Little Cooking Tips - Beef

Greek Burgers with Feta and Olives

littlecookingtips — Mon, 03 Aug 2015 20:39:38 +0000

Greek Burgers with Feta and Olives

Photo and text by Panos Diotis and Mirella Kaloglou.

Calories (per serving):

528

Servings:

serves 4

Preparation Time:

1 hour

Cooking Time:

45 minutes

Here in Greece, we love our hamburgers. But they’re very different from the US version; plain ground meat is almost never used for burgers.

The traditional Greek hamburgers are beef patties called biftekia/mpiftekia (pronounced beef-tek-ya). They are made by mixing the meat with herbs and/or spices, onion, bread and olive oil.

Just like many similar Greek recipes, biftekia have countless variations. Each family and each restaurant or tavern serves its own version. But the above mentioned ingredients are always included in the patties! The ground meat is usually beef, but mixtures of beef and pork or beef and lamb are also not uncommon.

The most popular version of Greek burgers has ground beef, onion, bread, olive oil and some herbs like parsley, oregano or mint (sometimes all of them are used!). Those are the burgers you’ll find in any Greek tavern if you ever visit Greece during the summer. They’re usually served with freshly cut French fries. People also order tzatziki and horiatiki Greek salad as side dishes. If you never tried Greek burgers before, you really don’t know what you’re missing! It’s guaranteed they’ll be a huge hit in any backyard BBQ. The flavor and the aroma when you grill those delicious burgers on a charcoal grill (the classic way of grilling meat in Greece) are really hard to describe. Simply put, it’s amazing!

Greek burgers are thicker than their US counterparts, and are almost never served in burger buns; they are served with fresh crusty bread slices, often brushed with olive oil and oregano and grilled right next to the burgers for a few minutes. Greek pitas (those used in souvlaki and gyros) are also quite common.

Biftekia can be also baked/roasted in the oven of course and that’s the way our mamades (mommies) used to cook them; especially in the winter months, when BBQ was out of the question. Many times those oven roasted burgers were accompanied by roasted garlic lemon potatoes and a simple lettuce-spring onions-dill salad, with a lemon-extra virgin olive oil dressing.

When you use the oven to cook biftekia, you can either roast them in a baking pan (brushed with olive oil or lined with parchment) or you can also grill them using the oven grate. It’s up to you. If you choose the latter, make sure to put a pan under the grate for any dripping from the patties.

When we put a few recipes up in a poll 10 days ago, to ask our friends and audience to choose which ones they’d like us to cook next, we never expect such a landslide in favor or the Greek burgers with feta and olives! Almost half the people (44%) voted this recipe and the rest of the votes went to the other 4!

There are many recipes with feta stuffed burgers, or burgers containing feta in some other way. The combination is indeed delicious. There are also a few recipes for burgers with olives. This recipe was created one day that we decided to include both olives and feta; the result was so delicious we ended up making this again and again, and one day we wrote down and measured the ingredients to share it with all of you through our blog. It would be a shame not to do so!

Our Greek burgers include: lots of fresh mint, which is in our opinion THE number one herb for burger patties, onion, bread and olive oil (like in any biftekia recipe), a little garlic (you can omit this if you don’t like it) and one egg, which helps keeping the shape of the patties and adds flavor. We also add a little red wine vinegar. This is something common in the Greek cuisine both in biftekia recipes as well as in keftedakia (Greek meatballs) recipes; it helps the ground beef to become a bit fluffier. Plus, the vinegar and the herbs help reducing health risks from grilling the meat in high temperatures.

And of course we added the two ingredients that make this recipe different from the classic biftekia: Kalamata olives and feta. We prefer to buy whole Kalamata olives and remove the pits ourselves, as they taste better this way. The reason is that the flesh of the olive isn’t exposed directly to the brine like in pitted olives. We also used a good quality barrel-aged feta. This one was cubed in order to incorporate it into the patties, but you can also use crumbled (as long as the crumbs are bit thick and aren’t mashed).

Another simple way to serve biftekia is with red onion, mixed with fresh parsley and some ripe tomatoes. Add some pitas and tzatziki and the result is fantastic!
So let’s see how simple it is, to make those delicious Greek beef burgers with feta and olives!

Ingredients:

- 500gr/17oz/1lb ground beef

- 60gr/2oz (half medium sized) onion, finely chopped *

- 1 garlic clove, minced

- 100gr/4oz bread (about 2 slices from a dense loaf) **

- 5gr/0.2oz (20 leaves) fresh mint, finely chopped

- 60gr/2oz whole Kalamata olives (about 15 olives) ***

- 100gr/4oz feta, cubed or crumbled

- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

- 60ml (1/4 cup) olive oil

- 1 egg

- salt, pepper

* or grated and strained

** if using the classic super market bread (suitable for toast), then use 4 medium sized slices

*** if using pitted olives, then you need 50gr/1.7oz

Preparation:

Remove the crust from the bread (pic.1). Fill a medium sized bowl with water, add the bread and let it soak (pic. 2).

