SPINACH

A Spinach Field

Raw Spinach

Cooked Spinach

Spinach (Spinacia oleracia) is an edible, flowering plant, native to central and western Asia.  The origin of spinach is placed in ancient Persia and from there it crossed into India and China.  In 827, the Saracens brought spinach to Sicily and it was quickly introduced all over Mediterranean Europe.  When Catherine de Medici became queen of France in 1553, spinach gained great popularity because she liked it so much that she wished to eat it at every meal.  As Catherine was born in Florence, even today, dishes prepared with spinach are known as “a la Florentine”.

Spinach is a superfood.  It is loaded with nutrients, in a low-calorie package.   It is important for skin, hair and bone health.  It contains, protein, iron, vitamins and minerals, so it is a very healthy vegetable, besides being cheap and easy to prepare.

Spinach is a great source of iron, but it must be combined with citrus fruits to improve absorption.   Apparently, spinach juice mixed with wine was given to haemorrhaging soldiers, during World War I, in order to restore their health.






Here are several recipes prepared with this wonderful vegetable.

                                                SPINACH BISQUE

This is a lovely winter soup, tasty and comforting.

1½ kg (2¼ lbs) fresh spinach washed and chopped, or

500 g (1 lb) frozen spinach, thawed and chopped

1 tbsp olive oil

2 leeks, sliced

2 spring onions, chopped

1 cup béchamel sauce*

1 litre (4 cups) hot vegetable or chicken stock (more if necessary)

2 sprigs of dill, tied together

Salt, freshly ground black pepper and grated nutmeg to taste

Béchamel Sauce*:

2 tbsp butter

1 bay leaf

2 tbsp flour

1 cup hot milk

Salt and pepper

Cream for serving

First, prepare the sauce.  Melt the butter, add the bay leaf and flour and stir for 3-4 minutes, until well combined.   Pour in the milk in portions, stirring well between each addition until the sauce bubbles and becomes thick and smooth. Discard the bay leaf.

Sauté the leeks and spring onions in olive oil and a little water, and simmer very gently until the onions are transparent.   Stir in the spinach in thirds, allowing it to wilt (if fresh) each time before adding the next portion. When all the vegetables are sautéed, add the chicken stock, dill and grated nutmeg.   Simmer for about 20 minutes until the vegetables are cooked.

Add 250 ml (1 cup) of the cooking liquid to the béchamel sauce, to thin it down and reserve.

Discard the dill, blend the soup with a hand blender and sieve it back into the saucepan.  Add the thinned béchamel and blend until smooth.  Taste and add salt, pepper and more nutmeg if necessary.  Cook for 5 minutes and add more stock if a thinner soup is preferred.   Serve drizzled with cream.

                                     SPINACH AND CHEESE PIE

A delicious Greek dish.  Even if you hate spinach, try this pie!

1¼ kg (2½ lb) spinach, blanched, drained and chopped

1 large onion, grated

3 spring onions, finely chopped

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp chervil, if available, finely chopped

2 tbsp Mediterranean hartwort, if available, finely chopped

1 tbsp dill

2 cups feta (if salty soaked in water for 10 minutes), cubed

1 cup Graviera from Crete or Naxos or Cheddar, grated

2 eggs, lightly beaten

10 sheets phyllo pastry

125 ml  (½ cup) butter, melted

2 tbsp dried breadcrumbs

Sauce:

3 tbsp butter

3 tbsp flour

1 bay leaf

1½ cup hot milk

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Little salt

Nutmeg, to taste

Sauté the onions in olive oil until transparent.   Add the spinach and herbs, pepper and a little salt and simmer uncovered, stirring from time to time, until the liquid evaporates, about 15 minutes and set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, prepare the sauce.   Stir the flour in melted butter, add the bay leaf, and cook stirring for 2-3 minutes.  Pour in the milk and simmer, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens.  Season with pepper, a little salt and nutmeg, simmer for 7 minutes more and set aside to cool.  Discard the bay leaf.   

