Halibut with Spinach

Ingredients:

2 sets of halibut fillets, washed with cold water
3 tablespoons olive oil

500 g spinach, roots cut off, washed several times, kept in cold water with vinegar, drained
 3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 large tomato, peeled, diced
Salt
Pepper

Lemon Butter Sauce:

2 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
How to cook:

Fry the fish with olive oil (each side for 5 minutes) in a pan (if you want on grill)

Saute the onion in a pot with olive oil until the colour of the onions turns to light brown. Add the spinach, tomatoes, salt and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes at medium-low heat. Turn the heat off. Arrange on a serving platter.

Place the cooked fish over the top. Heat up the butter in a small pan, add in the lemon juice and red pepper flakes and then turn the heat off.  Drizzle all over the fish. Serve while still warm. Kali oreksi!

Kolokithokeftedes (Zucchini Balls)

 

Ingredients:

 

1 medium size zucchini, washed
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
2-3 green onions, chopped
1/2 cup parsley, chopped
1/2 cup fresh dill weed, chopped
1 tablespoon flour
2-3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 egg
1 teaspoon baking powder
Black pepper

 

How to cook:

 First grate zucchini and then squeeze with your hands to get the water out. Then add all the ingredients above, with the egg going in last. Mix with a wooden spoon.

Pour some sunflower oil in a large skillet, about 1 cm deep. When the oil warms up, take a lump of the mixture with a spoon and put in the skillet. Fry each side approximately 3 minutes at medium-high heat. When done, put the pieces on a plate with a paper towel to soak up extra oil.

Serve with a bit of caciki on top of each piece. Kali oreksi!

Roasted Red Bell Peppers with Anchovies

Ingredients:

Red bell peppers, roasted
Canned anchovies
Parsley, finely chopped

Dressing:

Extra virgin olive oil
Lemon juice
How to prepare:

Place the roasted peppers in a serving dish. Arrange the anchovies on them. Garnish with chopped parsley (if you like of course), drizzle some olive oil and lemon juice, serve.

Roasted Red Pepper:

 Cut off the tops of the red peppers. Discard the seeds. Cut each pepper in half. Set the oven to grill and heat it up. Place the red peppers on an oven tray and place in the oven. Roast them for 15 minutes. Leave them in a paper or plastic bag for 10 minutes to peel off the skin easily. Alternatively, you can barbecue it until softened. Just place the red peppers out side facing down on the barbecue.

Kali oreksi!

Oven Baked Shrimp

Ingredients:

250 grams shrimp, cooked, de-veined and peeled
1 tablespoon butter
1 medium onion, sliced
1 cubanelle pepper, cut in small cubes
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 large tomato, diced
Crushed pepper
Salt
Pepper
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

How to cook:

Saute the onion with butter and salt for 4 minutes in a pan. Add in the cubanelle peppers and cook for 4 more minutes over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until the smell of garlic comes out. Add diced tomatoes and shrimp. Cook until the tomatoes are softened over a little bit over medium heat.

Place the dish in a flat earthenware pot. Season it with pepper and crushed pepper, drizzle olive oil all over it.

Set the oven to grill. Place the pot on the top rack and cook for 6 minutes. Before you serve, taste with parsley. Kali oreksi!

Marinated Shrimp With Champagne Beurre Blanc

Ingredients:

For the Sauce:

2 cups champagne or 2 cups other dry sparkling wine
1/3 cup shallot, finely chopped 
2 tablespoons champagne vinegar or 2 tablespoons other white wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon whole black peppercorn

For the Shrimp:

1 cup champagne or 1 cup other dry sparkling wine
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons shallots, minced
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
24 uncooked jumbo shrimp, peeled with tail left intact, deveined
1 tablespoon fresh chives, minced
1 tablespoon fresh tarragon, minced
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, minced
Vegetable oil cooking spray
1 cup chilled unsalted butter, cut into 16 pieces

How to cook:

To prepare the sauce; combine champagne, shallots, vinegar, and peppercorns in a saucepan. Boil until reduced to 1/4 cup liquid, about 20 minutes. Cover it up and let it wait at least 4 hours in room temperature. 

To prepare the shrimp; combine champagne, olive oil, shallots, and ground pepper in resealable plastic bag. Add shrimp to bag and seal; shake bag to coat shrimp evenly. Marinate shrimp at room temperature at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour, turning bag occasionally.