Slice each olive open (pic.3) and remove the pit (pic. 4). Chop them into small pieces (pic. 5).

Drain the bread (squeeze well with your hands to remove any excess water). Add all the ingredients except the feta in a large bowl: ground beef, onion, garlic, bread, olives, mint, egg, olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper (pic. 6).

Knead the mixture (pic. 7) for at least 3 minutes. You need to continue mixing even though it seems that everything is incorporated in the first minute. Keep a timer nearby and continue kneading for the 3 minutes mentioned. This is the secret for tasty Greek style burgers (mpiftekia/biftekia).

Add the cubed feta (pic. 8) and fold it into the mixture (pic. 9). Do not overmix here, you simply want to incorporate the feta in the mixture. You don't want to mash it. Cover the bowl with film and put it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, to allow the flavors to develop.

Remove from the fridge and form the burger patties (pic. 10). Keep them in a bowl/plate/pan (pic. 11), cover again with film and put it in the fridge for at another 30 minutes to help them keep their shape.

When this time has passed, you can brush your oven grate with olive oil (pic. 12) and add the burgers (pic. 13).

Put a baking pan under the grate for any drippings and bake in preheated oven, at 200 degrees Celsius/ 390 Fahrenheit, using the fan setting. Bake the patties for 40 minutes flipping them halfway through.

Serve with tzatziki (here's the authentic Greek tzatziki recipe if you want to make some ahead) and/or French fries. You can also serve those with some garlic lemon roasted potatoes, it's a delicious combo!

Ourselves, we like using pitas instead of bread to serve them (like in the photos at the top) and red onion mixed with fresh parsley.

Kali oreksi!

Tips:

1. You can use any type of bread you like: white bread, whole wheat, multigrain etc.

2. You can also bake them in a pan (brushed with olive oil) or on a pan lined with baking paper.

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Greek Traditional Meatballs (Keftedakia)

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

Greek Traditional Meatballs (Keftedakia)

Photo and text by Panos Diotis and Mirella Kaloglou.

Calories (per serving):

366

Servings:

serves 4

Preparation Time:

30 minutes

Cooking Time:

15 minutes

Keftedes: A classic Greek dish full of memories and flavors, the absolute 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). In any case, when we mention we’re making keftedes (like in any Greek household) smiles and happy faces follow.

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

Keftedes can be served as an appetizer ("meze") with wine, beer or ouzo or as a snack. You can put them in sandwiches, you can serve them in family gatherings, in parties, in buffets…the possibilities are endless.

Of course, you can server them as a main dish with French fries or roasted potatoes and salad on the side. The combination with a traditional Greek salad is amazing! Equally amazing is the combo with tzatziki! Any yogurt sauce will do (like the one we post in this recipe), but if you make tzatziki you won’t regret it.

And the best part is, if there are any of those meatballs left, you can dip them in a plain tomato/onion/garlic sauce, let them simmer for a few minutes and serve them with any pasta or rice. Delicious!

When we were growing up 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 that happening anywhere if you visit Greece.

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

You can use various meats, like beef, pork, lamb (or combinations of those), as every Greek family does. Most of the time beef/veal is the only meat used (like in this recipe) but feel free to substitute a part of the beef with pork or lamb.

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

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

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, so this is also a great make ahead recipe.

So let’s see how to make delicious keftedakia!

Ingredients:

- 500gr/17.5oz/1.1lb ground beef

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

- 1-2 garlic cloves, minced

- 100gr/3.5oz (2 slices) bread

- 1 egg

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

- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

- 1 tablespoon olive oil

- 1 teaspoon dry oregano

- 15gr/0.5oz (1/4 bunch or 4 tablespoons) fresh parsley, finely chopped

- salt, pepper

- about 1 cup all purpose flour to coat the meatballs

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

(these measurements are for 24 meatballs)

For the yogurt sauce (optional):

- 200gr/7oz Greek yogurt

- a pinch of salt

- 1 tablespoon of olive oil

- 1/2 tablespoon of red wine vinegar

- 4 leaves of mint, finely chopped

Preparation: In a medium bowl mix the ingredients for the yogurt sauce, using a spoon, and once they are incorporated, cover with film and put it in the fridge.
Soak the bread in water (you can also use milk) for 5-10 minutes. Squeeze the water (or milk) out with your hands and mush the bread into crumbs.

