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Bottomless Lentil Soup Pot
This is what keeps the cold out at my place when the Symi damp becomes 3-dimensional.  This is my variation on Fakes, the traditional lentil dish around here.

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Braised Beef and Aubergines   This can be served either warm or at room temperature. A handful of big black olives added towards the end of the cooking time adds a subtle dimension to the flavours.   INGREDIENTS
250 ml olive oil 1 kilo long aubergines, washed, cut lengthwise into quarters and soaked in salt water for an hour. 2 garlic cloves, finely sliced 1 kilo stewing beef, cut into portions 2 large onions, roughly chopped 15 ml parsley, finely minced 2 large ripe tomatoes, cubed 250 ml good beef stock 125 ml water 5 ml lemon juice Salt and pepper.   METHOD
Heat half the olive oil in a flameproof casserole and brown the meat.  Add the strained aubergine pieces and remove from the heat.  Combine the tomatoes, onions, parsley, garlic, lemon juice, stock and water and pour over the meat and aubergines. Pour over the remaining oil. Cover tightly and bake in a hot oven for twenty minutes. Reduce heat and simmer for a further hour.  Turn the oven off, remove the lid and let the dish cool for about twenty minutes before serving.

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Greek Spring Omelette   This is a refreshing change from the usual ham and cheese and makes a good light lunch with a salad of really good tomatoes.  The herbs can be varied to taste but they should be fresh.   INGREDIENTS
1 bunch of spring onions, cleaned and sliced, including the bulbs 60 ml unsalted butter 30 ml chopped fresh dill 30 ml chopped parsley Salt and pepper 6 eggs, beaten in a jug   METHOD
Cook the onions in the butter until they soften. Add the eggs, dill, salt and pepper. Cook gently, lifting the mixture with a spatula so that the uncooked egg runs underneath. When the omelette is cooked through and starting to brown underneath, turn it onto a plate and put it back in the pan to brown the other side. Serve with chopped parsley.

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Pork Pot-Roast - Greek Style This is a real peasant dish, ideally cooked on the back of the cast iron stove but the British Aga will do nicely...  If you have a slow cooker, use that. INGREDIENTS
1.5 kilos lean boneless pork in one piece 2 lemons, salt and pepper 1 onion, finely chopped 3 cloves of garlic, crushed 1 stalk celery and 2 carrots, cleaned and chopped into chunks 250 ml white wine (NOT RETSINA!) 2 bay leaves, 6 whole black peppercorns and 3 cloves 125 ml olive oil METHOD
Rub the meat with lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.  Shape into a neat roll and tie with string. Heat olive oil in a heavy pan with a good lid and brown the meat. Add the onions and garlic and saute a few minutes. Then add the rest of the vegetables, the seasonings and the wine. Cover and simmer very slowly until tender, topping up with either a little more wine or some water or stock to prevent scorching. Let cool slightly before removing string and serve sliced with boiled potatoes and seasonal vegetables and whatever cooking liquid is left in the pot.  

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Moussaka This should keep everyone busy in the kitchen for a while!   

INGREDIENTS
1 kilo large aubergines, washed and cut into 5mm slices

4 large potatoes, peeled, parboiled and sliced

For the Meat Sauce:

1 large onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, crushed

30 ml olive oil

1 kilo minced beef or lamb or a mixture

250 ml chopped tomatoes, fresh or canned

125 ml white or red wine

Chopped parsley, 3 ml cinnamon, salt and pepper

For the topping:

60 ml butter

85 ml flour

500 ml milk

2 ml nutmeg

60 ml grated Kefalotyri or Parmesan cheese

Salt and pepper

1 egg, lightly beaten.

METHOD
First put the aubergine slices in a colander and lightly sprinkle them with salt. Leave to drain for an hour while you prepare the meat sauce.

To make the meat sauce, gently fry the onion and garlic in the olive oil until translucent. Add the meat and cook until brown, stirring frequently. Add the remaining sauce ingredients and simmer, covered, over gentle heat for about half an hour.  Remove from the heat.

Dry the aubergine slices with paper towels and spread them on oven sheets. Bake in a cool oven for 10 minutes, until slightly dried out. This is different to the usual method of frying them and makes a much less oily dish.  The dried out slices of aubergine also soak up the meat sauce more readily when the completed dish is baked.

Now make the béchamel sauce for the topping:

Melt the butter in a saucepan, stir in the flour and cook gently for 2 minutes without browning. Add the milk all at once and bring to the boil, stirring constantly. Cook gently for one minute. Remove from the heat, stir in nutmeg and cinnamon, 15 ml of the cheese and salt and pepper. Cover with wax paper to prevent a skin forming and set aside.

To assemble:

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Centigrade. Brush an oven dish 33 cm x 23 cm x 5 cm with olive oil. Place an overlapping layer of aubergine slices in the bottom, followed by a layer of potatoes. Pour over half the meat sauce.  Repeat the aubergine and potato layers, pour over the rest of the meat sauce and finish with a final layer of aubergine slices. Stir the beaten egg into the béchamel sauce and pour over the completed dish. Spread evenly to ensure the whole top is covered. Sprinkle over the rest of the cheese.  Bake for about an hour. Let stand for at least ten minutes before cutting.

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Soupies me Spanaki - Cuttlefish (or Squid) with Spinach

This is a typical Greek Lenten dish.   

INGREDIENTS
1 Kilo cuttlefish or squid, cleaned and cut into small pieces
250 ml olive oil 
2 medium onions, sliced 
1 clove garlic, chopped small 
1 tin plum tomatoes or 3-4 ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped
Salt, pepper, parsley
3 big bunches of spinach, thoroughly washed and stems removed   

METHOD
Heat the oil and saute the onions and garlice.  Add the cuttlefish and saute a few minutes longer.  Whizz the tomatoes in the food processor or blender and add to the cuttlefish.  Simmer for about an hour and a half or until the cuttlefish is tender.  Blanch the spinach, chop roughly and add to the cuttlefish just before it is ready.  Add the parsley and seasonings, cook for a few more minutes and then serve with crusty Greek bread.

Green Garlic Sauce   This is a variation on Skordalia and is great when you have lots of fresh parsley in the garden.  The parsley makes the garlic less pungent.  Serve with fried fish or as a dip.   INGREDIENTS
250 ml extra virgin olive oil 1 big bunch of fresh parsley, preferably flat-leafed by curly will do. 3 medium floury boiled potatoes, peeled and diced. 5 fat cloves of garlic, peeled 75 ml white wine vinegar Salt and pepper to taste Parsley to garnish    METHOD
Remove any tough stems from the parsley and put it into the bowl of a food processor with the garlic.  Pulse 3 times.  Drop potatoes through feed tube, pulsing until amalgamated before adding more but being careful not to over process (potatoes can go gluey).  Slowly add the oil and vinegar until you achieve the desired consistency.  Season to taste and serve.  This will keep in the fridge for a few days and can be thinned with the addition of either a little water or more oil or vinegar, to taste.

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Chorino me Fasolia - Pork with Beans

This is sturdy comfort food much eaten in the agricultural areas of Greece, when there’s snow on the ground and the cast iron stove in the kitchen is on round the clock.  Remember to soak the beans overnight.  If you have a pressure cooker dig it out for this one.

INGREDIENTS
2 kilos pork, cut into even sized pieces, roughly two per person
1.5 kilos small white beans, soaked overnight
375 ml tomato juice
1 finely chopped onion
125 ml olive oil or corn oil
Salt, pepper and some soup celery

 METHOD
Put the beans in a sauce pan with fresh water to cover, boil for ten minutes and then drain.  Cook in fresh water (in a pressure cooker if you have one) with some soup celery until about half tender.  Remember not to add salt - otherwise the beans will take forever to cook.  Drain the beans and discard the celery.

