Little Cooking Tips - Fast&Easy

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getting close to vacation

It’s hard to believe that July is already coming to an end! The days seem to fly by this summer. We’re getting close to our vacation, and it’s ever harder to keep our minds together and not spend several hours each day, thinking of the beaches, the tryout of new recipes, the serene nights with fresh cold fruit on the veranda in Evia... all those relaxing days one desperately needs after a hard, busy winter season.

Just watching the starry sky every night when in the country, right before going to sleep, seems to connect one with body, mind, and spirit, doesn’t it? It’s these magical summer moments when you supercharge with relaxation and happiness that help you endure the hardships of everyday life.

We’re indulging ourselves with movie nights in the balcony in Athens and short trips to Athenian beaches for the time being. It helps, but it’s just not the same when you know that on Monday another full working week awaits you, right?

If you’re following us on our recently created Instagram account, you might have seen our video on “Stories”, where we visited a beach last Sunday, only to find out that the Aegean wasn’t in the right mood: huge waves (!) and winds prevented us from taking a short swim. The road trip, however, was compensating enough; we lowered the car’s windows and allowed the summer breeze, full of the aroma of wild thyme and pine trees to fill our lungs, listening to the cicadas as we traveled through small country roads where nature seemed to be still untouched by the modern civilization. Of course, on the next day, when we came back to Athens, the wind calmed down and we got really high temps again. Murphy’s law in action :)

guest posting at Easy and Delish

We felt so honored when Denise, from Easy and Delish asked us a few weeks back, to be part of a guest post series on her blog. You see, we have been following her work for quite a few years now, from the early days of her previous blog From Brazil to You, where she introduced us to her awesome, authentic and delicious Brazilian recipes! Denise has been an inspiration to us throughout the years and taught us so many things about cooking. For that, all her beautiful posts and her constant love and support, we'd like to take this opportunity and publicly say a huge THANK YOU to her, from the bottom of our hearts.

oven baked feta

Denise's theme in this guest post series was easy weeknight meals or quick desserts. Most Greek foods often take a little time to prepare, so we considered some of the simpler recipes we could use for this post, and after discussing this with Denise, we both agreed on an easy and yummy appetizer, which can also be served as a light meal, along with a salad and/or some crusty bread. This dish is the Oven Baked Feta! Some people also call this dish Feta saganaki, even though Cheese saganaki is mostly a fried slice of cheese.

You can find oven baked feta at almost every tavern in tourist locations throughout the country, especially in the summer. It's one of the most popular dishes, and it's usually one of the dishes people order as an appetizer, or a side in order to accompany grilled meats and tempura-style fried veggies.

The ingredients are very easy to find, are very simple, and the result is really delicious. Since the ingredients are only a few though, we suggest you use the best quality you can purchase. For instance, authentic sheep's milk feta is highly recommended as well as organic tomatoes and peppers.

To prepare the dish, you simply make a small "tray" from foil, add feta, onion, tomatoes, pepper, thyme, oregano and EVOO and broil it for a few minutes. The texture of the feta completely changes to slightly crunchy on the outside and soft and yummy on the inside. The veggies and the oregano add a lot of flavor and texture as well.

With the quantity described in this recipe, you can serve 2. You can easily, however, make a few more trays of foil with the same combo and serve A LOT more people. This is super convenient if you’re having people over, for a BBQ for instance. While the meat is being grilled outside, you can prep a cookie sheet/baking dish with as many as 6 of these small foil trays and broil them at the same time. It’s guaranteed that everyone will love them; this is one of the best recipes with feta cheese.

Ingredients:

Click here to jump over to Denise’s Easy and Delicious for the ingredients and the recipe!

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Greek-Indian one pot vegetarian meal (spring ladero)

littlecookingtips — Fri, 25 Mar 2016 21:11:43 +0000

Photo and text by Panos Diotis and Mirella Kaloglou.

Calories (per serving):

982

Servings:

Cooking Time:

45 minutes

The spring is finally here! What a strange winter that was for most of the people in the Northern hemisphere. A lot milder than usual, with just a few bursts of colds in most places. Greece had a very warm winter this year as well, we only got to see a little snow for 2-3 weekends in Central-South and it didn’t last long.

Most of February was unusually warm and sunny. The March was rather rainy though, to verify a very old Greek saying which goes like this “Martis gdartis kai kakos paloukokaftis”. It means that March is the most unpredictable month of the year and may lead to burning whatever you may desperately find around, in your stove, to keep you warm, since you didn’t expect such cold weather in this month.

But now April is here, and so is spring, on full swing! We have A LOT of sunshine, the daylight saving time started, which means we get to enjoy the sun for 1 more hour each day and this definitely helps lifting our spirits! We celebrated the Aprokries (which is the Greek Halloween, which is about fun, costumes and partying, much like the Brazilian version) and then the 40-day Lent started on Clean Monday.

Clean Monday (called Kathari Deftera here) is a day we celebrate the beginning of Lent. Families gather together and feast on taramosalata, pickles, fasolada, and shellfish/mollusks, like octopus, shrimp, squid, mussels and clams, cooked in various ways. Halva (a dessert made with tahini), is also a must. On Clean Monday children and their parents fly kites in various shapes and colors, a tradition that also marks the beginning of spring.

Fish is not allowed in Greek Orthodox Lent, with the exception of the 25th of March which is a big holiday. We celebrate the Greek Independence Day and the Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary. On that day specifically, you will find fried cod and skordalia in every Greek household and every tavern all over the country. This year for some strange reason we ate so much of the stuff, we were bloated until late at night :)

The good thing with Lent is that it’s a great opportunity to detox by abstaining from dairy and any meat (except shellfish/mollusks like we mentioned). A lot of pulses/legumes are served in this 40 day period and a lot of veggies. Vegetables play a pivotal role in the traditional Greek diet. They’re not blunt though. Cooked with extra virgin olive oil, herbs and usually tomato, they’re not served as a side but as a main course.

This type of vegetable dishes are called ladera (or lathera), literally meaning “oily”. People always enjoy them with a lot of bread to soak up the oil and the sauce which has concentrated all the flavors of the vegetables and the spices. Examples of ladera dishes are: green beans (fasolakia) dishes, spinach and rice (spanakorizo), cabbage and rice (lahanorizo), leeks and rice (prasorizo), peas (arakas), artichokes (agginares), tomatoes and peppers stuffed with rice (gemista) and okra (bamies/mpamies).

During the summer, there are many ladera dishes that combine different vegetables. One very popular dish like that is briam/mpriam, which is the Greek version of ratatouille. We love the yumminess of this dish, and many times we experiment with different combinations of veggies.
We didn’t had a similar delicious dish with spring veggies though and the summer is still 2 months away. So, instead of waiting we tried a different combination, with vegetables that are abundant during the spring: mushrooms, potatoes, onions and scallions and sweet long red peppers which are essential for this dish.

