Courgettes for inspiration

 There can be nothing more delectable than freshly picked baby courgettes, boiled or steamed and sprinkled with an olive oil and lemon juice dressing.    Also the large ones can be fried, stuffed, stewed and roasted.   Combined with other ingredients one can make delicious soups, pies, tarts and even cakes. A wonderful vegetable, that I intend growing in my garden, next year.    

  

 COURGETTE SOUP

You can prepare this delicious soup with leftover vegetables.

750 g (1 ½ lb) courgettes, thickly sliced

2 leeks, white parts only thickly sliced

1 large onion, thickly sliced

1 clove garlic

4 medium potatoes, cut into chunks

2 scant tbsp butter or margarine

1 litre (4 cups) tasty, hot vegetable or chicken stock

1 bouquet garni (1 bay leaf – 2 sprigs of dill -1 sprig of parsley)

1/8 tsp Cayenne pepper

2-3 tbsp yellow cheese of your choice

Salt

1 liqueur glass of brandy, optional

Cream for serving 

      

        Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat, and stir in the vegetables and keep stirring for about 5 minutes.    Pour in the stock and the bouquet garni and simmer,  covered, for 20 minutes, and allow to cool.  Discard the bouquet and blend the vegetables until smooth.  Heat the soup, add the cheese and the Cayenne, taste and add salt, if necessary.

         Just before serving, reheat the soup, add the brandy, if using, and simmer for 2 minutes more.  Ladle into soup bowls and garnish with cream.

                                                                     

  STUFFED COURGETTE FLOWERS

   

This is my own recipe for stuffed courgette flowers.   You could prepare the stuffing with any cheese you like, bacon or ham, onions, scallions, a vegetable of your chose and an ingredient to bind all together such as eggs and bread crumbs.

25-30 courgette flowers, stem and calyx removed and carefully washed

Stuffing:

2 tbsp olive oil

4 leeks (white part only) finely chopped

2-3 spring onions, finely sliced

500 g (1 lb) courgettes, coarsely grated

Very little salt

A knob of butter

250 g (½ lb) bacon finely chopped, sauteed and patted with kitchen paper

2 tbsp dill, finely chopped

200 g (almost 7 oz) graviera from Crete, or gouda or a mild Cheddar, grated

90 g (3 oz) kefalotyri  or pekorino or Parmesan, grated

250 g (½ lb) anthotyro, grated or

200 g (a small tub) thick Greek yogurt, stirred

3 medium eggs, beaten
120-150 g ( 4-5 oz)  dried bread crumbs or more, if necessary

1 tsp pepper or less if preferred

Salt to taste

(You will have left over stuffing to make a tart or au gratin)

250 ml (1 cup) tasty, hot vegetable or chicken stock or more, if necessary

Sauce:

4 tbsp butter

4 heaped tbsp cornflour

1 small sprig of sage

750 ml (3 cups) hot vegetable or chicken stock

Nutmeg

White pepper

125 ml (½ cup) cream or more

          First prepare the stuffing.  Gently sauté the leeks and the spring onions in olive oil, sprinkle with salt, add a little hot water, cover the saucepan and simmer until the vegetables are soft, adding more hot water, if necessary.  Then add the courgettes and simmer, covered until soft and dry.   Stir in the butter and reverse into a bowl.   Add the bacon, dill, cheeses, yogurt, if using, the dried bread crumbs and the pepper.    Taste and add salt keeping in mind that the eggs will be added last.  This should be a very tasty filling.

          Fill the flowers carefully, as they are very fragile.  Place a teaspoon of filling into each flower, drawing the petals over to secure it from falling out.   In a large flat saucepan arrange each stuffed flower next to the other (standing on the stem portion).  When the saucepan is full, add the stock and cover the flowers with baking parchment and the saucepan lid, and bring gently to a boil.   Remove the saucepan from the stove and place it in an oven heated to 180 C (350 F) for about 30 minutes, adding more hot stock whenever needed.

         Meanwhile, prepare the sauce.  Melt the butter and sift in the cornflour, stirring for 2-3 minutes, over low heat.  Add the warm stock in portions, and each time, whisk the sauce until it has thickened. Add the nutmeg and the sage and correct the seasoning.   Add some stock and barely simmer for 10 minutes more, remove the saucepan from the fire and keep the sauce hot.  Just before serving discard the sage, sprinkle with lemon juice to accentuate the taste and stir in the cream.

       

   Serve the courgettes flowers, with the stem part facing up, cover with hot sauce and garnish with sprigs of fresh sage.

