Unidentified drones, that have been spotted flying over certain Parisian landmarks, initially, caused anxiety and concern to the French authorities.
Jihadist barbarians smashed priceless ancient statues into smithereens, at a museum in Mosul , an act of terrorism against their own Cultural Heritage.
On Friday the 27th February, Boris Nemtsov, a Russian opposition politician and “a Putin critic”, was murdered in the heart of Moscow , by an unknown assassin.
And the pleasant side of life:
My daughter-in-law Elpida and my son Yiannis invited me to their lovely home on Clean Monday, the beginning of the Greek Orthodox Lent. Elpida’s sister, Alexandra, and her son Antonis were there, also their friends Freddy-Maria Constantinidis with her son Nicolas and Olga and Mihalis Gregos with their sons, Stamos and Danos. Needless to say that I had a fabulous time!!
Here are a few recipes for the hors d'oeuvres, main dishes and desserts that we enjoyed that day.
Tahini is a paste made from sesame seeds with high oil contents. Apparently it is an excellent source of magnesium and omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids. It also has high levels of calcium and protein.
The two following recipes were given to me by Olga Gregos. Olga is from Cyprus , she is charming, intelligent and an excellent Mum.
OLGA’S TAHINI SAUCE
150 g (5 oz – ½ a jar) tahini
1 small clove garlic, crushed
125 ml (½ cup) or more lukewarm water
4-6 tbsp lemon juice
Salt and pepper
2-3 heaped tbsp chopped parsley or coriander (cilantro)
2-3 heaped tbsp chopped parsley or coriander (cilantro)
Blend the tahini, adding the tepid water progressively, until the required liquidity is obtained. Add the lemon juice, salt and pepper, according to taste. Before serving sprinkle with masses of parsley or coriander or both. This sauce is considered a dip or dressing. It is delicious over beetroots.
OLGA’S TAHINI AND CHICK PEA SAUCE
This sauce-spread is prepared according to taste.
A cupful of chick peas or more, boiled
Tahini Sauce
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Lemon juice
2-3 heaped tbsp chopped parsley or coriander (cilantro)
2-3 heaped tbsp chopped parsley or coriander (cilantro)
Blend the chick peas and add the Tahini Sauce by the spoonful until the required thickness is obtained. Taste and add more salt, pepper or lemon juice, if necessary. Sprinkle, lavishly, with parsley or coriander or both, if preferred and serve.
ELPIDA’S SHRIMP AND MUSHROOM PASTA
Our Elpida gave me this recipe. Do try preparing this dish, it will be a great success with your family and guests!
500 g (1lb) pasta of your choice, boiled in salted water, strained and sprinkled with olive oil. Reserve a cupful of the water the pasta was boiled in.
Sauce:
4 tbsp olive oil
3-5 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
2 tbsp tomato paste
Two 500 g (1 lb) packets or tins concentrated tomato juice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/8 tsp Cayenne pepper or hot paprika
1 tsp sugar or more, depending on the acidity of the tomatoes
1 kg (2 lb) fresh mushrooms, halved or quartered, sautéed and sprinkled with a little salt
1 kg (2 lb) shrimp, peeled and de-veined, slightly sautéed and sprinkled with a little salt
One 250 g (1 lb) packet cherry tomatoes, halved
Over low heat, sauté the garlic, in three tbsp olive oil for about a minute. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for two minutes more, stirring all the time.
Add the tomato juice and sprinkle with sugar, a little salt, freshly ground black pepper and Cayenne pepper or hot paprika. Bring to the boil, cover the saucepan and simmer very gently for 15 minutes to half an hour, until the sauce is thick and cooked.
Stir in the mushrooms with their juices and the cherry tomatoes, cover the saucepan and cook for 4-5 minutes more. Finally add the shrimp and simmer for 2 minutes more. Taste for seasoning and add salt, pepper, Cayenne or paprika, if necessary.
When ready to serve, heat the prepared pasta in a large flat saucepan and stir in the hot sauce. If you think it should be more liquid, add a little of the reserved pasta water. Dribble with the remaining olive oil and help yourselves.
