HOME COOKING FOR OUR PLEASURE AND SATISFACTION

Let us cook tasty food to comfort us during these very hard times times

                                            LETTUCE SOUP

This is a delightful soup.

1 cos lettuce

2 round lettuces, the light green part only, roughly chopped

1 medium-sized potato, peeled and chopped

150 g (1 cup) peas, preferably fresh or good quality frozen

1 medium onion, peeled and chopped

750 ml (3 cups) vegetable or chicken stock

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp chopped parsley

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Cream or

Greek yoghurt

Sprigs of mint

Sauté the vegetables in olive oil until wilted.  Pour in the hot stock and simmer until the vegetables are very soft.  Blend and reheat the soup.  If it seems too thick, thin it down with stock or milk.

Serve the soup with a spoonful of cream or yoghurt and a sprig of mint.

                                    SPAGHETTI AND TUNNY FISH SALAD

     

A lovely pasta salad which is really a full meal.

500 g (1 lb) spaghetti, boiled al dente in a tasty vegetable stock, strained, drizzled with

1 tbsp olive oil and swirled

300 g (10 oz) tinned tunny fish in water, strained and flaked

150 g (5 oz) green peas, boiled for 5 minutes and strained

150 g (5 oz) tinned corn, strained

Vinaigrette:

1 tbsp apple vinegar

1 tbsp French mustard

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce 

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

(Mix the first 4 ingredients well together then pour in the olive oil and  whip until thick)

Place the boiled spaghetti in a large flat bowl, sprinkle the flaked tunny fish, green peas and corn evenly over.  
Drizzle with the vinaigrette toss and serve and kali orexi!

                     PHYLLO POUCHES FILLED WITH VEGETABLES AND CHEESE

                           

This is a delightful vegetarian dish.   Children just love it.

3 medium courgettes, scraped and finely sliced

2 large potatoes, peeled, cubed and parboiled in vegetable stock

2 medium-sized carrots, peeled cubed and parboiled in vegetable stock

2 tender celery stalks, trimmed and chopped

2 spring onions, trimmed and finely sliced

1 clove garlic, peeled and bruised

120 g (4 oz) feta, grated

3 tbsp kephalotyri, San Mihalis or Parmesan, grated

125 ml (½ cup) olive oil or

125 ml (½ cup) melted butter

1/8 tsp Cayenne pepper6 sheets phyllo pastry

1-2 tbsp dried breadcrumbs

6 spring onion stalks, blanched until pliable or

6 chive stalks

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Sauté the courgette, spring onions, celery and garlic in 2 tbsp olive oil, add the potatoes and carrots
and cook gently, until the vegetables are tender.  Use some of the stock from the potatoes and the
carrots if necessary.

Sprinkle the vegetables with both kinds of grated cheese and stir until the feta melts, then sprinkle
with cayenne pepper and stir again.  Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt if necessary, and freshly
ground black pepper.  Discard the garlic.

Line an ovenproof dish with baking parchment.  Fold each phyllo sheet in two, breadthwise, and cut
it into equal pieces.  Brush each piece with olive oil or butter  Place one piece of phyllo on top of the
other, forming a cross and sprinkle with breadcrumbs.

Add 1/6 of the filling in the centre of each phyllo piece, bring the ends together and tie with the spring
onion or chive stalks, to form a pouch.  Brush the pouches with melted butter and bake in an oven
 preheated to 190 C (375 F) until the pastry turns crisp and golden.  Serve with a green salad of your
choice.

     

                                              CELERIAC AND POTATO PUREE

This is a lovely combination.

1 kg (2 lb) potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks

½ kg (1 lb) celeriac, peeled and cut into chunks

2-3 tbsp butter

Milk

Salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste

Grated nutmeg

Boil the vegetables until soft, strain and mash well, then stir in the butter and milk and season with salt, pepper
and nutmeg.  As the celeriac discolours easily, peel it at the last moment before boiling.

Serve with any meat or poultry dish.

   

          

                                                 SMOKED SALMON TART

A delightful tart.

2 spring onions, trimmed and finely chopped

1 tbsp chopped dill

3 medium-sized eggs whipped with

200 ml (4/5 cup) cream

First, prepare the pastry.  Whisk the yoghurt and the egg until smooth.  Add the olive oil and stir until very
well combined.Stir in the 250 g of the flour, adding the rest gradually until you have a stiff dough.   Cover
the dough and refrigerate for 30 minutes at least.

Meanwhile, heat the oven to 180 C (350 F), roll out the dough, thinly, between two pieces of baking
parchment and line a buttered 30 cm (almost 12 inches) tart dish.   Cut the pastry that is hanging over the
sides of the dish and crimp the sides into a pretty pattern.   Pierce the dough with a fork all over, cover with
crimpled foil and bake blind for 10 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for 5 minutes more.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

Then, place the smoked salmon and the spring onion pieces evenly over the cold tart and sprinkle the chopped
dill over. Pour in the egg and cream mixture and bake for 30 minutes in an oven preheated to 180 C (350 F)
until puffed and golden.

Serve with a green salad.

                                         RED MULLET MARINARA

 Fish cooked this way will keep about 10 days in the fridge.  You may use other kinds of fish like mackerel  or
sardines to cook this dish.

1 kg (2 lb) red mullet, scaled, cleaned washed and patted dry

1 lemon, juice only

Flour seasoned with salt and pepper

1 tbsp crushed rosemary leaves

125 ml (½ cup) wine vinegar

500 ml (2 cups) water or more of necessary

1 tsp sugar

2 cloves garlic, mashed

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 heaped tsp tomato paste diluted in two tbsp wine

 Marinate the red mullet in lemon juice for 15 minutes.  Then dredge the fish in seasoned flour and fry in batches
 in hot olive oil.  Drain the fish on kitchen paper, arrange them on a deep serving dish and keep hot.


Pour the olive oil into the frying pan, stir in the flour and the crushed rosemary and cook, stirring, until the flour
turns light brown.  Add the vinegar, water, salt, pepper and garlic, whisking until the sauce thickens.  Simmer gently
for 10-12 minutes and add extra hot water, stirring from time to time.   

Taste and add, salt, pepper and sugar, if necessary.  It should have a robust, tangy taste.   If you wish to improve the
colour, add the diluted tomato paste and cook for 5 minutes more.

Pour the sauce over the fish and serve garnished with fresh rosemary sprigs.   

    

                                             MEAT PATTIES WITH MARJORAM

Cephalonia is one of the few places in Greece where marjoram is used for cooking.

500 g (1 lb) minced beef

2 thick slices day-old bread, soaked in water and squeezed dry

2 tbsp mustard

1 small onion, grated

1 tbsp chopped marjoram

2 tbsp chopped parsley

1 egg yolk

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Mild tasting olive oil for frying

Place all the ingredients in a large bowl, season with salt and pepper and mix very with your hands until well
 combined. Shape into patties and sauté in olive oil for 3-5 minutes on each side or until browned and cooked
through.

Serve with a potato salad and a green salad of your choice.  

                                           VEGAN CHOCOLATE CAKE No II

This is a fudgy, moist chocolate cake of which I have no words.

195 g (1 ½ cups) self-raising flour

65 g (½ cup) cocoa powder

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

225 g (1 cup + 2 tbsp) sugar

Pinch of salt

Tiny pinch of Cayenne pepper

1/3 cup sunflower oil

1 vanilla

1½ tsp balsamic vinegar

1 cup of water

Icing sugar for dusting over 

Preheat oven to 180 C (350F) and line the base of a  round tin with oiled baking parchment.  Also, brush the
sides of the tin with oil.

Mix all the dry ingredients together and stir in the wet ingredients until well combined and smooth.   Scrape
the batter into the prepared tin and bake for about 35-40 minutes or until the cake shrinks from the edges of
the tin and a tester inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean.

Reverse on a dish and serve dusted with icing sugar. 

Red Roses by Karen Winters