Sauteed Beets with their Greens in Garlic

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Sauteed Beets with their Greens in Garlic

                    

My mom and grandma taught all of us to eat properly and healthy. I don't eat healthy everyday but I try my best.  Beets, everyone  eats beets but their greens are overlooked and I believe that's a big mistake. They are loaded with potassium, vitamin C, iron and calcium and some more.  If you buy beets and throw away their greens you are making a  gaffe  to your body. The best thing about this recipe is, you can find it year round, it takes about 20 minutes to cook and only 1 main ingredient! What I really love about Beets and their Greens is the sweet, savory taste they leave in your mouth.

When you buy beets and their Greens you get two vegetables for the price of one, it's fantastic, you can chop up the greens and add them to your salad and boil the beet root eat with olive oil and vinegar or lemon.  See two for one. 

Ingredients

• 2.2 pounds beets and their greens
• olive oil 
• 4 garlic cloves
• salt & pepper
• vinegar

The way I love to eat them is sauteed with garlic in olive oil

1) Take one bunch of beets with their greens or 2.2 pounds and clean them. Cut the beet root off, peel them like you would an apple, run cold water over them, quarter them in 4 pieces and place in a pot with water. 

2)Clean your greens get rid of any discolored greens cut them in half, place in bowl and wash them at least 4 times. Allowing your greens to rest in the water for about 10 minutes or so between washes.

3) Add your greens in the water with beets. Boil on high, allow them to cook until the greens are almost tender.( don't over boil) Drain them in a colander when they are ready.

4) Add olive oil to a pan,olive oil should almost cover your pan, allow oil to heat up and add your chopped up garlic, then add your greens saute for about 5 minutes, add salt & pepper to taste. 

5) Sprinkle with vinegar and serve.I prefer to use balsamic vinegar. 

A taste of this and I guarantee you, your taste buds will be dancing! 


Kale Orexi, another great tasting dish from my kitchen to yours! 

                                 

Yellow Split Pea Soup

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                                                           Yellow Split Pea Soup a.k.a Fava

                                   
                                    

 When it's cold outside you need something healthy and delicious to warm your families insides and lift their spirits, nothing hits the spot like yellow split pea soup. It's quick,easy healthy and not to mention easy on the pocket. Split pea soup is rich in proteins and it comes in two colors yellow and green, I love both, it's just that yellow looks prettier. This is an authentic Greek traditional dish and you can find it at almost all local taverns when travelling to Greece. You don't have to travel to Greece to have this yummy dish, take a walk at your local grocery store, they have plenty. I have been such a food aficionado all my life due to my family's  Greek culture but also to my dad's refined taste buds.He always appreciated a higher quality of food and Split Pea Soup falls under this category.  A higher quality of food!

Split Pea Soup is a.k.a pease pudding, it was made in Medieval Europe and it's a popular dish in the Greek culture a.k.a Fava which is served as an ( appetizer) meze. Fave can be prepared as a puree or you can make it a bit chunky, I prefer the puree. My mother served it as a main dish with a side dish of any type of seafood, I serve it with a side of bruschetta

Split Pea Soup of either color are rich in fiber which helps the digestive system. All peas contain manganese,potassium,copper, protein and vitamins such as B1 and B5. For all the above reasons Split Pea Soup is a perfect meal at any time of the day!

Ingredients

• 500 grams yellow split peas
• 1 medium sized onion chopped 
• 1 carrot shredded
• 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
• salt & pepper 
• 5 - 8 tablespoons of olive oil

 Take your split peas place in pot cover with water, place on stove and boil.When peas come to a boil drain them in a colander rinse with cold water and return to pot. Add all your ingredients and last add olive oil, saute for about 10 minutes. Cover peas with water, allow to boil until creamy and tender. Scoop batches of soup with a soup ladle, pour in a blender and mix until smooth. When serving drizzle with olive oil.

TIPS: a)  Use an immersion blender, this is faster and easier.
            b)  For a more spicy taste, use homemade broth or 1 beef knorr cube.
            c) If soup is too thick, thin it out by just pouring more water.

                                                     

KALE OREXI!!! Another fabulous dish from my kitchen to yours! 

Wild Asparagus

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Wild Asparagus, ( Black Bryony/Avriones) or Ovries as they are known locally here in Corfu. This wild asparagus is a sprout from Tamus Communis. It's name is derived from Bryonia Dioicia another wild plant which is poisonous and is not meant for eating. I really don't know why this mistaken in identity has taken place ;)   Wild Asparagus, is nature's gourmet food and the best part is that it's free. My mother in law is an expert when it comes to foraging and I'm an expert in executing a well prepared healthy meal. To me it looks like tiny asparagus. Avriones are simple to clean and simple to cook. They are three ways you can cook them boiled, baked and sauteed with tomato paste. I must admit they are bit bitter but pair them with lemon, fresh tomatoes and some feta and they automatically become a delicacy! 