         

       

COURGETTE AND WALNUT CAKE

    

 Try baking this cake and improve it according to your taste.  I’m giving you the ingredients for a small loaf tin.

125 ml (½ cup) mild olive oil

200 g (1 cup) sugar

2 medium-sized eggs

30 g (1 oz) melted dark chocolate, cooled

Vanilla

130 g (1 cup) self-raising flour, mixed with

½ tsp baking powder

¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda

A pinch of salt

½ tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg

¼ tsp ginger powder

¼ cup coarsely cut walnuts, sprinkled with

2 tbsp of the flour mixture

          Whip the olive oil and sugar until the sugar melts.  Add the eggs, one at a time,  the cooled melted chocolate and the vanilla and stir until no streaks are visible.  Fold in the flour and, finally, the walnuts.  Pour the batter into a buttered loaf tin, lined with parchment paper, and bake in an oven, preheated to 180 C (350 F) for 35-45 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean.  Serve the cake at room temperature.

        

   

  

Little Janna's Birhday

  

  

 Today, the 21^st September, my great-granddaughter Janna is a year old!!!   Our fondest love and very best wishes to the birthday girl and our congratulations to her doting parents and grandparents.    May she be as happy, lovely and loved, as she is now, for the rest of her life.

This is a suggestion for a birthday party for a one-year-old!   Naturally, food must be kept as simple as possible.  Finger food (“small eats”, as we used to call them many years ago) is, perhaps, the best choice for both toddlers and grown-ups.  Small sandwiches, a few cupcakes, a birthday cake and fruit juice and milk are all you need.

      

BIRTHDAY CAKE FOR A ONE-YEAR-OLD GIRL

This is a light cake with pink and white icing.

210 g (7 oz) butter, at room temperature

210 g (7 oz) sugar

Vanilla

4 eggs, separated, whites whipped stiff, with

1 pinch salt

210 g (7 oz) self-raising flour mixed with

1 heaped tsp baking powder

 Icing

90 g (3 oz) butter, softened

360 g (12 oz) icing sugar

3-5 tbsp milk

1-2 drops pink food colouring

          Cream the butter then add the sugar and salt and beat until light and fluffy.  Add the egg yolks, one at a time, and the vanilla.   Sift in the flour and baking powder mixture and mix well.   Finally fold in the whipped egg whites until no streaks are visible.

         Place in a cake tin, lined with baking parchment, and bake in an oven preheated to 180 C (350 F) for about 35 minutes or until an inserted skewer comes out clean. 

Remove the cake from the tin and leave it to cool.

         For the icing, slowly combine the butter with the icing sugar, then add the milk mix until the icing is spreadable.  Remove half the icing, add the food colouring and mix until thoroughly combined.

       Spread the cake with the white icing and decorate with a piping bag with the pink icing. Let it harden and happy birthday to your baby girl!!

Autumn Diet

         It seems that this will be a turbulent autumn.

         Fortunately, a proposal for Syria to place its chemical weapons

under international control, seems to have placed the drums of war on hold.

         At home, strikes have been proclaimed by the Primary and Secondary School Teachers, the administrative employees of the Universities, the Hospital Doctors and the Public Servants’ Unions, starting in mid-September.

         Yesterday, the workers of the defence industries gathered outside the building of the Houses of Parliament in Athens, protesting against the privatisation of  their industries.

  

        To return to the object of this blog, for as long as I can remember, every autumn, I’m determined to follow a   healthier diet.    Here are some recipes you might find interesting.      

                           

                      

A SALAD FROM  THESSALONIKI

                                 

          Try this salad.   It is not as complicated as it seems

½ kg (1 lb) white cabbage, finely shredded

125 g (4 oz) red cabbage, finely shredded

2 celery stalks, finely chopped

3 carrots, coarsely grated

½ a yellow pepper cut into julienne strips

½ a red pepper cut into julienne strips

1 spring onion, finely chopped

1-2 sweet gherkins finely chopped

½ cup parsley, finely chopped

½ tsp salt

80 ml (1/3 cup) red wine vinegar

Ice cold water

Salad Dressing

2 tbsp good wine vinegar

6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

½ tsp Dijon mustard

Juice and zest of an orange

1 tbsp honey

Salt and pepper to taste

Whisk all ingredients until the sauce thickens.

            Season the red cabbage with ½ tsp of salt, mix well and refrigerate for about an hour.    Then rinse thoroughly with cold water.

 Fill half a large bowl with ice-cold water and 80 ml (1/3 cup) wine vinegar, add the white and the marinated red cabbages and refrigerate for half an hour, at least.  Then strain, dry and lay in a cold salad bowl.  Add the remaining ingredients, the salad dressing, toss thoroughly and sprinkle with chopped parsley.

