making do

i love the alchemic way in which a few random ingredients can be made into something nutritious and delicious..for instance i don't have a plethora of spinach for making spanakopita at the moment but after a little bit of foraging on the home front yesterday i found enough greens to make a hortopita or wild greens pie..i gathered rocket (i have a lot of the smaller leaved variety that self seeds everywhere), dandelion leaves, violet leaves..yes they are edible, purslane, spinach, watercress, mint and wild fennel (i collected the seeds last year from the dandenongs, where it grows wild, while on a blackberrying expedition)..and i did a bit of tweaking with my phyllo recipe..

strifti hortopita (spiral wild greens pie)

tea with hazel

ingredients pie filling (these ingredients can be adjusted to suit individual taste and the ingredients to hand)

about 5-6 cups of mixed greens (i used rocket, purslane, violet leaves, watercress, spinach and dandelion)

1/4 cup of mint cut medium

1/2 cup of fennel fronds

1 egg beaten (1 tablespoon (tbs) reserved)

150 gms feta crumbled

150 gms ricotta

1 teaspoon (tsp) salt (murray river salt)

1 teaspoon pepper

method pie filling

~ cook the dandelion leaves first in a centimetre of boiling water for 5 to 10 minutes, then add the violet and rocket leaves and cook for a further 5 minutes..lastly add the purslane and spinach and cook until all of the leaves are well wilted

~ drain the leaves in a colander, cut up with scissors while still in the colander, and then press the leaves to extract excess water (the water is like a health tonic so i drink it)

~ mix the greens with the herbs, cheeses, salt, pepper and egg and set aside

extra ingredients

sesame seeds

melted butter

ingredients pastry

200 gms typo 00 flour

50 gms rimacinato flour

35 mls olive oil

1 tbs cider vinegar

1 tsp salt (murray river)

warm water

method pastry

~ place flours, salt, vinegar and olive oil in the bowl of a stand mixer and, with the motor running add enough water to make a soft dough

~ knead for 5 minutes 

~ remove the bowl from the mixer, cover with a damp tea towel, and rest for 1 hour

~ divide the dough equally into 5 balls, roll each one into saucer shaped discs, and rest covered for 30 minutes

~ roll each disc to a rectangle about the size of a large dinner plate size and until it's semi transparent

method assembly

~ butter each sheet of phyllo, place a fifth of the mixture along the long bottom end of the pastry, and then roll up into a sausage

~ coil the sausage in the middle of a lined circular tin

~ continue in the same manner buttering the ends so they adhere to the last piece
~ brush the top with reserved egg and sprinkle generously with sesame seeds
~ bake at 220 deg c for 10-15 minutes and then at 180 deg c for a further 40 minutes or until well browned
  

 comments

~ i think the pastry made with the typo 00 and rimacinata flours was better than my former phyllo for a savoury pie..it was certainly harder to roll out but its more robust and coarse crunch suited the savoury filling
~ i thought the flavours of the leaves and herbs worked well and none overpowered the others..i hadn't eaten violet leaves before (apart from chewing on a raw one recently when i discovered they were edible) so i wasn't sure how they would go but there was no stringy chewiness or weird flavour and if i hadn't put them in myself i wouldn't have known they were there..

i'm grateful
that i'm eating weeds because i want to
not because i have to..

spiral cheese pie with home made phyllo and ricotta (strifti tyropita)

i don't have a bucket list of places i want to go and things i want to see but there are some food related things i want try making again or make for the first time..phyllo pastry has been on my try again list for a long time..i'd made it in greece a couple times and once more years and years ago when i first came back to australia..i had a sense of trepidation at the thought of tackling it again though..who knows why because it wouldn't have been a big deal had it not turned out ok..bins are good for dealing with cooking disasters..

spiral cheese pie with home made phyllo and ricotta (strifti tyropita)

tea with hazel

2-3 serves

 ingredients

phyllo

500 gms plain flour
1/4 cup olive oil

2 teaspoons salt (i used murray river salt that is less salty than conventional salt)

2 cups warm water

2 tablespoons (tbs) fresh lemon juice

ricotta

1 cup milk

1/2 cup pure cream

large pinch salt 

1 tbs fresh lemon juice or cider vinegar

cheese filling

100 gms feta crumbled

50 gms grated parmesan

50 gms grated kefalotyri

ricotta (from above recipe)

1 egg

1 spring onion cut fine

1-2 tbs mint or dill cut fine

1/2 tsp pepper

extra

olive oil

sesame seeds

method

phyllo

day 1

~ place flour, salt and lemon juice in the bowl of a stand mixer and with the motor running add enough water to make a soft dough

~ knead the dough on low speed for about 5 minutes

~ remove the bowl from the stand mixer, cover the dough with a damp cloth, and rest for at least an hour

~ divide the dough into 10 pieces and knead into balls

~ rest covered for 1/2 hour

~ dust the work surface with flour and roll each piece of dough to about the size of a large bread and butter plate

