Little Cooking Tips - serves 6

Easy cheesy baked leeks in Bechamel sauce

littlecookingtips — Sun, 24 Jan 2016 15:35:21 +0000

Easy cheesy baked leeks in Bechamel sauce

Photo and text by Panos Diotis and Mirella Kaloglou

Calories (per serving):

756

Servings:

serves 6

Cooking Time:

1 hour

10 minutes

Like we mentioned in our last post, the winter finally came to Greece. This finally happened just before the arrival of 2016 (Happy New Year to all of you guys!). You see, in Christmas day, we had lots of sun and high temperatures, just like in autumn, which was rather annoying! So, on the New Year's Eve, not only this had changed, but we did get some snow as well! It was so beautiful, waking up in the New Year and seeing this white blanket of snow that had fallen, right outside the windows. Snowing is rare in Athens; it only occurs in the north of the city maybe once or twice per year and only lasts for a couple of days each time. So you can imagine how happy we both were!

As you may have already guessed, yes, we went to Evia as well. We spent Christmas there, and had the opportunity to enjoy all the seasonal produce. We enjoyed some lettuce, young onions, arugula, endives, dill, parsley, fennel, leeks, beets, broccoli, cabbage, oranges, lemons, clementines and many more, fresh, organic treasures. The earth can give back so much if you take the time and respect it.

Since we were there, we had the chance to visit one of our favorite mountain villages of the island; Steni. This is where those photos in the post were taken. Also known as Steni Dirfyos, this is a beautiful place in the slopes of mount Dirfi. The summit (1743m/5718ft) is close to the village, making it the ideal base for hiking and climbing. In the weekends, when there's more people visiting, you can see yayades (grandmas) selling some wonderful local products in the village, like pine and wildflower honey, traditional pasta, dry herbs, herbal tea and mushrooms. We've tried all of those and all are truly amazing. Pure, excellent quality stuff.

The place is also known for its taverns and grills, serving pit roasted lamb and pork and other grilled delicacies. Imagine having enjoyed the small mountain town charm, being misty and cold outside and you're sitting by a tavern's fireplace, listening to the cracking of the burning logs, while having some pork steaks, tzatziki, feta, fresh French fries and olive oil-oregano grilled bread with a good Greek red wine. It doesn't get any better than that, does it? It's also amazing in the summer, when the place is naturally cool, and you can enjoy those treats under the sycamores. We're daydreaming once again, aren't we?

Having mentioned the Greek wine, this period we also discovered many new Greek labels that are truly amazing. 'Tis (was) the season, after all, right?:) You need to check out the reds Agiorgitiko and Xinomavro, and the whites Assyrtiko, Moschofilero, Savatiano and Roditis. We can start writing some articles and propose a few of our favorite Greek labels in the future if you like though. It's something we're still thinking about; let us know if you're interested in the comments below.

As you imagined, we ate lots and lots of food in the Holiday season, had lots of good wine, and -of course- enjoyed MANY kourabiedes and melomakarona. We also baked Panos' mom old family recipe for vasilopita (this will be our post for the Holidays next year) which was amazing! It makes for a fluffy, moist cake, with a unique vanilla-orange scent. Suffice to say, we devoured the whole thing within 3 to 4 days! So yep. We gained some extra pounds and are now struggling to lose some of them (and failing miserably!) :)

One of the things we brought back from Evia, were the fresh leeks. We love leeks ourselves and we already had a recipe on the blog, which was shared when we first started so naturally, most of you guys missed it. It was "hidden" as an old post, popping out here and there (in the "See also" section and embarrassing us with its awful photo) and we've always wanted to rewrite that one, to do it some justice.

So here it is (again): leeks au gratin! What is this dish about? It's a recipe for leeks in cream sauce, a vegetarian leek casserole we LOVE to bake during the fall and winter! If you're looking for a recipe for baked leeks with cream or simply want some cheesy baked leeks, then look no more. You have arrived at your destination:) We honestly cannot describe how amazing these creamy leeks are.