    (Serves 6) 

  

CHICKEN BAKED IN A SALT AND FLOUR CRUST.

1300 g (1 lb 10 oz) chicken trimmed, washed and dried

2 garlic cloves, sprouts removed

Fresh thyme, sage, and rosemary sprigs

Salt and pepper

CRUST:

600 g (about 1 1/3 lb) flour

600 g (about 1 2/3 lb) coarse salt

1 tsp each of dried thyme, sage and rosemary 

500 ml wine or more if necessary

Pepper

2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped

                Sprinkle the chicken cavities with a little salt and pepper and stuff with the thyme, sage and rosemary sprigs and half the garlic cloves. Truss the chicken, tying legs and wings close to the body and sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper.

               For the crust, mix flour with salt and thyme, add the wine a little at a time until you have a soft pliable dough.  Roll out the dough and drape over a prepared baking tin, lined with backing parchment.   Sprinkle the dough evenly with the chopped garlic, lay the chicken in the centre and wrap the dough tightly over the chicken, forming a packet. 

              Bake the chicken in a pre-heated oven to 180 C (350 F) for 1 ½ hour. Break or cut the crust and discard. Serve the chicken with a potato salad and a green salad and enjoy.      Really good.

  

                                                   

                                 

CHICKEN WITH MUSHROOMS IN MUSTARD SAUCE

             This light dish is very tasty and easy to prepare. It is equally good without the mushrooms, if you prefer.

4 chicken breasts, sliced

1 tbsp butter

2 tbsp olive oil

Salt and freshly ground white pepper

A little nutmeg, optional

1 medium onion, grated

4 spring onions, finely chopped

1-2 cloves garlic, minced

250 g (½ lb) fresh mushrooms, sliced

A little salt

The leaves of 4 sprigs of tarragon, chopped

1-2 tbsp mustard of your choice

300 ml (10 oz) light cream

2 tbsp dry white wine

        Sauté the chicken slices in butter and olive oil, on both sides, until cooked, sprinkle with salt, freshly ground white pepper and a little nutmeg, if using, and place in a dish and keep hot.

        In the same utensil, place the dry and the spring onions and the garlic and cook until soft. Add the sliced mushrooms, sprinkle with a little salt and pepper and simmer until most of the liquid has evaporated.  Transfer the chicken back into the saucepan and add the tarragon.   Mix the cream with the mustard and the wine, pour over the chicken and simmer for 2-3 minutes more.  Serve with the same wine you used for the cooking.  

AUBERGINES, COURGETTES AND PEPPERS IN TOMATO ASPIC

                  

      Prepare this dish in summer, when vegetables and herbs are at their very best.  You could use carrots instead of the cubed aubergines, or just aubergines and red and yellow peppers.

3 aubergines, the long variety

3 tbsp olive oil

4-5 medium courgettes

2-3 sage leaves

Salt and pepper

2-3 pickled red Florina peppers, (from a jar)

500 ml (2 cups) fresh tomato juice

14 g (1/2 oz) powdered gelatine

1 large clove garlic, bruised

1 tbsp fresh basil, chopped

2 tbsp finely chopped parsley

1 tbsp tarragon vinegar

1 tsp honey or more, to taste

A few drops Tobasco sauce

Parsley leaves for decoration.

          Line a 25cm (10 in) loaf-tin with cling film and brush with olive oil.

Slice two of the aubergines thinly, lengthwise, sprinkle with salt and let them drain.   Rinse, dry and sauté the aubergines in olive oil and 2-3 tablespoons water and set  aside to drain on kitchen paper.  

         Cut the remaining aubergines into cubes, following the same procedure, and set aside.

          Slice the courgettes lengthwise and simmer in salted water with the sage until tender.   Dry on kitchen paper, and set aside.

    

          Drain the peppers from the jar and remove any scorched skin.  Cut them into quarters, pat dry and set aside.

          Boil the tomato juice gently for ten minutes, with garlic, tobasco, vinegar, honey and salt.  Discard the garlic, taste for seasoning and adjust accordingly.   Soften the gelatine in cold water and add to the hot tomato juice and stir well until dissolved.
 