Instead of cooking this the classic Greek way, with olive oil and tomatoes (and perhaps some herb like dill), we chose a different path though. As you may have noticed from some of our other recipes, like this one or this one, we LOVE using Indian spices. This humble peasant dish needed something to enhance its flavors. And what could be better than some turmeric and garam masala? If you never tried those before, you’re definitely missing out! Those two elevate every stew/ladera to a whole new level AND they’re excellent for your body. Especially the turmeric, a spice which comes from the dried root of the turmeric plant, has many fantastic benefits for your health and may also help you lose some weight since it makes you feel full.

In fact, research continues to prove how great that stuff is for you every time they put it to the test. It seems that it has anti-cancerous, anti-depressant and anti-aging properties, it’s a powerful anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory, plus it also lowers your cholesterol levels. Isn’t that amazing? Look it up and ask your physician or nutritionist, you’ll be amazed by it.
As for the garam masala, if you can’t find it, you can easily make your own. See under the list of the ingredients below how to make garam masala at home.

Anyway, let’s get back to cooking though; The combination of Indian spices with EVOO and the veggies was a revelation. If you’re a vegetarian or a vegan, you’ll definitely enjoy this recipe! If you like dairy, serve this with a side of feta or simply sprinkle a bit on top. You won’t believe how amazing that is!

Did we mention that this is a one-pot recipe? Yep! No big fuss here, simply chop the veggies on your wooden board, place a pot/pan on the stovetop and you’re good to go! In about 30-40 minutes you’ll be having a really taste vegetarian dish and no one will be complaining for the absence of meat. To ease the pain of the hardcore carnivores add the feta (cubed or crumbled) on top (like we mentioned) and they will devour the whole thing and ask for more bread to clean the sauce from their plate :)

So let's see how to make this simple vegetarian dish!

Ingredients:

- 4 sweet red peppers (450-500gr/16-17.5oz), sliced or diced in 2.5cm/1in pieces
- 2-3 scallions (160-180gr/5.5-6.5oz), thinly sliced
- 1 large (or 2 smaller) onion (200-250gr/7-9oz), thinly sliced
- 1-2 medium sized potatoes (450-500gr/16-17.5oz), diced in 1cm/0.5in pieces
- 250gr/9oz common mushrooms (you can also use Portobello)
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 cup (125ml) white wine
- 2-3 tablespoons (45-70gr/1.5-2.5oz) tomato paste
- 3/4 cup (375ml) olive oil
- 2-3 teaspoons dry oregano
- 2 teaspoons turmeric
- 1 teaspoon garam masala*
- 1 tablespoon paprika (preferably smoked)
- salt and pepper
- 1 cup hot water
- a little crumbled/diced feta for topping (optional)
- a little fresh dill for topping (optional)

* You can make your own garam masala (it’s very easy). Mix: 1 teaspoon ground coriander, 1 teaspoon ground black pepper, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon ground cardamom, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves. Store in sealed container in a dry place.

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Preparation:

Add the oil in a medium sized pot or a large, deep pan (preferably non-stick), on medium to high heat. Once hot, add the onion and the scallion (pic. 1). Cook for 5 minutes, stirring often until they’re softened. Add the potatoes (pic. 2) and reduce the heat to medium. This is very important, as potatoes take some time to be cooked and we don’t want to burn them on the outside or mash them. Cook for another 5 minutes, stirring often.

Add the peppers (pic. 3). Continue cooking for another 5 minutes (stirring often again). Add the mushroom slices (pic. 4) and continue cooking for another 5 minutes (stirring often).

Add the garlic (pic.5), stir and cook for 1 minute. Add the oregano, the turmeric, the garam, the paprika, salt, pepper (pic. 6) and stir well. Cook for 1 minute more.

Add the wine (pic. 7), the tomato paste (pic. 8) stir and cook for 3 minutes.

Finally, add the cup of hot water, stir, lower the heat to medium-low and cook for 10-15 minutes, until most of it has evaporated and sauce has thickened.

That’s it. You can serve this with olives and some crusty bread on the side, and you can sprinkle some dill and/or feta on top as well. Kali oreksi!

Tips:

1. Try to use smoked paprika in this recipe, it’s so much flavorful than common paprika.
2. Be gentle when stirring if you want your veggies to keep their shape, otherwise you will mash some of it.
3. If using a non-stick pan, make sure to also use a wooden spatula to stir, to avoid scratching its surface.

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Limited time? Make these easy, healthy avocado tuna sandwiches!

littlecookingtips — Tue, 23 Feb 2016 18:51:56 +0000

Photo and text by Panos Diotis and Mirella Kaloglou.

Calories (per serving):

394

Servings:

serves 2

Preparation Time:

Cooking Time:

It seems that the winter is over in Greece. Like we mentioned in our last post, we got to enjoy a little bit of snow in late January and again, in early February. But this only lasted for a few days. Most of February was (and still is) like it was April this year. The temperatures are higher than normal this winter, and this must‘ve confused nature, as the flowers are blooming and the trees are getting greener and greener, like in the spring!

On February, we visited another mountain village, called Seta. Like Steni, mentioned in the last post, this one is also located high up in Dirfi Mountain, in Evia (yeah we know; we’re obsessed with this mountain!). That’s where the photos with the snow that you see in this post are from.

Unfortunately the road was closed right after the village, and we couldn’t visit a spectacular place nearby, with wild cherries, walnut trees, a medieval church and natural springs. But it was really nice to take a walk along the mountain range and breathe some fresh air. After all, we only get to see snow for only a few days each winter.

The good thing about this mild and warm winter we’re having is that it allows for long walks in the city and its groves nearby. Moreover, there were wonderful exhibitions and festivals we got to visit taking advantage of those high temperatures. We also visited a unique farmers market which takes place about once a month, where producers sell amazing vegetables and other products, like jams, honey, rusks, cheeses, olives, wine, handmade sausages and many more delicacies.

The prices are very low, as they sell directly to customers, and there’s tons of people visiting the venue and leaving it with big smiles and packed bags of goodies. We always try to limit our spending when we visit this particular market, but somehow we always buy more than what we originally planned for!

So, we bought delicious homemade-style marmalades, honey, various olives, like the ones you see in the photos of this post, cheeses, fresh sausages (most of them were put right in the freezer for BBQ parties and spetzofai , Chios mastic halva, excellent pasta and other yummy products. There’s nothing like buying fresh stuff straight from the producer. By the way, if you never tried quince or fig marmalade before, you’re missing out. They’re our new favorite choices for breakfast.

But let’s get back to cooking; it’s been some time since we posted a recipe for something simpler than a main dish. We noticed that all our posts in the last months are main dishes, which often take some time to cook; our online friends on the other hand, sometimes want quick and easy recipes, something they could use for a delicious, quick lunch. So, this time we are posting a healthy tuna sandwich, enriched with avocado! If you're looking for healthy sandwich ideas, you hit the spot.

