Spinach and Lentil Soup

This is a great combination of tastes that is served on a chilly Spring Day.  You can make this soup as thick or as thin that you prefer by adding more or less stock.

Ingredients:

1 lb. fresh or frozen spinach
1 cup dried lentils
chicken or vegetable stock
1/2 cup olive oil
1 chopped onion
1 clove garlic, mashed
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1.  Wash and drain your spinach and cut any large leaves in half.  In a large pot, cook the lentils in enough stock to cover them, until they soften.

2.  In a separate pan, heat the olive oil.  Saute the onions and garlic until translucent and pour the mixture into the lentils.

3.  Add the cumin, spinach, salt and pepper and simmer it all together until the spinach settles and the lentils are very tender.  If the soup is too thin, simply boil it down.  If it’s too thick, add a bit more stock.

The Bride’s Pilaf

A specialty dish – a sweet pilaf – that is served on the wedding day at a reception.

Ingredients:

4 cups vegetable stock or water
1 cup rice
1/2 cup dark raisins
1 cup cooked chick peas
1/4 cup butter
1/2 tsp. sugar
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Bring the stock to a boil and add the rice, raisins and chickpeas and season it with salt and pepper.  When the rice is done, strain the mixture.  Toss the pilaf with butter and sugar and serve.

Sounds simple, but it’s a very Opa! dish.

Traditional Greek Cheese Pie (tiropita)

The cheese pies that are served in open-air markets are very popular in Greece and simple to make.  This recipe can be made as individual pies or as a large pan pie that can be cut into serving size pieces.  Pastry dough can be substituted for the phyllo.

Ingredients:

phyllo pastry sheets
melted butter

Filling:

2 cups crumbled feta cheese
1 cup grated Greek kefalotiri or parmesan cheese
1 tbs. dried spearmint leaves
1/2 cup chopped parsley (optional)
5 eggs beaten
1 cup milk

Directions:

1.  Generously butter a medium sized, oblong baking dish.  Spread a sheet of phyllo in it and brush it with butter.  Lay another sheet of phyllo over it, and again, brush it with butter.  Continue this for 5 to 6 sheets.

2. Mix all the filling ingredients together and spread it over the buttered phyllo layers.  Top it off with more phyllo and butter layers for 5 to 6 sheets.

3.  Brush the top of your pie with butter and score it into squares.  Bake it in a preheated oven at 350°F for 45 to 50 minutes.  The top crust will brown easily.  If you think it’s cooking too fast, cover it loosely with a sheet of aluminum foil.  Remove the foil to brown the top just before it’s ready.

Savory Pumpkin Pancakes

The fall season brings with it an abundance of pumpkins.  These pancakes or fritters are a wonderful way to use up this versatile vegetable.  Serve with as an appetizer or with hot soup.

Ingredients:

4 cups mashed boiled pumpkin
1 cup olive oil
1-1/2 cups chopped onions
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1 cup chopped dill weed
2 cups grated cheese
4 eggs, beaten
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. spearmint
1 cup flour
salt and pepper to taste
oil for frying

Directions:

1.  Begin by setting the pumpkin in a fine sieve to drain.  You want to get rid of as much moisture as possible, so if you have the time, let it strain for a few hours or over night.

2.  Heat the olive oil in a skillet.  Saute the chopped onions with the green onions and dill until they are translucent and tender.

3.  In a large bowl, mix the pumpkin, cheese, eggs, oregano, spearmint and the flour.  Stir in the onion mixture.  Season it with salt and pepper.  The mixture should be the consistency of thick cake batter.  If it looks too loose, stir in more flour.

4.  Heat 1/2 inch of frying oil in a skillet.  Add the pumpkin batter by tablespoons and fry one side then turn them over to fry the other side.  Remove them onto paper towels to drain.

Almond-Garlic Sauce

The almonds give this recipe a ‘something special’ flavor.  It’s easy to make and tastes like you spent hours in the kitchen making it.  Serve it with fried vegetables or seafood such as fish or cod.

Ingredients:

1- 1/2 cups soggy bread – see recipe

5 cloves garlic, mashed

1 cup olive oil

3 tbs. vinegar

1 cup ground almonds

1 cup strained yogurt

salt to taste

Directions:

In a mixer or food processor, combine the soggy bread with the garlic.  Add the oil, vinegar and almonds and mix thoroughly until creamy.  Stir in the yogurt by hand and season it with salt.  Don’t over mix or it may become thin and runny.  Refrigerate it for at least one hour before serving or overnight for a stronger taste.

Greek style shrimp cocktail

Ingredients:

3 lbs. shrimp, with shells on
1 cup olive oil
4 tbs. flour
4 cups liquid from the shrimp
1 cup tomato juice
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tbs. fresh rosemary, chopped finely
red cayenne pepper
salt

Directions:

1.  In a large pot, boil the shrimp with enough water to cover them.  Cook them for 5 to 8 minutes then remove them and set aside to cool.  Remember that you want to reserve 4 cups of this liquid for the sauce, so if it seems like too much, just keep boiling the water to reduce it.  When you have your 4 cups of shrimp juice, pour it through a strainer and set it aside.

