Friday 27 February 2015

Potato frittata with Bocon




4 large eggs
100g of bacon chopped 
1 large potato cut in to chips
1tbls of olive oil
Salt and pepper

Method

Dice the bacon in to small pieces and fry in oil until cooked take out and 
Peal cut potatoes in to chips fry potatoes until golden and soft. Mean while In a small bowl beat the eggs with a little water salt and pepper until eggs are runny in the same frypan place the cooked bacon on top of potatoes and then the beaten eggs. As soon as the egg sets shake the frypan and if the frittata moves it means that it's cooked on one side. Place a plate big enough to cover the top of the frypan and turn the frittata over in to the plate then slide in to the frypan once more so the other side can cook. Keep shaking the pan every now and then until other side is also cooked. Very caferly tip in to a plate and enjoy. 





















Fay's Green beans with garlic and chilli


Ingredients

500g green beans, trimmed
20g butter
1 tbs of olive oil
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 red bird's eye chilli, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon of garlic salt
 Salt and pepper

Method 

Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil over high heat. Add beans. Cook for 3 minutes or until just tender. Drain. Refresh under cold water. Drain.
Melt butter with oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add garlic, chilli and garlic salt and pepper Cook, stirring, for 1 minute or until fragrant. Add beans. Toss to coat. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute or until heated through. Serve.




Spanish style chicken

600g of chicken Brest
1 jar of chunky burrito salsa 
1 can of Red kidney beans
1tbls of smoked paprika
1 Tbls of cayenne pepper
1tbls of Cajun seasoning
1tbls of chilli powder
1tbls of chicken powder stock
1/2 cup of water 
1/4 cup of olive oil
1 large avocado 
I cup of light sour cream

Method

Wash and dry chicken breasts and cut in to thin slices. Mix all the spices together and mix together with the  chicken pieces. Heat oil and brown chicken pieces in hot oil. Add the Burrito salsa salt and pepper and chicken stock let the chicken cook for 15 min and add the beans simer for a few more minutes. Serve with warm soft taco rolls with lettice avocado and cubed cucumber topped with sour cream and cassamole. 




Wednesday 25 February 2015

Slow Cooked Chick Peas in tomato and Rosemary sauce

Ingredients 

500g of dried chick peas
1 can of diced tomatoes 
2 Tbls of tomato paste
1 large brown onion diced
1 Tbs of  Rosemary  leaves 
Salt and coarse black pepper
Optimal hot pepprica 

Method

I also make this dish from scratch in my slow cooker! I wash the Dry chick peas well hot water and then in lots of running water then place in slow cooker and add 1 tin of diced tomato diced onion good olive oil salt coarse pepper 1 tbs of tomato past  and a sprinkle of Rosemary leaves. I set it for 8 hours on slow and when I come home it's done! And it's yummy! If You like you also can place in a dip baking dish and bake in a hot oven until sauce thickens and it gets a light golden colour! But I prefer it just cooked in the slow cooker!

 No need to pre soak or add baking powder the slow cooker will do its job! 
This is a very convenient way of cooking Chick peas no fuss no mess but a good healthy tasty meal. Serve with crusty bread pickled octopus and feta cheese!  









Monday 23 February 2015

Herb Chicken Gordon Bleu


Ingredients
4 chicken breasts skinless and boneless
4 thin slices prosciutto
1/2 pound Gruyere, grated
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
Garlic salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup  bread crumbs
4 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves only
1 clove garlic, peeled and finely minced
2 tablespoons of herb butter, cut in rings
2 eggs
Extra-virgin olive oil


Herb Butter 

Ingredients 

  • 1 cup loosely packed fresh herbs, such as parsley, oregano, thyme, or marjoram, finely chopped 
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature 
  • Mix all ingredients well and roll it in a long roll 
  • Place in glad wrap and roll and tie edges tightly place in the freezer 
  • Until needed. 
  • To use cut in small rolls and use as a feeling to any chicken dish 

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Lay the chicken breast between 2 pieces of plastic wrap. Using the flat side of a meat mallet, gently pound the chicken to 1/4-inch thickness. Remove the top sheet of plastic and lay 1 slice of ham neatly over the top to cover the breast and sprinkle a quarter of the cheese over the ham and the herb butter. Tuck in the sides of the breast and roll up tight like a jellyroll and wrap chicken In to a roll.

Season the flour with salt and pepper. Mix the bread crumbs with thyme, garlic and garlic salt, pepper. Beat together the eggs and season so the flour, the eggs and the crumbs are all seasoned.
Lightly dust the chicken with flour, dip in the egg mixture and gently coat in the bread crumbs. 

Heat some olive oil in a fry pan and lightly fry crumb chicken parcels until lightly browned take out and place in a lightly coated baking pan with olive oil and carefully transfer the crumb chicken parcels onto it. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until browned and cooked through.






























Sunday 22 February 2015

Lagana Greek Lent Bread

 2 tsp of yeast powder
1/2 cup warm water
1 kg of plain flour
2  tbs of oil or tahini
1/2 tsp of salt
2 tbls of sugar
A little sesame for the top

Dissolve yeast in some warm water and a some flour to make a thick batter, cover it with plastic wrap place it in a warm place until it double its size. Shif flour in a bowl with salt and make a hole in center. Pore sugar oil yeast and 2 cups of warm water. Knead until you obtain a soft dough that should be elestic and supple. Divide into 3 balls or more if you want roll in to a ball and cover and let them double in size. Then press each ball with a rolling pin on a floured surface and shape it into three or more flat pies. 
Place in a tray lined with baking paper sprinkle with sassame seeds and some rock salt and once again let them ruse covered . With two fingers press top of risen Lagana and make deep fingerprints brush with a bit of water and bake in a 200' for 15'-20' best eaten same day but can be frozen enjoy! 












Chick Peas kaylimnian style by Irine Nisirios Hilas



Ingredients 
4 cans chick peas
A small can tomato sauce 
About half a cup of olive oil
Black Pepper
Dash of cayenne pepper(omit if its too hot for you)

Method 
I like to use a glass  pyrex pan like you see in the picture
Mix it all in the pan
Then on top slice plenty of onions to completely cover the chick peas as you see in the first picture then sprinkle a little pepper on top of the onions
This recipe takes NO salt bc the juice from the chick peas is sufficient salt for the recipe. 
Bake in the oven at 350 degrees until the chick peas have absorbed the liquids and the onions are browned like you see in the second picture. Enjoy!


Octopus with potatoes in red wine sauce

I Ingredients

1 octopus (1 -1.5 kg)

2 cups white wine

1/2 tsp of black pepper corns

2 bay leaves

3-4 potatoes

2cloves of garlic

2 medium onions

2 fresh tomatoes or 1 tin tomato ready

1 tablespoon tomato paste 

2/3 cup of olive oil water

Salt

Cayenne pepper

Execution:

Wash well the octopus, clean and put in a small saucepan with 1 cup wine 2 bay leaves, boil for 25-30 minutes on low heat 

When ready, remove the octopus to cut relatively large pieces, throw the bay leaves and keep the broth.
Place the pieces of octopus, oil, salt, pepper, the second glass of wine, the broth of octopus, tomatoes paste, onions cut into thick slices, potatoes into thick slices and mix with hands to homogenize materials.Close the lid an cook until tender and sauce has thicken.   
To make  crispy potatoes: Mix them with some oil and bake them alone for 10 minutes, before adding to the pot. Conveniently just quick fryin olive oil before placing in pot. 











Kali sarakosti to all my Greek family and friends



Today it's kathari deftera ( Καθαρή Δεφτερα) which is the start of the lent for Easter
Greek Orthodox all over the world celebrates this day with lots of food drink and dancing. 
This day will set out the lent which will start from tomorrow Tuesday right up to Easter with eating food that is not from a blooded animal such as all meat,fish, butter or eggs. Mainly eat grains fruit and vegetables. Oil is aloud until a week before then this will also be stopped and so confections can be made then holy communion on Easter Saturday and then the big feast on Easter Sunday!  


Shrimp Sakanaki in Dijon Mustard and lemon juice

 
 Ingredients 

12 whole peeled prawns
salt and pepper
olive oil
1 juice of I lemon
2 tsp of Dijon mustard 
100 grams of Kefaloturi cheese slice
1 tsp of dried Oregano 
 

In a frypan add oil to heat Add the whole shrimp and cook until change colour 
Remove them from the pan and place on a plate. 
In the same pan, pour a little more olive oil
 Add the mustard and stir, add salt, pepper lemon juice and the oregano 

Wait a until it reaches to a boil and add the prawns.  Stir until the sauce thickens and prawns are well submerged in sauce turn off the heat.
Cut Kefaloturi in to small chunks and slightly fry or bake in a pan with some olive oil until it's golden on both sides. 

To serve
Take 2 fried cheese peaces and put in the bottom of a plate add about 5-6 shrimp 
and cover with the sauce. Enjoy!



Shrimp Saganaki in Tomato sauce

 
 Ingredients 

12 whole peeled prawns
salt and pepper
olive oil
1 bowl of fresh grated tomato
2  Teaspoons of tomato paste
100 grams of Kefaloturi cheese slice
1 teaspoon  of dried Oregano 
 

In a frypan add oil to heat Add the whole shrimp and cook until change colour 
Remove them from the pan and place on a plate. 
In the same pan, pour a little more olive oil
 Add the fresh tomatoes, stir, add salt, pepper and the oregano 

Wait a until it reaches to a boil and add the tomato paste. Stir until the sauce thickens and and prawns turn off the heat.
Cut Kefaloturi in to small chunks and slightly fry or bake in a pan with some olive oil until it's golden on both sides. 

To serve
Take 2 fried cheese peaces and put in the bottom of a plate add about 5-6 shrimp 
and cover with the sauce. Enjoy!




Greek split Peas


Ingredients 

500g of yellow split pease
1 onion chopped 
Olive oil
Oregano
Juice of one lemon

Method

1) Rinse the beans 2-3 times. Put it in a saucepan with plenty of water (to cover equally). You have to be very careful when boiling, because it foams and swells a lot. 
2)  Skim the top and add the oil, salt and onions.
3) Cook over low heat for 1-1 / 12 hours until it thickens 
4) With the use of a blender stick  or food processor we blend until it becomes like cream. 
5)  Serve with oil, lemon and chopped onion and oregano or Thrbi ior thyme.