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!