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| A Vintage Engraving Depicting the Month of August |
This August was packed with economic, political and sometimes tragic events and natural phenomena that have changed and cost people's lives. In many parts of the world, earthquakes, fires and floods have brought and are still bringing death, destruction and desperation.
The civil wars in Syria and Burma are still raging. Unfortunately, during this extremely crucial period, several countries are led by irresponsible and erratic leaders who either with bombastic and bellicose rhetoric or by insane actions, could easily start a holocaust.
And the good news of the month.
It was very encouraging to learn, that according to the Journal of Clinical Oncology, researchers from Mayo Clinic and the National Cancer Institute claim that "a potent derivative of a drug could itself be a new effective treatment for the most common form of breast cancer in women".
And my personal good news.
My eldest grandson Alex with his lovely wife Tina and their two adorable little daughters, Janna and Sophia, came to see me during their holiday in Greece. I was delighted to see them all and to watch my precious great-granddaughters sing and dance because that is what they love doing. It is unbelievable how much they have grown since last Christmas!
My beautiful, granddaughter, Joy, who is, also, on vacation, visits me often and fills me with pride joy. She is a very pleasant, kind and intelligent girl and will be soon returning to England, where she's undertaking a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology, at the University of Surrey.
When we wish to lose weight, we have to exercise sufficiently and be careful with our diet. Here are a few recipes for tasty dishes with a few calories, and desserts prepared with stevia, a botanical sweetener with zero calories.
TOMATO SOUP
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| A Light Tomato Soup |
500 g (1lb) ripe tomatoes, skinned, seeded and blended
1 onion, peeled and chopped
1 carrot, peeled and sliced
2 tender celery stalks, threaded and finely sliced
1 apple, peeled, cored and chopped
1 bouquet garni (1 bay leaf + 1 thyme sprig + 1 basil sprig)
1 litre (4 cups) tasty vegetable stock
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
A little extra virgin olive oil
A few small basil twigs for garnish
Simmer the vegetables and the bouquet garni until the vegetables are cooked. Remove from the heat, discard the bouquet and blend with a rod blender until the sauce is thick and smooth.
Add enough stock to thin down the sauce to the preferred density, and add salt and freshly ground pepper according to taste.
Bring the soup to the boil and serve drizzled with a little extra virgin olive oil and garnished with basil leaves.
FILLETS OF FISH COOKED IN WHITE WINE
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| Fillet of Sole |
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| Fillet of Cod |
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| Whole Fish Cooked in Wine |
This recipe is for sole fillets, poached in wine, without butter. Naturally, thicker fillets and whole fish need their own cooking time.
1 kg (2 lb) fillets of sole, washed and patted dry
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Lemon juice
2 lemon slices
1 bouquet garni (1 bay leaf + 1 dill sprig + 1 thyme twig)
500 ml (2 cups) white wine, Assyrtiko from Santorini would be wonderful or a Chardonnay
1 cup chopped parsley leaves mixed with
A few stalks of chives finely snipped
Extra virgin olive oil
Sprinkle the fish with salt and drizzle with lemon juice. cover with cling film and refrigerate for 30 minutes at least. Bring to room temperature before cooking.
Pour the wine into a large, shallow saucepan with the lemon slices and the bouquet and simmer for 3-4 minutes. Then remove from the heat and allow the wine to cool and infuse for about 20 minutes. Discard the lemon slices.
Bring the aromatic wine to a simmer and place the fish fillets in one layer. and cook very gently for about 10-15 minutes or until thoroughly cooked. Remove from the heat and discard the bouquet.
Serve the sole fillets sprinkled with the chopped parsley/chives mixture and drizzled with extra virgin olive oil.
TOMATOES AND PEPPERS STUFFED WITH CRAKED WHEAT
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| Tomato Stuffed with Cracked Wheat Sprinkled with Kefalotyri |
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| Peppers Stuffed With Cracked Wheat |
A delicious and healthy Greek vegan recipe.
6 tomatoes
2 yellow peppers
2 orange peppers
2 green peppers
Stuffing:
12-14 tbsp cracked wheat, soaked for 15 minutes in water and strained
2 large onions, finely chopped
3-4 spring onions trimmed and finely chopped
1/2-1 tbsp mint leaves, finely chopped
1/2 cup chopped parsley, leaves only
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Cayenne pepper
A little sugar
2 tbsp olive oil, separated
Vegetable stock
Cut a thin slice from the stem part of each pepper and reserve. Discard the seeds and add a pinch of salt in each pepper cup. Proceed the same way with the tomatoes. Scoop out the flesh of each tomato with a teaspoon and set aside, taking care not to tear the skin. Sprinkle each tomato with a little salt and a tiny pinch of sugar.
In a large bowl, cube the tomato flesh and add the dry and spring onions, cracked wheat, herbs, salt and freshly ground pepper, Cayenne pepper, a pinch of sugar and 1 tbsp olive oil. Mix everything well together and stuff the tomatoes and peppers and place their lids on.
Arrange the stuffed vegetables in a large, shallow ovenproof casserole, add 500 ml (2 cups) of vegetable stock. Cover with baking parchment and the lid and simmer gently until the cracked wheat is almost cooked, adding more stock, if necessary.
Remove the lid and baking parchment, drizzle the stuffed vegetables with the remaining olive oil and bake in an oven preheated to 180 C (359 F) for 20-25 minutes or until the vegetables are slightly brown,
BRIAM - RATATOUILLE
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| Briam |
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| Ratatouille |
Briam is a popular Greek vegetable dish very similar to ratatouille a dish from the south of France. This recipe is my version of using left over vegetables in order to prepare a roast vegetable salad.
2 onions, peeled and cut into sixths or eighths
2 carrots, scraped and sliced thickly on a slant
2 red peppers, stalks and seeds removed and cut into bite-sized pieces
1 large aubergine or two smaller ones, partly peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces
2 large potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces
2 large courgettes, trimmed and sliced thickly on a slant
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 tsp Cayenne pepper
125 m (1/2 cup) olive oil
2 large tomatoes, peeled, seeded and cubed
250 ml (1 cup) tomato juice
1/4 cup basil leaves or 1 tbsp fresh thyme
Mix the first 10 ingredients well together and place, in a single layer in a baking dish, doubled lined with parchment. Roast in an oven preheated to 180 C (350 F) until the vegetables are cooked but still slightly crunchy.
Then, collect the vegetables in the centre of the tin, place the tomato cubes evenly on top, pour the tomato juice over, sprinkle with fresh basil or thyme and roast for 12-15 minutes more.
Spoon the roasted vegetables into a pretty dish or bowl, and serve warm or cold with a slice of feta and hot, crusty bread.
CHICKEN BREASTS COOKED EN PAPILLOTE
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| Chicken and Julienned Vegetables en Papillote |
As this dish has no butter, I shall omit the vegetables.
1 chicken breast, trimmed of all fat
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 tsp fresh tarragon leaves
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
1/2 garlic clove cut lengthwise
2 thin slices lemon
A little olive oil
Preheat oven to 180 C (350 F).
Line a roasting tin with baking parchment and place a 30 x 30 cm (12 x 12 inches) parchment on top. Fold it in half, cut into a heart shape, unfold and brush lavishly with olive oil.
Place the chicken breast in the centre of the oiled heart-shaped parchment. Sprinkle the chicken with salt, fresh ground black pepper and herbs and top with the lemon slices and garlic.
Bring the edges of the paper together fold together and crimp to seal. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through,
Serve the chicken breast sliced with a lovely salad.
A SALAD WITH ROCKET, CHERRY TOMATOES, AVOCADO AND PINENUTS
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Although avocado has many calories, it is often added to diet plans.
1 bunch of rocket
2 avocados, peeled, pitted, cubed and drenched with lemon juice to prevent discolouration
12 cherry tomatoes, preferably from Santorini, halved
Dressing:
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
3 tbsp low fat evaporated or fresh milk
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
(Stir thoroughly until the sauce thickens)
2 tbsp pine nuts, roasted
In a large salad bowl, layer the rocket, cherry tomatoes, avocados. Drizzle with sufficient dressing, sprinkle with the pine nuts, toss and serve. (Store any left over dressing in a sealed jar in the fridge, for not more than 3 days).
LEMON AND BUTTERMILK ICE CREAM
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| Lemon and Buttermilk Ice Cream with Lemon Peel in Syrup |
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This is a delicious ice cream sweetened with stevia.
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