2.  Making the sauce: have all your ingredients measured and handy, as you will have to move quickly.  In a medium saucepan, heat the oil and add the flour, stirring constantly to make a roux.  You want it to turn slightly golden but not burn.  Pour in the shrimp juice, whisking continuously as the flour will make it into a thick custard in no time.

3.  Add the vinegar, tomato juice, garlic, rosemary, pepper and salt.  Keep whisking as the mixture cooks and thickens.  Remove from heat.

4.  Peel your shrimp and arrange them in a serving dish.  Spoon the sauce over them and let them cool.  The shrimp will absorb the flavor of the sauce.  This dish is served, so it can be made ahead of time and refrigerated overnight.

Poached meatballs

Youvarlákia are simply boiled meatballs.  They take almost no time at all to make and can be served with any side dish that you like.  These little bundles are so popular that there is also a recipe for poached meatball soup.

Ingredients:

2 cups chicken stock
flour
egg lemon sauce

Meatballs:
1 – 1/2 lbs. ground beef, pork or lamb
1/2 cup uncooked rice
1 chopped onion
3 tbs. chopped parsley
1 tsp. cumin (optional)
1 egg
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1.  Mix together all the ingredients for the meatballs, kneading it with your hands.  Form the mixture into balls 1 1/2 to 2 inches in diameter.  In a sauce pan, bring the stock to a boil.  Roll the meat balls in flour and drop them gently into the boiling stock.  Simmer them for 20 minutes or until the rice is cooked.

2.  Using a slotted spoon, remove the meatballs from the stock and set them on a platter.  Follow the recipe directions for making the egg-lemon sauce, using the stock that the meatballs were cooked in.  Spoon the sauce over the meatballs and serve.

Custard style rice pudding

This recipe makes a thick and sweet style of rice pudding.  You my use the raisins and the lemon peel in it as it gives it so much more flavor.  Rice pudding makes skin on the surface as it cools.  To avoid this, wrap each bowl with a piece of cling film while it’s warm and let it cool down while covered.

Ingredients:

1 cup rice
2 cups water
3 – 1/2 cups milk
1 – 1/2 cup sugar
2 tbs. corn flour diluted in 1/2 cup milk
2 egg yolks beaten with 2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup raisins soaked in warm water overnight (optional)
grated rind of 1 lemon (optional)
powdered cinnamon

Directions:

1.  In a medium saucepan bring the rice and the water to a boil.  Reduce the heat and add the milk.  Simmer and stir the mixture until it begins to thicken, being careful that it doesn’t scorch.  Add the sugar, the milk and corn flour mixture and quickly stir in the eggs and vanilla.

2.  Cook the mixture for another two minutes while constantly stirring.  Remove from heat.  Stir in the raisins and lemon rind – if you’re using them.

3.  Fill small bowls with the rice pudding, sprinkling cinnamon over the top.  Let them cool then refrigerate.

Seven seed bread

This multi-textured bread is a favorite on the islands.  It’s served for breakfast with butter and jam as well as an accompaniment to any Greek meal.

Ingredients:

1 envelope granulated yeast
1/2 cup warm water
1 lb. whole wheat flour
1 lb. white flour
1 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. salt
3 tbs. whole oats
3 tbs. white sesame seeds
3 tbs. sun flower seeds
3 tbs. wheat germ
2 tbs. linseeds
1 tbs. black sesame seeds
1 tbs. poppy seeds
1 cup butter milk
1/4 cup olive oil

Directions:

1.  Dilute the yeast in the warm water.  Put the flours in a large bowl and mix in the sugar, salt, and oats.

2.  In a separate bowl, toss together all the seeds.  Make a well in the center of the flour and pour in the yeast and the butter milk.  With your hands, incorporate the mixture, using only enough warm water to make it a soft dough.  Knead the mixture until it’s smooth and elastic.  Sprinkle in the seeds and add the oil.  Knead the dough again until it’s all incorporated.  Cover the dough with a towel and set it aside in a warm place to rise.

3.  Punch down the dough and form it into a large round or oblong loaf or smaller loaves and buns.  Grease the cookie sheets and lay the loaves on them.  Wrap the cookie sheets in towels and set them aside for the second rising.

4.  Preheat your oven to 375°F.  When the loaves have almost doubled, bake them for 30 minutes to one hour, depending on teh size of your loaves.

Opa! stewed chicken and rice

Right from the villages of Rhodes, this simple stew recipe can turn any tough chicken into a tender one.

Ingredients:

1 cup olive oil
2 lbs. chicken pieces
1 large chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 cups chopped tomatoes
2 cups chicken stock
2 bay leaves
pinch oregano
pinch basil
salt and pepper to taste
4 cups rice

Directions:

1.  Wash and dry the chicken pieces and sprinkle them with salt and pepper.  Heat the oil in a large skillet and brown the chicken, onions and garlic together.

2.  Add the tomatoes, chicken stock, bay leaves and spices.  Lower the heat and simmer the stew until the chicken is tender – about 1 hour.  If needed add a bit more stock during the cooking time to keep the chicken and sauce juicy.  Serve over rice and enjoy!