Here's what we do; we cut and wash the leeks thoroughly. We will mostly use the white part in this recipe. You can wash and freeze the green part for stocks or other recipes requiring it. Using the white part of 4-5 large leeks, we slice them in half lengthwise and then vertically in half-moons, and then put them in a large bowl of water to wash. We finally rinse them in a colander and they're ready to use. Here's a video showing you how to clean and cut leeks in case you've never tried it before.

So, after preparing them, we cook them in olive oil until soft, add some wine, and after most of the juices have evaporated, we transfer them to a casserole dish, mix them with dill, cheese and béchamel sauce, top them with some more cheese and bake them. The result is a delicious leeks and cheese recipe you will use again and again. It's one of our favorite recipes for baked leeks with cheese, and everyone is elated when we bring it to family gatherings and dinners with friends. Of course, that being the case, every time someone asked for the recipe, so eventually we wrote it down and shared it in our newborn blog back in 2012.

We honestly cannot stress how yummy these easy, cheesy leeks are. The cheese we used was Dubliner. We think that it's the best choice for this dish. Other suitable choices would be a combination of sweet graviera (like graviera from Naxos) for the leeks, with some grated kefalotyri on top, for the crust. If you can't get any of those, you can also use some sharp cheddar with the leeks and a little grated parmesan for the crust.

Keep in mind, that even though they're rich and delicious, baked leeks in cream sauce are also vegetarian. This makes it a perfect choice for Meatless Mondays or if you want to lay off the meat for a while. You won't miss it all. So let's see how to cook some yummy, creamy leeks!

Ingredients:

- 1kg/17oz/2lb cleaned leeks (4-5 leeks), mostly white part, cut into half-moon slices (approx. 1cm/0.5in thick)*
- 55-65gr/2-2.3oz (about 1 cup) dill, finely chopped
- 125ml (1/2 cup) extra virgin olive oil
- 3 medium sized eggs, beaten
- 300gr/10.5oz Dubliner cheese, grated **
- 250ml (1 cup) white wine
- salt and pepper

*4-5 uncleansed whole leeks weigh almost twice as much when you buy them, they'll be about 2kb/4lb
**You can also use graviera or sharp cheddar for the leeks

For the creamy topping (Béchamel sauce):

- 75gr/2.6oz (1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon or 8 tablespoons in total) all-purpose flour
- 100gr butter/3.5oz (7 tablespoons) butter
- 750ml (3 cups) milk, room temperature
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, powdered
- 55-80gr/2-2.8oz Dubliner cheese, grated ( for the crust) ***

***You can also use kefalotyri or parmesan

Preparation

Use mostly the white part of the leeks. Wash them thoroughly; slice them in half lengthwise and then vertically in half-moons (pic. 1) and place them in a large bowl of water (pic.2). Stir. The dirt will sit on the bottom of the bowl.

Remove the chopped leeks with your hands and place them in a colander (pic.3 , don’t empty the bowl into the colander, you don’t want to put the dirt on the leeks again). Rinse them thoroughly. The leeks are now ready for the recipe! Here's a video showing you exactly how to clean and cut the leeks in case you've never tried it before.
Put the olive oil in a large skillet (don't use nonstick)/saucepan, and place it over medium to high heat. When hot, add the leeks (pic. 4) and sauté for 10 minutes until soft.

Pour the wine (pic. 5) and increase the heat. Cook for another 3-4 minutes until most of the wine is evaporated, and the final result is relatively drier. Empty the saucepan into a casserole dish/baking pan (pic. 6)

Add the dill (pic. 7). Stir well and leave it aside for 4-5 minutes to cool down. Keep the saucepan aside; you’ll use it for the Béchamel as well. Preheat your oven at 180C/350F. Add the eggs (pic. 8), stir and add salt and pepper. Be careful adding the salt, because of the salty cheese that’ll be added.

Add the cheese (pic. 9) and mix. Leave it aside to prepare the cheesy Béchamel sauce. Add the butter (pic 10) in the saucepan and place over medium heat

Once melted, add the flour (pic. 11). Whisk continuously until you get a thick result (a paste). Slowly start adding the milk (pic. 12) and continue whisking.

