DELICIOUS GOURMET SOUPS, APPETISERS, MAIN DISHES AND DESSERTS

For me, one of the most gratifying acts in this life is to cook healthy, tasty and satisfying meals for my beloved family and my dear friends.  Please find below some recipes for a few dishes which I hope you will enjoy preparing and eating.

                                             EGG AND LEMON SOUP

    

                  

                                                     

         

 Avgolemono, a typically Greek soup, is prepared according to taste.  For a smooth and creamy soup use beaten egg yolks only, if a frothy texture is preferred, use whole eggs, yolks and whites whipped separately.

2 litres (8 cups plus) tasty chicken, meat or fish stock

6 level tbsp short grain rice

3 egg yolks or

2 eggs, separated, whites whipped into soft peaks

1 lemon, juice only

Salt and pepper to taste

Bring the stock to the boil, stir in the rice, lower the heat and simmer until the rice is soft. (15-20 minutes).  Remove the saucepan from the heat.

Beat the egg yolks and if whole eggs are used, fold in the whites add the lemon juice and stir gently.  Very slowly pour 1½ - 2 cups hot stock into the egg mixture, beating constantly, and pour, slowly, back into the saucepan and swirl. 

Return the saucepan to low heat and keep stirring.  Don’t let the soup boil!  Taste and add more salt, freshly ground pepper and lemon juice, if necessary.

                                        SHRIMPS WITH SAFFRON RICE

A delicious dish which I hope you will enjoy.

62.5 ml (1/2 cup) olive oil
20 shrimps, heads removed, shelled, deveined and thoroughly washed ( reserve the heads and shells)
1 clove garlic, peeled and chopped
1 onion, peeled and grated
1 red bell pepper, deseeded and diced
1 yellow bell pepper, deseeded and diced
1 orange bell pepper, deseeded and diced
2 cups of long-grain rice
2 tomatoes, peeled, deseeded and chopped
2 tbsp  finely chopped parsley
4 cups vegetable stock boiled with reserved heads and shells of the shrimps
3 threads of saffron
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.


First, boil the shrimp heads and shells in the vegetable stock until the heads are cooked,  45 minutes -  to 1 hour.  Strain the stock and add enough hot water to fill 4 cups.

Saute onion, garlic and peppers for 3-4 minutes.  Add the rice and saute until shiny, add the tomatoes and pour in the vegetable-shrimp stock.  Season to taste, lower the heat and simmer gently, partially covered, for 12 - 13 minutes until the rice is almost soft.  Stir in the shrimps and parsley and simmer for 5 minutes more.

Serve with a  zesty green salad.






                                            ZESTY GREEN SALAD

I have no words for this salad.


2 cos lettuces
1 round heart lettuce
1 endive
1 bunch of wild rocket (all washed, dried and torn into bite-sized pieces)
2 spring onions, trimmed and sliced diagonally or
1 tbsp chives, snipped

Dressing:
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp or more of balsamic vinegar with orange and lemon
A few drops of lemon juice
1 coffee spoon Dijon mustard
1 coffee spoon honey
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
(Mix all the ingredients well together until thick)


Place all the vegetables in a salad bowl, drizzle with the dressing and serve immediately.






                            BEEF BRAZED IN RED WINE AND VEGETABLES

A scrumptious Sunday dish.

1.500 g (2 1/2 lbs) blade stake
80 g  (2.8 oz) olive oil
10 baby carrots, peeled
300 g (10 oz) pearl onions, peeled
60 g (2 oz) plain flour
1 bouquet garni (a small spring onion+ 1 bay leaf + 1 parsley sprig + 1 thyme sprig all tied together)
2 cloves garlic, peeled
2 liqueur glasses METAXA brandy
500 ml (2 cups) red wine
800 ml (3.4 cups) beef stock
375 g (1/2 lb 8 oz) mushrooms
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste


Cut the meat into bite-sized pieces and saute them with a little olive oil.  Then add the carrots and pearl onions and cook for 2 minutes more.  Sift in the flour and cook 3-4 minutes to prevent the taste of raw flour.  Pour in the brandy and wine and cook until the alcohol evaporates, then add the stock,  the garlic and the bouquet garni.  Lower the heat, partly cover the saucepan, and simmer gently for about 2 hours or until the meat is tender.

Meanwhile,  40 minutes before the meat is tender, saute the mushrooms in olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, tip into the saucepan with the meat and continue cooking until the meat is done and the sauce thickens. Discard the bouquet garni, sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve with smashed potatoes and cream.




                                    SMASHED POTATOES WITH CREAM

A very tasty potato dish.

600 g (1 lb 3 oz) unpeeled potatoes

2 garlic cloves

5 sage leaves

2 tbsp butter

A pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

312 ½ ml (1¼ cups) hot cream

1 small twig of sage

Salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste

Boil the unpeeled potatoes in salted water with the garlic and sage, strain and when cold enough to handle, peel and thickly slice them.

Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the sliced potatoes, sprinkle with grated nutmeg and stir gently with a wooden spoon.  Pour in the hot cream and the sage twig and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until the cream thickens.   Taste and season with more salt and nutmeg if necessary, and freshly ground white pepper to taste.  Discard the sage and serve in a hot bowl.

                                       BLACK FOREST CHERRY CAKE

This is a fabulous cake.

Cake:

6 medium-sized eggs

300 g (1½ cup) sugar

1 pinch of salt

Vanilla

130 g (1 cup) self-raising flour

45 g (about 1/3 cup) cocoa powder

1½ tsp baking powder

1 tbsp clarified butter (optional)

(Heat the butter very gently, remove the foam and spoon the clear butter into a bowl)

A little more for brushing the cake tin

Syrup:

375 ml (1½ cup) fresh orange juice

2-3 tbsp sugar

2 tbsp Kirsh

Filling:

1 tin poached Morello (sour) cherries, (240 g/8 oz) strained fruit and patted dried or

240 g (8 oz) of fresh cherries, stoned, poached in a light syrup, strained and patted dried

Topping:

500 ml (2 cups) thick cream

75 g (2½ oz) icing sugar

2 tbsp Kirsh

Garnish:

Chocolate curls

2-3 red Maraschino cherries

Preheat the oven to 180 C (350F) and brush a 28 cm (11 inch) round cake tin with clarified butter.

First, prepare the cake.  Whip the eggs, sugar, salt and vanilla together until tripled in bulk.  Sift over the flour and cocoa mixture, a little at a time, gently folding with a flexible spatula.  Finally add the clarified butter, if using.  Pour the batter into the prepared cake tin and bake, for 25-30 minutes or until a tester, inserted in the middle of the cake, comes out clean.  Run a knife around the rim of the tin, and reverse the cake on a rack to cool

Meanwhile, whip cream with icing sugar to stiff peaks. Pour in the Kirsh and whip just until the liqueur is absorbed.

Cut the cake in two equal layers and place the one layer on a round serving dish. Sprinkle evenly with syrup and spread, sparingly, with whipped cream.  Arrange the Morello cherries on top.  Cover gently with the other layer of cake, sprinkle with syrup and cover the top and sides with the remaining whipped cream.  Gently press the chocolate curls into the sides and top of the cake and garnish with 3-4 maraschino cherries. Cover and refrigerate the cake until ready to serve. 

(I wish to thank the chefs Argyro Barbarigou and Alexandros Papandreou  

Flowers in a Vase by Albert Williams