In a big bowl, combine the eggs and the two kinds of cheese with the sauce and mix well together.  Fold gently into the spinach mixture.  Taste and add salt, pepper and nutmeg, if necessary, and set aside to cool completely.

Line a buttered baking dish with 5 sheets of phyllo pastry, brushing each sheet lavishly with melted butter and then sprinkle the last sheet evenly with breadcrumbs. 

Spoon in the filling, level the surface and fold the overhanging pastry over.   Place another 5 buttered sheets of pastry over, trim the excess phyllo and tuck it neatly into the sides of the dish.  Score the pie into portions, sprinkle with water, and bake in a moderate oven preheated to 190 C (375 F) for about 1 hour. 

                                                   

                                                     

                                                                                             

                                          SPINACH AU GRATIN

                                          

This is another simple dish, excellent to serve with meat or poultry or offered as a light meal with a green salad and baked potatoes.

1 kg (2 lb) fresh spinach

2 cups béchamel sauce *(please see recipe below)

90 g (3 oz) kefalotyri or Parmesan, grated

2 tbsp butter plus extra for buttering the dish

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Nutmeg

90 g (3 oz) mild feta, sliced into slivers

1-2 tbsp dry breadcrumbs

Cayenne pepper (optional)

Trim and wash the spinach, place in a saucepan (it should not require water) and simmer for 5 minutes.    Strain, and when cool enough to handle, squeeze the water out with your hands.   

Chop the spinach roughly and mix with 1 cup of the béchamel sauce, grated cheese (reserving 2 tbsp for later), and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.  

Pour half the mixture into a buttered ovenproof dish and cover, sparingly, with the feta slivers.   Arrange the rest of the spinach, evenly over and cover with the remaining béchamel sauce.   Sprinkle with dry breadcrumbs, the remaining cheese, a little Cayenne pepper, if using, and dot evenly with butter.  

Bake the spinach in a moderate oven, preheated to 190 C (375 F), for about half an hour or until the surface is puffed and golden.

                                         * EASY BECHAMEL SAUCE

                                                   

                                                   

Try this modern, rapid sauce that is just as satisfying as the old one.

3 tbsp cornflour

3 tbsp butter

570 ml (2 ¾ cups) milk

1 bay leaf

Grated nutmeg, to taste

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Place all the ingredients in a saucepan and bring to the boil, whisking constantly, until the sauce thickens.  Simmer gently for a few minutes.   Remove the bay leaf.   To make a cheese sauce, add grated cheese to your taste.

                        SPINACH AND LEEK PIE BAKED IN A CAKE MOULD

This is a pie that my grandchildren love.

Filling:

500 g (1 lb) fresh spinach, chopped

4 tbsp olive oil

1 large onion, finely chopped

1 large clove garlic, finely chopped

3 leeks trimmed, split in four, lengthwise, washed and finely chopped

2 tbsp chervil, if available, finely chopped

2 tbsp Mediterranean hartwort, if available, finely chopped

1 tbsp dill, finely chopped

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Cream Sauce:

1 litre (4 cups) milk

4-5 tbsp flour

1 bay leaf

A little salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Freshly grated nutmeg

½ cup Gruyere, grated

½ cup Parmesan, grated

2 eggs, beaten

210 g (7 oz) bland feta, cubed

500 g (1 lb) phyllo pastry

120 melted butter or more

Sauté the onion, in olive oil, until transparent.    Stir in the garlic and the leeks, sprinkle with a little salt and pepper and simmer, gently until the vegetables are soft.   Add the spinach in portions, the herbs, a little more salt, and cook gently until the vegetables are cooked and dry.  Then remove from stove to cool.

Prepare the sauce.  Place the milk in a saucepan, over low heat, dilute the flour in a little cold milk and strain it into the milk, stirring all the time. Add the bay leaf, salt pepper and nutmeg.  Keep on stirring until the sauce thickens and bubbles, remove from the fire to cool and discard the bay leaf.   Then fold in the grated cheese, and the beaten eggs.

Fold the sauce into the spinach mixture, stirring gently until well combined. Taste and add more salt, pepper and nutmeg, if necessary.

