There could be nothing more heart-breaking than the tragic events, that took place all over the world, this month, due mainly to terrorist attacks. A few were caused by biased obsessions.
On the 20th November 2015, Islamist, al-Quaida affiliated gunmen attacked the Radisson Blu Hotel, packed with foreigners, in
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| Thanks for the Map |
On the 29th November 2015 Boko Haram extremists claimed responsibility for the suicide bombing of a procession of Sia Muslims in
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| In Honour of the Dead |
According to Turkey , Turkish jets shot down a Russian warplane, near the Syrian border. The Russians insist that one of their SU-24 fighters was shot down, by the Turks, over Syria .
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| Turkey in North and Syria in South - The Red Line Depicts the Flight according to Russia |
Vladimir Putin warned Turkey of “serious consequences”, including economic sanctions such as annulling Turkish constructions in Russia, boycotting imports and preventing Russian tourists from visiting Turkey. He also accused the Turkish authorities of siding with the ISIS terrorists, in Syria.
Finally, President Erdogan apologized for the shooting down of the Russian plane, but "that was done only after it had penetrated Turkish airspace", he insisted. To be candidly matter-of-factish, Turkish jets violate Greek airspace, daily. Therefore, our pilots are forced to retaliate and pursue them, in sophisticated, expensive fighter jets, which we can ill afford and wouldn't need, if we had amicable neighbours.
Turkish authorities jailed the Editor-in-chief and one of the key reporters of the famous Cumhuriyet newspaper, under false accusations, for revealing state secrets and espionage. Hundreds of citizens protested against the government in front of the newspaper's offices, showing their deep concern over “media freedom in Turkey ”.
A prominent Kurdish lawyer and civil rights activist was shot dead, on Saturday the 28th November. This serious and sad event has caused great unrest all over Turkey.
I'm giving you, below, a few recipes for dishes that are quite delicious and can be easily prepared with ingredients one happens to have at home.
CARROT SOUP
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| Carrot Soup for Chrismas Lunch |
Do start a celebration dinner with this wonderful soup!
1 kg carrots, peeled and roughly sliced
3 potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
2 leeks, white parts only, sliced
1 onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, thoroughly trimmed and thinly sliced
1 bouquet garni, (1 slice ginger, peeled +1 tsp coriander seeds, slightly crushed + 1 thyme sprig)
1½ litre (6 cups) tasty chicken stock
60 g (2 oz) kasseri ot Gouda or bland Cheddar, grated
2 tbsp San Mihalis or Parmesan, grated
1 tsp grated nutmeg
1 liqueur glass Metaxa brandy, optional
125 ml (½ cup) thick cream or Greek yogurt
Place all the vegetables in a large saucepan, pour in enough water to just cover, place in the spice-pouch cover and cook gently, until tender.
Remove the bouquet, and blend the vegetables until smooth. Pour in the chicken stock sprinkle with freshly ground white pepper and a little nutmeg. Simmer gently until the soup thickens. Stir in the cheese, taste and season with salt and extra pepper and nutmeg, if necessary.
Bring the soup to the boil and pour in the brandy, if using. Serve, piping hot, with a tbsp of thick cream or yogurt.
CREAMY CAULIFLOWER SOUP WITH FETA AND CHIVES
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| Brassica Oleracea |
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| A Lovely Winter Soup |
A comforting soup for cold days.
1 medium-sized cauliflower, about 560 g (1 lb 2 oz), trimmed into florets
Stock:
Cauliflower trimmings
Cauliflower trimmings
2 bay leaves
1 slice fresh ginger, peeled and slightly crushed
1 tsp peppercorns
1.5 litres (6 cups) tasty vegetable stock
30 g (1 oz) butter
120 g (4 oz) potatoes, peeled and diced
2 large leeks, trimmed, slit in half, washed and sliced (white part only)
1 onion, peeled and chopped
3 tender stalks celery, trimmed and sliced
Salt and freshly ground white pepper
A pinch of Cayenne pepper, optional
A pinch of Cayenne pepper, optional
1 tbsp yogurt mixed with
1 tbsp cream
60 g (2 oz) or more feta, crumbled
2 tbsp snipped chives, for garnish
Place the cauliflower trimmings with the bay leaves, ginger, and peppercorns in a saucepan and cover with vegetable stock. Bring to the boil and simmer for twenty minutes, with the lid on.
Meanwhile, in large saucepan sauté the potatoes, leeks, onion and celery in butter very, very gently and sweat the vegetables for about 10 minutes. When the vegetable stock is ready, strain it into the pan over the vegetables. Discard the ginger, trimmings and peppercorns but reserve the bay leaves and add them into the pan. Bring the stock back to the boiling point, add the cauliflower florets and simmer, uncovered, for 25-30 minutes or until the vegetables are thoroughly cooked.