~ stack the disks on top of each other between sheets of baking paper

~ place in a plastic bag, seal, and refrigerate overnight

day 2

~ liberally dust the work surface with flour and roll two of the pieces of the dough, using a long rolling pin, to large dinner plate size

~ carefully stretch the dough by hand to create transparent thin sheets being careful not to tear the dough* 

ricotta

~ place the milk, cream and salt in a saucepan and bring to the boil

~ take off the heat and add lemon juice or vinegar and stir once

~ leave to rest for a minute and then strain through muslin (i retain the whey for making bread)

cheese filling

~ mix all ingredients and refrigerate until needed

assembly

~ line a 22 cm diameter round tin with baking paper

~ brush each piece of phyllo with oil and divide the filling between the two sheets

~ gently spread the filling evenly over the surface of the phyllo

~ roll each piece into a long sausage

~ coil one sausage in the centre of the tin and, starting at the end of the first piece, place the second sausage in the tin

~ brush the top with olive oil and sprinkle with sesame seeds

~ bake at 180 deg for about 45 minutes or until well browned

notes/comments

* the dough may tear a little, particularly on the edges, but that doesn't effect the final outcome of the pie
~ unused phyllo will keep for two to three days

~ to make a larger pie to feed extra people increase the ricotta and cheese filling proportionally 

one off the list..and no bin needed!

post publication note: i've made phyllo a couple of times since posting this recipe and i've found that if the dough is rested for an hour it doesn't necessarily need overnight resting..overnight resting is useful though for getting part of the work done ahead of time..

galactoboureko with fortified wine and spice poached crab apples

bougatsa, galatopita and galactoboureko are some of my favourite greek sweets..whenever i go back to greece i make a beeline for a little hole in the wall shop in pagrati athens for bougatsa (they also sell spinach, meat and cheese pie)..i always worry that the shop might have disappeared but it's always right there where it's always been and with the same pies that i've loved since i was living there in the 70's..

they're great pies to eat for a quick breakfast on the run..when you go there the generous sized pieces of pie are already cut from larger pies that are cooked off site on huge trays..and when you order a piece the man working there..it's always a man..wraps the pie ordered in greaseproof paper and pops it into a paper bag..the exchange of paper bag and money is so quick and easy..i don't remember the exact cost but they're not expensive and they're really good quality..

while i love the quick and easy on the go bougatsa my favourite way of eating it is sitting down at a table either in a zacharoplasteion..cake shop..or in a bougatsaria..where they only sell bougatsa and coffee..with a glass of cold water and a greek coffee with 'ligi' zakeri..a little sugar......bougatsaria aren't everywhere in greece though..in my travels i once came across a small seemingly anachronistic bougatsaria in soufli in the north east of greece early one morning while i was waiting for a bus..it was the only place open at the time and it was, again, run by a man..it had the best bougatsa ever..and i also know of a couple of iconic bougatsaria in ioannina where my former husband comes from..i'm sure there are many others that i don't know of..yet..the reason i like to eat bougatsa at zacharoplasteia or bougatsaria is because of the way it's served on a plate, cut up into small bite sized pieces and dusted with cinnamon and icing sugar, and eaten with a desert fork..it's so relaxing eating it this way..

as i said earlier bougatsa is often consumed on the run and often for breakfast whereas galatopita and galactoboureko are eaten sitting down in a cafe (or it's bought to take home or as a gift) and it's eaten later in the day..greek people don't tend to eat a sweet course after a meal but they do love to linger in a cafe with a sweet little something and a coffee in the afternoon or at night..another difference is that bougatsa is thin..about one to two centimetres thick..but galatopita and galactoboureko are thicker and can range from between four to six or more centremetres thick..and instead of being dusted with icing sugar and cinnamon as bougatsa is both galatopita and galactoboureko are doused generously in a citrus or floral sugar syrup...and incidentally the only difference i can ascertain between galatopita and galactoboureko is that galatopita has filo on the bottom only and galactoboureko has filo on both top and bottom..anyway..whichever way they come they are all delicious..to me..and most greeks!

galactoboureko

tea with hazel
makes 12 generous sized serving pieces

ingredients

30 gms butter

200 gms fine semolina

2 litres milk (i used unhomogenised organic milk)

1 1/4 cups sugar* (or more or less according to taste)

3 eggs lightly beaten

2 teaspoons vanilla (i used my own)

10-12 filo pastry sheets

melted butter

method

~ in a large saucepan melt butter and once bubbling add semolina and stir for a few minutes to lightly toast and then take off heat

~ slowly add milk while whisking to prevent lumps forming

~ return the saucepan to the heat and cook until thickened and just coming to the boil

~ remove from the heat and add sugar, vanilla and, while stirring well to prevent the mixture curdling, slowly add the eggs

~ pour mixture through a sieve to remove any lumps

~ set aside to cool

~ butter a 32 cm x 22 cm x 4cm tin and layer with 6 buttered filo sheets allowing the excess to hang over the sides of the tin

~ pour the semolina custard in the tin and layer with a further 4-5 buttered filo sheets folded in half

~ bring the over hanging filo sheets over the top filo layers and brush the top with butter
~ spray the top with water to help prevent the filo lifting during baking

~ bake at 180 deg c for 40-50 minutes or until the top is browned and the custard set

note

* a greek cook would typically use a lot more sugar in this type of recipe than i did

fortified wine and spice poached crab apples

fortified wine and spice poached crab apples 

tea with hazel

ingredients

1 kg organic crab apples* stalks intact

500 mls fortified wine (i used pfeiffer topaque**)

1-2 tablespoons sugar or more according to taste

1/2 to 1 cinnamon quill

3-4 cloves

2 cumquats*** (or use orange peel with white pith removed)

method

~ place wine, sugar, spices and cumquats in a large, shallow saucepan and heat gently to dissolve the sugar

~ once the sugar has dissolved bring to the boil, reduce the heat to barely a simmer, add just enough crab apples to form a single layer, cover with a cartouche (to avoid too much evaporation), and cook gently, lifting the paper and turning the fruit every so often so that the crab apples cook evenly

~ remove any crab apple as soon as starting to soften

~ cook the remaining crab apples in batches in the same manner

~ refrigerate and use within about two weeks

notes

*     i used malus gorgeous crab apples picked from my own tree

**   i used this wine because i rarely drink and i had half of a bottle languishing..i didn't have enough so i opened another bottle! the wine was gifted to me by my daughter kat who had been gifted the wine by the wine maker who is a friend of hers

*** yeah i've got thousands of them so i use them in everything possible

serving suggestions

~ serve as the greeks typically do with a flavoured sugar syrup or do as i did and serve the galactoboureko with just a dusting of icing sugar and cinnamon, or, both that and some poached crab apples and the delicious fortified wine and spice syrup..the crab apples have a slight tartness which compliments the sweetness of the custard and syrup..either way is good..to me..not sure if most greeks would approve of me mucking around with an already great recipe..

dedicated to my boy nicholas who left for greece this week

and to his girl ruby who joins him in a month
they worked so hard to make their trip happen
so proud
so much love

yeasted vasilopita

a greek new year's eve is about getting together with family and friends, playing trianta ena (the card game 31) and cutting the vasilopita or basil pie at midnight..vasilopita is a type of yeasted bread or cake with a coin baked into it and tradition has it that the person finding the coin will be blessed for the rest of the year..

vasilopita is named after basil the fourth century bishop of caesarea in cappadocia in asia minor..the tradition of baking a coin into a loaf is said to be based on the coins st basil baked into sweetened bread as a way of distributing money to the poor..he's also recognised as having been the first person to establish a children's orphanage, a christian hospital and to have been one of the most wise and compassionate clergymen in the history of the church..his feast day is observed on january 1st at the beginning of the new year and the epiphany season..the orthodox church, in recognition of his contributions to the church and to humanity, combined the new year with the birth of christ and the epiphany, into the vasilopita observance..the vasilopita observance is the midnight tradition of cutting and distributing the bread among family and friends with a piece being set aside as a symbolic gesture toward the disadvantaged in recognition of st basil's work with the poor..

yeasted vasilopita recipe 

adapted from 'flavours of greece' rosemary barron

makes 1 large loaf
enough for 20 people

ingredients sponge

225 gms tepid full cream organic unhomegenised milk

1 teaspoon yeast (tsp)

100 gms plain flour 

ingredients dough

200-300 gms plain flour

300 gms wholemeal flour

1/2 tsp crushed mastic 

1 1/2 tsp mahlepi

6 eggs

225 gms honey

140 gms castor sugar

125 gms butter melted and cooled

4 tablespoons light olive oil

1 tbs finely cut candied organic orange peel (i used homemade)

1 tbs finely cut candied organic lemon peel (i used homemade)

2 tsp salt (i used murray river salt)

ingredients glaze

1 egg

2 tsp castor sugar

2 tbs milk

extra for decorating

blanched almonds and/or sesame seeds

method sponge

~ mix yeast into the milk, leave 10 minutes, or until foaming

~ mix in the flour, cover, and leave for an hour or until it has become sponge-like

method dough

~ into the bowl of a stand mixer beat eggs, honey, sugar and salt until light and frothy

~ add 200 gms plain flour, wholemeal flour, sponge, mastic, mahlepi, butter and oil and mix adding enough of the remaining plain flour, if necessary, to make a soft smooth dough

~ remove the bowl from the stand mixer, cover with greased cling film, and leave to prove for 2 hours or until doubled

~ turn the dough out onto a lightly floured bench, gently knead in the peels, and shape the dough into a round

~ place the dough in a large baking paper lined round dish and leave, loosely covered, for an hour or until a finger pressed into the dough leaves an impression

~ mix the glaze ingredients together, brush the top of the dough, and using the almonds write the numbers of the new year and sprinkle with sesame seeds

~ bake at 190 deg c for 20-30 minutes, cover with foil, and continue to bake for another 20-25 minutes or until cooked

baking notes: 

i found:

a) the dough too sweet so next time i would reduce the castor sugar to 100 or 80 gms 

b) the mastic/mahlepi ratio was unbalanced so i would reduce the mastic to 1/4 tsp and increase the mahlepi to 2 tsp

c) the bread needed a stronger citrus flavour so i'd increase the peels to 2 tbs each 

d) the dough was over hydrated (as i did when making tsoureki from the same book) so next time i would change the method and rub the butter into the flour rather than melting it thereby hopefully reducing the hydration level

e) the rising times slow so i'd consider increasing the yeast to 2 tsp (the original recipe called for 2 tbs) or retarding the dough overnight in the fridge (my preferred option)

greek coffee and vasilopita..yamas (cheers)!

kali xronia (happy new year)

theodora's batsaria (batsaria tis theodoras)

this is a recipe i've been wanting to make for a long long time....i remember standing in my mother in law's kitchen in athens watching her make batsaria and she made it for us a few times when she and my father in law came to australia to visit..fortunately i wrote the recipe out as i watched her making it in my kitchen on that visit nearly 30 years ago..older greeks like my mother in law never followed recipes but learned to cook by watching others and following their instincts so i knew when i was making it to do the same and not adhere strictly to the quantities listed..

theodora's batsaria

ingredients

filling

1 large bunch of spinach

1 medium onion grated

6 spring onions cut fine

1/2 cup chopped parsley

1/4 cup chopped dill

125 gms feta crumbled

1 tablespoon (tbs) yoghurt

1/4 cup milk

1/2 cup rice

1/2 cup trahana

2 eggs lightly beaten

2 tbs olive oil

2 teaspoons (tsp) pepper

2 tsp salt

dough

2 eggs

1/4 cup milk

2 tbs yoghurt

2 tbs olive oil

1 tsp salt

flour

semolina

water

extras

olive oil

125 gms feta crumbled

method

filling

~ wash spinach well, place in a colander, sprinkle with salt, and leave to drain while preparing the other ingredients

~ squeeze the spinach well, chop into medium pieces, and place in a large mixing bowl along with the other filling ingredients

dough

~ mix eggs, milk, yoghurt, salt and oil and add enough flour and semolina (adding a smaller proportion of semolina to flour) to make a thick batter

assembly

~ oil a baking dish well and place half of the batter on the bottom spreading it out with a wet spoon

~ add filling

~ add a few tablespoons of water to the remaining batter, mix well, and drizzle on the top of the filling

~ sprinkle with the feta and drizzle with olive oil

~ cover with foil and bake at 180 deg c for half an hour, remove foil, continue to cook for a further 30 minutes or until the pie is well browned

comments:

my batsaria did not resemble my mother in law theodora's pie in appearance or texture but it did have the flavour i remember loving so much..i remember her pie having more dough on the bottom and top (even though i doubled the recipe) and hers was quite chewy..i also don't remember her pie having as much feta on the top of it and my pie was not nearly as oily as hers either but i always use less oil than a greek cook would use..i don't buy unseasonal vegetables so i didn't add the zucchini listed in the recipe but i will certainly add this ingredient in summer when i have them growing..

next time i make it i will try using a smaller baking dish to see if that makes a difference to the dough layer and i'll use less feta on top too..and maybe just a little bit more oil!

for my children

katerina

alexandra

nicholas

peirnili

i've thought about peirnili on and off since i first ate them in thessaloniki when i was 24..up until then i hadn't seen them before and even though i've been back to greece several times since i haven't come across them again..my husband and i were introduced to them by an army colleague of my husband's and his wife who were from thessaloniki..on one of the few weekends when my husband and his colleague had weekend leave at the same time we caught the train from edessa where they were based to thessaloniki where we stayed for two nights..on the first night our friends arranged for us to go to a restaurant where they served the peirnili..i recall being quite excited by the time we got to the restaurant because they had described them to us in mouth watering detail..

it's taken me a long time to get around to having a go at making them because i have an endless list of recipes i want to try for the first time or recreate..when i looked for a recipe i found none in my greek cook books and very few on the internet and those that i did find all had similar fillings..i have a hazy recollection of eating different versions of them on that memorable night..i think one had a spicy minced meat filling..but after so long maybe my memory is playing tricks on me..regardless..that minced meat filling is calling me and i'm listening..

peirnili

recipe adapted from here

ingredients dough

400 gms white bread making flour

100 gms wholemeal flour

50 gms butter

1 egg

1 teaspoon (tsp) yeast

1/2 tbs honey

1 1/2 tablespoons salt (i use murray river salt)

approximately 200 mls cold milk

ingredients filling

2 1/2 cups grated kasseri

16 very thin rashers of smoky bacon

2 tsp oregano

extra butter

method

~ mix the two flours with the yeast in a bowl of a stand mixer and rub in the butter

~ add the egg, honey and enough milk to form a soft dough

~ rest for 10 minutes

~ add salt and knead briefly

~ rest for 10 minutes 

~ knead again briefly and then remove the bowl from the mixer

~ cover the dough with oiled cling film and leave to prove until doubled

~ remove the dough from the bowl and knead without flour or oil until the dough is pliable and no longer sticky 

~ divide into 8 pieces and rest for 10 minutes

~ roll each piece of dough into an oval

~ sprinkle the centres with oregano and then add the kasseri and top with bacon

~ with the dough horizontal take the top right corner and the bottom left corner and press the dough to the centre

~ then bring the remaining corners to the centre and pinch the dough to create a boat shape

~ dot each 'boat' with three pea sized pieces of butter

~ place on a baking paper lined baking tray and rest for 15-20 minutes

~ bake at 220 deg c (bread baking function) for 20 minutes or until the cheese is melting and the dough is cooked

~ serve warm

comment: i didn't have high expectations of my first attempt at making peirnili but i was pleasantly surprised how well they turned out and how good they tasted..i'm now imagining other fillings..

this post submitted to yeastspotting

post publication note: i've just realised that peirnili are very similar to (if not the same) as turkish pide although i've never seen them look quite like peirnili here in melbourne and i've been to several turkish bakeries along sydney road (a hub of turkish cuisine)..funny how understandings happen sometimes..

tourlou..

or briami is an adaptable and no nonsense but delicious and nutritious greek dish made with summer vegetables..it's a great recipe for the home vegetable gardener because you can add more or less of a particular ingredient according to availability..for instance today i had only one ripe capsicum and one eggplant but lots of zucchini so i adjusted the ingredients to suit what i had on hand..it can be served warm or cold as a stand alone dish with bread and feta cheese or tzatziki or with meat, poultry or seafood as a vegetable accompaniment..

tourlou (greek baked vegetables)

ingredients

1 onion sliced thin

3-5 medium potatoes* cut small

1 medium eggplant* cut into medium cubes

1 red capsicum* cut into strips

2-3 medium zucchini* cut into rounds

1/2 medium carrot cut into small cubes

250 gms tomatoes* cut small
3-4 garlic cloves cut fine*

2 tablespoons parsley* cut fine

1/2 teaspoon chilli flakes*#

1/2 tbs sugar

salt and pepper 

1/4 cup olive oil**

1/2 cup boiling water

method

~ place half of the olive oil in the base of a shallow baking dish and add all of the ingredients except for parsley

~ mix the vegetables well and sprinkle with parsley and drizzle with remaining olive oil

~ pour in boiling water and cover with foil

~ bake at 175 deg c for an hour

~ remove foil, mix gently and continue to cook until the vegetables are cooked and well browned

notes: *   homegrown vegetables
          ** most greek cooks would use more olive oil..it still might seem quite a lot but when i scrimp on                     the oil i don't think it tastes as good

           #  not a traditional ingredient

kali evthomatha (have a good week)!

trahana

trahana is similar to pasta in that flour is mixed with a binding agent and the resulting dough is shaped, dried and stored for future use..dried trahana is typically used in soups, spinach pies and boiled like porridge and served with feta and a drizzle of olive oil..it has a long history of having been made in greece but the same or similar versions of it are made in turkey, albania, bulgaria, iran, serbia and iraq..

i first ate trahana when i was 24..my mother in law made the porridge version for me for breakfast many times and i remember really enjoying it.. i had the opportunity to make the dried trahana myself when i was living in the north of greece after discussing it with our land lady..i would have happily made it on my own following her recipe but most greek women of her generation don't use recipes and it's easier to learn a recipe by watching them cook..i don't remember exactly how i made it back then so i had to look on the internet for recipes but there are few recipes available for making the trahana itself although there are many that use it as an ingredient..when i next go to greece i plan to do a bit of trahana sleuthing..

trahana

trahana
recipe adapted from here

ingredients

2 large eggs

1 cup yoghurt

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 (or more or less) cups plain flour

1 1/2 (or more or less) cups fine semolina

method

~ in a large bowl beat eggs, salt and yoghurt

~ add enough flour and semolina to make a pliable dough

~ turn the dough out of the bowl and knead briefly

~ divide the dough into egg sized pieces

~ roll each piece into thin disks

~ place the disks onto clean tea towels, cover with another tea towel and leave to dry for about 24 hours

~ turn the disks and continue to dry until the dough crumbles 

~ once ready crumble the dough into small pieces (as pictured above)