Wild Asparagus

Ingredients

• 500 grams Bryony
• 1/2 teaspoon of oregano
• 5 tablespoons of olive oil
• parchment paper or clay pan
• lemon 
• salt & pepper to taste

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                     First, you clean them, place them in a colander and run water over them. Allow them to drip dry. Cut off some of the stem. Place them in parchment paper, add all of your ingredients cover and bake at 300 for 20 minutes. Take out squeeze lemon and serve as seen in picture. 

TIP: When using a clay pan cover with parchment paper before baking. 

Kale Orexi! Another great tasting dish from my kitchen to yours! 

Pan Fried Pork Chops in Chardonnay Sauce

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Pan Fried Pork Chops in Chardonnay Sauce 

Pork Chops in Chardonnay Sauce

Ingredients:

• 4 medium Pork chops with the bone
• 1 measuring cup or 275 grams Chardonnay
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 cup water
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 knorr cube
• 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind
• 2 tablespoons Worstershire sauce

Let's chat about pork chops. Pork Chops  are white meat that needs extra attention when cooking because you can easily  burn it. When choosing pork chops choose the ones with the bone, they are juicier when they are cooked. Pairing Pork  Chops with Chardonnay will jazz up your  dinner.This is a restaurant recipe that was given to me for the good of the blog. I tried it and the outcome was mouthwatering. In the original recipe it calls for white wine but I chose Chardonnay instead.  Another great recipe from my kitchen to yours! 

First, add salt and pepper to your pork chops on both  sides. Then dredge them in flour, pat well and set aside.

Secondly, add your olive oil in your skillet let it sizzle on high heat, then lower your  heat add your pork chops. Cook on both sides until they have a golden brown color. Remove from skillet and set aside again.

Thirdly, in the same skillet add you knorr cube and grated lemon rind saute for  about two minutes or until knorr cube has been dissolved. Place your pork chops back in the skillet add your Chardonnay sauce, cook on medium heat, cook for about minutes add you Chardonnay and let it cook until it starts to almost simmer add your Westershire sauce and allow it to simmer for a few minutes. Your juicy pork chops are ready,  Serve with mash potatoes add a tad bit of the sauce from the  sauce you made and your taste buds will be jiving!  Kale Orexi!



                           

My Pasta Creation!

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Pasta! Pasta! and some more Pasta! My family and I can never get enough of pasta anyway I cook it, it's always delicious and fulfilling. Pasta is an all purpose dish, vegan, meat, poultry, salad, eat as a main dish or as a side dish. My favorite pasta is spaghetti and creating my own sauces makes it even better! I would to also like to add, that pasta in any form or shape is also nutritious, yes, you read correctly, nutritious. Pasta contains iron, low sodium and it's cholesterol free, which makes it fat free. When you combine your pasta with solid food like meat or poultry you are providing a full balanced meal.

Take out your favorite pan and whip up this easy, delicious and healthy spaghetti dish. 

My Pasta Creation

Ingredients

• 2 large leeks
• 1 large onion
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1 tablespoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon fresh basil
• 3 sundried tomatoes
• 10 black kalamata olives

Take your pan and cover pan with olive oil add chopped garlic, onions and leeks and saute for about 20 minutes or until leeks become soft but don't change color.Add remaining ingredients and saute for another 10 minutes.  Boil your spaghetti as per package directions. When done add them to your pan and stir with all the ingredients.Serve hot with a glass of white wine,cheers! 

KALE OREXI!

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A Healthy Salad!

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A Healthy Salad! 

My first post for 2016 and I wanted it to be something healthy and quick. After all that meat eating and all those holiday time consuming meals. I decided to begin with something lighter,healthier and quicker, I created my Healthy Salad A  healthy salad always makes me feel better after misbehaving with the kitchen stove ;) 

A Healthy Salad

Ingredients

• 1 Romaine lettuce
• 1 cup arugula salad
• 1 cup pomegranate
• 1 cup walnuts
• Parmesan cheese (optional) 

 The most important part of this recipe is to clean both salads thoroughly, I can't stress it enough. Recalling an incident I had a few years back at a  local  restaurant. I ordered a romaine salad special and when it arrived and I took the first bite, something wasn't right and then I looked at the salad and the chopped up lettuce had soil, I mean really! Soil?? Wash, wash your salad! What I do is chop off the leaves one by one cut the stem a tad bit and rinse each one under running tap water. For the arugula I cut the stem up to the leaf place in a colander and rinse with plenty of water. Let your lettuce drip dry and chop it up as you see fit. Then, add to your chopped up salad in your  salad bowl and mix. Add your walnuts ( if you would like you can chop up you walnuts) I used them whole. Add you pomegranate  and mix. Add salt,balsamic vinegar and olive oil. For added flavor sprinkle some Parmesan cheese. ( I didn't sprinkle any Parmesan cheese my family didn't want it).