Prepare the cake tin.   Drape ten, lavishly buttered, phyllo pastry sheets over the buttered tin, in order to cover it completely, and allowing parts of the pastry hanging over.   Place half the filling and sprinkle the feta cubes, evenly, over.  Then add the remaining filling and fold the phyllo sheets neatly over, brushing each with melted butter.   Finally, make two small crosswise slashes on the pastry covering the funnel and buttering each pastry piece, fold it over the filling.  Drape the last two pastry sheets over the filling, around the funnel, brush with melted butter and bake in an oven preheated to 180 C (350 F) for 40 -50 minutes.

Reverse the cake on a round platter and serve as a first or as a main dish with a salad of your choice.

                           SPINACH, PRAWN AND MUSHROOM AU GRATIN

My dear friend Michele made this lovely dish for our bridge group.  I replaced chicken with prawns and added feta cheese to give it a Greek touch. 
   

2 kg (4 lb) frozen spinach leaves, thawed and chopped

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp butter

1 medium onion, grated

1 large leek, white part only, slit in four lengthwise, thoroughly washed and chopped

2 tbsp dill

Salt and pepper

1½ kg (3 lbs) prawns, shelled, deveined, thoroughly washed and patted dry (about 1 kg (2 lb) when shelled)

2 sprigs rosemary

1 tbsp olive oil

Freshly ground black pepper

500 g (1 lb) button mushrooms, trimmed and cut into quarters

1 garlic clove, sliced

A little olive oil

150 g (5 oz) feta cheese (if salty, soaked for 10 minutes in water) finely sliced

White sauce:

150 g (5 oz) butter

150 g (5 oz) cornflour

1 bay leaf

1 ¼ litre (5 cups) hot milk

Nutmeg

120 g (4 oz) grated kefalotyri or Parmesan or Cheddar

4 eggs, separated, whites whipped to soft peaks

A knob of butter for greasing the baking dish

2 tbsp dried breadcrumbs for sprinkling over

Cook the onion and leeks in olive oil, with a pinch of salt and a little water, until soft.  Stir in the butter, spinach, pepper and simmer gently until quite dry. Add the dill and mix until well combined.

Sauté the prawns, on both sides, with the rosemary, in very little olive oil, until they just turn pink.  Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper.  Discard the rosemary, remove for the heat and reserve.

Also cook the mushrooms and garlic in olive oil, tossing frequently, until no cooking liquid is visible. Season with a little salt and pepper and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 180 C (350 F).

Prepare the sauce.  Melt the butter, add the bay leaf and the cornflour and cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring constantly.   Pour in the hot milk and stir for 10-12 minutes until the sauce bubbles and thickens. Remove from the heat, discard the bay leaf, stir in the cheese and cool.  Add the beaten egg yolks and season to taste with salt pepper and nutmeg.  Finally, gently fold in the whipped egg whites until no trace of white is visible.   Taste the sauce for seasoning and add salt, pepper and nutmeg, if necessary.

To assemble the dish, fold 1 cup white sauce, or more, into the spinach and stir well to combine. Taste once more to and season accordingly.   Spoon the spinach, carefully into the prepared baking dish and add a layer of prawns and mushrooms, pushing them, slightly, to partly cover them.   Then top with slithers of feta cheese and mask, evenly with the remaining sauce.   Bake for 45 minutes, or until puffed and golden.  Kali orexi!

             SPINACH ROLL WITH CHEESE FILLING AND MUSHROOM SAUCE

Spinach Roll with Cheese Filling

                

This sounds complicated but it’s not, and the result is rewarding.