         As the tomato starts to set, pour a little into the loaf-tin, garnish with parsley leaves, refrigerate and let it set.     Place the aubergines slices over, leaving about 5 cm (2 in) hanging over the sides of the loaf tin.   Pour a little of the tomato juice over, refrigerate and let it set. Add the courgettes sprinkle with 1/3 of the herbs   and cover with tomato juice. Refrigerate and let it set once more.  Continue the same procedure with the peppers sprinkled with herbs, the cubed eggplants sprinkled with herbs,  pouring the remaining tomato juice over.   Cover with the overhanging eggplants and chill for at least 6 hours

.

        When ready to use, unmould on a bed of crisp lettuce leaves and sprinkle with olive oil.

(Serves 6).

  ONIONS STUFFED WITH ANTHOTYRO AND APPLES

                                   

  

 Very tasty, if well seasoned!

6 medium onions,

500 g (1 lb) anthotyro (crumbled) or ricotta

5 tbsp kephalotyri or Parmesan, grated

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

2 tbsp butter, at room temperature

1 tsp fresh marjoram, chopped

2 tbsp parsley, finely chopped

1 tart green apple peeled and grated

3 slices ham, chopped

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1/8 tsp Cayenne

½ tsp grated nutmeg

120 g (½ cup) low fat cream, if using anthotyro

1 tbsp cold butter cut in small pieces

           Remove the roots from the onions.  Cut a slice off the top of each onion, without removing the skin.   Bake the onions in a hot oven pre-heated to 200 C (400 F) for about 40 minutes or until soft.   Combine the cheeses (reserving 2 tbsp grated cheese for further use) with the eggs, cream (if using), butter, apple, ham, herbs and season with salt, freshly ground black pepper, Cayenne and nutmeg.

        Meanwhile skin the onions and remove the inner rings carefully, leaving only two rings to form a cup.  Season the onion cups with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

  

         Blend the removed, inner rings of three onions until smooth and combine them with the cheese mixture and mix well together; taste and add a little salt, pepper, Cayenne pepper, and nutmeg, if necessary.

       Stuff the onions liberally, sprinkle with the reserved grated cheese and dot with butter.   Return the onions to a moderate oven 190C (375 F) and bake for a further 30 minutes or until golden brown.  

                  

ANOTHER RECIPE FOR STUFFED ONIONS

                   

                      

6 large onions, peeled

350 g (11.5 oz) veal, minced and sauteed in olive oil with

1 grated carrot and

3 tender celery  stalk, finely chopped

6 tbsp grated kasseri or Parmesan or Cheddar, or a mixture

2 cloves garlic crushed

1 tbsp of marjoram, finely chopped

1 tbsp tomato paste

Salt and pepper and freshly grated nutmeg to taste

1 large egg, lightly beaten

Olive oil

          Boil the onions until tender and set aside to cool.  Cut the onions in half horizontally and remove the inner rings leaving only two or three rings to form a shell.

       Blend three of the removed onion rings until smooth.   Place them into a bowl with the rest of the ingredients, reserving 2 tbsp grated cheese for further use, and season with salt and pepper.   Mix all the ingredients well together, and fill the onions right up to the top. Sprinkle with the reserved grated cheese. 

 

    Place the onions in an oiled baking dish and brush them liberally with olive oil.   Add 250 ml (1 cup) water around the onions and bake them for 30-40 minutes, or until lightly browned. 

(Serves 6)

. 

                                                

BROCCOLI AND CAULIFLOWER SALAD

                                        

  This a large, colourful salad.

1 broccoli cut in florets

1 cauliflower cut in florets

1 green, 1 red and 1 yellow peppers, trimmed, seeded, thickly sliced and halved

2 carrots peeled and cubed

Salt

Sesame oil, (not the oriental kind)

1 tbsp finely chopped parsley, and

1 tbsp roasted sesame seeds for garnishing

Salad Dressing

2 tbsp white balsamic vinegar

5 tbsp sesame oil (not the oriental kind)

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1 scant tbsp honey

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Lemon juice, if necessary

            Place the first four ingredients in a baking tin lined with baking parchment, season with salt and pepper, drizzle with sesame oil and roast in an oven preheated to 190 C (375 F), until tender.   Arrange the vegetables attractively on a flat salad dish.     

          For the dressing blend the vinegar with the mustard, honey, salt and pepper and then add the remaining oil gradually, until the vinaigrette thickens.  Taste for seasoning and adjust with salt, pepper and lemon juice, if necessary. Dredge the vegetables with the dressing, cover and refrigerate.  One hour before serving remove the salad from the refrigerator and allow it to reach room temperature. Serve sprinkled with the sesame seeds and parsley.

(Serves 6-8)

                

End Of Summer - Celebration Dinner

          Although the temperature is still quite high, the last days of August are, somehow, connected with the end of summer.   Theoretically, it is the last month of summer, the days become smaller, the sun’s rays more oblique, but at the back of our mind we refuse contemplating the inevitable, winter’s approach.

  

         For our family it’s celebration time.  We have two birthdays in August, and on the 30^th August, we always had a party in honour of our three Alexanders.

        Here are some choice recipes for a dinner party.

CUCUMBER SALAD

       This is a lovely salad to complement the gravadlax.  

2 cucumbers, peeled, cut in half lengthwise, seeds removed, thinly sliced

1 tbsp sugar

2 tbsp white vinegar

2 tsp salt

          Combine the sugar, vinegar and salt and mix well together and pour over the cucumber slices.  Cover, ice and forget about them for at least an hour.  Just before serving, drain off the liquid and pat dry.   Garnish with chopped dill.

GRAVADLAX

           I was given this recipe by Myrto Xenakis-Petreas. I met Myrto when she first came from Egypt, with her parents, George and Mary Xenakis and her brother Aris, to settle down in Greece. Myrto now lives in San Fransisco with her husband, Andrew Petreas and she is an esteemed chemist, a loving mother, a remarkable person and a very good cook.

One 2 kg (4 lb) fresh salmon, filleted, pin boned, skin left on

Combine, and mix well together:

3-4 tbsp sugar

3 tbsp coarse salt

2 tbsp peppercorns, crushed

½ bunch fresh dill, washed and dried

         Place a large piece of baking parchment on a working surface and sprinkle 1/3 of the sugar-salt mixture evenly over.   Place half the fish, skin down, sprinkle another third of the mixture over and cover with the dill. Lay the second half of the salmon, skin up, and with the thick side over the thin side below.  Sprinkle with the remaining sugar/salt mixture and wrap the baking parchment firmly around the fish, to seal. Then wrap the packet in two sheets of newspaper, in order to absorb the liquid resulting from the cure, and cover with a  plastic bag.    Place the packet in a deep container, in the fridge, with weights over, for three days.  Turn the packet around, daily, removing and replacing the weight, each time.

          

       When the gravadlax is ready, discard the dill, scrape away all the seasonings thoroughly and pat dry with kitchen paper.  Chill and slice thinly, detaching each slice from the skin, arrange attractively on a serving dish and garnish with lemon slices. This lovely dish is traditionally served with dill sauce, cucumber salad and mustard sauce. 

          

 DILL SAUCE

        This is one of the sauces that you have to season according to taste.  

125 ml (1/2 cup) cooked mayonnaise or use a good commercial brand

½ tsp hot mustard or more

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1 heaped tbsp spring onions, finely chopped

2 tbsp or more dill, finely chopped

½ tsp or more grated lemon rind

1 ½ tbsp lemon juice, or according to taste

300 g (10 oz) strained yoghurt, low fat if preferred

        Combine the mayonnaise with the mustard, spring onion, dill, grated lemon rind and   mix well together. Finally stir in the yoghurt, taste and season with salt pepper and lemon juice, if necessary.

FRESH SALMON MOUSSE

                                                 

          Fresh salmon is abundant and cheap in Greece.   Here is a recipe for a basic mousse, which could be covered with aspic and garnished with prawns or served plain with a zesty dill sauce.

800 g (about 1 lb 10oz) salmon, skinned and boned

187.5 ml (3/4 cup) dry white wine

62.5 ml (1/4 cup) water

1 carrot, sliced

½ onion, sliced

1 leek, white part only, sliced

1 tender celery stalk, finely sliced

1 bay leaf

A little salt

2 – 3 thin lemon slices, halved

Salt

5-6 peppercorns

Sauce

4 tbsp butter

5 tbsp cornflour

500 ml (2 cups) or more, hot milk

½ large onion

1 bay leaf

Salt and pepper

5 sheets gelatine steeped in iced water for 5-7 minutes

125 ml (1/2 cup) mayonnaise, low fat if preferred

2 tbsp lemon juice, or according to taste

2 tbsp finely chopped dill, or more if preferred

1-2 spring onions, very finely chopped

1-2 tsp Dijon mustard

250 ml (1 cup) cream, low fat if preferred, whipped into soft peaks

Salt and pepper, to taste

          Pour wine and water in a shallow saucepan and add the onion, sliced vegetables, peppercorns, salt, bay leaf and simmer for about 7 minutes.   Place the salmon in the stock, spoon a few vegetables over, and spread the lemon slices on top.   Cover the saucepan, and poach for 12-15 minutes or until the fish flakes easily.  Remove the salmon and leave to cool.  Reduce the cooking liquid to 2-3 tablespoonfuls, strain and reserve

          In the meantime, bring the milk to the boil, with the onion and bay leaf.   Remove from the heat and leave to infuse, for at least 10 minutes.

