Little Cooking Tips - Appetizers

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 and our online friends sometime want something easier, quicker and healthier. So, this time we are posting our version for a healthy tuna avocado sandwich!

Avocado is rarely used in Greek households, as it’s looked upon as an exotic fruit. That’s true actually, as up until a few years ago, all the avocados in the market were imported. This started to change though, with wonderful domestic avocados which are produced in Crete. They’re mostly Sharwill or Hass avocados (the rounder varieties) and they’re much more interesting than those imported Fuerte (pear-shaped) we tried in the past.

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, antioxidants AND it’s anti-inflammatory! So, even though avocado is not a common ingredient in the Greek cuisine, we try to eat as much as we can, by making lots of guacamole, adding it in salads and sandwiches etc.

In this recipe, we combined avocado with tuna. Avocado and fish are best friends. We often serve our grilled salmon with guacamole and make avocado tuna sandwiches. Those sandwiches are an excellent choice for breakfast, picnic, or as a snack throughout the 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 is simple canned tuna. You can use tuna in oil or tuna in water. We like tuna in olive oil ourselves. We open the can and press the can opening on the tuna, to drain it well from the oil. We then mix with mayonnaise, a little lemon juice and paprika. We prefer smoked paprika for this recipe, as it adds a lot more flavor. If you never tried smoked paprika before, buy some and you won’t regret it. You’ll be adding it soon in sandwiches, dips, stews, even pasta. Amazing stuff!

If you want a healthier choice than mayo, you can also use Greek yogurt. Simply substitute part (or even all) of it with the yogurt, the result is equally delicious.
If you want a rich, decadent snack, you can also substitute some of the mayo with sour cream. It also makes for an amazing sandwich!

We also added a few salad leaves in the sandwich; you can use any type of lettuce, arugula or salad mixes. 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! We bet that if you have any kids, they’ll love these as well, and you get to give them something tasty AND healthy!

So let's see how to make these 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

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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Greek Christmas Butter Cookies: Kourabiedes

littlecookingtips — Tue, 08 Dec 2015 18:36:03 +0000

Greek Christmas Butter Cookies: Kourabiedes

Photo and text by Panos Diotis and Mirella Kaloglou.

Calories (per serving):

206

Servings:

12+ slices/pieces

Preparation Time:

30 minutes

Cooking Time:

Up until the last couple of weeks the weather was very kind to us here in Greece; lots of sunshine and warm temperatures, allowed for long walks and enjoying the scenery.

If the leaves hadn’t fallen off the trees, one may had the impression it was spring, not autumn! This changed a few days ago and it seems that the winter is finally here. The first snow has fallen up in the mountains, especially in the north, helping us get into the festive mood, which is appropriate for Christmas and the New Year celebration!

Of course, the winter was already here, providing us with lots of its yummy fruits and veggies. We especially enjoyed the quinces, made quince spoon sweet (you can read more about spoon sweets here) and cooked a wonderful ancient Greek recipe with roasted pork and quinces, which Panos learned from his grandfather (and he learned it from his own grandfather before). It’s a very old recipe and of course we’ll share it in the blog at some point).

Fresh carrots are also amazing this time of year, and a very versatile ingredient. We used them in soups (especially fasolada bean soup), in coleslaw, made carrot cakes, and so on and so forth:)

Another delicious sweet fruit you can enjoy this time of year is the persimmon. If you haven’t tried them before, you’re missing out. They usually have a mild aroma and are very juicy and sweet. They’re packed with vitamins and full of antioxidants. You should’ve seen us devouring those like we were kids, all smiling and making a mess.

Do you remember the green oranges back in the summer (in this post)? Check them out in the photo of this post! Ripe and sweet, this year’s oranges are perhaps the best in years. And for some strange reason the trees in Evia were very generous, we got much more than we can eat, turn into jams, preserves etc. So we started sharing them with friend, like an Orange Santa, passing by on a weekly basis.