Béchamel sauce

60 g (4 tbsp) butter

50 g (3.5 tbsp) plain flour

500 ml (2 cups) milk

1 bay leaf

Nutmeg, salt and pepper

Cheese filling:

1 onion grated and sautéed in olive oil

Béchamel sauce ( reserve 2 tbsp for later)

100 g (a good 3 oz) anthotyro crumbled or ricotta cheese

150 g (5 oz) feta cheese grated

1 tbsp Parmesan cheese grated

Extra milk if needed

Salt, freshly ground black pepper and  grated nutmeg to taste

Mushroom sauce:

500 g (1 lb) fresh mushrooms cubed, stalks reserved

1 garlic clove, bruised

1 onion, grated

2 tbsp olive oil or

2 tbsp butter

2 tbsp flour

l tbsp brandy

125 ml (1/2 cup) tasty mushroom stock (made with mushroom stalks and  

                                                          trimmings)

250 ml (1 cup) cream

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Nutmeg

For the roll

500 g (1 lb) blanched spinach, drained very well and chopped

3 spring onions, trimmed and chopped

60 g (2 oz) chervil, blanched and chopped, if available

1 tbsp chopped parsley

½ tbsp chopped dill

The reserved 2 tbsp béchamel sauce

5-6 eggs, separated

2 tbsp grated cheese, kasseri and kefalotyri, or Gruyere and Parmesan

First, prepare the béchamel sauce.   Melt the butter, add the bay leaf, sift the flour over and stir for 3 to 4 minutes.  Add the hot milk, a little salt and freshly ground pepper whisking all the time, until the sauce bubbles and thickens, discard the bay leaf, and set aside to cool.

For the filling mix all but 2 tbsp of the béchamel sauce with the sautéed spring onions, 3 kinds of cheese and simmer gently until smooth.  Taste and add a little salt, if necessary, sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper and nutmeg, and add a little milk, if needed. It should be soft enough to spread.

Prepare the mushroom sauce.  Sauté the onion and garlic in butter or olive oil, stirring until the onion is transparent.  Add a little salt and stir in the mushrooms.  Cook until quite dry, sprinkle with flour, stirring constantly for 2 to 3 minutes. Pour in the mushroom stock and the cream, whisking, until the sauce bubbles and thickens.  Taste and add the pepper and nutmeg, also a little salt, if necessary.  Add more stock if you prefer a thinner sauce.

For the roll, blend the spinach with the spring onions and herbs, and then add the egg yolks and the béchamel sauce and continue blending for 1-2 minutes.  Add the cheese, taste for seasoning and adjust with salt and pepper, if necessary and transfer to a large bowl.  Whip the egg whites stiff and fold into the spinach mixture.  Line a 33 x 23 cm (13 x 9 in) Swiss-roll dish with buttered baking parchment, and spoon in the spinach mixture and level the surface.   

Bake in an oven preheated to 190 C (375 F) for about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and lay a piece of baking parchment on top, and invert on a flat surface.  Wait for a moment, remove the tin and discard the baking parchment from the top.   

To assemble, spread the spinach with the hot cheese filling and roll it up like a Swiss roll and place on a heated serving dish.   Cover with hot mushroom sauce and serve immediately with mashed potatoes or chips.  

                                               SPINACH WITH RICE

                                    

Spinach with Rice with Flaked Parmesan

This dish, with a slice of feta and crusty brown bread, is a healthy light meal, which I really enjoy eating.

1½ kg (3 lb) spinach, trimmed, thoroughly washed and chopped

2 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

4 spring onions, trimmed and thinly sliced

1 tbsp chopped dill

180 g (6 oz) rice

1 ripe tomato, peeled, de-seeded and cubed

500 ml (2 cups) water or vegetable stock

Salt, freshly ground pepper 

Nutmeg

A knob of butter

60 g (2 oz) grated kefalotyri or Parmesan for serving

Sauté the onions in olive oil until soft. Add the spinach in portions, cover the saucepan and cook for 3-4 minutes. Add the dill, seasoning and the stock and bring back to the boil.  Stir in the rice, place the tomato cubes on top and simmer, covered, until the water is absorbed, and the rice cooked. 

Remove the fire, stir in the butter, and cover the saucepan with a kitchen towel, to prevent the steam from escaping.   Serve sprinkled with grated cheese.

                                           CREPES A LA FLORENTINE

Crepes can be transformed into a gourmet dish!  Stuff them with mushrooms, seafood, or with a combination of eggplant, tomato, feta and basil.   The recipe, given below, is a good way to make children eat spinach.