Kale Orexi from my kitchen to yours! 

Bruschetta

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                                                                  Bruschetta

The other day I was just sitting around and I needed a quick fix, ever feel like that? We all do at one point or another.  Took a few steps to my kitchen and opened up my cupboards and ran my eyes across the shelves and there was some leftover bread that I had brought from two days ago, hmmmm I thought how about some bruschetta, I had different types of cheese in the refrigerator,  some cold cuts and had a bit of white sweet wine. In just a few minutes I whipped up a quick fix lunch for me and my hubby, oh , my kids had leftover lunch from the other day. As you can see  it was a lazy kind of a day so I needed something quick and easy. Bruschetta hit the spot.

Bruschetta

Ingredients

• 1 left over bread
• 2 tomatoes
• 3 -4 garlic cloves
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 2 -3 fresh basil sticks

Take your left over bread and cut into slices. Place baking sheets on your rack ( makes cleaning easier) Sprinkle with water add chopped up tomato, few pieces of chopped garlic, sprinkle with olive oil and oregano. Bake for about 5 minutes on high. When done add basil on top and serve with cold cuts and cheese. KALE OREXI !!!!




                                                 

Pan Fried Bell Peppers with Tomatoes

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Pan Fried Bell Peppers with Tomatoes 

Pan Fried Bell Peppers with Tomatoes, A quick and easy dish! Peppers can be found year round but the best time for this recipe is the summer time, that's when they are in season, fresh out of our garden and onto our plates. Fried peppers are a  personal and cherished favorite of mine only because it was taught to me by my grandmother. When I prepare this recipe, images of good times, fun times, relaxed and carefree summer days come to mind. The scent of  Pan Fried Bell Peppers in olive oil takes your culinary taste to another level. Back in the days when I lived with my paternal grandmother, I  would sit right beside her, in her outside fireplace, where she cooked on an open fire as she used olive wood and olive oil, I waited patiently for the first batch of fried peppers and to just start eating. The aroma that lingered in her outside fireplace, for a little while after she had finished the frying... mmmmm I could almost touch this memory! The tomatoes give the peppers a delightful succulent taste.

TIP: For the perfect fried peppers make sure your oil is quite hot and make sure you don't put one too many in the pan or they will not fry properly. They even taste better if have  fresh brick oven rustic bread.

Pan Fried Bell Peppers with Tomatoes

Ingredients

• 2 pounds green bell peppers
• 1 large tomato
• Olive Oil 
• salt 

Cut your peppers into pieces large enough to fit on a fork add salt and mix.

Cut your large tomato in small pieces and set aside for later use.

Add a bit more oil then just to cover the pan but not too much or your peppers will boil not fry.

In about 15 minutes of frying on high, they should start looking charred, 

Add your tomato allow to fry for about 5 minutes if more is needed allow them longer frying time.

That's it they are ready to serve as an appetizer or a side dish! 

KALE OREXI!! 

Bacon and chili peppers bean soup

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                                       Bacon and Chili Peppers Bean Soup

                                                

                          

     

Good morning  my fellow readers/followers, I'm just so excited this week! I belong  to an amazing group on facebook called Foodify, and this week we had the Fall Soup Challenge which I was thrillled to join, This was my first food challenge and I loved it!! We had to use only 6 ingredients and for me ( as you know I love spices & various ingredients) so using just 6 ingredients was a real challenge for me! My creation was Bean Soup with bacon and chili peppers, we are legumes lovers in my house. I chose legumes because they are  healthy and adding chili peppers to it just makes a perfect fall soup! I bring another great recipe from my kitchen to yours. KALE OREXI!!!

Ingredients

• 1 pound small white kidney beans
• 1/2 celery stick
• 5 bacon slices
• 1 chili pepper
• 1 medium sized onion
• 1 medium sized tomato
• 1/4 cup oilive oil
• salt & pepper to taste

 I soaked my legumes (kidney- beans) over night. The following day I boiled them and drained drained them in a colander. I chopped up all the ingredients and added them in the pot. I sauted for about 10 minutes, added 8 glasses of water( if needed add more. Boil on high for about 1 hr. When they have softened place on low heat and allow to simmer until legumes have reached an almost creamy taste. 

