Thursday for Dinner

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Paratha are a type of flatbread that originated in India. They are made with whole-wheat flour and typically pan fried with ghee (clarified butter) or oil. The stuffing for a paratha can either be mixed into the dough, or placed into a ball of dough which is made into a pocket. In this receipe we are keeping it simple by just mixing the stuffing directly into the dough. For the stuffing we are using a form of spinich called, fenugreek.

• 2 cups whole wheat flour (atta)
• ½ cup water
• 2 tbsp yogurt
• 2 tbsp oil
• ¼ cup chick pea flour
• 3 cloves shredded garlic
• ½ tsp shredded ginger
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp turmeric
• ½ tsp red chilli powder
• 1 bunch or 1 bag of fenugreek spinich (methi) washed, cut and blended
• pinch of sugar

1. Combine all the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. Try and get rid of any lumps.
2. Add the wet ingredients (water, yogurt, oil) and work the dough until all the liquid is absorbed.
3. Heat a non-stick pan on the stove on medium heat.
4. Make a ball of dough (about half the size of a golf ball) and douse it in some all purpose flour.
5. On a smooth surface, roll the ball of dough to about 8-10 cm in diameter using a rolling pin. Roll with a very light hand and douse the paratha in flour when needed to avoid sticking.
6. Place the paratha on the pan and lightly cook one side. After about 15 seconds flip it over and cook the other side. After another 10-15 seconds flip it over again. Lightly brush this side with oil. Flip it over again and with a spatula, press down on the paratha, allowing it to cook and absorb the oil. Flip over and continue this.
7. Repeat steps 4-6 for the remainder of the dough.

** Note – You need not finish all the dough at once. You can store it in the fridge for a couple days.

Enjoy!

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With thousands of miles of coastline, it is not surprising that Greeks have developed numerous delicious ways of preparing fish. In this video, Eva show us how to prepare fish baked in the oven with onions, carrots, garlic, lemon, parsley and olive oil. We love this recipe for its simplicity and nutritional value. We hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

• 6 herring fillets (you can use a different type of fish if you prefer)
• 2 medium onions chopped
• 5-6 cloves of garlic (leave whole)
• 2 carrots coarsely chopped
• 4 small potatoes cut into small wedges
• ¼ a cup of chopped parsley
• About ½ cup of olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• Juice from 1 ½ lemons
• ¼ cup of wine
• 1 glass of water

Clean the fish well and season it with salt, pepper, and a few drops of lemon juice. Set the fish aside in the fridge for about an hour.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Grease a large pan with a few drops of olive oil and place the fillets on the pan. Place the chopped onion on top on the fish. Add the garlic, carrots, and potatoes to the pan. Season the vegetables with a pinch each of salt and pepper, and the fresh parsley. Add about 1/3 a cup of olive oil, the remainder of the lemon juice, the wine, and water to the pan.

Cook in the oven at 350 degrees. After an hour take the pan out of the oven and turn the potatoes over on the other side. Put the pan back in the oven for another 30 minutes. It is now ready to serve, enjoy!

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Here is another wonderful vegetarian dish that uses only a few simple and healthy ingredients. Both Swiss chard and black eyed beans are rich in nutrients and very high in fiber. In Greece, this dish is usually eaten as the main meal, but it also makes a great side dish.

About 1½ cup of black eyed beans
Half a bunch of Swiss chard
1 medium onion chopped
1/3 cup of olive oil
1 cup of tomato juice
Pinch of hot pepper flakes (optional)
Salt and pepper

Wash and strain the black eyed beans and place them in a pot of boiling water for about 5 to 10 minutes (the time really depends on the beans; some beans need longer than others).

Chop the Swiss chard into small cubes. Wash and strain the Swiss chard and place the leaves in a separate pot of boiling water for about 3-4 minutes.

Once the Swiss chard had finished blanching, remove the leaves from the heat and strain the water. Do the same with the black eyed beans.

