready cut out shapes. The correct way is to stuff them. Take a small piece of dougn and flatten it out in the plam of your hand, take a teaspoon of stuffing and place it on the middle. Fold the dough over it and seal.
Line a baking try with baking paper and lay the biscuits on the tray. Cook in a pre-heated oven (180c/ 350f / Gas mark 4) for 30 mins until they are golden brown.
Meanwhile prepare the syrup. In a small pan place the sugar, water and honey boil for approximately 5 mins, until the sugar has dissolved.
While the melomakarona are still warm arrange pour over the syrup and sprinkle with remaining stuffing.
Note from Jayne: Take care when boiling the syrup if you are usind a glass hob, as hot syrup can damage the glass surface if not cleaned immediately