I'd like to outline some of my favorite recipes. If I have friends coming over for dinner, these following dishes are a typical 5course dinner that I enjoy crafting for us all to enjoy. I prefer to have them all cooked and placed on the table together and allow everyone to pick and choose as they want. All except for the dessert, which I take out last with tea or coffee.
So here they are, 1 per post, starting with Snapper and Vegtable Soup:
Red snapper is a great fish to choose for soup because it doesn't fall apart and has a wonderful taste to impart to the vegetables. This recipe uses a traditional Greek oil-and-lemon sauce (latholemono) for the vegetables and fish, and rice is added to the soup. It's a delicious and substantial meal.
INGREDIENTS:
3 - 3 1/2 pounds of red snapper (or slightly more if uncleaned)
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
4 fresh tomatoes, cut into chunks (about 1 pound)
1 pound of carrots, cut in chunks
5-6 stalks of celery, with leaves, chopped
1 pound of small zucchini, cut part-way through, lengthwise
2 pounds of medium potatoes, peeled, sliced lengthwise into 6 pieces each
2/3 cup of olive oil
juice of 1 lemon (about 2 tablespoons)
sea salt
water
2/3 cup of rice
------------
Oil and Lemon Sauce comprises of:
- 2/3 cup of extra virgin olive oil
- juice of 2 lemons (about 4 tablespoons)
Generally speaking, 2parts of oil to 1 part Lemon juice is a good ratio to then whisk together to make a thick white liquid that almost looks like a light paste.
PREPARATION:
Note: This recipe requires 2 soup pots or one soup pot and a large bowl.
Scrape the fish to remove scales. Cut off and discard fins. Gut and remove and discard the head. Wash fish well to remove any debris.
If the fish are larger than one-person servings, score the fish on one side into serving size pieces using a sharp knife (don't cut into the bones). Salt the zucchini.
Choose one or more vegetables of your preference. Vegetable amounts shown below were chosen because that's what fit in our baking pan. Choose your quantities the same way.
INGREDIENTS:
10 firm ripe tomatoes
6 large green peppers
4 medium eggplants
2 1/5 pounds of ground beef
1 cup of uncooked rice
2 large onions, finely chopped
3 teaspoons of salt
1 level teaspoon of pepper
6-7 stalks of fresh parsely, chopped (using 2-3 inches of the stems as well)
1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil
salt
dried breadcrumbs
PREPARATION:
Gather together the vegetables planned for this dish. In a baking or roasting pan approximately 16 x 14 (size used here), place vegetables comfortably close without squashing. Tomatoes and smaller "bell" peppers should be placed standing on end, while eggplants, zucchini, and larger green peppers should be placed lengthwise.
Choose vegetables based on those that fit in the pan.
Wash the vegetables carefully and dry. With a paring knife, cut the caps off the tops of vegetables and set aside. With a spoon, scoop out the pulp and seeds from the eggplant (and zucchini, if using), and green peppers, and discard. Scoop out the tomato pulp and chop well. Place chopped pulp in a large bowl and add 1/4 cup olive oil, ground beef, onions, rice, teaspoon of salt, pepper, and chopped parsley. Mix by hand until well blended.
Preheat oven to 375F (190C).
With a spoon, carefully fill each of the vegetables loosely with the meat and rice mixture. Cover with caps and place in the baking pan. Drizzle with remaining olive oil and sprinkle the tops with breadcrumbs.
Bake at 375F (190C) for one hour and serve.
This ia an easy one-pot oven-to-table dish. This recipe doesn't require any special cut of beef; cheaper cuts do quite well, in fact they are often the better cut for stewing.
INGREDIENTS:
3 - 3 1/2 pounds of stew meat (or chuck steak), cut into serving-sized chunks (not bite-sized)
6 tablespoons of olive oil
2 large onions, minced
4 cloves of garlic, diced
1 small hot pepper (Hungarian wax-type)
1 pound of ripe tomatoes or 3 cups of canned stewed tomatoes
2 allspice berries
4 cups of beef broth or water
1 pound of small or medium kritharakia (orzo barley pasta)
Preheat the oven to 355F (180C).
Spoon the meat into a yiouvetsi (clay casserole) or oven-safe covered casserole dish, and pour the orzo and liquids around the meat. Cover and bake for approximately 50 minutes, until the orzo is cooked and there's still some liquid sauce.
Remove from oven and let rest, covered, for 30 minutes. Serve with grated cheese.
Yield: serves 6
This one will bring you back from the dead.:big grin:
INGREDIENTS:
3 1/3 pounds of fresh spinach
3/4 cup of olive oil
1 bunch of fresh dill, finely chopped
1 bunch of fresh parsley, finely chopped
8 spring onions, finely chopped
1/2 pound of firm feta cheese
3 fluid ounces of evaporated milk
4 eggs
sea salt
freshly ground pepper
1 pound package of phyllo pastry sheets
PREPARATION:
Wash the spinach well in cold water, chop finely, place in a colander and salt lightly. Set aside to drain.
Rinse the feta under cold water and grate coarsely. If it doesn't grate satisfactorily, use a fork to break it up into very small pieces, as small as possible.
Press the spinach to remove all excess liquid.
In a large mixing bowl, add spinach, dill, parsley, onions, feta, pepper, and half the oil. Mix the eggs with the evaporated milk, add to the spinach mixture, and mix well until ingredients are well blended.
Preheat the oven to 355F (180C).
Brush the pan with oil (it can be round, square, or rectangular). When laying the sheets in the pan, leave an overlap of phyllo outside the pan rim all the way around. Lay half the phyllo sheets on the bottom, brushing each one lightly with oil. Spoon in the spinach mixture and spread evenly. Fold the extending phyllo in over the mixture. Lay the remaining phyllo sheets on top, coating each with oil except the top sheet. Trim the phyllo with a scissors, and score the top into serving-size squares. Sprinkle the top with the remaining oil. Wet your hands and shake off the excess water over the top of the pita.
Bake for 1 hour. When done, remove from the oven and allow to cool 1/2 hour before serving. Spanakotyropita is served warm or at room temperature. Serving suggestions: This can be served as an appetizer (small pieces), side dish (medium-sized pieces), or as a main dish (3-4" square pieces) served with a salad and crusty bread.
Halvas made with semolina, nuts, raisins, and cinnamon is a delightful, grainy textured dessert, and one of the more famous Greek sweets. This version is cooked on the stove, placed in a mold to shape, and served at room temperature.
INGREDIENTS:
2 cups of semolina, coarse grind (or cream of wheat or farina)
1 cup of oil
2 1/2 cups of sugar
1/2 cup of honey
5 cups of water
1/4 cup of walnuts, crushed
1/4 cup of pine nuts
1/4 cup of raisins (golden, seedless)
3 sticks of cinnamon
2-3 cloves, whole
slice of lemon peel
sugar for sprinkling
ground cinnamon for sprinkling
PREPARATION:
In a saucepan, add water, sugar, honey, lemon peel, cinnamon, and cloves and boil gently for 1-2 minutes. Remove the lemon peel, cinnamon sticks, and cloves, reduce heat to lowest possible.
While the syrup mixture is coming to a boil, start cooking the semolina: Heat oil in a pot or high-sided frying pan over medium heat. Add the semolina slowly, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until the semolina absorbs all the oil. Add crushed walnuts, pine nuts, and raisins, and continue to stir. When the semolina turns a dark gold color, remove the pot from the heat.
Pour the hot syrup over the semolina mixture, taking care not to get burned (it will spatter and boil up). Return to low heat and stir until the mixture become creamy and thick and doesn't stick to the sides of the pan. Remove from the heat, cover with a clean dry towel, and allow to cool for 10 minutes.
Spoon the mixture into a mold (pudding, jello or cake type) or large glass bowl and pat down with the back of a large spoon to fill the mold completely and create a level surface. Allow the halvas to cool and turn out onto a platter. Sprinkle with a little sugar and cinnamon, and serve. Yield: about 10 cups
![[Image: 0293.gif]](http://www.postsmile.com/img/0293.gif)
