Wednesday, February 22, 2006
TZATZIKI (YOGURT GARLIC DIP)
8 ounces plain yogurt
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
3 cloves pressed garlic
In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients. Blend thoroughly. Serve.
BAKLAVA
1 package (16 ounces) phyllo dough
1 pound chopped nuts
1 cup butter
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup water
1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup honey
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9-by-13-inch pan.
Chop nuts and toss with cinnamon. Set aside.
Unroll phyllo dough. Cut whole stack in half to fit pan. Cover phyllo dough with dampened cloth to keep from drying. Place 2 sheets of dough in pan, butter thoroughly. Repeat until you have 8 sheets layered. Sprinkle 2 to 3 tablespoons of nut mixture on top. Top with 2 sheets of dough, butter, nuts, layering as you go. The top layer should be about 6 to 8 sheets deep.
Using a sharp knife, cut into diamond or square shapes all the way to the bottom of the pan. You may cut into 4 long rows to make the diagonal cuts. Bake about 50 minutes until baklava is golden and crisp.
While baklava is baking, make sauce. Boil sugar and water until sugar is melted. Add vanilla and honey. Simmer about 20 minutes.
Remove baklava from oven and immediately spoon sauce over it. Let cool. Serve in cupcake papers. Baklava freezes well. Let it uncovered as it gets soggy if wrapped up.
GALAKTOBOUREKA
6 cups milk
1 cup semolina
3/4 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons butter
7 eggs
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
12 sheets phyllo dough, thawed
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 cups white sugar
1 cup water
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
Pour the milk into a large saucepan and bring to boil over medium-high heat. Remove from heat. While waiting for milk to boil, beat eggs and 3/4 cup sugar with an electric mixer until well blended. Use a wooden spoon to stir this and semolina into the hot milk. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until it just starts to bubble. Remove the heat, and stir in 2 tablespoons of butter and 1 teaspoon lemon zest.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Brush butter onto 6 of the phyllo sheets and place them to line the bottom and sides of dish. Pour in the semolina mixture, and spread evenly. Layer the remaining sheets of phyllo dough over the top, brushing each one with melted butter as you layer it. Sprinkle with few dashes of water on the top. Use a knife to slice through the top layer of pastry in a diagonal pattern.
Bake for 40 minutes in the preheated oven or until the crust is golden brown. While the dish bakes, combine 2 cups of sugar, water and remaining lemon zest in small saucepan. Bring to a boil, and remove from heat.
As soon as Galaktoboureko is removed from oven, pour hot syrup over it. Let cool before serving. After it has cooled, store in refrigerator.
PASTITSIO (GREEK LASAGNA)
For pasta:
1 pound dry bucatini pasta
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 dash ground nutmeg
Salt and pepper to taste
3 eggs, slightly beaten
For meat sauce:
2 tablespoons butter
1 large onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
11/2 pounds lean ground beef
1/4 cup tomato paste
1/2 cup dry red wine
1/2 cup vegetable broth
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
For sauce:
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups milk
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 egg, lightly beaten
Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to boil. Add bucatini and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain and return to pan.
In another pan, melt butter until golden brown and pour over bucatini. Add Parmesan cheese, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Allow to cool. Add eggs and toss again. Set aside.
To make meat sauce, gently fry onion and garlic in butter in skillet until onion is soft. Increase heat and add ground beef; stir well. Cook until meat begins to brown. Add tomato paste, wine, broth, parsley and salt and pepper. Cover and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes.
To make cream sauce, melt butter in saucepan. Stir in flour and cook gently for 2 minutes. Pour in milk all at once and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil gently for 1 minute. Add nutmeg, salt and pepper. Cool slightly before stirring in beaten egg. Transfer 1/2 cup of this sauce to the meat sauce.
To assemble Pastitsio, grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Spoon half of the prepared bucatini evenly in the bottom and top with meat sauce. Top that with remaining bucatini. Pour on cream sauce and spread to completely cover bucatini. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top.
Bake in preheated oven for 50 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting into squares to serve.
MOUSSAKA (GREEK LASAGNA-TYPE DISH)
3 eggplants, peeled and cut lengthwide into 1/2-inch thick slices
Salt
1 tablespoon butter
1 pound lean ground beef
Salt to taste
Ground black pepper, to taste
2 onions, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons dried parsley
1/2 cup butter
1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
1/2 cup red wine
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup olive oil
11/2 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese
For bechamel sauce:
1/2 cup butter
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 cups hot milk
Salt to taste
Ground white pepper, to taste
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Lay slices of eggplant on paper towels, sprinkle lighty with salt, set aside for 30 minutes to draw out moisture. In a skillet over high heat, heat the olive oil. Quickly fry the eggplant until browned. Set aside on paper towls to drain.
In large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter and add the ground beef, salt and pepper to taste, onions and garlic. After the beef is browned, sprinkle in the cinnamon, nutmeg, fines herbs and parsley. Pour in the tomato sauce and wine, and mix well. Simmer for 20 minutes. Allow to cool, then stir in beaten egg.
To make the bechamel sauce, begin by scalding milk in a saucepan. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Whisk in flour until smooth. Lower heat; gradually pour in hot milk, whisking constantly until it thickens. Season with salt and white pepper.
Arrange a layer of eggplant in greased 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Cover eggplant with all of the meat mixture, and then sprinkle 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese over the meat. Cover with remaining eggplant and sprinkle another 1/2 cup of cheese on top. Pour the bechamel sauce over the top, and sprinkle with nutmeg. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees.
GRAPE LEAVES
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 onions, minced
11/2 cups uncooked white rice
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons dried currants
2 tablespoons pine nuts
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon dried mint
1 tablespoon dried dill week
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 jar (8 ounces) grape leaves, drained and rinsed
Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Saute onions until tender. Stir in rice and hot water to cover. Cover and simmer until rice is half cooked, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in tomato paste, currants, pine nuts, cinnamon, mint leaves, dill weed, allspice and cumin. Let mixture cool.
Prepare a large pot by placng an inverted plate on the bottom; this protects the grape leaves from direct heat when steaming.
Rinse grape leaves in warm water; drain and cut off stems. Place about 1 teaspoon of the cooled rice mixture in center of a leaf. Fold in the sides and then roll into a cigar shape. Place in prepared pot. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Pour in just enough water to reach the bottom of the first layer of grape leaves. Cover and simmer over low heat for 30-45 minutes or until rice is totally cooked. Check the water level often and add more as necessary.
RIZOGALO (RICE PUDDING)
1cup cooked white rice
1quart milk
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon butter
1 pinch ground nutmeg
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 2-quart baking dish. In a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat, scald the milk and remove from heat.
Add rice, sugar and salt. Mix well and slowly add the eggs and vanilla. Pour mixture into baking dish. Sprinkle nutmeg on top. Bake for 40 minutes. Stir pudding after 20 minutes.
LAMB SOUVLAKI
2 pounds lamb, cut into 1-inch square cubes
1/2 cup olive oil
1 cup red wine
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried mint, crushed
1 clove garlic, chopped
Garlic sauce
8 pita bread rounds
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 red onion, thinly sliced
1 tomato, thinly sliced
Place lamb in large bowl. Add oilive oil, red wine, salt, pepper, oregano, mint and garlic. Stir until lamb is coated.
Cover and refrigerate 3 hours or overnight. Preheat grilll. Lightly oil grate. Thread meat onto skewers. Grill 10 minutes, turning once. Lightly sprinkle pita bread with olive oil and place on grill until warm, about 1 minute.
Serve lamb on pita bread with onion, tomato and garlic sauce. Make garlic sauce by combining sour cream with seeded and grated cucumber and minced garlic.