Mix chives, tarragon, and parsley in small bowl. Preheat broiler. Spray broiler pan with nonstick vegetable oil spray. Drain shrimp; discard plastic bag with marinade. Arrange shrimp on prepared pan in single layer. Broil shrimp until just opaque in center, about 2 minutes per side. Stand 3 shrimp, tails upright, in center of each plate.Rewarm sauce base over medium-low heat. Whisk in butter 1 piece at a time, just allowing each to melt before adding next (do not boil or sauce will separate). Season beurre blanc to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon warm sauce around shrimp. Sprinkle with fresh herbs and serve. Kali oreksi!

Crab Pie

 

This is a difficult one to cook. Are you ready?

Ingredients:

100 grams plain flour, plus extra for rolling

100 grams wholemeal flour

125 grams cold butter, cubed

1 free-range egg, beaten

 

For the filling:

 

Knob of butter

2 medium leeks, trimmed, sliced thinly

50 grams butter

300 ml half-fat crème fraîche

3 free-range eggs, beaten

100 grams fresh brown crab meat

Pinch of sea salt

100 grams white crab meat

50 grams cheddar, finely grated

Freshly ground black pepper

 

How to cook:

 

Preheat the oven to 200C.

For the pastry, pulse the flours and butter in a food processor until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. While the food processor working, add the egg in a thin stream and blend until the mixture begins to form a ball. Roll the pastry into a circle on a floured work surface and use it to line a 23 cm loose-based fluted tart tin. Press the pastry with your fingertips firmly into the base and sides. Put it in the fridge for 30 minutes.

 

Line the pastry with a large sheet of crumpled baking parchment and half fill with baking beans. Bake the tart case for 25 minutes. Remove the beans and return the tart to the oven for 10 minutes more. Remove from the oven and reduce the oven to 180C.

 

For the filling, melt the butter in a pan. Add the leeks and fry gently for 3 minutes, stirring until just softened. Remove from the heat and set aside.

 

Put the eggs in a large jug and beat lightly with a whisk. Stir in the crème fraîche, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Beat together with a wooden spoon until thoroughly combined. Stir in the crab meat.

 

Scatter the leeks over the pastry case and dot the white crab meat around them. Pour over the crème friache mixture and sprinkle with the cheese. Cook on the baking tray for 25 minutes and just set.

 

Remove the quiche from the oven and leave to cool in the tin for 15 minutes before removing.

 

Kali oreksi!

 

 

 

Chestnut Soup

Winter is on the way! Why don't you try chestnut soup?

Ingredients:

300 gr chestnut, boiled and peeled
1 teaspoon butter
2 1/2 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon corn starch with 3-4 tablespoons water
Salt
Pepper

Garnish:

2 tablespoon yoghurt, plain

How to cook:

Use the blender to mix the boiled chestnut and 1 cup chicken broth. Pour into a pot with 1 1/2 cup chicken broth. Heat it up over medium heat. Then add the corn starch mixed with water, butter, salt and butter. Stir constantly for 8 minutes to get it thick.

Pour the soup into individual bowls. Sprinkle some pomegranate seeds, pinch of cinnamon and dollop of yogurt over the tops and serve immediately. Kali oreksi!

Rice Stuffed Mussels

Rice stuffed mussels can be found on streets in Turkey. When i first ate, i thought why not? Very good taste and different than the style we have in Greece. Try it!

Ingredients:

40 mussels
1/3 cup hot water
Olive oil, to glaze

Filling:

3/4 cup rice, washed and drained
2 medium-size onions, chopped
2 tablespoon currants
2 tablespoon pine nuts
1 teaspoon dry mint or fresh mint, chopped
2 tablespoon dill, chopped
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup water

How to cook:

Saute the onions with the olive oil for 10 minutes in a pot at medium-low heat. Then, add the rice, sugar and salt, stir. Cover and cook at very low heat until the rice looks see-through. Add the nuts, currants, mint, dill and 1/2 cup water. Stir occasionally at low heat. Cook until all the water evaporates and put them aside.

In the meantime, clean the mussels, scraping with a knife. Half open the round part of the shells; and with a knife, cut out the beards. Stuff the empty half of the shells with the rice filling and close up. Place the shells in a large pot with 1/3 cup water. Place a small plate upside down over the shells. Simmer for 25 minutes until the water is absorbed.

Let it cool down first, brush with a little olive oil. Then, place them on a serving dish. Serve the Stuffed Mussels chilled or at room temperature with lemon wedges. Kali oreksi! Or should i say "Afiyet olsun" :))

Stuffed Mackerels

Ingredients:

2 mackerel (frozen)
5 tablespoon flour, all purpose
1/2 cup sunflower oil
Stuffing:4 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 teaspoon pine nuts
Fish meat (inside of the mackerels)
2 teaspoon currants
3 stalk of parsley, chopped
2 stalk of dill, chopped
Pinch of cinnamon
Salt
Pepper

How to cook:

First, cut the mackerel's head and discard. Slightly rub the fish with palm of your hand, so that the meat and the bone should separate from the skin. Unplug the bone from the top. Push the meat and bone outward from the tail. Discard the guts. Separate and discard the bones from the fish meat. Finely chop the meat portion.

To prepare the stuffing; saute the onion and pine nuts with olive oil for 3 minutes. Add the rest of the filling into the pot. Turn the heat of when the fish meat is cooked. It takes only 3 minutes. Set aside.
Stuff the skin of mackerel with the filling by using a teaspoon. The skin may burst during frying. To prevent this, tie the mackerel at three points with the string.

Here, you have 2 option. You will either grill them or fry them. If you chooese to grill them, just cover them with olive oil and grill. If you want to fry them, dust the fishes with the flour. Heat up the sun flower oil in frying pan. Fry each side, turn them gently. Place on a paper towel to soak up any extra oil. You will love the taste. Kali oreksi!

Beef Stew

Ingredients:

900 grams cubed beef stew meat

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

4 cubes beef bouillon, crumbled

4 cups water

1 teaspoon dried rosemary

1 teaspoon dried parsley

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

3 large potatoes, peeled and cubed

4 carrots, cut into pieces

4 stalks celery, cut into pieces

1 large onion, chopped

2 teaspoons cornstarch

2 teaspoons cold water

How to cook:

In a large pot, cook beef in oil over medium heat until brown. Dissolve bouillon in water and pour into pot. Stir in rosemary, parsley and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer 1 hour.

Stir potatoes, carrots, celery, and onion into the pot. Dissolve cornstarch in 2 teaspoons cold water and stir into stew. Cover and simmer 1 hour more. Kali oreksi!

Fig Cheesecake

Ingredients:

Crust:
1 cup graham cracker crumbs (or wholewheat or oatmeal or ginger cookies)
2 tablespoon sugar
2-3 tablespoon butter, melted

Filling:
4 eggs, room temperature (they should be in room temperature, it is very important)
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup cream 35%
300 grams labne cheese*
300 grams creamy yogurt, room temperature
2 tablespoons corn starch

Topping:
Fresh figs, rinsed with cold water, chilled

How to cook:

Put parchment paper inside a 22 cm pan (spring form) and pre-heat the oven to 160°C.

Mix the crumbs, sugar and butter in a bowl until well moistened; press onto bottom of pan, put in the freezer.

Meanwhile; in the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk the eggs with sugar. Then add the rest of the ingredients, mix until smooth on low speed. Pour it over the crust.

Bake it for an hour. Allow the cake to sit at room temperature for an hour before chilling. Cover with plastic wrap. It is essential to chill overnight.

Gently run a knife around the edge of the cheesecake before removing spring-form ring.

Arrange the fig slices on top. Brush with the apricot jam if you like. Cut into slices and serve. Kali oreksi!

Fried Tomatoes

Ingredients:

4 large green tomatoes

2 eggs

1/2 cup milk

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup cornmeal

1/2 cup bread crumbs

2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 quart vegetable oil for frying

How to cook:

Slice the tomatoes. Discard the ends.Whisk eggs and milk together in a bowl. Scoop flour onto a plate. Mix cornmeal, bread crumbs and salt and pepper on another plate. Dip tomatoes into flour to coat. Then dip the tomatoes into milk and egg mixture. Dredge in breadcrumbs to completely coat.

In a large skillet, pour vegetable oil and heat over a medium heat. Place tomatoes into the frying pan. When the tomatoes are browned, flip and fry them on the other side. Drain them on paper towels. You can serve with fresh thyme. Kali oreksi!

 

 

 

 

Yoghurt Soup

Ingredients:

1/4 cup bulgur, small or medium or large grain
1 cup yogurt
1-2 fresh mint leaves, sliced
Salt

Garnish:
Cumin
Green part of spring onions, chopped
Extra virgin olive oil

Wash and drain the bulgur, soak into the boiling water in the bowl. When the bulgur grains are expanded, drain. Let it cool down. Then mix it with yogurt, mint and salt. Keep it in the fridge.

If you like, add a couple of ice cubes or a little bit of water into it before serving. Drizzle the olive oil and sprinkle some cumin and the green part of the spring onions on the top. Kali oreksi!

Hot Chicken Thighs

Ingredients:

6 chicken thighs, bones removed

For the sauce

225 grams onions, quartered

1-1½ scotch bonnet or other chillies according to taste, halved and seeded

50 grams root ginger, peeled and chopped roughly

½ teaspoon ground allspice

small bunch fresh thyme

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

120 ml white wine vinegar

120 ml dark soy sauce

How to cook:

Put all the ingredients in a food processor and mix until smooth. Place the chicken in a large ball, pour over the sauce, cover and leave to marinate in the fridge overnight.

Grill the chicken for 30 minutes, basting now and then with the leftover sauce. As it cooks, the thick sauce will go quite black in places, but don't worry, as it falls off it will leave behind a really well flavoured, crisp skin, with lovely moist tender meat underneath. Take them in a plate and taste with parsley.

You can serve with rice, potatoes or whatever you like :) Kali oreksi!

Salmon Cakes

 

 

Ingredients:

 

400 grams skinless salmon fillet, chopped

300 grams cooked broccoli florets
2 onions, finely chopped
Small bunch fresh dill, chopped
2 lemons, zest only
100 grams breadcrumbs
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ small bunch fresh parsley, chopped
50 grams plain flour
2 eggs, beaten
Virgin olive oil
Lemon wedges, to serve

How to cook:

Put the salmon into a food processor with the cooked broccoli florets and mix. Tip into a bowl and add the spring onions, dill and the zest of one lemon. Season with salt and pepper and mix. Divide the mixture into eight equal-sized balls and shape into fish cakes using your hands. Place on a tray lined with parchment or greaseproof paper and cover with cling film. Leave in the fridge to chill for 30 minutes to firm up.
Preheat the oven to 220C. Combine the remaining lemon zest with the breadcrumbs, a pinch of salt and pepper and the parsley and pour into a shallow dish. Prepare a plate of the flour and a shallow dish with the eggs.
Coat the fish cakes in flour, shake off any excess flour and then dip in the beaten eggs. Roll each fishcake in the breadcrumbs until coated on all sides and then put them into a baking tray.
Spray the fishcakes with a little virgin olive oil and then bake for 15-20 minutes.
Serve with lemon wedges. Kali oreksi!

Penne With Anchovies and Broccoli

Ingredients:

400 grams penne

50 grams tin anchovies in olive oil, oil reserved

2 garlic cloves, finely sliced

1 teaspoon chilli flakes

1 head of  broccoli (about 350 grams) chopped into very small florets
Salt and black pepper

How to cook:

Cook the pasta in boiling water. About 8 minutes, or packet instructions.
Heat a large frying pan. Pour 1½ tablespoons of the anchovy oil into the pan and when it becomes hot, add the anchovies and the garlic, breaking the anchovies up with a wooden spoon as they cook. Cook gently until the anchovies have melted into a paste. Add the chilli flakes and mix well. Reduce the heat to low until the pasta is ready.
When the pasta is two minutes away from being ready, add the broccoli to the pan with the pasta. Continue to cook for two minutes and then drain, reserving a cup of the cooking water. Tip the pasta and broccoli into the pan with the anchovies and stir well to coat everything in the anchovy sauce. If the anchovies are too thick or the pasta a little sticky, then add a dash of the pasta water, stir and continue to add until all the pasta is coated with the sauce. Kali oreksi!
 

Feta Stuffed Zucchini Flowers

 

Ingredients:

10 Zucchini Flowers

Filling:

3 cups feta cheese, crushed
2 fresh mint leaves, cut in julienne
1 green onion, only white part
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 pinch red pepper
Salt
Pepper

3 tablespoon all purpose flour
1 large egg, whisked with 1 tablespoon water
Sunflower oil to fry
How to cook:

Gently soak all the flowers into the cold water. Remove and dry on paper towel.

Mix all the filling ingredients. Gently open flower, remove the pistil by snipping it off. Do not to tear the petals open and place 1 teaspoon filling. Then, gently twist and close the flowers.

Pour the sunflower oil in a frying pan and heat it up. Place the flour on a plate. Beat the egg with water in a bowl. First dip each one in the flour, then dip in the egg. Fry them until they're a light golden colour.

Afterwords, place on a paper towel to absorb any extra oil. Kali oreksi!

Turbot With Lemon-Butter Sauce

Ingredients:

2 turbot fillets
1 egg, whisked with 1 tablespoon milk
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons butter + 2 tablespoons olive oil

Lemon Butter:

1 tablespoon butter, room temperature
1/2 lemon zest
1 tablespoon fresh green onion, finely chopped

Mix all the lemon butter ingredients. Place on a plastic wrap and give it a cylinder shape. Keep in the fridge for at least one hour.

Soak the fish into the plate with the egg mixture, then dip in the plate with the breadcrumbs. At the same time heat the butter and olive oil in the skillet. Fry each side until golden brown. Place on a paper towel to soak up any extra oil. Do not ever forget this step.

Put butter slices on the fish and serve with lemon wedges. Kali oreksi!

Tuna Casserole

Ingredients:

1 package egg noodles

2 onions

2 cups Cheddar cheese, shredded

2 cans tuna, drained

2 cans condensed cream of mushroom soup

1/2 can mushrooms, sliced

1 cupcrushed potato chips

How to cook:

Boil the salted water. Cook pasta in boiling water for 8 minutes and drain.

Preheat oven to 220 degrees C.

In a large bowl mix noodles, onion, 1 cup cheese,  tuna, soup and mushrooms. Transfer to a baking dish and top with potato chip crumbs and remaining 1 cup cheese.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven. Kali oreksi!

Sauteed Shrimp With Feta

Ingredients:

250 grams frozen, peeled and de-veined, thawed shrimp

2 tablespoons butter

1 medium onion, finely copped

1/2 teaspoon salt

Black pepper

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 pinch crushed pepper

1 cup diced tomato, in can

1/2 cup feta cheese, cut in bite size cubes

1/2 teaspoon oregano

Parsley, chopped

How to cook:

Saute the onion with butter and salt on medium heat. When the colour starts to turn, add the garlic. When the smell of garlic comes out, add tomato, black pepper and crushed pepper. Turn the heat down to low, put the lid on and cook for 20 minutes.

Add the shrimp, feta cheese and oregano, and cook more for  6 minutes, then turn the heat off. Place the dish on a service plate. Sprinkle parsley and lemon zest all over. Kali oreksi!

Salmon With Grape Molasses Syrup

Ingredients:

1 Salmon steak

2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Grape Molasses Syrup:

1 tablespoon butter

2 tablespoon grape molasses

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Pinch of cayenne

How to cook:

Heat up the olive oil in the frying pan. Fry both sides of the salmon. Place on a service plate.

Prepare the sauce; wipe up the pan with paper towel. Melt the butter and add the grape molasses, pepper flakes and lemon juice, mix. Pour the grape molasses syrup over the salmon. You can serve with grilled asparagus.Kali oreksi!

Fish in Parchment Paper

Ingredients:

1 piece of fish you like, gutted, washed with cold water

Romaine leaf, parsley and dill stems

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Salt

Pepper

5-6 lemon slices

Filling:

1 medium size onion, sliced

1 medium size carrot, peeled, grated

3-5 garlic cloves, peeled, sliced

1 teaspoon lemon zest

1 teaspoon oregano

2 bay leaves

Salt

1 teaspoon peppercorn

How to cook:

Season the inside and outside of the fish with salt, pepper. Spread the olive oil all over the surface of the fish. Place the Romain leaf on a piece of parchment paper. Place the parsley and dill stems on it. Toss all the filling ingredients and fill the inside of the fish. Place the lemon slices on top. Fold the parchment paper over the top and the sides to prevent the juice from leaking out. Place on the oven tray.

Preheat the oven to 230 C. Cook for 30 minutes. Then remove the tray out of the oven, wait 2-3 minutes and open up the parchment paper. Discard the bay leaves. Serve with the lemon wedges. Kali oreksi!

Scallop Souvlaki With Fennel

Ingredients:

2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

Freshly squeezed lemon juice (2-3 lemons)

1 tablespoon anise-flavored liqueur

24 sea scallops, tough mussels removed

Salt and fresly ground pepper

1 bulb fennel, trimmed (reserving fronds for pasta sauce)

How to cook:

Heat grill to medium-high. Mix 2 tablespoons oil with the lemon juice and liqueur in a bowl. Add scallops and toss to coat. Slide scallops horizontally onto small skewers. Season with salt and pepper.

Place skewers on grill. Grill, rotating, until scallops are golden outside and just cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from grill.

Cut fennel bulb in half lengthwise, and slice lengthwise again into 0.5 cm. thick pieces. Toss with remaining 1/2 tablespoon oil, and grill, turning, until fennel just wilts and starts to brown, about 5 minutes. Serve warm. Kali oreksi!