Little Cooking Tips - Shellfish

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.

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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Garlic butter broiled mussels in easy steps

littlecookingtips — Tue, 29 Jul 2014 16:49:06 +0000

Garlic butter broiled mussels in easy steps

Photo and text by Panos Diotis and Mirella Kaloglou.

Calories (per serving):

157

Servings:

Preparation Time:

10 minutes

Cooking Time:

10 minutes

Of all the mussels recipes this has to be the easiest one: Delicious, finger-licking garlic butter broiled mussels! Mussels are among the affordable seafood and are quite easy to cook as you only need a few minutes.

Don't make the mistake and cook them longer, as they turn somehow rubbery and you definitely want to avoid that!

So, this is a quick, easy and cheap recipe with a delicious result. What's not to like about it?

For this recipe we prefer the frozen greenshell mussels of New Zealand. Nope, we didn't get any compensation for saying that; we just LOVE them. They're already cleaned, they are large, packed in their shell (only the half shell with the meat) and they're delicious!

Of course you can also use fresh mussels for this recipe (see the section bellow the ingredients), but then you have to spend a few more minutes to prepare them.

Their taste is very rich because of the butter mixing with their juices, and the garlic provides intensity in flavor. On top of that, we added parsley which brings freshness to the dish, making it impossible to resists. Even people who don't like seafood that much enjoy those mussels! They will make them question their tactic.

You can serve them as an appetizer in your parties (always a great hit), as they are very great to look at as well. You don't need to prepare ahead, just mix the butter and the garlic and throw them in the oven for a couple of minutes (if you use the frozen ones as suggested). Then you just serve with parsley. As simple as that.

We believe this dish is especially great during the summer, as a starter for a seafood pasta meal. We often have this dish before serving shrimp pasta and the combination is exquisite.

So let's see the simple recipe for making these delicious mussels!

Ingredients:

- 500gr/17oz/1lb mussels, cleaned half-shells * **

- 25gr/1oz (2 tablespoons) butter, in room temperature

- 3 garlic cloves (20gr/0.7oz), minced

- 10gr/0.4oz parsley, finely chopped (about 3/4 cup loosely packed chopped leaves)

- salt, pepper

* we prefer green shell New Zealand mussels for this recipe, which are frozen cleaned half-shells. Thaw according to their instructions, rinse and pat dry before using them.

**Preparation: If using fresh mussels: a) Tap the mussels with your fingers, and discard any mussels that remain open, b) scrub the shells under running water, c)remove any beards, d) add the mussels in a heavy small pot and add 1/4 cup of white wine and 1/4 cup of water, e) Place the pot over medium-high heat, cover with the lid, and steam for 5-8 minutes, shaking the pot occasionaly, f) Transfer to a bowl and discard any mussels that remain closed, g) when cold enough to handle, take away the empty half of each shell.

Place the butter in a bowl and add the minced garlic. Whisk well to incorporate and soften. You need to create a soft paste.(pic.1)

Line a baking dish/rack/pan with parchment and arrange the mussels on the surface (raw side up). Turn on the oven broiler (if there's a setting set it to the highest one). While this is heating up, add a little garlic butter on top of each mussel. It's about 1/3 teaspoon per mussel. (pic.2)

Put the dish/rack/pan under the broiler, on the top oven rack position (about 10-15cm/4-6in from the broiler). Broil for 2-4 minutes. The mussels are ready when the garlic-butter becomes golden and crisp.

Allow them to cool a bit, sprinkle some parsley on top of each and serve! Kali oreksi!

Tips:

1. This is an ideal starter for any meal with seafood.

2. Every half shell will contain a little juice from the mussel and the butter which is fantastic. Do not discard.

3. If you want to just suck each mussel from the shell when ready (like on oyster): you can cut the meat from the shell with a small knife and then place it inside again, before you add the garlic butter.

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How to create a delicious shrimp curry in minutes!

littlecookingtips — Sun, 04 May 2014 07:40:33 +0000

How to create a delicious shrimp curry in minutes!

Photo and text by Panos Diotis and Mirella Kaloglou.

Calories (per serving):

405

Servings:

Cooking Time:

As much as we love cooking Mediterranean and Greek recipes, we can't resist making some wonderful Indian dishes from time to time. One of those dishes we love is coconut shrimp curry.