Avocados are rarely used in Greek households, as they're an exotic fruit for us here. Up until a few years ago, all the avocados in the market were imported from the Americas or Africa. This started to change though recently, with wonderful domesticly grown avocados, produced in the island of Crete. They’re mostly Sharwill or Hass avocados (the rounder varieties) and they’re much more interesting than those imported, which were usually Fuerte (pear-shaped).

We only started using avocados about a year ago, after learning how important they are for one’s health. Avocados are actually one of the healthiest foods you can eat. There are numerous studies that associate avocado consumption with cardiovascular benefits, and that’s because avocado is high in good fats (like omega 3), antioxidants AND it’s anti-inflammatory! So, even though avocados are not a common in Greek dishes, we try to eat as much of them as we can; we make a lot of delicious guacamole (in countless variations), we add them in salads, in sandwiches...you get the picture!

In this avocado recipe, we combined the avocado with canned tuna. Avocado and fish in general, work really great together. We often serve our grilled salmon with guacamole and make avocado tuna fish sandwiches. Those are rich and yummy tuna salad sandwiches that are perfect for a filling breakfast, a picnic lunch, or a creamy snack you can enjoy throughout your day.

For this recipe, we peel and slice avocado quarters and dip the slices in fresh lemon juice. This enhances the flavor and keeps the avocado from browning. If you haven’t tried to slice avocado before, here’s a great video with wonderful instructions for this.

The tuna used, is simple canned tuna. You can use tuna in oil or tuna in water. We prefer tuna in olive oil ourselves. We open the lid and press it into the can, squeezing the tuna, to drain it from the oil. We then mix the tuna with mayonnaise, a little lemon juice and paprika. So far it's a straight forward, tasty tuna salad recipe right? We used smoked paprika for this recipe though, as it adds a lot more flavor. If you never tried smoked paprika before, buy some and give it a try, you won’t regret it. You’ll be adding it soon in sandwiches, dips, stews and even pasta. Amazing stuff!

For a healthier sandwich, you can also use Greek yogurt instead of mayo. Simply substitute part of the mayo with yogurt, the result is equally delicious. You can also ditch the mayo all together and go full Greek yogurt.
If you want a rich, decadent snack though, you can also substitute the mayo with sour cream. It also makes for an amazing tuna sandwich!

We also added a few salad leaves in the sandwich; you can use any type of lettuce, arugula or salad greens. After all, you only add a few of them, to add some crunchiness.

You should’ve seen our faces, stuffed with those sandwiches right after we finished taking some shots for the blog; pure happiness! This truly is one of the best tuna salads we ever had.

We bet that if you have any kids and are looking for tuna sandwich ideas, this one is one they'll love. Plus you get to give them something tasty AND healthy, without fuss!

So let's see how to make these easy, delicious avocado tuna sandwiches!

Ingredients:

- 4 bread slices (115gr/4oz), preferably rye/whole wheat/multi-grain, toasted
- 125gr/4.5oz (half) ripe avocado, cut into thin slices
- 100gr/3.5oz tuna, canned (drain the water or oil from the can)
- 4 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 1 teaspoon paprika, preferably smoked
- a few salad leaves
- salt and pepper

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Preparation:

Put the lemon juice in a small container (pic. 1) and keep a teaspoon from this apart (you will need it later in the tuna mix). Slice the avocado in half, then cut the half in two quarters, and peel them (pic 2).

Slice each quarter into thin slices (pic. 3). Put the slices in the container with the lemon juice (to keep them from browning). Toast the bread slices (pic. 4). You can use a toaster or you can broil them in the oven broiler.

In a large bowl add: the mayo, the lemon juice (the 1 teaspoon you saved earlier), the paprika, salt and pepper and the tuna (pic. 5). Mix well with a fork (pic. 6) to mash the tuna and combine the ingredients.

Assemble the sandwiches:

Add a few salad leaves on a toast (pic. 7). Add half of the tuna mixture (pic. 8)

Add a few avocado slices (pic. 9), from those left in the lemon juice. Add a little extra paprika (optional, pic. 10).

Cover with another bread slice and press lightly (pic. 11). At this point you can also carefully slice the sandwich in half (into triangles).

That’s it! Make the 2nd sandwich with the rest of the tuna mix and ingredients and enjoy them! Kali oreksi!

Tips:

1. You can also use 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise and 2 tablespoons of sour cream or Greek yogurt. The result is equally delicious!

2.Try to use smoked paprika in this recipe, it’s so much flavorful than common paprika.

3. You can use the rest of the avocado, sliced, with some salad leaves and a simple vinaigrette to make an easy, healthy salad side.

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Creamy Spicy Hummus and Paprika Pita Chips

littlecookingtips — Wed, 07 Oct 2015 10:36:47 +0000

Photo and text by Panos Diotis and Mirella Kaloglou.

Calories (per serving):

609

Servings:

serves 6

Cooking Time:

1 hour

This fall has been really tough (and we know the same goes for many of you). Long hours at the office, plus we’re looking for a new place to move into… it’s been really exhausting!

So, we had to “escape” to Evia for a couple of days, to enjoy the garden and take a breath (click here to learn more about the place)! The fall is already transforming the place, with green, yellow and red colors. Some of the summer plants are still productive (like the peppers and the eggplants), because of the mild September. But the weather hasn’t been that warm in the last week; it started raining and it seems that a temperature drop is just around the corner.

Panos’ parents have already planted broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, beets, spinach, lettuce, arugula and other greens. Walking between the rows of the vegetables and the trees and simply looking at them is enough to take all the stress away!

A well in the garden and the surrounding area

Since we were tired, we didn’t want to cook something fancy that would take long. We wanted to enjoy a tasty and healthy snack. That’s why we made a delicious hummus with some pita chips on the side. Hummus is not a usual spread/dip here in Greece. Even though we love garbanzo beans AND all types of spreads, hummus is an unknown dip to most people here. Perhaps the reason is the variety of the other available spreads, like skordalia (garlic spread), tzatziki (yogurt-garlic condiment), fava (split pea pudding), pepper dips (like this one), pantzarosalata (beets and yogurt spread), taramosalata (cod roe spread), melitzanosalata (eggplant spread) and many many more.

The oranges are still green, but the eggplants are loaded with produce

This hummus is also NOT a traditional one; the classic hummus has tahini (which isn’t one of our favorite ingredients to work with). Ours is a creamy hummus with Greek yogurt and spices! The yogurt makes this spread smoother and the taste of the garbanzo beans milder. In order to make it more interesting, we added some of our favorite Indian spices: turmeric, garam masala and smoked paprika! If you can’t find garam masala, don’t worry, you can make this at home and use it in stews, dips and countless other foods. We have the instructions under the list of ingredients.

The best part is that this dip is also healthy since four of the key ingredients are the Greek yogurt, the garbanzo beans, the turmeric and the olive oil! So, this is an anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant and nutritious, vitamin-rich food! Did we tell you that it’s also gluten free? Yep! Just skip the next part, which is the pita chips and choose a gluten free alternative ;)

Panos with our “nephews”, Bruno on the left and Melita on the right.

For the pita chips we used a type of pita we call “Arabic” here in Greece. They’re very similar to Naan and are used in bakeries, as an alternative to tortilla wraps. They’re served in grill houses, stuffed with gyros, souvlaki and other meats and veggies. If you can’t find thin pitas abroad, then you can use any type of pitas you prefer like pocket-less pitas. If they’re thicker, simply bake them a bit more, until they’re crunchy.

We made a simple mix with olive oil, salt, pepper and smoked paprika in order to add flavor to the chips. We brushed the pitas with this mix (just one side of them), cut them in triangle wedges and baked them for 12 minutes. The result was amazing; they were the perfect “vessel” to scoop the hummus off the plate!

One more fantastic thing about this recipe is that you can make this ahead. In fact, you SHOULD make this ahead, to allow the flavors to develop. If you make this hummus a day before, it’ll be much tastier and the texture will be better as well! So, if you’re having people over, or you want a healthy snack when you’re watching sports or your favorite TV show/movie, go ahead and try this one out! We guarantee that you won’t be disappointed!

The magic moment

So let’s see to make this delicious treat!

Ingredients:

For the pitas:

- 4 medium sized (or 2 large) thin Middle Eastern style pitas*

- 60ml (1/4 cup or 4 tablespoons) extra virgin olive oil

- 1/2 tablespoon paprika (preferably smoked)

- 1 teaspoon salt

- 1/4 teaspoon pepper

* if you can’t find thin pitas then use tortillas instead. You can also use Naan or Greek style pitas (for souvlaki and gyros). The Greek pitas are a bit thicker and they’ll need to bake for a few more minutes.

For the hummus:

- 500gr / 17oz / 1lb cooked or canned chickpeas*

- 200gr / 7oz Greek yogurt

- 60ml (1/4 cup or 4 tablespoons) fresh lemon juice

- 2 garlic cloves, minced

- 2-2 1/2 teaspoons garam masala **

- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder

- 1 teaspoon paprika (preferably smoked)

- 60ml (1/4 cup or 4 tablespoons) extra virgin olive oil

- salt and pepper to taste

*if using dry chickpeas you will need about 220gr / 8oz / 0.5lb (about 1 cup). Soak them in cold water overnight. The next day, drain and let them simmer in 8 cups of water (2lt) for 1,5-2 hours, until they’re soft. You can also cook them for 25-30 minutes in a pressure cooker, to save time and energy!

** You can make your own garam masala (it’s very easy). Mix: 1 teaspoon ground coriander, 1 teaspoon ground black pepper, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon ground cardamom, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves. Store in sealed container in a dry place.

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Pita chips

Add all the ingredients in a medium sized bowl (pic. 1). Whisk for a few seconds (pic. 2).

Brush each pita bread (just one side) with the mix from the bowl (pic. 3). Stack each oiled pita on top of the others.Hold the pitas and cut them into 8 triangle shaped wedges (pic.4).

Arrange the wedges on a parchment-lined baking sheet (pic. 5). Bake in preheated oven at 200 C / 390 F for 12-15 minutes, until they’re crispy. Preferably, use the oven fan setting. Remove and set aside to cool, for a few minutes. Very easy, wasn’t it? Let’s move on to the hummus now.

Hummus: Drain the cooked garbanzo beans and add them in a food processor. Add the lemon juice (pic. 6).

Add the olive oil (pic. 7). Pulse for a few seconds to get a thick, smooth result. Empty the food processor’s contents in a large bowl and add the Greek yogurt, the garlic, the turmeric, the paprika, the garam masala, a little salt and pepper (pic. 8).

Stir with a large spoon until all the ingredients are blended. Let it sit in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before serving. This will allow the flavors to develop.

Drizzle with olive oil and serve with the pita chips! Deee-licious!Kali Oreksi!

Tips:

1. This is the perfect appetizer/snack if you have people over. Plus, it’s healthy!

2. it’s better if you make the hummus in the previous day. Cover with cling film and store in the fridge. The next day, it will taste even greater!

3. You can store the pita chips in a sealed container like a cookie box and serve them in the next day as well.

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No bake sour cherry cheesecake in a glass

littlecookingtips — Tue, 16 Jun 2015 08:53:18 +0000

Photo and text by Panos Diotis and Mirella Kaloglou

Calories (per serving):

627

Servings:

Cooking Time:

20 minutes

This is one of the oldest recipes we shared through our blog: No bake sour cherry cheesecake in a glass! Checking our site’s stats, we‘ve noticed that this recipe has always been popular.

The photo was taken by an old inexpensive camera, wasn’t one of our best shots and the text was one of the first ones typed in English in the blog. We like to think that our blogging abilities have improved since then, so we decided to take some fresh photos, take another look at the text and share the recipe again!

So, how did we get the inspiration for this recipe? Cheesecake in a glass was a relatively new thing here in Greece back in 2011 when we tried it. We always like new ideas and this approach seemed to be quite handy, as you have ready-made cheesecake servings for any of your guests in individual portions in the fridge.

Why sour cherries? Well, sour cherry spoon sweet is one of the most popular Greek spoon sweets. What the heck are those spoon sweets you might ask? Well, they're similar to canned fruits in syrup, only the syrup is much thicker and it’s also flavored with some herb, usually marjoram. And since they’re very sweet, the quantity served is always just a tablespoon.

Back in the old era, people wanted to preserve the ripe, seasonal fruits for the next months, and one of the methods used was turning them to sweets and preserving them in jars. Those spoon sweets are served usually as a dessert or as a side for your afternoon coffee. It’s the traditional homemade sweet that all grandmas served for decades. We both grew up with our yayades (grandmas) serving us quinces, sour cherries, grapes, bitter oranges and many more fruits as a treat. Fortunately, in the last few years this dessert made a comeback and now many villages are collectively producing those again. And by the way, they’re among the best toppings for Greek yogurt!

But enough with the daydreaming; let’s get back to our cheesecake now! We tried this recipe with sour cherries spoon sweets and they were delicious. But since this isn’t a sweet that’s always easy to find, especially for the people abroad, we decided to alter this a little. So, instead of spoon sweet sour cherries, we used canned sour cherries in syrup! Those are available on all supermarkets here in Greece AND abroad, so this seemed to be the way to go.

The result was a fluffy lemony creamy cheesecake, with cookie crumbs as the base and a sweet cherry topping! We don’t add melted butter in the crumbs, and here’s why: we always like to make a mess while eating this, meaning that we dive the spoon in and mix the cookie crumbs with the cream, picking also a couple of cherries, before landing the spoon in the mouth. :)

So the glass/jar stops being as presentable as it is here in the photos, but we really don’t care since it’s so delightful! But you can go ahead and add a little butter in the crumbs if you like a thicker base for the cheesecake.

