Fetapita.com

Vasilopita (New Year’s Eve Cake «St Basil’s»)

Anastasios — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 09:04:14 +0000

Name: Korina
Item price: 25 gr. fresh yeast, 200 gr. caster sugar, 150 ml warm milk, 1 kg plain flour, 0.5 teaspoon salt, 230 gr. butter, melted, 7 eggs, 1 tablespoon each grated orange and lemon rind, 1 egg yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon water, 100 gr. flaked almonds, 30 gr. raw sesame
Location: sweet, Just Greek

Description:
Dissolve the yeast with a little sugar in the warm milk. Wait until it is activated and starts to bubble at the surface, then add 3 tablespoons flour and mix well to make a batter. Cover it with a clean tea towel and keep in a warm place for about 1 hour or until it rises. In the meantime, sift the rest of the flour with the salt in a large bowl, add the melted butter, the 7 eggs, the rest of the sugar, and the grated rinds. Add the risen yeast mixture to it, and knead it in order to amalgamate all the ingredients like a bread dough. It should be rather firm but elastic by now. Cover it again and put in a warm place for about 1.5 hours, until it rises and doubles in size. Butter a large round cake tin, about 26-28 cm, and line the bottom and sides with greaseproof paper, which you should also butter to avoid sticking. When the mixture has doubled its size, knead it again to break it down, keep a piece for decorating the top of the cake, and pour the rest into the cake tin. Insert a coin. Make sure the mixture only comes halfway up the sides, so that it has space to rise. Cover and let it stand in a warm place until it again doubles in size. Brush its surface with the beaten egg yolk and decorate, either by using the reserved dough to write the numbers of the new year in the middle of the cake, or by making a few rosettes, or by simply sprinkling the almonds and sesame all over. You could make a few nominal cuts using scissors. Bake in a pre-heated oven, gas no. 4/ 350 grades F/ 180 grades C, for about 1 hour until the top looks golden. Let it cool and shrink slightly, then unmould and remove the greaseproof paper.

Images:

Kourabiethes (Small almond cakes)

Anastasios — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 09:03:55 +0000

Name: Efi
Item price: 700g (1lb 9oz) butter, 300g (1 1/4 cups) olive oil, 1/2 cup sugar, 3 yolks and 1 egg white, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 3 tbsp cognac, 1 tbsp cinnamon powder, 700g (1lb 9oz) blanched and ground, 1200g (nearly 10 cups) flour, 4 cups of icing sugar (caster sugar) in a bowl for coating.
Location: sweet, Just Greek

Description:
In a large bowl beat the butter and the oil with the sugar until fluffy. Stir in the beaten eggs, soda diluted in the cognac, cinnamon and the almonds.

Gradually combine the flour with the mixture and knead thoroughly until the it forms a dough.
Take pieces of dough and form balls the size of a walnut.

Arrange on prepared baking tray and bake for 15 – 20 mins in a preheated oven 180c /350f /Gas 4.
When they are slightly cool, cover them completely with icing sugar. Must be thickly coated. Arrange on platter.

Images:

Melomakarona (Christmas honey sweets)

Anastasios — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 09:03:35 +0000

Name: Efi
Item price: 48 servings: 7 cup of All-purpose unbleached flour, Extra flour for kneading, 1 1/2 teaspoon of Baking soda, 1/4 teaspoon of Salt, 1 3/4 cup of Mild oil, 1 1/4 cup of Sugar, 1/2 cup of Cognac -OR- mavrothaphne wine -OR- ruby port, 3 oranges; zested and juiced, 4 teaspoon of Freshly ground cinnamon, 1 1/2 teaspoon of Freshly ground clove, 3/4 teaspoon of Freshly grated nutmeg. SYRUP: 1 pound of Honey; (1 lb = about 2 cups), 1 cup of Sugar, 1 1-inch piece of cinnamon, 1 Clove, 1 lemon; zested and juiced, 1 cup of Water. TOPPING: 1/2 cup of Shelled almonds, 1 tablespoon of Sugar, 1 teaspoon of Freshly ground cinnamon
Location: sweet, Just Greek

Description:
Start by making the syrup. Put the honey, sugar, cinnamon, clove, and lemon zest in a saucepan and add the water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5-10 minutes. Add the lemon juice, then chill.

To blanch the almonds, plunge them into boiling water for 1-2 minutes, until you see signs of their skins loosening. Then drain and slip or pop them from their skins onto a baking sheet. Toast them in an oven preheated to 350 F for about 10 minutes – just until they begin to color. Cool, then chop them very, very finely – if you do this in a food processor, make sure that the pulses are short, or the nuts could turn oily. Mix the ground almonds with the sugar and cinnamon and reserve.

Sift the flour, baking soda and salt together. Put the olive oil and sugar in a large bowl and beat together – with your fingers like Andonia – or with a wooden spoon. Beat in the Cognac, the orange zest, spices, and juice from 2 oranges (about 1/2 cup).

Then beat in the flour, a few spoonfuls at a time, until you have a malleable dough, adding more flour if it is too soft, and more orange juice if it is too stiff. Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead for 10-15 minutes until very smooth.