Meanwhile heat the oil in a heavy saucepan and brown the meat and the onions.  Add the tomato juice, salt and pepper and simmer over low heat until the meat is nearly done.  Add the beans and simmer gently until the meat and the beans are tender.  Serve hot with bread.

If you need more liquid, top it up with more tomato juice.  A generous spoonful of tomato paste enhances the colour

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Gemista me Kima - Stuffed Vegetables with Meat    
When it's wet and gloomy outside what better way to cheer up the dinner table than a dish of the most colourful Mediterranean vegetables your local greengrocer can supply:   The recipe serves six but you can adjust the quantities according to what is available and how many hungry people you're feeding.  Bearing in mind that the vegetables have to sit upright on a tray, choose specimens that are fairly boxy!  You can also treat courgettes and aubergines in the same way.    

INGREDIENTS
6 firm ripe red tomatoes
6 coloured peppers  325 ml olive oil 1 onion, finely chopped 500 grams minced beef or lamb or a mixture of both 125 ml short grain rice 500 ml concentrated tomato juice (the sort that says 7% solids on the tetrapak!) A bunch of fresh parsley, finely chopped Salt, pepper, dry breadcrumbs    

METHOD
Wash the vegetables and cut off the tops for lids.  Hollow out the interiors.  Discard the pepper insides but retain the tomato pulp.  Chop the tomato pulp.  Heat 125 ml of the olive oil in a heavy pan and saute the onion and minced meat until the onion softens and the meat starts to colour.  Add the tomato pulp, rice, half the parsley and salt and pepper and simmer until the meat is tender and the rice half cooked, adding a little of the tomato juice if necessary to prevent sticking.  Stuff the vegetables and arrange snugly in a suitable oven proof dish.  Put their lids back on.  Pour over the rest of the olive oil and the tomato juice.  Sprinkle with the bread crumbs and back at 180 C for about an hour, until the vegetables are soft but not falling apart and the rice is completely cooked.  If necessary add a bit more tomato juice during the cooking time.  Sprinkle with the rest of the parsley before serving.   The stuffing can be varied with the addition of toasted pinenuts, fried bacon, sultanas and grated kefalotiri cheese.

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Fakorizo - Lentils and Rice

This is a popular fasting dish as it contains no animal products.  It also makes a tasty alternative to rice as an accompaniment to meat dishes.  In its traditional form it calls for quite a lot of olive oil but I have found that reducing the olive oil by half still gives a tasty dish while reducing the kilojoules considerably.  In India a similar dish, kitchri, is made which evolved into the British Raj breakfast dish, kedgeree, but that is another story.

INGREDIENTS
250 grams brown or green lentils, washed and picked over to remove any small stones.
250 mls long grain rice
125 ml olive oil
2-3 ripe tomatoes, pureed or the equivalent tinned product
1 onion, finely chopped
Salt, pepper and ground cumin

METHOD
Put the lentils in a pot with water to cover and bring to the boil. Drain and return them to the pan with fresh water to cover, adding the tomatoes and salt and pepper. Simmer until the lentils are half done.  Add the cumin and the rice and a little more hot water if necessary.  Simmer until the rice is cooked through, adding more water if necessary to prevent burning.  Meanwhile heat the oil in a frying pan and brown the onion, being careful not to burn it.  When the rice and lentils are done, pour the onion and oil mixture over and serve hot.

Variation: A handful of crushed vermicelli added with the rice makes a tasty addition.  The water can be replaced with vegetable stock.  Quartered hard boiled eggs, fresh pita bread and a dollop of Greek yoghurt make this into quite a substantial meal.

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Fassolakia Ladera me Patates - Green Beans and Potatoes in Olive Oil

Although this is best made with fresh green beans, it is also a good way of cheering up frozen green beans which are often rather insipid.

INGREDIENTS
1 kilo fresh green beans, washed and topped and tailed or 800 grams frozen green beans
1 large onion, finely chopped
4 potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters
4 ripe tomatoes, diced or a large tin of Italian chopped tomatoes
1 clove garlic, crushed
Salt, pepper, pinch of sugar and a handful of chopped parsley
Olive oil

METHOD
Heat some olive oil in a heavy saucepan and sauté the onion until soft.  If making with fresh beans, put all the ingredients into a saucepan with two cups of water and simmer for about 20 minutes, adding a little more water if necessary.  If making with frozen beans, add them when the potatoes are about half done.  The end result should be just moist with tender beans and potatoes in a tomato and olive oil sauce.  Serve warm with more parsley and some fresh crusty bread for a vegetarian meal or serve as an accompaniment to meat or poultry.

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Turkey with Chestnut, Raisin and Pinenut Stuffing

Thinking of doing something a bit different which the traditionalists in the family will still enjoy? This is how the Greeks prepare their festive fowl.


INGREDIENTS
4.5 kilo oven ready turkey
Lemons
Olive oil

Stuffing: 
225 grams chestnuts
45 ml olive oil 
1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped,
Turkey giblets except for the neck, 
350 grams minced pork
150 grams long-grain rice
300 ml water
75 grams raisins or currants, 
50 grams pinenuts or blanched shredded almonds
45 ml finely chopped fresh parsley
10 ml dried sage or thyme
Salt and freshly ground black pepper


METHOD
Remove the giblets from the turkey and rinse them. Chop finely for the stuffing.

Rinse and dry the turkey and season inside and out with salt and pepper. Rub thoroughly with the cut lemon and squeeze the juice into the cavity. Set aside in a cool place (not the fridge) while preparing the stuffing.

Cut a small slit in the pointed end of each chestnut, put them in a pan with cold water to cover and bring to the boil. Simmer for 15 minutes. Drain, peel and roughly chop the nuts.

Heat the oil in a medium sized pan and gently fry the onion until soft but not coloured. Add the giblets and cook, stirring, until they change colour. Add the minced pork and stir until crumbly. Add the rice and water and cook over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until the water is absorbed and the rice is half cooked. This will take 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and gently mix in the raisins or currants, nuts, parsley and seasonings and the chestnuts. Leave to cool.

Heat the oven to 180 Centigrade. Stuff the neck cavity of the turkey loosely with the above stuffing. If there is any over, put it in a separate covered dish and cook it in the bottom of the oven. Put the bird breast up in a roasting pan and pour 150 ml hot water into the pan. Brush the bird all over with olive oil and cover loosely with oiled foil. Roast for about 3 hours. Remove the foil, baste the bird with pan drippings and roast for another 30 minutes, until the turkey is golden brown. If the juices run clear when the thickest part of the thigh is pierced with a skewer, the bird is cooked through. Allow to rest for 10 minutes before transferring carefully to a warmed serving platter. The pan juices should be skimmed of fat before serving separately. They can be sharpened slightly with the addition of some lemon juice before serving.

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Gigantes Plaki - Baked Haricot Beans
These are the 'big beans' you find on taverna menus, under 'Mezzes'. Beware, however - few establishments make them from scratch as the canned variety available is of good quality and considerably quicker...

INGREDIENTS
500 grams large dried haricot beans, washed, picked over and soaked overnight.
200 ml olive oil
1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
3 cloves of garlic, crushed
3 big ripe marmande tomatoes, peeled and finely chopped or the equivalent in good quality tinned tomatoes.
Parsley, salt and pepper

METHOD
Put the beans and fresh water to cover in a large heavy saucepan and simmer until tender but not mushy. If you have a pressure cooker, this reduces the cooking time considerably. The cooking time is influenced by how hard (or old!) the beans are. Do not be tempted to speed up the process with bicarbonate of soda as it destroys so many nutrients you might as well just eat cardboard and do not add salt at this stage as this toughens the beans.

Drain the cooked beans and allow to dry for a while. Put the oil in a frying pan with onion and garlic and cook gently until just translucent. Add the tomatoes and bring to the boil. Put the beans in an oven proof dish, pour over the hot sauce, sprinkle with half the parsley, cover tightly and cook in a slow oven for 30-45 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste and the remaining parsley before serving. 

Note: Keep a close watch on this while it is cooking and if necessary add a little water or tomato juice if there is any danger of scorching or sticking. The end result should be fairly dry with only a small quantity of very richly tomato flavoured sauce rather than the consistency of Heinz baked beans.

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Melomakarona - Greek Honey Cakes
These are what the Symi housewives bake instead of mince pies. Both recipes are quite straight forward, don't need any fancy ingredients and are very good. The recipes are suitable for children to help with in the kitchen as the dough doesn't suffer with handling, unlike pastry! Have fun! 

INGREDIENTS
375 ml olive oil (use one of the light varieties) 
375 ml unsalted butter, softened 
125ml sugar
375 ml orange juice 
10 ml baking powder 
125 ml brandy
Grated orange rind 
1.3 kilos of all purpose flour
Chopped walnuts 
Cinnamon
A syrup made by boiling together 375 ml honey, 375 ml sugar and 
375 ml water for 5 minutes.

METHOD
Preheat the oven to 180 C and lightly oil several baking sheets or, if you prefer, line them with baking parchment. 

Beat together the olive oil, butter and sugar. Dissolve the baking powder in the orange juice and combine in a jug with the brandy and orange rind. Beat the liquid into the oil and sugar mixture and then gradually add the flour until a soft dough is formed. Knead the dough lightly and form into neat ovals, about 5 centimetres long. Arrange about 5 cm apart on baking sheets and bake in a moderate oven (180 C) for 25 minutes. When the biscuits come out of the oven, cool slightly on racks over pans to catch the drips. Pour the hot syrup over the biscuits and then sprinkle with nuts and cinnamon. These keep well for a week or more if stored in tins in a cool place. As the syrup tends to soften the biscuits, some cooks only pour it over immediately prior to serving but it is largely a matter of taste.

Variation: If you really want to get fancy and have more nuts to spare, finely chop some walnuts or almonds and mix with just enough honey to bind. Flatten each ball of dough, put a spoonful of the nut mixture in the middle and wrap the dough around it carefully (the honey will burn if it leaks out) and continue as above.

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Kourabiethes - Christmas Shortbread

INGREDIENTS
500 grams unsalted butter, softened 
150 ml castor sugar 
2 egg yolks
250 grams toasted almonds, coarsely ground 
180 ml brandy or orange juice
1 kilo all purpose flour 
250 ml orange blossom water 
300 grams icing sugar

METHOD
Preheat oven to 180 C degrees and lightly oil several baking sheets or line them with baking parchment. Cream together the butter and castor sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks, almonds and brandy or orange juice, beating continuously. Gradually knead in the flour until a manageable dough is formed. This can be either moulded with the fingers into half- moons or patted out about 1.5 cm thick and cut into stars, crescents and other shapes. Arrange on baking sheets and bake for about 20 minutes, until firm but not coloured. When they come out of the oven sprinkle generously with orange blossom water and sift with icing sugar. They should be completely covered like snow.

Variation: Roll dough into small balls. Put onto sheets and pinch between thumb and three fingers to form a small peak. Press a whole clove into the top and then bake and finish as above.

These also keep well in an airtight tin. Sprinkle with additional icing sugar if necessary when serving.

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Bakalarios Pastos Tiganitos and Salata me Lahano kai Karota - Fried salt cod with cabbage and carrot salad.
This, along with Fassolada (bean soup), is what we had for lunch at Panormitis on Friday.

When shopping for salt cod (available from Italian, Greek or Portuguese delicatessens) choose pieces that have a good ratio of meat to skin and bone - and don't look as though they are relics from Captain Cook's expedition! Most of the salt cod available in Greece actually comes from Canada (cod is not a Mediterranean fish).

500 grams salt cod, soaked over night in several changes of water. 250 ml flour, 1 beaten egg, olive oil for frying

Remove the skin from the cob and pat dry. Remove as many bones as possible and cut the fish into even sized pieces. Pat dry. Make a batter by whisking the egg into the flour, adding enough cold water to make a thin batter. Dip each piece of fish into the batter and shallow fry in hot olive oil, turning once. You don't have to use the best extra virgin olive oil for this - olive pomace oil is good for frying purposes. An economical alternative is to mix vegetable cooking oil with a little olive oil for the flavour.

1 small firm head of cabbage 3 medium sized young carrots, scrubbed and coarsely grated
125 ml olive oil, juice of 1 lemon bunch of parsley, finely chopped

Shred and salt the cabbage and put it in a colander to wilt for an hour. Rinse thoroughly and spin dry. Put it in a big bowl with the carrot. Whisk together the olive oil and lemon juice and pour over the cabbage and carrot mixture. Lightly mix in the parsley shortly before serving with the fish above.

Behold! Fish without chips and coleslaw without mayonnaise!!

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Roast Pork with Thyme, Oregano and Sage

Adds a whiff of summer sunshine to the Sunday Roast.

INGREDIENTS
1.5 - 2 kilo pork roast with the rind and most of the fat removed 
60 ml olive oil 
15 ml lemon juice 
60 ml orange juice 
250 ml white wine
2 sprigs each rosemary, sage and oregano or the dried equivalent
Salt, pepper

METHOD
Wash meat, dry thoroughly, incise and insert the herbs into the incisions. Mix the liquids together, drizzle over the meat and let marinate at cool room temperature for several hours before roasting in a moderate oven, basting occasionally.

Serve with garlic roast potatoes or a pilaff and a crisp salad of rocket, chicory and butterhead lettuce.

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Village Vegetable Soup 
This is a good way to use up those odd exotic vegetables lurking in the vegetable rack as the ingredients can be varied according to what is to hand. If you use aubergines or peppers, roasting them or sauteing them in some of the olive oil first gives a good flavour. Vegetarians can omit the bacon and add some thyme or rosemary for depth of flavour.

INGREDIENTS
2-3 middle sized potatoes, diced 
2-3 medium sized carrots, diced
2-3 middle sized courgettes, diced
2-3 finely chopped onions
2 leeks, sliced diagonally 
2-3 ripe tomatoes, chopped
150 grams bacon, diced 
325 ml olive oil
1 litre vegetable or meat stock 
Salt and pepper.

METHOD
Heat the oil in a large saucepan and fry the onions until soft but not coloured. Add the bacon and cook for a few minutes until just starting to colour. Add the vegetables and stock. Simmer over a low heat until the vegetables are tender. Season to taste and serve with crusty bread. The vegetables can be varied according to what is available. If a smooth thick soup is preferred the soup can be pureed in a blender or rubbed through a sieve after cooking.

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Patatokeftedes
Cheesy potato cakes.  These are a good vegetarian light meal when accompanied by a salad but also taste good on the mezze table, particularly with a side dish of tzatziki. Avoid using cheddar or one of the English melting cheeses as the effect will be completely different. The cheeses mentioned below are quite dry and salty and don't usually go stringy when cooked. 

INGREDIENTS
1 kilo of potatoes, washed, peeled and cut into even size chunks 
300 grams grated kefalotiri or feta cheese (or gruyere)
2 eggs 
A small bunch of parsley
Finely chopped salt
Pepper
Olive oil and a little flour.

METHOD
Boil the potatoes until soft but not soggy and mash finely (a potato ricer is good for this). Put them in a big bowl with the cheese, eggs, parsley, salt and pepper and mix well with your hands. Shape into neat patties and dust lightly with flour. If they are a little on the soft side, chill for twenty minutes. Fry in hot olive oil until brown on both sides and serve.

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Damaskina Komposta
The Greek answer to stewed prunes and a lot more interesting. Served cold with thick yoghurt.

INGREDIENTS
500 grams dried prunes 
125 grams sugar 
2-3 whole cloves 
1 piece of stick cinnamon 
A good tablespoon of Metaxa brandy

METHOD
Soak the prunes overnight. Next morning put them into a pan with 325 ml water, the sugar and the spices. Simmer until the prunes are tender but not falling apart. Cool and stir in the Metaxa brandy.

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LAMB KLEFTIKO

The Klephts were brigands or rebels (we get the word kleptomaniac from the same root) and spent much of their time on the run, a bit like a guerrilla army. If they wanted to cook a hot meal they had to be sure that the smell of their cooking was not noticable. They dug a hole in the ground, made a fire in the bottom, put the lamb or goat (usually stolen!) on top of the coals and then sealed the whole thing up with earth. The smouldering fire slowly cooked the lamb and the earth sealed in the aromas. The closest to this method is the way in which it is prepared in Cyprus, using a beehive shaped clay oven. For all of you out there, this is the way it is usually prepared on Symi but that does not mean that it will be the same as the way you remember it on another islands or in Cyprus as there are numerous variations. The common factors are that it is prepared with lamb or goat, that it is cooked very slowly and that the dish is completely sealed throughout the process.

INGREDIENTS
Take a lamb and cut it up into fairly thick chunks of even size (a leg of lamb chopped into 4 for instance will do the trick)
3 or 4 lemons
Oregano
Grated kefalotiri cheese (optional)

METHOD
Season the lamb liberally with the lemon juice and oregano and sprinkle with the cheese. (This disappears in the cooking, adding to the sauce)
Put the lamb into a roasting pan with a lid. Cover with baking parchment and then seal tightly with at least two layers of heavy foil. Put the lid on top. Roast in a very slow oven for about 3 hours, until the meat is falling off the bones.

Although this is not authentic, baked potatoes cooked in the oven at the same time make an appropriate accompaniment.

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Tyropitta Choris Fyllo 
Crustless cheese pie - much less fiddly than the pastry versions and just as tasty.

INGREDIENTS
3 eggs, beaten
250 grams thick yoghurt
200 grams of butter, melted
400 grams feta cheese, diced
100 grams graviera or gruyere cheese, diced
1 cup of flour
3 ml dried mint
3 ml chopped dill (optional)
3 ml bicarbonate of soda


METHOD
Put the melted butter, yoghurt and eggs into a large mixing bowl and combine. Add the cheeses. Sift together the flour, soda and herbs and add slowly to the mixture, stirring all the time. Put in a buttered pie dish and bake at 180 degrees for about half an hour or until golden and set. Serve warm or cold with salad.

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Chicken Roasted with Pistaschios
This is a 'taster' to whet your appetite from the October edition of the Symi Visitor which we are putting together at the moment. Just remember to use the unsalted nuts, otherwise your stuffing will be too salty. A bit more exciting than the usual sage-and-onion and just the thing to reinterest the family in Sunday dinners.

INGREDIENTS
125 ml olive oil 
2 onions, finely chopped 
350 ml long grain rice
4 large tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped 
350 ml unsalted shelled pistachios
200 ml seedless raisins or currants 
3 ml ground cinnamon 
Salt and pepper
750 ml boiling water 
15 ml finely chopped parsley 
1.7 kilo prepared chicken without giblets
250 ml dry white wine

METHOD
Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Heat half the olive oil in a large heavy frying pan and sauté the onion until just soft. Add the rice and continue to cook for a few minutes until the rice starts to brown, stirring occasionally. Add half the tomatoes, the nuts, raisins, cinnamon, salt and pepper and about 200 ml of the boiling water. Simmer for about 10 minutes or until the liquid is mostly absorbed and the rice is about half cooked, stirring continuously. Remove from the heat and stir in the parsley.
Spoon the rice mixture loosely into the cavity of the chicken. Place the chicken in a roasting pan. Put any remaining rice mixture around the outside. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Scatter the remaining chopped tomatoes around the chicken and pour over about 300 ml boiling water and the wine. Reduce the oven to 160 degrees Celsius. Drizzle the remaining olive oil over the chicken and put it in the oven. Roast for about 1 ˝ hours, basting occasionally, until the chicken is tender and the outside crisp. Add a little more wine or water if necessary to prevent sticking. Allow the chicken to rest for 10 minutes before cutting into portions.

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OMELETTA ME KOLOKYTHAKIA - a change from the usual cheese omelette!

INGREDIENTS
1 kilo small zucchini (courgettes), topped and tailed and thickly sliced.
6 eggs 
250 ml coarsely crumbled feta cheese 
Salt and pepper 
Olive oil

METHOD
Mix the zucchini with the cheese in a big bowl. Beat the eggs in a bowl or jug. Heat the oil in a frying pan. Pour in the eggs and immediately reduce the heat. Put the zucchini and cheese mixture evenly over the eggs. Turn the omelette over carefully and brown the other side. Serve when the cheese just starts to melt. Season to taste.

This is very good with a salad made of big red Marmande tomatoes and basil.

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FAKES SUPA - Greek lentil soup
Just the thing for chilly autumn evenings and you don't have to remember to soak things the night before either!

INGREDIENTS
500 grams brown lentils 
3 fat cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed 
2 ripe tomatoes, finely chopped
15 ml paprika 
2 large onions, finely chopped 
1 big carrot, scrubbed and sliced
Salt, 15 ml wine vinegar, 125 ml olive oil and two bay leaves.

METHOD
Wash the lentils in a sieve and simmer in water to cover for 15 minutes. Strain in a sieve and discard the water. Put all the ingredients apart from the oil, vinegar and salt into a big saucepan. Add 1.5 litres of water and simmer for about an hour. Add the remaining ingredients and check seasoning before serving.

If you like you can add a pinch of chilli powder to this. A finely diced potato or two is also good. Serve with crusty Greek bread.

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Fusilli with Tuna, Capers and Lemon

This is a simple dish full of Mediterranean flavours to remind you of your holiday. It is not only the Italians who eat lots of pasta, as anyone looking around a Greek supermarket will have noticed, and most Greek pasta dishes are quite straightforward affairs, with emphasis on a few well chosen ingredients rather than large quantities of artery-clogging creamy sauces.

INGREDIENTS
1 packet of fusilli (spiral shaped pasta) 
1 200g tin of tuna, preferably canned in olive oil 
100 ml extra virgin olive oil
30 ml capers in brine, rinsed and patted dry 
2 fillets of anchovies, rinsed in milk and dried 
30 ml freshly chopped basil and parsley 
5 ml grated lemon rind
15 ml fresh lemon juice

METHOD
Mash the anchovies in a bowl with a fork and slowly add the olive oil. Add the chunks of tuna, parsley, basil, lemon juice and capers. Mix lightly.

Boil the pasta until al dente. Drain and transfer to a large bowl. Tip the sauce over and toss gently to combine. Sprinkle with black pepper and lemon and serve.

Served at room temperature this makes a good light salad lunch.

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Glyko Karpouzi - Watermelon Preserve
This is an extravagantly thrifty way to avoid throwing any part of your watermelon, apart from the pips! The flesh, of course, has been enjoyed as dessert. It's a bit more exotic than marrow jam but the principle is the same. And it goes rather nicely with a dish of thick Greek yoghurt.

INGREDIENTS
1 kilo watermelon rind, all traces of pink removed and the green skin peeled off. Cut the rind into 2 cm cubes.
Water
800 grams sugar
2 bits of cinnamon bark
1 thin strip of lemon peel
30 ml lemon juice
60 ml honey
125 grams toasted almonds.

METHOD
Place the rind cubes in a perserving pan and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil and simmer for one hour or until the rind is translucent. Drain.

Place 750 ml of water in a pan with sugar, cinnamon, lemon, half the lemon juice and the honey. Stir over gentle heat until the sugar dissolves and bring to the boil, skim when necessary. Add the drained watermelon rind, return to the boil and boil gently for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat, cover and leave for 12 hours or overnight.

Return to the boil over medium heat and boil until the syrup thickens when tested on a cold saucer. Remove cinnamon and lemon peel.

Add remaining lemon juice and toasted almonds. Boil one minute and then ladle into warm sterilized jars. Seal when cold.

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KEFTEDES - Tasty Greek meatballs 
There are lots of regional variations on this so this is the basic recipe. They go down well as party or picnic food, served with a dish of tzatziki for dipping. 

INGREDIENTS
2 eggs 
4-5 slices stale white bread 
Water 
1 large onion
Grated juice of one lemon 
15 ml chopped parsley
10 ml chopped fresh mint or 5 ml dried 
5 ml salt 
5 ml cumin 
1 kilo minced beef or lamb, preferably not too fatty

METHOD
Remove crusts and soak the bread in water to cover. Beat the eggs lightly in a large mixing bowl. Squeeze the bread dry and add to the eggs along with the onion, lemon juice and seasonings. Mix thoroughly with the meat and let stand in the fridge for an hour.

With moistened hands roll the mixture into balls the size of a small egg, roll them in flour and flatten into thick patties. Shallow fry in hot oil until browned on both sides. Keep warm until all are done.

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Chicken with Walnuts - this is a Greek version of Circassian Chicken. Sauces thickened with nuts are quite popular in this part of the world.

INGREDIENTS
1 chicken, simmered in salted water until tender but not falling apart.
2 cloves of garlic
2 rusks 
250 ml coarsely ground walnuts
salt and pepper to taste.

METHOD
Soak the rusks in a little of the chicken stock until soft. In a blender or food processor combine the garlic, softened rusks, nuts and salt and pepper. Add enough of the stock to make a chunky sauce.

Divide the chicken up into portions and serve with the sauce, at room temperature.

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MOSCHARI ME ELIES - Braised veal with olives.

This is very simple and requires little attention. A bottle of red wine goes well with the robust flavours.

INGREDIENTS
1 kilo veal or lean beef 
250 grams big green olives, pitted 
500 grams ripe tomatoes, diced or tinned equivalent
180 ml olive oil 
2 bay leaves 
Salt and pepper
Boiled new potatoes or chunky home made chipped potatoes to serve.

METHOD
Slice the meat into thickish portions and brown in hot oil in a heavy pan. Add sufficient water to prevent sticking and simmer until tender (about 2 hours). The water can be replaced with red wine if you prefer but resist the temptation to toss in an Oxo cube - the flavour is all wrong!

Add the tomatoes, olives and season and simmer for about 5 minutes. You should wind up with tender meat in a savoury tomato and olive flavoured sauce. If your tomatoes are a bit wishy washy, a generous dollop of tomato puree does wonders for the flavour and the colour.

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Olive Bread
This is for getting rid of all that World Cup frustration - yeast doughs benefit from a pummelling and the end product, served with the best big tomatoes you can find, a chunk of feta and a dish of garlicky tzatziki, will help soak up the consolatory drinks at the post mortem!

INGREDIENTS
1 kilo bag of strong or all purpose flour 
1 sachet of instant dried yeast
5 ml salt
15 ml sugar
30 ml olive oil
700 ml warm water
250 grams pitted black olives, preferably Kalamata but otherwise whatever is available.

METHOD
Sift together the flour, yeast, salt and sugar and tip into a large mixing bowl. (If it is a chilly day, warm the bowl slightly first). Make a well in the centre with a wooden spoon and pour in the olive oil and half the warm water. Initially using the wooden spoon and then your hand, gradually draw the dry ingredients into the liquid, adding only as much water as necessary to make a manageable dough. Tip out onto a lightly floured board and knead and pummel until you have a non-sticky dough that feels silky to the touch. This usually takes about 10 minutes. Kneading develops the gluten which helps the bread to rise which is why making bread is the opposite to making pastry which is always handled as little and as lightly as possible.


Put some olive oil on your hands and smooth it over the dough ball so that it doesn't form a crust. Put the dough in an oiled bowl, covered with cling film, and leave in a warm draught free place to rise. To speed this up, put the bowl over a dish of warm water (making sure it doesn't touch) and to slow it down, pop the covered bowl in the refrigerator over night.

When the dough has doubled in size (but before it starts to take over your entire kitchen) knock it down again with your fist to remove any really big bubbles. Then turn it out onto a floured surface and knead it some more. Shape into a ball which you then cut into quarters. Shape each piece of dough into a long oval shape about 3 centimetres thick. Divide the chopped olives between them and then roll up each piece like a Swiss roll. Place seam side down on a greased baking sheet, make several shallow slashes across the top of each loaf and let rest 10 minutes to rise again. Meanwhile turn the oven onto its hottest setting, usually about 240C. Brush the loaves lightly with olive oil and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, turning the oven down to moderate after the first 10 minutes of baking.

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MELITZANES FOURNOU ME TYRI
Aubergines roasted in the oven with cheese. 

This is a Greek version of an Italian dish and makes an interesting vegetarian main course.

INGREDIENTS
1 kilo long slender aubergines
700 grams kefalotyri, graviera or other hard goat's milk or sheep's milk cheese - or parmesan - cut into fingers, one per aubergine
3 onions, finely chopped
1 kilo tomatoes, chopped into small dice
1 bunch parsley
300 ml olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste.


METHOD
Wash the aubergines and peel one or two long stripes off each with a vegetable peeler, so that they are striped. Cut a longitudinal slash in each, partway through to form a pocket, rinse again and pat dry.

Heat the oil in a big frying pan and fry the aubergines until golden on both sides but not tender, turning once. Drain the aubergines and arrange in an ovenproof dish, slits upwards. Meanwhile fry the onions in the olive oil until golden, add the tomatoes and simmer until a thickish sauce forms. Season to taste.

Turn the oven to 180 C. Place a piece of cheese in each aubergine. Pour over the sauce and bake in the oven for about half an hour, until golden and crispy. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

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Braised Courgettes with Garlic and Olive Oil
 - ideal as a vegetarian main course, a light lunch or as an accompaniment to grills or roasted meat or chicken. Serve with crusty bread.

INGREDIENTS
750 grams small courgettes, halved lengthwise and cut crosswise in half, to little-finger size.
75 ml olive oil
4-5 cloves of garlic, cut into slivers
125 ml water
60 ml dry white wine
5 ml coarsely ground green peppercorns
5 ml crumbled dried oregano

METHOD
Salt the courgettes and let them drain in a colander for half an hour. Rinse and pat dry.

Heat oil in a large heavy frying pan and saute the garlic and courgettes over high heat for 5 minutes, tossing constantly. Add water, wine, salt and pepper and simmer over medium heat for 15 minutes, shaking the pan a few times to prevent sticking, until the courgettes are tender and most of the liquid has evaporated. Adjust seasonings if necessary. Sprinkle with oregano and serve at room temperature.

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Barbounia Marinata - Marinated Red Mullet

These days frozen red mullet are often available in the supermarkets, usually from the Far East. Here's a simple recipe that gives any similar oily fish a touch of Mediterranean sunshine. Purists can serve it with thick crusty bread to mop up the sauce but homemade chipped potatoes are an acceptable accompaniment.

INGREDIENTS
1 kilo red mullet 
Lemon juice flour and olive oil for frying 
Salt and pepper
2-3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped, 
Sprig or two of rosemary 
2/3 cup vinegar
1 kilo ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped or the canned equivalent
Pinch of sugar

METHOD
Season the flour with salt and pepper. Clean, wash and dry the fish, sprinkle with lemon juice and let stand for 15 minutes. If they are a bit thick, slash the thicker parts so that the heat penetrates when cooking. Dredge lightly with flour and fry them in hot olive oil. Keep warm while quickly preparing the sauce as follows.

Strain the oil in which the fish were fried and put in a pan. Add the chopped tomatoes, vinegar, rosemary, garlic, seasonings and sugar. Simmer briefly until the sauce is thick and pour over the fish to serve.

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Spetsofai - the Aegean answer to Bangers and Mash. Look out for coarse spicy pork sausages for this - South African boerewors, Spanish Chorizo or one of the French farmers' sausages will do nicely if you cannot get Greek village sausages locally.

INGREDIENTS
1 kilo green, red and yellow peppers, washed, dried, seeded and cut into thick ribbons
1 kilo ripe red tomatoes, chopped, or good chopped tinned tomatoes
2 medium onions, finely chopped
1 cup of olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 kilo village made sausages (see above)

METHOD
Cut the sausages diagonally into fat slices. Heat the oil in a sauté pan and cook the sausages and peppers until the peppers start to caramalize at the edges and the sausages to brown. Add the remaining ingredients and cook gently until the sauce thickens and the sausages are cooked through. 

Serve with crusty bread - or mashed potatoes!

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SKORDALIA 

A far cry from 'take half a clove of garlic, rub lightly round the salad bowl and discard'. You will find lots of versions of popular sauce, some made with bread, some with ground almonds or walnuts, some with varying permutations of all three but I find the potato version the best. Somehow the idea of wet bread doesn't really appeal to me... Cheats can use instant mashed potatoes but it's not quite the same thing

INGREDIENTS
4 biggish floury potatoes, boiled in their skins and then peeled 
1 head plump garlic cloves, peeled (see note)
25 ml white wine vinegar 
50 ml olive oil 
Salt and pepper to taste

Note: To peel them easily, separate the cloves and put them in a heatproof dish. Pour over boiling water and let stand for a few minutes. The skins should slip off easily.

METHOD
Crush the garlic and steep it in the vinegar for 10 minutes. Mash the potatoes (without adding the usual butter and milk!) or put them through a potato ricer. Don't use a food processor as the end result is too gluey. Beat the garlic and vinegar mixture into the potatoes and add the oil, salt and pepper. If it is too thick, add water or more olive oil to achieve a dipping consistency. Let it mature for a few hours before serving. It may need further thinning. Alternatively serve as garlic mashed potatoes!

Serve with beetroot salad, vegetable fritters or fried fish in batter. Much more interesting than ketchup! 

This is the traditional Greek accompaniment to batter fried salt cod.

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ROAST LEG OF LAMB, GREEK STYLE
 
This is for those of you hankering after the kind of food the Symiots will be enjoying this Sunday as they celebrate the Resurrection - without having to find a whole lamb and do unpleasant things in the back garden! While this isn't exactly a lamb on a spit, slowly roasting the meat at a relatively low temperature reduces shrinkage and gives a similar succulence to the spit roasting version. And the cooking smells permeating the house are the same!

INGREDIENTS
1 leg of lamb - if possible ask the butcher to saw through the shin bone and bend it back for you so it makes an easier joint to roast and takes less space in the oven. Then you can roast two at once if the gathering is large, or fit in a dish of garlic roast potatoes alongside. If possible season the meat and let it stand for a few hours before roasting so that the flavours have a chance to develop.

Olive oil
Lemon juice
Sprigs of oregano, thyme and rosemary or 10 ml of each in dried form
Salt and pepper

METHOD
Preheat oven to 160C (moderate). Put the leg of lamb in a roasting tin just large enough to hold it. Make shallow slits in the flesh and rub in the dried herbs or insert bits of the fresh ones. Drizzle over lemon juice and olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Cover loosely with foil and roast slowly for 20 minutes per 500 grams plus 20 minutes. If the meat seems to be catching, add a little water and lemon juice to the pan. Remove the foil for the last twenty minutes to brown the surface. Let stand for 10 minutes before carving. The pan juices, scraped up with a little more lemon to taste, should be served with the meat. Gravy is not a Greek concept!

Serve the above with burgul or rice pilaf, a green salad made up of lettuce, chicory, endive and flat leaf parsley (the sharpness of the greens cuts the richness of the lamb) and a selection of mezze dishes if you want to recreate the kind of meal enjoyed in a Greek household at Easter. Alternatively you may serve garlic roast potatoes, carrots braised in semi-sweet wine and fresh broad beans lightly cooked with dill and lemon for a meal that has a Mediterranean flavour but is closer to the hot roast meal of chilly northern climes.

CARROTS BRAISED IN SEMI-SWEET WINE

INGREDIENTS
500 grams carrots, preferably young, scrubbed, topped and tailed and cut into thin slices
50 grams unsalted butter 
250 ml semi sweet red wine (imiglykos)
Salt and pepper 
15 ml Greek honey (optional)

METHOD
Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan with a good lid. Add the carrots and toss around to coat with butter. Pour in the wine and bring to the boil. Stir in the honey and simmer, covered, until the carrots are just tender. Remove the carrots with a slotted spoon and keep warm. Boil the liquid until reduced and season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour over the carrots and serve.

GARLIC ROAST POTATOES

INGREDIENTS
Potatoes
Olive oil
Oregano
Plump cloves of fresh garlic.

METHOD
Scrub potatoes well if new or otherwise peel and cut into long wedges. Use a roasting tin just large enough to hold the potatoes comfortably. Toss the potatoes in olive oil to cover and spread them evenly in the tin. Tuck the unpeeled cloves of garlic in among the potatoes. Sprinkle lightly with oregano and salt and pour in a cup of water. Roast along side the meat, turning once, until the potatoes are crisp on the outside and tender in the middle. Be careful not to let the garlic burn as it will taste bitter. If the potatoes brown too quickly, cover loosely with foil.

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GREEK EASTER BREAD - TSOUREKI 

While Easter in the West is long gone, this is one of the recipes local housewives will be preparing over the next few days in anticipation of Greek Easter next weekend. It makes a change from Hot Cross Buns and is just as tasty. Don't be afraid to work with yeast - it is far more forgiving than pastry ever was. As long as your yeast is fresh (check the date on the package) and you use plain flour (not self-raising - the baking powder makes the yeast go funny) you really can't go far wrong. And you can do other things while it is rising so it doesn't take up as much time as you might suppose.

This is usually broken rather than sliced and is eaten as it is or with unsalted butter.

INGREDIENTS
1 sachet instant yeast 
125 ml warm milk 
2 eggs, beaten
 5 ml grated lemon rind
125 ml caster sugar 
900 ml plain flour + extra for kneading 
2 ml salt 
5 ml ground allspice 
125 ml melted butter + extra for rising 
1 egg for glazing
Sesame seeds
Red dyed hard boiled eggs (optional)

METHOD
Sift together the yeast, sugar, salt and spice in a big mixing bowl. Make a well in the middle. Put the milk into a measuring jug with the eggs and beat together gently. Pour into the centre of the dry ingredients and stir to blend in the flour, gradually adding the warm melted butter. Mix with your hands until the sides of the bowl are clean. Turn onto a floured surface and knead for ten minutes until the dough is smooth and no longer sticky.

Brush a clean bowl with melted butter. Put in the dough ball and turn it to coat with butter. Cover bowl with cling film and leave to rise in a warm draught free place until doubled in size. (You can put it in the fridge if you want it to rise slowly overnight, or over a bowl of warm water (not boiling) if you want to speed things up)

Punch down dough and turn onto a floured surface. Knead lightly and divide into three portions. Roll each into a sausage about 30 cm long. Press the ends together and plait loosely. Place on a greased baking tray, cover with a clean cloth and leave to rise again until doubled. Glaze with beaten eggs, sprinkle with sesame seeds and bake in at 190 C until golden brown and cooked through. This will take about half an hour. To test if its done, turn loaf upside down and tap it - it should sound hollow. If it browns too quickly, cover loosely with foil but make sure the steam can escape - otherwise the crust will be too soft. If you wish to decorate it with red eggs in the traditional manner, insert them in the plait before the second rising. The plait can also be curved round into a wreath shape or made up into small individual plaited loaves in which case the latter cook much more quickly - about 15 to 20 minutes.

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Spanakorizo - Spinach with Rice

This is a tasty but simple vegetarian meal which carnivores can enjoy as an accompaniment to grilled meat or poultry.

INGREDIENTS
1 kilo fresh spinach, washed and shredded
250 ml rice, preferably risotto rice
1 onion, finely chopped 
1 bunch of dill
250 ml olive oil 
2 lemons
750 ml warm water 
Salt and pepper

METHOD
Heat the oil in saucepan with a lid and gently cook the onion until golden. Add the dill and spinach and toss to coat with oil. As the spinach starts to sweat, add the water. When the water boils, add the rice and salt and pepper. Simmer slowly until all the water is absorbed and the rice is cooked. If necessary add a little more water. The end result should be perfectly tender rice that is neither soggy nor stuck to the bottom of the pan. If you cannot turn the heat down low enough, take the covered pan off the heat once the rice comes back to the boil and has boiled for about 5 minutes, and let it stand for about ten minutes. Season with lemon juice to serve.

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KOULOURAKIA NISTISSIMA - Lenten Cakes

This is a good one for family baking sessions with the children as the dough copes well with heavy handling and the end results, despite the name, are delicious. Have fun!

INGREDIENTS
625 ml olive oil (if the budget doesn't run to this, replace some of the olive oil with salad oil)
500 ml sugar
625 ml orange juice
10 ml bicarbonate of soda
125 ml brandy or sweet wine
1.250 kg flour
oil for the baking sheet

METHOD
Beat the sugar into the olive oil. Add the orange juice, the bicarbonate of soda dissolved in the brandy and finally gradually knead in the flour. Knead the ingredients together very thoroughly, until the dough is smooth and no longer sticky.

Roll bits of the dough out into lengths about as thick as a finger and shape them into twists, circles, figure eights or whatever takes your fancy. Place them on a lightly oiled baking sheet and bake at 180 Centigrade for about 20 minutes.

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Artichokes with Fresh Peas and Broad Beans - a Spring Treat. 

As I realise few of you will have access to small fresh artichokes, this is a cheat's version! Skinning the broad beans is a bit of a fiddle but makes them very much sweeter. Baby spring carrots can also be added to this if you wish.

INGREDIENTS
6 small tender fresh artichokes, cleaned and trimmed or the tinned or frozen equivalent!
500 grams freshly podded peas, or the frozen equivalent
500 grams very young broad beans (if you can't find any, use more peas and artichokes)
2 - 3 spring onions, cleaned and cut into rings
Olive oil
juice of two lemons
1 cup of vegetable or chicken stock, preferably homemade
Sprig or two of fresh dill

METHOD
Heat enough olive oil to cover the bottom of a lidded frying pan or sauté pan. Add the spring onions and cook until soft. Add peas and fresh artichokes (if using tinned or frozen, they are added later) and cook for a minute or two, then add the stock and the lemon juice and simmer until tender. If using tinned or frozen artichokes, add just before the peas are done.

Meanwhile, in a separate pan, boil the podded broad beans until just tender. Allow to cool enough to handle and then slip the skins off the beans. Stir the beans carefully into the pea and artichoke mixture, season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with chopped dill and serve warm with lots of fresh bread to mop up the juices.

All the vegetables should be cooked until just tender with nothing reduced to mush.

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Mayeritsa - Greek Easter Soup

For those of you who enjoy a challenge. This is the traditional meal served at midnight on Easter Saturday to break the Lenten fast.

If you can't find offal or the idea just doesn't appeal to you, replace it with 500 grams of lamb shoulder. For a leaner version, make the stock and let it cool. Then you can skim the solidified fat off the top before proceeding.

INGREDIENTS
Intestines and offal of one middle-sized lamb 
Juice of 2 lemons 
3-4 spring onions, cleaned and chopped 
100 grams of unsalted butter 
125 ml rice 3-4 eggs 
2 lemons 
Salt and pepper
Fresh dill and parsley

METHOD
If using lamb shoulder, boil it with water to cover plus the lemon juice until tender. Drain, reserving the stock and cut the meat into very small pieces. If using offal proceed as follows. First clean the offal very thoroughly. Wash the intestines, turning them inside out with the help of a fine skewer. Rub in salt and lemon juice until the intestines are white. Rinse and drain thoroughly. Put in a large pot with water to cover and boil, skimming the foam off the top. When tender, removed the meat and cut into fine dice. Discard cooking liquid.

From this point versions proceed the same way. Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan and cook the onions until translucent. Add the meat, salt and pepper and either 6 cups of stock or water. Simmer for half an hour. If you wish to serve the soup later, set it aside to cool at this point and then reheat it to boiling point about 20 minutes before serving time. Add rice and some chopped dill and simmer until the rice is tender. Crack the eggs into a bowl. Slowly beat in lemon juice and a little hot broth. Remove the hot soup from the stove and gently stir in the egg and lemon mixture. Be careful not let it boil as it will curdle. Serve immediately in hot soup plates, sprinkled with finely chopped parsley and dill.

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Pastitsio - or what happens when lasagne and macaroni cheese meet in Greece

And like both these dishes, although it's a bit fiddly to make, the end product tastes delicious and freezes well.

INGREDIENTS
500 grams macaroni, preferably the long variety but the normal kind will do 
60 grams butter
175 ml grated parmesan or kefalotiri cheese 
3 ml nutmeg 
salt and pepper 
3 eggs, lightly beaten

For the meat sauce: 
1 large onion
Chopped 1 clove garlic, crushed 30 grams butter
750 grams lean minced beef 
60 grams tomato paste 
125 ml wine
125 ml stock 
60 grams chopped parsley 
3 ml sugar
Salt and pepper

For the cream sauce: 
75ml butter 
125ml flour 
750 ml milk
3 ml nutmeg 
Salt and pepper 
1 egg, lightly beaten

METHOD
Cook macaroni in boiling salted water until just tender. Drain and return to the pan. Melt butter until golden brown and pour over macaroni. Add ˝ cup of cheese, nutmeg, salt and pepper and toss well. Leave to cool, add eggs and toss again. Set aside.

Gently fry onion and garlic in butter until soft. Add beef and stir fry until the meat starts to brown. Add remaining meat sauce ingredients and simmer gently for twenty minutes. Meanwhile...

Make cream sauce. Melt butter in a sauce pan, stir in flour and cook gently for 2 minutes. Add milk and bring to the boil, stirring constantly. Boil gently for 1 minute. Add nutmeg, salt and pepper and cool a little before adding beaten egg.

Add half a cup of the cream sauce to the meat sauce.

To assemble the pastitsio, butter an oven dish roughly 33 x 23 x 8 cm (out with the tape measure!). Spoon half the prepared macaroni evenly over the base and top with the meat sauce. Cover with the remaining macaroni, levelling the top.

Pour on cream sauce and spread to completely cover macaroni. Sprinkle remaining cheese over the top and bake 180 C for about an hour, until golden brown.

Let stand for ten minutes before cutting into squares to serve.