This is a delicious spicy curry that's also very versatile, as you can use the same recipe and cook seafood, chicken, lamb, pork, veggies...the possibilities are endless.

One of the great things about this recipe, is that if you use shrimp, it's very quick and you can prepare your meal literally in minutes! The result is so rich and tasty, everyone will be thinking you spent hours in the kitchen preparing it! So keep this recipe at hand for any special occasion, especially when the time available happens to be limited, like in a Valentine's, anniversaries etc (as long as you other half appreciates spices).

The coconut and tomato combination, enhanced by the Indian spices creates a smooth delicious thick sauce that's magical when served with some good ol' Basmati rice on the side. Feel free to adjust the ingredients according to your liking, for example put more garlic and spices if you like a stronger flavors.

If you 're a vegan, skip the butter and use a good vegetable oil of your liking. Olive oil is not recommended for this recipe however, as its taste is strong and will be evident in the final result. In this case of course, skip the shrimp too, and use grilled vegetables.

The spices used are curry, turmeric (it's worth looking into the health benefits of this amazing ingredient) and garam masala. Garam masala is an Indian spices mix, which differs from region to region in India. It also differs from family to family, so if you're not planning on buying a garam masala and you want to make your own we provide our version's garam masala ingredients in the tips section. Make some and store it in a mason jar in a dry place. You will be using it again and again when making Indian or other spicy dishes.

So let's see how easy this is!

Ingredients:

- 250gr / 8.8oz / 0.5lb shrimp (tails), peeled and devained

- 400gr / 14oz / 0.9lb grated tomato, mixed with 1 tablespoon tomato paste (you can also use canned chopped tomatoes)

- 400ml / 1,5 cup coconut milk

- 140gr / 5oz yellow onion, coarsely chopped

- 4 garlic cloves, minced

- 2 tablespoons ghee or butter

- 1 teaspoon curry powder

- 1 teaspoon turmeric

- 1 teaspoon garam masala (see tips)

Preparation: Peel and devein the shrimp tails. Keep them aside.

Put the Ghee in a large skillet and place over medium to high heat. Once hot, add the onion and the spices (curry, turmeric, garam), and stir until translucent. The spices will be a bit toasted this way and will release more fragrant. (pic.1)

Add the tomatoes, lower the heat to medium and stir occasionaly, until thick (most of the moisture must be evaporated). Add the garlic and stir for a few seconds. (pic.2)

Add the coconut milk and the shrimps (pic.3). Stir, until the sauce thickens (6-7 minutes).
If you prefer your shrimp crispier, add the coconut milk, stir for 3-4 minutes and then add the shrimp tails, cooking them only for 3-4 minutes more.

Serve with Basmati rice.

Kali oreksi! कृपया भोजन शुरू कीजियै !

Tips:

You can make your own garam masala very easily by mixing : 1 teaspoon ground coriander, 1 teaspoon ground black pepper, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon ground cardamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinammon and 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves. Store in sealed container in dry place.

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Legumes / Pulses / Rice

Special Characteristics:

Low Cost

Spicy

Stewed “baby” octopus in tomato sauce with rice

littlecookingtips — Wed, 28 Aug 2013 18:00:19 +0000

Stewed “baby” octopus in tomato sauce with rice

Photo and text by Panos Diotis and Mirella Kaloglou.

Calories (per serving):

864

Servings:

serves 2

Preparation Time:

15 minutes

Cooking Time:

45 minutes

This recipe's main ingredient is one of our favorite seafood: octopus!
Octopus is cooked in various ways in Greece, and is one of the country's most popular seafood. It's also considered a great mezes (starter/side dish).

Octopus is very popular in all the Mediterranean countries but also in many South and Eastern Asian countries, with Korea and Japan standing out as the highest fans. It may look a bit strange to some North Europeans or Americans as a food, but once you try a well prepared octopus, you’ll definitely love it. Perhaps a Mediterranean recipe, where the octopus is always chopped in small pieces and is thoroughly cooked, is a good start to try this delicious seafood. Those of you who never had octopus, don't feel intimidated, the taste it's not very strong, like the one of fish, but a rather milder one, enhanced by the spices and herbs used in its cooking.

