SUMMER RECIPES

I'm giving below several summer recipes which I hope you will love preparing and serving to your family and friends.

                                                       MELITZANOSALATA

This is an aubergine salad which does not have the consistency of a mayonnaise, and is delicious and comforting.

1 ½ kg (3 lb) aubergines

4 spring onions, trimmed and finely sliced

1 garlic cloves. peeled and minced

1 large tomato, peeled, deseeded and cubed

Extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste

½ cup chopped parsley leaves only

Prick the aubergines and bake them, in an oven preheated to 180 C (350 F), until soft and charred.

Peel the aubergines, while still hot, chop the flesh into small pieces and place in a bowl.  Add all the other ingredients and fold in remaining ingredients.  Taste and season accordingly.

Serve in a bowl garnished with Kalamata olives and extra parsley.

                    AUBERGINES, COURGETTES AND PEPPES IN TOMATO ASPIC

This is a summer dish when vegetables and herbs are at their very best.

3 aubergines, the long variety

3 tbsp olive oil

4-5 medium-sized courgettes

2 sage sprigs

Salt and pepper to taste

2-3 pickled red Florina peppers, from a jar

500 ml (2 cups) fresh tomato juice

15 g (½ oz) powdered gelatine

1 large clove garlic, bruised

1 tbsp fresh basil, chopped

2 tbsp chopped parsley

1 tbsp tarragon vinegar

1 tbsp honey or more

Salt to taste

A few drops tobacco sauce

Parsley for garnish

Line a 25 cm (10 inches) loaf tin with cling film and brush it with olive oil.  Slice 2 of the aubergines, thinly, lengthwise and sprinkle with salt.   After five minutes, rinse, dry and sauté in olive oil and 2-3 spoons of water and set aside to drain on kitchen paper.

Peel the remaining aubergine and cut it into cubes, follow the same procedure as above and reserve.  Slice the courgettes, lengthwise, and simmer in salted water with the sage until tender. Dry on kitchen paper and site aside.  Also, prepare the Florina peppers, cut into quarters, pat dry and reserve.

Simmer the tomato juice, gently, for 15 minutes with the garlic, tobacco, vinegar, honey and salt.  Discard the garlic, and taste for seasoning and adjust.  Soften the gelatine in a little iced water and add into the hot tomato juice and stir well until dissolved.   Pour a little into the loaf tin, garnish with parsley leaves and refrigerate until set.

Line the loaf tin with the aubergine slices, leaving about 5 cm (2 inches) hanging over the sides.   Pour a little tomato juice over and refrigerate and let it set.  Add the courgettes, sprinkle with 1/3 of the herbs, cover with tomato juice, refrigerate and let it set once more.  Continue the same procedure with layers of Florina peppers and cubed aubergines, sprinkled with herbs and covered with tomato juice.  Cover with the overhanging aubergine slices and cling film and chill for at least 6 hours.

Reverse on a serving dish, on a bed of crisp lettuce leaves, sprinkle with parsley and drizzle, with a little olive oil.   Serve with feta cheese, warm brown bread and a glass of white wine.

                                                       SHRIMP SALAD

Prepare this tasty and refreshing summer salad for your family and friends.

1 kg (1 lb) medium-sized shrimps, shelled, deveined thoroughly washed and patted dry

1½ cup threaded ad finely chopped celery

Lemon juice to taste

½ cup finely chopped red bell peppers

6 tbsp mayonnaise

Salt and pepper to taste

1 head of romaine lettuce, trimmed, thoroughly washed and patted dry

2 bunches of wild rocket, trimmed, thoroughly washed and patted dry

Avocado wedges and baby tomatoes for garnish

3-4 chive stalks, finely chopped

Extra virgin olive oil

Simmer the shrimps in salted water until they just turn pink because if they are overboiled they become rubbery and unpleasant to eat.  Then quickly strain and transfer to a bowl. Add the celery, lemon juice, red bell peppers, mayonnaise and salt and white pepper to taste.   Mix well and taste, adding extra seasoning and mayonnaise if necessary.  Cover the bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Arrange the lettuce leaves and the wild rocket in a large salad bowl.   Spoon the shrimp salad evenly on top,  garnish with avocado wedges and baby tomatoes, sprinkle with chopped chives and drizzle with olive oil and serve immediately.

                 TOMATOES AND PEPPERS STUFFED WITH CRACKED WHEAT

Cracked wheat is used in Mediterranean cooking for the last 4000 years.  A well-known Greek manufacturer, who produces cracked wheat, mentions that it has a high nutritional value as it contains proteins, vitamins and vegetable fibres.   Cracked wheat is used in Greek cooking instead of rice.

6 medium-sized tomatoes, ripe but firm

2 medium-sized yellow peppers

2 medium-sized orange peppers

2 medium-sized green peppers

Stuffing:

1 medium-sized onion, peeled and finely chopped

2-3 spring onions trimmed and finely sliced

1 medium-sized aubergine, peeled cubed and sautéed in  olive oil

12-14 tbsp cracked wheat, soaked and drained

1 cup parsley finely chopped

½ -1 tbsp mint, finely chopped

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Cayenne pepper to taste

Slice the stem part of each pepper, discard the seeds and sprinkle with salt and pepper cup.  Proceed the same way with the tomatoes, remove the tomato flesh and sprinkle each cup with salt, pepper and sugar.

In a large bowl, cube the tomato flesh, add the onions,  aubergine, cracked wheat, herbs, 2 tbsp olive oil and salt, black pepper, and Cayenne pepper to taste.  Mix everything well together and stuff the vegetables with the mixture.

Arrange the stuffed vegetables in a shallow ovenproof casserole.  Pour in 2 cups of vegetable stock the remaining olive oil and cover with baking parchment and the lid.  Simmer gently until the cracked wheat is almost cooked.  Remove the lid and parchment and bake in a moderate oven preheated to 180 C (35) F) for 20-25 minutes or until the vegetables are slightly brown.

  

                     VEGAN PHYLLO POUCHES FILLED WITH VEGETABLES

                   

                          

                                     

You can use any vegetables that combine well for this vegetarian dish.  Children just love it!

3 medium courgettes, thinly sliced

2 large potatoes, cubed and parboiled in vegetable stock

2 medium carrots, cubed and parboiled in vegetable stock

2 tender celery stalks, trimmed and chopped

2 spring onions, chopped

1 clove garlic, bruised

1/8 tsp Cayenne pepper

2  tbsp olive oil or more if preferred 

6 sheets of phyllo pastry
Melted butter

1-2 tbsp fine dried breadcrumbs

6 spring onion stalks blanched until pliable or

6 chive stalks

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

Sprinkle the vegetables with Cayenne, and stir again.   Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and freshly ground pepper, if necessary.  

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

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

                                                      CANDIED BANANAS

This makes lovely trimmings for beef and ham dishes.

Syrup:

375 ml (1½ cup) water

55 g (¼ cup) brown sugar

A pinch of cinnamon

A pinch of salt

5 ripe but firm bananas, thickly sliced

Prepare the syrup by boiling all the ingredients together for 2-3 minutes until the sugar melts.   Add the bananas and simmer until soft, but not falling apart. Remove from the syrup and serve with meat or cheese.

                                RENEE’S LEMON CAKE WITH LEMON ICING

My beloved Mother used to often prepare this fabulous cake, which has a lovely texture and aroma.   You can either ice it or cut it in half and fill it with lemon cream. I usually double the ingredients

 

 Cake:

150 g (5 oz) self-raising flour (300 g)

120 g (4 oz) butter softened (240 g)

120 g (4 oz) sugar (240 g)

2 eggs (4 eggs)

1 egg yolk (2 egg yolks)

1¼ tsp lemon juice (2 ½ tsp)

Grated rind of 1 lemon (2 lemons)

Lemon Icing:

4 tsp lemon juice

1 tbsp water

Grated rind of a small lemon

Enough icing sugar to make a smooth runny icing (about a 1¾ cup)

120 g (4 oz) icing sugar

Lemon Cream Filling:

395 g (13 oz plus) 1 tin sweet condensed milk

3-4 tbsp lemon juice

1½ tbsp grated lemon rind

Mix all the ingredients together and beat for 2 minutes.   Pour in a prepared tin and bake in a moderately hot oven, preheated to190 C (275 F) degrees for about 35-40 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean.

While the cake is cooling, mix all the ingredients for the icing together until a smooth, runny icing is obtained.   Prick the warm cake all over with a skewer and pour the icing over.  Leave the cake in the tin until completely cold.

Alternately, cut the cake in half.  Spread one half of the cake with lemon cream filling, sandwich it with the second half and refrigerate. Serve sprinkled with icing sugar.

(Prepare the filling by mixing all the ingredients, very well together, until thick and creamy).

                                             ICED PINEAPPLE DESSERT

 This was one of my favourite desserts when I was young.  It was served on a thick sheet of ice, with mint leaves and lemon slices trapped within.   On the top, it was beautifully garnished with a cloud of wisps of golden caramel. A real work of art!    Below is my latest effort, without the ice and the caramel wisps, and as I have mentioned before, I never quite manage to copy the delicious savour of my memories.   But I’ll keep on trying!

500 g (1 lb) thick cream, whipped to the soft peak stage

One 560g (1 lb 2oz) tin pineapple pieces (350g/ample 11½ oz fruit – 210g /7oz

                                                                                         natural juice)

2 tbsp or more sugar

A good pinch of salt                       

    

7 sheets gelatine soaked in iced water

One 395 g (13oz +) tin sweetened condensed milk

2 tbsp lemon juice or more

The grated rind of 1 lemon

250 g (½ lb) thick Greek yoghurt, whipped until smooth

         

Simmer the contents of the pineapple tin with the sugar and salt for 10 minutes. Strain and cool a little.  Squeeze the gelatine sheets and dissolve them thoroughly in the hot juice.

Meanwhile, combine the sweetened condensed milk with lemon juice and grated lemon rind, add it to the gelatine mixture and stir well.   Add the yoghurt and allow the mixture to cool completely.

Finally, fold in the whipped cream, in portions, and mix until well combined.   Line a loaf tin with cling film and garnish the base attractively, with a few pineapple pieces.   Add 2-3 ladlefuls of the cream mixture over.  Scatter more pineapple evenly on top.   Mask with the remaining cream and push in the rest of the fruit.   Cover completely with the overhanging cling film and freeze for 4 hours at least.

Place the dessert in the fridge one hour before serving.  Reverse on a serving dish and garnish attractively with pineapple bits, mint leaves or a flower.





                                                       MASTIC PANNA COTTA

A delicious dessert and very easy to prepare. 

100 g (3.5 oz) full milk
600 g (10 oz) thick cream (35% fatty acids)
60 g (2 oz) sugar
10 g (.35 oz) gelatine powder
10 g (.35 oz) mastic oil

Any favourite spoon sweet


Heat the milk and cream to the tiniest simmer.  Remove from the heat, and stir in the gelatine, sugar and mastic oil very well together, until the sugar and gelatine have completely dissolved.   Pour into individual glasses and ice for 3 hours at least.  


Serve with your favourite spoon sweet. 

Red Roses for You dear Reader