Crepes:

175 g (1 cup + 1 tbsp) flour

3 eggs, beaten

300 ml (1 ¼ cup) milk

150 ml (¾ cup) water

1 tbsp melted butter

1-2 tbsp brandy or dry vermouth

Salt and pepper to taste

Butter + olive oil to fry the crepes

Béchamel Sauce:

2 tbsp butter

2 tbsp flour

1 bay leaf

250 ml (cup) hot milk

¼ tsp nutmeg

Salt and pepper

Stuffing:

½ kg (1 lb) frozen spinach or 1 kg (2 lb) fresh spinach, trimmed and thoroughly washed

2 spring onions, trimmed and finely chopped

1 tbsp dill, chopped

2 tbsp butter

Béchamel sauce

10 tbsp grated kefalotyri or Parmesan cheese,

Nutmeg to taste

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

250 ml - 500 ml (1-2 cups) cream

First, prepare the pancake batter.   Place the flour in a bowl and add eggs and mix well and then add milk and water slowly, stirring well.   Stir in the brandy or vermouth, the melted butter, and season with salt and pepper.   Place in the refrigerator for at least, half an hour.

Make the béchamel.   Melt butter, add the bay leaf, sift in the flour and stir for 2-3 minutes over medium heat.   Add the milk in portions, stirring constantly, until the sauce bubbles and thickens.  Add salt, freshly ground black pepper and grated nutmeg to taste, and discard the bay leaf.

Meanwhile, prepare the stuffing.   Melt the butter in a saucepan and add spring onions and then the spinach and cook over low heat, stirring from time to time, until the spinach is cooked, and most of the liquid has evaporated.  Cool a little and chop finely.  Stir in the béchamel and the grated cheese (reserving 2 tbsp of the grated cheese for further use) and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg and set aside.

Then make small crepes.  Spread each crepe with the stuffing, roll up and place in a buttered baking dish.   Pour the cream over the crepes and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.  Bake in a hot oven 230 C (450 F) until cheese melts and bubbles.  Do not overcook (about 15 minutes).

    

                              SPINACH CAKE WITH CREAM CHEESE ICING

                              

                                 

A delightful cake prepared with a popular vegetable.  

3 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups fresh spinach
300 g (1½ cups) sugar

187.5 g (3/4 cup) corn oil 

2 tbsp lemon juice

260 g (2 cups) plain flour sifted with

3 tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

Icing:

240 g (8 oz) cream cheese

2 cups icing sugar

1 ½ tsp vanilla extract

1 ½ tbsp. milk

(Mix all the ingredients well together until smooth and shiny)

Preheat oven to 180 C (350 F) and line the base of a round cake tin with buttered baking parchment and brush the sides of the tin lavishly with butter.

Blend the eggs, vanilla extract, sugar, lemon juice and spinach well together until smooth and silky. Then, through the hole of the blender lid slowly pour in the oil, while the blender is on a low setting.

Add the flour mixture, a ¼ cup at a time and pulse until well mixed together.  Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake for 30 minutes or until a tester inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean.

Reverse the cake on a pretty platter, discard the parchment and allow it to cool.  Slice the cake in half spread the bottom layer with icing and place the second layer directly on top.   Spread the remaining icing attractively all over the cake.

Red Poppies by Olga Shvartsur

Pansies by Olga Shvartsur

  

11th November 1918

The 11^th November was Aleco’s birthday.

On the 11^th hour of the 11^th November 1918, an armistice ended the bloody conflict on the Western Front, on land, sea and air between the Allies and Germany, at Compiegne, France. “A war that would end all wars” they hoped…..

1918 Armistice Celebrations Facing Buckingham Palace 

Celebrations in London on Armistice Day 1918

 English Girls and American Soldiers Rejoicing at the End of the Great War 

The first official Armistice Day was held at Buckingham Palace on the 11th hour, of the 11^th November 1919. 

Today, we celebrate the centennial of the end of the Great War (World War I), during which nine million soldiers and seven million civilians were killed.

