Seabass in Tomato-Basil Sauce

Ingredient:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, sliced
1 small aubergine, chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground paprika
2 garlic cloves, crushed
400 grams can chopped tomatoes
1 teaspoon dark
8 large basil leaves, plus a few extra for sprinkling
4 pieces of skinless seabass fillets

How to cook:

Heat the olive oil in a frying pan. Add the onion and aubergine. After about 4 minutes the vegetables will start to turn golden but won’t be soft yet, so cover with a lid and let the vegetables steam-fry in their own juices for 6 minutes. 

But here i have to give you a tip about the aubergine. Before you put the aubergine in the pan, you have to chop and let them inside salted water for 7-8 minutes. The bitter taste will leave. Whatever you cook something with aubergine, you have to follow this way. 

Stir in the paprika, garlic, tomatoes and sugar with 1⁄2 teaspoon salt and cook for another 8-10 minutes, stirring, until onion and aubergine are tender.

Scatter in the basil leaves then nestle the fish in the sauce, cover the pan and cook for 8 minutes until the fish flakes when tested with a knife and the flesh is firm but still moist. Tear over the rest of the basil and serve with a salad. Kali oreksi!

Crawfish Etouffee

Ingredients:

1 stick butter
2 cups onions, chopped
1 cup celery, chopped
1/2 cup green bell peppers, chopped
450 grams crawfish tails, peeled
2 teaspoons garlic, minced
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon flour
1 cup water
1 teaspoon salt
Pinch of cayenne
2 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped 
3 tablespoons green onions, finely chopped 

How to cook:

Melt the butter in a saute pan. Add the onions, celery, and bell peppers and saute about 10 to 12 minutes. Add the crawfish, garlic, and bay leaves and reduce the heat to medium. Cook the crawfish for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally. Dissolve the flour in the water. Add the crawfish mixture. Season with salt and cayenne. Stir until the mixture thickens, about 4 minutes. Stir in the parsley and green onions and continue cooking for 2 minutes. Serve over steamed rice. Kali oreksi!

Shrimp With Ouzo and Honey

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup mild honey 
• 1/4 cup ouzo
• 3 medium limes, finely grated to yield 2 teaspoons, squeezed to yield 1/3 cup juice
• 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced
• 2 teaspoons hot sauce 
• Kosher salt
• 24 colossal shrimps, shelled and deveined
• 1 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh cilantro

How to cook:

In a skillet, combine the honey, ouzo, lime juice and zest, garlic, ginger, hot sauce, and 1teaspoon salt and stir until thoroughly mixed. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then add the shrimp and cook until just pink and opaque throughout, about 1 minute per side.

Transfer the shrimp to a serving bowl with a slotted spoon or tongs. Bring the sauce to a boil and cook, adding any juice that has accumulated from the shrimp, until reduced to a syrupy consistency, about 10 minutes. Pour the sauce over the shrimp, sprinkle with the cilantro, and toss to coat. Serve immediately. Kali oreksi!

Scallops With Butter Sauce

Ingredients:

• 450 grams sea scallops
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter 
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Ingredients for the butter sauce:

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into six  pieces
• 2 tablespoons shallot, diced
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 1/4 cup finely chopped mixed fresh herbs (parsley, chives, thyme etc.)
• 1/4 teaspoon lemon zest, grated
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 to 3 lemon wedges for serving

How to cook:

Clean and wash the scallops.

Heat the skillet over medium-high heat for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the oil and butter. Pat the scallops dry once more and put them in the pan. Season with salt and pepper and cook until each side is browned and crisp, 4 minutes. Take the pan off the heat, transfer the scallops to a plate, and set them in a warm spot. Let the pan cool for a minute before you make the sauce.

Return the pan to medium heat. Here the butter comes! I try to use it in every food i cook, the taste is aamzing. Add a piece of the butter (1/2 tablespoon.) and the shallots and sauté until the shallots begin to soften, about 1 minute. Add the wine and simmer until reduced by about half, another 2 minutes. Add the herbs and lemon zest. Reduce the heat to low, add the remaining butter, and whisk constantly until the butter melts into the sauce. Return the scallops and any accumulated juices to the pan. Gently roll the scallops in the sauce to warm them through. Taste for salt and pepper and serve immediately with lemon wedges on the side to squeeze over the scallops. Kali oreksi!

Shrimp Soup

Ingredients:

2 quarts chicken broth
2 tablespoons rosemary
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon celery seed
1/2 teaspoon fennel seed
1 cup clam juice
1/2 can tomato paste
1 cup butter
1 cup white wine
2 pounds shrimp, with tails
1 loaf French brad

How to cook:

You need almost 3 hours to cook this soup but it will worth it!

Pour broth into a pot and mix in rosemary, garlic, pepper, celery seed, fennel seed, clam juice, tomato paste and butter. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Stir wine into the soup, and continue to simmer and occasionally stir 2 hours.
Just before serving, stir in shrimp. Continue cooking 3 minutes more. Serve with bread for soaking up all the yummy broth.

Grilled Scallops

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon olive oil
1 shallot peeled, sliced
75 grams butter, softened
1/2 lemon, zest
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chervil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
45grams hazelnuts finely chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 scallops, cleaned

How to cook:

Heat a frying pan until warm, add the olive oil and shallot and fry gently until softened. 
Place the butter into a bowl and add the cooked shallot, along with all the remaining scallop ingredients, except the scallops. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and mix well.
Preheat the grill. Place the scallops onto a grill tray and top each scallop with a spoonful of the hazelnut butter. Place under the grill for 3-4 minutes. Remove from the grill and set aside to rest for one minute. Kali oreksi!

Mussels With Wine

Ingredients:

1350 grams cultivated mussels
1/3 cup flour
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons good olive oil
1 cup chopped shallots
5 cloves garlic, minced 
1/2 cup chopped canned plum tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon saffron threads
1/3 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1 cup dry white wine
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

How to cook: 

Clean the mussels. Put water, flour and soak in a bowl. Let the mussels inside for 30 minutes until all the sand go away. Drain the mussels, then remove the beard from each with your fingers. If they are dirty, scrub the mussels with a brush under running water.  
with your fingers. If they're dirty, scrub the mussels with a brush under running water. 

In a large non-aluminum stockpot, heat the butter and olive oil. Add the shallots and cook for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 3 more minutes. Add the tomatoes, saffron, parsley, thyme, wine, salt, and pepper. Bring to boil.

Add the mussels, stir well, then cover the pot and cook for 10 minutes, until all the mussels are opened (discard any that do not open). Pour the mussels and the sauce into a large bowl and serve hot. Kali oreksi!

Baked Sea Bass

Ingredients:

1 jar roasted papers, sliced
Tomato (as much as you want and also if you want)
1 red onion, sliced
Olive oil
4 garlic cloves
3 slices of lemon
2 sea bass
15 black olives
25 grams toasted pine nuts
Parsley, chopped

How to cook:

Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Toss the peppers and onions with seasoning plus a small drizzle of olive oil. Spread on a baking tray and cook for 5 mins.
Toss in the garlic and lemon with the onions and peppers. If you want you can also add tomatoes. Sit on the sea bass, brush fish with a little more oil, season fish and roast for 15 minutes. 
Stir the olives and pine nuts into the veg and roast for 5 minutes more until the fish is just cooked through. Squeeze over some lemon juice and season with parsley to serve. Kali oreksi!

Crab Linguine

Ingredients:

100 grams linguine

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 garlic cloves, sliced

2 tablespoons crème

100 grams tub white crabmeat

rocket, chopped

Zest 1/2 lemon

1 tablespoon toasted pine nuts

How to cook:

Cook the linguine according to the directions on the package. 

Heat the olive oil in a pan. Add the garlic and cook gently to soften. Stir in the crème, crabmeat, chopped rocket, lemon zest and gently heat through.

Tip in the cooked pasta and a little cooking liquid to help the sauce coat the pasta. Season and give everything a stir. Sprinkle with the pine nuts and remaining rocket leaves.

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Steamed Mussels

Ingredients:

2 pounds mussels

1 tablespoon olive oil

2  teaspoons minced ginger

1 shallot, chopped

½ cup Chinese rice wine or dry sherry

¼ teaspoon ground white pepper

1 scallion, chopped

How to cook:

Rinse and scrub the mussels with cold water. You have to wash 2-3 times and change the water each time. Debeard the mussels by removing the stringy bits in the seam where the two shells meet as best you can. Do not use any mussels with open or broken shells that don’t close when you gently tap them against the counter.
Heat a skillet until a bead of water sizzles and evaporates contact. Add the oil. Then add the ginger and shallots and stir-fry until aromatic, about 30 to 40 seconds. Add the rice wine. Carefully add the mussels and cover with a lid. Allow the mussels to steam for 5 minutes, then uncover. Stir in the white pepper.
Discard any mussels that have not opened, then transfer to a serving dish along with the broth remaining in the pan. Sprinkle the scallions on top and serve. Kali oreksi!

Lobster Tail With Butter Sauce

Ingredients:

115 grams lobster tails
1/2 cup butter
2 cloves of garlic, grated
1 teaspoon shredded lemon peel

How to cook:

After you clean the lobster, butterfly tails by using a sharp knife to cut lengthwise through centers of hard top shells and meat. Press shell halves of tails apart with your fingers. 

In a saucepan, melt the butter. Remove from heat. Stir in garlic cloves (grated) and lemon peel. Remove 2 tablespoons of the sauce and keep the rest. 

Preheat grill. Brush lobster meat with some of the 2 tablespoons sauce. Place lobster on the grill. Cover and grill for 6 minutes. Turn the lobster. Brush with the rest of the butter sauce. Cover and grill again for 6-8 or more, until it is cooked. 

Heat the reserved sauce, stirring continously. Transfer the sauce to bowls for dipping and serve with lobster. Kali oreksi!

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Halloumi Stuffed Red Pepper

Ingredients:

4 red peppers
200 grams block halloumi cheese, sliced into 4
1 red chilli, finely chopped
1 teaspoon dried oregano
4 black olives, cut into slivers
1 lemon, zest and juice

How to cook:

Halloumi is a kind of cheese (salty one) from Cyprus. I like it a lot. Especially when we make breakfast with my wife on Sundays. I just grill it and eat with fried eggs. 

Grill the red peppers until they begin to soften. Open out each red pepper by making a cut down one side and trim the tops and bottoms off so you end up with a strip. Put a slice of halloumi in the center of each strip. Sprinkle over some lemon zest and juice, divide the chilli, oregano and olive between them, then roll the red pepper around the halloumi. It doesn't matter if the cheese sticks out at each end. Tie the rolls with some kitchen string that you have soaked in water and press down with the palm of your hand so they flatten slightly. Grill the red peppers on both sides for 5 minutes. Kali oreksi!

Greek Moussaka

• Ingredients:
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• 1 onion, chopped
• olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 750 grams minced lamb
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 100 ml white wine
• 400 grams tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
• 2 aubergines, sliced
• 600 ml milk
• bay leaf
• 4 black peppercorns
• 75 grams butter
• 75 grams flour
• 4 potatoes cooked and sliced
• 2 eggs

How to cook:

Cook the onion in a little oil until soften, then add the garlic. After a minute, add the mince and brown, breaking up any lumps. Add the cinnamon, wine and tomatoes, simmer for 30 minutes, bubble off any excess liquid and stir in the parsley. In another skillet, fry the aubergines with sunflower oil on both sides then drain on kitchen paper. Bring the milk to a simmer with the bay leaf and peppercorns. Heat the butter in a pan, stir in the flour and gradually add the milk, stirring continually until you have a smooth sauce. Strain and season. Heat the oven to 180C. Layer the cooked meat sauce and aubergine in an ovenproof dish, top with the potatoes and season. Whisk the eggs into the white sauce and spoon over. Bake for 30-40 minutes until brown. Kali oreksi!

Greek Tzatziki

Ingredients:

200g Greek-style natural yoghurt
1 cucumber, grated
1 garlic clove, crushed
Olive oil
Fresh mint leaves, to serve

How to prepare:

Combine yoghurt, cucumber, garlic and olive oil  in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and place in the fridge for 10 minutes to infuse. Serve with pita triangles and mint leaves.

Greek Style Rice Stuffed Lamb

Ingredients:

Easy-carve legs of lamb, string removed
1 cup beef stock
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
2 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves picked
1 tablespoon dried oregano
Salt & freshly ground black pepper

Rice stuffing:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 cup medium-grain white rice
1 cup beef stock
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
Salt & freshly ground black pepper

How to cook:

To make the stuffing, heat the oil in a frying pan. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring until onion softens. Add rice and stock and bring to a gentle simmer. Simmer for 5-10 minutes or until all the liquid is absorbed (the rice will still be crunchy). Remove from heat. Add the parsley, dill and mint, and season with salt and pepper.
Preheat oven to 180°C. Place 1 lamb leg flat on a clean surface. Cut a deeper slit in the meat where the bone has been removed. Spread half the stuffing down the centre of the lamb leg. Fold over to enclose the stuffing. Use unwaxed white kitchen string to tie at 2cm intervals. Repeat with the remaining lamb leg and stuffing.
Place the lamb legs in a large roasting pan. Drizzle with stock, oil and lemon juice and sprinkle with rosemary and oregano. Season with salt and pepper. Roast in oven for 1 1/2 hours or until lamb is cooked through and rice is tender. Remove from oven. Cover with foil and set aside for 10 minutes to rest. Slice the lamb across the grain and serve immediately.