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

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

Continue the same way until you have used all of the mixture and shaped all the keftedakia (pic. 5). Pour some olive oil in a frying pan and put it on high heat. The oil should have enough depth to cover the meatballs at least up to half their height (pic. 6). Of course you can also add more oil in order to make them deep fried.

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

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

Tips:

1. The traditional keftedes are fried. You can also bake them. Spray a baking dish/pan with olive oil and bake until cooked through, about 20 minutes in 200 degrees Celsus/390 Fahrenheit. Turn them upside down halfway through the cooking time.

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

3. The oil must be very hot before adding the meatballs.

4. You can also use the yogurt sauce in burgers.

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

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Fast&Easy

Moussaka: How to cook a delicious Greek dish

littlecookingtips — Tue, 20 Aug 2013 18:04:10 +0000

Moussaka: How to cook a delicious Greek dish

Photo and text by Panos Diotis and Mirella Kaloglou.

Calories (per serving):

851

Servings:

4 slices/pieces

Cooking Time:

1 hour

30 minutes

Moussaka is by far the most popular Greek dish worldwide. It's a very tasty casserole, and one of the top Greek comfort foods.

Even though moussaka is considered a traditional Greek dish, the truth is, that it's a relatively new dish of the Greek cuisine, with only about a century of existence, as it was probably invented by Nikos Tselementes in the 1920s.

Tselementes, was a famous Greek Chef, who modernized the Greek cuisine, adding European elements in classic Greek recipes. He was from the island of Sifnos, which to this day, offers some of the best cooked traditional Greek dishes, perhaps following his legacy.

Unfortunately, most of the moussaka served in popular tourist areas is of low quality both in taste and ingredients used. It's quite rare to taste a decent moussaka when you order it in a tavern or a tourist resort/hotel. Therefore, we urge you to try and cook it at home. The best moussaka dishes we had, were always home cooked.

The word "moussaka" is probably of Arabic origin, where a similar cold dish is served. There are many variations of the dish throughout the Balkans, Turkey, and the Arabic countries. The Greek version however, has been proven to be the most popular one, and is always consisting of 3 basic layers: a bottom layer of fried eggplants, a middle layer of ground meat, and a top layer of Greek bechamel sauce. Due to this layered way of assembling moussaka, many different dishes around the world which have layers have been occasionally named "moussaka", even though they are not even remotely related to this classic dish.

Every traditional Greek moussaka must contain the 3 specific layers mentioned: eggplants, ground meat and bechamel. There are however many versions of moussaka, as each Greek family have adjusted the dish according to their likings. So, there are versions where zucchinis or potatoes are added; there are versions with ground beef, ground lamb, ground pork or combinations of those; there are versions with or without tomato sauce (along with the ground meat) and finally there are versions where the bechamel top has also eggs or cheese in it.

Our own favorite version, which we are presenting you in this recipe, includes fried potatoes along with the eggplants at the bottom layer, and also includes a small green bell pepper in the ground beef sauce in the middle layer. That's our small "secret" that we share with you. On the top layer(bechamel), we prefer not to add eggs, and we simply sprinkle with graviera cheese.

It's a dish that requires a bit of time to cook, but you will definitely be rewarded for your patience by the amazing taste of the end result. The process is as follows: at the first phase we fry the ingredients used at the bottom layer; the sliced potatoes and eggplants. At the second phase, we cook the ground meat with the tomato sauce for the middle layer. At the third phase we prepare the bechamel sauce to put on top (it doesn't take long) and on the fourth and final phase, we assemble the moussaka and bake in the oven.

It may look a bit overwhelming, but half the time needed is just the baking, where you don't have to do a thing! You simply wait and try to resist opening the oven door! The phase which takes a bit more time (around 30 minutes) is cooking the ground meat with tomato sauce for the middle layer. The rest are quite easy and quick to make. So, if you take the time to cook moussaka correctly, you will always succeed in having a superb dish for you and your family!