Pinch off pieces of dough of about 2 tablespons and form into flattened oval or lozenge shapes. Place them on an oiled or non-stick baking sheet. Bake in an oven preheated to 400-425 F for about 20 minutes, until brown.

When they are cool enough to handle, dip them in the bowl of syrup for about 1 minute. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on a tray to cool. Sprinkle with the chopped almond mixture.

Images:

Greek baklava – (Baklavas)

Anastasios — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 16:30:31 +0000

Name: korina
Item price: • Filling: 500 gr. walnuts, coarsely chopped, 60 gr. sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon • Pastry: 500 gr. fyllo pastry, 180 gr. unsalted butter, melted. • Syrup: 230 gr. caster sugar, 300 ml water, 2 cinnamon sticks, 2 teaspoons lemon juice, some lemon peel, 2 tablespoons honey
Location: Deserts

Description:
Mix all the filling ingredients in a bowl.
Liberally butter the base and sides of an elongated or round baking dish. Measure the length of the fyllo against the baking dish roughly and, allowing 2 cm extra approximately for shrinkage, cut to length with a sharp knife. Brush each layer of fyllo with melted butter and spread over the base of the container as evenly as possible. Once you have used 5 layers of pastry, sprinkle a thin layer of filling all over the surface and add 3 more layers. Sprinkle a thin layer of filling and place 2 more sheets of fyllo on top. Sprinkle on all the remaining filling, spreading it evenly, and cover with 7-8 more layers of fyllo, brushing individually with butter. Fold any excess pastry on either of the sides over the filling and brush it with butter. Brush the top layer liberally with butter in order to get it crisp and golden. Trim any excess pastry with a small sharp knife, keeping in mind that it will also shrink. Cut the top layers of fyllo carefully, either diagonally into diamond shapes or straight, which will result in square or elongated pieces. Be careful not to cut right down to the base, but only the top layers. This is done in order to make cutting and lifting the pieces out, once it is cooked, much easier and efficient. Using the tips of four fingers, sprinkle drops of water all over the surface and cook it in a preheated oven, gas no.5/ 375 grades F / 190 grades C, for 15 minutes; lower the heat to gas no.4/ 350 grades F/ l80 grades C and cook for a further 20 minutes.
In the meantime, prepare the syrup. Place all the syrup ingredients, apart from the honey, in a saucepan and stir to dissolve the sugar. Simmer for 6-8 minutes, add the honey and simmer for a further 5 minutes until it thickens slightly. Let the baklava cool down then pour the hot but not boiling syrup slowly all over, through a strainer. Let it stand and absorb the syrup.

Images:

Skordalia (Garlic Sauce)

Anastasios — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 09:25:41 +0000

Name: Rania
Item price: 3 thick slices of whole wheat bread, crusts removed soaked in water, 1/2 cup mashed potatoes, 5-7 cloves garlic, 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, 1 cup olive oil, 1/3 -1/2 cup lemon juice, Sea salt to taste
Location: Appetizers

Description:
MAKES ABOUT 3 CUPS
Squeeze the bread to remove excess water. In a mortar or food processor, process the bread, potatoes, garlic, and walnuts until the mixture becomes a smooth paste. Continuing to beat, very slowly pour in the oil as if you were making mayonnaise. Add 1/3 cup lemon juice and taste. If necessary, season with salt and more lemon juice.

Images:
no images

Galaktoboureko – (Milk pie)

Anastasios — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 18:30:05 +0000

Name: John
Item price: Filling: 7 eggs, 230 gr. caster sugar, 100 gr. semolina, 850 ml creamy milk, 1 vanilia pod, or 3-4 drops vanilia essence, 30 gr. unsalted butter. Pastry: 1500 gr. fyllo pastry, 120 gr. unsalted butter melted. Syrup: 150 ml water, 1 cinnamon stick, or some lemon peel, 170 gr. caster sugar, 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Location: Sweet Milk pie

Description:
Bring the milk with the vanilla pod to the boil gently, (If you are using vanilla essence do not add it yet). Withdraw from the heat, take the vanilla pod out and gradually add the semolina to the milk while stirring continuously with a wooden spatula. Return to a gentle heat and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring continuously, until the mixture has thickened. Take off the heat, mix in the butter and let it cool for 10 minutes. Beat the eggs with the sugar untit they get pale and fluffy and gradually add to the cooled mixture while stirring. If using vanilia essence add it at this stage. Return to a gentle heat for a further 2-3 minutes, stirring continuously, then withdraw from the heat. While working with the pastry, stir the mixture occasionally to prevent a crust forming on top. Butter a roasting dish approximately 39 x 28 x 20 cm. Prepare the fyllo pastry and fill in exactly the same way as described in Cheese Pie.
Bake in a preheated oven, gas no. 4/ 350 grades F/ 180 grades C, for 45 minutes until pale golden. Take out and cool for 10 minutes while you make the syrup. Dissolve the sugar in the water, add the aromatics and lemon juice and boil gently for 5-7 minutes until slightly thickened. Let the syrup stand for 5 minutes, then remove the aromatics and slowly pour all over the galaktoboureko. Once the syrup has been absorbed, cut and serve.
You may, if you like, replace the vanilla with cinnamon and nutmeg powder.
Galaktoboureko is at its best eaten fresh, preferably when it is still warm, but is still good the next day. No need to keep it in a refrigerator unless the weather is particularly hot.

Images:

Koulourakia – (Traditional Easter cookies)

Anastasios — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 11:46:31 +0000

Name: Gianna
Item price: 1-1/2 cups butter, 6 eggs plus 1 egg yolk, 2 cups sugar, 6 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp baking soda, juice of 1/2 lemon, 2 tsp vanilla extract, 2 pounds all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup toasted sesame seeds or 1 cup powdered sugar
Location: Easter sweet

Description:
Beat butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time. Beat until sugar has dissolved and batter is smooth. Stir baking powder and baking soda into 2 cups flour and add to batter. Add the remaining ingredients, but do not add all the remaining flour at once. When you get a soft, elastic dough that doesn’t stick to your fingers, stop adding flour. You may not use all the flour. Let the dough rest for 30 minutes at room temperature. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Take heaping tablespoonsful of dough, roll in sesame seeds (if desired), and form into S or O shapes. Place cookies onto prepared baking sheet. Beat 1 egg yolk with 1 teaspoon water and brush over cookies. Bake until golden brown. Remove from oven and, if you did not use the sesame seeds, roll cookies in powdered sugar while still warm.

Images:
no images

Tsoureki – (Easter bread)

Anastasios — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 17:23:43 +0000

Name: Tony
Item price: 1 kg flour, 1 teacup butter, 2 tablespoons grated orange rind, 6 eggs, 1 ½ teacups sugar, ½ teacup milk, 2 tablespoons yeast, ½ teacup lukewarm water
Location: Easter sweet

Description:
Dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm water. Add a teacup of flour and beat the mix. Cover the mix with a towel and place it in a warm place to rise. Slightly heat the milk, the sugar, the butter and the orange rind and place them in a bowl.
Add the yeast, the eggs, beaten, and the flour, stirring constantly. Make sure the dough is neither too soft nor too tough. Cover this dough with a towel and let it stand in a warm place for about an hour and a half.
When the dough has doubled in size, knead it again by hand and shape plaited breads. Brush the breads with 2-3 beaten egg yolks and bake them in a medium oven for about 30-35 minutes.

Images:

Kokoretsi

Anastasios — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 00:12:23 +0000

Name: Tasos
Item price: Guts of lamb. Ask for 2 hearts, 2 spleen, liver and 1 lungs, 2 testicles, Bowels (intestines) of lamb. At least 4 for a medium size kokoretsi, oregano, Salt, Pepper, olive oil
Location: roasted lamb

Description:
Wash the guts very thoroughly and cut them in small pieces. Be careful not to cut them in too small pieces because you will no be able to skewer them. Wash the bowels very carefully and try to clean them from inside. Leave them in a washbowl and keep the ends of each bowel in one side in order to be able to seperate them. Prepare the souvla (iron stick). Start skewering the guts in the iron stick until all are passed to the iron stick. Pin one end of the first bowel in the one side of the souvla and wind the intestine around the skewer. If the bowel reaches its end tie it with the end of the next bowel and continue to wind until all bowels are wrapped and no guts are visible (you should only see the bowels along the souvla). Season with salt, pepper and oregano. Prepare the fire and roast on all sides until guts are brown and crispy. Check that “kokoretsi” is ready and remove from fire. Cut the kokoretsi in cylinders of 5 cm wide in order to remove it from the souvla in pieces. Put in platter, oil the kokoretsi pieces, season with extra salt, pepper and oregano and serve.

Gardouba (?????????) or gardoubakia (????????????) is a variant of kokoretsi, but roasted in a pan in an oven, instead of over an open fire.

Images:

Mageiritsa

Anastasios — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 00:12:11 +0000

Name: Tasos
Item price: liver, lungs, heart & intestines of a young lamb (intestines optional) & lamb’s feet – 1 cup spring onions, finely chopped – 1 cupchopped dill – 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil – 2 eggs & juice of 2-3 fresh lemons – 1 teaspoon oregano & ½ teaspoon fresh thyme – 1 cup dry white wine
Location: Soup

Description:
Prepare the organs:
- blanch in boiling water for about 3 minutes
- remove from boiling water, let the meat cool & cut into small pieces
- in a large pot, add the extra virgin olive oil
- saute lamb’s feet for 3 minutes
- add the small organ pieces & continue to saute for another 3 to 4 minutes
- add 7 cups of water, cover pot & cook at low
temperature for 1 hour
- add the onions & dill to the pot
- cover & simmer for another 30 minutes until the liquid is reduced
- turn off the heat &rest for 15 minutes
Prepare the Avgolemoni sauce:
- beat the eggs lightly in a bowl
- add the lemon juice a little at a time, beating continuously
- while beating, pour in some of the warm broth from the pot, blend the soup
- add slowly the egg-lemon mixture into the soup & stir lightly
- adjust to medium-heat & bring soup to a simmer without letting it boil
- add salt & pepper to taste
- remove from heat & serve

Images: