which included mayonnaise and sour cream, and a few other things that are strangers to authentic Greek tzatziki! The responses she got to her recipe were excited affirmations that this indeed sounded like the tzatziki they’d all tried and loved in the States. I struggled with my response… Should I write back and explain that tzatziki, the way we have it here in Greece, is a very simple recipe?

I ran a quick online check for tzatziki recipes (try it yourself!) and indeed, quite a few of the recipes I found included sour cream or mayo. This made me think of the various flavored Hummus recipes you find in other countries (what? you didn’t know that original Hummus does not come in flavors such as red pepper? Well, that’s a discussion for another day!).

Tzatziki is something I take very seriously, being a very serious tzatziki aficionado. When I was much (much much) younger my family called me “miss tzatziki,” making sure to order a plate of that heavenly stuff just for me every time we went out. What’s more delicious than dipping your bread, your meat, your fries, your fried zucchini, your everything into that wonderfully-flavored yogurt? I finally decided to answer my online friends, explaining that although their version of tzatziki sounded quite yummy, real tzatziki is a very plain yogurt-garlic-salt-oil recipe that is sometimes accessorized with dill or vinegar. I decided to do so, with the hope that they’d find this delicious (and certainly healthier!) recipe satisfactory. Here is the recipe we love to make here at home, passed down from my yiayia. I hope you enjoy it, too.

If you don’t have Greek yogurt, you could strain your yogurt on some napkins overnight. Try to change the napkins often so they soak up all the ‘water’ from your yogurt.

3 cups of strained yogurt
1 small cucumber very finely grated
3-4 garlic bulbs
1/4 tsp of salt
3-4 spoons of olive oil
3 spoons of dill (optional)
splash of vinegar

Mix the yogurt, cucumber, garlic, splash of vinegar, and salt. Dill has a very strong flavor, so you could leave it out altogether or put as much as you’d like. Garnish with olive oil. Enjoy!!

Ingredients:

3 cups of double cream or whipping cream
3 cups of full fat milk
1 1/8 cups of sugar
3 teaspoons of salep (level)
7/8 - 1 teaspoon of golden gum mastic, ground (see below)

Preparation:

Grind the mastic: Mastic is usually sold in drops of resin which can stick to the mortar and pestle during grinding. To avoid, freeze mastic for 15 minutes before using and place it along with 1-2 tablespoons of the sugar in the mortar. Grind with the pestle.

In a mixing bowl, beat 1/2 cup of the milk with the ground mastic (and sugar used to grind) until completely blended. Dissolve the salepi in 1/2 cup of cold milk. Warm the remaining milk in a saucepan over low heat. Beating the mastic mixture at high speed, add the warm milk, then the dissolved salepi. Add remaining sugar and cream.

Transfer the mixture to a saucepan and boil over low heat for about 20 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent sticking and clumping. Remove from heat and set aside to cool to room temperature.

Ice cream maker: When cooled, transfer to ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer's instructions.

Without ice cream maker: Transfer to a metal container, cover with tightly fitting lid or foil and place in freezer. Every half hour, remove from freezer, transfer to a mixing bowl and beat with a hand mixer until frothy. Quickly place back in the metal container and put in the freezer. Repeat three more times.

Remove from freezer 10 minutes before serving.

Serve alone, with a syrup topping or spoon sweet, and sprinkle with chopped almonds. Kaimaki is also served with syrupy sweets like karythopita (Greek walnut cake).

Note about buying salepi: The most common form available has been premixed with sugar and other additives. The best salepi for this recipe is the pure ground orchid root if you can find it. If not, use 4-5 times the amount of salepi called for in the recipe and decrease the sugar to 1 cup.

By Nancy Gaifyllia

greekfood.about.com

Follow us in a tour to each region that has developed its own special varieties of cheese. Nothing conjures up the dreamy images of Greece better than the Aegean, home to countless islands big and small and to cooking traditions as old as Homer.

Islanders have their unique existence, defined by the deepest bond to place and familial roots, in common with one another, regardless of whether they come from places as off-the-beaten track as Ikaria or as cosmopolitan as Rhodes or Santorini.

Let’s take a tour in the Aegean, specifically in the Northeastern Aegean, where cheeses vary. Manoura from Sifnos is aged in wine dregs; Kalathaki from Limnos, a lovely basket-shaped, goat's milk white brine cheese, akin to feta, takes its name from the basket (=kalathaki) that is used to produce it.

Moving further down, we meet the Dodecanese cheeses, such as Krassotyri and Sitaka. Krassotyri is a specialty of Kos. A log-shaped, ribbed wine-soaked cheese that in recent years has begun its trip off the island. This similar wine-soaked cheeses are also produced in Nyssiros and Leros. Sitaka, one of the most unusual dairy products in Greece, is a tart, creamy spread, not unlike yogurt cheese, made from slightly fermented sheep's and/or goat's milk, which has been salted slightly and reduced over low, traditionally wood-burning fire. It is a specialty of Kassos and served with a delicious local pasta dish together with caramelized onions.

