RECIPES

 

Here are a few recipes for dishes and sweets which I hope you will enjoy serving.

 

                                                COURGETTE TART

Pastry:

100 g (3.5 oz) butter at room temperature

50g (1.7 oz) feta, crumbled

50 g (1.7 oz) Parmesan, grated

180 g (6,3 oz) self-rising flour

A knob of butter for the dish

 

Filling:

100 g (3,5 oz) Emmenthal or bland kqsseri, grated

100 g (3.5 oz) graviera from Naxos, grated

2 medium courgettes, scraped and thickly grated

2 slices of smoked ham, finely chopped

2 spring onions, trimmed and finely sliced

1 tbsp finely chopped dill

 

4 eggs separated, whites whipped stiff with a pinch of salt

250 ml (1 cup) light cream

Freshly ground black pepper

 

Place all the ingredients for the pastry in a food processor and blend until a ball of dough is formed around the hook. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes at least.  Roll out the dough and line a buttered tart dish with the pastry sheet. Trim and cover with baking parchment and aluminum foil, pressing on the sides to prevent them from collapsing.  Bake in an oven preheated to 180 C (350 F) for 12 minutes and remove from the oven to cool

 

Meanwhile, mix the grated kinds of cheese with the chopped ham and pace them in the pastry case and scatter the courgettes, spring onions and dill evenly over.

 

Whip the egg yolks with the cream and sprinkle with freshly ground pepper.  Gently fold in the whipped egg whites and pour evenly over the filling, not the pastry!  Bake for 35-40 minutes in a moderate oven,  until the filling is puffed and golden.   

 

 

                                                         HUMMOUS

A delicious Middle-Eastern dip.

 

250 g (8,3 oz) chickpeas

1.5 litres (6.3 cups) water

1 tsp salt

 

Juice of 2 lemons

Zest of 1 lemon

100 g (3.5 oz) tahini

1 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp paprika

150 ml     olive oil

Chopped parsley for serving

 

Soak the chickpeas in salted water overnight.  The next day strain the chickpeas and boil them in salted water for 40 minutes to one hour until tender.  Drain them reserving some of the water and place them in a food-processor with the olive oil, lemon juice, and zest garlic, tahini, cumin powder, paprika, and salt and pepper to taste and blend until a soft dip is formed, adding drops of the reserved cooking liquid until the desired consistency is formed,

 

Serve sprinkled with chopped parsley and hot pita bread.

                               CHICKEN DRUMSTICKS WITH MUSHROOMS

A lovely main dish,

600 g (1 lb 3 oz) chicken drumsticks, trimmed

3 tbsp olive oil, separated

9 baby tomatoes, halved

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Thyme leaves

Oregano leaves 

300 g (10 oz) mushrooms, trimmed and quartered

2 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced

1 onion, peeled and grated

1/2 cup wine

1/2 cup water

Salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste

2 tbsp mustard with honey

1 cup chopped parsley for garnish

Saute the drumsticks in a little olive oil until brown all over,  and place on a dish. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, thyme, and oregano leaves.  Also, saute the baby tomatoes and place them next to the chicken.

Preheat the oven to 180 C (350 F), Saute the mushrooms and garlic in a little olive oil until slightly coloured,  Add the grated onion and cook for 4 minutes, stirring until it becomes slightly soft. Pour over the wine and water and stir in the mustard and cook for a few minutes more,  Place in a Pyrex dish and arrange the drumsticks and baby tomatoes with their juices evenly over. 

Cover the Pyrex dish first with baking parchment and then with tin foil and bake for 15 minutes, then discard the foil and parchment and bake for 15 minutes more until, the chicken skin is crisp, the interior is succulent and the mushroom sauce thickens slightly.

Serve this lovely dish, piping hot, sprinkled with parsley,  You could serve creamy mashed potatoes on the side.              

                                                       ICE CREAM

 

A delightful ice cream which is very easy to prepare

500 ml  (2 cups) milk

400 g (14 oz) sugar

2 vanillas

2 tbsp METAXA brandy

5 cups cream

 

Pour milk and sugar into a saucepan and heat stirring until the sugar has dissolved.  Remove from the heat and transfer to a bowl and allow to cool completely.  Stir in the vanilla and the brandy and fold in the cream.  Cover and place in the freezer. After1 an hour whisk and return into the freezer.  Whisk again after a couple of hours. When it is almost firm give it a last whisk and transfer it to a container with a lid and let it set until completely firm.    

 

    

 

                                     THIN CRISPY CHOCOLATE BISCUITS

Unforgettable biscuits which you must include in your repertoire. 

195 g (1 ½ cup) plain flour

70 g ( ¾ cup) cocoa

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 pinch of salt

1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon

1/8 tsp Cayenne pepper

 

110 g (8 tbsp) butter, softened

 150 g ( ¾ cup) sugar

1 egg, beaten

Vanilla

1 tsp Greek honey

 

Mix all the dry ingredients together.  Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Stir in the egg, vanilla, and honey and mix until well combined 

 

Add the dry ingredients to the wet, a third at a time, beating well after each addition. When the dough is well combined, flatten it out cover it with cling film, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

 

Preheat oven to 180 C (350 F).  Break a chunk of dough and roll it out between two pieces of baking parchment. Cut round shapes with a biscuit cutter or a water glass and place on a tin lined with buttered baking parchment and bake for 10-12 minutes until crisp.  When ready cool on a rack. You could sandwich them with chocolate ganache if preferred.