The usual way of having octopus in Greece is roasted/grilled, served with vinegar and olive oil, accompanied by a glass of ouzo with ice! It's consumed in large quantities during the summer and the period before Easter (fasting), but it's also served all year long.

In this recipe, we suggest another way of having octopus, cooked with chopped onions and tomato sauce. It's similar to htapodi stifado (Greek octopus onion stew), and it's more of a home cooked meal. The spices used are the ones present in most of the Greek stifado (stew) recipes, and they are a classic combination of bay leaves, allspice berries and cloves. The recipe is originated from the Aegean islands, where octopus is very popular. The scene of a seaside tavern with octopus hanging in front to dry is quite common in almost all of the Greek islands.

We tried the tomato stew version of Syros island in the past, which was very tasty and we wanted to present you a similar and yet quite different recipe. We combined the sweetness of cooked chopped onions with the aroma of Greek stew spices in a beautiful thick tomato sauce and served it with long grain rice, which is our favorite way of having this food.

For this recipe we used small octopus (“baby” octopus), which is very affordable and is also cooked faster than larger ones, creating a very tender result. Baby octopus is called "moshioi" in Greece and it's about 15-20cm long from the top of the sack to the tips of the arms. You can use fresh or frozen octopus. The frozen small octopus is easier to find, and it's available all year long. Frozen octopus is always clean. The fresh one, must be prepared (cleaned) by your fish store. We will show you how to cut the octopus in the Preparation section of the recipe, it’s very easy.

When cooking octopus in a pot, it's important to remember that you need to give it some time. The more you cook it (in slow simmering), the softer it gets (more tender).
So let's start cooking this tasty Greek cuisine seafood dish!

Ingredients:

For the octopus

- 400gr/14 oz baby octopus (2-3 pieces)
- 300gr/10.5 oz fresh tomato, grated
- 200gr/7oz onion (1large), chopped
- 35gr/1.2oz tomato paste
- 2-3 garlic cloves
- 2 allspice berries
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 cloves
- 180ml (2/3 cup) olive oil
- 500ml (2 cups) water
- 1 pinch salt
- pepper

For the rice
- 1 cup of long-grain rice
- 3 cups of water
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
- 1 bouillon/stock cube of beef

Preparation: If the octopus is fresh, as mentioned, you need to tell your fish store to prepare it for you, as the head sack must be cleaned inside. The frozen octopus doesn’t require that.
Now, prepare the pieces for cooking:

Cut the octopus in two pieces, between the head and the arms. Cut and discard the small middle part between head and arms, where the eyes and mouth are located. You only need to keep the clean head sack and the arms.
Next, cut the head in two pieces and clean it from any internal membranes may have been left. Then cut the arms in four pairs.

For the octopus
Put the octopus pieces in a pot, on medium to high heat (image 1 below). It will start losing moisture, and you will notice some water in the pot. Stir for a few minutes until it dries out and changes color (it turns pinkish).

At this point, add the olive oil (image 2 above); stir and add the onion (image 3 above). Cook until it gets translucent. Then, add the garlic and continue to cook for another 2-3 minutes, stirring continuously. You may notice sometimes residue, left from the octopus, on the bottom of the pot at this point. You can deglaze that using a wooden spatula in the next step, so no worries here.

Mix the tomato paste and the grated tomato and empty the bowl in the pot, adding the bay leaves, the allspice berries, the cloves and the water as well. Reduce the heat to medium-low and start deglazing any residue from the bottom of the pot with the spatula. It will come off fast.
Let the pot simmering, and cover half of the it with the lid. Stir occasionally, more often when the sauce starts to thicken. Cook until the sauce is thick, then remove from the heat.

For the rice Put the rice in a bowl with water and let it soak for 30 minutes. Drain before using it. Pour the water in a small pot, adding the rice, the stock cube and the salt. Put it on high heat.

Once the water starts to boil, reduce the heat to low and stir carefully from time to time. The rice is ready once the water is absorbed.
Serve the octopus with the rice as side dish. Kali oreksii!!

