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| Kites Over the Parthenon |
Clean Monday is the first day of Lent in the Greek Orthodox Church, seven weeks before Easter.
This year, I spent Clean Monday with my son Yiannis, my daughter-in-law Elpida and my youngest grandson, Chistophoros, at their lovely home. It was a great pleasure to see Elpida's parents. her sister Alexandra and her nephew, Antonis. The atmosphere was cheerful with interesting conversation and fabulous food, a day to be remembered.
I'm giving you below a few recipes of the dishes we enjoyed on Clean Monday.
TARAMA MOUSSE
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This is Elpida's way of preparing a delicious tarama mousse.
150 g (5 oz) tarama
2 tbsp water
The juice of 2 lemons or according to taste
450 ml (1 4/5 cup) extra virgin olive oil
Blend the tarama with the water for 2-3 minutes, until smooth. Then, add the olive oil by the teaspoon, alternately with lemon juice until pale and creamy. Place the tarama mousse in a pretty bowl and garnish with parsley.
OCTOPUS COOKED WITH HERBS
This is a recipe for an aromatic octopus dish.
1 1/2 kg (3 lb) octopus, thawed (head removed for this dish), trimmed, beak discarded, thoroughly washed, particularly around the suction cups.
According to Jane Grison in her famous Fish Book, one can tenderise octopus by dipping it into boiling water for three consecutive times. Boil for 8 minutes more and set it aside. When cool enough to handle, remove the dark skin but not the suction cups from the octopus.
Line a small Dutch oven with masses of oregano, thyme, sage, bay leaves, rosemary, garlic cloves, tarragon and basil. Place the octopus on top of the herbs, cover and bake for 1 hour or more until tender, juicy and aromatic.
Cut the octopus into bite-sized pieces and serve with a latholemono dressing or a paprika sauce and a green salad.
LATHOLEMONO DRESSING
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| Ladolemono |
This is a typical Greek salad dressing for both fresh salads and cooked vegetables, horta.
1 tbsp lemon juice
A pinch of salt
1/2 tbsp mustard
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Stir the three first ingredients well together, then pour in the olive oil, whipping constantly, until thick.
PAPRIKA SAUCE
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| Paprika Sauce |
This is a lovely sauce of S. American origin.
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
A pinch of Cayenne pepper, optional
2 tsp roasted garlic paste
125 ml (1/2 cup) coconut milk
1/4 tsp ground cumin seeds to sprinkle over
Mix the first four or five ingredients well together until thick, sprinkle with thickly ground cumin seeds and serve.
PRAWNS COOKED IN TOMATO SAUCE
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| Prawns in Tomato Sauce |
A delightful vegan dish for Lent.
2 tbsp olive oil
1 kg (2b) prawns, shelled, deveined, thoroughly washed and patted dry
4 cloves roasted garlic, peeled
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes or
1/8 tsp Cayenne pepper
Salt to taste
2 medium tomatoes, halved, deseeded, grated, skins discarded
500 g (1 lb) tinned tomato puree
1 tsp sugar if necessary
1 twig fresh rosemary
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives, optional
Saute the prawns, on both sides, in olive oil with red pepper flakes or Cayenne pepper and salt, stirring for about 4-5 minutes until the prawns are just cooked, then transfer them to a plate with a slotted spoon.
Add the grated and tinned tomatoes and the herbs to the saucepan, cover and simmer gently, for about 15-20 minutes or more until the tomatoes are cooked. Taste and season with more salt and pepper and sugar, if needed.
Add the prawns and olives, if using, to the sauce and simmer until piping hot. Do not overcook to prevent the prawns from hardening. Serve over steamed rice or any pasta of your choice.
EGGLESS MAYONNAISE
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| A Tasty Lenten Sauce |
This sauce looks and tastes like real mayonnaise
187.5 ml(¾ cup) water
2¼ tbsp cornflour diluted in a little water
1 tsp salt
½ tsp white pepper
1¼ tsp mustard
2-3 tbsp lemon juice
A pinch of sugar
250 ml (1 cup) extra virgin olive oil or
125 ml (½ cup) extra virgin olive oil and
125 ml (½ cup) sunflower oil
Place the first 4 ingredients in a saucepan and cook gently and stir until a thick sauce is obtained. Remove from the stove and cool. Blend the sauce with the mustard, lemon juice and sugar until well combined. Remove from the blender and stir in the olive oil by the spoonful. Taste and add more lemon juice, salt and pepper if necessary.
CHICKPEA CURRY
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| Add caption |
A dish I love and whose recipe I was given, when we lived in India and Pakistan, so many years ago.
500 g (1 lb) skinned chickpeas, soaked overnight, then boiled in
Vegetable stock with a
Slice of peeled fresh ginger and
1 hot red pepper
1 hot red pepper
(Strain the chickpeas, discard the ginger and pepper but reserve the liquid)
Sauce:
4 onions grated
4 cloves garlic minced
1 tsp olive oil
2 tsp hot curry powder
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp ground coriander seeds
1 tsp ground cinnamon
125 ml (1/2 cup) white wine
500 g (2 cups) vegetable stock
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Cayenne pepper to taste (¼ - ½ tsp), optional
Sauté the onions and garlic with a little water and olive oil, until the onions are soft and the liquid has evaporated. Add the five spices and stir-fry until the whole kitchen is full with their aroma, then pour in the wine and cook for 4 minutes, allowing the alcohol to evaporate. Pour in the vegetable stock and simmer for about 20 minutes, until the sauce is thick.
Add the strained chickpeas to the sauce. Pour in a little of the stock that the chickpeas were boiled in to thin the sauce down if preferred. Taste and sprinkle with Cayenne pepper for extra piquancy, and salt and freshly ground pepper if necessary, and simmer gently for 10 minutes more. Serve with chapattis.
ORZO WITH MUSHROOMS
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| A Delicious Mushroom Youvetsi |
2 tbsp olive oil
2 onions, peeled and chopped
500 g (1 lb) fresh mushrooms, trimmed, wiped and quartered
2 roasted garlic cloves, peeled
1 litre (4 cups) hot tasty vegetable stock or more
2 cups orzo
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Saute the onion in olive oil with a little water until soft. Add the mushrooms, roasted garlic paste and cook until the mushrooms are tender and golden. Pour in the stock and bring to the boil, stir in the orzo, lower the heat and simmer, covered, for about 15-20 minutes, until the pasta is cooked to perfection, adding more stock. if necessary. Taste and season accordingly.
HALVA – GREEK SEMOLINA DESSERT
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| Halva with Almonds |
I was inspired by my dear Alexandra Diakopoulos for preparing this superb dessert. Alexandra is a super Mum, a well-known psychologist, a thoughtful and generous person and moreover, she is one of our Elpida's cherished sisters.
712.5 ml (3 ¾ cups) water
125 ml (½ cup) orange juice
62.3 ml (1/4 cup) Metaxa brandy
200 g (1 cup) white sugar
200 g (1 cup) brown sugar
5 cloves
2 cinnamon sticks
2/3 cup mild olive oil or sunflower oil
2 cups coarsely ground semolina
2/3 cup chopped almonds
Cinnamon powder for dusting
Flaked almonds for garnish
First, prepare the syrup. Bring the six first ingredients to the boil stirring until the sugars dissolve. Remove from the fire to cool a little, then discard the spices.
Heat the oil and the semolina in a large saucepan, over low heat, and cook stirring constantly until the semolina turns golden. Add the almonds and cook gently for a few minute more, giving them time to release their aroma.
Then, pour in the warm syrup, a little at a time, stirring constantly with a long-handled wooden spoon, taking extra care, as the mixture tends to splutter. When all the liquid has been absorbed, remove the saucepan from the stove and cover it for 10 minutes. Press the mixture well into a mould to prevent leaving any gaps, and after two minutes reverse it onto a dish. Serve the halva dusted with cinnamon and sprinkle with flaked almonds.
62.3 ml (1/4 cup) Metaxa brandy
200 g (1 cup) white sugar
200 g (1 cup) brown sugar
5 cloves
2 cinnamon sticks
2/3 cup mild olive oil or sunflower oil
2 cups coarsely ground semolina
2/3 cup chopped almonds
Cinnamon powder for dusting
Flaked almonds for garnish
First, prepare the syrup. Bring the six first ingredients to the boil stirring until the sugars dissolve. Remove from the fire to cool a little, then discard the spices.
Heat the oil and the semolina in a large saucepan, over low heat, and cook stirring constantly until the semolina turns golden. Add the almonds and cook gently for a few minute more, giving them time to release their aroma.
Then, pour in the warm syrup, a little at a time, stirring constantly with a long-handled wooden spoon, taking extra care, as the mixture tends to splutter. When all the liquid has been absorbed, remove the saucepan from the stove and cover it for 10 minutes. Press the mixture well into a mould to prevent leaving any gaps, and after two minutes reverse it onto a dish. Serve the halva dusted with cinnamon and sprinkle with flaked almonds.
VEGAN CHOCOLATE CAKE
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| A Vegan Chocolate Delight |
This is a fudgy, moist chocolate cake of which I have no words.
195 g (1 1/2 cup) self-raising flour
65 g (1/2 cup) cocoa
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
225 g (1 cup + 2 tbs) sugar
A pinch of salt
1 tiny pinch of Cayenne pepper, optional
1/3 cup sunflower oil
1 vanilla
1 1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 cup water
Icing sugar for dusting over
Preheat oven to 180 C (350 F) and line the base of a round cake tin with oiled baking parchment. Also, brush the inside edges of the tin with oil.
Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl and stir in the wet ingredients until well combined and smooth. Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake for about 35-40 minutes or until the cake shrinks from the edges and a tester inserted in the middle of the cake, comes out clean. Serve dusted with icing sugar.
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| Illusions of and Hopes for an Early Spring |
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