Category Archives: GREEK RECIPES

Magiritsa can also be served as a vegetarian soup, with mushrooms and vegetables along with soy rice, fresh herbs and egg lemon sauce.

Ingredients:

4- 5 lamb shanks
500 grams chicken wings
2 large onions diced into big pieces
2 carrots diced into small pieces
2 sticks celery, diced finely
1 bunch finely chopped parsley
2 bunches finely chopped dill
cold water
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 small bunch green spring onions, trimmed and diced

Method:

1. In a large saucepan place the lamb shanks and onions, put lots of water almost to the top, leaving enough so that water does not spill over.
2. Bring to the boil, turn heat down to a simmer and cook for one hour, regularly skimming the white residue (fat) left over by the cooking process.
3. Add the chicken wings and cook for another half hour continuing to skim the fat.
4. Take off the heat, strain the stock in another large saucepan, which you will to make the magiritsa in.
5. Put meat aside for now until cool enough to handle.
6. To the meat stock add the carrots, celery, parsley, and dill and cook on medium heat.
7. While the vegetables are cooking, take the cooled shanks and chicken wings and strip all the meat off, discarding all bones and skins and cutting into very small pieces.
8. Add the cleaned meat into the stock with the vegetables, add salt and pepper to taste and cook for another 20 minutes.
Ingredients for avgolemono:
Note: This is a large amount of soup therefore the avgolemono will be accordingly
4 eggs, separated
4 lemons, squeezed and the pips taken out

Method:

Note: It is important that the directions for the avgolemono are followed strictly otherwise the egg may curdle or you could end up having scrambled egg floating on your soup
1. Beat the egg whites till they form peaks.
2. Add the egg yolks and beat till blended well.
3. Add the lemon juice gradually while beating.
4. While the soup is till simmering take small amounts of very hot soup and add to the egg mixture gradually while beating all the time, do this unitl the bowl is full. This heats the egg mixture slowly before pouring into the soup.
5. Add the egg mixture into the soup, stirring constantly while it’s simmering for at least 5-8 minutes until the avgolemono sauce becomes one with the soup.
6. Serve with a dash of freshly diced spring onions sprinkled on top.
Note: If this done carefully the soup can be reheated the next day safely and without scrambling the eggs.

A healthy and colourful dish, that will make everyone ask for more.

Note: If you have no black raisins and you opt for the blond one keep in mind that they are sweeter and will affect the taste of the finished dish.

Ingredients:

4 large green peppers
4 large red peppers
1 ½ cups of olive oil
3 tablespoons of pine nuts
1 large onion, finely cut
1 ½ cups of pligouri
2 tablespoons of small dark raisins
1 large tomato, finely chopped
1 eggplant, finely chopped
2 zuchini, finely chopped
1 cup of tomato juice
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
½ bunch parsley, finely chopped
½ bunch dill, finely chopped
1 teaspoon sugar
salt and pepper

Method:

1. Heat the oil and sauté the pine nuts.
2. Add the eggplant, zuccini, onion, and sauté till limp without burning.
3. Add the tomato and the tomato juice (keeping a little amount), the pligouri, sugar, garlic, salt and pepper (if needed add a little warm water).
4. Take the pan off the heat and add raisins, parsley and dill, mix well.
5. Open the lid of the peppers and take out the seeds, salt and pepper the insides.
6. Fill the peppers with the mixture, line up in an oven dish and cover the peppers with their lids and sprinkle with a little olive oil.
7. Add the leftover tomato juice and one cup of water.
8. Bake in 180°C preheated oven for one hour.

source: Neos Kosmos

Hot and delicious sea-food delicacies no-one can resist.

Note: If the mixture is a little loose, add a small amount of bread crumbs. To make well shaped keftedes put a little oil on your hands.

Ingredients:

1 kilo octopus
100 grams onion, finely chopped
2 bay leaves
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
30 grams parsley, finely chopped
20 grams dill, finely chopped
200 grams bread soaked in water and wrung out
100 ml white wine
1 pinch salt
2-3 tablespoons vinegar
flour
a little olive oil

Method:

1. Boil octopus in salted water that has the bay leaves and vinegar added for about 1 hour.
2. Remove octopus, cool so it can be handled and cut into fine pieces.
3. Sauté onion and garlic lightly in a little olive oil.
4. Add the octopus, stir and add the wine and allow to cool well.
5. Pour octopus mixture into a bowl and add the parsley and dill, salt and pepper.
6. Add bread and knead the mixture until well mixed.
7. Make into small balls of flat fritters, roll in flour before frying.
8. Fry in good olive oil.

source:Neos Kosmos

World number one Novak Djokovic says he expects Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis to give a good account of themselves at the Australian Open starting in Melbourne next week.

Djokovic, a four-time winner at Melbourne Park, says the Australian teenagers have the potential to make an impression in the opening major of the season.

“Nick and Thanasi, they’re very talented players,” he told Fox Sports.

“I fancy my chances, but … I’m sure with the crowd support they’ll be very tough opponents.”

Djokovic says he feels 19-year-old Kyrgios has tightened his game with increased maturity.

“Nick had the quarter-finals at Wimbledon last year, beating Nadal on the way, so you’ve got to give him credit for that,” he said.

“He’s still very young but he’s showing some power on the court.”

Kyrgios gets his Sydney International campaign under way on Tuesday night, opening his 2015 season against world number 42 Jerzy Janowicz.

A towering figure at 203 centimetres, Janowicz was a Wimbledon semi-finalist in 2013 and will pose a tough challenge for Kyrgios.

The Canberran is looking to shake off a back injury, which kept him out of the Hopman Cup and he will be returning for his first ATP World Tour event in three months.

source: abc.net.au

A great seafood wow dish for the dinner table.

NOTE: if you have leftover stuffing add some orange zest and serve as a pilaf, it might need a little more cooking with a little more water.

Ingredients:
1 kilo of medium sized calamari
1 cup rice for stuffing
1 ½ cups olive oil
2 medium sized onions, grated
1 ripe tomato, peeled and grated or finely diced
salt and pepper
1 level tablespoon sugar
pinch cinnamon
½ bunch of parsley, very finely chopped
a handful of black currants
a handful of pine nuts

Method:
1. Wash and clean calamari and remove the backbone. Dice up the tentacles to put aside and use in the stuffing.
2. Wash the rice and put aside together with the tentacles.
3. In a large, deep frypan heat the oil and sauté the onions until translucent.
4. Add the tentacles, rice, seasonings, sugar, currants, pine nuts and a small glass of water and cook on slow heat.
5. When the water has evaporated, remove pan from the burner and add parsley.
6. Stuff the calamari half way and thread the opening with a toothpick.
7. Line up the stuffed calamari in a saucepan and cover with the tomato and simmer for 20-25 minutes until tender.

source: Neos Kosmos

Octopus and mushrooms ‘lemonata’

Remember to include some lemons on the side.

*All cephalopods (octopus/squids/calamari) are allowed during fasting, as they do not contain blood.

Ingredients:
1.5 kilo fresh octopus cooked in its juices (you can add vinegar)
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 chopped onion
1 tbsp spice mixture
1 tsp roasted garlic
10 button mushrooms sliced
2 bay leaves
½ cup of sauvignon blanc wine
2 ripe limes cut in slices
1 cup water
salt (optional)
1 handful of finely chopped parsley
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Method:
1. Put the saucepan to heat and add the octopus. Mix until the juices are pink-ish and cook it in its juices until that liquid has evaporated.
2. Remove the octopus and cut it into small pieces.
3. Add olive oil to the pot and sauté the onion until it’s translucent. Add the spice mixture, roasted garlic and mushrooms and sauté for a couple of minutes.
4. Add the octopus and then add the wine and stir for 2 -3 minutes until the alcohol evaporates.
5. Add the bay leaves and the lemon slices. Bring to a boil, lower heat and cook for about 15 minutes, until the onion becomes soft. Remove the bay leaves.
6. Add 1 cup of water and bring to a boil. Add the salt and pasta and lower heat. Cover and simmer for twenty minutes while stirring.
7. Serve with finely chopped parsley and cracked pepper on top.

source: Neos Kosmos

Eugenia’s Greek Halva.