Tips:

1. If you like some extra flavor, you can also add 1/4 cup (125ml) of wine vinegar, after adding the garlic and let it evaporate before adding the tomato.
2. It’s better if to use a non-stick pot for the recipe, to avoid stickiness of the octopus on the bottom.

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Low Cost

Thai shrimps with noodles and coconut milk

littlecookingtips — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 17:04:02 +0000

Thai shrimps with noodles and coconut milk

Photo and text by Panos Diotis and Mirella Kaloglou

Calories (per serving):

545

Servings:

serves 2

Cooking Time:

15 minutes

Thai cuisine is one of the most popular, and for a very good reason! The specific recipe is full of aromas and tastes, it's quick and easy to make, and you 'll definiteley enjoy it...

Ingredients:

- 400-500gr/14-17oz/1lb shrimp tails, rinsed peeled and deveined
- 120gr/4oz onion (1 medium sized), finely chopped
- 140gr/5oz red bell pepper (1 medium sized), finely chopped
- 250ml (1 cup) coconut milk
- 3 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 30gr/1oz parsley or fresh coriander (1/3 bunch), finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 4 tablespoons fish sauce
- 125gr/4.5oz (1/2 common package) rice noodles
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground red chilli (optional)
- salt, pepper

Put a small pot with 250ml (1 cup) of water on medium to high heat. Add a bit of salt and wait until it starts to boil. At this point, reduce the heat to medium-low, add the garlic, the onion, the pepper, the coriander, the cumin, the bay leaf and the chilli (if you prefer a spicier dish). Let them cook for about a minute and then add the shrimps.
Cook for 4 minutes and then add the coconut milk, the fish sauce, the lemon juice and the noodles and cook for 4 more minutes, stirring often.
Once the noodles are cooked as much as you like, remove from heat and add the parsley or fresh coriander. Give it another stir, add some fresh ground pepper and serve. Enjoy!

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Roasted octopus with vinegar

littlecookingtips — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 19:23:46 +0000

Roasted octopus with vinegar

Photo and text by Panos Diotis and Mirella Kaloglou

Calories (per serving):

380

Servings:

Cooking Time:

2 hours

Octopus is cooked in many ways in the Mediterannean. One of the most popular ways to cook it in Greece, is roasting it. However with this way we suggest for roasting, it is a bit different. We use the octopus juices to cook it, along with vinegar and herbs, and serve it with olive oil, sprinkling it with a bit more vinegar. A simple method with an amazing result!

Ingredients:

- 1 octopus, 1-1.2Kg/42oz or 2.6 pounds, washed, cleaned and cut into pieces 6-7cm/2.5inches long.
- 2 tablespoons dry oregano
- 1/4 cup (60ml) red wine vinegar
- 1-2 teaspoons honey (wildflower preferred)
- 1 bay leaf
For serving
- 1/3 cup (80ml) extra virgin olive oil
- salt, pepper
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Cut 2-3 sheets of aluminum foil, about 40cm/15inches long and place them one on top of the other, criss cross. Put the octopus pieces in the center and curve the edges of the foil on top of it, creating a bowl-shaped pouch.
Add the vinegar, the oregano, the honey and the bay leaf and mix with your hands. Close the pouch, leaving a small opening (about 3cm/1inch) on top to help the moisture evaporate.
Cook on 180 degrees Celsius (350 Fahrenheit) for 1 hour and 30 minutes and then open the pouch on top completely. Continue cooking for another 30 minutes.
Remove the octopus pieces from the pouch, and put them in a large plate. Add the olive oil and sprinkle with the 2 tablespoons of vinegar. Add some salt and pepper and serve. Kali oreksi!

Tips:

1. To avoid spilling any juices in your oven, you can place the pouch in a small baking pan.
2. Instead of using only wine vinegar, you can replace half of it with balsamic vinegar.
3. You can serve the octopus with french fries, baked potatoes or Greek fava pudding (yellow split peas pudding) which is amazing as a side dish for octopus!

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Low Calories/Diet

Delicious cuttlefish with rice and spring onions

littlecookingtips — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 19:01:03 +0000

Delicious cuttlefish with rice and spring onions

Photo and text by Panos Diotis and Mirella Kaloglou

Calories (per serving):

768

Servings:

Cooking Time:

50 minutes

This is a classic Greek recipe, cooked with a twist. We added spring onions and dill. The result is very tasty, light and is best served with a glass of ouzo!