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Little Spinach Pies

As this weekend is Carnival and Clean Monday, pretend it isn't pouring with rain outside, put out your most cheerful table cloth and bake these spinach pies. Serve with a crisp green salad, a bunch of radishes, taramosalata, pita bread, tzatziki and imagine you are at a kite-flying picnic on the Vigla!

INGREDIENTS
1 pkt phyllo pastry, defrosted if necessary 
1 kilo fresh spinach or 500 grams frozen
3 spring onions, finely chopped 
5 ml dried mint or two sprigs fresh, finely chopped
Bunch of flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
Olive oil or melted unsalted butter

METHOD
In the case of fresh spinach, wash it thoroughly, remove any thick stalks and cook in a small amount of water until the leaves have wilted and all the liquid has evaporated. (Watch carefully - the smell of scorched spinach lingers like burnt toast!) In the case of frozen spinach, tip it into a colander and press out as much water as possible. Mix the herbs with the spinach. Unwrap the phyllo and fold it out carefully. Cover with a damp cloth to prevent drying out as phyllo is quite delicate. Lightly oil a baking sheet and turn the oven to 180 Centigrade.

Take one sheet of phyllo, brush it with oil and fold it in half, lengthways. This should give you a long narrow strip about 10 centimetres wide and 40 centimetres long. Brush with oil again and put a spoonful of spinach mixture at one end and fold over to form a triangle. Keep folding and seal the edge with oil or butter. Place seamside down on the baking sheet.

Repeat until all the mixture is used up. At this stage you can put the tray of pies in the fridge or freezer to bake later. Alternatively bake at 180 C for about 15 minutes. If the pies brown too quickly, turn the oven down a little and cover them loosely with foil. Allow to cool slightly before serving as the spinach filling can be very hot.

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Beef Stifado - A heart-warming Greek winter dish which makes a tasty change to the usual beef casseroles 

If you have a slow cooker, this recipe works well in it. The flavour is rich and savoury and the wine/cinnamon/cloves combination gives a slightly sweet and sour tang to the sauce. In the summer Octopus is often prepared the same way but it is advisable to boil the octopus until tender first before adding it to the sauce.

INGREDIENTS
1 kilo braising beef, cut into neat cubes
75 ml olive oil 
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 plump cloves garlic, crushed 
250 ml tomato puree 
125 ml red wine 
30 ml red wine vinegar
1 bay leaf
2 pieces cinnamon bark
4 whole cloves
Teaspoonful of sugar (optional) 
Salt and pepper
750 grams small onions (pickling ones will do but you need patience to prepare them!)

METHOD
Heat the oil in a heavy frying pan and brown the meat cubes. Transfer to a casserole dish when browned. Add chopped onion and garlic to the pan and cook gently until soft. Add tomato, wine and vinegar and stir to lift pan juices. Pour over meat in casserole. Add bay leaf, spices and seasonings including sugar if used, cover the casserole and bake in a slow oven (160 C) for about an hour. Meanwhile prepare the onions by removing the tops and roots. Cross cut the root ends so that the centres don't pop out during cooking. Cover with boiling water, leave for 2 minutes and drain and peel.

Add the onions to the casserole after the hour and continue to cook until meat and onions are tender and the sauce is thick. Remove cinnamon bark and serve with potatoes or pilaf. New potatoes are good with this.

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Greek Roast Potatoes - a sunny accompaniment to roast or grilled lamb when the rain is streaming down the windows!

INGREDIENTS
Potatoes, scrubbed, peeled and cut into even sized chunks or fingers (like fat chips)
Olive oil 
Cloves of garlic
Juice of one lemon and a sprig or two of either fresh rosemary or oregano (or dried if no choice)

METHOD
Preheat oven to about 200 C. Take a roasting tin large enough to hold your potatoes comfortably but with a bit of space to spare. Put your prepared potatoes in a mixing bowl and pour over enough olive oil to coat. Squeeze on the lemon juice and toss around with a bit of salt. Tip into the roasting dish. Tuck whole cloves of garlic and sprigs of herbs among the potatoes and pour in a cup of water. Roast for about 30 minutes and then turn the potatoes and roast until tender. If they get too brown too soon cover loosely with foil. If they catch on the bottom, add a little more water. When done the potatoes should be tender in the middle, crispy on the outside and wonderfully aromatic. With new potatoes you needn't worry about peeling them or cutting them up. Just give a good scrub.

Enjoy!

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Pourgouri Pilaf

This is an easy and tasty alternative to rice or potatoes and also makes a good stuffing for roast peppers and other vegetables. I like it with a dollop of Greek yoghurt and a hot fresh chilli or two as an accompaniment to grilled chicken.

Pourgouri is also known and marketed as burgul, bulgur wheat and cracked wheat. If it is not available at the supermarket, try the health food store. As it is also used extensively in Turkish and Lebanese cooking, ethnic grocery shops are also a likely source.

INGREDIENTS
1 nest of vermicelli noodles, lightly crushed 
50 ml olive oil 
1 onion, finely chopped 
1 cup pourgouri
2-3 cups hot chicken or vegetable stock

METHOD
Heat the olive oil and add the onion and vermicelli. Cook gently, stirring until the onion softens and the vermicelli is coated with oil. Add the pourgouri and stir until it is also coated with oil. Pour in two cups of the stock and bring to boiling point. Cover the pan and turn off the heat. Leave to stand for five minutes until all the liquid is absorbed. If the grains are not tender enough, add more stock and bring to the boil again.

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Garlic Roast Chicken - or how to make a frozen chicken remind you of your Symi summer holiday...

INGREDIENTS
1 plump chicken
1 head of garlic, separated into cloves and peeled but not cut
1 lemon, cut into quarters
Sprig of rosemary
1 cup stock
Olive oil

METHOD
Turn the oven on to 150 C. Wash and dry the chicken and season with salt and pepper. Stuff the bird with the garlic and the lemon wedges. Tuck the rosemary inside. Put it in a roasting dish with the stock and pour a little olive oil over the top of the bird. Cover tightly with foil and roast slowly for about two hours. Check occasionally to make sure it is not sticking and turn the bird over after about an hour. When the bird is tender, turn the heat up and remove the foil to crisp the skin a little. Let rest for a few minutes before carving. Give everyone a clove or two of garlic with their portion.

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Fassolakia me Pliguri - Green Bean Stew with Burgul

INGREDIENTS
1 kilo green beans 
175 ml olive oil 
3-4 medium onions, chopped 
400 ml chopped parsley 
1 -2 chopped fresh chillies 
750 ml chopped fresh or canned tomatoes 
375 ml burgul 
250 ml warm water 
Salt to taste

METHOD
String and slice the green beans lengthwise. Heat the olive oil in a large pan and saute the onions until transparent. Add the beans, parsley, chillies, salt and tomatoes. Simmer for 30 to 45 minutes, until the beans are tender. About 15 minutes before the cooking time is up, add the burgul and warm water. Cook gently, shaking occasionally to prevent sticking. The dish should be moist but not soggy. It may be necessary to add a little more liquid as burgul varies. Take off the heat and let stand, covered, for a few minutes before serving for the burgul to absorb the remaining water.

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Fassolada - Greek Haricot Bean Soup

INGREDIENTS
100 ml olive oil 
1 large onion, peeled and chopped 
2 sticks celery, sliced
2 carrots, scraped and peeled 
1 clove garlic, crushed 
225g haricot beans, soaked, rinsed & drained
1 litre water 
15 ml tomato puree 
30 ml chopped parsley salt, pepper, lemon juice

METHOD
Heat the oil in a large saucepan and fry the onion, celery, carrot and garlic for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the drained beans, water, tomato and parsley. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer gently for about an hour or until the beans are tender. Season to taste. This may either be served as it is or processed to form a thick puree. Serve with brown bread.

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