Speaking of Santa, we’re so excited the Christmas season is here! Greek Christmas food is delicious and full of memories of older times. Just like anywhere in the world where people celebrate this season, the food this time is special, is shared with family and friends and it’s this loving setting that sears those memories in our minds and makes them so unique.

The main ingredient of the season is pork. Back in the day people didn’t consume much meat, but they raised a pig which was slaughtered around Christmas and then shared in a large table with family and friends. Some of the parts were also used in sausages, while others were put in salt or were smoked, in order to preserve some of the meat for the next weeks. By the way if you’ve never tried Greek sausages, called Horiatiko Loukaniko, you must try them at least once!

Another popular recipe this time of year is chicken avgolemono (egg-lemon) soup. It’s a creamy delicious soup, usually including rice, which is served with lots of fresh ground pepper and artisan old-school bread. Even as we type those lines and remembered all about it, we’re drooling over the keyboard :)

A big part of the Greek Christmas tradition is of course the sweet treats: Melomakarona, kourabiedes and diples. Melomakarona and kourabiedes are the most popular ones, and if you’re in Greece around Christmas you’re bound to fall in love with them. You will find them in every household, any pastry shop, even in super markets and grocery stores. When you’re a guest, you know you’ll be treated a melomakarono (singular for melomakarona) or a kourabies (singular for kourabiedes). And even though you most certainly will have tasted many of them already, you will devour this treat with pleasure.

Melomakarona and kourabiedes are traditionally a made at home. When we were kids ourselves, singing carols, many neighbors were giving as kourabiedes or melomakarona as a holiday treat. Back at home of course, we also had our families’ versions.

They’re pronounced “koo-ra-bee-ye-thes”, and yes, it’s not that easy for a non-Greek speaking person to say the word! But, if you only say “kourab-yeh” to any Greek, he will know what you’re asking for, and give you the proper cookie. With a big smile on his/her face.

Those traditional, shortbread butter cookies include almonds, lots of powdered sugar, vanilla and usually rosewater or other flower water.
Edible rosewater (or flower water), adds an amazing scent to those cookies. But we know it may be difficult to find in some places (it’s available online though). If you do buy it, you will make traditional kourabiedes with exceptional aroma. If you’re thinking that it’s something you’ll buy once and then it’ll stay on your pantry gathering dust, that’s not the case.

There are many recipes which call for rosewater, plus you can try it in cookies, cakes and other desserts you already bake and create something different and delicious! Try substituting vanilla with flower water and you’ll get the idea:)
People who may not like the aroma of rosewater or flower water may also try adding bitter almond liqueur (Amaretto) which also makes for wonderful kourabiedes.

The main ingredient for kourabiedes is of course, butter. You want to use the best quality butter you can afford in this recipe. It will define the texture and taste of the cookies. The traditional way to make kourabiedes is with sheep’s or goat’s milk butter. The flavor is a bit intense for any non-Greek, plus it’s a bit hard to find abroad. That’s why we used regular cow’s butter in this recipe. Feel free to use any type of butter you prefer, or even mix of butters (like half sheep’s butter and half cow’s butter). If you can get the famous –in Greece- Corfu butter give it a try, it’s pure, excellent quality butter.

Regarding the shape of those cookies, some people may be confused due to the variety. There are 3 main shapes for kourabiedes: thick round cookies, crescents and balls. We think the easiest and nicest are the thick round cookies, as the shape helps in stacking up the cookies in layers, as they’re traditionally served.
As for the size of the cookies, they may be large ones (about 40gr/1.5oz of dough per cookie), or smaller bite-size ones. The ones sold in pastry shops are usually bite-sized, and the homemade ones are usually larger.

So go ahead and give them a try! You won’t regret baking those, your home will be filled with the aroma of butter and rosewater, and you’ll enjoy dusting them with lots and lots of icing sugar. They’re both pretty and delicious! So follow the recipe below and make some festive Greek cookies!