Ingredients:

1st layer (base)
-220g (7.7oz / 1 middle sized) potato, cut into thin slices (about 1cm/0.4inch thick)
-180g (6.3oz / 1 small) eggplant, cut into thin slices (about 1cm/0.4inch thick)
-250ml (1 cup) olive oil

2nd layer (middle)
-250g (9 oz) ground beef
-300g (10.5oz / 1 big) tomato, grated
-80g (3 oz/ 1 small)green bell pepper, finely chopped
-140g (5oz / 1 middle sized) onion, finely chopped
-2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
-125ml (1/2 cup) wine
-1/3 teaspoon cinnamon powder
-125ml (1/2 cup) olive oil
-salt and pepper

Top layer – Greek bechamel sauce
-4 tablespoons flour
-3 tablespoons margarine or butter
-375ml (1 1/2 cups) milk in room temperature
-1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
-40g (1.5oz) Dubliner cheese or Gruyere, grated
-salt

Phase 1: 1st layer (cooking time 10')

Add the olive oil in a medium size pan, put it on high heat and fry the potatoes for about 3-4 minutes (turn once). Remove them from the pan and let them drain on paper towel. Then fry the eggplants for 2 minutes (turn once). Remove from the pan and let them drain on paper towel as well. It's important not to fry the potatoes and the eggplants all the way through. They need to be soft, almost cooked but not completely done.

Phase 2: 2nd layer(cooking time 25-30')

Add the olive oil in a medium sized pan, on medium to high heat. Once hot add the onion and the pepper. Saute for 2 minutes and add the ground beef.
Using a fork cut the ground beef in small pieces, mixing it with the onion and the pepper until all moisture is evaporated (about 3 minutes).
Reduce the heat to medium and add the garlic, the cinnamon, salt and pepper.
Cook, stirring often, for 4 minutes and then add the wine. Continue cooking for 2 minutes more and add the tomato.
Cook about 10 minutes, until all moisture evaporates.

Put the fried potatoes in the bottom of a small baking pan, then add on top of them the fried eggplants. On top of the eggplants spread the ground beef. Leave the baking pan aside for a while and start preparing the bechamel topping.

Phase 3: Top layer - Greek Bechamel sauce (cooking time 5-6')

Melt the butter in a small pot on medium to high heat. Slowly add the flour, while constantly whisking. The butter must be completely absorbed by the flour, forming a thick mixture. Reduce the heat to medium and slowly pour the milk into the pot, constantly whisking. Add the nutmeg and the salt. Cook, until you get a not too thick., creamy result. Remove the pot from the heat and pour the bechamel sauce into the baking pan on top of the ground beef. Sprinkle with the cheese.

Phase 4: Baking (50')

Put the baking pan in the oven, in the middle rack at 180 Celsius (356 Fahrenheit) for 50 minutes.
Remove the pan from the oven and leave aside for at least 30 minutes to chill before serving. Kali oreksi!

Tips:

1. If you cook more than the proposed in this recipe quantity, you can freeze the moussaka in an airtight container and reheat it again in the future.
2. You can also add egg yolks in the bechamel sauce, but before you add them you must give it first a few minutes to cool down to avoid the eggs being cooked. Then proceed and add the bechamel to the baking pan as usual.
3. You can use Dubliner cheese if you can't find graviera cheese. You can also try some other hard yellow cheese of your liking instead. Parmesan however is not recommended for this dish.
4. You can omit the potatoes at the bottom layer if you prefer a more classic moussaka.
5. The ground meat with tomato sauce is basically a thick Bolognese style sauce. So, you can also experiment with your favorite ground meat tomato sauce for the middle layer. You have to make sure however, that it's thick and not watery.
6. You can also sprinkle with breadcrumbs on top before baking if you prefer a crispier result.
7. Moussaka is best served with feta cheese and/or Greek salad and a couple of slices of fresh bread.
8. It's better to serve moussaka in warm or in room temperature. Never too hot.
9. You can add more eggplant slices in the bottom layer if you like.

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Greek Traditional Pasta Beef Casserole (Giouvetsi)

littlecookingtips — Sun, 23 Jun 2013 09:55:30 +0000

Greek Traditional Pasta Beef Casserole (Giouvetsi)

Photo and text by Panos Diotis and Mirella Kaloglou.

Calories (per serving):

828

Servings:

serves 4

Cooking Time:

1 hour

45 minutes

Giouvetsi is one of the most popular Greek traditional dishes. It's an oven-baked dish, made with pasta and meat (beef, chicken or lamb), usually baked in a ceramic or pyrex baking dish. The most commonly used pasta for this type of recipe is orzo (called kritharaki in Greek).

Another traditional pasta used is hilopites (short-cut tagliatelle/fettuccine) or hilopitaki (Greek quadrettini). We can use any short-cut or small type of pasta.

The recipe we suggest for Giouvetsi, is made with beef and orzo. It's an amazing Greek casserole and a typical Greek comfort food.