         To prepare the mousse, melt the butter, add the cornflour and cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes.  Strain the milk and add it gradually to the roux, stirring constantly.  Simmer the sauce until it thickens, stirring, and cook for 3-4 minutes more.  Squeeze the gelatine sheets and stir very well into the hot sauce, until completely combined.   Add the sauce and the cooking liquid to the poached salmon and blend until quite smooth.   

          Transfer the mixture to a large bowl, add the mayonnaise, lemon juice, mustard, chopped dill, spring onions and mix well together.  Fold in the whipped cream and, then, taste for seasoning and adjust with salt, lemon juice, white pepper and chopped dill, if necessary.  Finally spoon the mixture into a soufflé dish, lined with cling-film, cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.   You could line the soufflé dish with smoked salmon slices, if you wish.

  

                                                    

PEPPER STEAKS

          This was my husband’s favourite meat dish.

 1½ kg (3 lbs) beef fillet, cut into 5 cm (2 inch) slices

2-3 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp peppercorns, coarsely crushed

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp butter

Coarse salt

2 tbsp shallots or spring onions, chopped

2 liqueur glasses brandy

1 tbsp butter, cut into bits

250 ml (1 cup) beef stock

125 ml (½ cup) double cream

Place the fillet slices, in one layer in a Pyrex dish and sprinkle with olive oil all over.  Cover the dish with cling-film and let the meat marinate for two hours, at room temperature.

When ready to cook, press the peppercorns firmly all over the fillet slices, so that the pepper clings.

 Place 2-3 slices of meat at a time into a sizzling frying pan and sear for one or two minutes on each side.  Season with coarse salt, add butter, olive oil and the shallots, lower the heat slightly and cook for 6-8 minutes more or less, in order to reach the meat’s preferred doneness.   Flame with brandy and place the steaks in a pre-heated dish, adding a piece of butter on each stake.  

Pour the beef stock into the frying pan, bring to boil and reduce the gravy, stirring continuously.   Remove the pan from the stove, stir in the cream, taste for seasoning and adjust with a little salt if necessary.  Simmer the sauce, over low heat, for 1-2 minutes, until it thickens 

Carve the steaks, pour the sauce over and serve with chips and the vegetables you prefer.   

                                   

ICE-CREAM ROLL WITH CHOCOLATE SAUCE

This is an easy and popular iced dessert.

Sponge cake:

5 eggs, separated, whites whipped stiffly with a pinch of salt

5 tbsp sugar

Vanilla

5 tbsp self-raising flour

1 tsp baking powder

A pinch of salt

Ice-cream:

One 397g (13 ¼ oz) tin sweet condensed milk

250 g (1 cup) fresh milk

A pinch of salt

Vanilla

400 ml (an ample 1½ cup) thick cream

Chocolate Sauce:

200 g (almost 7 oz) dark chocolate, melted au bain Marie with

2 tbsp hot water

4-5 tbsp sweet condensed milk or more,if preferred

Just mix everything well together, over very low heat, and bring to room temperature before using

First make the ice-cram.  Mix everything well together and place in a covered container, in the freezer.   After 1½ hours remove from the freezer and whip vigorously, cover and place it in the freezer   Repeat the procedure twice more.

For the cake beat the egg yolks with the sugar and the vanilla until light and creamy.  Sift in the flour, baking powder and salt and mix lightly together. Finally fold in the whipped egg whites, until no streaks are visible.  Pour into a shallow baking tin, lined with buttered baking  parchment, and bake in a pre-heated oven for 10-12 minutes.   Take out from the oven, remove the baking parchment carefully and roll into a cylinder.  Cover with a clean piece of parchment and let it cool completely before using.

Open out the sponge roll and spread some ice-cream thickly over.  Roll up the cake once more, cover with baking parchment and freeze for about two hours before using.

Serve sliced, with chocolate sauce and stewed Morello cherries.

 

Patmos

                                                 

 My daughter-in-law Elpida and my son Yiannis invited me to their beautiful home on the island of Patmos.

The main communities in Patmos are the capital Chora, the main port Skala, Grikos and Campos.  In 1999 the historic centre Chora, the Monastery of St. John the Theologian and the Cave of the Apocalypse were declared by UNESCO as World Heritage Sites.

Driving up the Scala road one suddenly comes across the fortified Castle and Chora.  

 Crowned by the castle the houses seem unreal, as if ingeniously placed there, by a master stage-designer.  The Monastery is imposing and peaceful. A monk told us that it has ten chapels. The main chapel has a beautifully carved wooden iconostasis, a real masterpiece, that leaves one speachless.   I was particularly impressed and moved by the Treasury (the museum) the largest in the Aegean, we were told.   It has an amazing collection of beautiful manuscripts, icons, vestments, Abbots’ thrones, silver and gold ecclesiastical objects, the finest examples of Byzantine and post-Byzantine Art. But one can also see classical and early-Christian antiquities and Ottoman and Slavic collections of documents and works of art.

In Chora we visited Freddy Constandinides  house, which is a real jewel, and her five-year-old son Nicolas proudly showed us around.

Halfway down the road to Skala we went to the Cave of the Apocalypse, where St John the Theologian received his visions.   We were very lucky because a service, Orthros (Matins) was taking place. It was incredible, as the biblical appearance of the priests and the soft, mellow chanting, brought us right back to 95 A.D., the year that the Book of the Revelation was written.

Yiannis insisted that we eat out every evening.  I must mention “Loza” in Chora, where Sophia invents and cooks the most fabulous gourmet dishes.   My grandchildren's favourite is Fillet with Coumandaria.  Also “Veggera”, where the "gold toque" chef prepares his excellent creations.  “Benetos” offers the tastiest of fish and meat dishes with vegetables and herbs freshly picked from his garden.  We also enjoyed “Pappou’s Souvlakia” run by Maria Canario and the hors-d’oeuvres at “Pleusis” attached to the Aktis Hotel. We really loved feeding the melanouria at “Kyma”, a restaurant which specializes in delectable seafood dishes.  And last but not least is “Gelato De Santis” which prepares real Italian ice cream.

 I loved the island. The sea is clear and greenish blue and the arid fiords create a fascinating antithesis. The towns are full of interesting boutiques, cafés, bars and art galleries.   The people are friendly and generous.   On the whole, Patmos was literally a revelation to me.

 ICED WATERMELON SOUP

           “Veggera” was the first to prepare iced watermelon soup, this is Elpida’s  version.

One 390 g (13 oz) tin tomato juice

1 medium-sized onion, chopped

1 garlic clove

1 bouquet garni (1 bay leaf + a sprig of thyme + a sprig of parsley)

Salt and freshly ground white pepper

¼ tsp or less Cayenne pepper

1 tsp honey or sugar

1 kg (2 lbs) watermelon, peeled, de-seeded and cubed

1 shot vodka or brandy, optional

Mint leaves or sprigs for garnish  

       Simmer the first six ingredients for 20 minutes, discard the bouquet garni, cool and sieve.   Meanwhile blend the watermelon and combine it with the tomato juice mixture. Sieve once more and add the honey or sugar and stir well together.  Taste for seasoning and add more salt, pepper or honey, if necessary, and place in the refrigerator.   Add the liquor, if using and serve iced, in tall glasses, garnished with mint.

 

  

FILLET COOKED WITH MUSHROOMS, HERBS AND WINE

                                       

You could also cook this dish successfully, using chicken or veal cutlets

1 ¼ kg (2.5 lb) fillet, trimmed, cut into slices and flattened

Salt and pepper or mustard powder if preferred

3 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp butter

1 large onion, finely chopped

1-2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

500 g (1 lb) fresh white mushrooms, stalks removed, chopped and reserved, caps cut into chunks

1½ tbsp flour

4 tbsp brandy

125 ml (1/2 cup) good quality sweet wine (Coumandaria for my grandsons!)

250 ml (1 cup) or more, chicken stock or more

4-5 sage leaves, or a small rosemary sprig

125 ml (½ cup) cream

2 tbsp parsley, finely chopped

           Season the meat with pepper (or mustard powder).   Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a heavy frying pan and cook the steaks in batches, for 2 minutes on each side, over very high heat. Sprinkle with salt   Then lower the heat and cook for 2 minutes more on each side.   Arrange them on a dish, and keep hot.

 

          Pour off any oil left in the frying pan.   Add the remaining olive oil and butter, then the onion and garlic and simmer, stirring, until soft but not brown.   Then stir in the mushroom stalks, chopped, and simmer for a minute or two.  Add the mushroom caps and cook briskly until almost dry.  Sprinkle the flour over and stir.  Pour in the brandy and ignite. When the flame dies out, douse with the wine and cook for 2-3 minutes more.   Then add the chicken stock and sage, or rosemary, and simmer gently, until the sauce thickens.   It might need some extra liquid (stock or water).   Return the meat to the pan and cook for 3 minutes more. Remove the rosemary sprig and stir in the cream and simmer for a minute or two. Taste the sauce and adjust accordingly.  Sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper and parsley and serve with smashed potatoes or chips.

(Serves 6-8)

SATCHELS FROM PATMOS

 Πουγγιά από την Πάτμο

 Τhe following recipe from Patmos is very old.  "Pounghia’ are offered at weddings up to this day, together with the traditional sugar almonds.

Pastry:

250 g (½ lb) butter

110 (1/2 cup + 1 tbsp) sugar

The yolk of 1 egg

Vanilla

1 ½ tsp baking powder

500 g (1 lb) about 3 1/3 cups flour

A pinch of salt

120ml (½ cup) water

Filling:

250 g (2 ½ cups) almonds, blanched and ground

125 g (about 1 cup) walnuts, coarsely chopped

75 g (3/4 cup) dry breadcrumbs

1 tsp grated nutmeg

Syrup:

1 cup water

250 g (1 ¼ cup) sugar

125 g (1/3 cup) honey

About ½ kg (1 lb) icing sugar, for coating the pounghia

     First make the syrup.  Boil the water and sugar for 5 minutes, then add the honey and simmer 2 minutes more.   Set aside to cool

     To make the pastry:  Sieve the flour, baking powder and salt together. Cream the butter and sugar, then stir in the egg yolk, vanilla, the flour mixture, and finally add the water and knead (adding more water if necessary) to form a pliable dough.   Wrap it in cling film and refrigerate for about an hour. 

     In the meantime prepare the filling:  In a bowl, combine the nuts with the breadcrumbs and the nutmeg and mix well together.   Then add the syrup and stir thoroughly.

      Take a piece of dough, the size of a small walnut, roll it out thinly and shape it  into a small circle.  Spoon a teaspoon of the filling in the centre.   Press the opposite sides of the dough together to seal in the filling.   Repeat, until all the dough is used. 

     Arrange the satchels on a tin, lined with baking parchment, and bake in a moderately hot oven, preheated to 190 C (375 F) for about 15-20 minutes, until just lightly browned.    Let the satchels cool, brush them lightly with water and sprinkle lavishly with icing sugar. (Makes about 50 pieces)

  

VANILLA ICE CREAM WITH CHOCOLATE SAUCE

This is a very easy ice cream, very popular with both children and grownups.

A vanilla pod

500 g (2 cups) full milk

200 g (1 cup) sugar

A good pinch of salt

500 g (2 cups) thick cream

Chocolate Sauce

120 g (4 oz) dark chocolate, melted mixed with

4-5 tbsp sweet condensed milk

Split the vanilla pod and scrape the seeds into the milk.  Heat the milk, sugar and salt, stirring until the sugar melts, and cool.   Stir in the cream, pour into a covered container and place in the freezer.   After 1½ hours beat the cream, cover and return it quickly to the freezer.  Repeat the procedure twice more.

 Serve the ice cream in bowls and pour 1-2 tbsp chocolate sauce on top. 

          

    

COOKENJOY’S First Birthday

Four days ago my blog was a year old.  Throughout the year, I really enjoyed introducing my recipes and remembering events in my life that were connected with them.  I think I grasped the know-how of a blog but I haven’t followed the savoir-faire, such as coming in contact with other cooking bloggers, and listening to their criticism or praise. I intend to improve my blog, this coming year, to publish more photographs, to improve my texts, making them more interesting and, perhaps, even to change style.

Θάνος Χρήστου

                           

We were all shocked and deeply grieved to hear of dear Thanos’ death.   Devoted husband of Maria, adored father of Katerina, Chryssa and Spiros, precious son of Chrysanthos and Katerina, beloved brother of our Yianna and brother-in-law of Spiros, much loved son-in-law and brother-in-law of Spiros and Chryssa,  Andie and Angelos, he will be greatly missed by his family, friends, students and colleagues.

Thanos was an Art Historian, son of the famous Art Historian, Crysanthos Cristou.   In the nineties he successfully reorganised the Municipal Art Gallery in Corfu and also introduced and made many visual artists familiar to the greater public. In 2001 he published a study titled “Sculpture of the Ionian Islands”.  He was an associate art professor of Art History at the University of Ioannina and he recently organized the “Foundation of Printmaking Aria Komianou” in Corfu.

We send our deepest condolences, to his loved ones.   May the fact that Thanos produced such invaluable work, in so short a time, and that he was so highly esteemed by his students, colleagues and the people of Corfu, be a shadow of comfort to them, in their profound sorrow.