One of the benefits of this recipe is that you can make this cheesecake ahead of time so it’ll be ready for serving in some party/family gathering in the next day. Keep in mind though that the result is much fluffier if you serve this in the same day.

Another advantage is that they are very nice to look at, as you can see the layers of sweetness through the glass.

You can also use another canned fruit in syrup if you don’t like sour cherries, or if want to try something else, making this a very versatile recipe.

And did we tell you that they’re super easy to put together? And you only need a few minutes of your time? Well, it’s true. If you never tried cheesecake in a glass before, this is one of the first recipes you should try. You’ll see for yourself how quick and easy it is.

Now regarding the term; some people are calling this dessert “cheesecake in glass” while other prefer the term “cheesecake in a jar”. Our opinion? Use jars, glasses, whatever you find handy and beautiful. We sometimes served those in glasses, sometimes in jars. For this post, we took pictures with glass and we also filled up a small jar so you can see the difference for yourself.

You can make a single layer of cookie crumbs, a layer of cream and add the cherries on top, or you can add multiple layers of cookies and cream. Ourselves, we usually do that, adding two layers of cookies and cream and top it with the cherries. But feel free to express yourself :)

So enough with our rumbling; let’s see how we can make this easy, delicious dessert!

Ingredients:

- 300gr/10.5oz cream cheese

- 200gr/7oz (2/3 cup) sweetened condensed milk

- 2 teaspoons lemon zest

- 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

- 125gr/4.5oz digestive biscuits/graham crackers, in crumbs (see preparation)

- 200gr/7oz drained sour cherries in syrup (canned) *

* you can also use regular pitted cherries in syrup for a different equally delicious result

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Preparation:

To make crumbs from the biscuits, pulse in a food processor (or use a blender) until they're finely ground (pic. 1, pic. 2).

Put the cream cheese and the sweetened milk in a large bowl (pic.3). Using an electric hand mixer (or a stand mixer) beat until you get a smooth and fluffy result (about 2 minutes). Start at a lower speed and turn it up as the cream thickens (pic.4). Add the zest and the lemon juice and continue to mix for half a minute (pic.5).

In a short glass or jar add 2 tablespoons of crushed biscuits (pic.6), then 2 tablespoons of cream (pic.7).

Repeat the process (pic.8) and garnish with 2 tablespoons of sour cherries (pic.9).

Do the same in 3 more glasses and put them all in the fridge at least for 20 minutes.

As simple as that! Enjoy!

Tips:

1. The more you leave these cheesecakes in the fridge the thicker they get. So keep that in mind and serve according to your preferences.

2. You can choose any canned fruit (in syrup) you prefer for garnishing.

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Baked shrimp with tomatoes and feta (garides saganaki)

littlecookingtips — Mon, 01 Jun 2015 20:47:06 +0000

Photo and text by Panos Diotis and Mirella Kaloglou

Calories (per serving):

790

Servings:

serves 4-6

Preparation Time:

Cooking Time:

20 minutes

If you've ever visited Greece, you must've had shrimp in tomato feta sauce, or Garides Saganaki as the dish it's called here. It's one of the top Greek appetizers and one of the tastiest dishes you will ever try.

You can also have this as a main dish, if you serve it with French fries (or rice).

Saganaki is a frying pan with two handles, used to cook several appetizers. Therefore, each appetizer prepared in it is called saganaki, like cheese saganaki or mussels saganaki or clams saganaki etc.

In taverns and restaurants it's not uncommon to serve the appetizer in this small skillet. Shrimp saganaki is one of our favorite dishes prepared that way. Since it was a bit difficult to find the specific special skillet in every household, many baked versions of shrimp saganaki were also developed. Roasted shrimp with feta and tomato is usually cooked in ceramic baking pans/casserole dishes. Those are baked in the oven and lack nothing in taste!

This recipe for shrimp saganaki is Panos's mother Eleni old recipe. It's a baked shrimp in tomato feta sauce recipe, prepared in the oven in a casserole dish. She was using white wine. Ouzo is also used for flavor (instead of wine), but as ouzo was not always available she preferred the wine. You can make this recipe with wine and then try it also with ouzo to see the difference.

For this shrimp dish you can either use shrimp or prawns, it really doesn't matter. Here in Greece we almost always use shrimp. It's better to use medium or large shrimps, as they have more meat, but feel free to try this with smaller shrimp that are more affordable. You can also use frozen shrimp, make sure to thaw them appropriately. We suggest that you also use the heads of the shrimps, as they have much flavor to offer.

The secret for this recipe is using a) ripe fresh grated tomatoes (they taste better if they're organic) and b) a good quality authentic (sheep's milk) feta. After all, those are the main ingredients: shrimp, feta cheese, tomatoes. So buy the best quality feta and tomatoes you are able to afford. The herbs used are mostly parsley or fennel fronds and stalks. Some people also use mint. Feel free to try them all.

Many people prefer this dish a bit spicy, so they add some red pepper flakes (chili flakes).We like it milder ourselves so we don't add them. Again, you can add as much as you like if you want a spicy result.

Make sure to have some fresh crusty bread on the side to scoop up the amazing sauce from the dish. It's absolutely divine. You can also use any leftovers as a sauce for pasta and make another delicious dish.

So let's see how to make this recipe for shrimp with feta or else garides saganaki!

Ingredients:

- 1kg/35oz/2lb whole shrimps. If using tails only, you need 500gr/17.5oz/1lb.

- 500ml tomatoes, grated (2 cups)

- 30-45ml (2-3 tablespoons) tomato paste

- 250ml (1 cup) white wine

- 1/4 bunch (25-30gr/1oz) parsley, finely chopped

- 150gr/5oz Greek graviera cheese (or Pecorino/Provolone/Asiago/Dubliner), cut into cubes*

- 150gr/5oz feta, cut into cubes

- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

- 1 medium sized onion (120-140gr/4.5oz), finely chopped

- 2-3 teaspoons dry oregano

- 80ml (1/3 cup) olive oil

- salt and pepper

* If you can't find graviera, you may use any hard cheese you prefer, like pecorino. Parmesan is not recommended in this recipe.

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Preparation:

Remove the shell from the tail of each shrimp (pic.1-2), leaving the head on for a nicer presentation. If you find it a bit difficult to handle the shrimp with the head on, remove the head but keep it aside. You will add it with the cleaned shrimp in the baking pan in a next phase.

Make a slit along the back of the tail (pic. 3-4) to expose the vein. Remove it (pic. 5) and rinse the shrimp. Keep it aside and continue processing all of them.

Put a deep frying pan or a saucepan on medium to high heat and add the olive oil. Once hot, add the onion (pic. 6) and stir until translucent. Add the garlic (pic.7), stir for 1 minute.