Now let’s move a little towards the Cyclades, to meet the Cyclades cheeses. . San Mihalis in Syros island, also a PDO cheese? Manoura of Sifnos’, with a pinkish hue and dark, winy aroma? Chloro from Santorini, to be eaten either fresh (and soft), or aged over pasta? You just name it!

To read more, please see visitgreece.gr

I started the dip out with the layer of freshly homemade hummus and then I went on to replace the cream cheese layer with a layer of tzatziki made with a thick and creamy 0% Greek yogurt.

(I figured that I would be getting a lot of cream cheese in the other dips that I will be serving so I would keep this one nice and light and the tzatziki fits in with the Greek theme as well.) The next few layers are more of ingredients that are stacked on and they include some tomatoes, cucumber, red onions, Kalamata olives, feta and a touch of mint as a garnish. I strongly associate oregano with Greek cuisine and I wanted to work some in so I mixed it into the tomato layer.

Although I was expecting this dip to be good with all of the great flavours in it, I was not expecting it to be as amazing as it was! I nearly devoured the entire batch in one sitting! The combination of the creamy hummus, the tart and garlicky tzatziki, the juicy tomatoes and crunch cucumbers, the salty olives and feta was simply fantastic! In addition to being one of the most addictive dips that I have had in a while, this dip is also pretty healthy, especially when served with toasted whole wheat pitas triangles for dipping. This dip is perfect for anyone looking for a healthier alternative for snacking at any party!

(makes 4 servings)

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups hummus
1 cup tzatziki
1 cup tomato (diced and mixed with 1 tablespoon lemon juice and 1/2 teaspoon oregano)
1/2 cup cucumber (cut into small pieces)
1/4 cup red onions (diced)
1/4 cup feta (crumbled)
1/4 cup Kalamata olives (pitted and coarsely chopped)
1 handful mint (chopped)
4 whole wheat pitas (cut into triangles and toasted until just crispy)

Directions:
1. Assemble dip starting with the hummus and stacking each ingredient on top of the last.

By Kevin Lynch

www.closetcooking.com

 

 

 

Ingredients

Pastry Base Ingredients:
1/2 kilo kataifi pastry dough  
1/2 cup melted unsalted butter

Syrup Ingredients:
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1 cinnamon stick
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice

Custard Ingredients:
7 egg yokes
6 cups milk
1 1/2 cup sugar
7 tbsp. fine semolina flour
2 tbsp. corn flour
grated rind of 1 lemon
1 tsp. vanilla

Topping Ingredients:
2 cups sweetened whipping cream
1 tsp. vanilla 

 

Heat your oven to 190C. Butter a 30cm  pan.  Make sure it’s a deep one so it will accommodate the layers of pastry, custard and cream. 

Make the base.  Take the Kataifi pastry and pull the strands apart so it lays light and fluffy on the bottom of the pan.  Brush the pastry with the melted butter then put it in the oven to toast.  Just a few minutes should be enough, as you want it golden brown. 

Make the syrup.  In a small saucepan, boil the sugar with the water and cinnamon stick. You only need to boil it until it thickens a bit, but if you prefer thicker syrup, just keep boiling off the water.  Be careful though, you don’t want the syrup to burn or caramelize.  When it’s thick enough for your preference, remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice.  Pour the hot syrup over the toasted pastry base.

Make the custard.  In a medium saucepan, beat the sugar and the egg yokes together.  Slowly add the semolina flour, milk, and the corn flour, alternating them until all are incorporated.  Move the pan to medium heat and cook this custard, stirring constantly.  Again, be careful, you don’t want to scorch it, so keep right over it and stir continuously.  When the custard thickens, remove from the heat.  Beat in the vanilla and the lemon rind then pour the custard over the syrup/pastry base. 

Let the whole thing cool completely before you add the final topping.  If you like, you can refrigerate it overnight and make the topping the next day.  

Make the Topping.  Beat the whipping cream with the vanilla until its stiff.  Spread this over the cooled custard/pastry and there you have it.... Ekmek!!  You can garnish the Ekmek with maraschino cherries, chopped almonds, whole pitted dates, or whatever takes your fancy. 

By Susie

faliraki-info.com

So you can do your laundry, or walk the dog, or make a salad.

• A couple of days later, if you have any leftovers, you can shred the meat, then return the meat to the sauce and add your favorite pasta. The resulting dish is a Greek version of beef stroganoff.
• The herbs are very important to the flavor development here, since I’m using water instead of stock, so use fresh herbs if possible.