During the centennial commemoration,  President Macron and Chancellor Merkel stood side by side at Compiegne, north of Paris, where the defeated Germans and the Allies signed an agreement that ended the 1914-1918 war.   They both entered a replica of the train carriage where the armistice was reached and signed a guest book.

President Macron told Chancellor Merkel:

“Our Europe has been in peace for 73 years.   There is no precedent for it, because we willed it, first and foremost, because Germany and France wanted it” he said.



What, also, helped to bring peace among European neighbouring states, like France and Germany, was the formation of the European Union, in 1992.

                                                   It’s a long way to Tipperary

                                                   It’s a long way to go

                                                   It’s a long way to Tipperary

                                                  To the sweetest girl I know!!

                                                  Goodbye, Piccadilly

                                                  Farewell Lester Square

                                                  It’s a long, long way to Tipperary  

                                                  But my heart lies there!!

                                          In Flanders fields, the poppies grow

                                          Between the crosses, row on row

                                          That mark our place;  and in the sky

                                          The larks, still bravely singing, fly

                                          Scarce heard among the guns below

                                          We are the Dead.   Short days ago

                                          We lived, felt dawn, saw sunsets glow,

                                          Loved and were loved and now

                                          We lie in Flanders fields

                                          Take up our quarrel with the foe:

                                          To you from failing hands we throw

                                          The torch;  be yours to hold it high

                                          If you break faith with us who die

                                          We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

                                          In Flanders fields.

                                                       (By John Mc Crae)

...Between the Crosses Row and Row...

...Though Poppies Grow In Flanders' Fields....

CITRUS FRUITS

Citrus Fruit by  Bartolomeo Bimbi  (1648-1729)

Lemons and Oranges (1774-1825)

A Basket with Oranges and Lemons by Margaret Olley (1923-2011)

According to Greek mythology, Hera the queen of twelve gods of Olympus had a beautiful garden on an unknown and distant island.   This garden had a precious tree that bore “golden apples” that had the power to grant immortality to whoever ate them. 

The tree was guarded by the Hesperides, Atlas’ daughters, and the dragon Ladon, who had 100 heads and never slept.   Ladon was coiled around the tree,  in order to prevent any human being from stealing the golden apples, eating them and attaining immortality.

Hercules in the Garden of Hesperides by Michele Rocca 

Hercules, in his 13^th labour, after discovering the garden of the Hesperides, slew the dragon, gathered the golden apples and offered them to the people for the benefit of mankind.    

Incidentally, “hesperithoithi” are citrus fruits in Greek.

Citrus fruits besides being an excellent source of vitamin C, also contain glycaemic and non-glycaemic carbohydrate (sugar and fibre), potassium folate, phosphorous, magnesium, copper,  thiamine, niacin and vitamin B.  Consequently, they are very healthy fruits.

Here are several recipes prepared with citrus fruits.






                                  CARROT GINGER AND ORANGE SOUP

    

Carrot Ginger and Orange Soup

                             

A delightful aromatic 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

65 ml (¼ cup) cream

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.   Serve in hot soup bowls drizzled with cream

                                              EGG AND LEMON SOUP

      

 Avgolemono, a typically Greek soup, is prepared according to taste.  For a smooth and creamy soup use beaten egg yolks only, if a frothy texture is preferred, use whole eggs, yolks and whites whipped separately.

2 litres (8 cups plus) tasty chicken, meat or fish stock

6 level tbsp short grain rice

3 egg yolks or

2 eggs, separated, whites whipped into soft peaks

1 lemon, juice only

Salt and pepper to taste

Bring the stock to the boil, stir in the rice, lower the heat and simmer until the rice is soft. (15-20 minutes).  Remove the saucepan from the heat.

Beat the egg yolks and if whole eggs are used, fold in the whipped egg whites add the lemon juice and stir gently.  Very slowly pour 1½ - 2 cups hot stock into the egg mixture, beating constantly, and pour, slowly, back into the saucepan and swirl. 

Return the saucepan to low heat and keep stirring.  Don’t let the soup boil!  Taste and add more salt, freshly ground pepper and lemon juice, if necessary.