In a medium sized pot, place the oil and onions. Over a medium heat setting, sauté the onions for about 2-3 minutes. Add the beans to the pot and stir for a few minutes. Add a dash of salt and pepper and, if you like a little extra kick, add a pinch of hot pepper flakes. After about 2 minutes, add the Swiss chard and stir. Add the tomato juice and 2 cups of water and stir well. Once the water has begun to boil, cover the pot with the lid and lower the heat. At a low heat setting, allow the beans and Swiss chard to simmer for about 45 minutes to one hour (while stirring periodically). The beans need to cook until all the liquid has been absorbed.

Makes 4 servings.

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Kulfi is a type of frozen Indian dessert similar to ice cream. It comes in many different flavours such as, mango, pistachio and rose. In this recipe we are going to keep it simple and just use a combination of ground almond, cardamom and saffron to provide flavour.

Ingredients – Half Quantity (Full Quantity)

• 185mL 1/2 can (370mL 1 can) Evaporated Milk
• 75mL 1/4 can (150mL 1/2 can) Condensed Milk
• 500mL 1/2 tub (1L 1 tub) Whipped Cream Cool Whip
• 2 tbsp (4 tbsp) Ground Almond
• 1 tsp (2 tsp) Ground Cardamom
• 1 tsp (2 tsp) Sugar
• 1 tsp (2 tsp) Saffron
• Handful sliced almonds
• Handful sliced pistachios

Directions

Saffron Powder

Using a mortar and pestle we want to combine the sugar and saffron and grind them together.

1. Combine some of the sugar and saffron in the mortar.
2. Using the pestle, grind until and sugar and saffron have become one powder.
3. Repeat until you have gotten through all the sugar and saffron.

Kulfi Mixture

1. Combine evaporated milk, condensed milk and whipped cream in a bowl and blend until no lumps remain, using a hand blender.
2. Add the ground almond, ground cardamom and saffron powder into the mixture.
   Mix thoroughly.
3. Pour the mixture into a tray or individual serving cups. Garnish with the sliced almond and pistachio.
4. Put into the freezer to freeze. Freezing time is about 5-6 hours.

** Half Quanity makes about 7-8 servings
** Full Quantity makes about 14-15 servings

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This is another classic Greek dish which has been handed down from generation to generation. It is made with fresh and healthy ingredients, and it is the perfect meal to serve on a cold winter’s night. There are different variations of Avgolemono soup, but in this video Irene shows us how to prepare it with rice and chicken.

To prepare the base:

4 quarter chicken legs
2 medium potatoes cut into quarter pieces
1 cup chopped carrots
2 medium onions
2-4 stalks of celery
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 tablespoon of salt
1 tablespoon of vegetable seasoning (Irene uses Vegeta)
1 cup of rice

To prepare the Avgolemono

2 eggs, separated
The juice of 2 lemons

Boil the chicken in a large pot filled with water. After about 10 minutes of boiling the chicken, remove any film that develops at the water surface. Add the coarsely chopped vegetables, olive oil, salt, and seasoning to the soup. Allow to boil for another 20 minutes.

Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside. Add 1 cup of rice to the soup (be sure to wash the rice thoroughly before you add it). Add 1 cup of warm water and allow the rice to cook for 20 minutes.

Tear the chicken into small pieces and remove the bones. Add the meat to the soup and stir well. After about 2 minutes turn off the heat and allow the soup to cool slightly.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs whites until fluffy. Add the yolks and continue to whisk the eggs. Add the juice of 2 lemons and mix well. To add the avgolemono to the soup, first add a small portion of the soup into the egg mixture and then slowly add the entire mixture to the soup.

Garnish with fresh pepper and lemon.

Enjoy!

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This is the perfect meal to make on a weekend afternoon. It is simple and healthy and fills the house with wonderful smell. Add a side of salad and it is perfect for family gatherings!

Potatoes (use 2-3 potatoes for each person)
2 carrots
1 whole chicken
¼ cup of lemon juice
Half a lemon
5 cloves of garlic
1 tablespoon of oregano
Salt and pepper
¼ cup of olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Clean, peel, and cut the potatoes and carrots. Place the chicken at the center of your pan and assemble the potatoes and carrots.

Season the chicken and potatoes with salt, pepper and oregano, and squeeze out the juice of half a lemon. Place the remaining lemon inside the bird, along with a clove of garlic.

