Greek Galaktoboureko

Ingredients

1 Packet Filo Pastry

For the Cream

250g butter – 50g for the cream and the rest for the filo
1 litre fresh milk
2/3 cup fine semolina
1/3 cup thick semolina

1½ cup sugar

Grated rind from 2 lemons
4 eggs
0.6 g vanilla powder ½ teaspoonful grated cinnamon

For the Syrup

2 cups water
3 ½ cups sugar
3 sticks of cinnamon
3 slices lemon peel
1 tablespoonful syrup
15 cloves plus some extra for the filo

Preparation

Remove the filo from the fridge and let it come to room temperature.

Simmer the milk in a large pan with the sugar and the semolina, stirring continuously until the mixture starts to thicken.

Lower the temperature and add the eggs one at a time whilst stirring vigorously.

Allow the mixture to thicken whilst stirring continuously.

Add the remaining ingredients for the cream.

Set the cream aside, covering it with cling film which is in contact with the cream so as that it doesn’t form a crust.

Melt the butter.

Spread half of the filo on the bottom of a large round oven dish and spread melted butter on it.

Spread the cream on top of the filo.

Place the remaining filo, spread with melted butter, on top of the cream.

Cut round the edge of the oven dish to remove the extra filo.

Fold the filo over the edge of the oven dish.

Butter the surface.

With a sharp knife, score the top of the filo diagonally into portion sizes. In the centre of each portion place a clove.

Bake the galaktoboureko in a preheated moderate oven for about 40 minutes or until it has a golden colour.

Allow it to cool and cut it where it has been scored, whilst it is still in the oven dish.

It is better to leave it overnight and prepare the syrup to go on top the following morning.

Preparation of Syrup

Put the water and sugar in a large pan.

Add the rest of the ingredients for the syrup and boil gently for 20 minutes.

Pour the syrup on top of the galaktoboureko, allowing it to be absorbed.

When serving, sprinkle some ground cinnamon on top of each portion.


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Greek Butterbeans Plaki (Gigantes)

This delicious dish can be eaten at any time, but is especially associated with Clean Monday (March 10th this year), when Lent begins before Easter.

Ingredients

½ kg Butterbeans, soaked overnight
2 medium onions finely chopped
1 can tomatoes finely chopped
1 fresh red chilli pepper
½ fresh red sweet pepper finely chopped
1 cup celery leaves and stem roughly chopped
1 cup carrots in thin slices
1 cup olive oil
1 teaspoonful oregano
Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

Boil the butterbeans in a large pan for 15 minutes, removing the foam that rises to the top of the water with a wooden spoon before the beans come to boiling point.

Transfer the beans to another large pan and add enough boiled water to cover them.

Add the finely chopped onions and cook slowly until they are soft but not over boiled.

Transfer the beans and onions to a shallow oven dish and add all the other ingredients apart from the olive oil. Add just enough of the water from the pan to cover them.

Add the olive oil and seasoning to taste.

Bake in a pre-heated moderate oven for 40 minutes or until they colour nicely and the sauce has thickened.

Serve with plain pilaf rice or as a side dish. 


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Greek Eggplant Papoutsakia

This is a delicious eggplant dish with a lovely rich sauce on top. It's actually quite light to eat. It's called Papoutsakia because the word in Greek means 'little shoes', which is what they look like.

Ingredients

5 large round eggplants

For the Sauce

½ kg mushrooms
 2 onions finely sliced
1 tin chopped tomatoes
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
2 crushed garlic cloves
2 bay leaves
1 cup vegetable oil


For the Béchamel Sauce

1 litre milk
¾ teacup flour
250g butter
200g grated parmesan cheese (2/3 for the béchamel sauce and the rest to sprinkle on top of the eggplants)

Preparation of the Eggplants

Cut the eggplants in half lengthwise and leave them in salted water for 1 hour.

Remove them from the water, squeeze them and then place them upside down in an oven dish with the vegetable oil.

Bake them in a pre-heated moderate oven for ½ hour.

Remove them and place them without the oil in a clean oven dish facing upwards.

Preparation of the Sauce

Fry the sliced onions lightly in a large pan.

Add the garlic and stir for 1 minute.

Add the mushrooms and continue stirring.

Add the tomatoes and the bay leaves.

Finally, add the chopped parsley.

Keep on the heat until all the liquid has been absorbed and you have a thick sauce.

Preparation of the Béchamel Sauce

In a heavy-bottomed saucepan gently heat the butter until it melts.

Add the flour and stir constantly.

Add half of the milk and continue stirring with a whisk.

When the mixture starts to thicken, add the rest of the milk, stirring all the time.

Once it starts to thicken, lower the temperature to the minimum, add the grated cheese and turn off the heat.

Place 3 tablespoonfuls of the sauce on each of the eggplants and then add 2-3 tablespoonfuls of the béchamel sauce.

Sprinkle the eggplants with the rest of the cheese.

Bake them in a pre-heated moderate oven for ½ hour or until the béchamel has turned a golden colour.


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Greek Stuffed Cabbage Leaves (Lahanodolmades)

These are really delicious, especially if you use nice soft cabbage leaves. If you are vegetarian or don't like mincemeat, then it can also be eaten without the mincemeat. These are cabbage (lahano) dolmades, if you want to check out simple dolmades - which are stuffed vine leaves - then you can see the recipe here.

Ingredients

1 Cabbage with soft leaves
2 Red Onions
¼ kg Pork Mincemeat
¼ kg Beef Mincemeat
¼ kg Risotto Rice
Bunch of Parsley
Salt and Pepper to taste

For the Avgolemono (Egg and Lemon) Sauce:
2 eggs
1 lemon
3 spoonfuls Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper to taste


Preparation of Cabbage

Cutting to the centre of the cabbage with a sharp knife, remove the heart and discard it.

Boil the cabbage in salted water for 5 minutes in a large, heavy pot.

After removing the cabbage, remove the leaves one at a time and place them flat on a large dish. If you have difficulty separating the leaves, dip the cabbage into the boiling water again until you have removed them all individually. Please note, the leaves need to be soaked but still quite firm.

Allow the leaves to cool.

Do not throw away the water – you will need it later.

Preparation of the Mincemeat and Rice Mixture

Fry the grated onions lightly in 3 spoonfuls of olive oil in a large pan.

Add the mincemeat and the rice and continue frying for 3-4 minutes.

Add the chopped parsley and then salt and pepper.

Allow the mixture to cool.

Making the stuffed cabbage leaves (Lahanodolmades)

Cutting the larger cabbage leaves in half, remove the stem. Place 1 teaspoonful of the mincemeat & rice mixture in the middle of each half leaf and fold the leaf around it to form a small rectangular “package”. With the smaller cabbage leaves you don’t need to cut them in a half, but just use the whole leaf.

Place enough whole boiled cabbage leaves in a shallow pan to cover the bottom.

Place the prepared lahanodolmades next to each other on top of the cabbage leaves in the pan. Make sure that the folded side is underneath.

Once you have completed one layer, start a second layer. Try to place the lahanodolmades in the second layer on top of the gaps between those in the bottom layer. If necessary, add a third layer.

Finally, cover them with some more whole boiled cabbage leaves.

Add enough of the water you used to boil the cabbage to cover all of the lahanodolmades.

Placing a heavy dish on top of the pan, bring them to the boil and then simmer for 45 minutes.

Preparing the Avgolemono (Egg and Lemon) Sauce

Beat the whites of the eggs into a meringue first and then add the yolks and beat them together.

Put the lemon juice into a cup and fill the rest of the cup with some warm juice from the lahanodolmades you have cooked earlier. Stir the mixture in with the beaten eggs.

Pour the resulting mixture into the pan with the lahanodolmades and bring to the boil with the cover off.

As soon as it has come to the boil, remove from the heat immediately.

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Greek Artichoke Pie (Agginaropita)

A tasty and healthy pie. This can be served as a side dish, as part of a buffet or as a delicious snack.

Ingredients

For the filling
8 medium-sized artichokes

6 spring onions

250g roughly grated regatto cheese

100g ricotta cheese or anthotiro

1 free range egg

1 tablespoon butter

100ml olive oil

100ml milk

1 tablespoon sesame seeds

A few leaves of mint

Salt and pepper

For the filo pastry
300g wheat flour

100g all-purpose flour
120ml extra virgin olive oil
50ml ouzo

Salt

50g all-purpose flour kept separate in a bowl to be used when you roll out the dough.

Preparation
 

Filling

Peel the artichokes, discarding the outer leaves, until the soft inner leaves remain along with the heart.

Finely slice the artichokes.

Lightly fry the chopped onions and sliced artichokes in a spoonful of butter for a few seconds.

Add 3 tablespoons of water and simmer for 5 minutes.

Put in a bowl and add the grated regatto cheese with the ricotta or anthotiro along with salt, pepper and chopped mint.

Gently mix.

Filo Pastry

Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl with enough water to make a pliable dough.

Knead well and make a pliable dough.

Divide the dough into 6 balls.

Cover with clingfilm and set aside to rest for 1 hour.

Roll out each ball to the size of a medium oven dish, making it as thin as possible.

Place 3 layers of the filo pastry in an oven dish brushed with olive oil and brush in between each layer with olive oil.

Add the filling.

Place the other 3 layers of filo pastry on top, again brushing olive oil in between each layer and on top of the final layer.

Lightly score the final layer in squares.

Beat the egg and milk well and spread over the top of the pie.

Sprinkle the sesame seeds over the top.

Bake in a pre-heated oven at 180 degrees Celsius for 45 minutes until the pie is a lovely golden colour and well-baked underneath.

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Eat and Enjoy!!