Little Cooking Tips - Wine/Liquor

Greek Octopus with Ouzo, Fennel and Olives

littlecookingtips — Sun, 06 Sep 2015 15:17:42 +0000

Greek Octopus with Ouzo, Fennel and Olives

Photo and text by Panos Diotis and Mirella Kaloglou.

Calories (per serving):

772

Servings:

serves 4

Cooking Time:

45 minutes

This summer, for our vacation, we went to Panos’ parents place in Evia island (also known as Euboea). Evia is the second largest Greek island and isn’t much advertised abroad.

Since it’s a large island, you’ll need a car in order to visit the dozens available beaches. Some roads are old and full of curves, because Evia has a high mountain ridge in the middle. So, in order to visit some great Aegean beaches you have to climb this ridge, called Dirfys. The beaches you will visit on the other side, if you take the time to drive there, are…simply put, beyond any description! They definitely worth the effort.

Panos’ parents have a cottage in the central-south part of the island. They have a large organic vegetable garden and lots of trees which produce an abundance of lemons, oranges, tangerines, olives, pomegranates, prunes, sour cherries, figs, quinces, medlars, blackberries, apricots…you get the picture!

Panos reading some recipes on the veranda and my shadow as I take this picture.

As you can guess, such place is simply… a paradise for any foodie! That’s why we visit the place all year round, during weekends, taking the opportunity to enjoy seasonal vegetables and fruits and get in touch with nature.

So our time was divided between harvesting veggies and fruits, tasting new recipes, cooking classic homemade Greek dishes, driving through the mountains to discover new beaches and …taking some time off work to fill our bucket! It was really quality time spent.

Beach on the Aegean side of Evia. On the top right, the mountain roads leading there.

Enough with our constant daydreaming though! Time to get back in our kitchen and our recipes Do you remember our Poll back in July? Well, the second recipe voted in the Poll was octopus with olives and ouzo. 28% of the people voted for this one, much to our amazement. We always thought that octopus is a bit intimidating as an ingredient, for people who don’t live in the Mediterranean, East Asia, Central and South America.

On the other hand, our blog’s statistics for our two other octopus recipes (Stewed baby octopus in tomato sauce with rice and Roasted octopus with vinegar) as well as your votes in the Poll have proven that octopus is starting to become popular in other parts of the world as well, including the United States, Central Europe, Russia and Australia!

Panos checking the pomegranates. Not ripe yet, but grown and getting there!

So let’s talk about the octopus recipe you voted for: Octopus with ouzo, fennel and ouzo! This is a wonderful recipe for any season, but we prefer cooking octopus in the summer. The reason is that in the summer you can also enjoy a small glass of ice cold ouzo in a sunny veranda or a garden, to enjoy the octopus with. Plus, it’s the perfect meze (appetizer) for a seafood dinner if you’re having some friends or family over. In order to really enjoy ouzo, you need a view of the sea or at least a wonderful green garden, someplace open, to gather with friends, chat and serve meze.

Here in Greece, ouzo is always traditionally served with some food. The food is usually meze. Meze (plural mezedes) are small plates of appetizers, shared among the people around the table. And this octopus recipe is a prefect meze for ouzo.

Picking up some peppers straight from the plants. On the right, a zucchini turned to squash. No harm done, we used it for a savory pie!

To cook octopus, you have to clean the inside of the sack. If you buy fresh octopus, ask your fishmonger to clean the octopus’ sack for you. If you buy frozen you don’t need to do that as it’s already cleaned up. By the way, octopus is one of those ingredients where frozen is better. Why is that? Because freezing the octopus actually makes it tender!

But even so, an octopus needs to be cooked for a long time in a pot, to become soft and tender enough. You always need more than an hour of braising/boiling. In this recipe, it will take about an hour and a half.
Another factor that makes some people thinking twice before buying octopus is its preparation. They don’t know how to cut this thing!

Defrosted in the shade, the octopus before we start cooking it.

Well, we are here to help! In this recipe, we posted many photos showing in detail how to prepare an octopus. It’s really easy. You discard a few parts and cut the rest in chunks. If you’ve never done this before, follow our instructions and you’ll definitely succeed. Feel free to send us an email if you need any clarification and we’ll gladly get back to you.

What are the ingredients used in this recipe? Well, ouzo and fennel are two main ingredients. Ouzo, like mentioned in this post for shrimps with ouzo is anise flavored and fennel is very similar to anise. So it’s a perfect combo! The fennel bulb used in this recipe also provides extra texture and is suitable for the long cooking process needed for the octopus. The other key ingredient is the Kalamata olives. We use whole organic olives and pit them ourselves. This way, they smell and taste better in comparison to the pitted olives sold in jars (usually in brine).

The fennel bulb was more tender than expected!

A little red wine vinegar and Dijon mustard along with some bay leaves, garlic and onion complement the dish and enhance the flavors. Feel free to add more or less of those, once you cook the dish, according to your preferences.

You can serve this delicious dish with some fresh crusty bread and ouzo, as an appetizer. Serve the ouzo in short old-fashioned glasses, over ice and add some water as well. Smell it first, to enjoy the aroma and drink a small sip. Then grab a bite of the octopus dish. Heaven!
You can also serve this with some French fries or short-cut pasta like macaroni or ditalini as a main dish. It’s up to you.

We hope that all of you took some time off work this summer to relax and enjoy some quality time with your loved ones!

Kali Oreksi and have a beautiful Winter Season (for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere) and a lovely spring to the lucky guys in the Southern Hemisphere!

Ingredients:

- 1-1.5kg / 2-3.5lb octopus*

- 250-280gr / 9-10oz onions (2 medium sized), in large slices or diced

- 125ml (1/2 cup) ouzo**

- 125ml (1/2 cup) olive oil

- 200gr / 7oz fennel bulb (1 medium sized), in thin slices

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

- 3 garlic cloves, in thin slices or minced

- 3 bay leaves

- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar

- 1 tablespoon strong mustard

- 0.5lt (2 cups) warm water

* if using fresh octopus, ask you fishmonger to clean the octopus for you.
If you using frozen, it’s clean already.
** if you can't find ouzo, you can try sambuca or vodka. The taste is a bit different, so try to find the real thing online;)
*** if using pitted, sliced olives, then you need 50gr/1.7oz

Preparation

If using whole olives, then slice them with a paring knife and remove the pit. Don't chop the slices in small bits. You need large olive chunks for this recipe.

Let's see how to prepare the octopus now.

The octopus

Put the octopus on your cutting board, with the sack on one side and the tentacles on the other (pic.1). Cut the sack (pic.2) and keep it aside. Make the slice at the bottom of the sack, right above the eyes (the eyes are at the middle section of the octopus).

Grab and hold the tentacles section and slice the middle section of the octopus off (pic. 3). This is the small section with the eyes. Discard it.
Remove the beak from the hole (pic. 4) between the tentacles. Discard it.

The hole must be free (pic. 5). Slice the sack in the middle (pic. 6). We always add the sack in the food, it's clean, delicious and there's no reason to discard it.

When you slice the sack open, you may notice some membranes/parts on the inside (pic. 7). Slice those off and discard.
The next step is optional. Some people (us included) like to remove the membrane on the outer part of the sack. It's very easy, simply grab a sack piece with one hand and pull the membrane with the other (pic. 8). Do that for both the sack pieces you sliced before. If you find this part a bit tricky, you can also leave the outer membrane on the sack. It won't matter that much.

Then slice the tentacles section in half (pic.9) and then cut the tentacles apart.
Finally, make cuts 3-4cm/1inch apart the length of each tentacle (pic.10). Keep the thinner end point of each tentacle in a larger piece preferably (2 inches long).
That's it.

We know it sounds and looks a bit intimidating. But it's actually VERY easy. Trust us on this! Once you try to cut an octopus, you will succeed, and you will do it again and again with confidence.

Cooking the octopus

Add the octopus pieces in a large pot and place over medium-high heat (pic.11).
In about 3 minutes, the octopus will start releasing its juices. Stir often at first, until the juices start to add up (pic.12).

Reduce the heat medium-low (slow simmer) and let it cook for 40-45 minutes. Stir often towards the end of this period, when the juices evaporate (pic. 13). Don't be alarmed if some pieces left traces at the bottom of the pot. We will deglaze these. Add the olive oil (pic. 14) and stir to coat.

Increase the heat to medium and add the fennel and the onions (pic. 15). Cook for a few minutes until the onions and the fennel start to soften.
Add the ouzo (pic. 16) and using a wooden spatula scrape off any traces left on the bottom of the pot (deglaze).

Add the bay leaves (pic. 17) and the water (pic. 18). You can also use the water to deglaze any traces on the bottom of the pot.
Reduce the heat to a low simmer and cook for another 35-40 minutes. As before, towards the end of this period, when the water is less, stir very often.

When the water has almost completely evaporated, remove from heat, add the vinegar (pic. 19), the olives (pic. 20) and the mustard (pic. 21).

Set aside for 10 minutes to allow the flavors to develop. Grind some fresh pepper and serve!

Kali oreksi!

Tips:

1. This is a perfect meze for ouzo!
2. Do not add any salt in this recipe, the juices from the octopus are salty enough.
3. You can also serve this dish with some fresh finally chopped fennel fronds.
4. You can use a non-stick pot for better results. Always stir with a wooden spatula to avoid scratching the pot.

Meal:

Method:

Cuisine:

Season:

Main Ingredients:

Special Characteristics:

Healthy

Fried Mushrooms in wine crust with garlicky mashed potatoes

littlecookingtips — Tue, 09 Sep 2014 10:35:58 +0000

Fried Mushrooms in wine crust with garlicky mashed potatoes

Photo and text by Panos Diotis and Mirella Kaloglou

Calories (per serving):

633

Servings:

serves 4

Cooking Time:

30 minutes

This is one of the oldest recipes we published on the web. It didn't attract the attention it deserved, the photos were… well… not our best moment, so we decided to refresh this post,

take new pictures and introduce to all of you one of our best dishes: Wine crust fried mushrooms, with garlicky mashed potatoes on the side!

Our favorite mushrooms for this dish are the Portobello. You can also use large common mushrooms, pleurotus, or other medium-large sized mushrooms you prefer. This is a vegetarian recipe that wins the hearts of all non-vegetarians as well, because it tastes fantastic, the texture resembles a bit the meat, and it’s very filling.

The ingredients in this recipe are enough for 4 restaurant-sized portions or 2 large home servings. And yes, there are times that the two of us ate all of it with gluttony. No regrets here. It's so delicious :)

In order to form the crust, we make a watery batter consisting of beaten egg, flour and white wine. No water is added in this recipe. Then you simply dunk the mushrooms (you can cut them in slices, or in any form you prefer) in the batter and fry them in olive oil (medium-high heat). The olive oil in this recipe provides a fantastic taste. In 3-4 minutes (flipping once half way through) a beautiful golden crust is formed. Yummy!

To accompany this, we suggest garlicky mashed potatoes. You can serve the mashed potatoes with small chunks left inside, or you can use a hand blender or a food processor for a smooth result. Choose whichever you prefer. Parsley is added in the end result for freshness, which is needed due to the frying food it accompanies.

This is a dish that can be served as an appetizer or a main dish and it's perfect now that the autumn is here and you need a comfort food to help you face the truth of another season ahead :)

So let's see how to make this delicious treat!

Ingredients:

For the mushrooms:
- 500gr / 17.5oz / 1.1lb mushrooms cut into slices, preferably Portobello
- 310ml / 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 310ml / 1 1/4 cup white wine
- 1 large egg, beaten
- Salt and pepper
- a pinch of nutmeg
- Olive oil for frying the mushrooms (about 250ml / 1 cup). You don't need to use extra virgin which is expensive here.

For the mashed potatoes:
- 4 medium sized potatoes (about 800gr / 28.2oz / 1.8 lb.)
- 250ml / 1 cup full fat milk
- A handful fresh parsley, chopped
- 1-2 cloves garlic, minced (add as much as you prefer)
- 30ml / 2 tablespoons butter or margarine
- A couple of pinches nutmeg
- Salt and pepper

For the mushrooms:

The first step is optional, but if using Portobello we think the taste is better. Peel the top and then carefully remove the black gills from the mushrooms with a teaspoon. (pic. 1 & 2). Remove the stems as well.

Cut the mushrooms in slices /chunks with a sharp knife (pic. 3 & 4).

Beat the egg in a large bowl and add the flour. Whisk and slowly add the wine, whisking continuously. The result will be a thin batter. Add salt and pepper. (pic. 5)

Put the olive oil in a frying pan (you will need about 1.5cm/0.5inch of oil in the pan) and put it on medium to high heat.
Take the bowl with the batter close to the pan. Put the mushrooms slices into the batter to coat, drain the excess batter well (tap them) and place them in the pan. (pic. 6). Don't add them all at once, and don't overcrowd the pan. It will take 3 batches to fry them all.

Fry the mushrooms until golden brown on both sides (pic. 7), for 3-4 minutes, flipping once. Remove from the pan and place them on a large dish with kitchen paper to absorb the excess oil.

For the mashed potatoes:

Peel the potatoes and chop them into pieces (4-5cm/1.5-2inches each). Put them in a saucepan/small pot, cover them with salted water and put it on high heat. Once it starts simmering, reduce the heat to medium and let them boil for about 20-25 minutes.

Once boiled (you should be able to pierce them easily with a fork), remove them from water with a slotted spoon and place them in a bowl. Mash the potatoes with a hand blender or with a large hard ladle or the tool for mashing.

Add the butter and stir so it melts.

Continue stirring and slowly add the milk.

Add the garlic, and the nutmeg, salt and pepper. Stir again and finally add the parsley. Ready!

Serve the mushrooms with the mashed potatoes on the side. Kali oreksi!

Tips:

1.You can save more time if you start boiling the potatoes, while you fry the mushrooms.
2. It's better, before you start cooking, to prepare and gather all the ingredients. The cooking will be a lot easier this way.
3. When serving, you can add a few drops of fresh lemon juice on the mushrooms if you like. In our opinion it adds freshness and flavor.
4. You don't need to use extra virgin olive oil that's more expensive for frying the mushrooms.
5. You can also serve the mushrooms with authentic tzatziki or skordalia. These combinations are again, divine.

Meal:

Method:

Cuisine:

Season:

Main Ingredients:

Special Characteristics:

Healthy

Low Cost

Vegetarian

Pork Roast with plums, rosemary and dark beer!

littlecookingtips — Sun, 01 Dec 2013 12:34:47 +0000

Pork Roast with plums, rosemary and dark beer!

Photo and text by Panos Diotis and Mirella Kaloglou.

Calories (per serving):

430

Servings:

Preparation Time:

Cooking Time:

Pork leg/ham is very tasty, and quite popular among the cuts sold for roasting. However, sometimes it tends to get a bit dry as the meat pieces are lean with very little fat content.

The pork roast recipe we suggest here will make the meat tender, and it will keep a good amount of its moisture:

Pork Roast (ham) with plums, rosemary and dark beer!

The base for this recipe is dark beer. We used Guinness ourselves; you can choose any Bock, Stout or Porter beer you prefer. We added some extra virgin olive oil, garlic, a sprig of fresh rosemary (stripping the leaves), coriander powder, a little honey and mustard. Finally, we threw in a few dried plums.

The taste of the dish was really amazing. The meat is tender and sweet (with a touch of fruit), and full of flavor! Simply put it in the marinade we will describe and let it soak in the fridge for at least 4-6 hours (ideally a whole 24 hours; it will be so much better).

The technique to roast the meat used here is "Kleftiko"; Kleftiko is a Greek technique where you put the meat in some baking paper, close it inside (usually in a bag shape), and cook it slowly in an oven for 2 to 6 hours (depending on the type of meat used and the intensity of the heat). So, that’s what we’ll do with our pork bites. We will put them in the oven with some of the marinade, enclosed in some baking paper (a couple of sheets are enough), and we will open this ‘bag’ for a few minutes to allow the meat to get a bit brown.

This recipe is perfect during the holidays, when you have family & friends over; it’s ideal for a more ‘festive’ meal. You can use it for a successful Thanksgiving or Christmas holiday meal and every special meal.

Serve this dish with some mashed or baked potatoes, or even potato salad on the side. Alternatively you can also serve some -long grain- rice.

Ingredients:

- 500g/17.6oz pork (ham/leg), skinless, boneless, cut into large bites
- 330ml (1 1/3 cup), dark beer (Stout/Bock/Porter)
- 80ml (1/3 cup) olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 100g (3.5oz/about 12 pieces), dried plums
- 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
- 1 sprig of rosemary
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoons pepper
- 3 teaspoon coriander, powder

Preparation:

In a large bowl add: the beer (pic. 1), the olive oil (pic.2), the garlic (pic.3),

the plums (pic.4), the leaves from the rosemary sprig (pic.5), the mustard (pic.6),

the honey (pic.7), and seasonings (pic.8). Whisk for a few more seconds to mix the ingredients (pic. 9).

Instructions:

Put the pork bites in the bowl (pic.10), cover the bowl with cling film and let it marinade in the fridge for at least 4 hours.

Cut two pieces of baking paper and place them one on top of the other in a criss cross fashion inside a baking pan. The length for each piece of baking paper should be about the same with the length of the baking pan.

Take the bowl with the meat out of the fridge, and use a large spoon to add the meat pieces and the plums at the center of the baking sheets. Add a bit of the marinade as well (pic.11).

Close the baking sheets, forming a small package, and cover with a sheet of aluminum foil (pic.12).

Put the baking pan –having the ‘package’ in the center- in the middle rack of the oven and bake for 1h 30 minutes at 200 degrees Celius/390 degrees Fahrenheit.

Next, open the ‘package’ (cut through with a knife of scissor) and put it back in the over for 30-50 minutes (depending on how dry and brown you want the surface of the meat). Check for the desired result and remove when ready.

Serve with mashed or baked potatoes or some rice on the side. Kali oreksi!

Tips:

You can wash some potatoes, cover them with aluminum foil, and place them in the baking pan next to the ‘package’ with the pork. This way, you will have baking potatoes ready to serve with the dish.

Meal:

Method:

Cuisine:

Season:

Main Ingredients:

Dark Beer, Rosemary and Plum marinade

littlecookingtips — Sun, 01 Dec 2013 09:51:38 +0000

Dark Beer, Rosemary and Plum marinade

Photo and text by Panos Diotis and Mirella Kaloglou.

Calories (per serving):

251

Servings:

serves 4

Cooking Time:

20 minutes

Everyone loves a beautifully marinated meat. This is especially true during the holidays, when we have family & friends over, for a more festive meal.

The marinade recipe we suggest here is one of the best you can use for a successful Thanksgiving or Christmas holiday meal.

The base for this marinade is dark beer. We used Guinness ourselves; you can choose any Bock, Stout or Porter beer you prefer.

We added some extra virgin olive oil, garlic, a sprig of fresh rosemary (stripping the leaves), coriander powder, a little honey and mustard. Finally, we threw in a few dried plums.

The taste of the marinade was really really amazing. It makes the meat so tender and sweet (with a touch of fruit), full of flavor! Simply put it in the marinade and let it soak in the fridge for at least 4-6 hours (ideally a whole 24 hours; it will be so much better).

It's a perfect recipe for any special meal; you can also use this for example at Valentine's Day to impress your special someone!

We tried this marinade with pork bites (leg/ham) and turkey chops and the result was superb! You can also use the "Kleftiko" technique to cook the meat with some of the marinade, for a SUPERB result! Kleftiko is a Greek technique where you put the meat in some baking paper, close it like a bag, and cook it slowly in an oven for 2 to 6 hours (depending on the type of meat used and the intensity of the heat).

Serve your dish with some mashed or baked potatoes, or even potato salad on the side. Alternatively you can also serve some -long grain- rice.

Ingredients:

For 500g/17.6oz pork or turkey
- 330ml (1 1/3 cup), dark beer (Stout/Bock/Porter)
- 80ml (1/3 cup) olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 100g (3.5oz/about 12 pieces), dried plums
- 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
- 1 sprig of rosemary
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoons pepper
- 3 teaspoon coriander, powder

In a large bowl add: the beer (pic.1), the olive oil (pic.2), the garlic (pic.3),

the plums (pic.4), the leaves from the rosemary sprig (pic. 5), the mustard (pic.6),

the honey (pic. 7), and seasonings (pic.8). Whisk for a few more seconds to mix the ingredients (pic. 9).

You can marinade turkey or pork in this bowl. Simply put the meat in the marinade at least 4 hours before cooking.

Tips:

If the marinade will not be used immediately, you can store it in the fridge for a few hours. Whisk before using it.

Meal:

Sauces - Marinades - Syrups

Cuisine:

Season:

Main Ingredients:

Special Characteristics:

Fast&Easy

Sweet Thai marinade sauce for a successful BBQ!

littlecookingtips — Tue, 10 Sep 2013 17:07:21 +0000

Sweet Thai marinade sauce for a successful BBQ!

Photo and text by Panos Diotis and Mirella Kaloglou.

Calories (per serving):

133

Servings:

serves 4

Cooking Time:

10 minutes

Who doesn’t like a well marinated meat, especially grilled on the BBQ?
Here in Greece we usually don’t marinade our meat: we simply grill the meat and the put some fresh lemon juice in our dish. We only add salt, and sometimes oregano before placing it on the grill.

The taste of meat grilled on the BBQ is always great, but if you have backyard BBQ parties with friends and family often, you must have thought of marinating the meat before grilling it.

One simple Greek marinade some people use here includes lemon, garlic, mustard and some Greek herbs, like oregano. It’s always tasty and close to the Mediterranean flavors used here.

This time however, we will suggest something totally different. An Asian marinade! We used ingredients from the Thai cuisine, like fish sauce and sweet soy sauce for the base of this marinade.
If you haven’t tried fish sauce before, don’t be alarmed! It will not leave any taste of fish on your meat! A material used since ancient times, the fish sauce provides saltiness and enhances the taste of food. You may use it in countless recipes, with amazing results!
You can easily find fish sauce and soy sauce in all super markets (usually in the oriental section) and delicatessen. They are not expensive, and you only need a small amount for each recipe. You put the bottles in the fridge after opening and they last very long.

The taste of this marinade is simply amazing; it makes the meat taste sweet and creates a beautiful thin crust on the surface. Simply brush the meat each time you turn it on the grill and you will get this amazing crust in all parts that are thin and crispy.

So try to marinade your meat with this Thai flavor, and we guarantee that you‘ll be using it again and again! Your family and guests will love it, and your grilled meat will be the talk of the day!
We tried it with chicken and turkey chops (turkey thigh) as well as pork chops. The result was delicious! This marinade is also great for grilled beef.
Serve your Thai grilled meat with a simple green salad to allow its taste to be appreciated.

Ingredients:

- 2 tablespoons sweet soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons sherry
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon, coriander powder
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

In a large bowl add the liquid ingredients: soy sauce, fish sauce, sherry, wine vinegar, olive oil. Whisk well and add the solid ingredients: sugar, salt, garlic, coriander and pepper.

Whisk for a few more seconds until all the ingredients are mixed very well.
In this mix, you can marinade chicken, turkey, pork, or beef. Put the meat in the marinade at least two hours before grilling.

If the marinade will not be used immediately, you can store it in the fridge for a few hours. Simply whisk before using it.

Meal:

Sauces - Marinades - Syrups

Cuisine:

Asia

Main Ingredients:

Wine/Liquor

Special Characteristics:

Fast&Easy

Low Calories/Diet

Low Cost

Juicy pork steaks with wine and honey

littlecookingtips — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 10:10:28 +0000

Juicy pork steaks with wine and honey

Photo and text by Panos Diotis and Mirella Kaloglou

Calories (per serving):

981

Servings:

serves 2

Cooking Time:

20 minutes

When we think of "...pork steaks", we all have in mind those juicy steaks we have just removed from the barbeque.

Well,they can be cooked in various other ways.

A very tasty way we suggest,is with wine, honey and balsamic vinegar. The result is superb!

Ingredients:

- 2 large pork blade shoulder steaks, about 600-700gr/21-24.5oz or 1.4-1.5lb
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 60ml olive oil (1/4 cup)
- 180ml white wine (3/4 cup)
- 60ml balsamic vinegar (1/4 cup)
- 2 teaspoons of honey
- 2 tablespoons of mustard (mild)
- 1 tablespoon of fresh oregano (or 2 tablespoons dried)
- 1 pinch of thyme

Put the olive oil in a deep fry pan, and heat it on medium to high heat.
When hot, add the steaks and cook for 3-4 minutes turning them once or twice.

Add the garlic and cook for 3 more minutes.
Then add the wine, the vinegar, the honey, the thyme,the oregano and the mustard. Stir well and reduce the heat to medium-low, turning the steaks from time to time.
Cook for another 14-15 minutes until you get a thick result.

For serving
Place the steak in a large plate with some mashed potatoes on the side. Garnish with the sauce.

Tips:

1. If the side dish is mashed potatoes it's better to start the cooking by boiling the potatoes (it takes a bit longer) and then continue with the cooking of the steaks. This way you will have both dishes ready at the same time.
2. If you prefer the steaks medium-rare then reduce the cooking time at the final stage from 14-15 minutes to 10.

Meal:

Method:

Cuisine:

Main Ingredients:

Special Characteristics:

Fast&Easy

Low Cost

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.

Meal:

Method:

Cuisine:

Main Ingredients:

Special Characteristics:

Healthy