Remove the bay leaves, and blend the soup with a hand blender until it is smooth and creamy. Stir in the yogurt-cream mixture and the crumbled feta and bring to a simmer but do not boil. Taste and add sal,t if necessary, freshly ground white pepper and a pinch of Cayenne, if using.
Serve sprinkled with snipped chives.
POTATO AND COURGETTE SOUP
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| A Delicious Soup from the Aegean Sea |
This is a soup of the
2 medium-sized courgettes, cubed
2 large potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 tender stalks celery, trimmed and finely chopped
2 tbsp margarine
1½ litre (6 cups) tasty vegetable or chicken stock
1 sprig of dill
Tyravloulo:*
1/2 cup bland kasseri or graviera from Crete or Naxos, grated
1/2 cup kefalotyri or San Mihalis or Pekorino, grated
3 - 4 egg yolks
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Grated nutmeg
Sauté the vegetables in butter or margarine, for 10 minutes, over very low heat.
Pour in the stock, add the dill and simmer gently until the vegetables are cooked but not mushy. Discard the dill sprig.
Beat the egg yolks with the cheese. Gradually, add about 500 ml (2 cups) of hot soup liquid into the egg and cheese mixture, whipping constantly until well combined and quite hot. Pour it back into the soup and swirl the saucepan. Place the saucepan over light heat, and keep it uncovered. Don’t let it come to the boil! Taste and add salt, if necessary, freshly ground pepper and grated nutmeg. Serve garnished with a sprig of dill or chopped parsley
*"Tyravgoulo" is the name that has been given to a thickener for soups and other dishes, used, mainly, in the Cyclades. The preparation resembles avgolemono, but the taste is completely different.
*"Tyravgoulo" is the name that has been given to a thickener for soups and other dishes, used, mainly, in the Cyclades. The preparation resembles avgolemono, but the taste is completely different.
CHICKEN WITH CREAM
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| A Tasty Dish that All Enjoy |
One could alternately, use chicken breasts for this dish, being careful not to overcook, to prevent them from becoming tough.
1 kg (2 lb) chicken legs, skinned, boned and cut into bite-sized pieces
Plain flour mixed with
Salt and pepper and
½ tsp ginger powder
A little nutmeg, about ¼ tsp
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp clarified butter
1 onion. grated
3 spring onions, trimmed and sliced
1-2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 sweet red peppers, sliced, seeds removed
62.5 ml (1/4 cup) sweet wine (Mavrodaphne or Samos wine)
375 ml (1 1/2 cup) tasty, hot chicken stock or more
250 ml (1 cup) cream
2 tbsp parsley, finely chopped
Roll the chicken pieces in seasoned flour, shaking off the excess, and sauté in the olive oil and butter until golden. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Discard all, but one tablespoon of the olive oil and butter mixture, add the onions, red peppers and garlic and sauté until the onions are translucent.
Return the chicken to the saucepan with the vegetables, pour in the wine and simmer for 3-4 minutes so that the alcohol evaporates. Add the hot chicken stock and simmer about 15-20 minutes or until the chicken is thoroughly cooked and tender.
Then pour in the cream, taste and season with salt, if necessary, pepper and nutmeg. Finally, stir in the chopped parsley. Serve with steamed, buttered rice or pasta or mashed potatoes.
Then pour in the cream, taste and season with salt, if necessary, pepper and nutmeg. Finally, stir in the chopped parsley. Serve with steamed, buttered rice or pasta or mashed potatoes.
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| A Delicious and Inexpensive Dish |
We call the dish "pseudo" because the original Chinese recipe requires the chicken to be fried in a light batter and to be masked with sweet and sour sauce, just before serving.
750 to 1 kg (1½ to 2 lb) chicken breasts cut into cubes, sautéed in corn oil for 3 minutes on each side and sprinkled with salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
3 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
2 tbsp corn oil
One 567 g (an ample 1 lb 2 oz) tin pineapple slices in light syrup
Sweet and Sour Sauce:
¼ cup sugar
¼ cup brown sugar
2 tbsp vinegar or according to taste
83.3 ml (1/3 cup) tomato ketchup
62.5 ml (¼ cup) soy sauce
62.5 ml (¼ cup) glucose syrup
250 ml (1 cup) or more hot water
(Mix all the ingredients until well combined together)
Vegetables:
4 onions, peeled and quartered
2 red peppers, seeds removed, sliced, each slice halved
2 yellow peppers, seeds removed, sliced, each slice halved
2 orange peppers, seeds removed, sliced, each slice halved
1 green pepper, seeds removed, sliced, each slice halved
Salt, freshly ground black pepper and
¼ tsp Cayenne pepper
A few drops sesame oil
6 slices pineapple cut into small pieces
Sauté the grated ginger and garlic in corn oil, until soft. Add the vegetables to the saucepan and cook, stirring, for a few minutes. Add the sautéed chicken pieces, then pour in the sweet and sour liquid mixture, cover the saucepan and simmer until the vegetables and chicken and tender.