Place the remaining garlic cloves on the pan and add the ¼ cup of lemon juice to the potatoes. Add the olive oil and a large glass of water to the pan.

Cook in the oven for about an hour at 400 degrees. Turn over the chicken and potatoes and cook for another 45 minutes.

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This is a nutritious and wonderfully satisfying vegetarian dish. The name ‘yiyantes’ comes from the Greek word for giant (‘giant beans’). Yiyantes can be cooked a couple of different ways, and in this recipe Eva shows us how to prepare these giant beans in tomato juice baked in the oven (plaki-style).

3 cups of large lima beans (yiyantes)
½ cup of olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
4 pieces of garlic, finely diced
1 cup of chopped carrots
1/4 cup of finely chopped parsley
2 cups of crushed tomatoes, or tomato juice
Salt and pepper

Place 3 cups of washed lima beans in a large bowl and cover with water. Allow the beans to soak in the water overnight. Drain the water and pour the beans into a large pot of boiling water and blanche them for about 5 minutes.

In a large pan, add the olive oil and sauté the onions. Add the garlic, carrots, salt and pepper.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

After about 5 minutes of boiling the beans, remove them from the heat and drain the water. Place the beans in a large pan. Add the tomato sauce to the beans. Add 4 cups of water and mix well to ensure the tomato sauce is evenly spread.

Allow the beans to cook in the oven for about an hour at 350 degrees.

Serve as a side dish or as the main meal. Enjoy!

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Cabbage Sambharo is a Gujarati side dish similar in look and feel to coleslaw or salad. There are two aspects to this dish which make it quite unique:

1. In order to stop the salad from becoming soggy, all excess water is removed by adding salt to the mixture and letting it sit for a while.
2. The “dressing” is far from the traditional combination of vinegar/lemon juice/olive oil. Instead, it is a combination of ingredients such as mustard seeds, sesame seeds and turmeric lightly toasted in oil on the stove top.

Ingredients

Salad:

• ¼ of a small cabbage, shredded
• ¼ red pepper, julienned
• ¼ yellow pepper, julienned
• ¼ orange pepper, julienned
• ¼ green pepper, julienned
• 1 small carrot, shredded
• 1 tbsp salt

Dressing

• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp white sesame seeds
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 green chili finely chopped (or to taste)
• 1 tsp oil

Garnish

• Handful of pomegranate
• Handful of cilantro (Italian parsley)
• Pinch of sugar
• 1 tbsp lemon juice

Directions

1. Combined shredded cabbage, julienned peppers and shredded carrot in a bowl.
2. Add the salt and mix it into the salad thoroughly – Let this sit for about 15 minutes.
3. Squeeze excess water from the salad. You can do this with your hands. Just take a handful and squeeze, until no more water comes out. Repeat this until you have gotten through all the salad. Place the dehydrated salad in another bowl.
4. Warm oil in a pot. Add the mustard seeds and allow them to sizzle until you hear them popping.
5. Add the sesame seeds and allow them to turn golden brown.
6. Add the turmeric and green chili.
7. Pour the entire contents of the pot into the bowl of salad which you set aside in step 3.
8. Add the lemon juice and sugar.
9. Mix so that the dressing, lemon juice and sugar is evenly distributed.
10. Garnish with pomegranate and cilantro.

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Pastitsio is a layered pasta casserole, also known as “Macaronia tou Fournou” (pasta cooked in the oven). It is a very popular dish throughout Greece and is the perfect dish to make for a large family gathering or party, as it yields a large number of pieces. Pastitsio consists of layers of pasta, a layer of ground beef, and a thick béchamel sauce. Traditionally, a dash of ground cinnamon is added to the ground beef, but in this recipe Irene has chosen to omit the cinnamon. Feel free to add a teaspoon of cinnamon to the ground beef if you like.

For the pasta
2 packages of ‘Pastitsio’ pasta, #4
2 egg whites
About ½ a cup of Parmesan cheese

For the ground beef
2-3 tablespoons of olive oil
2 bulbs of minced garlic
1 small chopped onion
2 pounds of lean ground beef
1 teaspoons of salt
1 teaspoons of ground pepper
1 teaspoons of oregano
300 ml of tomato sauce or 2 cups of chopped tomatoes

For the béchamel
5 cups of milk, warmed to room temperature
½ pound of butter
½ cup of all-purpose flour
A dash of salt and pepper
2 egg yolks
1 teaspoon of breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon of paprika

Cook the pasta for about 8-9 minutes in a large pot of salted water.