In case you're interesting in some more Greek baked dishes/casseroles here are some suggestions:

-   The all-time favorite Moussaka
-   Baked shrimp with tomatoes and feta (garides saganaki)
-   Gemista: Greek stuffed tomatoes and bell peppers
-   Marinated Roast Lamb
-   Large baked beans with bacon in tomato sauce (Gigandes/Gigantes plaki)

But let's get back to our delicious baked beef recipe and see how it's cooked. Most of the cooking time it is baking in the oven, so it's quite quick and easy to prepare this!

Ingredients:

- 600gr (21oz) beef (chuck/neck), cut in thick pieces (4-5cm/1.5-2in)
- 250gr (8.8oz) orzo
- 300gr (10.6oz) fresh tomato, grated (or canned)
- 120gr (4.2oz) (1 medium sized) onion finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 125ml (1/2 cup) olive oil
- 125ml (1/2 cup) white wine
- 300ml (1 1/4 cup) water
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste (70gr/2.5oz)
- 1 pinch of cinammon
- salt and pepper

Pour the olive oil in a medium sized non-stick frying pan and put it on medium to high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the beef and the onion and saute for 4 minutes (give it a vigorous stir). Empty the pan contents into a pyrex or ceramic medium sized baking pan (or casserole) (34cm / 13in). Make sure to include the oil from the pan.

Add the garlic, the tomato, the tomato paste, the wine, the bay leaves and the water, stir and cover the baking dish with aluminum foil.

Put it in a preheated oven, at 180 degrees Celsius (350 Fahrenheit) on the middle rack and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Then, remove the foil from the baking dish , add the orzo, stir and put it back in the oven (without the foil). Bake for 20 more minutes.
Serve with fresh bread and feta cheese on the side (or you can sprinkle some grated feta on top). Kali oreksi!

Tips:

1. Besides beef, you can also use other types of meat, like chicken, lamb, goat or even pork. In the Greek islands, this dish is also made with seafood, like octopus and is also amazing! Naturally, according to the meat used, you must adjust the cooking time, as the chicken for example needs less time to be cooked, and the lamb takes more time.
2. Instead of white wine, you can also use red wine, resulting a slightly different and intense taste.
3. If you don't have orzo, you can also use any small type of pasta.
4. Feta is probably the best cheese for this dish, but you can also serve it with anthotyros or mizithra which are Greek types of Ricotta and Pecorino respectively.
5. If you prefer your casseroles with a cheesy crust, then you can add some grated Dubliner or any other suitable melting cheese before you 're finished baking. However, since this is a traditional dish, adding some grated feta when serving it, is more than enough!

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Veal escalopes with delicious rosemary cream

littlecookingtips — Sun, 21 Apr 2013 19:09:16 +0000

Veal escalopes with delicious rosemary cream

Photo and text by Panos Diotis and Mirella Kaloglou

Calories (per serving):

340

Servings:

serves 4

Cooking Time:

10 minutes

Escalopes is the veal fillet, cut in thin slices (1-1,5cm thick), beaten with a mallet or prepared with a rolling pin to make them more tender. It's a very popular method for cooking veal, because this way the meat is cooked fast and can be used for various combinations.

Escalopes are also known as Scallops in the US, or Scaloppine in italian dishes. Escalopes are often used to make Schnitzels.Our recipe, is easy to make, it's fast and delicious. Let's cook!

Ingredients:

- 4 veal escalopes (about 600gr/21oz/1.3lb)
- 4 tablespoons flour
- 2 tablespoons butter or margerine (50gr/1.7oz)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (30ml)
- 1/2 cup (125ml) white wine
- 1 cup (250ml) cream
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1/2 tablespoon dry rosemary
- 1 handfull (10gr/0.5oz) parsley, finely chopped
- salt, pepper

Add salt and pepper to the flour, and coat the escalopes with the mix.
Add the butter and the olive oil in a large frying pan, and put it on medium to high heat. Once the oil and the butter are hot, add 2 escalopes and fry 2-2,5 minutes per side. Remove them and keep them in a baking pan in the oven (set at 100 degrees Celsius / 210 Fahrenheit).

Using a wooden spatula remove any thick remaing pieces from the bottom of the pan and add the other 2 escalopes. Cook them the same way and then put them in the oven with the other two escalopes.

Remove again any thick remains from the frying pan, and add the wine.
Deglaze with the spatula (scrap off the remains)and add the rosemary. Let most of the wine to evaporate (about 4 minutes) and add the lemon.
Cook for 1 minute and then add the cream. Stir, add the parsley, salt and pepper. Continue stirring until the sauce slightly thickens.

Put each escalope on a plate, serve the cream on top, and add some boiled/steamed vegetables on the side. You can also serve with rice or french fries.

Tips:

1. If you are using fresh rosemary, then you will need to double the quantity.
2. If you prefer your meat medium, then fry for only 1 minute per side.