Ingredients:

- 600gr/21oz/1.3lb (6-8) cuttlefish (already cleaned and washed)
- 3/4 cups (180ml) olive oil
- 250gr/8.8oz rice (classic long grain)
- 200-250gr/7-8.8oz spring onions, finely chopped
- 35-40gr/1.2-1.4oz (1/2 bunch) dill, finely chopped
- 400gr/14oz fresh tomato, grated
- 3 1/2 cups (900ml) hot water
- 1 allspice seed
- 1 dry bayleaf

Add the olive oil in a medium sized pot and put it on medium to high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the cuttlefish and cook them, stirring often, for 10 minutes, until most of the water is evaporated.
Then, add the onions and sautee for 3-4 minutes.
Next, add the wine.
Cook for 2-3 minutes and add the tomato, the hot water, the allspice and the bayleaf.
Cook for 20 minutes (stirring often during cooking).
Then add the rice and lower the heat to medium-low.
After 10 minutes, remove the bayleaf and the allspice and add the dill.
Stir, and cook for 10 more minutes until the rice is ready.
Remove from heat and serve. Kali oreksi!

Tips:

You can also use fennel (the green leaves) instead of dill. The result is also great.

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Vegetarian

Pasta with mussels

littlecookingtips — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 11:14:01 +0000

Pasta with mussels

Photo and text by Panos Diotis and Mirella Kaloglou

Calories (per serving):

587

Servings:

serves 4-6

Cooking Time:

A dish full of flavours of the sea! Tasty, easy and quick to make!

Ingredients:

- 500gr/17.5oz/1.1lb mussels without shells or 1kg/35.2oz/2.2lb half-shells mussels
- 1kg/35.2oz or 2.2lb ripe tomatoes, grated
- 1/2 bunch parsley (40-50gr/1.4-1.8oz), finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 glass of white wine
- salt and pepper
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1/4 cup olive oil (60ml)
- 1 packet of spaghetti No.6 (500gr/17.5oz/1.1lb)
- 3 tablespoons butter or margerine

Preparation: Pour the grated tomatoes in a deep frying pan, add the tomato paste and stir for about 3 minutes on high heat (to evaporate most of the moisture). When the sauce is starting to thicken remove from heat and keep it aside.

In a large pot with salted water, start boiling the pasta. Cook it as much as you prefer.

At the same time, start cooking the mussels in a large pot:
Add the mussels, the wine and the garlic and put the pot on high heat.
When the wine is evaporated pour the tomato sauce, salt and pepper and reduce the heat to medium.
Stir well and cook until the sauce thickens.
Add the parsley and the olive oil. Stir well and continue cooking for another 2 minutes. The mussels are ready!

By this time you will have already cooked the pasta, so drain it and add the butter. Serve with the mussels and sauce on the top. Enjoy!

Tips:

1. In recipes that combine pasta with seafood it's better to avoid grated cheese. We think it ruins the taste.
2. We suggest you use the Greenshell variety of mussels which is also affordable; You may also find it as "New Zealand mussels".
3. If you choose mussels without shells for the recipe, it's better to use a non-stick pot.

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Pan Fried Mussels

littlecookingtips — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 10:14:02 +0000

Pan Fried Mussels

Photo and text by Panos Diotis and Mirella Kaloglou

Calories (per serving):

920

Servings:

Cooking Time:

15 minutes

One other way to enjoy mussels is to fry them. It's a bit unusual but it's a very tasty appetizer that will impress you (and your friends)! With this recipe we will achieve a very crunchy crust, without loosing the unique taste of the mussels.

Ingredients:

- 400gr/14oz mussels (without shells - you can use jar mussels as well)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon oregano, dry, for the mussels
- 3/4 tablespoon mustard, yellow mild
- 1 pinch of salt
- 1 pinch black pepper
- 230gr/8.1oz flour (11-12 tablespoons)
- 4 eggs
- 240gr/8.4oz fine bread crumbs
- 180gr/6.3oz semolina
- 1 teaspoon spearmint, dry
- 2 teaspoons oregano, dry
- olive oil (or other vegetable oil) for frying

Preparation: It's better to prepare the ingredients that will be used during frying before you start. You will need one bowl with the flour, one bowl with the eggs (beaten) and one bowl with: the bread crumbs, the samolina, the spearmint and the oregano, mixed.