Add the tomatoes (pic.8) and the tomato paste (pic.9). Cook until the sauce thickens and add salt (just a little because the recipe includes the salty cheeses), pepper.

Add the oregano and stir (pic.10). Add the wine and cook until it thickens again (pic.11). Keep this sauce aside.

In a medium sized baking pan (preferably Pyrex/ceramic), add the shrimps (pic.12). Pour the tomato sauce over the shrimps (pic.13)

Sprinkle with parsley (pic.14). Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes at 200 degrees Celsius / 390 Fahrenheit. Add the graviera and feta cheese (pic.15). Continue to bake for another 10 minutes.

Serve with lots of fresh crusty bread. Enjoy!

Tips:

1. Serve with cool white wine or some ouzo with ice!

2. If by any chance there are any leftovers, you can use them as a great sauce for pasta!

3. You can use fennel fronds instead of parsley.

4. You can add red pepper flakes in the tomato sauce for a spicier result.

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Healthy

Feta and Sausage Mac and Cheese

littlecookingtips — Tue, 12 May 2015 18:21:58 +0000

Photo and text by Panos Diotis and Mirella Kaloglou.

Calories (per serving):

790

Servings:

serves 6

Cooking Time:

45 minutes

This is a dish that's not very famous here in Greece. Perhaps the reason is the abundance of other Greek casserole dishes.

Moussaka, Pastitsio and Giouvetsi are the most popular ones, but there are also many other casseroles as well. In Greek baked dishes, we sometimes use béchamel (like the one used in Mac and Cheese), sometimes eggs, ham, vegetables, sausages etc. These are “pasta in the oven” dishes as we call them here (zymarika sto fourno).

So…we do love Mac and Cheese dishes; we simply don't know they’re called this way abroad :)

The classic Mac and Cheese, which is pasta with cheese (most of the times Cheddar), mixed with béchamel (and usually baked in the oven) is the absolute American comfort food as we learned over the years. And rightfully so, since it's so simple and yet so darn delicious! The dish's origin is actually English, but it became more popular in the States as it seems. A casserole filled with Mac and Cheese is a great opportunity for a wonderful family meal.

Who can resist the combination of mac and cheese? This quick and easy pasta dish combines the creamy bechamel cheese sauce with the softness of pasta, giving to the dish a delicious gooey texture; a match made in heaven!

Cheddar is the most popular cheese used in this dish, as mentioned before. There are also many other cheeses you can use however, like Gruyere, Monterey Jack etc. Here in Greece we love Graviera and Kaseri, both of which make a molten ambrosia when combined with pasta. For this recipe we chose a high quality British sharp Cheddar though, to keep it more traditional.

For this mac and cheese recipe we decided to add something Greek though (of course you probably guessed this already); we added the Greek pork sausages that are called Horiatiko Loukaniko. These are delicious traditional sausages that may include leeks, orange zest, wine and many many spices, like wholespice, thyme, oregano etc. You can find them everywhere here, but they're pretty hard to find abroad. Don't worry; you can use Italian sausages instead. They're similar to the Greek ones, so the flavor will be more less the same. We used mild-flavored sausages in our recipe, but you can also use spicy ones if you prefer.

Why did we add the sausages? The combination of sausage and cheese is simply amazing; plus, they add an interesting texture and lots of flavor to the dish.

The other Greek ingredient was feta. A barrel-aged, traditional rustic feta, is elevating this casserole to a whole new level. If you never tried it before, add those feta cubes (like we do here) on top of everything and you won't regret it!

Finally, our secret for an amazing mac and cheese crust, is adding smoked paprika to breadcrumbs. We make our own fresh breadcrumbs from stale bread (see how in the preparation section of the recipe). Try the quantity we suggest here at first, and increase it to suit your taste. If you don't have stale bread though, you can also use panko breadcrumbs. You can always make mac and cheese on the stove top, but we prefer to bake it ourselves. It’s definitely worth the extra time; every time. You can't substitute this amazing crust. You simply can’t :)

Make sure to cook the pasta al dente, because it will continue to cook while baking. Regarding the warm milk suggested elsewhere, we don't do that. We simply take it out of the fridge before we start cooking the sausages so that it won't be very cold. And using a whisk we never had any issues (like lumps) with our sauce.

This is definitely the perfect choice for a yummy food when you want to spoil yourself and your loved ones with a treat :) So, when in need of a little comfort food, this is the absolute recipe!

Ingredients:

- 250g / 8oz /0.5lb uncooked elbow macaroni (you can also use another short pasta, but elbow macaroni is better for this dish)

- 200-250g / 7-8oz / 0.4-0.5lb Greek or Italian pork sausage (preferably not spicy)

- 15g / 0.5oz (1 tablespoon) butter, unsalted, to grease the pan *

- 120-140g / 4-5oz (1 medium sized) onion, finely chopped

- 2 garlic cloves, minced

- 125ml (1/2 cup) brandy

- 1 teaspoon dry oregano

- 1 teaspoon paprika (preferably smoked)

- salt, pepper

For the bechamel sauce:

- 75g / 2.5oz (1/2 cup) all purpose flour

- 100g / 3.5oz (7 tablespoons) butter, unsalted *

- 750ml (3 cups) milk

- 200g / 7oz shredded cheddar (you can use mild or sharp)

- a little salt, nutmeg

For the crust:

- 65g / 2.3oz (1 cup) Panko or coarse dried breadcrumbs (see preparation to make your own using 1 slice of stale white bread)

- 250g / 8oz /0.5lb feta, in cubes or crumbled

- 50g / 1.7oz (1/2 cup) grated cheddar

- 1 teaspoon paprika (preferably smoked)

* You will need 1 stick of butter (115g / 4oz) in total, 7/8 for the sauce and 1/8 to grease the pan.

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Preparation:

If you want to make your own coarse breadcrumbs (we totally recommend it), cut a slice of stale white bread in cubes and pulse the cubes to crumbs, using a food processor. When ready, add a little salt, 1 teaspoon of paprika and pulse for a few more seconds to incorporate (pic.1). If using store-bought breadcrumbs then simply put them in a small bowl and add the paprika. Mix well. Remove the casings from the sausages (the membrane around the meat). Chop in small pieces. Grease a medium sized ceramic (or Pyrex glass) baking pan with one tablespoon of butter (pic. 2).

Boil the pasta al dente in salted water (al dente is usually 1 minute less than the package’s instructions. You don’t want them to get very soft). Drain and set aside (pic. 3).

Place a medium sized saucepan (or a medium sized pot) over medium heat. Don’t use a Teflon nonstick pan/pot in this recipe, as you’ll be using a whisk later on. Add the onion and the sausage (pic. 4). Crumble the sausage into pieces with a spatula and stir, until the onion gets translucent.