~ place back on the tea towel, cover and allow to completely dry

~ when dry store in a cloth bag or in an airtight jar 

have a happy week..x

green beans with olive oil (fasolakia me lathi)

last winter i prepared 3 new vegetable garden beds in the southerly aspect of my garden because i'd had several disappointing summer crops from my very exposed north facing garden..one of the beds required some initial assistance in the form of jack hammers and man power but the other two i readied myself..seventeen hours of hard graft was devoted to the second of the beds which produced 5 large bags of kikuyu (an invasive lawn) and several buckets of archaelogical artifacts in the form of broken tiles and bricks, skeletal remains, broken jewellery and bits of unidentifiable plastic..the last of the plots was the easiest of the three to prepare because i'd layered newspaper and mulch on the grass several months earlier which made the digging easier..

i've planted 3 types of beans, climbing beans, bush beans and borlotti beans, in my new vegetable garden and for the first time i've made sure to plant successive crops to prolong production....since just after christmas i've been harvesting a few of the climbing beans each day but during the last week production has increased dramatically and i've been picking about 250 gms to 500 gms a day..

many of the dishes i learned to make while living in greece rarely feature on menus in greek restaurants here in australia..one of these, green beans in olive oil or fasolakia me lathi, is a favourite of my children and mine..sometimes other ingredients are added such as meat or potatoes which is how i made the recipe today..

green beans with olive oil (fasolakia me lathi)

ingredients

2 tablespoons (tbs) olive oil

1 large onion sliced thin

2 garlic* cloves cut fine

500 gms skinned tomatoes** chopped

10 small potatoes* (optional)

1200 gms green beans*

1/2 teaspoon (tsp) chilli flakes*

3 tbs parsley* cut fine

1 tsp sugar

salt and pepper

method

~ remove the ends of the beans and leave whole or cut to preferred size

~ heat oil in a large saucepan and add onion and garlic and cook until soft

~ add potatoes, beans, tomato, chilli, pepper and sugar and cover and cook over a moderate heat until the beans and potato are tender

~ add salt to taste and stir well

~ serve hot or cold with a drizzle of extra olive oil and parsley sprinkled over

notes

*   home grown produce

** i used 700 mls home bottled tomato puree 

stuffed capsicums

up until fairly recently i'd thought of capsicums mainly as a summer vegetable but i've noticed my neighbours capsicums ripening throughout winter..this probably shouldn't have surprised me since every winter my chillies do the same..in fact i have dozens of them ripening on my chilli bush that need to be picked and then dried for use over the next twelve months..i've also noticed that they're really cheap at $2/kilo at my grocer's..although having said that i looked at the price in safeway today and they were $8.95/kilo..

today i bought 6 lovely thick fleshed flat bottomed capsicums which were perfect for making stuffed capsicums..i used to make stuffed vegetables quite regularly years ago but i've overlooked them in recent years..in fact i can't remember the last time i made them..i'm so glad i've rediscovered them though because they're cheap and easy to make as well as delicious..

stuffed capsicums (yemistes piperies)

this is a recipe that i've adapted myself over the years from many recipes 

ingredients

6 thick fleshed red capsicums

150 gms minced lamb or beef (i minced my own lamb)

1 medium onion cut fine

1/2 cup short grained rice uncooked

700 mls tomato puree

1/4 cup parsley finely chopped

2 tablespoons currants

1/2 teaspoon (tsp) powdered allspice or to taste

1/2 tsp powdered cinnamon or to taste

1/2 tsp pepper or to taste

1 tsp salt flakes or to taste

1/4 tsp chilli flakes 

1 1/2 tsp sugar

olive oil

water

5 medium potatoes skinned and cut into quarters lengthwise

method

~cut the stalks from the capsicums, trim the back of the stalk, remove seeds and white pith from the inside of the capsicum and wash well

~in a frying pan cook the onion in olive oil until translucent

~add meat and brown

~add rice, currants, parsley, spices, salt and pepper, chilli, half of the tomato puree and 3/4 cup of water

~cook over a low heat stirring occasionally until most of the water has been absorbed

~place 1/4 tsp sugar in each capsicum and then fill with the meat and rice mix

~replace capsicum lid on each capsicum

~place capsicums in a baking tray, add potato wedges, the remainder of tomato puree and a 1/4 cup of water 

~drizzle potatoes and capsicum with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper

~cover the dish loosely with foil and bake for 45 minutes at 180 deg c

~remove foil and cook for a further 45-50 minutes or until the capsicums are well browned and the potatoes are cooked

serve with a green salad

have a happy weekend..x

moussaka

when i asked my daughter alexandra what meal she would like me to make for her birthday she requested moussaka and a warm bean salad.. when she asked for moussaka i was reminded of a day when she was 7 months old and as yet she hadn't eaten any solids..the rest of the family were eating moussaka for dinner and she made it very clear that she wanted some of it..i remember hesitantly feeding her a little spoon of it and thinking that she would spit it out but she ate that spoonful and many more with great enthusiasm and with no negative repercussions..from then on i would cook her vegetables in a tomato base because she wasn't interested at all in typical baby food..