                            PRAWNS WITH GARLIC AND ORANGE JUICE

A delicious appetiser.

2 tbsp butter

1 tbsp olive oil

1 large clove garlic, peeled and finely chopped

1 kg (2 lb) prawns, shelled, deveined, thoroughly washed and patted dry

A small sprig of rosemary

1 orange, juice and grated rind

Salt and pepper to taste

1 knob of butter

2 tbsp chopped parsley

Sauté the garlic in butter and olive oil, over low heat, for 1-2 minutes add the prawns and the rosemary sprig and cook for 4-5 minutes or until they turn pink.

Sprinkle with the orange zest, salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste, drizzle with orange juice and simmer for 2 minutes more until the prawns are well coated with sauce.

Add a small knob of butter and when it melts, discard the rosemary sprig and serve sprinkled with chopped parsley.

                                       FIVE SPICE MEATBALLS

Five-spice powder is a combination of 5 or more ground spices  ( 1 tsp cinnamon + 1 tsp cloves + 1 tsp ginger + 1 tsp nutmeg + 1 tsp Szechuan pepper), predominantly used in  Chinese and Taiwanese cuisines.

Meatballs:

1 egg white

¾ cup breadcrumbs

¼ tsp five-spice powder

½ tsp salt

500 g (1 lb) minced meat

Sauce:

375 ml (1½ cup) orange juice

3 tbsp honey

4 tbsp cornflour

4 tbsp soy sauce

¼ tsp minced ginger

1 medium-sized yellow bell pepper, trimmed and cut into small pieces
1 tbsp roasted sesame seeds

Mix all the meatball ingredients well together and shape into small balls the size of walnuts.   Place them on a tin, lined with baking parchment.   Roast for 15-20 minutes, in an oven preheated to 180 C (350 F) or until the meatballs are cooked through.

Meanwhile, in a large wok, stir together the orange juice, honey, cornflour, soy sauce and minced ginger and cook and stir until the sauce is thick and bubbly.  Add the bell pepper and the meatballs to the wok and cook stirring until heated through.  Serve over rice or noodles sprinkled with roasted sesame seeds.

                  A DELICIOUS PORK RAGOUT WITH ORANGES AND OLIVES

                                             

 Pork, in some form, is a must for Christmas in Greece.    This dish is from Sparta but hardly Spartan!  My talented daughter-in-law Yianna gave me this recipe.

1 kg (2 lb) pork, preferably from the shoulder, sliced

80 ml (1/3 cup) olive oil

125 ml (½ cup) dry white wine

4 oranges, peeled and cut into eighths

Peel of 1 orange cut in very thin strips and blanched

250 ml (1 cup) or more orange juice

1 cup Kalamata olives, blanched and stoned

Pinch of oregano or thyme

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Sprinkle the pork with salt and pepper and sauté in the olive oil until it turns white. 

Pour in the wine and simmer until almost done, then add the orange juice and cook for another 10 minutes.   

Add the olives and lay the pieces of orange and orange peel on top.   Baste the oranges with the meat juices and add some salt.   Simmer a further 15 minutes and then taste again and season with salt and pepper if necessary and sprinkle with oregano or thyme.   Do not stir after you have added the orange pieces and olives.

Serve the pork, olives and orange pieces in separate piles on a serving dish accompanied with buttered rice or noodles

   

                                  AVOCADO AND GRAPEFRUIT SALAD

 A very interesting salad.

Dressing:

2 tbsp vinegar

2 spring onions, trimmed and very finely sliced

65 g (¼ cup) olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

(Whip all the ingredients well together until the dressing thickens)

3 ripe avocados, peeled, stoned, thinly sliced and drenched with

1 tbsp lemon juice to prevent discolouration.

3 large ruby red grapefruit, peeled, pith and membranes discarded and then divided into segments

10 tender lettuce or rocket leaves, torn into pieces

Place the sliced avocado and the grapefruit in a salad bowl, cover with cling film and refrigerate.  Just before serving, add the lettuce or rocket leaves, drizzle with dressing and toss gently.