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Low Calories/Diet

Veal with mushrooms and rosemary

littlecookingtips — Sat, 20 Apr 2013 09:57:42 +0000

Veal with mushrooms and rosemary

Photo and text by Panos Diotis and Mirella Kaloglou

Calories (per serving):

749

Servings:

serves 4

Cooking Time:

2 hours

The usual way to cook beef/veal in Greece is with tomato sauce. In this recipe, we suggest a different but equally delicious way to cook it, that is also lighter!

Ingredients:

- 1kg/35oz/2.2lb veal/beef, cut into 4-5cm/1.5-2inches pieces
- 250gr/9oz common mushrooms, cut in slices
- 400gr/14oz (2 large) onions, diced
- 4-5 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 125ml (1/2 cup) olive oil
- 250ml (1 cup) white wine
- 500ml (2 cups) beef stock *
- 750ml (3 cups) warm water
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/2 tablespoon dry rosemary (or 1 tablespoon fresh)
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- salt and pepper

* to make 500 ml of beef stock, dissolve 1 stock cube (bouillon) in 500ml warm water.

Put the olive oil in a large nonstick pot and put it on medium to high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the meat and saute vigorously -especially during the first minutes.
Continue searing for 6-8 minutes until most of the moisture is evaporated.
Then add the onions and the mushrooms and saute for 5-6 minutes.
Next, add the garlic, saute for 1-2 minutes and pour the wine.
Cook for 3-4 minutes to allow the alcohol to evaporate, and then add the beef stock, the warm water and the bay leaves. Turn down the heat to low and cover the pot, leaving the lid a bit askew.
Let it cook (simmer) for 1 hour and 30 minutes. Stir occasionally, especially towards the end of this phase.
At the end of this one and a half hour of cooking, most of the water will have evaporated and the sauce will be thick.
Add the balsamic vinegar, the rosemary, salt and pepper and cook for 5 more minutes (still in low heat). Serve with mashed potatoes, rice or french fries. Kali oreksi!

Tips:

1. For a spicier result you can add 2 tablespoons of yellow mustard when you pour the wine.
2. If you prefer a lighter meal, you can serve this dish with a green salad.

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Soutzoukakia (Greek Smyrna meatballs) in red sauce

littlecookingtips — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 19:13:22 +0000

Soutzoukakia (Greek Smyrna meatballs) in red sauce

Photo and text by Panos Diotis and Mirella Kaloglou

Calories (per serving):

658

Servings:

serves 4-6

Preparation Time:

1 hour

Cooking Time:

30 minutes

A Greek traditional spicy recipe which is enjoyed in all seasons! Soutzoukakia is a meatballs dish originated in the East by Greeks from Smyrna or Constantinople (Izmir/Istanbul). Soon the recipe became very popular throughout Greece and remains so to this day.

As a result of its popularity, it is cooked in various ways, and many families have their own special secret way of cooking them. Let's see the recipe we suggest which is one of our favourites! It may take some time to cook this recipe, but try it and you 'll be rewarded by the amazing result!

Ingredients:

- 250gr/8.8oz ground beef
- 250gr/8.8oz ground lamb*
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 200gr/7oz bread (about 7-8 slices), whole-wheat preferably
- 4-5 teaspoons of ground cumin
- 2 tablespoons of wine vinegar
- 250ml (1 cup) olive oil
- salt, pepper

For the sauce:
- 1 large onion (150gr/5.3oz), finely chopped
- 125ml (1/2 cup) olive oil
- 300gr/10.5oz fresh tomatoes, grated
- 70gr/2.5oz tomato paste (3 tablespoons)
- 60ml (1/4 cup) white wine
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 pinch of ground cinnamon
- 2 allspice seeds
- salt, pepper

*Usually you have to go to a local butcher shop to ask for a lamb's thigh to be boned (fillet) in order to use it for the ground lamb meat. Butchers at supermarkets are reluctant to do this. If you can't find ground lamb then use 500gr/17.5oz ground beef -in total- in this recipe, with a different (but also tasty) result.

Preparation: Start with the preparation for the meatballs; Put the bread in a large bowl and cover it with water. Leave it for a few minutes to soak. Squeeze the bread well to remove any excess water and put it in a large second bowl. Add the 2 types of ground meat, the garlic, the vinegar, the cumin, salt and pepper. Knead the ingredients for 2-3 minutes, to combine them, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and put it in the fridge for at least 40 minutes.

Start making the sauce, while the ground meat mixture is in the fridge.
Put the olive oil either in a frying pan or a small pot/skillet and put it on medium to high heat. Once hot, add the onion and saute until light brown (4-5 minutes).