i love having enough left for the next day's dinner!

moussaka recipe
i don't follow an exact recipe so some of the measurements are approximations

serves about 8

ingredients 

vegetable layer *
4-5 medium sized eggplant

4-5 peeled sebago or other waxy potatoes

1/2 cup olive oil

salt

meat sauce

600 gms minced beef or lamb (i mince my own)

1 large onion cut fine

1 celery stalk cut fine

1 carrot grated fine

1-2 garlic cloves cut fine

1 (teaspoon) tsp honey

1 tablespoons (tbs) tomato paste
1 tbs plain flour

350 mls tomato puree (i used my own that i bottled in summer)

1 cup meat stock or water

1/2 cup dry white wine

2  tbs dried oregano

1 tsp allspice or to taste

1/2 tsp cinnamon or to taste

1/2 tsp chilli flakes

salt and pepper to taste

olive oil

cheese sauce

85 gms butter

120 gms plain flour

3 cups milk

3 eggs beaten

1 cup grated cheese **

grated nutmeg to taste

salt and pepper to taste

extras

30 gms melted butter

1/2 breadcrumbs

1/2 cup grated cheese **

1 tsp grated nutmeg or to taste

notes re ingredients
* the vegetable layer can comprise just one vegetable or a variety..i sometimes add zucchini too when it's in season
** the cheese can be parmesan, kefalotyri, pecorino, vintage cheddar or mizithra..this time i used a mix of mizithra, pecorino and vintage cheddar because that's what i had on hand

method


vegetables
~cut the eggplant into 1 cm slices and sprinkle with salt and set aside for about 1/2 hour
~rinse the eggplant slices and dry
~peel the potatoes and cut into 1 cm slices and steam the slices in batches until al dente
~pat the slices dry
~lightly brush the slices of eggplant and potato with oil and place on a ridged grill and cook until each side is browned

meat sauce
~brown the meat in batches in a heavy based pan and set aside
~cook the onion, carrot, celery and garlic in a little olive until softened
~return the meat to the pan with the vegetables and add the flour stirring well over a moderate heat for a few minutes
~add the wine and cook for a further few minutes to evaporate the alcohol
~ add the tomato paste, honey, tomato puree, stock or water, allspice, cinnamon, oregano, chilli flakes and salt and pepper, mix well, lower heat to a simmer and cover and cook for about 45 minutes
~taste and adjust seasoning

cheese sauce
~melt the butter in a heavy based saucepan, add flour, salt, pepper and nutmeg and stir until well blended
~remove from the heat and gradually stir in the milk
~cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce is thick and smooth
~remove from the heat, add the eggs and cheese, and adjust seasoning

assembly


~brush a large rectangular dish with half of the melted butter and sprinkle with 1/4 cup of the extra breadcrumbs
~layer the base with half of the potatoes and eggplant
~cover the vegetables with the meat sauce
~layer the remaining vegetables over the meat sauce
~pour the cheese sauce over the vegetables
~drizzle with the remaining melted butter and sprinkle with the remaining breadcrumbs, extra cheese and nutmeg
~bake at 180 deg c for 45 minutes or until the top is golden brown

note re serving

i like to rest the moussaka for about 1/2 hour before serving..i find that it's easier to serve and that it presents better when it's had a chance to firm up a bit

warm green bean salad

ingredients

300 gms or so of green beans

1 red onion finely sliced 

1/4 cup finely cut parsley

olive oil

lemon juice to taste

salt and pepper to taste

method

~lightly salt the red onion and leave it to 'pickle' for 1/2 hour to soften and remove the heat

~steamed the beans until they are al dente

~place the beans in a large bowl and drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper while they're hot

~mix the onion with the beans and add the parsley and lemon juice* to taste

note

* i find it's better to add the lemon juice to the beans just before serving to prevent discolouration

happy thursday..x

kourabiethes..greek shortbread

kourabiethes are a favourite greek biscuit in my family so i thought i'd make a batch to have at easter along with tsoureki and hot cross buns..there are lots of recipes available for these greek biscuits with minor variations here and there mainly in flavouring and shaping..i've never seen another recipe though like the one i have where the butter is clarified which i think adds another delicious dimension..because the flavour of kourabiethes improves with age i was able to make them today which is great because it's one thing sorted..there's one problem though with making them early and that's their deliciousness which has already tempted me to eat two with a cup of tea this afternoon..

kourabiethes

adapted from a recipe given to me by a friend many years ago

ingredients

250 gms unsalted butter 

1/3 cup of icing sugar

1 egg yolk

1 tbs brandy

3/4 to 1 cup almonds finely chopped

1 cup plain flour

1 cup self raising flour

2 cups sifted icing sugar extra

method

~heat oven to 180 deg c 

~place almonds on a baking tray and lightly brown in the oven

~place the butter in a saucepan and heat until bubbles subside and the sediment is golden taking care that  it does not burn

~pour the butter into a mixing bowl leaving the sediment in the saucepan

~once the butter has cooled add the 1/3 cup of icing sugar and beat until light and fluffy

~add egg yolk and brandy and beat well

~remove the bowl from the mixer and add almonds

~stir in sifted flours taking care to only add enough to make a soft dough

~shape walnut sized pieces of dough into round, oval, pear or crescent shapes and place on two baking paper lined trays

~place trays in the fridge for 10 minutes to firm the dough

~cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until firm and lightly browned

~leave to cool for 10 to 15 minutes 

~place a layer of the extra icing sugar in a large dish and add the kourabiethes in one layer and dust with remaining icing sugar   

~serve dusted with extra icing sugar

 variations

~1 teaspoon of vanilla may be added
~cloves may be pressed into each biscuit prior to baking
~1/2 tsp of mastiha ground with 1 tsp of the sugar..omit brandy and cloves
~biscuits may be cooled and sprinkled with a little rosewater prior to dusting with icing sugar
~walnuts may be used instead of almonds

happy april..x

tsoureki..my big fat greek buns

my family and i have developed a tradition over the years at easter of getting together on easter sunday for an informal afternoon tea..anyone who wants to join us is welcome..the more the merrier is my motto..

i can't remember when i last bought a hot cross bun because i started making them for easter years ago
but now that my children are older they come over in the morning and as part of our easter tradition we make them together..this year i decided that i'd like to include a greek element to our easter fare so i had a practice run at making tsoureki yesterday..as i said in an earlier post i've been wanting to experiment with greek recipes and ingredients and tsoureki encompasses both elements..i've wanted to make tsoureki for a long time and i never have and it often contains mastiha and mahlepi which are the very ingredients i've developed an interest in experimenting with..

i love the lamination of tsoureki and the way it tears

tsoureki

recipe adapted from 'flavours of greece' by rosemary barron

ingredients

dough

175 gms light brown sugar*
115 mls tepid water
1 sachet (7 gms) yeast 

300 gms strong flour
275-300 gms unbleached plain flour**
115 mls tepid milk
2 tbs olive oil
50 gms unsalted melted butter
5 eggs
juice of 1/2 orange
2 tbs finely grated orange zest
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 heaped tsp mastiha granules***
1/2 tsp ground mahlepi****
1 1/2 tsp salt
4 tbs sesame seeds or blanched slivered almonds*****

glaze

1 egg yolk
2 tbs milk
1 tbs honey


method

~dissolve 1 tsp of the brown sugar in the water and sprinkle over the yeast
~leave for about 10 minutes or until foam develops
~sift the strong flour into the bowl of a stand mixer and add the yeast mix and the milk
~mix on a low speed adding enough plain flour to make a soft elastic dough
~rest for 10 minutes and mix for 2 minutes
~repeat the cycle once more
~remove the bowl form the mixer and cover the bowl with cling film and leave until doubled
~while the dough is proving dry the orange zest briefly in the oven
~once dried grind the zest together with the mastiha granules with a tsp of the brown sugar
~brush a large baking tray with a little of the melted butter
~when the the dough is almost proved in another bowl beat the eggs until light and fluffy
~then add the remaining brown sugar, orange juice, vanilla, zest/mastiha mix and salt
~return the dough to the stand mixer and on a low speed add the egg mix, melted butter and remaining oil along with enough plain flour to make a soft dough..
~divide the dough into 6 portions and role each into a 20 cm rope making the ends thinner
~lay 3 ropes side by side and loosely braid tucking the thinner ends underneath so the loaf ends are rounded
~repeat with the remaining 3 ropes
~place the braided loaves well apart on the baking tray, loosely cover with cling film and leave in a warm draught free place for 2 hours or until doubled
~heat oven to 200 deg c
~for the glaze whisk egg yolk, honey and milk and brush the loaves with this mixture
~bake for 10 mins, reduce temperature to 180 deg c and cook for a further 20 minutes or until brown******
~transfer to racks to cool

notes


* tsoureki is not typically very sweet but even for my not very sweet palate it needed a bit more sugar so next time i will increase it to 200 gms (see **)
**i needed a lot more plain flour to obtain a workable dough which may have affected the sugar to flour ratio
***/****the mastiha flavour was good but it needed to be balanced with more mahlepi so i will increase the mahlepi to 1 tsp
*****i forgot to use the sesame seeds i'd planned on using
******tsoureki typically burns easily so i covered the loaves with foil after about 20 minutes of cooking


thoughts

next time i'm considering:

• adding cardamon to the spice mix
• replacing the orange juice with 2 tbs brandy
• adding some raisons or sultanas
• adding red eggs for easter

happy monday one and all..x

this post submitted to yeastspotting