For the sauce

4 cups canned chopped tomatoes
2 garlic cloves
Salt and sugar to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil

For the eggplants

1 - 2 cups all purpose flour
4 large eggs, slightly beaten
3 1/2 cups breadcrumbs
2 2/3 cups grated Kefalotyri cheese (about 220 g)
2 medium-large eggplants, cut lengthwise into 18 slices, each about 1 cm thick
350 g kasseri cheese, or any semi-hard, mild yellow sheep's milk cheese, coarsely grated
1 1/4 cups anthotyro or ricotta, drained
3/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
½ cup chopped fresh mint leaves
1/3 cup chopped fresh oregano leaves
Pepper to taste

Instructions

1 In a medium saucapan, simmer the tomatoes, garlic, salt, sugar and olive oil together until thickened and reduced by about 1 cup. Remove from heat and set aside.
2 Preheat oven to 350F/180C. Oil 3 baking sheets and one glass baking dish large enough to hold the eggplant rolls (about 13 X 9 X 2 inches).
3 Place flour in a wide shallow bowl, eggs in second bowl, and breadcrumbs mixed with 1 cup kefalotyri cheese in another.
4 Season each eggplant slice with salt and pepper. Press each slice, one at a time, into the flour, then dip into the beaten egg, and finally into the breadcrumb-cheese mixture.
5 Arrange eggplant slices in single layer on prepared sheets. Bake eggplant in batches until coating is golden, turning after 15 minutes, about 30 minutes total. Cool on sheets.
6 Mix the kasseri, anthotyro, herbs, and 1 cup of kefalotyri in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
7 Spread about 2 tablespoons of the cheese filling over the surface of each eggplant slice. Starting at the narrow end, roll up eggplant slices. Arrange rolls, seam side down, in prepared baking dish. Spoon the sauce over the rolls and sprinkle with remaining kefalotyri.
8 Bake uncovered until the eggplant dolmades are heated through and the kasseri melts, about 30 minutes.

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

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra virgin Greek olive oil
450 gr sausages, outer skin removed, cut into large chunks
1 tsp chopped basil
½ cup Mavrodafni or other sweet red wine
6 cups chicken broth
1 butter stick (1/2 cup)
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 cup Carnaroli rice mix with mushrooms
1 cup grated parmesan cheese

Instructions

1 Heat a large, nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the sausages and sauté for about 5 minutes, until they begin to brown.
2 Add ½ cup of Mavrodafni. As soon as it evaporates, remove the skillet from the heat and keep aside.
3 Keep simmering the broth. Melt butter and add a little oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Sauté the onion and garlic for about 5 minutes. Season with salt. Add the rice and stir for 2 minutes.
4 Add 1 cup of the broth. When it is absorbed, add another cup, repeating the same process until most of the broth is absorbed by the rice. Return the sausages and basil to the rice. If necessary, add a little bit more broth. Add half of the cheese and stir.
5 Serve the risotto with the remaining cheese on the side.

Serves 6

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

Spanakopita is golden in color when baked, the color often enhanced by butter and egg yolk. Other white, fresh, preferably salted cheeses may also mixed with, or substituted for, the feta cheese. It is mostly eaten as a snack in Greece, and it can be an alternative to tyropita. There is a "fasting", or vegan, version of spanakopita, eaten during the Great Lent and other religious fasts, and composed of spinach, onions or green onions, other green herbs like dill, parsley or celery, olive oil and a little wheat flour, but without eggs or dairy products; the mixture is oven-baked until crisp.

Non-traditional vegan versions are available that typically use tofu instead of cheese. In rural Greece, smaller amounts of spinach are used, with the missing part substituted with leeks, chard, and sorrel.

Trim the roots from the spinach, or if using silverbeet, remove leaves from tough stems. Wash leaves and drain well. Coarsely shred the leaves and tender stalks of the spinach and set aside. Place the feta in a large bowl and coarsely mash with a fork. Add the ricotta, kefalograviera, eggs, breadcrumbs, nutmeg, pepper and oil.

Mix with the fork to combine. Add the spinach and set aside while preparing the pastry case. Preheat oven to 180C. Lightly grease a 20cm x 30cm x 5cm deep baking dish. Lay the filo out on a bench. Cover with a dry tea towel then a damp one to keep it from drying out. Line dish with a sheet of filo and butter the filo.

To read more, please visit 43things.com and leaveroomfordessert.com

Greece, a mountainous country, is a mushroom lover’s paradise. Many mushrooms grow in the wild, but there are also a few companies that have made a thriving business out of cultivating them.

Makes 4 servings

4 tbsp. extra virgin Greek olive oil
1 lb. / 500 g button mushrooms or Oyster mushrooms (plevrotous), trimmed, wiped or rinsed, and sliced thin
2 red onions, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 cup Arborio, Carnaroli, or Greek “glasé” rice
½ cup dry white wine
3 cups vegetable broth
3 sprigs fresh thyme, little leaves only
3 sprigs fresh oregano or marjoram, leaves only, finely chopped
1 tsp. pink peppercorns
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Heat 1 tbsp. olive oil in a large skillet and sauté the mushrooms until soft but al dente. Remove from heat and set aside.
In a large, deep skillet or wide pot, heat the remaining 3 tbsp. of the olive oil over medium flame and add the onions. Season with a little salt. Cook over low heat for about 15 – 20 minutes, until the onions turn a deep golden color. Add the garlic, stir to soften for a minute, and immediately add the rice. Stir all together, to coat the rice in the oil.

Add 1 cup of the vegetable broth. Stir until absorbed. Add the wine and cook, stirring occasionally, until absorbed. Stir in the mushrooms and all their pan juices. Add as much of the remaining broth, 1 cup at a time, as needed to finish cooking the rice, which should be soft but al dente. Season to taste with salt and pepper and stir in the herbs. Remove and serve, garnished with the pink peppercorns.

Note: You may add cheese to this dish. Several tablespoons of creamy Greek feta, grated kefalograviera or kefalotyri, or parmesan cheese would work beautifully. The feta adds a whole other dimension.

By Diane Kochilas

To read more, please visit dianekochilas.com

Method

Put all the ingredients in a bowl. Knead until you have a smooth and light dough. Place the dough onto your working surface and knead for another 5 minutes to make it fluffy. Gather it to a ball and then pat it lightly on the top to flatten it. Place it inside an oil-greased baking pan. Use a sharp knife to score a cross on top. Place the pan on the bottom shelf of the preheated oven and bake the bread at 180ºC, for 35 minutes, until golden brown.

Ingredients

2 tea cups of strong flour
1¾ tea cups of wholemeal flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
2 tablespoons yoghurt
1½ tea cups of milk

Preparation Time 10 minutes
Baking time 35 minutes

www.argiro.com.gr

Ingredients

250g white chocolate, cut in small pieces
75ml fresh milk
1 vanilla pod
3 fresh, organic eggs, separated
350ml crème fraîche
fresh fruit for garnish

Method

1. Melt the chocolate with the milk in a bain-marie, frequently stirring. When the chocolate melts remove from heat and leave aside to cool, for 5-6 minutes.
2. Split the vanilla pod lengthwise and remove the seeds carefully with a knife. Add them to the melted chocolate and stir well.
3. Add the egg yolks to the chocolate, one by one, stirring with a whisker. Wait for each yolk to be fully incorporated before you add the next. Whisk the crème fraîche until it thickens and add it to the mixture, a little at a time.
4. Beat the egg whites with an electric hand mixer for 5-6 minutes until they form soft peaks. Add half the meringue to the mousse, folding it gently and, when it is fully incorporated, add the other half, again folding it gently with a spoon or a spatula.
5. Divide the mousse between 6 tall glasses and chill for 3h.

argiro.com.gr

Ingredients

• 350g fine semolina
• 250g unsalted butter at room temperature
• 250ml whole milk
• 200g sugar
• 120g ground blanched almonds
• 100g pine nuts
• 50g all purpose flour
• grated zest from 1 orange
• 4 eggs
• 3 tsp baking powder

Syrup

• 400g sugar
• 360ml water
• 20ml (1 tbsp) orange blossom water (optional)

DIRECTIONS

1. First make the syrup by boiling all the ingredients together for 3-4 minutes. Let it cool.
2. In a bowl mix together the dry ingredients: semolina, flour, powdered almonds, pine nuts and baking powder.
3. Pre-heat the oven to 180 οC.
4. Beat the butter with the sugar until white and fluffy. Gradually add the eggs and the orange zest, beat until fully incorporated and stop beating.
5. Stir in the dry ingredients until they have been fully incorporated.
6. Butter a rectangular baking tray measuring 35×23 cm and fill with the mix.
7. Bake for about 45 minutes or a until it has turned a golden brown colour. When you remove from the oven cut into pieces with a knife and pour over the syrup.
8. Let the Ravani stand for at least a few hours before serving so that it will absorb the syrup.

Source: Foodjunkie.eu