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/

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 litre of milk
5 eggs, beaten
1 cup of sugar
1 cup of semolina
zest of 1 orange
2 tbsp of butter

HOW TO:

In a pot, pour the milk and add the sugar.
Place the pot on the stove and on low heat add the semolina.
Stir constantly for about 10 minutes until it becomes a thick cream.
Remove from the fire and let it cool down a bit.
After the cream cools down a bit, add the orange zest, beaten eggs and butter.
Stir well to mix all ingredients.
Spread the cream in a small baking pan and bake at 180 degrees for 60 minutes or until brown on the top.
Let it cool down a bit and then cut in pieces.
Garnish by sprinkling some powder sugar and powder cinnamon on top.

EXTRA TIP:

You may also serve with homemade marmalade or spoon sweet. Your “galatopita” will taste like paradise!!!

fruitandcake.com

INGREDIENTS:

  1/2 kg crust phyllo (for pastries and pies)
  2/3 tea cups olive 

INGREDIENTS FOR THE SYRUP:

  425 gr. sugar
  200 ml water
  2 vanilla
  1 pinch cinnamon
  few drops of lemon juice

  A few drops of orange juice
 

To read the rest of the recipe, please visit deliciousrecipesofgogo.blogspot.gr

Gigantes and elephantes from the Kastoria, Florina, and Drama regions of Greece are recognized by the European Union as products of Protected Geographic Indication (PGI). Like French appellations for wine, PGI designations identify foods grown in unique regions that have special qualities and characteristics worthy of appreciation and protection.

Method

Properly cooked gigantes are meaty, with crisp skin and velvety flesh. To reconstitute them, gigantes must be soaked overnight, then boiled until tender, and finally baked in a sauce. If you skip any of these steps, gigantes don’t cook evenly, and can be mealy. Adjust amount of Aleppo or crushed red pepper to suit your taste for spicy food. Only 4 Tbsp. of tomato paste are necessary.

The cooking time varies depending on the beans’ freshness. Because they’ve been pre-soaked, gigantes take less time to cook than one might think. Recently harvested beans are tender after simmering for 30-40 minutes. Older beans can take up to an hour. I test gigantes after 30 minutes and then in 5-10 minute increments. Stop cooking gigantes as soon as they’re tender; if cooked too long, the skins split and the beans get mushy.

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups gigantes
• 2 Tbsp. salt
• 2 liters water
• 3 bay leaves
• 4 cups diced onion
• 1 cup diced celery
• 1 cup diced carrots
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 3 Tbsp. minced garlic
• 1 Tbsp. dried oregano, crushed
• 1 Tbsp. dried thyme, crushed
• 1/2-1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
• 2 cups diced tomatoes and their juices
• 4-8 Tbsp. tomato paste
• 2-5 cups bean cooking water
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 1/2 cup minced parsley

Cook Beans: Place beans in large pot, cover with 2 liters water mixed with 2 Tbsp. salt, and let soak overnight.

The next day, drain and rinse beans. Return them to pot; add bay leaves and enough water to cover beans by 3 inches. Bring water to a boil, cover, turn heat down to low, and simmer beans 30-60 minutes (see headnote), just until flesh is tender. Drain beans, reserving bay leaves and 5 cups of bean cooking water to use in tomato sauce.

Preheat oven to 180°C and oil a large baking pan.

Make Sauce: Sauté onion, celery, and carrots, lightly seasoned with salt and freshly ground black pepper, in olive oil until onions soften and begin to turn golden. Stir in garlic, oregano, thyme, and pepper flakes, and cook for 1 minute. Stir in diced tomatoes, tomato paste, 1 cup reserved bean cooking water for every 4 Tbsp. of tomato paste, reserved bay leaves, and sugar. Bring sauce to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 20-30 minutes, or until it thickens and the flavors blend. Taste and add salt and freshly ground black pepper, as needed.

Assemble Plaki: Stir cooked beans and parsley into tomato sauce. Pour mix into oiled baking pan, and bake for 45 minutes. Remove beans from oven, stir in 1 cup bean cooking water for every 4 Tbsp. of tomato paste, and bake for an additional 30-45 minutes, or until sauce is rich and thick.

Serve hot or at room temperature. If making beans ahead to serve the next day or after, stir 1 cup of bean cooking water into sauce after beans have finished cooking.

To read more, please visit  laurieconstantino.com

Hen’s eggs, however, were slow to enter the human diet, especially the Western diet. The chicken is the last addition to the poultry yards of ancient Greece and Rome, and there is considerable disagreement over the date of its arrival. Some sources point to the fifth century B.C., others go further back, arguing that chickens first appeared in Central Europe around 1500 B.C. and reached Greece some 400 years later. Homer doesn’t mention chickens.

When the hen’s egg finally did enter the larder of the ancient Greeks, it wasn’t very well esteemed. There are very few  mentions of recipes with hen’s eggs in ancient Greek texts, although there is ample mention of the delicate peacock’s egg, which was considered far superior.

Egg cookery really took off with the Romans. Eggs are mentioned frequently in the Ars Magirica, by the great Roman chef Apicius, who is said to have invented baked custard–milk, honey and eggs beaten and baked in an earthenware dish at low heat. Beaten eggs were used as a thickening agent to bind sauces and stews, and hardboiled eggs were an ingredient in many ancient Roman dishes.

By Diane Kochilas

www.dianekochilas.com

Ingredients

1 ½ packet of butter,
1 egg,
3 cups of sugar powder,
4 spoonful of cocoa,
3½ packets of plain morning biscuits
½ wine glass of brandy,
½ tin of evaporated milk and ½ water,
2 vanillas
250 gr., of walnuts chopped
(optional ingredients: raisins, dried fruit, spoon sweets, almonds, coconut, etc.)

Method

1. Leave butter outside fridge for 2 hours to soften.
2. Beat butter with mixer until white.
3. Add cocoa and sugar and continue beating.
4. Add vanillas, egg and walnuts (we leave some to put on top) and continue to mix.
5. Put milk, water and brandy in a bowl and wet biscuits, then break into small pieces and add to the butter mixture. Mix well.
6. We cut a big piece of aluminum foil and put the mixture giving it a salami shape.
7. Sprinkle with the walnuts. Roll and fold.
8. Put in a platter and place in deep freeze for a couple of hours before serving.

By Ivy

grouprecipes.com