RSS
 

Archive for the ‘Greek’ Category

Baklava

01 Jan

Brought to us by Jeanette

For the filling:

1 (5-inch piece) cinnamon stick, broken into 2 to 3 pieces or 2 teaspoons ground
15 to 20 whole allspice berries
6 ounces blanched almonds
6 ounces raw or roasted walnuts
6 ounces raw or roasted pistachio
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon rose water
1 pound phyllo dough, thawed
8 ounces clarified unsalted butter, melted

For the syrup

1 1/4 cups honey
1 1/4 cups water
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 cinnamon stick
1 (2-inch) piece fresh orange peel

—

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the cinnamon stick and whole allspice into a spice grinder and grind.

Place the almonds, walnuts, pistachios, sugar and freshly ground spices into the bowl of a food processor and pulse until finely chopped, but not pasty or powdery, approximately 15 quick pulses. Set aside.

Combine the water and rose water in a small spritz bottle and set aside.

Trim the sheets of phyllo to fit the bottom of a 13 by 9 by 2-inch metal pan. Brush the bottom and sides of the pan with butter; lay down a sheet of phyllo and brush with butter. Repeat this step 9 more times for a total of 10 sheets of phyllo. Top with 1/3 of the nut mixture and spread thinly. Spritz thoroughly with the rose water. Layer 6 more sheets of phyllo with butter in between each of them, followed by another third of the nuts and spritz with rose water. Repeat with another 6 sheets of phyllo, butter, remaining nuts, and rose water. Top with 8 sheets of phyllo brushing with butter in between each sheet. Brush the top generously with butter. Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Remove pan from the oven and cut into 28 squares. Return pan to the oven and continue to bake for another 30 minutes. Remove pan from the oven, place on a cooling rack, and cool for 2 hours before adding the syrup.

Make the syrup during the last 30 minutes of cooling. Combine the honey, water, sugar, cinnamon stick and orange peel in a 4-quart saucepan and set over high heat. Stir occasionally until the sugar has dissolved. Once boiling, boil for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and discard the orange peel and cinnamon stick.

After the baklava has cooled for 2 hours, re-cut the entire pan following the same lines as before. Pour the hot syrup evenly over the top of the baklava, allowing it to run into the cuts and around the edges of the pan. Allow the pan to sit, uncovered until completely cool. Cover and store at room temperature for at least 8 hours and up to overnight before serving. Store, covered, at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Source: FoodNetwork

 
No Comments

Posted in Desserts, Greek

 

Stuffed Tomatoes with Peas (ντομάτες γεμιστές με αρακά, say: doh-MAH-tes yeh-mee-STES meh ah-rah-KAH)

01 Jan

Brought to us by Greg

This recipe for stuffed tomatoes with peas may sound like an unusual combination, but it’s delicious. The tomatoes are scooped out and baked until soft, then the filling is added and they’re browned to perfection. A delightful meatless main dish, or a side dish, the recipe serves 4 as the main event, 8 as a side, and looks fabulous on a brunch table!

Small tomatoes (“campari” type, larger than cherry tomatoes) work especially well.

8 medium-small tomatoes
3 tablespoons of olive oil margarine (or vegetable margarine), melted
1 onion, grated
1/2 pound of cooked peas
1 rounded tablespoon of chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 egg yolk
1/3 pound of grated kefalograviera cheese (or parmesan)
3 tablespoons of unseasoned bread crumbs
1 teaspoon + 1 teaspoon of sea salt
1/4 teaspoon + 1/4 teaspoon of freshly ground pepper

—

Rinse tomatoes, cut a slice off the top (to be used as the “cap”), and scoop out and discard the pulp (or save it for another recipe), leaving 1/4 inch around the sides. Turn the tomatoes upside down on a paper towel and allow to drain for about 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 390°F (200°C).

Sprinkle the inside of the tomatoes with 1 teaspoon of sea salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper, and brush with 1 tablespoon of melted margarine. Lay out (open side up) in a baking pan in a single layer. Place closely together and bake at 390°F (200°C) for about 40 minutes or until they soften.

Add remaining margarine to a skillet and sauté onion over medium heat until transparent. Add peas and parsley and mix well.

Run the mixture through a food mill (or use a blender and pulse once or twice). Stir in the egg yolk, remaining salt and pepper, grated cheese, and breadcrumbs and combine thoroughly.

Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C).

Stuff each tomato with the filling and place a cap on top.

Baked in a greased pan at 425°F (220°C) for about 10 minutes, until they brown nicely.

Yield: 4 servings of stuffed tomatoes with peas (main dish), or 8 servings as a side dish.

Note: To add to the presentation, sprinkle tops of the tomatoes with a pinch of grated cheese before before serving.

 
No Comments

Posted in Greek, Main Dishes

 

Crusty Greek Country Bread

01 Jan

Brought to us by John

In Greek: χωριάτικο ψωμί, pronounced hoh-ree-AH-tee-koh psoh-MEE

In villages around Greece, this classic bread is still baked in outdoor wood-burning ovens. This bread is more dense than other types of bread (the loaf at right measures about 13 inches across and weighs a little more than 2 pounds) and can be made with a variety of flours or a combination of more than one. If you have your own sourdough starter, use 1/2 pound (slightly less than one cup for most starters) in place of the yeast in the recipe.

Prep Time: 3 hours, 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 3 hours, 50 minutes

Ingredients:
1 ounce of fresh yeast or 2 tablespoons of dry yeast
1/2 cup (4 fl.oz) of lukewarm water
1/2 cup (62g) of flour (whatever type used for bread)
2 1/5 pounds (1 kilo / 8 cups) of bread flour (whole wheat, barley, white, corn, or other)
1 & 1/4 tablespoons of salt
2 1/2 cups (20 fl.oz) of lukewarm water
2 tablespoons of milk
2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 tablespoons of honey

—

In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast in lukewarm water. Slowly add the 1/2 cup of flour and mix until all lumps of flour have dissolved, to form a thick liquid. Allow to rise about 15-20 minutes.

Note: If using sourdough starter, omit this step, and make a sponge with 1/2 pound of starter, the 1/2 cup of lukewarm water, and 1/2 cup of flour. Set aside to rise for 2 hours.
Sift the remaining flour with the salt, put in a large mixing bowl, and make a well in the center. Add oil, honey, milk, yeast mixture (or sourdough starter), and 2 cups of the water in the well. Pulling in the flour slowly, mix with hands until it’s a cohesive mass. (If more water is needed, add in small amounts from the remaining 1/2 cup.) Turn out onto a floured surface and continue kneading until the dough is nice and smooth and no longer sticks to the hands.

Place the dough in a lightly oiled mixing bowl and roll until all sides of the dough are lightly oiled. Cover the bowl with 3 dishtowels: one dry, one dampened with warm water (wet towel and wring out), and the other dry. Place in a warm place and allow to rise until doubled, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Punch down and knead for 5-6 minutes on a floured surface. Divide the dough into the number of loaves you want to make (this works well in 3-4 loaves), and form into round or oblong or baguette shaped loaves. Place several inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets and cover with 3 clean dishtowels (the middle one damp). In a warm place, allow the loaves to rise for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 450F

Note: The baking temperature has been adjusted down in response to reader comments.
For a thicker crust, score the tops of the loaves in 3 or 4 places (see photo). Otherwise, bake as is on the rack just below the middle of the oven for 30-35 minutes until browned. When tapped on the bottom, bread will sound hollow.

When the loaves are done, remove from oven and cool on racks.

Notes:

Use a good “strong” flour – i.e., hard flour, also known as bread flour.
If the honey you’re using is very thick, place the jar in a saucepan containing 1 inch of water and warm.
No honey on hand, or don’t care for it? Leave it out.

Source: About.com

 
No Comments

Posted in Bread, Greek

 
« Older Entries