When all the milk has been added, remove from heat. You’ll get a creamy, smooth sauce (pic. 13). Add the nutmeg powder and give it a final stir. Add the sauce into the casserole/baking dish on top of the leeks mixture (pic. 14).

Spread evenly on the surface, and sprinkle with the cheese (pic. 15). Place in the middle oven rack, and bake for 30-35 minutes.

Kali oreksi!

Tips:

1. Use the white part of the leeks, the green part is a little bitter. You can wash and freeze the green part for other recipes.

2. If you want a very crispy top, you must use finely grated cheese and add a few breadcrumbs as well.

3. If you can’t find Dubliner you can use a combination of graviera (for the leeks), and grated kefalotyri on top (for the crust). If you can't get any of those, you can also use sharp cheddar (for the leeks) and a little grated parmesan (for the crust).

4. You can also use a sweeter white wine or a rosé wine in this recipe.

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Healthy

Low Calories/Diet

Vegetarian

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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Legumes / Pulses / Rice

Dough/Pies/Pizzas

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Feta and Sausage Mac and Cheese

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

Feta and Sausage Mac and Cheese

Photo and text by Panos Diotis and Mirella Kaloglou.

Calories (per serving):

790

Servings:

serves 6

Cooking Time:

45 minutes

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

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

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

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

Who can resist the combination of mac and cheese? It's a quick and easy pasta casserole that combines the creamy bechamel cheese sauce with the softness of the pasta, with a delicious gooey texture; a match made in heaven!

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

For this mac and cheese recipe we decided to add something Greek (of course you guessed this already); we added the Greek pork sausages that are called Horiatiko Loukaniko. These are delicious traditional sausages that may include leeks, orange zest, wine and many many spices, like wholespice, thyme, oregano etc. You can find them everywhere here, but they're pretty hard to find abroad. So, you can go ahead and use Italian sausages instead. They're similar to the Greek ones, so no fuss there. We used mild sausages in our recipe, but you can use spicy ones if you prefer.

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

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

Finally, our secret for an amazing crust, is adding smoked paprika to our breadcrumbs. And we make our own fresh breadcrumbs from stale bread (see how in the preparation section of the recipe). Try the quantity we suggest here at first, and increase it to suit your tastes. You can make mac and cheese on the stove top. Ourselves we always bake it, because it’s worth the extra time, every time. You can't substitute this amazing crust. You simply can’t :)

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

This is a very tasty dish, that's also –unfortunately- not healthy. So don't choose this recipe if you're in a diet or the doctor told you to limit fatty and unhealthy foods. But if you’re “allowed” to, this is definitely the perfect choice for a yummy food when you want to spoil yourself with a treat :)

So, when in need of a little comfort food, this is the absolute dish! Let’s see how to make this.

Ingredients:

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

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

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

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

- 2 garlic cloves, minced

- 125ml (1/2 cup) brandy

- 1 teaspoon dry oregano

- 1 teaspoon paprika (preferably smoked)

- salt, pepper

For the bechamel sauce:

- 75gr/2.6oz (1/2 cup) all purpose flour

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

- 750ml (3 cups) milk

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

- a little salt, nutmeg

For the crust:

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

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

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

- 1 teaspoon paprika (preferably smoked)

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

Preparation:

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

Boil the pasta al dente in salted water (al dente is usually 1 minute less than the package’s instructions. You don’t want them to get very soft). Drain and set aside (pic. 3). Put a medium sized saucepan (or a medium sized pot) on medium heat. Don’t use a Teflon nonstick pan/pot in this recipe, as you’ll be using a whisk in a step below. Add the onion and the sausage (pic. 4). Crumble the sausage pieces and stir until the onion gets translucent.

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

At this point remove the mix from the saucepan, add salt and pepper and keep aside. Preheat the oven at 180 degrees Celsius/360 Fahrenheit.

Return the saucepan on the stovetop and add the rest of the butter (the 7 tablespoons, pic.7). When the butter begins to bubble, add the flour (pic. 8). Whisk constantly until it’s incorporated.

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

When thick, remove the saucepan from heat and add the cheddar (pic. 11). Stir until it melts. Add the sausage-onions mixture (pic. 12) and stir.