FREDDY-MARIA’S GALLO PINTO
SQUID SALAD
I know Freddy-Maria Constantinidis since she was a teenager, as she is very old friend of my children. Freddy is attractive, thoughtful and a very nice person.
This is a recipe for delicious comfort food, a dish from Costa Rica that Freddy enjoyed, when she lived there with her son Nicolas.
Beans:
½ kg (1 lb) red or black beans, soaked overnight
2 celery stalks, trimmed and finely chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 red bell peppers, finely chopped
¾ cup coriander (cilantro) finely chopped
2 twigs of fresh thyme or marjoram or oregano
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Rice:
2 cups boiled, white rice
2 tbsp oil
2 – 3 tbsp onion, finely chopped
2 – 3 tbsp bell peppers, finely chopped
2 – 3 tbsp fresh coriander (cilantro), finely chopped
1 clove garlic or more, crushed
Salt and freshly ground pepper
A few drops of Worcestershire sauce
½ tsp ground cumin
Start with the beans. Drain them, just cover with unsalted water and boil, until almost cooked. Add all the other ingredients and simmer, until tender. There should be very little cooking liquid left.
For the rice. Gently sauté all vegetables and herbs in oil, until soft. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, stir in the Worcestershire sauce and the ground cumin and cook for two or three minutes more.
Combine the hot rice mixture with the beans, and serve with sliced avocados drenched with lime juice, Bon appetito!
This is a lovely salad
500 g (1 lb) medium sized squid, cleaned and thinly sliced into rings, tentacles cut in
2 cm (1/2 inch) pieces
1 bay leaf
1 garlic clove
1 bay leaf
1 garlic clove
Dressing
½ cup olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice
Grated rind of 1 lemon
Salt to taste and freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp mild mustard
1 tbsp mild mustard
Few drops Tobasco sauce
2 spring onions, finely chopped
1 tsp garlic cream*
1 tbsp capers, well rinsed out
2 tbsp parsley, chopped
2 tbsp coriander (optional)
2 tbsp parsley, chopped
2 tbsp coriander (optional)
Crisp lettuce leaves, for serving
Sliced Kalamata olives for garnishing.
Prepare the dressing. Beat the olive oil, lemon juice, grated rind, salt, pepper, mustard and Tobasco, until thick. Then add the other three ingredients and mix thoroughly in a large bowl.
Boil the squid, in slightly salted water with the garlic clove and bay leaf, for not more than 3-4 minutes, as they have a tendency to turn tough if overcooked.
Drain the squid and immediately add them to the dressing. Toss well, and marinate overnight for best results. Serve over lettuce leaves, sprinkle with parsley and coriander, if using, and garnish with olives.
(Serves 4-6)
GARLIC CREAM
Wash and trim off the roots of 2 heads of garlic and wrap them in tin foil. Place them in an oven, preheated to 180 C (375 F) and bake for 40 - 45 minutes or until soft.
When cold, press each garlic clove to extract the pulp and place it in a prepared jar. Cover with olive oil and refrigerate.
OCTOPUS WITH FENNEL AND WINE
Fennel bulbs are cultivated broadly in Greece . They are popular and appear in many contempory Greek dishes. This dish was inspired by an old Cretan recipe cooked with tomatoes, wine, and masses of wild fennel leaves.
1.5 kg (3 lbs) octopus, cleaned and thoroughly washed
250 ml (1 cup) dry white wine
4-6 peppercorns
85 ml (an ample 1/3 cup) olive oil
2 medium onions, finely chopped
3 spring onions, finely chopped
4 fennel bulbs, trimmed and quartered (from
stem to root), stalks peeled
1-2 tbsp flour
1 cup or more vegetable stock (made with 1 carrot, 1 onion, 2 celery stalks 1 garlic
clove, chopped fennel leaves, salt and pepper
The juice of ½ a lemon
½ cup finely chopped fennel leaves
1-2 tbsp or more ouzo
Place the octopus in a pressure cooker and cook, uncovered, until the octopus releases its juices. Lock the lid and simmer for about 6 minutes, then uncover turn the octopus over, add the peppercorns and a little wine if necessary and cook for another10-12 minutes, with the lid locked. By this time it should be cooked. If not, give it some extra time. If you use an ordinary saucepan, the cooking time should be around 1½ hours. Remove the dark membrane but not the suction cups, from the octopus, cut it into bite-sized pieces and reserve.
Saute the onions in olive oil, until soft. Add the fennel bulbs and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the flour, and cook until no taste of flour is evident. Then pour in the lemon juice and vegetable stock, and simmer covered, for about ¼ hour or until the bulbs are just cooked, stirring once or twice. Add the octopus pieces, sprinkle with the fennel leaves and cook gently for another five minutes. Finally douse with ouzo and simmer a few minutes more until the alcohol evaporates. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt, if necessary, and freshly ground pepper. Serve with iced ouzo.
(Serves 6-8)
PEASANT BISCUITS
Lalanghia
This recipe comes from the area of Kalamata.
120 ml (½ cup) lukewarm water
120 ml (1/2 cup) fresh orange juice
1 tbsp finely grated orange rind
50 g (¼ cup) sugar
½ tsp salt
60 ml (1/4 cup) corn oil or olive oil
1 ½ tbsp brandy or ouzo
1 tsp baking powder
550 g (3 2/3 cups) plain flour
Oil for frying
Beat the first 6 ingredients in a mixer for 2 minutes, and pour in the baking powder dissolved in brandy. Lower the speed and add flour and beat until the dough forms a ball around the pastry hook.
Remove the dough form the mixer and place it on a floured surface and knead well. If the dough sticks to your hands, add a little more flour and knead again.
Break of pieces about the size of a walnut and roll out into pencil thin cylinders about 12 cm (5 in) in length. Form into any shapes you like.* Fry on all sides in hot oil until browned and crisp. They can also be made with bread dough (preferably dough prepared for peasant bread).
(Makes 30 pieces)
FLAT BREAD FOR LENT
Lagana
Lagana
LAGHANA is eaten, in
500 g (1 lb) bread flour
8-10 g (1 tbsp) dried yeast
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp mustard powder,
250 ml (1 cup) warm, white wine
1 tsp salt
1-1 ½ tbsp sesame seeds
I a large, warmed bowl mix flour, dried yeast, sugar and mustard powder. Then add the wine and salt and knead vigorously until the dough is soft. Cover and let it rise for ½ an hour.
Then place the dough on a baking tin, lined with baking parchment. Give it an oval shape, press it down with the palms of your hands and poke it with your finger tips. It should not be over 1.25 cm (½ inch) thick, as it will rise while baking.
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FRIED SALT COD WITH GARLIC SAUCE
Fried salt cod with skordalia is served all overGreece
“Aliada”, as garlic sauce is called in theIonian Islands , is usually served with fried salt cod, fried aubergines and courgettes, and boiled beetroot salad.
APPLE TART
I don’t remember who gave the recipe for this is a lovely Lenten dessert.
FRIED SALT COD WITH GARLIC SAUCE
Tighanitos Bakaliaros Skordalia
Fried salt cod with skordalia is served all over
1 kg salt cod, cut in serving pieces and soaked in cold water for 24 hours (changing
water several times)
Olive, or corn oil for frying
Prepare “Frying Batter for Lent” and your favourite recipe for garlic sauce.
Remove the skin and bones from the cod and dredge it with flour, shaking off the excess. Dip the pieces in frying batter and deep-fry until crisp and golden and drain on kitchen paper. Serve immediately with garlic sauce and boiled beetroot salad.
(Serves 6)
FRYING BATTER
Coat sliced aubergines or courgettes with flour, shake off the excess, and dip them in the following batter. Fry and drain on kitchen paper and serve immediately with garlic sauce. You can also fry courgettes flowers in this batter.
150 g (5 oz) self-raising flour
Salt and pepper
The grated rind of one lemon, optional
1 tbsp olive oil
2 eggs, separated (whites whipped into soft peeks)
120-180 ml (½ - ¾ cup) beer or more, if necessary
Place the flour in a bowl. Add salt, pepper, lemon rind (if using), olive oil and beaten egg yolks and mix very well together. Then, stir in the beer gradually until you have a creamy texture. Set aside to rest for at least ½ hour. When ready to use the batter, fold in the whipped egg whites.
FRYING BATTER FOR LENT
150 g (5oz) self-raising flour
Salt and pepper
The grated rind of 1 lemon, optional
1 tbsp olive oil
Beer
Combine the flour with salt, pepper, lemon rind (if using) and olive oil, and mix well together. Whisk in enough beer to make a smooth, rather thick batter. Set aside to rest for at least ½ hour before using.
GARLIC SAUCE WITH POTATOES
Aliada
“Aliada”, as garlic sauce is called in the
3-4 medium waxy potatoes, boiled, peeled and cubed
2 ½ tsp crushed garlic or according to taste
1 scant tsp salt
4-6 tsp lemon juice or according to taste
125 – 250 ml (½ - 1 cup) warm water
2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
The traditional way to prepare alliada is to crush the garlic with salt with a pestle and mortar. Add the warm potatoes, a few at a time, and pound well until they form a sticky paste. Stir in the lemon juice and enough warm water until the sauce is smooth but stiff enough to hold its shape. Of course the procedure is much easier and quicker to prepare in a blender or food processor.
Transfer the aliada in a bowl, cover with cling film and chill. Just before serving, sprinkle with olive oil.
GARLIC SAUCE WITH BREAD
Skordalia
250 g (8 oz) day old bread, crust removed, soaked in water and squeezed dry
250 g (8 oz) day old bread, crust removed, soaked in water and squeezed dry
2½ tsp crushed garlic, or according to taste
1 scant tsp salt
2-4 tsp wine vinegar, or according to taste
2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Blend the first four ingredients together until smooth and creamy. Place in a covered bowl and chill. Just before serving, sprinkle with the olive oil.
APPLE TART
I don’t remember who gave the recipe for this is a lovely Lenten dessert.
Pastry:
390 g (3 cups) plain flour, mixed with
1 tsp baking powder
¾ cup margarine
A pinch of salt
1/3 tsp cinnamon
Grated rind of 1 orange
5 tbsp sugar or more, if preferred
1 liqueur glass brandy
1 liqueur glass orange juice or a little more, if necessary
Filling:
1 cup apricot jam
½ cup chopped walnuts
4 apples, peeled, sliced and drenched with the
Juice of 1 orange
Process the margarine with the flour, until the mixture resembles bread crumbs. Add the salt, sugar, cinnamon and orange zest and whizz until well combined. Pour in the brandy and orange juice and blend until a soft, pliable dough is obtained. Flatten out the dough, cover, and refrigerate for at least half an hour.
Roll out 2/3 of the dough and line the base and sides of a greased tart dish, reserving the remaining dough in the freezer, for further use. Spread the apricot jam over the base of the tart and sprinkle with walnuts. Neatly arrange the apple slices on top, overlapping each other, and grate the reserved dough, evenly, over. One could, alternately, thinly roll out the remaining dough to cover the apples.
Bake in an oven preheated to 180 C (350 F) for 40 minutes, then lower the heat to 160 C (340 F) and bake for 20 minutes more.
HONEY AND SESAME BITES
Pasteli
This tasty and healthy snack must have been invented to make life easier, during the long fasting periods of the Greek Orthodox Church.
200 g (½ cup) honey
About 150 g (1 cup) sesame seeds, roasted
25 g (¼ cup) almonds, peeled, roasted and finely chopped
1 ½ tsp ground dried tangerine skin, or
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg
Boil the honey to slightly reduce it, and skim off the foam. Add all the other ingredients, mix well together and simmer a few minutes more.
Transfer the mixture to a baking dish, lined with oiled baking parchment or to a marble surface, brushed with oil, and spread evenly. Cut the pasteli into squares and let cool.
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