Wash the mussels and pat them dry using some paper towel. Put the mayonnaise, the mustard, the salt, the pepper and the oregano in a bowl. Mix until the ingredients combine. Add the mussels and softly, using your hands. coat them with the mayo mix. Be careful not to crush the mussels.
Take the mussels one by one and follow this process:
First put them in the bowl with the flour, then dip them in the beaten eggs and finally put them in the bowl with the bread crumbs-samolina mix. Place each mussel on a plate and continue until you prepare all the mussels.
Put some olive oil into a frying pan (about 2cm/0.8inch thick), on medium heat. When the oil is hot, start frying the mussels until golden brown. It takes just a few minutes to fry them, so be very careful not to burn them!
Remove each mussel and put it on a paper towel to absorb the excess oil.
They 're now ready to serve. Kali oreksi!

Tips:

Serve with a few drops of lemon juice and ideally you can have some ouzo along with the dish!

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Greek pasta Hilopitaki with shrimps and fennel bulbs

littlecookingtips — Sat, 06 Apr 2013 15:33:10 +0000

Greek pasta Hilopitaki with shrimps and fennel bulbs

Photo and text by Panos Diotis and Mirella Kaloglou

Calories (per serving):

783

Servings:

Preparation Time:

Cooking Time:

30 minutes

In Greece we mostly use hylopitaki* as a side dish, like rice or spaghetti. This time we decided to give it the leading role in a recipe. We cooked it like a risotto, added shrimps and fennel bulbs and the result was amazing! A light and very tasty Greek food recipe!

* Hylopitaki is the small version of hilopita/hilopites. It's a traditional Greek pasta made of flour, eggs, water, olive oil and salt. Even these days in many villages they make this type of pasta at home. If you can't find hilopitaki, don't worry; you can make this Greek recipe using Tagliatelle, Fettuccine or even Spaghetti broken into 2-3cm pieces cooking on of the best Greek meals! The Italian version of this pasta shape is Quadrettini.

Ingredients:

- 1kg/35.2oz/2.2lb shrimps (medium or large size)
- 250gr/8.8oz hylopitaki pasta (or the pasta suggested above)
- 1,2lt (4 4/5 cups) broth from the shrimps (see Preparation below)
- 1 medium sized onion, finely chopped (80-100gr/2.8-3.5oz)
- 2-3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup olive oil (125ml)
- 250gr/8.8oz fennel bulb, sliced
- 1 cup white wine
- 2 tomatoes, cut into small cubes
- salt and pepper

Preparation: If using frozen shrimps make sure they're thawed before starting. Cut their heads off and keep them for later use. Remove the shells from the tails, and the intestine within, by cutting along the back, lenghtwise(head to tail), with a sharp knife. Put 1,2lt of slightly salted water in a pot, on high heat, and once it starts boiling reduce the heat to medium and add the heads and the tails of the shrimps. Let them simmer for 2-3 minutes. Be careful: During boiling remove as much froth as you can. Remove from heat, strain the broth and leave it aside. Discard the shrimp heads and keep the tails.

Put the olive oil in a pot, and put it on high heat; add the onion and the fennel. Sautee until most of the moisture is evaporated.
Add the garlic, stir and pour the wine. Once the wine evaporates, lower the heat to medium, add the hylopitaki and stir.
Start pouring the broth slowly, following the risotto technique (adding 1/2 a cup each time, waiting to be absorbed before adding the next one), stirring continuously.
When the pasta starts to thicken (when almost all of the broth is used) add the tomatoes and one more cup of broth.
Stir and continue cooking for 2-3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, add the shrimps, give it a final stir and serve. Enjoy!

Tips:

1. You can use fennel fronds instead of bulbs. The result is equally tasty!
2. You can use fresh shrimps, if you can find some. The process of cooking them is exactly the same.
3. You can serve this dish with white dry wine from Lemnos island or an Italian Frascati.

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