Greek Food And Drink Glossary

I previously published a series of posts with Greek food and drink glossary. Now, to make it more convenient for those that require it there is a single Page with a fairly comprehensive glossary for food and drink in Greek, showing how the words are pronounced.

You can visit the Page directly here or click on the permanent Greek Glossary link at the top of this page.


Now you can impress all your friends the next time you invite them for a Greek meal - with recipes from this blog of course!!

Agios (Saint) Fanourios Day - Greek Fanouropita

Today is Agios (Saint) Fanourios name day. Traditionally a cake called Fanouropita is baked - you can see the recipe here.

Agios Fanourios is the patron saint of lost things - so you if you've lost anything, then you can light some candles to him.

Now, if I can just find those candles......!

Greek Diet Can Make Your Skin Healthier

I've just read an article about a study that Dr Niva Shapira from Tel Aviv University's School of Health Professions conducted. The study, recently published in Nutrition Reviews, shows that a diet rich in antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids, like the diet eaten in Mediterranean regions where melanoma rates are extremely low, can help protect us from skin cancer.

The sun's rays damage both the skin and the immune system by penetrating the skin and causing photo-oxidation, she explains, affecting both the cells themselves and the body's ability to repair any damage. Her prescription is to "go Greek" with foods such as olive oil, fish, yogurt and colorful fruits and vegetables to fight the oxidizing effect of the sun, as well as regular applications of sunscreen and appropriate body coverings such as hats, beach coverups, and other sportswear.

 Dr. Niva Shapira
 Photo: Aftau

For the study Dr. Shapira and Prof. Bodo Kuklinski of Rostock University organized two groups. One group was provided a drink high in antioxidants, while the other enjoyed beverages such as sodas. Those who hydrated with the antioxidant-rich drink had 50% fewer oxidation products (i.e. MDA) in their blood at the end of the two-week period, which included five to six hours of exposure to the sun daily.

The Israeli Cancer Association has included the nutritional information as part of their "Smart in the Sun" advisories.

The good news is that you don't have to move to Greece or the eastern Mediterranean to get the benefit of the diet. Most of the appropriate foods are stocked in American and other international shops. Olive oil, fresh fish, fruits and vegetables, red wine in moderation, whole grains, beans and lots of water should be at the top of the shopping list, Dr. Shapira advises.

Via: Aftau

Greek Tiganites

We got a special request for this recipe from Diane, so here it is. These are very similar to pancakes and were very often made by grannies for their young grandchildren - they're really easy to make. Here we've given a recipe with Greek strained yoghurt in them, which makes them especially delicious.

However the most common way of making them, especially in the villages, was just with flour and water - no yoghurt, eggs, butter or sugar that you see in the recipe below - just the flour and enough water to make a thick but runny mixture that could be fried. The honey and cinnamon was then spread on top at the end.

Ingredients


200g white self-raising flour
3 eggs
300g Greek strained yoghurt
2 level tbsp sugar
75g melted butter
300ml sunflower oil
Pinch of salt
2 tbsp honey
½ tsp cinnamon


Preparation

Beat the eggs and sugar with a whisk.

Add the butter, yoghurt and salt and stir well.

Add the flour gradually and continue stirring – avoid lumps – to make a smooth, thick but quite runny mixture.

If the mixture is too thick, you can add a little water.

Heat the oil in the frying pan.

Using a ladle, preferably with a small spout, add the mixture in round shapes to the frying pan – as many as your pan will comfortably take.

Lower the heat – you don’t want it too strong – and fry the tiganites for approx 1-2 minutes on each side.

Remove and place on kitchen paper to drain and continue until you have used all the mixture.

Place all the tiganites on a large plate and evenly spread the honey over them and sprinkle the cinnamon over them.



Eat and Enjoy!

Greek Makaronopita (Pasta Pie)

This pie is a speciality of the Agrinio  region, which is towards the north west of the Greek mainland. The pasta that is used is the same as that used for Pastichio. Here, this is No.10, but if in doubt, it's the long, thick pasta with a hole along the centre.

A word of thanks here to our good friend Nitsa Daniil, from Agrinio, who kindly shared the recipe with us! 

Ingredients

For the pastry
500g hard flour
1 ½ tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp vinegar
100g melted butter & 100g olive oil mixed together (to brush on the pastry)
Enough water to make your dough.

For the filling
1 packet pasta for pastichio (this is usually no.10)
500g hard feta cheese
5 eggs
300 ml milk
100g butter
Salt & pepper to taste


Preparation

Make a dough with the pastry ingredients (apart from the butter/oil mixture).

Split the dough into 2 balls – the one slightly larger then the other.

Cover them in cling film and set aside for 1 hour at room temperature, to rest.

After the 1 hour, roll out one of the balls very thinly and then brush it with the butter/oil mixture. Fold once and brush again. Fold again and brush and keep doing this until the dough is approx. 20cm by 20cm.

Repeat for the other ball of dough.

Wrap them both in cling film and place in the fridge for 1 hour.

While the dough is in the fridge, you can prepare the filling. Boil the pasta in plenty of salted water.

Lightly beat the eggs in a mixing bowl.

Add the milk, crumble the feta and add, along with the salt and pepper and mix.

Drain the pasta when it is ready, put it back in tha pan and add the butter.

Add the egg mixture to the pasta and stir.

After you remove the balls of dough from the fridge, take the larger one first and roll it out so that it can cover the bottom and sides of the oven dish (approx. 40cm diameter, 6cm deep) and also goes slightly over the top edge.

Put the pasta mixture in the oven dish on top of the pastry.

Roll out the smaller ball of dough to the circumference of the oven dish and place it on top.

Brush the pastry that has gone over the edge with the butter/oil mixture and then roll it over so that the edge at the top is sealed all the way round.

Brush the top of the pie with the remaining butter/oil mixture.

Score the top of the pie into portions (don’t cut right through).

Cook in a preheated oven at 180 degrees Celsius for 1 hour.



Eat and Enjoy!

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Greek Loukoumades

Those of you who have eaten loukoumades will know what a delicious treat they are! There are cafes here that serve them and you can just walk in off the street and order a plateful of them to eat. However, home made loukoumades are much cleaner and tastier. They are ideally eaten as they are made - nice and warm with the syrup all over them! To be honest, they are more of a winter dish, but that plateful of loukoumades in the photos disappeared down my throat in no time at all even now in the middle of summer! Not a problem!


Ingredients


1 kg hard flour
50g fresh yeast
150 ml sunflower oil – for mixture
Approx 500 ml sunflower oil – for deep frying
450-500 ml tepid water
15g sugar
10g salt
4 tbsp icing sugar
1 level tbsp cinnamon

For the syrup
600g sugar
300 ml water
200g honey (preferably Greek)


Preparation

In a bowl dissolve the yeast in the tepid water, along with the sugar and salt.

Add the flour and dissolve it well in the water with your hands.

Add the 150ml oil and stir well.

Cover it and let it rest in a warm place for at least 1 hour, to rise.

Prepare the syrup by boiling the sugar and water for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the honey.

Put the 500 ml oil in a deep pan and heat.

Turn the dough in the bowl a few times with your hands.

Take a handful of dough and, with your hand in a fist, squeeze until the dough comes out as a ball between your thumb and index finger. Using a tablespoon which you have dipped in a small bowl with oil, scoop this ball and place in the deep pan to fry.

If you want them to have holes in the middle (see photo), then there is a technique using your fingers instead of a spoon. Using the thumb and middle finger of your free hand, take the dough from the hand that is holding it and press a hole in the middle with your index finger before putting it in the pan to fry.

Repeat this process, dipping the spoon into the oil each time, until you have covered the surface of the oil in the pan.

Once the one side has become golden brown, turn the balls over in the oil so that the other side gets done. The process should only take about 2 minutes or so.

Remove the balls and place on kitchen paper to drain.

Repeat this process until you have used all the dough.

Put all the loukoumades (balls) in a large bowl and pour the syrup over them.

Holding the bowl with both hands, shake the loukoumades so that the syrup goes over them all.

Arrange the loukoumades in serving dishes.

Mix the icing sugar and cinnamon well and sprinkle evenly over them.



Eat and Enjoy!