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

Spread the feta over the surface; add the paprika-flavored breadcrumbs and the rest of the cheddar (the ½ cup, pic. 16). Bake for 25 minutes, in the middle rack, until a wonderful crust is formed.

Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes before serving. Serve with a side salad. Kali Oreksi!

Tips:

1. You can add diced tomatoes (seeds removed) before baking to make this a bit healthier. Chopped spinach and arugula are also great when mixed before baking. Finally, some other suggestions are fresh chopped parsley or basil.

2. You can substitute cheddar for lighter cheese if you want to lower the calories. You can also use pizza cheese mixes for different flavor.

3. For those loving seafood you can also make this same recipe substituting sausages for shrimp or crab.

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Fast&Easy

A Warm Spicy Detox Cabbage Soup

littlecookingtips — Tue, 21 Jan 2014 18:31:53 +0000

A Warm Spicy Detox Cabbage Soup

Photo and text by Panos Diotis and Mirella Kaloglou.

Calories (per serving):

Servings:

serves 6

Cooking Time:

30 minutes

This cabbage soup recipe is one of our top choices for the cold winter days. It's a warming, comforting soup that you and your family will specially enjoy. It's one of those recipes that are simple in ingredients but have a very strong impact to those who taste it.

One of those authentic rustic recipes, from an old era.

The cabbage is the star of the recipe; a humble vegetable, that’s so versatile, it has hundreds ways of being cooked. Cabbage has two additional advantages: it's cheap, and it's extremely healthy. Actually, it's so beneficial to your health there's really no reason to go into length here. Α simple web search on cabbage and its health benefits will amaze you!

Cabbage is fantastic when combined with onion, garlic, mustard, lemon or vinegar. In this recipe we'll use almost all of them; instead of mustard we'll add one of its basic ingredients, the turmeric, which helps cleaning your body from the inside. Turmeric has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and enhances the taste of every food it's added to. It’s one of those spices you can use often and it’s really good for you.

The recipe we share here is a simple form of cabbage soup; A type of peasant food. You can also add carrot, or celery if you like, but we wanted to keep things very simple and easy in this recipe.

This is a detox soup recipe that is tasty, easy, affordable and plus, you can have it in just 30 minutes! Of course it has very low calories/fat, so you can enjoy it often (especially if you're in a diet).

We suggest you buy organic cabbage for this recipe, as it will be free of pesticides and other harmful chemicals, plus it will taste better! So, if the price is affordable for you (cabbage usually is not expensive), go for it and select an organic one, it will be good for you, your family, the environment AND your taste buds:)
So let's start cooking this yummy, warming soup!

Ingredients:

- 1kg/2.2lb/35.2oz cabbage, cut in strips
- 300g/10.5oz (1cup) ripe tomatoes, grated and strained*
- 15ml (1 tablespoon) tomato paste (optional)
- 110g/3.8oz (1 medium sized) onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 25g (2 tablespoons) parsley, finely chopped
- 3 chicken stock cubes
- 1lt (4 cups), water
- 60ml (4 tablespoons) lemon juice (the juice from 1 medium sized lemon)
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 tablespoon coriander powder
- salt and pepper

*From the grated tomatoes you only keep the amount that is left on a fine strainer. The amount we need is about 1 cup.

Put the onion, the parsley, the tomato, the tomato paste, the stock cubes and the water in a large pot and put it on medium to high heat (pic.1).

Once it starts simmering, add the cabbage (pic.2), the turmeric, the coriander (pic.3), the lemon juice and some pepper (pic.4). Be careful with the pepper as this soup is already spicy because of the coriander and the turmeric.

Stir carefully, lower the heat to medium-low, cover and cook for about 25-30 minutes. Stir occasionally.

Add salt as desired, and serve with a dash of fresh chopped parsley in each bowl. Kali oreksi!

Tips:

1. You can add 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil for some additional flavor when serving.
2. You can add less coriander if you like it less spicy.
3. Instead of parsley you can also use fresh coriander leaves.

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Greek Salad Bruschetta

littlecookingtips — Sun, 21 Apr 2013 20:30:28 +0000

Greek Salad Bruschetta

Photo and text by Panos Diotis and Mirella Kaloglou

Calories (per serving):

248

Servings:

serves 6

Cooking Time:

15 minutes

Bruschetta is a beautiful Italian starter (antipasto), which is often present in a traditional Italian meal. The basic ingredient is the bread, which is cut into slices and grilled until golden brown and crispy. Then, some garlic is rubbed on it's surface and in it's simplest form, the Bruschetta is sprinkled with olive oil.

There are dozens of variation, some include cured meats or cheese, while some others are tasty spreads. In this recipe we suggest a Greek version of this Italian classic, which consists of the main ingredients of the Greek Salad. It's quick and easy to make. Let's start!

Ingredients:

- 1 medium sized Baguette (french loaf)
- 1 medium sized (100gr/3.5oz) green bell pepper
- 1 medium sized tomato (250gr/8.8oz)
- 1/2 small sized onion (40gr/1.4oz)
- 6-7 Kalamata olives (30gr/1.1oz)
- 1/3 of a cucumber (120gr/4.2oz)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons dry oregano
- 100gr/3.5oz feta cheese
- 80ml (1/3 cup) extra virgin olive oil
- salt
- 3 garlic cloves cut in half

Preparation:

Cut the loaf in 15cm (6 inches) long pieces. You will need 3 pieces. Cut each piece in half, lengthwise and put it in a baking dish/pan. The 6 pieces are now ready for grilling.

Remove the seeds from the tomato. Cut the tomato, the onion, the pepper, the cucumber and the feta cheese in small cubes (about 1-2cm/0.5 inch wide) and put them in a bowl. Pit and chop the olives. Add them in the bowl, pour the olive oil, sprinkle with the oregano and a little salt and using a spoon mix the ingredients well. Let the bowl aside, and proceed with the bread:
Put the baking dish/pan in the oven and broil for 3 minutes on the top rack, turn the bread on the other side and continue broiling for another 1-2 minutes. The result should be golden brown bread pieces.
When you remove the bread from the oven, leave it aside for a minute, to allow any moisture created from broiling, to evaporate.
Then rub each piece of bread with half a garlic clove, add about 3 tablespoons of the Greek Salad mixture on top of it and serve. Kali oreksi!

Tips:

You can also add some rinsed caper seeds in the mixture if you like them.

Meal:

Method:

Cuisine:

Main Ingredients:

Special Characteristics:

Large baked beans with bacon in tomato sauce (Gigandes/Gigantes plaki)

littlecookingtips — Sun, 21 Apr 2013 20:17:47 +0000

Large baked beans with bacon in tomato sauce (Gigandes/Gigantes plaki)

Photo and text by Panos Diotis and Mirella Kaloglou

Calories (per serving):

802

Servings:

serves 6

Preparation Time:

12 hours

Cooking Time:

2 hours

Large baked beans is a favourite Greek dish also called "Gigandes (or Gigantes) plaki". In this version we added some bacon to give it a "country" flavour. It takes some time to prepare and cook it, but it's totally worth it. The result is superb!

Ingredients:

- 500gr/17.5oz large white beans
- 2lt (8 cups) water (needed during simmering)
- 500gr/17.5oz tomato, grated
- 150gr/5.2oz bacon (7-8 slices), finely chopped
- 220gr/7.7oz (2 medium sized) onion, finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 30gr/1oz dill (1/3 bunch), finely chopped
- 250ml (1 cup) olive oil
- 250ml (1 cup) water (needed during baking)
- 40gr/1.4oz (2 tablespoons) tomato paste
- salt and pepper

Preparation: Put the beans in a large bowl filled with water (the volume of the water must be at least 3 times the volume of the beans), and leave them overnight to soak. The next day, before cooking, discard the water and rinse the beans.

Put the beans in a large pot, add the 2lt of water (8 cups) and put it on medium to high heat.
Once it starts boiling, reduce the hear to medium-low and let it simmer for 1 hour and 10 minutes. Remove the froth, if any. Check if the beans have been cooked by tasting one after this phase. If they are ready (soft), remove from heat. If not, continue to simmer, until they are. Add some water if needed.
When ready, drain the beans, and put them in a medium sized pan.

Then, start cooking the sauce:
Put a deep frying pan or a small pot on medium to high heat and add half of the olive oil. Once hot, add the onion and cook for 3 minutes (until translucent). Add the garlic, stir and after a minute add the grated tomato and the tomato paste, some salt and pepper, stir and cook for 5 minutes. Our sauce is now ready for the next phase.

Pour the sauce into the baking pan on top of the beans. Add the dill, the 1 cup of water and the rest of the olive oil. Stir carefully (to avoid mashing the beans) and put the baking pan in a preheated oven at 200 degrees Celsius (390 Fahrenheit) for 30 minutes, in the middle rack. Then add the bacon, stir (carefully again) and continue to bake for another 30 minutes. It's important to check the pan while baking as you may need to add some water if there is not enough moisture in the pan during baking.

Remove from the oven, and leave aside for a while to cool down. Serve with some feta cheese and olives on the side. Kali oreksi!

Tips:

1. If you are fasting or you are a vegetarian, then simply remove the bacon from this recipe and cook for the same amount of time.
2. It's important to use beans that are recently bought and are fresh. They will cook faster. Drier beans may take more time to soften.
3. If you want to reduce the cooking time then you can use a pressure cooker. Boil the beans in 1lt (4 cups) of water for 10 minutes without the lid, change the water, close the lid and cook for another 20 minutes with the same amount of water. The baking in the oven will be reduced to 20 minutes this way.

Meal:

Method:

Cuisine:

Season:

Main Ingredients:

Legumes / Pulses / Rice

Special Characteristics:

Low Cost

Fantastic baked pasta with sujuk, fresh tomato and lemon zest

littlecookingtips — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 08:34:22 +0000

Fantastic baked pasta with sujuk, fresh tomato and lemon zest

Photo and text by Panos Diotis and Mirella Kaloglou

Calories (per serving):

536

Servings:

serves 6

Cooking Time:

45 minutes

Is there anyone who doesn't love baked pasta / casseroles? One of everyone's favourite dishes, enhanced with exotic aroma from the sujuk (spicy armenian/turkish saucage), the fresh tomatoes and the mushrooms. You can hardly wait to get it out of the oven!

Ingredients:

- 250gr/8.8oz rigatoni or penne (or any other short-shaped pasta)
- 250gr/8.8oz fresh common mushrooms (champignons), sliced
- 150gr/5.3oz sujuk, cut into 1cm/0.4inch cubes (if you can't find sujuk than you can use italian saucage, which is however milder in taste)
- 200gr/7oz onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, sliced
- 1 medium-sized tomato (200gr/7oz) cut into cubes (remove the seeds)
- 80ml olive oil (1/3 cup)
- 80ml white wine (1/3 cup)
- 1 pinch of nutmeg (powder)
- 500ml (2 cups) cream (full fat)
- 1/2 teaspoon of lemon zest
- 200gr/7oz kaseri cheese, grated (if you can't find Greek kaseri, than try it with edam or gouda cheese)

Boil the pasta for 5-10 minutes, according to its type, and drain it.
The goal is to remove it from boiling a bit before it's ready, because it will also be baked it in the next phase of the recipe.
When the pasta is removed, put it in a medium sized pyrex (or other suitable for casserole baking pan, like ceramic). Put it aside in order to prepare the sauce.

Pour the olive oil in a frying pan and put it on medium to high heat. Once the oil is hot add the onion and sautee until it is almost translucent.
Add the mushrooms and let them cook (stirring occasionally) until their moisture evaporates.
Add the garlic and the sujuk and sautee for another 2 minutes.
Pour the wine and continue cooking until it evaporates.
Then add the cream, the salt and pepper, the zest, the nutmeg, and stir. Cook until the sauce starts to thicken. You don't want the sauce to be ready (thick); it must be a bit watery, as it will be baked.
Put a handful of cheese in the pasta, stir, add the sauce and turn the pasta in order to ensure that it is mixed and distributed equally in the casserole/pyrex.
Add the rest of the cheese and the tomato on top and bake for 25-30 minutes in 200 degrees Celsius (390 Fahrenheit).
Kali oreksi!