Ingredients:
Cake
1/4 cup sunflower oil
1 cup coarse ground semolina
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Syrup
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup honey
2 cups of water
1 cinnamon quill

Method:
1. Place all the syrup ingredients in a pot and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Gently bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
2. Whilst the syrup is simmering, place the sunflower oil and semolina in a heavy based pot.
3. Keep stirring to gently toast the semolina until it is a deep golden colour and add the ground cinnamon. Stir. Remove both pots from the stove. Gradually add the hot syrup into the toasted semolina mixture. Be careful as the semolina will start to bubble and may splatter.
4. When all the syrup has been added, take the pot back to the stove and stir until the mixture comes away from the side of the pot.
5. Cover with a clean tea towel and place the lid on top. Leave it to stand for 15 minutes.
6. Place the mixture into a mould or baking dish and spread evenly.
7. Sprinkle with a little extra cinnamon and cool.

Gemista can be made with almost every vegetable, but most preferably tomatoes, peppers and zucchini.

A classic summer dish on every Greek table, if made without meat they taste even better the next day, can be eaten straight from the fridge on a hot day. I make the summer meatless version. The usual stuffed vegetables that one sees on a Greek table are tomatoes, peppers and zucchini; I have stuffed onions, eggplants and potatoes.

Ingredients:
4 large ripe tomatoes
4 medium size peppers
4 fat but not to big zucchini
Filling:
1 cup of long grain rice
2 cups of hot water
1 onion
1 bunch of spring onions
½ bunch of dill
½ bunch of parsley
1 cup of pine kernels
2/3 cup of raisins or sultanas
the dugouts of the tomatoes and the zucchini, chopped up finely
pepper and salt

Preparing the vegetables:
1. With the tomato upside down slice a small lid, with a teaspoon (easier if it has a long handle) scoop out all the inside and place in a bowl.
2. Inside of the hollow tomato add a sprinkling of sugar. Do this on to the tomato only, other vegetables that are stuffed do not need sugar.
3. With peppers discard stem and cut a lid.
4. Dig out all the seeds and discard.
5. Zucchini – make a lid on the fattest side and scoop out with tomato scoop, leaving it aside.

Preparing the filling:
1. In a deep frypan, sauté the finely cut onion and spring onions.
2. Add the pine nuts and sauté a little more, taking care not to burn the onions and kernels.
3. Add rice and stir for about a minute.
4. Add raisins and mix.
5. Turn down flame to lowest point and add hot water. Cover and allow cooking till rice is half cooked.
6. Cool mixture enough to handle. Fill the vegetables with the filling.
7. Put lid back, line up in oven dish.
8. Sprinkle with about ½ cup of olive oil, cover loosely with foil.
9. Bake for ½ hour in hot oven at 190°C.
10. Remove foil and bake for another ½ hour.
11. Remove from oven.
12. Serve with feta on the table and crusty bread.

The salty cheese counteracts the sweet watermelon.

I grew up eating watermelon and cheese or/and grapes and cheese. It’s a refreshing meal on a hot day.

Ingredients:
¼ watermelon
1 bunch of seedless white grapes
1 bunch of seedless black grapes
100 grams feta cheese cut into small cubes or crumbled thickly

Method:
1. Cut watermelon into small cubes and clean all grapes from branch.
2. Mix all fruit together in a bowl.
3. Spread the feta cheese on fruit and mix gently once or twice.

Vlita are blites or notch wood.

NOTE: Vlita are blites or notch wood. I’m not sure if they can be found in Australia, at least I have not come across them, but be creative – use spinach, silverbeet or what is in season, any green you might like.

Ingredients:
500 grams of preferred greens
½ cup olive oil
1 onion cut into slices
2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon of coriander seeds
2 tins of tuna in water, drained
lemon jest and the lemon juice
dill and parsley (at least 2 tablespoons, more if you wish)
salt and pepper

Method:
1. Place cleaned vlita (or other greens) in boiling water, cook for a few minutes, do not overcook and drain well.
2. In a frypan sauté the onion till translucent.
3. Add the vlita, garlic, coriander and pepper and salt and stir well on high heat.
4. Lower heat and add the tuna, lemon jest and lemon juice, parsley and dill.

source: Neos Kosmos