At this point add the rest of the paprika, the oregano and the garlic (pic. 5) and keep stirring for a few seconds, until fragrant. Pour the brandy over the sausages-onions mix and cook for 2-3 minutes more, until most of the brandy is evaporated (pic. 6).

At this point remove the mixture from the saucepan, add salt and pepper and keep aside. Preheat the oven at 180 degrees C / 360 F.

Return the used saucepan on the stovetop (do not wipe it off) and add the rest of the butter (the 7 tablespoons, pic.7). When the butter begins to bubble, add the flour (pic. 8). Whisk constantly until it’s incorporated.

At this point, slowly pour the milk into the flour-butter mixture (the roux), while whisking continuously (pic. 9). Cook until this sauce lightly thickens (pic. 10). Add a little salt and nutmeg (optional).

Remove from heat and add the cheddar (pic. 11). Stir until it's incorporated and melted. Add the sausage-onions mixture (pic. 12) and stir.

Add the pasta (pic. 13) and again, stir -gently- to incorporate. When all the ingredients are combined (pic. 14) pour into the greased baking pan (pic. 15).

Spread the feta over the surface; add the paprika-flavored breadcrumbs and the rest of the cheddar (the 1/2 cup that's left, pic. 16). Bake for 25 minutes, in the middle rack, until a wonderful crust has formed.

Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool. Let it rest for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Serve with a lettuce salad on the side. Kali Oreksi!

Tips:

1. You can add diced tomatoes (seeds removed) before baking, to make this more interesting. Chopped spinach and arugula are also great with this dish; add them before baking, if using. Finally, some other suggestions are fresh chopped parsley or basil.

2. You can substitute cheddar for a less fatty cheese if you want to lower the calorie intake. You can also use various cheese mixes for different flavor.

3. For those who love seafood: you can also make this recipe with shrimp or crab instead of sausages.

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Greek Traditional Meatballs (Keftedakia)

littlecookingtips — Tue, 21 Apr 2015 20:11:47 +0000

Photo and text by Panos Diotis and Mirella Kaloglou.

Calories (per serving):

366

Servings:

Preparation Time:

30 minutes

Cooking Time:

15 minutes

Keftedes: A classic Greek dish full of memories and flavor and the absolute Greek comfort food. Keftedes or else Keftedakia (smaller Keftedes) are the Greek meatballs.

The word is probably derived from the Persian “kofta” which may also be related to the Byzantine Greek “kopto” (diced). Whatever the origin may be, when we mention we’re making keftedes, smiles and happy faces appear around us.

When you make keftedes, your house is filled with the aroma of the herbs and you get really impatient to try them. It’s better if you serve them slightly warm or in room temperature though, in order to really appreciate the flavors.

These meatballs are usually served as an appetizer ("meze") with wine, beer or ouzo. They're also a great snack as you can put them in sandwiches, you can serve them in family gatherings, parties, buffets…the possibilities are endless.

You can also serve them as a main dish with French fries or roasted potatoes and salad on the side. The combination with the traditional Greek salad is amazing! And wait until you try them with tzatziki; you won't believe how awesome this combo is! Actually, any yogurt sauce will do (like the one we post in this recipe), but if you do make some tzatziki you won’t regret the extra effort.

And the best part is, if there are any leftovers, you can throw them in a simple tomato,onion and garlic marinara and let them simmer for a few minutes. Serve this "new dish" over pasta. Yep; you know where this is going! This way you can turn those Greek meatballs into "Italian" meatballs with pasta!

When we were growing up back in the 80s, keftedakia was a summer staple. Any picnic was starting with a Tupperware full of keftedakia. They were also consumed on the beach, after swimming as a snack. Nowadays this seems a bit old school (aka “uncool”) so you probably won’t see this happening, if you visit Greece.

But let’s get back to our meatballs recipe; In this recipe the key ingredient is the mint. It makes all the difference. You can also add dry oregano or fresh parsley. We added all of these, as we want our meatballs really flavorful.

You can use various ground meats, like beef, pork, lamb (or combinations of them), like every Greek family does. Most of the time beef or veal is the only ground meat used (like we did in this recipe). Feel free to substitute any amount of beef with pork or lamb.

Some people also add a pinch of cinnamon, ground cumin or ground allspice. Ourselves, we usually add cumin, when making another traditional dish, called soutzoukakia (and lots of it).

The final mixture isn't very firm in this recipe, but this is normal and totally expected. The Greek meatballs are supposed to be a bit loose. That’s why you roll the meatballs in flour before frying them, in order to help them keep their shape and form a crust while frying.

The secret for tasty meatballs is to allow the flavors to develop. You must leave the mixture in the fridge for at least an hour. It’s even better if you leave it overnight, making this a great make ahead recipe as well.

So let’s see how to make delicious Greek meatballs (keftedakia)!

Ingredients:

- 500g / 17.5oz / 1.1lb ground beef

- 120-150g / 4-5oz (1 medium sized) onion, grated

- 1-2 garlic cloves, minced

- 100g / 3.5oz (2 slices) bread (preferably stale)

- 1 medium egg

- 5g / 0.15oz (about 10 large leaves) fresh mint, finely chopped

- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

- 1 teaspoon dry oregano

- 15g / 0.5oz (4 tablespoons) fresh parsley, finely chopped

- salt, pepper

- about 1 cup all purpose flour, for coating

- olive oil for frying (you can also use another vegetable oil like sunflower oil)

(the above make about 24 meatballs)

For the yogurt sauce (optional):

- 200g / 7oz Greek yogurt

- a pinch of salt

- 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil

- 1/2 tablespoon of red wine vinegar

- 4 leaves of mint, finely chopped

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Preparation: Mix the ingredients for the yogurt sauce with a spoon, in medium sized bowl. Once everything is incorporated, cover the bowl with film and place it in the fridge.
Soak the bread in water (you can also use milk) for about& 5 minutes. With your hands, squeeze the water (or milk) out.

Put all the ingredients (except the flour and the oil for frying) in a large bowl (pic. 1). Mix well with your hands. Knead for about 3-4 minutes.
Cover the bowl with film (pic. 2) and place it in the fridge for at least 1 hour.

Remove from the fridge, drain the excess liquid from the bowl, if any. Take about 2 tablespoons from the mixture and roll it on your palms, shaping it into a small ball (pic. 3). Roll each meatball in the flour to coat (pic. 4). Pat lightly to remove the excess flour and set aside.

Continue the same process, until all the mixture is shaped into meatballs (pic. 5). Heat about 1.5-2cm / 0.5inch of olive oil in a frying pan and place over medium high heat. The oil should be deep enough to cover the meatballs at least up to half their height (pic. 6). Of course you can also add more oil if you prefer making them deep fried.

When the oil is hot add the meatballs in batches. Do not overcrowd the pan. Fry until browned underneath (about 3-4 minutes), flip them over and continue frying until they’re brown on the other side as well. Remove and place them on paper towels to absorb the excess oil.

Serve the meatballs with Greek yogurt sauce (or tzatziki), Horiatiki Greek salad and French fries. Kali oreksi!

Tips:

1. The traditional Greek meatballs are always fried. You can also bake them in the oven though. Spray a baking dish/pan with olive oil and bake until cooked through, about 20 minutes in 200 degrees Celsius/390 Fahrenheit. Flip them halfway through to get a wonderful crisp on both sides.

2. Be generous with the salt and the pepper. Add at least 1 teaspoon of salt per 500g / 1.1lb of ground meat, and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper.

3. Make sure the oil is hot before adding the meatballs.

4. You can also use this yogurt sauce for burgers.

5. You can also add a dash of ouzo in the ground beef mixture. The taste is amazing!

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Chocolate Mousse with Baileys

littlecookingtips — Sun, 01 Mar 2015 11:14:20 +0000

Photo and text by Panos Diotis and Mirella Kaloglou.

Calories (per serving):

504

Servings:

Cooking Time:

20 minutes

This recipe is a must-try for any chocolate addict: a decadent, rich, thick chocolate mousse! We took our classic, traditional chocolate mousse recipe and enhanced it with one of our favorite liquors: Baileys Irish Cream.

The result is an irresistible, divine chocolate dessert. It's the perfect finish to your dinner in any special occasion, like anniversaries, Valentine's or Holidays!

Chocolate mousse is one of those easy desserts you can make if you're new around the kitchen. It's simple and easy to follow, with very few ingredients: dark chocolate, butter, eggs and caster sugar.
Some people also like to add cream to their chocolate mousse but we prefer the old school approach which only uses eggs.

In this recipe we used dark chocolate (minimum 60% cocoa). You should consider buying the best quality dark chocolate your budget can afford as this will define the final result. Prefer a chocolate with higher cocoa content.

Consider also buying top quality, fresh, free range eggs. The eggs are not cooked in a chocolate mousse, but do not be alarmed. For thousands of years humans have been consuming raw eggs in numerous ways. You probably already eat raw eggs and don't even realize it (like in mayonnaise). If you're a bit worried though, you can use a cloth soaked in water and vinegar to clean the shells before cracking the eggs, or buy pasteurized eggs. Feel free to consult any expert (doctor, dietitian) on the subject, of course.

But let's get back to this chocolate delight. Adding Baileys cream takes this classic treat to a whole new level. If you never tried adding Baileys in your desserts before, this is a great way to taste how good this stuff is. Now; that being said, if you have kids, and want to try this recipe, then omit the liquor and add some vanilla extract instead. But if you're planning -let's say- a Valentine's/anniversary dinner, then by all means do add the Baileys!

You need to refrigerate this for a couple of hours before serving it. The intoxicating aroma of the Irish cream is still dominant when you take it out of the fridge and it does make all the difference.

With this recipe you won't get the foamy result of using store-bought mousse mixes. The texture is rich and thick, making this a sumptuous finger-licking chocolate dessert.

The way this mousse looks is extremely appetizing: it's served in short glasses with white chocolate curls/shavings and cocoa powder. You can use a vegetable peeler to create the curls (scrape a thick white chocolate bar lengthwise) and use a sieve to dust some cocoa powder on top. Of course you can also add a dollop of Chantilly cream as well, if you prefer.

You will really enjoy making this dessert. If you're planning to omit the Bailys and add vanilla, then you should also hand the apron over to your kids and make this together, as a family. Your little ones will love it and you'll make some wonderful memories in the process.

Did we also mention that this is a fantastic make ahead dessert? If it stays in the fridge overnight, it will allow the flavors to develop and become richer.

So let's see how to make this thick, decadent chocolate mousse!

Disclaimer: This article is not sponsored by Baileys. It's not a paid advertisement or part of any affiliate marketing program. Meaning: We really enjoy the product ourselves and are writing our personal honest opinion about it.

Ingredients:

- 250g / 9oz dark chocolate (60% cocoa minimum), chopped

- 25g / 0.9oz (2 tablespoons) butter

- 3 medium sized eggs (or 2 large ones), yolks separated from whites, in room temperature

- 30g / 1oz (4 tablespoons) caster sugar

- 60ml (1/4 cup) Baileys Irish Cream

- a little white chocolate and cocoa powder, to garnish (optional)

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Preparation:

Add water (one third full) in a small pot/saucepan and place over high heat. Once the water starts simmering (pic.1) turn of the heat and remove from the burner.

Set a medium sized metallic bowl over the pot/saucepan (make sure it doesn’t touch the water) and add the chocolate in it (pic. 2).

Stir slowly until it melts (pic.3). This will take a few minutes, you don’t have to stir continuously. When the chocolate has melted, remove from the pot/saucepan and add the butter (pic.4). Stir until it’s incorporated.

Add half (2 tablespoons) of the caster sugar (pic. 5), and stir. At this point let the mixture cool down, for a couple of minutes. Then add the egg yolks (pic. 6) and stir until they’re incorporated.

Add the Baileys (pic.7) and again, stir until it’s incorporated. Set the bowl aside.
In another clean, metallic bowl whisk the egg whites using an electric hand mixer or your stand mixer (pic. 8).

When the egg whites start to thicken (looking like foam), add the rest of the caster sugar (pic. 9), one tablespoon at a time. Whisk until stiff peaks are formed (pic. 10, until you make a meringue).

Take a third of the meringue and add it to the bowl with the chocolate mix (pic. 11). Fold the meringue into the chocolate (pic. 12). Add the rest of it and fold again. Don't worry if it doesn't look completely incorporated though; it actually tastes much better if there are small lumps of egg whites in the mousse. Overmixing is not recommended.

If you never folded meringue into chocolate or any other batter (like cakes) don't worry. It's very easy; you don’t stir in the meringue. You use a rubber spatula and you scrape the chocolate from the bottom of the bowl and lift it over the meringue. Keep folding and rotating the bowl a little at a time, counterclockwise, until the meringue is almost half-way incorporated into the chocolate. At this point add some more meringue and keep folding and roating the bowl. Stop when the meringue is almost fully incorporated (as mentioned, you don’t have to incorporate it 100%, don’t overmix).

Divide into 4 short glasses and chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours before serving. Kali Oreksi!

Tips:

1. You can use some vanilla extract (or any flavor) instead of Baileys if serving this to kids.

2. One of the most important tips for meringue:The bowl you will use to beat the egg whites must be very very clean. To achieve this, wipe it with a paper towel soaked in vinegar to eliminate and fat residue.

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Meal:

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Main Ingredients:

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Delicious Mashed Carrots Side

littlecookingtips — Wed, 10 Dec 2014 16:14:15 +0000

Photo and text by Panos Diotis and Mirella Kaloglou.

Calories (per serving):

256

Servings:

serves 2

Preparation Time: