Ingredients

3 eggs
55 g (¼ cup) sugar
300 g (2 cups) plain flour
1 tbsp oil, to oil hands
extra virgin olive oil, for frying

Syrup

350 g (1 cup) honey
220 g (1 cup) sugar
3 tsp orange juice
125 ml (½ cup) water
½ cinnamon stick
2 cloves

To serve

ground walnuts
sugared almonds
edible flowers
ground cinnamon

Instructions

Resting time: 30 minutes

Whisk the eggs vigorously until pale. Add sugar and continue whisking until the sugar is dissolved. Slowly add the flour, whisking constantly, until a dough forms. Oil your hands and knead the dough until smooth. Wrap in plastic wrap and rest for 30 minutes.

Divide the dough in half. Roll each half until thin or else use a pasta machine. To test if it is thin enough, when you lift a corner of the dough and gently blow under it, it should lift. Using a serrated pastry cutter, cut the dough into 8 cm x 10 cm strips. Pinch the two sides of each strip together at 2-3 cm intervals and pull into circles, squeezing together to make firm. They will look like frilly rosettes. A much simpler way is to roll the dough out the width of a pasta machine (approx. 13 cm) and then cut into lengths of around 12 cm.

Heat extra virgin olive oil in a large, wide frying pan to a depth of 7 cm. Drop the prepared rosette diples in the pan a couple at a time and cook until a gentle golden colour, rolling over to cook both sides. If you are using the flat shapes, hold one edge with tongs and place in the hot oil. As they start to puff, roll into cylinder shapes. This can be done with another pair of tongs or in Greece they use a long carving fork and a spatula. Drain on paper towel.

Place syrup ingredients in a large saucepan and cook over low heat until hot.  Dip the diples in hot syrup, making sure they are completely coated. Drain.

Serve diples decorated with ground walnuts, sugared almonds and edible flower petals, dusted with cinnamon.

Cook's notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

By Lyndey Milan

www.sbs.com.au

By throwing the whisk around like a madman, I was able to achieve the soup's unique alchemy: the eggs, rather than stiffening and cooking into a scramble-like mess, turn the soup creamy and rich. It also softens the acidity of the lemon, which leads off the flavor profile, followed by "richness of eggs, salt of chicken [stock], and starch of rice, in that order." This one's going in my regular Winter rotation.

Ingredients

8 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade, if not, low sodium
1 cup orzo pasta, or rice
4 eggs, separated
Juice of 3 lemons
Freshly ground black pepper

Procedure

1 Bring stock to a boil and add orzo or rice. Simmer until tender, about 20 minutes. Season stock to taste with salt, if necessary.

2 When the orzo or rice is nearing tenderness, whisk the egg whites in a separate bowl until medium peaks. Add egg yolks and lemon juice, whisking continuously.

3 When the orzo or rice is finished, transfer 2 cups of the hot stock to the egg/lemon mixture, adding very slowly in a constant stream and beating vigorously to prevent the eggs from solidifying.

4 Take the soup off the heat and add the beaten mixture back into the pot, whisking to incorporate. Serve immediately with freshly ground black pepper.

To read more please visit seriouseats.com

For the dough

4 1/2 cups flour
1 scant tsp salt
4 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp vinegar
300 gr. water

For the filling

1 pumpkin, about 1 ½ kg, peeled and diced
4 onions, chopped
½ cup olive oil
1 bunch of fennel, chopped
1 bunch of mint, chopped
1 cup of fresh oregano, chopped
Salt and pepper

Prepare the dough

1. In a bowl or mixer bowl, combine the flour with the salt. Then, add the oil, the vinegar, and the water. Mix until the ingredients are very well combined.

2. Knead the dough for about 10 minutes, adding flour or water until the dough is smooth and not sticky. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside for at least one hour before using it.

Prepare the filling

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.

2. Place the pumpkin in a shallow baking pan, lined with parchment paper. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes until softened and all liquids are absorbed.

3. Cook the onion in a large, heavy, dry saucepan, over low heat, for 8-10 minutes, without adding any oil, until it produces its own liquid and gets softened.

4. Add the oil and turn off the heat.

5. Transfer the pumpkin to the saucepan with the onion. Add salt, pepper and the herbs. Stir and set the mixture aside to cool.

Prepare the pies

1. Divide the dough into 4-5 equal balls. Flatten a bit with the palms of your hands. Then, flour a working surface and roll them out to thin sheets.

2. Cut into squares, fill each square with about 1 tbsp filling, wrap the sheet so as to form oblong rolls, and place in oiled baking pan.

3. Bake in the oven for about 12-15 minutes or until golden colored.

Serve warm, at room temperature.

greek food - greek cooking - greek recipes by diane kochilas http://www.dianekochilas.com/

The only caveat is that this dessert is best served the same day it is made. Once refrigerated, the custard tends to harden and loses its lovely texture.

Ingredients

For the filling:

• 6 cups milk
• 1-1/4 cup fine flour
• 6 egg yolks
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tbsp. vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp. unsalted butter

For the syrup:

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup water
• 5 cm piece of lemon rind
• 5 cm piece of orange rind
• Juice of 1/2 a lemon
• ½ kilo phyllo pastry sheets
• ½ kilo unsalted butter, melted (for brushing)

Preparation:

Make the Filling: In a large saucepan, heat the milk over medium high heat until just boiling. Add the flour and stir with a whisk. Lower the heat to medium low.
Using a whisk, beat the egg yolks with the sugar. Ladle a cup of the warmed milk into the egg mixture to temper and then add the egg yolk mixture to the pot.
Continue to cook over medium low heat until the cream starts to thicken, stirring continuously.

When the custard has thickened, remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract and the butter. Set aside.

Unwrap the Phyllo: Carefully remove the Phyllo roll from the plastic sleeve. Using a pair of scissors or sharp knife, cut the sheets in half to make two stacks. To prevent drying, cover one stack with wax paper and a damp paper towel while working with the other.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Assemble the Galaktoboureko: Using a pastry brush, brush the bottom and sides of a rectangular pan. You will use approximately half the phyllo sheets for the bottom of the pastry. Begin by layering sheets one by one in the bottom of the pan, making sure to brush each one thoroughly with melted butter.

When you have almost layered half the sheets, drape two sheets of phyllo so that they extend half in the pan and half out of the pan horizontally. Add the custard in an even layer on top of the sheets, smoothing the surface with a spatula. Fold the phyllo sheet flaps in over the custard layer. Add the remaining sheets on top, brushing each sheet with melted butter.

Before baking, score the top layer of phyllo (making sure not to puncture the filling layer) to enable easier cutting of pieces later. I place the pan in the freezer for about 10 to 15 minutes to harden the top layers and then use a serrated knife.

Bake in a preheated oven for 45 minutes or until the phyllo turns a deep golden color.

While the Galaktoboureko is baking, prepare the syrup: Combine the sugar and water in a saucepan and add the lemon peel and orange peel. Boil over medium high heat for approximately 10 – 15 minutes. Remove the lemon and orange peel and stir in the lemon juice. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

Prep Time: 45 minutes, Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes, Yield: Approximately 24 pieces

Caution: Do not pour hot syrup over the hot custard. Allow both to cool to room temperature and then carefully ladle the syrup over the galaktoboureko and allow time for it to be absorbed.

To read more, please visit greekfoodabout.com

Traditionally in Greece paximádia are made by cutting slices from a loaf of fresh home-made bread and then baking them again in the oven till crunchy.

As you can see dako and paximádia are very similar, the difference being how they are cut before they are cooked.

Drizzle a little water on the rusks to soften, then pore plenty of Cretan olive oil over them. Grate fresh garden tomatoes directly onto the rusks and add onion rings.

To read more, please visit we-love-crete.com

Yet again, this is one of those foods that are perfect for cold weather, warm and comforting and most importantly highly nutritious. In my family we ate it together with: feta cheese, black Kalamata olives, smoked mackerel dressed in olive oil and lemon, and of course loads of bread, so it became a full meal.

If you want something less rustic, you can whizz everything in the blender and serve it as a veloute with croutons or even crispy bacon.

INGREDIENTS for 4-6 people

500gr dry white beans, soaked
2-3 carrots, sliced
1 onion, sliced
half bunch of celery, chopped
1 400g can of chopped tomatoes
1 clove garlic  (optional)
olive oil
salt, pepper

DIRECTIONS

Soak the beans in warm water with a bit of salt for at least 8 hours. Drain, rinse and fill the pan again with fresh water. Bring to the boil and skim the froth.
Add all the ingredients: carrots, celery, onion, tomatoes, garlic if you are using and 1-2 tbsp of olive oil.
Boil until tender, about two hours. The fresher the beans the quicker they boil. You can also use a pressure cooker if you are really in a hurry. It will only take 10 minutes.
When the beans are ready, season well with salt and pepper. The soup should be thick and creamy. This usally occurs naturally due to the starch contained in the beans. If, however your soup turns out watery, you can easily thicken it by dissolving one tbsp of flour and letting it boil for one minute.
Serve hot with some extra pepper and olive oil on top.

KALI OREKSI!

http://foodjunkie.eu

Ingredients

1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons extra virgin Greek olive oil
2 large red onions, finely chopped
½ teaspoon cinnamon powder
4 large carrots, peeled and diced
1 lb. / 450 g orzo or Greek kritharaki
3 cups chopped, canned or fresh plum tomatoes
2 bay leaves
3 sprigs fresh or dried oregano
Salt and pepper to taste
1 ½ lbs./ 750 g zucchini, diced
2 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Grated Greek kefalotyri cheese, parmesan, or other hard cheese

Instructions

1 Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet and sauté the onions for 10 minutes over medium heat, until soft. Add the cinnamon, stir, and gently cook the onions for another 3-4 minutes, until lightly colored. Remove and set aside the onions. Wipe the skillet dry.
2 Heat 2 tablespoons more of olive oil in the same skillet over low heat and cook the carrots for 15 minutes, until softened but al dente. Stir occasionally.
3 Preheat the oven to 375F/190C.
4 Bring 6 cups of salted water to a rolling boil and cook the orzo for about 5 minutes, until al dente.
5 Transfer the orzo and cooking liquid to a large baking pan. Mix in the onions, carrots, tomatoes, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, bay leaves, and oregano. Season with salt and pepper. Bake, covered, for 20-25 minutes.
6 In the meantime, heat two more tablespoons of olive oil in the skillet and sauté the zucchini. Add the garlic and stir. Add this mixture to the orzo. Add a little hot water to the baking pan if necessary, to keep the pasta from drying out. Continue baking the orzo for another 40 minutes to one hour, or until almost all the liquid has been absorbed. Remove, stir in remaining olive oil, and serve, garnished, of desired, with grated cheese.

greek food - greek cooking - greek recipes by diane kochilas http://www.dianekochilas.com/