In another large pot, heat the oil over low heat. Over low-medium heat, sauté the garlic and onion for about 1-2 minutes. Add the ground beef and cook until the meat has browned. Add the salt, spices and tomato sauce, and continue to stir the meat until it is cooked. Set aside.

Drain the pasta. Once the pasta is back in your pot add 2 egg whites and stir the pasta. Add a sprinkle of parmesan cheese to the pasta.

Brush the bottom of a large pan with olive oil. Place half of your pasta in the large pan. Make sure it is spread out evenly. Add another sprinkle of parmesan cheese to the pasta.

Spread your ground beef sauce over the pasta. Add another layer of pasta and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

To prepare the béchamel, melt the butter in a large pot at low heat. Once the butter is melted, slowly add in the flour while continually stirring. Slowly add in the milk and continue to stir the sauce until it is smooth. Add salt and pepper. Once all lumps have been smoothed out, remove the sauce from the heat and add in 2 egg yolks. Stir well.

Add the béchamel sauce over the pasta. Be sure to spread the sauce out evenly. Sprinkle with remaining parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs. Add a sprinkle of paprika if you like.

Bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees. Let the pastitsio stand for 10 minutes to cool before you cut into squares.

Enjoy!

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Moussaka is a layered casserole made with layers of eggplant, meat, and a béchamel sauce. In this video, Eva shows us her slightly healthier take on this classic Greek dish. Rather than frying the eggplant, Eva broils the sliced eggplant in the oven for 10 minutes on each side. Her recipe also calls for sliced potatoes to serve as the base of the dish along with the eggplant.

For the Base:

• 9 Indian eggplants
• 2 potatoes
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 1 cup of mozzarella cheese
• ½ cup of parmesan cheese
• ½ cup of breadcrumbs

For the Meat:

• 1 pound of ground beef
• 1 quarter cup of onion
• 2 cloves of garlic (minced)
• 1 quarter cup of freshly chopped parsley
• 2 fresh tomatoes chopped or the juice of ½ can of tomato juice
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

For the Béchamel sauce:

• ½ cup of butter
• 2/3 cup of flour
• 3 cups of warmed milk
• 3 eggs

Slice the potatoes and eggplants into ½- inch slices. Place the slices on an oil pan in the oven for 10 minutes. Flip the eggplant and potatoes and cook the other side for another 10 minutes. Once eggplant is ready, remove from the pan and let them dry on paper towel.

To prepare the meat:

In a large skillet over high heat, add the olive oil, ground beef, onion, and garlic. Next add salt, pepper, and parsley. Once the meat has browned add the tomato juice. Let the meat cook until all the juice is gone. Be sure to stir the meat continuously. Once the meat has cooked, set aside.

To prepare the béchamel sauce:

In a medium pot, heat the butter and mix in the flour. Add 3 cups of milk to the mixture. Stir continuously as the mixture begins to thicken. Once the mixture begins to boil, it will thicken. If you find that your mixture is lumpy, simply strain it. Once the sauce has begun to thicken, remove it from the heat.

Now that you have prepared the vegetables, the meat, and the sauce you can now begin assembling the moussaka.

Preheat the oven at 325 degrees.

Lightly brush a medium size pan with olive oil. Place your potato slices on the bottom of the pan. Next, layer the pan with about half of your sliced eggplants. Next, spread about half of the shredded mozzarella cheese and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese.

Next, add the cooked ground beef. Spread the mixture evenly onto the cheese.

Place the remaining slices of eggplant over the meat. Spread the remainder of the mozzarella cheese on top of the eggplant.

Before you add your sauce to the moussaka, fold in 3 beaten eggs into your béchamel sauce. Once the eggs are mixed in, pour the sauce evenly over the moussaka. Sprinkle some parmesan cheese and about half a cup of breadcrumbs over the moussaka.

Cook at 325 degrees for 1 hour.

Enjoy!