North America, Europe and Asia are experiencing one of the coldest winters I can remember. This is, apparently, due to the polar vortex (a meteorological term new to me). The polar vortex is a large area of low pressure and cold air that surround both of the earth's poles. Sometimes, during winter in the Northern Hemisphere, the polar vortex will increase and swell, sending icy Arctic winds southward, freezing the land and chilling areas that usually enjoy mild winters.
In Canada and the United States the temperature has tumbled down to -30 C (-22 F). Even sunny California is covered with snow.
Europe is shivering and freezing. Many people died in Poland from sub-normal temperatures. In Central Russia the thermometer dropped to -40 C (-40 F) and heavy snow covered the plains of Northern India.
Here at home, the thermometer showed -17 degrees on the Celsius scale (1.4 F) in the North, and villages on Greek islands have been snow-bound for days.
In an older post of this blog (AUTUMN COMFORT FOOD), I had mentioned that there was great concern that heated housing might not be ready or sufficient for accommodating the refugees, during the cold winter months. Our fears. unfortunately, came true and thousands of refugees are still living in flimsy tents, on the islands of Lesvos, Samos, Chios and Leros, during this icy cold weather. There have been efforts to accommodate the feeble, mostly children and old people, in ships, hotels and private homes but that is, unfortunately, still not enough. We are ashamed and angry with those of us who did not try hard enough, and with our fellow members in the European Union, who have "relocated only one in twenty of the refugees they had promised to shelter", in 2015.
Here are a few recipes for food, suitable for bitterly cold weather
I have already given you a recipe for bean soup, this is slightly different.
125 ml (1/2 cup) olive oil, separated
1 onion, grated
3 medium-sized tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped, or
2 tsp salt and freshly ground black pepper
Do try preparing this interesting and very tasty dish.
In Canada and the United States the temperature has tumbled down to -30 C (-22 F). Even sunny California is covered with snow.
Europe is shivering and freezing. Many people died in Poland from sub-normal temperatures. In Central Russia the thermometer dropped to -40 C (-40 F) and heavy snow covered the plains of Northern India.
Here at home, the thermometer showed -17 degrees on the Celsius scale (1.4 F) in the North, and villages on Greek islands have been snow-bound for days.
In an older post of this blog (AUTUMN COMFORT FOOD), I had mentioned that there was great concern that heated housing might not be ready or sufficient for accommodating the refugees, during the cold winter months. Our fears. unfortunately, came true and thousands of refugees are still living in flimsy tents, on the islands of Lesvos, Samos, Chios and Leros, during this icy cold weather. There have been efforts to accommodate the feeble, mostly children and old people, in ships, hotels and private homes but that is, unfortunately, still not enough. We are ashamed and angry with those of us who did not try hard enough, and with our fellow members in the European Union, who have "relocated only one in twenty of the refugees they had promised to shelter", in 2015.
Here are a few recipes for food, suitable for bitterly cold weather
BEAN SOUP
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| A Tasty Greek Soup |
I have already given you a recipe for bean soup, this is slightly different.
500 g (1 lb) white haricot or cannelloni beans, soaked overnight in cold water
Enough meat stock to cover the beans
125 ml (1/2 cup) olive oil, separated
1 onion, grated
2 carrots, cubed
4 celery stalks, trimmed and thinly sliced
2 medium-sized potatoes, peeled, and cubed
3 rashers lean bacon, chopped
3 rashers lean bacon, chopped
3 medium-sized tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped, or
2 tsp tomato paste, or
One 400 g (13 oz +) tin thick tomato juice
2 tsp salt and freshly ground black pepper
¼ tsp Cayenne pepper or
1 small red chilli pepper
Strain the beans, place in a large saucepan, cover with cold water, bring to the boil and cook for 10 minutes and strain once more. Cover the beans with hot meat stock and boil until almost cooked.
Sauté the carrots, celery, potatoes and bacon in a little olive oil for about 2-3 minutes. Add the onions and a little salt and cook, stirring until the onions change colour, and tip the vegetables into the saucepan with the beans. Add the tomatoes or tomato paste or juice, salt, pepper, Cayenne pepper or red chilli, and a little olive oil.
Simmer for 30 minutes more or until the beans and vegetables are tender, adding a little boiling stock, if necessary. Taste the soup for seasoning and adjust. Serve sprinkled with freshly ground black pepper and drizzled with the remaining olive oil.
ORZO WITH
MUSHROOMS
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| Orzotto with Mushrooms |
Do try preparing this interesting and very tasty dish.
For the pasta:
500 g (1 lb) large-sized orzo
2-3 tbsp olive oil
1 medium-sized onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 tbsp tomato paste
A little salt
Freshly ground black pepper
¼ - ½ tsp Cayenne pepper
250 ml (1 cup) dry white wine
1½ litre (6 cups) hot, tasty chicken or vegetable stock plus a little more if necessary
2 tbsp butter
Kefalotyri or San Mihalis or Parmesan, grated
Chopped parsley for garnish
Chopped parsley for garnish
For the mushrooms:
1 kg (2 lb) fresh white mushrooms, trimmed, halved
or quartered if large
1 tbsp olive oil and
Salt and freshly ground black pepper,
First place the mushrooms on a baking tin lined with baking parchment. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper, and roast in an oven preheated to 180 C (350 F)
First place the mushrooms on a baking tin lined with baking parchment. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper, and roast in an oven preheated to 180 C (350 F)
for 20-25 minutes until the mushrooms are dry and delicious.
Sauté the orzo in olive oil, over medium heat, stirring all
the time. After thee minutes, stir in the
onion and garlic and cook for two minutes.
Then add the tomato paste, a little salt, freshly ground black pepper and Cayenne pepper and keep
on stirring for two minutes more.
Pour in the wine and stir until absorbed. Then add enough hot chicken stock to just
cover the pasta. Lower the heat, cover
the saucepan and simmer until the orzo seems dry. Then add all the remaining, hot stock, stir,
cover and simmer very, very gently until the pasta is thoroughly cooked, stirring occasionally. Taste
and add a little more stock and seasoning, if necessary.
Remove from the fire and add the butter and stir until well
combined. Then, return the saucepan to
the stove, add the mushrooms and heat thoroughly. Check for salt and pepper, once more and
adjust. Serve sprinkled with grated
cheese and chopped parsley.
BEEF STEW
This is a delicious winter stew.
2 tbsp olive oil
1 1/4 kg (2 1/2 lb) stewing steak cut into bite-sized pieces and coated in
Flour, seasoned with salt and pepper
2 onions, grated
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tbsp tomato paste
250 ml (1 cup) dry white wine
2 liters (8 cups) or more hot tasty meat stock
1 bouquet garni (1 bay leaf + 1 twig of sage + 1 twig of rosemary)
2 tbsp butter
2 onions, peeled and cut into 6 wedges
4 carrots, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces
4 celery stalks, trimmed and thickly sliced
Saute the flour-coated meat in olive oil until slightly browned and transfer to a plate with a slotted spoon. Discard the oil from the pan, lower the heat and stir in the grated onion and simmer, stirring until it changes colour. Add the tomato paste and stir for 2 minutes more, return the meat to the pot, then pour in the wine and simmer until the alcohol evaporates.
Meanwhile, saute the remaining vegetables in butter, sprinkle with a little salt and freshly ground black pepper and set aside. Add the hot meat stock, over the meat, add the bouquet, stir and cover the saucepan and simmer gently until the meat is almost cooked,
Then add the sauteed vegetables and cook very gently until the meat and the vegetables are tender, adding extra meat stock, when and if necessary. Taste and add more salt and pepper, if needed. Discard the bouquet garni and serve piping hot with a broccoli and cauliflower salad.
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This is a delicious winter stew.
2 tbsp olive oil
1 1/4 kg (2 1/2 lb) stewing steak cut into bite-sized pieces and coated in
Flour, seasoned with salt and pepper
2 onions, grated
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tbsp tomato paste
250 ml (1 cup) dry white wine
2 liters (8 cups) or more hot tasty meat stock
1 bouquet garni (1 bay leaf + 1 twig of sage + 1 twig of rosemary)
2 tbsp butter
2 onions, peeled and cut into 6 wedges
4 carrots, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces
4 celery stalks, trimmed and thickly sliced
Saute the flour-coated meat in olive oil until slightly browned and transfer to a plate with a slotted spoon. Discard the oil from the pan, lower the heat and stir in the grated onion and simmer, stirring until it changes colour. Add the tomato paste and stir for 2 minutes more, return the meat to the pot, then pour in the wine and simmer until the alcohol evaporates.
Meanwhile, saute the remaining vegetables in butter, sprinkle with a little salt and freshly ground black pepper and set aside. Add the hot meat stock, over the meat, add the bouquet, stir and cover the saucepan and simmer gently until the meat is almost cooked,
Then add the sauteed vegetables and cook very gently until the meat and the vegetables are tender, adding extra meat stock, when and if necessary. Taste and add more salt and pepper, if needed. Discard the bouquet garni and serve piping hot with a broccoli and cauliflower salad.
BROCCOLI AND
CAULIFLOWER SALAD
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| Broccoli and Multi-coloured Pepper Salad |
This is 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
1 garlic clove, sliced
Salt, pepper
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
1 scant tbsp honey
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Lemon juice, if necessary
1 tbsp sesame seeds, roasted
2 tbsp parsley, chopped
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 180 C (350 F), until the
vegetables are 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 sesame oil gradually, until
the vinaigrette thickens. Taste for
seasoning and adjust with more salt, pepper and lemon juice, if necessary. Drizzle
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.
HOT LEMON PUDDING
Whenever I taste this pudding it brings back fond memories of comforting school meals that we used to enjoy so many years ago.
60 g (2 oz) butter plus extra for greasing the dish
210 g (7 oz) sugar
Grated zest of 2 1/2 lemons
4 medium-sized eggs, separated, whites whipped to the soft peak stage with a
Pinch of salt
60 g (2 oz) plain flour
270 ml (9 fl oz) milk
Icing sugar for sprinkling over
Heat the oven to 180 C (350 F). and grease an oval baking dish with butter.
Whip the butter, sugar and lemon zest in a food processor until light and creamy. Add the egg yolks, lemon juice, flour and milk and whizz until well combined. Scrape the batter into a bowl, and gently but thoroughly fold in the whipped egg whites. Spoon the batter into the buttered baking dish and even the surface.
Place it into deep baking tin and pour in enough boiling water to reach two thirds up the sides of the baking dish. Bake for 35-40 minutes until firm, puffed and golden but soft underneath. Serve dusted with icing sugar.
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| Sprinkle with Icing Sugar and Enjoy |
Whenever I taste this pudding it brings back fond memories of comforting school meals that we used to enjoy so many years ago.
60 g (2 oz) butter plus extra for greasing the dish
210 g (7 oz) sugar
Grated zest of 2 1/2 lemons
4 medium-sized eggs, separated, whites whipped to the soft peak stage with a
Pinch of salt
60 g (2 oz) plain flour
270 ml (9 fl oz) milk
Icing sugar for sprinkling over
Heat the oven to 180 C (350 F). and grease an oval baking dish with butter.
Whip the butter, sugar and lemon zest in a food processor until light and creamy. Add the egg yolks, lemon juice, flour and milk and whizz until well combined. Scrape the batter into a bowl, and gently but thoroughly fold in the whipped egg whites. Spoon the batter into the buttered baking dish and even the surface.
Place it into deep baking tin and pour in enough boiling water to reach two thirds up the sides of the baking dish. Bake for 35-40 minutes until firm, puffed and golden but soft underneath. Serve dusted with icing sugar.
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