Greek Stuffed Vegetables (Gemista)

This is a very popular dish in the summer. Although stuffed peppers and tomatoes are well enough known, usually we also have stuffed eggplant and zucchini. They are accompanied by potatoes and can also be accompanied by Feta cheese.

Ingredients

6 large ripe tomatoes
4 green peppers
1 large round eggplant
1 large zucchini
12 tablespoons well-rinsed rice
3 medium potatoes cut as for roast potatoes
2 large onions grated
1 clove garlic grated
1 bunch chopped parsley
1 tablespoon chopped mint
1 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste




Preparation

Wash the vegetables with cold water and place them in a large oven dish.

Remove the insides of the tomatoes by cutting a hole at the top and with a sharp spoon carefully scoop out the flesh, without tearing the skin.

Do not throw away the tops that you have cut off.

Put the flesh in a separate pan.

Remove the insides of the peppers, discard the seeds and put the rest in the same pan as the tomato flesh.

Again, do not throw away the tops that you have cut off.

Cut a thin layer lengthwise from the eggplant and zucchini and scoop out the insides, and put the flesh in the other pan. If the eggplant has seeds, discard as many of them as you can.

Do not throw away the layers that you have cut off.

Put the mixture from the pan into a food processor and grate roughly.

Transfer the mixture back to the pan and add the onions, garlic and parsley.

Bring to the boil and simmer for 20 minutes.

Add the rice, seasoning and 2/3 of the olive oil, stir well and remove from the heat.

Fill the empty vegetables in the oven dish with the mixture from the pan, leaving a gap of ½ cm at the top of each.

Close the tops of all the vegetables with the tops that you originally cut off.

Dip the potatoes in the remaining 1/3 of the olive oil and add salt and pepper.

Place the potatoes in the oven dish between the vegetables.

Bake in a preheated, moderate oven for 1½ hours or until the potatoes are soft and golden.


If you've tried this recipe please rate it!   

Eat and Enjoy!

Watermelon Delight

Watermelon delight, or watermelon pie, is traditionally made in the Cyclades Islands as well as in some of the Dodecanese Islands.

The traditional recipe uses an August watermelon from a waterless plantation - a field where different fruit and vegetables, such as melons, tomatoes, cucumbers, beans, gumbo etc. are cultivated, without a drop of water. These fruits are usually smaller in size and extremely aromatic.

However, in the absence of that kind of watermelon, it can still taste delicious with normal watermelons.

Ingredients

For a 30-cm baking pan:

1 medium size watermelon
1/2 kg flour
3 - 4 tablespoons sugar
50g sesame seeds
3 tablespoons honey (preferrably Greek)

Preparation

Cut the watermelon in half.

Discard the hard outer skin and place the inside in a bowl.

Remove the seeds and make into a pulp with your hands.

Allow the watermelon to strain for about an hour. (you can keep the juice to drink)

Mix the flour, sugar about 1/3 of the honey with the pulp and place in the baking pan.

Pour another 1/3 of the honey evenly over the mixture and sprinkle with the sesame seeds.

Bake in a preheated oven at 200 C for about 70 minutes.

When you remove it from the oven, add the remaining honey and the dessert is ready.

It can be eaten straight from the oven, but is also delicious cold.

Eat and Enjoy

Yoghurt Soup

Refreshing, healthy, simple and quick! What more can you ask for?


Ingredients

2 lit. water
1 cup "corcoto" (crushed wheat)
5 - 6 tablespoons strained yoghurt
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon mint
1 tbsp salt

Preparation

Wash the wheat well and boil in the water for 15 minutes.

Add the salt and continue boiling for another 5 - 10 minutes.

Put the yoghurt in a bowl and add just enough liquid from the pan to dilute it and then add it to the soup mixture.

In a frying pan, melt the butter and add the mint to it and then add this to the soup.


Simple, eh?!


Eat and Enjoy

Ancient Greek Salad

Sorry, we haven't been able to update the recipes for quite a while now due to family problems....but now we're back with a vengeance!!

This is a delicious and filling salad - quite different from the "traditional" Greek salad. It's quick and easy to prepare and I think you'll like it!

Ingredients

Some lettuce
Some rocket
1/2 chicory cabbage
1/2 red pepper
1/2 red apple
3 - 4 walnuts
1 glass white wine
1 clove of garlic
1 tablespoon honey (preferrably Greek)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon ginger
Wine vinegar
Olive Oil


Preparation

Salad

Chop the lettuce, rocket and chicory cabbage into a salad bowl.

Chop the pepper and apple into cubes, without removing the apple peel, to give your salad a nice colour, and add to the lettuce, rocket and cabbage.

Add the walnuts, after chopping them in the blender, and mix the salad.


Dressing

Mix the garlic, ginger, salt and pepper in the blender.

Add the wine, oil, vinegar and honey and blend again.



Add the dressing to the salad and you're ready!



Eat and Enjoy!