Ingredients:

- 500gr / 17.5oz / 1.1 lb (4 cups) all purpose flour
- 250gr / 9oz butter (2 sticks and 1/4), softened (room temperature, see preparation)
- 150gr / 5.5oz (1 1/4 cups) powdered sugar
- 150gr / 5.5oz (about 1 cup) almonds, unsalted and toasted
- 1 egg yolk (use a large egg)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder, and more for dusting the cookies
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract or vanilla powder
- edible rosewater or other flower water

Preparation:

Remove the butter from the fridge at least a couple of hours before using it. This will allow it to soften. Chopping it to pieces also helps.

If using raw almonds, place them in a single layer on a lined baking sheet/pan and bake them for 10-15 minutes at 180C/350F (preheated oven) (pic. 1). Grind the toasted almonds in small pieces, using a food processor. Do not grind them into powder.

Making the cookies

In a large bowl, beat the butter (pic.2) for 8-10 minutes, using a stand mixer or an electric hand mixer on medium-high speed (until soft and fluffy, pic.3).

Add the powdered sugar (pic.4) and beat for 10 more minutes until you get a "whipped cream" -like result (pic. 5).

Add baking powder, vanilla (pic. 6) and mix with a rubber spatula. Add the egg yolk (pic. 7) and mix until it's incorporated.

Add 1 tablespoon of rosewater or flower water and mix (pic. 8). Start adding the flour (pic. 9), a couple of tablespoons at a time. Mix with the spatula each time you add some.

When you've added half the flour, you'll get a fluffy, almost rubbery dough (pic. 10).
At this point add the rest of the flour at once, wear single-use gloves and start mixing with your hands (pic. 11). Do not overmix. Once the flour is incorporated,stop.
Important: USE the gloves in the recipe. It will help insulating the warmth of your hands (to avoid melting the butter as you mix).

Add the ground almonds (pic. 12) and fold them into the dough. Shape the cookies (pic. 13). If using 40gr/1.5oz of dough per cookie, you'll make about 25 cookies.

Place the cookies in a lined baking dish/pan (pic. 14) and bake for 15-18 minutes in the middle rack (use the oven fan in preheated oven). Remove from the oven,let them cool for 2-3 minutes, and then place them on a rack to dry out (pic. 15). Let them to cool completely.

Spray them with rosewater or flower water (pic. 16) and dust them with powdered sugar (pic. 17). Be generous with both.

Your yummy treats are ready, place them in cookie box or a cake stand with a lid, in layers.

Kala Christougenna and Kali Chronia!

Tips:

1. You can use sheep, goat or cow butter or mix them. In any case, choose high quality butter for this recipe.
2. You can shape the kourabiedes in thick round cookies (like we did here), crescents or balls.
3. Leave a little space between the cookies before you bake them, as they will expand during baking.
4. If you want to make more cookies, feel free to double the ingredients above. The result is exactly the same.
5. If you don’t like rosewater or flower water (or can’t find any), add some vanilla powder in the icing sugar when you dust the cookies at the end of the recipe.
6. Always wear single-use gloves when you mix the dough and shape the cookies, to insulate the heat from your hands.

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Creamy Spicy Hummus and Paprika Pita Chips

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

Creamy Spicy Hummus and Paprika Pita Chips

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.

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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Main Ingredients:

Legumes / Pulses / Rice

Dough/Pies/Pizzas

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Baked shrimp with tomatoes and feta (garides saganaki)

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

Baked shrimp with tomatoes and feta (garides saganaki)

Photo and text by Panos Diotis and Mirella Kaloglou

Calories (per serving):

790

Servings:

serves 4-6

Preparation Time:

Cooking Time:

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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Healthy

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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Open faced Spinach and Mushroom Sandwiches

littlecookingtips — Sun, 12 Oct 2014 08:00:58 +0000

Open faced Spinach and Mushroom Sandwiches

Photo and text by Panos Diotis and Mirella Kaloglou.

Calories (per serving):

539

Servings:

serves 2

Preparation Time:

Cooking Time:

15 minutes

Are you tired of scrambled eggs and omelets? Would you like a different way to start your day? Are you having people over for a Sunday brunch?

