Traditionally, Greeks boil the ingredients for chicken, fish or beef soups together and afterwards take them out to thicken the broth with short grain rice (In Greece there are many varieties including Carolina, glase and nychaki) and finally, egg-lemon. The boiled vegetables and meat are put on platters to be added to the broth at when eating. I, however, prefer to keep the ingredients inside the soup!
Ingredients For the broth: 1 whole chicken OR 4 split chicken breasts Various herbs and spices such as sage, thyme, bay leaves and whole cloves 3 celery stalks (from one bunch of celery) 2 onions cut in half For the soup 6-8 carrots peeled and cut Celery bunch washed and cut 1 cup medium or short grain rice (I use the only one I can find which is Goyo) OR orzo 6 lemons, juiced 3 eggs chicken meat from broth, shredded and skin & bones discarded Details: For lemon chicken soup, either a whole chicken or one cut into pieces can be used--I use split chicken breasts and add any extra pieces of chicken fat that I have on hand to enrich the flavor and I first boil the chicken--I use a pressure cooker and boil the breasts with various herbs and spices such as sage, thyme, bay leaves and whole cloves, as well as the onion and celery in large pieces for 10 minutes after it begins to whistle. When chicken is cooked, remove onion and celery (to cut and add back to soup), strain broth and clean chicken from the bone. Add carrots and the rest of the celery (and other vegetables of choice) to the broth and boil until almost done. You might need to add some water or extra broth to the soup. Then, add the rice or orzo. And finally, the shredded chicken. When rice is done, beat together eggs and lemon juice. Slowly—spoonful-spoonful, add hot broth to egg lemon while whisking vigorously until egg mixture is hot and then add to the pot. Egg lemon sauce can also be used to thicken beef or vegetable stew as well as cabbage rolls and stuffed zucchini--see post from January 2022 for cabbage roll and stuffed zucchini recipes with egg-lemon sauce!
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Greek Lentil and white bean soup: Both are vegan and the bean soup (fasolada) is considered the national dish! It is a winter favorite and often accompanied with delicious grilled village sausage, made with pork and either orange or leeks.
I make traditional Greek recipes how I learned them—from my son’s great grandmother. I found this recipe for the bean soup (fasolada) that is about the same, but we always stir in freshly squeezed lemon after it is done instead of the vinegar in the recipe (and by done they meant that the soup was cloudy because the beans were almost falling apart). The recipe is from Diane Kochilas, who has excellent Greek recipes--I have several of her books. My favorite is The Glorious Foods of Greece for which she travelled to every region to record authentic recipes from the locals. And for the lentils, here is the recipe that is exactly how yiayia (grandma) used to make it. I add carrots and celery just because I love them in all soup, but Yiayia did not. And by the way, I love this blog—olivetomato.com. She is a Greek nutritionist and all the recipes and advice on her blog is very consistent with the way I learned traditions and dishes from the villagers and old timers during my 20 years living in Greece. Also, these can be made in a pressure cooker--10 minutes for bean soup and 6 minutes for lentils. I never knew about pressure cookers until I moved to Greece, where just about every household has one or two! Most recipes for gigantes beans and chickpeas can be used with either legume--including the two previous gigantes beans recipes. They are delicious using chickpeas as well!
Chickpeas with peppers Covered clay oven pot OR 9x 13 pan with parchment paper and aluminum foil to cover 1lb dried chickpeas (2 cups) (this will expand to 4 cups and can be substituted for 4 cups canned chickpeas) 4 bay leaves, 3 sprigs of rosemary and 1 tbsp thyme 3 garlic clove, sliced. 3 red onions, sliced 3 sweet bell peppers--orange, yellow or red, sliced 2 sliced carrots 1 sliced fresh tomato OR 1 tablespoon pureed tomato diluted in ½ cup water 1 cup EVGE extra virgin olive oil Soak chickpeas overnight, rinse well and boil -removing foam -for around 40 minutes or until al dente and reserve liquid Put in oven pan with about 1 cup of liquid that it boiled in, salt and put bay leaves, rosemary and thyme Layer, starting with sliced garlic. Then Add onion, peppers, carrot and tomato, salting each layer. Top with olive oil. Cover with parchment and foil. Bake for 2 hours in oven 375. Uncover and bake for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Kali epitychia kai kali orexi!! (Good success and good appetite!) This delicious dish can be made using either tomato OR lemon to season. It is a main course, accompanied by fresh bread --and can be topped with feta or eaten with a chunk of it.
Beans can be par-boiled and frozen, which makes this a fast and easy dish! Giant Beans Baked with Spinach with lemon OR tomato (and Feta if desired) 1lb dried giant beans, rinsed, soaked overnight in water to cover, and drained 2 pounds flat-leaf spinach, trimmed, chopped, and washed well ½ cup snipped fresh dill 1 medium leek, white and tender green parts, coarsely chopped and washed well Salt to taste 1 cup EVGE extra-virgin Greek olive oil 2 cups chopped white and tender green parts of scallions 2 cups peeled, seeded, and chopped plum tomatoes (or canned) OR zest and juice from2 lemons Freshly ground black pepper to taste If desired--1 ½ cups crumbled hard Greek feta cheese, preferably goat’s milk 1. Soak beans overnight in plenty of water--they will more than double in size! 2. Drain beans well and rinse, then place in a large pot with enough water to cover by 3 inches and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer the beans until al dente, about 1 hour, skimming off the foam. 3. Meanwhile, sauté the leeks and onion in olive oil, and then the spinach and herbs. 4. Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C. 5. Drain the beans, reserving 4 cups of the hot liquid. 6. Toss the beans with the greens and the tomatoes OR lemon zest and juice in a large oven pan. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt, if desired, and pepper. Add the rest of the olive oil and 2 cups of the bean broth. 7. Covered with a sheet of aluminum foil, until the beans are very creamy and soft but not disintegrating. Depending on the age and condition of the dried beans, this could mean anywhere between 1 and 2 ½ hours of cooking. Add more liquid to the pan if necessary during lukewarm, or at room temperature. 8. If desired, top with feta and leave uncovered until feta is golden brown. Kali Epitychia and Kali Orexi!!! This is the classic Greek dish, eaten either as a meze (small plate) OR as a delicious vegan main dish
INGREDIENTS: 1 lb gigantes beans 1 cup EVGE EVOO 2 large onions, sliced 4 cloves garlic, minced 3 tomatoes or 1 can, pureed 1/2 cup chopped parsley 2 bay leaves salt and pepper 1.Soak Beans overnight. Rinse and drain. Boil beans in water, skimming off foam, until almost tender, drain and reserve some of the cooking water. 2. Saute onions until soft. Add garlic, tomato and bay leaves, salt and finally, the parsley until the sauce thickens. 3. Put sauce and beans in an ovenproof casserole. Bake at 350 for 1-1 1/2 hours until beans are tender. Add reserved cooking water a little at a time as they are cooking to be sure beans are tender and there is enough sauce. Season to taste. Kali Epitychia and Kali Orexi!! Super fast, easy and delicious cookies--perfect with coffee, tea or just on their own--you only need one bowl, a kitchen scale, parchment paper and a cookie sheet. This recipe makes 20 cookies, but you can easily double it! In 1 bowl mix: 120 gr (1/2 cup + 1 tbsp) EVGE EVOO Zest from 2 oranges (and 1 lemon if you love citrus) 120 gr (1/2 cup) freshly squeezed orange juice 140 gr (1 & 1/4 cup) powdered sugar 2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp baking soda MIX WELL and then add 400 gr (3 cups) flour (sift if needed) Mix until just incorporated Pre-heat oven to 350F Make dough into balls and flatten if you want them extra crunchy Bake for 15-20 minutes Kali Epitychia!! Traditional summer sweet from Milos Island
3lbs watermelon, chopped into pieces without any black seeds 2 cups flour, sifted 3/4 cup sugar 2tbsp honey 1 tbsp cinnamon+ a little more to sprinkle on top 1 cup of sesame seeds 1/4 cup EVOO (Walnuts or raisins can be added if desired) 9x13 pan 1. Break watermelon pieces with your hands and put in strainer (drink juice afterwards--it's delicious--or you can make into a syrup) and leave for about an hour. 2. Preheat oven to 350F. 3. Mix watermelon with sugar, honey, flour and cinnamon--it should have the consistency of a thick batter. 4. spread olive oil on the 9x13 pan (you can use parchment paper on the pan if you'd like) and top with half of the sesame seeds--and then spread the batter over it & top with the rest of the sesame seeds and a bit of cinnamon. 5. Bake for 45 minutes Cut into pieces and eat alone or with ice cream--Kali Orexi!! 1 eggplant
1/3 red onion chopped 1 garlic clove, minced 1 firm tomato, peeled, seeded & chopped 2tsp red wine vinegar 2 tbsp EVOO 1 tbsp Cycladic capers salt and freshly ground pepper to taste 1. Roast eggplant at 420F for about 40 minutes or until completely roasted & let cool 2. Scrape eggplant from its skin, chop and put in bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix with a spoon. Taste for salt and pepper. Eat as a salad with fresh bread. Kali Orexi!! Meat mixture for Greek Meatloaf or 4 hamburgers
1 lb ground beef ½ cup bread crumbs If making meatloaf: 1-2 lemons squeezed & 2-3 potatoes peeled and cut into wedges Put in blender: 1 small or 1/2 large onion 1 tsp tomato paste 1/2 tsp salt 1 tbsp olive oil 2 tbsp mint 1. Blend all but the meat and breadcrumbs in a blender until smooth 2. Mix with meat and breadcrumbs For meatloaf: 1. Form into a roll in a roasting pan (I cover the pan with parchment paper to make clean-up fast and easy!) 2. Cut 2-3 potatoes into wedges, salt, place around meatloaf and top meatloaf and potatoes with lemon and olive oil 3. Cook at 400 degrees for 40-50 minutes or until potatoes are golden. For hamburgers: 1. Form into patties and put in hot oven for 5-10 minutes until they release liquid 2. Fry in olive oil 3. Top with lemon Eggplant Yiaourtlou (eaten cold or room temperature)
serves 2 1 Eggplant, sliced and salted (about 1/4 " thick) 1 cup Full fat (10%) Greek yoghurt (Cabot Greek or Fage) 2 cloves garlic, minced. 2 tsp balsamic vinegar 2 tbsp EVGE EVOO pinch of salt Fresh dill Salt and strain sliced eggplant for about an hour. Beat yoghurt with minced garlic, a little salt (eggplant will have salt already) balsamic vinegar & EVOO Lay eggplant slices on a roasting pan (with parchment paper) and drizzle with EVOO. Grill using the broiler in the oven or some type of grill (5 minutes under the broiler) Put 2-3 layers of eggplant in a small serving bowl or casserole dish, then a layer of yoghurt and the rest of the eggplant in layers on top. Finish with the rest of the yoghurt and top with chopped fresh dill. Cut into squares and eat immediately or store in the fridge Kali orexi!! |