Add the wine, and once it evaporates add the tomatoes and all the spices, salt and pepper.Lower the heat to medium and stirring occasionally, cook until the sauce thickens. It will take about 15 minutes, having the pan/pot half-covered. When the sauce is ready put it aside to cool.

Take the ground meat mixture out of the fridge (once the 40 minutes have passed). Using your hands form small cylinders from the meat mixture, about 10cm/4 inches long by 3cm(a bit less then an inch) wide.

When you have used all of the mixture, put the olive oil in a 28cm/11 inches frying pan and put it on medium (and maybe slightly to high) heat. Start frying the meatballs, turning them over every 2 minutes so that they are properly fried on all sides. It will take about 6-8 minutes for each full pan (you 'll refill the pan around 2 more times to fry them all).
Put the fried meatballs in large plate on kitchen paper to absorb any excess oil.

When all the meatballs are ready, serve using one of the following ways:
a) either put about a tablespoon of sauce on each meatball or b) put all the meatballs in the sauce, and carefully mix with it.
Always serve with rice or mashed potatoes. Some people also like to serve it with french fries, which is also a tasty combination. Enjoy!

Tips:

Instead of water, you can soak the bread in milk. The result is slightly fluffier meatballs.

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Spicy

Chilli con carne

littlecookingtips — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 13:32:02 +0000

Chilli con carne

Photo and text by Panοs Diotis and Mirella Kaloglou

Calories (per serving):

1024

Servings:

serves 4

Cooking Time:

15 minutes

When you think of Mexican food, this is one of the first recipes that comes to mind. A classic recipe for those loving spicy food!

Ingredients:

- 400gr/14oz or 0.9lb ground beef
- 1 medium-sized onion (100gr/3.5oz), chopped
- 2 garlic cloves finely chopped
- 100gr/3.5oz Poblano or Green Bell peppers, cut into thin slices
- 400gr/14oz tomatoes, chopped
- 100gr/3.5oz corn (frozen if you don't have fresh)
- 180ml (3/4 cup) olive oil
- 240gr/8.5oz red kidney beans (canned)
- 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper powder
- 4 teaspoons sweet paprika
- 9-10 drops of tabasco
- 4 mexican-style tortillas
- 100gr/3.5oz gouda cheese, grated (optional)
- 400gr/14oz full fat yogurt (try this recipe with Greek yogurt)
- salt, pepper

Pour the olive oil in a large frying pan and put it on high heat.
Add the onion and the sliced pepper and saute for 1-2 minutes.
Then add the garlic and the ground beef.
Using a large flat wooden spoon cut the beef into small bits and stir until brown.
Add the corn and cook until most of the moisture is evaporated.
At this point add the beans, and cook for another 2 minutes.
Then add the tomatoes and cook until most of the moisture is gone.
Finally, add salt and pepper, the cayenne powder, the tabasco and the paprika, and stir well.

On a second pan -again using high heat- put the tortillas and bake each side for a few seconds.

Serve on a large plate, adding the tortilla sliced into 8 pieces, the chilli con carne, and the yogurt seasoned with paprika. Provecho!

Tips:

Adding gouda cheese is optional.
If you prefer a spicier result, add more tabasco and cayenne powder.

This recipe is based on a recipe for chilli by Yannis Baknis. We 'd like to thank him for his contribution.

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Spicy

Baked crepes with ground meat and melted cheese

littlecookingtips — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 09:26:43 +0000

Baked crepes with ground meat and melted cheese

Photo and text by Panos Diotis and Mirella Kaloglou

Calories (per serving):

777

Servings:

serves 4

Preparation Time:

20 minutes

Cooking Time:

20 minutes

If you want to make crepes, a great idea is stuffing them with a mix of ground meat, tomato and herbs and baking them in the oven, with melted cheese. It's a main course, but if cut into pieces also a very tasty snack!

Ingredients:

For the crepes
- 2 fresh eggs
- 1 cup of milk (250ml)
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 1 cup of flour for all uses
- 3 tablespoons of melted margarine or butter
For the filling
- 150gr/5.3oz of ground pork*
- 200gr/7oz of ground beef
- 1 green bell pepper cut into stripes (4-5cm/1.5-2inches long)
- 1 medium sized onion, finely chopped
- 6 tablespoons of parsley, finely chopped
- 3-4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 400gr/14oz fresh tomato(es), grated
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon fresh spearmint, finely chopped (2 tablespoons for dry)
- 1 cup white wine
- 40-50ml (about 3 tablespoons) olive oil
- salt and pepper
For the baking
- 100gr/3.5oz graviera**, grated
- 200gr/7oz gouda, grated

* you can use just ground beef if you can't find ground pork
**you can use any hard yellow cheese you prefer if you can't find graviera (e.g. Dubliner, Gruyere)

Preparation: Start by making the porridge for the crepes; put the eggs, the salt, the milk and the melted margerine (or butter) in a bowl and start whisking until you get a rich and smooth result. Then add the flour, slowly, while whisking continuously. Leave it aside and proceed with the filling.