                               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 cover it with icing or cut it in half and fill it with lemon cream.

 

 Cake:

150 g (5 oz) self-raising flour

120 g (4 oz) butter softened

120 g (4 oz) sugar

2 eggs

1 egg yolk

1¼ tsp lemon juice

Grated rind of 1 lemon

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 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 well together)

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 is 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.

                                                 LEMON MOUSSE

This is a lovely light dessert.

250 g (½ lb) double cream, whipped stiff with

1 tbsp icing sugar or more if necessary and

A pinch of salt

200 g (1 tub) thick Greek yogurt

One 395 g (13 3/5 oz) tin sweet, condensed milk

150-200 ml (5–7 fl. oz) lemon juice

The grated rind of 1 lemon

Extra grated lemon rind for garnish

Beat the yogurt to make it creamy. Also, whip the condensed milk with the lemon juice and the grated rind until it thickens and resembles a glossy cream.   Stir in the yogurt until very well combined.

Finally, gently fold in the whipped cream.   Place in small glasses and serve sprinkled with grated lemon rind or garnished with any fruit of your choice.

                                                     LEMON TART

                                               

  

This is a lovely tart, the crust is crisp the lemon cream is delightfully aromatic.

Crust:

250 g (½ lb) butter, at room temperature

100 g (½ cup) sugar

260 g (2 cups) or more self-raising flour combined with a

Pinch of salt

Filling:

4 eggs

440 g (2 cups) sugar

The grated rind of 1 lemon 

50 g (1.6 oz) self-raising flour, sifted with

½ tsp baking powder

160 ml (almost 2/3 cup) lemon juice or according to taste

For the crust, blend the ingredients until just combined.   Wrap and chill the dough for at least 30 minutes.  Meanwhile, preheat the oven at 180 C.

Roll out the dough, thinly, and line a 30 cm tart tin, prick with a fork all over, and chill for 15 minutes until firm.  Bake the pastry shell blind, for 20 minutes.

In the meantime, whip the eggs with the sugar and lemon zest until light, fluffy and almost doubled in bulk.  Gently fold in the flour and baking powder mixture and, finally, the lemon juice.

Pour the filling over the hot baked crust and bake for 25 minutes (or more).  Serve sprinkled with icing sugar.

                               

                                        BITTER ORANGE MARMALADE

                                          

This is an excellent marmalade recipe.  The fresher the oranges are, the quicker the marmalade will set.

1 kg (2 lb) bitter oranges

2 kg (4 lb) sugar

Water

Put the washed bitter oranges in a saucepan and cover with cold water.   Place a plate on top and press it down to keep the oranges well covered.   Simmer the oranges until very soft.

  

Remove the oranges – reserving the water – and chop up roughly, reserving the pips.   Then place the reserved pips in the reserved water and boil for about 10 minutes to extract as much pectin as possible.  Strain the pips and discard them, reserving the water.

Boil the chopped oranges, the sugar and water, until set.  Pour the hot marmalade into hot sterilized jars.   When the marmalade cools, cover with rounds of greaseproof paper and seal.

                                            BERGAMOT SPOON SWEET

This fruit is not edible raw, but its essential oil is extracted from the rind and used for preparing confectionaries and distilled into an aromatic liqueur.

1 kg (2 b) bergamot peel, pith discarded

1 ½ (3 lb) sugar

1 lt (4 cups) cold water

The juice of 2 lemons

Grate the washed bergamots with a cheese grater, slice into 6 pieces and remove and discard the fruit.  

Weigh the peel and boil in plenty of water until soft.   Drain and place in cold water for 24 hours. Drain once more and cut each slice in half and roll and secure it with toothpicks.   Boil the water and sugar for 5 minutes, allow the syrup to cool, add the bergamot pieces and boil for 25 minutes.  After 24 hours, boil them once more until the syrup thickens.   Five minutes before removing from the heat add the lemon juice.  

Cool the spoon sweet, discard the toothpicks, place in sterilised jars, cover with round pieces of greaseproof paper and seal tightly.

                                 

Oranges and Lemons by Paul Cezanne