Our favourite soothing and calming remedy, chamomile (hamomili) can give a sophisticated touch to a frosty treat that is sure to please both kids and adults.

Other than being the ideal infusion before a good night’s sleep, chamomile is widely used for its anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial activity, while some studies also claim that chamomile extracts have anticancer effects.

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups whole milk
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
3/4 cup lightly packed unsprayed chamomile flowers, picked over, gently submerged in water, and drained on paper towels
9 large egg yolks, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons clover honey
pinch of coarse salt

Method:

1. Combine milk and cream in a heavy-bottomed medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Remove from heat and stir in chamomile. Cover mixture and let stand 10 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk together yolks, sugar, and salt in a large bowl until thoroughly combined.

2. Uncover milk mixture and bring to a bare simmer over medium-high heat. Remove from heat and gradually pour 1 cup milk mixture into yolk mixture, whisking constantly. Add remaining milk mixture all at once, whisking until just combined. Let stand until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Pour through a fine sieve into a bowl set in a larger bowl of ice water. Stir in honey and let stand, stirring occasionally, until cold, about 15 minutes.

3. Process mixture in an ice cream maker. Serve immediately or transfer to an airtight container and store in freezer up to 1 week.

source:Neos Kosmos

Having its origins in Cretan cuisine, this mouth-watering feta version can be your new favourite appetiser.
Ingredients:

250g feta cheese
2 eggs
1 teaspoon of paprika
1 teaspoon of freshly ground pepper
70-80g of flour, enough to coat the feta
60g sesame seeds
olive oil for frying
4 tablespoons of honey

Method:

1. To prepare the fried feta, start by cutting the feta cheese into little blocks, about 1.5cm thick.
2. Crack the eggs into a bowl and beat with a fork. Into another bowl add the flour, the paprika and the pepper and mix with a spoon to combine the ingredients. Into a third bowl, add the sesame seeds.
3. Roll each piece of feta into the eggs, then roll into the flour. Roll each piece again into the eggs and then in the sesame seeds, so that all sides are covered.
4. Heat about 6-7 tablespoons of olive oil into a frying pan, just enough to cover the bottom of the pan, and fry the feta until nicely coloured. Use a slotted spoon to flip the fried feta, so that it is nicely coloured on all sides. When done, place on some kitchen paper to absorb the extra oil.
5. In the meantime, warm the honey into a saucepan, or the microwave, until liquid.
6. Serve the fried feta while still hot with a drizzle of honey.

source:Neos Kosmos

Create a traditional Greek street-food experience in your own kitchen.

Souvlaki is arguably the most popular street food in its country of origin, Greece, but it is much loved in Australia as well.

The word ‘souvlaki’ means ‘meat-on-a-skewer’, but Greeks tend to refer to all pita wraps as ‘souvlakia’ whether they contain gyro, skewers or kebabs.

Sometimes, however, it’s a bit tricky to find the original souvlaki recipe and to ensure the quality matches your expectations.

Homemade souvlaki is the best way to take control of what you eat and make your family and friends happy.

Souvlaki can be a very healthy dish for people on a diet and, of course, your children, if cooked properly.

The first step for a delicious souvlaki is the tzatziki. For an easier version, you can substitute the tzatziki sauce with some fresh yogurt, but there’s nothing like the original recipe. Therefore, it’s better to put in the effort and go all the way.

For the tzatziki sauce you will need:

1 cucumber
3 cloves of garlic
1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil
500g of Greek yoghurt
1 tbsp of red wine vinegar
1 tbsp of lemon juice
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

To prepare, pour the olive oil and garlic in a blender together, and blend until the garlic is dissolved. Into a large bowl, grate the cucumber, remove the juice, and season with salt and pepper. Set it aside for 10 minutes.

Then add the blended garlic and oil, yoghurt, lemon juice and red wine vinegar, salt and pepper, and mix well. Store it covered in the fridge until you serve.

All the tastiness lies in the way you season and marinate the meat, not to mention the method of roasting.

Using good quality pork or lamb with as little fat as possible is essential for the gyros – preferably slices of tenderloin.

Put some milk in a large pan with a honey and vinegar marinade, and season with a selection of Greek spices like oregano, thyme, rosemary garlic and onion.

Wrap the pan and leave it in the fridge to rest, soften, and adopt the aromas of the spices for about two hours before you grill or roast it.

Put a large non-stick pan on high, and when it’s really hot, add the meat pieces along with the prepared marinade, and sauté for 2-3 minutes until the meat turns a dark gold colour and looks crispy. Place the meat on a kitchen paper towel to absord excess oil, and leave it in a slightly warm oven.

You will also need some parsley, sliced ripe tomatoes and red onions, as well as potato chips, as the original Greek recipe includes that, too.

Make sure you get fresh puffy Greek pitas for your souvlakia and avoid deeply frying the bread in excessive amounts of oil.

Opt for a healthier bake on a grill or even in a non-stick pan. You won’t need more than two minutes on high.

Once your pitas are ready, grab a large piece of baking paper or foil and place the pita on top. Spread tzatziki and then add the meat, followed by the onion, tomato and chips.

Garnish with some salt and paprika, sweet or spicy.

Another secret to a mouth-watering and enjoyable souvlaki is ensuring everything stays in the pita.

There is nothing worse for the definition of the flavours than stuffing large amounts of meat or potatoes in.

As impressive as an extra-large souvlaki may seem, struggling to get a full bite in your mouth steals some of its charm.

Kali orexi.

source: Neos Kosmos

For the lovers of traditional Greek cuisine, there is no Holy Saturday dinner table without a magiritsa soup.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 traditional Greek dish suitable for fastingNote: 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

Politikes piperiesNote: 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

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.

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.

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.

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

Ingredients:
1 kilo of beef cut into bite size cubes
1 cup olive oil
1 stick of cinnamon
1 glass of beer
1 onion, grated
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 large very ripe tomatoes, peeled and finely cut
1 teaspoon sugar
6 slim purple eggplants, cut into thick rings
300 grams of Arborio rice or similar starchy variety
a few springs of parsley and mint
salt and pepper

Method:
1. Place the sliced eggplants in a colander and salt well, allow to stand for 20 minutes, rinse well when ready to use.
2. In a saucepan heat the oil and sauté the beef cubes with cinnamon stick on high heat, stirring constantly.
3. Add beer and stir for a few seconds till the alcohol has evaporated.
4. Add the onion, garlic, tomato, sugar and add enough hot water to just cover the meat.
5. Cover and on low heat cook for 50 minutes, if needed add more water.
6. Preferably in a non-stick frypan: add 2 -3 tablespoons olive oil and sauté washed (patted dry) eggplants to faintly brown and put aside.
7. Add the rice to the meat (water must cover the rice) and cook for 15 minutes.
8. In the last 5 minutes add the eggplants, parsley, mint and salt and pepper to taste.
9. When the rice is cooked take off heat, cover with a clean tea towel and cover the towel with the lid as you would a pilaf and allow to stand for 15 minutes.
10. This is best served hot.

source: Neos Kosmos

Baked in the oven, this whiting dish allows the peppers to create a delicate sauce.

Ingredients: 1 kg small whiting 1 onion, sliced into fine rings 1 green pepper 1 red pepper 1 orange pepper 1 yellow pepper 2 cloves garlic 4 tbsp tomatoes cut into cubes without juice or seeds 3 tbsp parsley chopped 60 ml olive oil Salt and pepper to taste Method: 1. Cut the peppers in half and remove the seeds. 2. Place the peppers under the grill with the skin side up for approx. 15 minutes. 3. You can now remove the skin easily and discard it. 4. Remove the head, tail and central bone from the whiting, keeping just the fillet but making sure that the fish are whole and not split. 5. Salt the fish and place in the fridge while you prepare the sauce. 6. Slice the peppers. 7. Place the oil in a frying pan and gently fry the onion rings for two minutes. 8. Add the peppers and garlic and fry for another three minutes. 9. Add the tomato cubes and parsley, stir in and fry for another two minutes, adding salt and pepper. 10. Place half of the sauce you have now prepared in a shallow oven dish. 11. Arrange the fish on top of the sauce and then spread the remaining sauce on top. 12. Place in a pre heated oven at 180°C for 30 minutes, so that the fish is cooked and the sauce set.

Source: Neos Kosmos

Barbounia with fennel, orange and neratzi

Red mullet with a citrus finish

Dora Kitinas-Gogos

Note: I’m not sure if we have neratzi in Australia, but they are a bitter/sour orange. If you can find them, use them. If not use lemons – you can also be daring and use grapefuit. In Greece fennel comes like dill in bunches and the original recipe used this. I have adapted the fennel as we know it in Australia. I know it works well because at home I have adapted other recipes this way.
Ingredients:
4 large red mullets, scaled and cleaned (get your fishmonger to do it for you)
2 fennel roots (leave the green leaves on)
3 oranges peeled and cut into slices sideways so you have a round slice looking like star
2 slices of neratzi or one lemon, sliced (use the left over to garnish)
100 ml olive oil
salt and freshly ground pepper
Method:
1. Pre-heat oven to 160°C.
2. Slice fennel and clean and chop the green leaves fine as you would dill, keep the green part aside.
3. Lay out the fennel root in an oval oven dish.
4. Lay the mullet on top and cover with the orange and the neratzi/lemon.
5. Sprinkle with the finely cut green part of the fennel and add salt and pepper.
6. Pour the olive oil on top.
7. Bake for about 25 minutes.
8. Garnish with sliced lemon and serve hot.

source: Neos Kosmos

Roasted turkey breast

A gorgeous Mediterranean roast turkey breast for those with dietary requirements

Dr Irene Prantalos

Ingredients
Serves: 12
1.5kg free range turkey breast
1 tablespoon of fresh organic oregano, finely chopped
1 tablespoon of fresh organic mint, finely chopped
150g roasted almonds
1 teaspoon Celtic sea salt
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Method
Preparation time: 40 minutes
Cooking time: 90 minutes
Place the turkey breast skin side up in a baking dish.
Lift the skin and season with the sea salt, olive oil, herbs and roasted almonds.
Drizzle olive oil over the top and cover with foil, leaving the edges slightly open to allow steam to escape.
For every 1 kg of turkey weight cook for 60 minutes.
When cooking time has elapsed remove foil and allow turkey to brown evenly. Remove the turkey from the oven and rest 30 minutes before carving. Carve the turkey with an electric knife.
Note
Roasting almonds: place the almonds in a small saucepan and cover them with filtered water. Bring the water to a boil, reduce heat and cook for 10 minutes. Strain the water from the saucepan and allow them to cool. Remove the skin and place the almonds on a non-stick baking tray. Place the tray under the grill. Keep watch, when the almonds become golden brown, turn them over to the other side. Once both sides have roasted, remove them from the oven and allow them to cool before mixing them with the herbs.

source: Neos Kosmos

Rabbit from Santorini (Κουνέλι τυραύγουλο)