Then, this is the ideal recipe for you: Open faced Spinach and Mushroom Sandwiches!

We like making these sandwiches on those lazy Sunday mornings, when we're having a late breakfast or a brunch. The result is always filling and delicious!

Toasted bread is the base for this recipe. It's the base for any classic breakfast after all.
The main ingredient in this recipe is the humble, common mushroom. Mushrooms have protein and are a great replacement for meat. They're cooked with spinach, which adds texture and flavor. Dill is also added to enhance the flavor and help combine the tastes. Finally, the mixture is cooked with the addition of a little sweet white wine that offers extra aroma.

The final step is deglazing the pan we cooked in, with some heavy cream that is transformed into a delicious white sauce incorporating all the flavors of the previous pan's contents.

The three parts of the sandwich, bread-mushroom mixture-sauce are then assembled and served with a little grated parmesan. We often like to serve hard boiled eggs to accompany those sandwiches as well.

Of course this recipe is suitable for vegetarians and doesn't lack anything in taste. It's healthy, delicious, filling and great way to start your Sunday mornings!

Ingredients:

- 200gr / 7oz common mushrooms (8-10 pieces), sliced

- 140gr / 5oz baby spinach *

- 1 small spring onion (25gr / 0.9oz), sliced

- 20gr / 0.7oz dill, finely chopped

- 1/3cup / 80ml sweet white wine **

- 2 1/2 cups / 200ml heavy cream

- 1 tablespoon butter or margarine (20-25gr / 0.7-0.9oz)

- 4 bread slices, broiled/toasted (100gr / 3.5oz)

- A pinch of nutmeg

- salt, pepper

- 4 teaspoons grated parmesan (optional)

*If you can't find baby spinach, select tender spinach leaves and use them coarsely chopped

**You can also use a sweet brandy

Preparation: Toast the bread slices. You can also use your oven broiler if you don't have a toaster.

Add the butter in a large skillet and put it on medium to high heat.

Once the butter starts to foam up, add the onion and stir for half a minute. (pic.1) Add the mushrooms and stir for 3-4 minutes more (pic.2).

Add half the spinach. Once it's reduced in size, add the rest as well and stir for half a minute (pic.3).

If you're not using baby spinach, stir for 1 full minute instead of half.

Add the dill and stir to incorporate (pic.4). Add salt and pepper. Pour the sweet wine and cook until it completely evaporates.

Remove the mixture from the pan. At this point, the mixture must be relatively thick and dry (pic.5).

Pour the heavy cream into the pan and deglaze with a wooden spatula. Cook for a few minutes, stirring frequently until it's reduced about 2/3 in volume (or to your desired thickness). (pic.6)

Add the nutmeg, salt and pepper.

Divide the spinach-mushroom mixture on the 4 toasted bread slices and add the creamy sauce on top.

Serve as it is, or add a little grated parmesan on top and some hard boiled eggs on the side.

Kali oreksi!

Tips:

1. The baby spinach is usually available washed and packed in the salads section of the super markets.

2. You can also use different mushrooms to get a different taste.

3. You can omit the sweet wine if you don't have any or you don't like using it. The end result is also delicious in this case!

Meal:

Cuisine:

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Low Cost

Vegetarian

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:

serves 4

Preparation Time:

Cooking Time:

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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Greek zucchini and feta fritters (Kolokythokeftedes)

littlecookingtips — Tue, 15 Jul 2014 16:43:53 +0000

Greek zucchini and feta fritters (Kolokythokeftedes)

Photo and text by Panos Diotis and Mirella Kaloglou.

Calories (per serving):

847

Servings:

serves 4

Preparation Time:

Cooking Time:

That's another comfort food recipe that's extremely popular during the summer. Kolokythokeftedes (don't try to pronounce them, yes we know it's impossible) literally means zucchini balls.

Even though usually they are shaped in patties and not like meatballs...

It's one of the top Greek appetizers for the summer, and is very often served with fried eggplants, French fries, tzatziki and Horiatiki Greek salad. Greeks also have them as a main dish along with salad and tzatziki (and lots of fresh baked bread). After all, even though Gyros and moussaka are very popular abroad, the truth is that the Greek cuisine has many many vegetarian dishes. Yes, it's a misconception that we eat that much meat here in Greece. This may be the case for the last couple of decades mostly, when we deviated from the traditional diet.

So, this is one of the vegetarian "treats" everybody loves to have during the summer. Those feta zucchini fritters are very common in family gatherings and backyard parties and are also among the top sellers in taverns and restaurants. The combination of the wonderful herbs (dill, parsley, mint) with feta, zucchini and eggs (especially free range eggs) is simply divine! Ask anyone ever had them and you'll see a gluttonous smile on his face.

The great thing about this recipe is that it's also very simple and easy! You just grate the zucchini, drain them from their juices, and mix them with the rest of the ingredients to form your patties. Then all you have to do is fry them. It takes about 15-20 minutes to fry and the result is superb!

Of course -like in many similar recipes- the simpler the recipe is, the better quality you need for your ingredients. So, we suggest using free range eggs, organic zucchini and a mature barrel-aged sheep feta for this recipe. The end result will have a superior taste, making it worthwhile.

So let's see how to make those delicious Greek zucchini and feta fritters!

Ingredients:

- 1kg/2lb zucchini (4-5 medium sized)

- 2 eggs, lightly beaten

- 250gr/8.8oz feta

- 15gr/0.5oz (4 tablespoons) mint, finely chopped

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

- 15gr/0.5oz (4 tablespoons) dill, finely chopped

- 100gr/3.5oz (3/4 cup) all purpose flour

- 1 cup (250ml) olive oil (for frying)

- Salt, pepper

Preparation:

Cut the two ends of each zucchini and discard. Grate them coarsely using a hand grater (preferably classic box grater). (pic.1)

Put in a colander, add a generous amount of salt (about 1-2 teaspoons), mix with your hands and let it drain for at least 20-25 minutes. (pic.2)

Squeeze the grated zucchini with your hands, to remove as much water as you can, and add it in a medium or large bowl. (pic.3)

Add the eggs, the parsley, the dill, the mint, pepper and the flour (pic.4). Combine using either a large spoon or your hands (kneading for a few seconds).

Add the feta (pic.5) crumbled and fold it into the zucchini mix (pic.6). Be careful to avoid breaking it to tiny bits, as much as this is possible.

Add the olive oil in a large heavy skillet and put it on medium to high heat.

Once the oil is hot, form patties with the zucchini mix and add them in the skillet. Each batch will be consisting of about 4-5 patties. Do not overcrowd the skillet. (pic.7)

Fry for 3-4 minutes per side (until golden brown) (pic.8) and let them sit on kitchen paper for a few minutes before serving (to absorb the excess oil).

Kali oreksi!

Tips:

1. The zucchini mix batter is not very thick, so the patties will be a bit loose when adding them in the pan. Don't worry, they will fry fine.

2. Only flip once during frying. After 2 minutes, lift a little bit each patty (carefully) to see if this side is done in order to flip it.

3. Feel free to add more flour if you want a thicker mix, but in our opinion this changes the taste and texture and should be avoided.

4. You can add more feta (up to 350gr/12oz) if you prefer.

5. It's important to use olive oil to fry those fritters in order to give them a Mediterranean flavor. Make use to use medium-high (NOT high) heat; don't allow the olive oil to become extremely hot (smoking point).

Meal:

Method:

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Low Cost

Vegetarian

Greek scrambled eggs with tomatoes (Kagianas or Strapatsada)

littlecookingtips — Tue, 01 Jul 2014 20:13:51 +0000

Greek scrambled eggs with tomatoes (Kagianas or Strapatsada)

Photo and text by Panos Diotis and Mirella Kaloglou.

Calories (per serving):

611

Servings:

serves 2

Preparation Time:

Cooking Time: