Greek Recipes

      We call halvas confections made with semolina, oil, and syrup as basic ingredients. The result is a compact shaped bar. Halvas Rinas , though, is a very fluffy cake made with the basic ingredients of halvas but with the addition of eggs and milk and with the syrup added after baking.      This cake resembles  ravani , but it’s flourless and that produces an airy cake; at the same time the semolina, absorbs the syrup evenly. We made Halvas Rinas for the first time when looking for a dessert to enhance the taste of our new crop of almonds, and it turned out to be really good. Grand Marnier or any other liqueur you prefer gives an especially nice taste to the syrup.       Although I asked and even googled about Rina, the inventor of this cake, I found absolutely nothing, but her recipe has made her famous. For 18 squares (I used a 23x33cm baking pan) 5 eggs (yolks separated from whites) 150gr granulated sugar 250ml luke w...

      If we didn't like okra (sometimes called lady fingers or gumbo ) for their wonderful taste, we would surely grow them for their big beautiful flowers.      The okra harvesting period is from July to late September, and since they don't bloom all at the same time, you can enjoy their flowers all summer long.      In Greek okra are called bámies , and we use them in many summer dishes. They actually compliment both meat and poultry, but also other vegetables in summer stews. In fact, the most common okra dish is a simple stew with tomatoes, cooked the same way we cook green beans.      Many people don't like okra because they had a bad first experience with their gelatinous sauce, but if you toss them with vinegar and let them stand for an hour in a strainer, you will have a perfect result  no matter how you choose to cook them. For my taste the ideal combination for okra is chicken, a quite popular dish all ove...

Stuffed tomatoes are called gemistà in Greek. Red, ripe tomatoes with their natural sweetness can turn this humble dish into a wonderfully flavored summer meal. As a kid I remember we would cook this dish at home, mostly in August, when the tomatoes from our garden were ideally ripe. Rice and finely grated vegetables together with herbs is the classic stuffing for gemistà. In some parts of Greece, raisins and pine nuts are used to give a festive touch to the dish.  Another version calls for minced meat in the stuffing, but it’s not nearly as popular.  Gemist à    c an describe not only tomatoes but also other stuffed summer vegetables such as aubergines, green peppers, and zucchinis. Serves 4 8 medium sized ripe tomatoes 150gr round grain rice or rice for risotto 1 small zucchini grated  2 tbsp chopped parsley 5-6 mint leaves finely chopped 1 cup olive oil (200gr) 1 medium onion chopped salt and pepper to taste 3 medium size potatoes, peeled and cut length-wise...

     Eggplants and tomato; tomato and feta!  Add some basil or oregano and this chain reaction can give an explosion of taste in your mouth.      Slices of eggplant covered with tomato sauce, and topped with feta can easily become a filling summer dish, served either as a first or as a main course.      In Greece we season tomatoes with oregano, but basil is a classic Mediterranean companion for tomato as well;  so  it’s up to you. Cooking this dish, won't take you more than 20-30 minutes. For the tomato sauce: (my favorite pasta sauce) 300gr peeled and diced ripe tomatoes (canned tomatoes work fine too) 4 Tbsp olive oil 1 garlic clove crushed 1Tbsp sugar salt and pepper to taste    In a saucepan, over medium heat, add all the ingredients and simmer for 10 min until the sauce thickens. Set aside. Meanwhile prepare the eggplants: 3 medium eggplants (about 300gr) 1 cup olive or vegetable oil  salt to taste   ...

     Zucchinis are widely available in summer and since they are quite popular for their light fresh flavor, many dishes are based on them.     At this time of the year we usually have more time for cooking but we prefer spending time eating instead, so easy and fast recipes like omelets are always popular.     This frittata with zucchinis, which on Aegean islands is called sfougàto  (spongy), is easy to make and quite filling. Serves 4 (for a 27cm round baking pan) 5  eggs 500gr thinly sliced zucchinis( about 3mm) 150gr grated kefalotyri cheese 1 cup vegetable or olive oil (225gr) 3 Tbsp olive oil for the baking pan salt and pepper to taste some chopped parsley or mint for flavor (optional)      Put a cup of olive oil In a frying pan over medium heat and when hot enough fry the zucchini (in batches if needed) until lightly browned, or to taste. Remove the pan from the heat and carefully transfer the fried zucchinis onto kitche...

   The first day we would go to our summer house, my mother always had to do a lot of cleaning, so there wasn't much time for cooking - Scordomacárona was the answer!    This simple pasta made with tomato paste is probably the first dish I ever learned to cook, because it’s easy to prepare and very tasty at the same time. We use tomato paste a lot In Greece and a can of it is always available in every household fridge. Santorini island makes a very special paste because they use the local heirloom ‘dry’ tomatoes which are grown in the volcanic soil of the island without ever being watered.  The plant absorbs water from the night breeze which brings moisture from the sea. Its taste is unique but the limited production makes it a bit difficult to find. Serves 4-5 500gr spaghetti 6Tsps olive oil 4 garlic cloves 3Tsps tomato paste 1Tsp sugar (or to taste) salt and pepper to taste Cook spaghetti in boiling water with salt to your taste (either al dente or more). Str...

       This classic beef stew with tomato sauce is usually served with pasta or fried potatoes. However, in hot weather there are many tasty seasonal vegetables that can take the place of pasta and fried potatoes making a lighter dish with a summer touch.       The stew can be made with beef or with any other meat or poultry. Zucchinis, eggplants, sweet peppers and potatoes( or carrots) are the most popular summer vegetables chosen for this dish.        We usually serve kokkinisto with graviera cheese as a side dish. It is a lightly salted yellow hard cheese with a sweet aftertaste. If you can't find graviera, then gruyere could be a good choice. Serves 4 1kg fillet of beef, top loin or sirloin 150gr olive oil 300gr chopped ripe tomatoes 1 Tsp tomato paste (optional) 1 Tsp sugar 1 medium onion, chopped 1-2 garlic cloves chopped 1 cinnamon stick Salt and pepper to taste 1 litre hot water 2 small zucchinis 1 medium eggplant 1-2 sweet ...