Ever since Brexit last June, the July Peace Referendum in Columbia, the November Presidential Elections in the USA and the Constitutional Referendum, in December in Italy, there have been serious suspicions and deep concern that some of the voters could have been deceived by fake news, posted on Facebook and other social media. According to reliable sources, Russian hackers have interfered in the 2016 American elections in favour of Donald Trump.
European leaders are anxious that the spread of slanderous false stories could sway public opinion, as in the coming months seven countries of the Union are facing elections. Unexpected, negative results could transform Europe to the worse, leading to overwhelming and unforeseen outcomes.
But even in the past, cheap journalism, in newspapers and television shows, was a severe hazard to democracy with serious implications.
There have been efforts to retaliate against false news through new sites that publish true events (not fabricated gossip) that have been checked for absolute accuracy before being posted. There is one British site called Brexit Justice by Markus Ball that intends to bring all who are spreading false news, in the United Kingdom, to justice. How wonderful if more bloggers around the world would follow Mr. Ball's inspired endeavours.
My beautiful granddaughter Joy gave me the recipes for the following dishes, "which reminded her of home" and that she often prepared when she went to England to study psychology. Joy has a very sweet personality, she is talented, attractive and very near to my heart. After two Masters degrees, she is now undertaking a Doctorate in Counseling Psychology at the University of Surrey and we are all extremely proud of her!!
ROAST CHICKEN WITH POTATOES
This is dish is very easy to prepare.
1 chicken, about 1.250 kg (2 1/2 lb) trimmed
500 g (1 lb) or more potatoes peeled and cut into wedges
2 lemons the juice and 2 twists of peel
Salt and pepper to taste
Fresh oregano or thyme, leaves only
2 small twigs of oregano or thyme or
2 small twigs of rosemary, if preferred
125 ml (1/2 cup) or more olive oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled and bruised
Hot chicken stock to cover
Drench the potatoes with lemon juice sprinkle with salt, freshly ground black pepper, a little oregano or thyme, drizzle with the olive oil and place in a roasting tin that holds them comfortably. Pour in enough chicken stock to just cover the potatoes.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180 C (350 F) and rub the cavities of the chicken with salt, pepper and lemon juice and place a garlic clove, a twist of lemon peel and a herb twig into each cavity. Tie the legs of the chicken well together and also tie the skin around the neck with the wings and tightly secure them at the back of the bird. Sprinkle the chicken with salt, place it over the potatoes and cover the tin, first with baking parchment and then with foil.
Roast for 45 minutes or until the chicken and potatoes are tender. Remove the foil and parchment and roast for 12-15 minutes more or until the chicken is crisp and potatoes are slightly brown around the edges. Remove the strings from the chicken, and with a sharp knife slice the breasts and separate the thighs from the drumsticks.
Serve with a large salad or sauteed vegetables of your choice.
VEAL COOKED IN A THICK TOMATO SAUCE
(Mosharaki Kokkinisto)
This is a delicious traditional dish.
1 kg (2 lb) veal, cut into serving pieces
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
125 ml (1/2 cup) Mavrodaphne or any other sweet red wine
500 ml (2 cups) fresh or tinned tomato pulp
500 ml (2 cups) hot meat stock
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 tsp sugar
1 bay leaf
Saute the meat in olive oil until slightly brown and remove to a dish with a slotted spoon. Add the onion and stir over low heat until soft. Arrange the sauteed meat on top of the onions, pour in the sweet red wine and cook, stirring for a few minutes until the alcohol evaporates.
Then add the tomato pulp and the hot meat stock. Season with salt, freshly ground pepper and sugar, add the bay leaf, cover the saucepan and simmer gently for 1 - 1.5 hours or until the meat is tender and the sauce thick. If the sauce doesn't seem thick enough, remove the meat and cook the sauce until it reaches the required density. Discard the bay leaf, return the meat into the saucepan, taste and season accordingly, and simmer for 5 minutes more until piping hot.
Serve with chips, mashed potatoes or any pasta of your choice.
MEAT PATTIES
(Biftekia)
This is a very popular Greek dish and can be prepared with many different sauces.
500 g (1 lb) minced veal
2 thick slices of bread soaked in white wine and squeezed dry
1 large onion, sauteed in water and a little olive oil until soft
1 egg
A little hot water
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Grated nutmeg
A little olive oil
Place all the ingredients for the biftekia in a large bowl and mix everything well together. Cover the bowl with cling film and refrigerate for 30 minutes at least. Then, shape the minced meat mixture into balls, smaller than tennis balls, flatten them out and arrange them on a tin, lined with baking parchment. Drizzle with a little olive oil and bake the patties in an oven preheated to 180 C (350 F) for 35-40 minutes or until they are cooked through.
Serve with lemon wedges and a green salad.
ORZO WITH MINCE MEAT SAUCE
Children love this dish.
Minced meat sauce:
750 g (1.5 lb) minced veal
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion chopped
1 carrot peeled and grated
1- 2 liqueur glasses brandy
500 ml (2 cups) fresh or tinned tomato pulp
250 ml (1 cup) hot water
1 tsp sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
A cinnamon stick
500 g (1 lb) medium sized orzo
A tbsp of butter or
1 tbsp olive oil
500 ml (2 cups) tasty meat stock
Grated cheese
Saute the meat in olive oil, stirring until it changes colour. Add the grated onion and carrot and simmer, stirring, for 5-7 minutes more, then pour in the brandy and cook and stir for 3-4 minutes until the alcohol evaporates. Then, add the tomato pulp, water, sugar, salt and pepper to taste and the cinnamon stick. Cover the saucepan and simmer very, very gently for 35-40 minutes or until the meat is thoroughly cooked. Taste, season accordingly if necessary and discard the cinnamon.
Meanwhile, heat the oven to 180 C (350 F). Saute the orzo in butter or olive oil, stirring constantly. Pour in the hot meat stock and cook for 5-7 minutes. Then, mix the pasta with the minced meat sauce very well together, in a oven-proof dish, and bake for 15 minutes more or until the orzo is cooked to perfection.
Sprinkle the orzo with grated cheese and serve it with sauteed carrots and peas.
APPLE CRUMBLE
This is a lovely dessert that Joy often prepares because she loves apples.
Filling:
1.5 kg (3 lb) Bramble or Golden Delicious apples, pealed, cored sliced and sprinkled with
2 tbsp cornflour
6 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tbsp orange juice mixed with
2 tbsp lemon juice
Crumble:
500 g (1 lb) plain flour
330 g (11 oz) cold butter
330 g (11 oz) brown sugar
A good pinch of salt
Place the apples in a buttered oven-proof dish, leaving no gaps, and drizzle them evenly over with orange/lemon juice mixture.
For the crumble, place all the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until the mixture resembles wet sand. Do not over process. Spoon it over the apples, making a pile in the centre and even the surface, pressing it hard with the back of a fork.
Bake in an oven, preheated to 180 C (350 F) for about 35 minutes until the crumble is golden and the apples soft, when pierced with a knife.
Serve the apple crumble with whipped cream or vanilla ice-cream.
VANILLA ICE-CREAM
I don't remember who gave us this wonderful recipe.
Vanilla ice-cream can be served plain or covered with a hot chocolate ganache or as a delectable "accompaniment" to various chocolate cakes and fruit desserts.
375 g (1.5 cup) single cream
1/2 a vanilla bean or
1 tsp vanilla extract* (please see below)
8 egg yolks
125 g (4 oz + 1 tbsp) sugar
A pinch of salt
250 ml (1 cup) double cream whipped to the soft peak stage
Bring the single cream and the vanilla bean almost to the boil *(if using vanilla extract add it later) and remove the saucepan from the heat.
Meanwhile, whip the egg yolks with the sugar and salt until the mixture falls from the lifted beaters in a "lazy ribbon" pattern, and is pale and fluffy. Discard the vanilla bean and pour the hot cream slowly into the whipped egg yolks, beating constantly.
Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until it turns into a custard that lightly coats the back of the spoon. Do not allow it to boil. *Now is the the time to stir in the vanilla extract, if using. Strain the custard through a fine sieve, into a bowl and allow it to cool to room temperature. Then gently, but thoroughly, fold in the whipped cream.
Cover the bowl with cling film and place it in the freezer for an hour. Then, whisk the custard, cover the bowl and return it to the freezer. After two hours whisk the ice-cream once more. When it is almost firm, whisk for the last time, transfer it it to a freezing container, cover with the lid and freeze until completely firm. Alternately, prepare the ice-cream in an ice-cream machine and freeze following the manufacturers instructions.
European leaders are anxious that the spread of slanderous false stories could sway public opinion, as in the coming months seven countries of the Union are facing elections. Unexpected, negative results could transform Europe to the worse, leading to overwhelming and unforeseen outcomes.
But even in the past, cheap journalism, in newspapers and television shows, was a severe hazard to democracy with serious implications.
There have been efforts to retaliate against false news through new sites that publish true events (not fabricated gossip) that have been checked for absolute accuracy before being posted. There is one British site called Brexit Justice by Markus Ball that intends to bring all who are spreading false news, in the United Kingdom, to justice. How wonderful if more bloggers around the world would follow Mr. Ball's inspired endeavours.
My beautiful granddaughter Joy gave me the recipes for the following dishes, "which reminded her of home" and that she often prepared when she went to England to study psychology. Joy has a very sweet personality, she is talented, attractive and very near to my heart. After two Masters degrees, she is now undertaking a Doctorate in Counseling Psychology at the University of Surrey and we are all extremely proud of her!!
ROAST CHICKEN WITH POTATOES
This is dish is very easy to prepare.
1 chicken, about 1.250 kg (2 1/2 lb) trimmed
500 g (1 lb) or more potatoes peeled and cut into wedges
2 lemons the juice and 2 twists of peel
Salt and pepper to taste
Fresh oregano or thyme, leaves only
2 small twigs of oregano or thyme or
2 small twigs of rosemary, if preferred
125 ml (1/2 cup) or more olive oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled and bruised
Hot chicken stock to cover
Drench the potatoes with lemon juice sprinkle with salt, freshly ground black pepper, a little oregano or thyme, drizzle with the olive oil and place in a roasting tin that holds them comfortably. Pour in enough chicken stock to just cover the potatoes.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180 C (350 F) and rub the cavities of the chicken with salt, pepper and lemon juice and place a garlic clove, a twist of lemon peel and a herb twig into each cavity. Tie the legs of the chicken well together and also tie the skin around the neck with the wings and tightly secure them at the back of the bird. Sprinkle the chicken with salt, place it over the potatoes and cover the tin, first with baking parchment and then with foil.
Roast for 45 minutes or until the chicken and potatoes are tender. Remove the foil and parchment and roast for 12-15 minutes more or until the chicken is crisp and potatoes are slightly brown around the edges. Remove the strings from the chicken, and with a sharp knife slice the breasts and separate the thighs from the drumsticks.
Serve with a large salad or sauteed vegetables of your choice.
VEAL COOKED IN A THICK TOMATO SAUCE
(Mosharaki Kokkinisto)
 |
| Kokkinisto With Chips |
This is a delicious traditional dish.
1 kg (2 lb) veal, cut into serving pieces
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
125 ml (1/2 cup) Mavrodaphne or any other sweet red wine
500 ml (2 cups) fresh or tinned tomato pulp
500 ml (2 cups) hot meat stock
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 tsp sugar
1 bay leaf
Saute the meat in olive oil until slightly brown and remove to a dish with a slotted spoon. Add the onion and stir over low heat until soft. Arrange the sauteed meat on top of the onions, pour in the sweet red wine and cook, stirring for a few minutes until the alcohol evaporates.
Then add the tomato pulp and the hot meat stock. Season with salt, freshly ground pepper and sugar, add the bay leaf, cover the saucepan and simmer gently for 1 - 1.5 hours or until the meat is tender and the sauce thick. If the sauce doesn't seem thick enough, remove the meat and cook the sauce until it reaches the required density. Discard the bay leaf, return the meat into the saucepan, taste and season accordingly, and simmer for 5 minutes more until piping hot.
Serve with chips, mashed potatoes or any pasta of your choice.
MEAT PATTIES
(Biftekia)
 |
| Succulent Biftekia Served with Lemon Wedges |
This is a very popular Greek dish and can be prepared with many different sauces.
500 g (1 lb) minced veal
2 thick slices of bread soaked in white wine and squeezed dry
1 large onion, sauteed in water and a little olive oil until soft
1 egg
A little hot water
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Grated nutmeg
A little olive oil
Place all the ingredients for the biftekia in a large bowl and mix everything well together. Cover the bowl with cling film and refrigerate for 30 minutes at least. Then, shape the minced meat mixture into balls, smaller than tennis balls, flatten them out and arrange them on a tin, lined with baking parchment. Drizzle with a little olive oil and bake the patties in an oven preheated to 180 C (350 F) for 35-40 minutes or until they are cooked through.
Serve with lemon wedges and a green salad.
ORZO WITH MINCE MEAT SAUCE
 |
| Orzo Bolognese |
Children love this dish.
Minced meat sauce:
750 g (1.5 lb) minced veal
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion chopped
1 carrot peeled and grated
1- 2 liqueur glasses brandy
500 ml (2 cups) fresh or tinned tomato pulp
250 ml (1 cup) hot water
1 tsp sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
A cinnamon stick
500 g (1 lb) medium sized orzo
A tbsp of butter or
1 tbsp olive oil
500 ml (2 cups) tasty meat stock
Grated cheese
Saute the meat in olive oil, stirring until it changes colour. Add the grated onion and carrot and simmer, stirring, for 5-7 minutes more, then pour in the brandy and cook and stir for 3-4 minutes until the alcohol evaporates. Then, add the tomato pulp, water, sugar, salt and pepper to taste and the cinnamon stick. Cover the saucepan and simmer very, very gently for 35-40 minutes or until the meat is thoroughly cooked. Taste, season accordingly if necessary and discard the cinnamon.
Meanwhile, heat the oven to 180 C (350 F). Saute the orzo in butter or olive oil, stirring constantly. Pour in the hot meat stock and cook for 5-7 minutes. Then, mix the pasta with the minced meat sauce very well together, in a oven-proof dish, and bake for 15 minutes more or until the orzo is cooked to perfection.
Sprinkle the orzo with grated cheese and serve it with sauteed carrots and peas.
APPLE CRUMBLE
This is a lovely dessert that Joy often prepares because she loves apples.
Filling:
1.5 kg (3 lb) Bramble or Golden Delicious apples, pealed, cored sliced and sprinkled with
2 tbsp cornflour
6 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tbsp orange juice mixed with
2 tbsp lemon juice
Crumble:
500 g (1 lb) plain flour
330 g (11 oz) cold butter
330 g (11 oz) brown sugar
A good pinch of salt
Place the apples in a buttered oven-proof dish, leaving no gaps, and drizzle them evenly over with orange/lemon juice mixture.
For the crumble, place all the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until the mixture resembles wet sand. Do not over process. Spoon it over the apples, making a pile in the centre and even the surface, pressing it hard with the back of a fork.
Bake in an oven, preheated to 180 C (350 F) for about 35 minutes until the crumble is golden and the apples soft, when pierced with a knife.
Serve the apple crumble with whipped cream or vanilla ice-cream.
VANILLA ICE-CREAM
 |
| Basic Vanilla Ice-Cream |
 |
| Apple Crumble with Vanilla Ice-Cream |
 |
| Brownie with Vanilla Ice-Cream and Chocolate Ganache |
I don't remember who gave us this wonderful recipe.
Vanilla ice-cream can be served plain or covered with a hot chocolate ganache or as a delectable "accompaniment" to various chocolate cakes and fruit desserts.
375 g (1.5 cup) single cream
1/2 a vanilla bean or
1 tsp vanilla extract* (please see below)
8 egg yolks
125 g (4 oz + 1 tbsp) sugar
A pinch of salt
250 ml (1 cup) double cream whipped to the soft peak stage
Bring the single cream and the vanilla bean almost to the boil *(if using vanilla extract add it later) and remove the saucepan from the heat.
Meanwhile, whip the egg yolks with the sugar and salt until the mixture falls from the lifted beaters in a "lazy ribbon" pattern, and is pale and fluffy. Discard the vanilla bean and pour the hot cream slowly into the whipped egg yolks, beating constantly.
Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until it turns into a custard that lightly coats the back of the spoon. Do not allow it to boil. *Now is the the time to stir in the vanilla extract, if using. Strain the custard through a fine sieve, into a bowl and allow it to cool to room temperature. Then gently, but thoroughly, fold in the whipped cream.
Cover the bowl with cling film and place it in the freezer for an hour. Then, whisk the custard, cover the bowl and return it to the freezer. After two hours whisk the ice-cream once more. When it is almost firm, whisk for the last time, transfer it it to a freezing container, cover with the lid and freeze until completely firm. Alternately, prepare the ice-cream in an ice-cream machine and freeze following the manufacturers instructions.
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