Taste and add salt, if necessary, pepper, Cayenne pepper and a little sesame oil for the aroma. Also, add the pineapple pieces and simmer for 4 minutes more. Serve over fried rice.
CHICKPEA CURRY
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| A Favourite Curry Dish |
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| Warm Chapattis Ready to Serve |
This is a dish that I loved when we lived in
500 g (1 lb) skinned chickpeas, soaked overnight, then boiled in
Chicken stock with
1 slice of peeled fresh ginger and
1/2 green chilli pepper
1 slice of peeled fresh ginger and
1/2 green chilli pepper
Sauce:
4 onions grated
4 cloves garlic minced
1 tsp ghee or olive oil
2 tsp hot curry powder
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tbsp tomato paste
500 g (1 lb) one tin tomato juice
2 cups of leftover, chopped, roast chicken or meat would make this a perfectly balanced meal. ( I prefer it without the meat)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Cayenne pepper to taste (¼ - ½ tsp), optional
Sauté the onions and garlic with a little water and ghee or olive oil, until the onions are soft, and the liquid evaporates. Add the five spices and stir-fry until the whole kitchen is filled with their aroma. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 2-3 minutes. Pour in the tomato juice and cook, gently, until the sauce is thick. Blend with a rod blender until smooth.
Spoon the strained chickpeas (and the meat or chicken, if using) into the sauce. Add a little of the stock that the chickpeas
PUMPKIN CHUTNEY
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| A Wonderful Winter Vegetable |
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| Ready to Enjoy |
This is a delicious chutney, with a lovely colour.
1 kg (2 lb) pumpkin, peeled, de-seeded and cubed
2 cloves garlic
One 5 cm (2 inches) piece peeled ginger
300 g (1½ cup) sugar
375 ml (1½ cup) vinegar
1/8 - ½ tsp Cayenne pepper
½ cup golden raisins
Blend the garlic with ginger and 125 ml (½ cup) vinegar together until smooth.
Bring the remaining vinegar with the sugar to the boil, until the sugar melts. Add the blended mixture and all the other ingredients, except the raisins, and simmer gently for 1 to 1½ hours, until thick, stirring occasionally at first and more frequently as it thickens.
Add the raisins and cook for 5 minutes more. Pour into sterilized jars, cover and store.
GREEN APPLE AND RED ONION RELISH
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| Red Onions |
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| Green Apple and Red Onion Relish |
This lovely, chunky relish is delicious served with baked ham, roast pork and cheese.
1 tbsp 4-spice mixture* (please see recipe below)
1 kg (2 lb) green apples, peeled, cored, diced and drenched in
The juice on one lemon
1 kg (2 lb) onions, peeled and finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
500 g (1 lb) brown sugar
500 ml (2 cups) good quality vinegar
Salt to taste
¼ tsp Cayenne pepper or
1 chili pepper finely chopped
300 g (10 oz) sultanas, stems removed
The grated rind of 1 lemon
Stir the spices in a saucepan, over low heat, until they release their aroma. Add all the other ingredients, except the sultanas and grated lemon rind. Simmer very gently for 15 minutes until the apples and onions are soft.
Add the sultanas and lemon rind and cook very, very gently, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is of a thick consistency, like jam. Discard the chili pepper, if using. Pour the scalding relish into sterilized jars and cover.
*4-spice mixture:
1 tbsp freshly ground black pepper
½ tbsp cinnamon powder
½ tbsp cloves powder
½ tbsp grated nutmeg
HAZELNUT MERINGUES
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| Corylus Avellana |
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| Small Hazelnut Meringues |
When I was a child, my favourite dessert were meringues filled with strawberry coulis, my family prefer these delicious, bite-sized hazelnut meringues.
6 egg whites
6 egg whites
A pinch of salt
400 g (2 cups) sugar
1 cup roasted hazelnuts, finely ground
Beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt to the soft peak stage then, add the sugar by the spoonful, beating well after each addition until well incorporated. Gently fold in the hazel nuts.
Line a baking tin with baking parchment and sprinkle with cornflour. Place coffee spoonfuls of the meringue mixture, fairly apart and bake in an oven preheated to 110 C for 1 hour 20 minutes or until the meringues are firm but not coloured.
Historical, even threatening times we leave in ! However : We are eager to get the continuation of your autobiography
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