Food is a delight, an ecstasy so let us continue cooking delicious traditional and contemporary dishes for our families and friends. Wonderful meals with good company are nostalgically remembered for many years..
ASTAKOMAKARONATHA
4 tbsp olive oil
2 large onions, peeled and finely chopped
2 garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped
Sasltsnd pepper to taste
2 liqueur glasses METAXA brandy
500 ml (2 cups) dry white wine, I use Santorini Sigalas
1 kg (2 lb) tomatoes, halved, deseeded, grated skins discarded
1 tsp or more sugar
1/8 tsp Cayenne pepper
500 g (1 lb) spaghetti, boiled in salted water until "al dente", drained and drizzled with olive oil and kept hot
1 tbsp chopped parsley or more
In a large saucepan, saute the onion and garlic in olive oil until soft and set aside. Season the lobster halves with salt and pepper and place in the saucepan, flesh touching the bottom of the pan. Add the claws and legs and cook briskly for about 5 minutes until the shells change colour. Then pour in the hot brandy and ignite. When the flames die down, pour in the wine and simmer until the alcohol evaporates. Then add the tomatoes, the sauteed onion and garlic, a pinch of salt and the Cayenne pepper. Stir without disturbing the lobster halves, cover the saucepan and cook very gently for 20- 25 minutes, shaking the saucepan occasionally
With a slotted spoon arrange all the lobster pieces in a heated dish, Remove the meat from the lobster halves, cut into bite-sized pieces and place back into the shells. Also, crack the claws and legs, extract the meat and add them to the lobster shells. and keep hot.
Reduce the sauce until thick, taste for seasoning and adjust accordingly with salt, pepper and sugar if necessary. Drizz;e the lobster with a little sauce..
Add the spaghetti to the remaining sauce and simmer for a moment or two. Place the spaghetti on a heated dish, add the lobster shell on top, Serve sprinkled with chopped parsley and freshly ground black pepper.
MEAT PATTIES
1 kg (2 lb) minced meat
1 onion, peeled and finely grated
1 tomato, halved, deseeded, grated, skins discarded
1 heaped tsp fresh thyme. leaves only
1 heaped tsp fresh marjoram, leaves only
2 dry slices of brown bread, soaked in white wine and slightly squeezed dry
Salt, freshly ground black pepper to taste
Grated nutmeg to taste
2 tbsp olive oil
Slices of kasseri or Cheddar cheese cut into quarters
Mix everything well together, and shape meat patties with a piece of cheese in the middle. Brush the patties with olive oil and grill until cooked through and brown,
POTATO SALAD
A delightful salad with a very interest dressing
2 kg (4 lb) potatoes peeled and boiled in salted water, reserving 1 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid
Dressing:
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 tbsp mustard
1 tsp grated lemon rind
1 sprig parsley, leaves only finely chopped
1 sprig marjoram, leaves only, finely chopped
1 sprig thyme, leaves only, finely chopped
1 sprig chervil, leaves only, finely chopped
Salt and white pepper to taste
1 tbsp lemon juice
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Chopped chives
Place the first 8 ingredients in a small saucepan with the reserved potato cooking liquid and simmer gently until the herbs are slightly cooked. Remove from the heat, beat in the lemon juice and olive oil, pour over the potatoes and toss gently but thoroughly.
CARROT GINGER AND ORANGE SOUP
1 tbsp butter
1 onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 garlic clove, peeled
6 carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped
250 ml (1 cup) fresh orange juice
2 tsp grated ginger
500 ml (2 cups) tasty chicken broth
500 ml (2 cups) water
Salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste
In a large saucepan, sweat the onion in butter for 3-4
minutes until soft. Add the carrots, orange juice, ginger, chicken broth and
water, bring to the boil and simmer gently for 25 minutes or until the carrots
are tender.
Purée the soup with a blender and sieve it back into the
saucepan. Bring it to a very gentle
simmer, taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Cool and serve iced.
ASTAKOMAKARONATHA
4 tbsp olive oil
2 large onions, peeled and finely chopped
2 garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped
Sasltsnd pepper to taste
2 liqueur glasses METAXA brandy
500 ml (2 cups) dry white wine, I use Santorini Sigalas
1 kg (2 lb) tomatoes, halved, deseeded, grated skins discarded
1 tsp or more sugar
1/8 tsp Cayenne pepper
500 g (1 lb) spaghetti, boiled in salted water until "al dente", drained and drizzled with olive oil and kept hot
1 tbsp chopped parsley or more
In a large saucepan, saute the onion and garlic in olive oil until soft and set aside. Season the lobster halves with salt and pepper and place in the saucepan, flesh touching the bottom of the pan. Add the claws and legs and cook briskly for about 5 minutes until the shells change colour. Then pour in the hot brandy and ignite. When the flames die down, pour in the wine and simmer until the alcohol evaporates. Then add the tomatoes, the sauteed onion and garlic, a pinch of salt and the Cayenne pepper. Stir without disturbing the lobster halves, cover the saucepan and cook very gently for 20- 25 minutes, shaking the saucepan occasionally
With a slotted spoon arrange all the lobster pieces in a heated dish, Remove the meat from the lobster halves, cut into bite-sized pieces and place back into the shells. Also, crack the claws and legs, extract the meat and add them to the lobster shells. and keep hot.
Reduce the sauce until thick, taste for seasoning and adjust accordingly with salt, pepper and sugar if necessary. Drizz;e the lobster with a little sauce..
Add the spaghetti to the remaining sauce and simmer for a moment or two. Place the spaghetti on a heated dish, add the lobster shell on top, Serve sprinkled with chopped parsley and freshly ground black pepper.
MEAT PATTIES
1 kg (2 lb) minced meat
1 onion, peeled and finely grated
1 tomato, halved, deseeded, grated, skins discarded
1 heaped tsp fresh thyme. leaves only
1 heaped tsp fresh marjoram, leaves only
2 dry slices of brown bread, soaked in white wine and slightly squeezed dry
Salt, freshly ground black pepper to taste
Grated nutmeg to taste
2 tbsp olive oil
Slices of kasseri or Cheddar cheese cut into quarters
Mix everything well together, and shape meat patties with a piece of cheese in the middle. Brush the patties with olive oil and grill until cooked through and brown,
POTATO SALAD
A delightful salad with a very interest dressing
2 kg (4 lb) potatoes peeled and boiled in salted water, reserving 1 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid
Dressing:
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 tbsp mustard
1 tsp grated lemon rind
1 sprig parsley, leaves only finely chopped
1 sprig marjoram, leaves only, finely chopped
1 sprig thyme, leaves only, finely chopped
1 sprig chervil, leaves only, finely chopped
Salt and white pepper to taste
1 tbsp lemon juice
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Chopped chives
Place the first 8 ingredients in a small saucepan with the reserved potato cooking liquid and simmer gently until the herbs are slightly cooked. Remove from the heat, beat in the lemon juice and olive oil, pour over the potatoes and toss gently but thoroughly.
SAVOURY TOMATO JAM
This is between a relish and a chutney.
1 kg (2 lb) tomatoes peeled seeded and roughly chopped
2 medium peaches, peeled and diced
1 medium onion, peeled and diced
1 garlic clove, peeled
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup brown sugar
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp coriander seeds, toasted
1 tsp cumin seeds, toasted
1 cinnamon stick, toasted
2.5 cm (1 in) ginger, finely grated
62 ½ ml (¼
cup) cider vinegar
Lemon juice
to taste
Place the spices on a piece of cheesecloth and tie into a
pouch with kitchen string.
Put the tomato, peaches, onion, garlic, the two kinds of
sugar, the grated ginger, the lemon juice and the spice pouch in a saucepan and
bring to a boil. Stir frequently to
prevent the jam from sticking to the bottom of the saucepan and simmer very
gently for about an hour until the jam thickens.
Discard the spice pouch, cool and blend the tomato jam until
smooth. Store in the fridge for about a
week.
HERB BREAD
Do make this aromatic, tasty bread!
750 g (3 cups) plain
flour
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 packet active yeast
2 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
2 tbsp snipped chives
1 tbsp chopped thyme leaves
312.5 ml (1 ¼ cups) warm water
2 tbsp butter
Mix 2 cups flour with the sugar, salt and
yeast in a large bowl. Add the herbs
and the warm water and beat slowly adding the remaining cup of flour until
smooth.
Scrape the batter from the ridges of the
bowl cover and let prove for 35 minutes, until doubled in bulk. Punch the dough down, and knead for 3-4
minutes. {lace the dough in a greased
loaf tin, cover and let it rise once more for 30 minutes more or until doubled
in bulk and bake in an oven preheated to 180 C (350 F) for 40-45 minutes. Brush
the top with butter and remove from the pan to cool, before using.
BANANA
AND CHOCOLATE CAKE
An aromatic cake.
175 g (6 oz) caster sugar
175 g (6 oz) self-raising flour
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
4 tbsp cocoa
100 (3.5 oz) finely chopped chocolate
100 ml (3.5 fl oz) sunflower oil or
100 g (3.5oz) melted butter
200 g (7 oz) bananas, mashed
3 medium eggs, separated, whites whipped stiff with a pinch
of salt
50 ml (1.7 fl oz) of milk
Ganache:
250 ml (1 cup) light cream
250 g (1/2 lb) bitter chocolate
2 tbsp Greek honey
Garnish: chocolate curls
Garnish: chocolate curls
Heat oven to 160 C.
Grease and line a tin with buttered baking parchment or alternately use 2 loaf
tins.
Mix all the dry ingredients well
together in a bowl, also mix the wet ingredients well together in another
bowl. Stir the two mixtures together
and gently fold in the whipped egg whites until no traces of white are
evident. Bake for about 1 hour. Cool in the tin/tins, and, finally spread
with chocolate ganache and garnish with chocolate curls
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| Summer Flowers by Olha Darchuk |
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