Authentic Greek Moussaka
Method
- A Greek style Risotto! A delicious vegetarian recipe using in-season vegetables. Create a full flavored baked dish using the same ingredients you would use to make a salad!
- Preheat oven to 180oC (350oF) Fan.
For the potatoes
- Place a pan over high heat and let it get very hot.
- Wash and scrub the baby potatoes but leave the skin on since it adds a lot of flavor.
- Cut them in to wedges.
- Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the pan and add the potatoes.
- Season with salt and pepper and sauté for 4-5 minutes, just until golden. You don’t want to cook them through since they will cook further in the oven.
- Spread them in a baking dish and set aside.
For the vegetables
- Slice off the top of 3 onions.
- Scoop out most of the inner layers leaving about 3-4 outer layers intact, creating a sturdy shell.
- Place them in the baking dish with the baby potatoes.
- Finely chop all of the inner layers you removed. Put them in a bowl and set aside until needed.
- Slice off the bottom side of the tomatoes with a sharp knife, cutting about ½ - 1 mm from the edge. This way they can hold more of the filling.
- Carefully scoop out the flesh, making sure you do not rip the outer shell.
- Put the flesh in a separate bowl and set aside until needed.
- Place the tomato shells in the baking dish stem side down, arranging them nicely in the dish.
- Mash the tomato flesh in the bowl with your hands and set aside until needed.
- Slice the tops off of the bell peppers, cutting about ½ - 1 mm under the stem and just a little off the bottom to help them stand better.
- Remove any flesh and seeds and arrange them nicely in the baking dish among the rest of the vegetables and potatoes.
For the filling
- Place a pan over high heat and add 4 tablespoons olive oil.
- Add your chopped onion and sauté.
- Thinly slice the garlic and add it to the pan. Sauté.
- Add 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar. Mix and sauté until the vegetables caramelize nicely.
- Add a generous amount of salt and freshly ground pepper, since you will be adding the rice also and it needs a good amount of seasoning.
- Add the rice and sauté for 3-4 minutes, until it turns light golden.
- Sautéing the rice “seals” it, so it doesn’t let it get mushy when cooking.
- Add the tomato paste and sauté.
- Add the 400 ml of water and the reserved tomato flesh. Let it simmer for 5 minutes.
- Stir and remove from heat. The rest of the cooking will take place in the oven.
- Finely chop the parsley, dill and mint leaves and add them to the pan. Stir.
- Drizzle vegetables in pan with a generous amount of olive oil, both inside and out and season with salt and pepper.
To assemble
- Use a spoon to help you add the filling to the vegetables. Fill them ¾ of the way because the rice will expand while cooking.
- Add any of the leftover filling over the potatoes to add even more flavor.
- Add the 200 ml of water to the pan and drizzle with olive oil.
- Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 60 minutes.
- Remove foil and bake for another 10-20 minutes, until most of the liquid has evaporated and the stuffed vegetables are cooked and golden.
- To serve, drizzle with some extra virgin olive oil, add a few mint leaves and enjoy!
Ingredients
- 3 potatoes
- 5-6 tablespoon(s) olive oil
- 1 onion
- 2 zucchinis, medium
- 2 eggplants
- thyme
- salt
- pepper
For the ground meat
- 1 onion
- 2 tablespoon(s) olive oil, for sautéing
- 1 clove(s) of garlic
- 3 pinches granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon(s) nutmeg
- 1 level teaspoon(s) cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon(s) tomato paste
- 500 g ground beef
- 400 g canned tomatoes
For the béchamel sauce
- 100 g butter
- 100 g all-purpose flour
- 750 ml milk, 3,5%
- pepper, ground
- 1 pinch nutmeg, ground
- 100 g parmesan cheese, grated
- 3 egg yolks
Greek Stuffed Vegetables (“Gemista”)
Method
- Place a deep pan over high heat. Add the sunflower oil and let it get hot.
- Peel the potatoes and slice them into thin rounds. Slice the eggplants and zucchini into thin rounds and fry in a separate pan for 5-10 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to a baking pan lined with paper towels. Allow to drain from excess oil.
For the ground meat
- Place a pot over high heat and add the olive oil.
- Coarsely chop the onion and add to pan. Finely chop the garlic and add to pan along with thyme and sugar. Sauté for 2-3 minutes until they caramelize nicely.
- Add the ground meat and break it up with a wooden spoon. Sauté until golden brown. Add the tomato paste and sauté so that it loses its bitterness. Add the chopped tomatoes, lower heat and simmer for 5-10 minutes until the sauce thickens. Remove from heat and add the parsley and coarsely chopped basil. Season with salt and pepper.