Check out my fellow Foodify Soup Contributors

Athina Pantazatou

Parvathy V Nair

Baked Ziti

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Baked Ziti 

I haven't reinvented the wheel nor is this a special or traditional Greek dish but Baked Ziti, marks a certain time of my teen life and it signifies who I am today. This is enough for me to make it a dish of quality and merit.

Just like my Chicken Parmesan my Baked Ziti recipe was also taught to me by my high school teacher Ms.Frangas. Both these recipes hold so many memories. They are reminder of laughter, tears, fears and many accomplishments that rooted from my high school and its faculty. Each time I prepare and serve this dish, I feel as if I am back in that little kitchen, were it all began. I recall the first time one the classes used a microwave, as they were waiting for the cake to be baked and to their surprise the cake didn't change color like it did in the oven so they kept adding more cooking time and the end result, well they needed a chainsaw to cut it. (LOL) The good ole' times of IAK HIGH ( as we liked to call it).     Once again taking another opportunity to thank my high school teacher Ms. Frangas. Thank You, your cooking classes were entertaining and educational. 

Baked Ziti

Ingredients

• 1 package 16 ounce Penne
• 1 Jar  Ragu Sauce( I made my own)
• 1/2 pound Ricotta Cheese ( You can add adjust cheese portion according to your taste) 
• 1/2 pound grated mozzarella cheese ( same as above) 
• salt & pepper to taste

Boil your pasta as per package instructions, make sure they are al dente. 

When pasta is ready, place in a pan add, your ricotta cheese and mix,

Add your mozzarel and parmesan cheese and mix.

Add your sauce and sprinkle some more mozzarella cheese.

Bake in oven at 356 for about 20 minutes or until cheese has melted.

Before serving sprinkle with parmesan cheese, your Baked Ziti is ready!

KALE OREXI!!!! 

Greek Garlic Potato Dip a.k.a Skordalia

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Greek Garlic Potato Dip a.k.a Skordalia

Greek garlic potato dip a.k.a Skordalia is  another Greek traditional recipe. It's name is taken from the word skordo which means garlic, hence skordalia and if you are a garlic lover, then this dish is perfect for you, it's potent, so make sure you have extra mints lying around :) This is a dish that is usually made on Greek Independance Day, at our our house we made it a few times more. It was my dad's favorite and of course mine so we didn't wait till holidays came around, any day was a good day for skordalia. My sweet mom would never make enough. We would always wipe the bowl clean! Back in the days when blenders were not known  they used a pestle and mortar, yes we had one in the house and that's how my mom made Greek garlic potato dip ( skordalia) I use a mixer blender. If you are using a pestle and mortar for Greek Garlic potato dip ( skordalia), I suggest you use a wooden one, stone is too heavy and let me not forget when using these tools it's a bit more time consuming but for some reason it tastes better.

This garlic dip is usually served with boiled cod fish or beer battered cod fish with a side dish of beets. Variation servings with bread, vegetables, bread sticks etc. Skordalia is very simple to make all you need is potato, garlic and olive oil.  If you do a google sreach you will find many variations. Some use bread, almonds,  walnuts and lemon but this is the way it was made traditionally. Greek Garlic Potato Dip is usually served with a white wine or Retsina 

Greek Garlic Potato Dip 

Ingredients

• 2.2 pounds potatoes
• 5 garlic cloves ( crushed or minced)
• 1/3 cup of olive oil
• salt to taste
• Rustic bread  to spread your dip on

Peel and boil your potatoes on high until tender and mashable. If you us e a mixer place your garlic with 1/3 cup olive oil and chop up your garlic add your potatoes and mix. Empty out the mix into a bowl. Add your next batch of potatoes in the mixer, mix and add them to the garlic mix, add salt for taste.  Repeat the process until you are finished with the potatoes. Serve them with boiled cod fish and beets or beer battered cod fish.

If you use a pestle and mortar mash you garlic and slowly add your potatoes, you will have to remove them when it fills and then you repeat the process without the garlic. The more garlic you add the more potent it will become. Enjoy! Kale Orexi!! One more tasty recipe from my kitchen to yours :)

Beer Batter Recipe

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Beer Batter Recipe

Some people associate deep frying with winter but  I beg to differ. Just imagine, a perfect, beautiful breezy summer day hanging out with your friends and just wanting to sink your teeth in some crispy, deep fried munchies along with a cold beer to quench your thirst and cool you down. Making deep fried side dishes or heck even a main dish is a cinch. It doesn't take more than 5 minutes. 

So what is beer batter and why is it different than regular batter? Batter with simple beer of your choice, flour and of course a few other various ingredients.  Anything you fry with beer batter it automatically pairs with a cold one.

No frilly ingredients are needed for this recipe, these are ingredients you have lying around in your kitchen and you can just whip up a batch of anything deep fried. I use it with onions, zucchini, cod fish  bites, chicken nuggets and you can even deep fry pineapple with this beer batter. It makes everything crunchy on the outside and juicy on the inside.

Beer Batter

Ingredients:

• 2 cups flour (I prefer self rising flour )
• 1 can beer
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• salt & pepper to taste
• * hot chili pepper
• TIP: Once you think your oil is sizzling enough drop a little beer batter, if the batter starts to bubble and float your oil is ready!

So if your watching any game, say, like soccer, football, basketball, etc. make this batter in a jiffy and start deep frying. 

TIP: You can add chili powder, hot pepper to the batter or small tiny pieces of chili pepper.

I used this beer batter to make deep fried onions and they came out perfect! 

Dip them in the batter and with tongs take them out let them drip and place in the sizzling hot oil.

                                             

Place a paper towel on your plate so the oil can drain in it and then transfer to your serving platter.

   And once your onions are ready, you can prepare a nice platter combo

Kale Orexi!! Another great recipe from my kitchen to yours! 

Peas with potatoes in red sauce a.k.a Arakas Kokkinistos me patates

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Peas with potatoes in red sauce a.k.a Arakas Kokkinistos me patates 

Peas with potatoes in red sauce, this is a dish  I learned here in Greece after eating it at a local tavern.

A very simple recipe yet filled with nutrients and you can even call it a comfort food. I bet when you think of peas, a side dish comes to mind, but when you're Greek, like me ;) peas can be a main entree at your table. Peas are very healthy when raw but they are just as healthy when they are cooked. Did you know that a cup of peas  has less than 100 calories but is packed with fiber, proteins, iron and micronutrients. No wonder most people in the Mediterranean live to be 100 or so. They knew what healthy living was all about.  When using fresh peas make sure you shell them right before you cook them, fresh peas should be cooked in less than 3 days when shelled. I remember when I was a child my mom used to buy a bag for $1 from our local grocery store and I used to eat them the same way I ate potato chips. I loved that crunch in my mouth!

Peas and potatoes a.k.a Arakas Kokkinistos me patates can also be made with lemon instead of tomato paste and if you like you can even omit the potatoes and just have the peas. Either way it's a scrumptious dish for the whole family!!

In this recipe I used frozen peas but if you have fresh ones it will make it taste even better.

Just a small tip, you need bread for this recipe! You can shop for your ingredients right here through my links, no need to go outside.



Peas with potatoes a.k.a Arakas  Kokkinistos me patates

Ingredients

• 2 pounds potatoes ( you can also use unpeeled baby potatoes) 
• 2 carrots (optional) 
• 2 tablespoons fresh or dry parsley
• 2 tablespoons fresh or dry dill
• 4 cups of  fresh/frozen/canned peas
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1 tablespoon dried McCormick Oregano
• 1 large tomato or 3 -4 plum tomatoes
• 2 - 3 tablespoons Hunt's tomato paste
• 1 large Onion ( you can use 3-4 fresh onion sprigs) 
• 1/2 cup olive oil ( This recipe must be cooked with olive oil) 
• 3- 4 cups of water depending on your pan
• salt & McCormick Black Pepper to taste

Peas with potatoes a.k.a Arakas

If you use frozen peas, place them in a colander and rinse very well.

Make sure the fresh peas you choose are pudgy , round and bright green.

To clean fresh peas. Snap off a small piece from one end as seen in the picture. When you snap it off you will see a green string, pull it all the way down, press the seam with your fingers and it will pop open. Using your finger, run down the pod and the peas will start rolling out.

Quarter your potatoes, place in a colander and rinse with water.

Chop your parsley up.

And  your dill up.

In a medium pan add your chopped up onions (or your fresh onion sprigs), garlic and tomatoes. Add olive oil and saute for about 5 minutes.

After you sauted your onions, garlic and tomatoes, add peas, parsley and dill, saute for another 5 minutes.

Add your potatoes and carrots saute for another 10 minutes

Add your water set on medium heat and let cook for about 30 minutes. I usually cook it a little bit longer we like the peas and potatoes well cooked. When it starts to simmer add 2 tablespoons of tomato paste.

And your potatoes with peas a.k.a Arakas me Patates Kokkinistos is read to serve! Another great dish from my kitchen to yours. KALE OREXI!!  I'm sure it will become a family favorite!