Tips:

1. You can use any soft yellow cheese instead of Greek kaseri or edam/gouda. However, be careful, as it mustn't be too salty.
2. The pasta can be rigatoni, penne, rotini (a type of short fusilli), farfalle etc. Choose the one that you like best. In this recipe we used our favourite rigatoni.
3. As mentioned, the pasta mustn't be boiled much, as the cooking will continue with the baking. So keep it a bit more 'al dente' than you prefer, when removing from the boiling water.

Meal:

Method:

Cuisine:

Main Ingredients:

Special Characteristics:

Fast&Easy

Spicy

Traditional Greek Taramosalata (Cod Fish Roe spread / dip)

littlecookingtips — Sat, 30 Mar 2013 11:27:48 +0000

Traditional Greek Taramosalata (Cod Fish Roe spread / dip)

Photo and text by Panos Diotis and Mirella Kaloglou

Calories (per serving):

282

Servings:

serves 6

Preparation Time:

10 minutes

Cooking Time:

15 minutes

Taramosalata is a traditional delicious Greek spread / dip, made of a type of caviar (fish roe) called Tarama. The fish roe is almost always cod roe. Cod roe is available in red and white (beige) variaties. The best quality of tarama is the white tarama.

This creamy dip is served as an appetizer with fresh bread and pickles. If you never tried it, this the traditional way of making it.

It's a traditional Greek dish that is always present on the table on Clean (Ash) Monday in Greece (Kathara Deftera) and usually it's the appetizer that's gone first.

The recipe below is the traditional Greek recipe of making Taramosalata! Enjoy!

Ingredients:

- 120gr/4.2oz of white tarama (cod fish roe)
- 180gr/6.3oz of bread, crust removed(around 8 slices of white bread).When you remove the crust, it'll weigh about 120gr/4.3oz
- 1 small onion (around 60gr/2oz), preferably white, chopped
- 5 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice
- 130ml olive oil (1/2 cup)

Preparation: In a bowl filled with water, add the bread and let it soak. Before using it,squeeze out the water with your hands.

Using a food processor or blender, add the onion and turn it into a thick paste. If needed, you can use a spoon to push down to the blades any uncut pieces. Remove the spoon and turn it on again.
Add the tarama and blend it with the onion, until the mix is smooth.
Add 1/3 of the bread and blend.
Pour 1/3 of the olive oil and blend.
Continue adding bread and olive oil in the same manner until you use them all.
Add half the lemon juice into the processor and blend.
Add the rest of the lemon, blend until emulsified and serve.
Kali oreksi!

Tips:

1. The ingredients must be added in small portions, in order to have a beautiful and smooth result.
2. It's better to purchase white tarama. The quality and taste is better from the red kind
3. Taramosalata can be preserved in the fridge for 1-2 days.
4. It is best served with kalamata olives, pickles and fresh bread.

Meal:

Cuisine:

Season:

Main Ingredients:

Special Characteristics:

Fast&Easy

Healthy

Low Cost

Shrimps in Russian dressing with curry

littlecookingtips — Wed, 05 Sep 2012 15:13:25 +0000

Shrimps in Russian dressing with curry

Photo and text by Panos Diotis and Mirella Kaloglou

Calories (per serving):

347

Servings:

serves 6

Cooking Time:

15 minutes

A clever and easy recipe for a starter that always makes an impression! Enjoy it with your friends!

Ingredients:

- 1kg/35oz/2.2lb shrimps
For the sauce
- 200ml (4/5 cup) mayonnaise
- 125ml (1/2 cup) ketchup
- 1 1/2 teaspoon curry powder

Boil the shrimps in salted water for 10-15 minutes. The longer you boil them the harder they will get. Remove them from heat when ready, and place them in a plate.
In a large bowl, prepare the russian dressing, by adding all the ingredients together. Stir very well.
Serve the shrimps, along with the sauce for dipping . Enjoy!

Tips:

You can use mustard powder instead of curry powder.

Meal:

Appetizers

Sauces - Marinades - Syrups

Method:

Cuisine:

Main Ingredients:

Special Characteristics:

Fast&Easy