Serves 4 to 6 family-style with potatoes, rice, or orzo

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons blended oil (90 percent canola, 10 percent extra-virgin olive)
• 2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1 ½ – inch chunks
• Kosher salt and cracked black pepper
• ½ large Spanish or sweet onion, finely chopped
• 1 carrot, finely chopped
• 1 stalk celery, finely chopped
• 1 large leek, cut into thick rounds, washed well in cold water, drained
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• ½ cup red wine
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 3 to 5 cups water
• 1 fresh bay leaf or 2 dried leaves
• 1 large sprig rosemary
• 1 sprig thyme
• 1 sprig sage
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• Grated orange zest
• 1 tablespoon roughly chopped parsley

Method:

Place a large, heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat and add the blended oil. Season the beef aggressively with kosher salt and pepper. When the oil is hot, add the beef and sear on all sides, 5 to 6 minutes. Add all the chopped vegetables to the pan with the beef and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the tomato paste and stir for 1 minute. Deglaze the pan with red wine and red wine vinegar, and let them reduce completely away.

Add 3 cups of the water, 2 teaspoons salt and a generous grinding of pepper, the bay leaves, rosemary, thyme, sage, and cinnamon. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and partially cover the pan. Simmer gently for about. Check and, if the mixture is dry, add another cup or two of water. Keep simmering for 15 to 40 minutes more, until the meat is tender and the braising liquid has reduced to a saucy consistency. Remove the bay leaves and cinnamon sticks. Transfer to a platter and drizzle with a little extra-virgin olive oil, and scatter with a little orange zest and the parsley.

www.michaelpsilakis.com

 

Ingredients (for 6-8 portions):

1½ tea-cup of all-purpose flour
4 eggs
2 tea-cups of Greek Kasseri cheese, grated (or mild English yellow cheddar)
4 tbsp of olive oil
1/2 a bunch of fresh spearmint, only the leaves finely chopped (or 1 tbsp of dried, ground)
1 tsp of dried oregano, ground
1 pinch of ground nutmeg
1 pinch of salt
1 pinch of black pepper
5-6 sundried tomatoes, finely chopped (from a jar in oil)
1 sachet of baking powder
100ml of full fat fresh milk

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180° C and place the rack at the lowest position of the oven. Lightly grease the bottom and the sides of a long loaf or cake tin (I prefer the non-stick ones).

In a small bowl mix together the flour with the baking powder.

In a large bowl beat with a whisk the eggs with the milk and the oil until they are well blended. Add the cheese, the herbs, the nutmeg, the tomatoes, salt and pepper and mix well with your hand.

In the end add the flour/baking powder mixture and mix until the ingredients come together. The mixture should be thick, resembling that of a classic sweet cake.

Empty the mixture into the tin and put in the oven. Bake for about 40 minutes. Check the cake out with the classic method of inverting a knife in the middle of it – if it comes out clear and dry then it is ready. Otherwise, bake for a few more minutes and try again.

Take out of the oven and leave the cake to stand in the tin for a few minutes. Turn out onto a plate and serve cut in slices. This type of cake can be served even cold but it is always tastier if it is still lukewarm.

Recipe by Angelos Rentoulas from "Gastronomos" magazine of "KATHIMERINI" newspaper

www.amateurcookprofessionaleater.blogspot.be

And no wonder - in Greek mythology figs are associated with Bacchus, also known as Dionysus, the god of wine and song. Yet this very ancient and biblical fruit is making a resurgence in modern times.

A fig tree is said to appear in some images of the Garden of Eden, giving a religious connotation to this Grecian delicacy. Figs are mentioned in the Christian Bible, but not only that, the Muslims' Koran, and the Jewish Torah. The early Greeks so highly prized figs that it was considered an honour to bestow upon the winner of various competitions both the foliage and fruit of a fig tree. And when modesty became popular in ancient times, the private parts of Greek statues were covered with fig leaves. This also comes from the religious belief Adam and Eve covered their nakedness with leaves that are usually said to be from the fig tree after they ate the forbidden fruit. Even some religious scholars believe the forbidden fruit was in fact a fig. Also, in Greek mythology, when Zeus was pursuing Ge and her son, Sykeus, in the war of the Titans, in order to save her son, Ge metamorphosed into a fig tree.

Figs enjoy a Mediterranean climate that has a long, hot, dry summer, that's why they are so commonly found in Greece and Italy and feature heavily in both cuisines. The fig tree can live as long as 100 years and grow to 100 feet tall, although domestic trees are kept pruned to a height of about 16 feet. There are hundreds of varieties of figs, ranging in colour from nearly black to almost white, and only the female fruits are edible. The green varieties are normally reserved for drying.
The shelf life of fresh figs is brief indeed. They must be picked ripe from the trees as they do not ripen well once picked. A very firm fig is not ripe and will not properly ripen further. Snatch them up and use them as soon as you find them in the market as they will spoil within seven to ten days of harvesting. In most cases this means you have about three days at most to use them at home. Select figs that are clean and dry, with smooth, unbroken skin. The fruit should be soft and bouncy to touch, but not mushy and overripe. Use your nose when picking figs and smell the fruit. If it smells slightly sour, it has already begun to ferment. The fruit is sweet to taste and in ancient times, was used a sweetener before refined sugar. And given they are among the richest plant sources of calcium and fibre you can rest assured you are doing your body a good deed by indulging in figs.

But even though there is a short window to indulge in fresh figs, figs as a fruit can be consumed all year round. Dried figs are readily available - and many varieties and brands are imported from Greece to Australia for consumption here. Also, figs can be made into jams, and preserved for savoury dishes or as spoon sweets to enjoy with coffee. There are also biscuits readily available filled with a fig jam. Fresh and dried figs are also perfect for breakfast. Mixed in with Greek yoghurt and honey it makes a nutritious breakfast option. Preserved figs are great to include in muesli and of course, fig jam is perfect on a toasted piece of sourdough.

By Penni Pappas

http://neoskosmos.com

I saw the ruins of Athens, the rocky shorelines and picturesque houses of Mykonos, the rolling hills and mountains of Naxos, The Palace of the Grand Masters of Knights in Rhodes, the mesmerizing Balos Lagoon and Palace of Knossos on Crete, and the Tholos of Athena Pronaia Sanctuary and Oracle at Delphi.

In my time in Greece I learned that there was much more than just olive oil and seafood to Greek cuisine. Traditionally the Greeks and Cretans ate vegetables, grains, fruits, seafood and olives. In fact their diet was vastly healthier eating homemade unprocessed food, unlike what they do now (which is more like a SAD Westernized diet drenched in copious amounts of olive oil and wine).

So what I took from my travels was using vegetables, grains and herbs in a way that complimented each other to bring out the full flavor of simple vegetable based dishes. The Greek rice stuffed peppers served in Greece are generally stuffed with ground meat as well, but occasionally I found some that were vegan without meat. Mykonos served some at the beach cafes and a Taverna in Delphi had some as well. But these versions used white arborio rice (Italian risotto rice) and were drenched in olive oil.

For my version I decided to switch to whole grain brown rice and remove the olive oil (for health purposes dousing all vegetables in olive oil isn’t recommended). So while it’s not “traditional” it is still very rustic and delicious. I’ve packed it full of dill, parsley and lemon juice so you get all the flavor of the full fat version but without the extra calories.

This recipe is featured in my cookbook Vegan Comfort Foods From Around The World which is available in a digital or physical version wherever you are in the world.

In fact it’s probably my family’s favorite recipe, my mom and even my friends make this recipe regularly as an entree for omnivores and they always receive rave reviews. So it makes me happy that something so simple can be delicious and satisfying to people on a wide variety of diets.

So scroll down for the recipe and get cooking!

Prep Time: 

30 min Total Time: 1 hour 20 min

Yield:

Serves 3-4 for entrées or 6-8 as a side dish

Ingredients

6 large or 8 small bell peppers (any color but green)
1 large onion, diced
3 medium carrots, peeled and diced
3 small zucchinis, peeled and diced
1 cup / 236 ml. vegetable broth
3 cups cooked brown rice
5 Tbsp. tomato paste
3/4 cup whole fresh parsley, de-stemmed and chopped
3/4 cup whole fresh dill, de-stemmed and chopped
1/2-1 lemon, juiced
1/4 tsp. fresh ground pepper
3/4 tsp. Herbamare or salt (or to taste)
1 lemon—cut into wedges (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 F /175 C. Cut tops off of peppers like you would a jack-o-lantern,
remove seeds, and wash thoroughly.
Place in an oven safe dish arranged upright and put tops back on. Bake for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large pan, saut. onions, carrots and zucchini in vegetable broth for 5-6 minutes.
Stir in the rice and tomato paste and coat thoroughly.
Add parsley, dill, lemon juice, pepper, and Herbamare or salt and stir to combine.
When peppers are ready, remove from oven and fill with stuffing.
Place tops back on peppers and bake for an extra 30-40 minutes until peppers are soft.
Serve additional wedges of lemon if desired.

Additional Tips

Don’t use green peppers. Green peppers are unripe and much harder. They will not be done in time if you cook them along with red, yellow or orange peppers. Additionally you can substitute white rice for the brown if you like.

Nutrition Facts: 6 Servings

Amount Per Serving

• Calories 170.9
• Total Fat 1.4 g
• Saturated Fat 0.3 g
• Sodium 325.7 mg
• Total Carbohydrate 37.1 g
• Dietary Fiber 5.6 g
• Sugars 3.6 g
• Protein 4.4 g

By Low Fat Vegan Chef Veronica

lowfatveganchef.com