For the filling
Put the olive oil in a deep frying pan and put it on medium to high heat. Once hot add the onion. Sautee for 2 minutes.
Add the ground meat (both pork and beef) and the garlic, and using a fork or a flat wooden spatula chop and stir the meat along with the onion and the garlic for 4 minutes until the meat is golden brown.
Then add the pepper and continue cooking for 5 minutes, stirring carefully.
Add the parsley and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring frequently now.
Pour the wine and add the cinnamon stick. Stir and continue cooking for another 5 minutes, until the wine evaporates.
Add the tomato, the tomato paste, the spearmint, season with salt and pepper and stir.
Cook for another 5 minutes. When the filling thickens remove the cinnamon stick.
Cook until you get a firm result.
Leave aside to cool and begin to make the crepes.

For the crepes
Heat (on high heat) a frying pan (28cm/11inches). Pour aproximately 5 tablespoons of the porridge in the center of the pan (you can add the 5 tablespoons in a large spoon and see how much you need for each crepe) and quicly start to turn the pan clockwise, to spread it.
Leave it until it thickens (no more than 10 sec. - when the ends begin to turn brown) and then with a flat wooden spatula flip the crepe to the other side and leave it again for 8-10 sec. Continue with the same process until all of the porridge is used. The amount in this recipe is for 6 crepes.

For the baking
Grease a medium sized pyrex or ceramic baking pan(casserole). Take one crepe and add 3 tablespoons of filling in the middle, lengthwise .
Roll the crepe tightly and carefully put it in the pyrex (the end of the roll facing down).
Continue doing so with the rest of the crepes.
Sprinkle the grated graviera and the gouda and bake at 200 degrees Celsius/390 Fahrenheit until the cheeses melt. Remove from the oven and serve. Enjoy!

Tips:

1. Be extra careful when cooking the crepes. You need to be swift moves as the can burn easily.
2. If your first crepe isn't looking good don't worry. It happens almost everytime! The rest of them will be great!
3. You can also serve some Greek yogurt on the side. We know it sounds strange, but we tried it and it tastes great!
4. If you can't find fresh ripe tomatoes, you can use a can of chopped tomatoes but first grind them into a sauce using either a blender or a food processor.

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Spicy

Beef liver in balsamic herbs sauce

littlecookingtips — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 13:12:45 +0000

Beef liver in balsamic herbs sauce

Photo and text by Panos Diotis and Mirella Kaloglou

Calories (per serving):

855

Servings:

serves 2

Cooking Time:

20 minutes

Beef liver is a very nutritious food. With this recipe, we really think you 'll love it! The balsamic vinegar and the herbs is a unique combination which is amazing with this meat. In addition, the iron contained in the liver is great for your health!

Ingredients:

- 2 slices of beef liver (prefer the middle of the liver) around 500gr/17.5oz/1.1lb
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1 cup white wine
- 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons dry parsley
- 2 teaspoons dry spearmint
- 2 tablespoons dry oregano
- olive oil
- salt and pepper
For the rice (optional serving suggestion)
- 1 cup long-grain rice
- 3 cups water
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
- 1 bouillon/stock cube of beef

Cut the liver in bites around 4-5cm/1.5-2inches long. Put the olive oil in a frying pan and put it on high heat. When hot, reduce the heat to medium and add the onion and the liver.
Saute for 3-4 minutes, turning the liver pieces so that they are cooked on both sides. Add the garlic and continue cooking for 6-7 more minutes.
Pour the wine and the balsamic vinegar, add salt and pepper. Add the parsley, the spearmint and the oregano and stir. Continue cooking for another 6 minutes.

For the rice
Pour the water in a small pot, adding the rice, the stock cube and the salt. Put it on high heat. Once the water boils, reduce the heat to low and stir carefully from time to time.
The rice is ready once the water is absorbed. Put the rice in a dish and the liver bites with their sauce, either on the side or on top. Enjoy!

Tips:

If the sauce is not thick enough, you can add a tablespoon of cornflour at the end of cooking and stir for a minute.

We 'd like to thank Petros Marmaras's, as this recipe for beef liver is based on one of his recipes.

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Healthy