For the béchamel sauce
- Place a pot over medium heat. Add the butter and let it melt. Add the flour and whisk until it soaks up all of the butter. Add the milk in small batches while continuously whisking so that no lumps form.
- As soon as the béchamel sauce thickens and bubbles start to form on the surface, remove from heat.
- Add the nutmeg, salt, pepper, 100 g parmesan and 3 egg yolks. Whisk thoroughly.
To assemble
- Preheat oven to 180o C (350o F) Fan.
- In a 25x32 cm baking pan, spread a layer of potatoes, cover with a layer of eggplants and top with a layer of zucchini. Season in between layers. Add 2-3 tablespoons of béchamel sauce to the ground meat mixture and mix. Spread the ground meat over the vegetables. Cover with the béchamel sauce, spreading it evenly and sprinkle with 50 g of grated parmesan. Bake for 35-40 minutes.
When ready, remove from oven and allow to cool. Serve with fresh herbs and olive oil.
Ingredients
- 500 g baby potatoes
- 2 tablespoon(s) olive oil
- salt
- pepper
For the vegetables
- 3 onions
- 6 tomatoes
- 3 green bell peppers
For the filling
- 4 tablespoon(s) olive oil
- 350 g glutinous rice
- 600 ml water
- 1 vegetable bouillon cube
- 2 clove(s) of garlic
- 1 tablespoon(s) tomato paste
- 1 zucchini
- 1 carrot
- 1 tablespoon(s) granulated sugar
- salt, generous amount
- pepper, generous amount
- 1 bunch parsley
- 1 bunch mint
- 1/3 bunch dill
To assemble
- 2 tablespoon(s) olive oil
To serve
- olive oil
- mint leaves
Greek chicken and okra stew
Method
- Preheat oven to 180o C (350o F) Fan.
- Place a pan over high heat and add 2-3 tablespoons olive oil.
- Cut the chicken into 8 portions and place in the pan.
- Season with salt and pepper and sauté until golden on both sides.
- When ready, remove from pan and set aside.
- Place the same pan back over heat with the olive oil that is left over from sautéing the chicken.
- Add the cumin and coriander seeds. Sauté to give aroma to the olive oil.
- Thinly slice the onion and mince the garlic. Add to pan and mix.
- Add the tomato paste and stir. Sauté to remove the bitter taste.
- Add the balsamic vinegar, honey, bay leaves and paprika. Mix.
- Add the chopped tomatoes, water, salt and pepper. Mix and remove pan from heat.
- Place the okra in a baking pan and add the sauce from the pan. Mix to completely coat the okra in the sauce.
- Add the chicken, 2-3 tablespoons olive oil, salt, pepper, thyme and oregano.
- Cover with parchment paper and aluminum foil.
- Bake for 45 minutes, uncover and bake for another 15 minutes.
- Serve with olive oil, oregano, and thyme.
Ingredients
- 1 chicken, medium
- 6 tablespoon(s) olive oil
- salt
- pepper
- 1 onion
- 2 clove(s) of garlic
- 1 teaspoon(s) cumin, seeds
- 1 tablespoon(s) coriander, seeds
- 1 tablespoon(s) tomato paste
- 2 tablespoon(s) balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon(s) honey
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon(s) paprika
- 400 g canned tomatoes
- 200 g water
- 1 kilo okra
- 1 tablespoon(s) thyme
- 1 tablespoon(s) oregano
To serve
- 1 tablespoon(s) olive oil
- 1 tablespoon(s) oregano
- 1 tablespoon(s) thyme
Saganaki Cheese
Method
For the saganaki cheese
- Preheat a deep pan along with the olive oil over high heat.
- In a bowl, add the flour, the salt, and mix.
- Cut the cheese diagonally and put it into the bowl with the flour and then, dip it into the water. Pass it one more time through the flour, the water, and lastly through the flour one more time.
- Place it onto the hot pan and fry each side for 2-3 minutes, until golden.
- Remove from the heat and set aside.
For the salsa
- In a bowl, add the cherry tomatoes and squeeze them with your hands, until they break down.
- Cut the cucumber into cubes and put it in the bowl.
- Finely chop the onion, put it in the bowl, and add the olive oil, honey, oregano, the chili peppers finely chopped, lemon juice, coriander, salt, pepper, mix and then serve.
Ingredients
For the saganaki cheese
- 200 g gruyere cheese
- 50 g all-purpose flour
- 200 g water
- salt
- 200 g olive oil, for the frying
For the salsa
- 100 g cherry tomatoes, multi-colored
- 1 cucumber
- 1/2 onion
- 2 tablespoon(s) olive oil
- 1 tablespoon(s) honey
- 1 teaspoon(s) oregano
- 3 chili peppers
- lemon juice, from 1/2 lemon
- 1/2 bunch coriander
- salt
- pepper