NEW RECIPES

 Here area few recipes for savoury bakes, interesting dishes and lovely cakes and desserts. 

                                               MEDITERRANEAN MUFFINS

3/4 of a cup olive oil and a little for brushing the cupcake sockets 

500 ml (2 cups) orange juice

Zest of 1 orange

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

3 cups wholemeal flour

3 tsp baking powder

Pinch of salt  and freshly ground black pepper

2 spring onions, trimmed and finely chopped

1 tsp mint, finely chopped

1 tbsp parsley, finely chopped

1/2 tbsp rosemary, finely chopped

Preheat oven to 180 C (350 F). 

In a large bowl, mix the first four ingredients together and mix the flour with baking powder and salt and pepper in a smaller bowl and set aside.  

Stir the spring onions and chopped herbs into the flour mixture and pour in the liquid ingredients and mix well together.

Spoon the batter into the cupcake sockets and bake for 20-25 minutes until puffed and golden.

 

                                    PRUNE, HAM AND CHEESE LOAF CAKE 

150 g (5 oz) plain flour 

t tsp baking flour

3 eggs

125 ml (1/2 cup) milk

120 ml (4 fl oz) melted butter and some for the tin

80 g (2.6 oz) prunes, finely chopped

120 g (4 oz) lean ham, finely chopped

80 g (2.6 oz) Parmesan, San Mihalis or graviera from Crete, grated

1 tbsp mustard

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 180 C (350 F) and butter a loaf tin and sprinkle with flour, shaking off the access. 

 

Mix the flour with the baking powder and stir in the liquid ingredients well together.  

Add the prunes, ham after dusting with flour, the grated cheese and mustard and stir until very well combined. Spoon into the prepared loaf tin and bake for 40-45  minutes or until a tester inserted in the middle of the loaf cake comes out clean.   

                                            MEDITERANIAN RIGATONI

500 g (1 lb) rigatoni, boiled in salted water until "al dente", strained and sprinkled with olive oil

500 g (1 lb) aubergines, peeled snd thinly sliced

250 g (1/2 lb) aubergines, peeled and cubed

3 garlic cloves, peeled and mashed

4 cherry tomatoes, cut in half

50 g (1.6 oz) butter

2 tbsp olive oil

8 basil leaves, finely chopped

100 g (2.8  oz) San Mihalis cheese or Parmesan, grated

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes 

Salt to taste

In a large frying pan place half of the butter and half of the olive oil and saute the sliced aubergines until slightly brown,  Strain on kitchen paper.  In the same frying pan, saute the aubergines cubes for 6-8 minutes and strain on a plate lined with kitchen paper. Finally, add the cherry tomatoes and saute well, remove and set aside.

Pour the remaining butter and olive oil in the frying pan, add the finely chopped tomatoes, half the chopped basil, sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste and simmer for 15 minutes,  Add the rigatoni, the aubergine cubes and half the grated cheese and mix well together.

Serve immediately with the aubergine slices, the cherry tomatoes the remaining basil and freshly ground black pepper.     

  

 

                                                 CREAMED CHICKEN

 

This is a simple dish and easy to prepare for a party.

 

500 g (1 lb) skinned chicken legs

2 tbsp olive oil

1- 2 cloves garlic

1 sweet red pepper cut in small pieces

3 spring onions, finely chopped

2 tbsp sweet red wine, Mavrodaphne or Samos wine

1 25 ml (½ cup) cream

2 tbsp parsley, finely chopped

 

Dry the chicken pieces well and sauté them in olive oil.   Add the garlic and onions and sauté a few more minutes and then douse with the wine.  Simmer for about 20 minutes or until done.  Then add the cream slowly and season with salt and pepper.   Finally, stir in the chopped parsley.

 

Serve with white rice or  noodles,

 

                                                                 

                                               BRIAM OR RATATOUILLE

 

A delicious Mediterranean dish.

2 onions, peeled and cut into sixths or eighths 

2 carrots, scraped and sliced into a slant

1 red bell peppers, stalks and seeds removed and cut into bite-sized pieces

1 large aubergine, cut into bite-sized pieces

2 large potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces

2 courgettes, trimmed and thickly sliced

2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped

1 tbsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped

Salt, freshly ground black pepper  and Cayenne pepper to taste

125 ml (1/2 cup) olive oil

2 large tomatoes, skinned, seeded and cubed

250 ml (1cup) tomato juice

1/2 cup basil leaves, chopped

1 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped

Mix thefirst19 ingredients together and place, in a single layer, on a baking dish double lined with baking parchment.   Roast in an oven preheated to180 C (350 F) for about 35-40 minutes until the vegetables are cooked but still slightly crunchy.

Finally, add the tomato cubes, tomato juice and sprinkle with basil and thyme and bake for 12-15 minutes more.  Serve warm or cold with crispy brown bread and a slice of feta.  

                                        MEATBALLS IN MUSTARD SAUCE

Do prepare these lovely meatballs, they will be a great hit with your family and friends.

750 g (1.5 lb) ground veal

1/4 cup dried breadcrumbs

1 small onion,  peeled and grated

1 clove garlic, peeled and minced

2 tbsp fresh parsley leaves, finely chopped

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1/4 tsp grated nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1 large egg

2 tbsp milk

Mustard Sauce:

3 tbsp butter

2 tbsp plain flour 

1 bay leaf

375 ml (1 1/2 cups) broth

250 ml (1 cup) milk

2 tbsp mustard

Mix all the ingredients form the meatballs well together and shape walnut-sized balls and place in a saucepan, cover with broth and cook for 30 minutes or until thoroughly cooked.  Strain and reserve the stock.   

Mustard Sauce:

Melt the butter with the bay leaf, sieve in the flour and stir for 5-6 minutes until no taste of flour is evident.  Add the stock and milk in portions stirring vigorously each time until the sauce thickens Add enough mustard to taste,

Place the meatballs into the mustard sauce and simmer for one minute more, serve piping hot with smashed potatoes and cream.

   

The following recipe is an old favourite.

                                            JAM TART - PASTA FROLLA

An easy recipe for a delicious jam tart or "pasta frolla" as it is called in the Ionian Islands.

210 g (7 oz) butter, softened

250 g (2 cups) self-raising flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/3 cup fine semolina

1/3 cup sugar

A tiny pinch of salt

1 egg

62.5 ml (1/4 cup) METAXA brandy

500  g (1 lb) apricot jam

 

Mix all the ingredients except the jam together, until a soft, pliable dough is formed.  Roll out 2/3 of the dough and line a buttered round tart dish.

Spread evenly with the jam and prepare fine pencil-shaped batonettes with the remaining dough and place over the jam forming a lattice pattern.

Bake in an oven preheated to 180 C (350 F) for 30-35 minutes or until the pastry is crisp and golden.

                                                   Irises by Vincent van Gogh