Omelet

Yum

The 7000 - Mile Omelet with a Greek twist

A few days ago I met a fellow blogger, her name is Maggie Zhu. She has a beautiful name just like me :)  but that's not all. We even have similiarities in our relationships with our soul mates, we both have/had long distance relationship ( now I'm married) . This hits so  close to home I just had to pick this recipe for the recipe exchange at a facebook forum, I added a bit of  a greek twist to it. She created this omelete while she was in China and her husband in New York, they cooked while they were on google hangout. I wish this existed a few years ago when I was dating my husband our phone bill would have been a lot less ;) 

This post contains affiliate links and if buy you through them you are helping me to grow my blog and add to my family income.

Recipe by Momzcuisine

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:


         For the omelet

• 4 tablespoons Olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic minced ( I  omitted this ingredient) 
• 2 cups mushrooms ( original recipe calls for shitake,enoki and white mushrooms) I used only white mushrooms)
• 1/2 tablespoon of crumbled greek feta cheese ( there's no feta in the original recipe) 
• 4 fresh eggs

        For the tomato sauce

• 1fresh tomato medium cubed
• 2 medium onion cubed
• 2 -4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh squeezed lemon juice  ( I used 1 tablespoon, we like it tangy ) 
• 1 teaspoon cilantro ( I used fresh parsley) Cilantro is a chinese version of parsley

       For the mushroom topping

• 2- 4 tablespoons butter
• 2 cups sliced mushrooms shitake, eryngii I used white mushrooms
• 1/8 teaspoons marjoram powder ( I used garlic)

First, make sure you have all your ingredients. Then wash your mushrooms thoroughly, I usually use a soft sponge and do each one separately.

Secondly, slice a small part from the stem, then slice your mushrooms as seen in the picture below.

Thirdly, in a skillet add 2- 4 tablespoons of olive oil, place on medium high heat until warm. Add your garlic saute for a few seconds then add your mushrooms cook until all liquid has evaportated, add salt and pepper and transfer to a plate and set aside. Add a dash of oregano.

Fourthly, your tomatoes,onions in abowl or plate. In the same skillet where you sauted your mushrooms, saute your garlic until fragrant, immediately pour over your tomatoes and onions. Add salt, pepper,  lemon juice and top with fresh parsley, set aside, return to make your omelete.

Finally, in a bowl, scarmble two eggs, salt and pepper to taste I also I feta cheese and omittde the garlic.

Add 2 - 4 tablespoon sof olive oil in skillet hear over medium high heat. Place your scrambled egg in skillet let it cook until the bottom is set, then add your mushrooms, flip over into a half moon shape. Cook a little bit more and serve, add the tomato sauce and it's ready to eat. I also added sweet potatoes,olives and feta cheese. I must say this was a fullfilling lunch. My family loved it. Thank you Maggie Zhu for sharing.   Maggie has more recipes at Omnivores Cook Book

Another great dish from Mommy's Kitchen ! KALE OREXI !!!

Stuffed Eggplants

Yum

Stuffed Eggplants a.k.a Pappoutsakia ( translates to tiny shoes in Greek) and if your from Englang Eggplants are called Aubergines. Pappoutsakia are a popular dish all over Greece, they are served at almost every tavern and even at a fancy restaurant. 

Stuffed Egg Plants a.k.a Pappoutsakia ( tiny shoes) 

Recipe by Mommy's Kitchen

Prep time: 1:20 hr
Cook time: 30 minutes
Total time: 1:50 min
Yield: 5 -6 servings
Ingredients

• 5 - 6 eggplants
• 2 pounds minced meat,if your a vegetarian subsititute the minced meat with soya meat
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 regular onions
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 2 tomatoes
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1 whole nutmeg
• 4 cloves
• 1 teaspoon cinammon
• 8 cups of milk
• 16 tablespoons of all purpose flour
• 1/3 cup of butter
• 1/2 cup of olive oil
• salt & pepper to taste

Most of my ingredients are McCormick, I really like this brand. 

                                       

                                                   

Chop your onions, tomatoes and garlic.Add them to your pot add half cup of oil, 1 teaspoon oregano, salt and pepper to taste. Saute for about 5 min.

Add your minced meat, saute for another 10 minutes, until meat is brown as shown in picture below.

                  

          

                   

Add about 4 cups of water or until meat is covered

                

It should be ready in 45 min. When it's halfway done add tomato paste, cinammon,nut meg ( grate the whole nutmeg about 1/3 of it) cloves, salt and pepper to taste

 *  Before you stuff them, you can either boil them for about 15 min. or you can bake them for about 20 min. This is done to to make them softer and easier to cut when serving. Most people bake them,I prefer to boil them. 

Once you scoop them out, drizzle them with salt,place them in a colander and let them drip for about 20 min. Boil or bake them, then stuff them.  If you boil them let them drip dry and then stuff them.

I had scooped these out during the summer and I placed them in the freezer.

This is how your sauce should look like when ready

Before you stuff them add salt for taste.

Leave abou 4 tablespoons of sauce on the side

Click here for instructions to make bechamel

Cover with the becahmel and bake at 350 for 30 min. or until brown.

                                 

           

You can serve it with sauce and parmeasean or just as is.

For your sauce add 2 cups of water, 5 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 tablespoons tomato paste, a dash of cinammon, nutmeg, oregano and two cloves, boil and let simmer for about 20 min. 

          

           

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

Baked Beans Greek Style a.k.a Yigandes Plaki

Baked Beans 

This is a traditional Greek dish and it's served at all local taverns, a famous dish and especially during lent It's a cherished dish with my family.Most people bake them without sauteing the ingredients, I prefer this way, I find that it gives it a better flavor. If you have a Terracotta pan, bake them there, they taste better. If you can't find Greek large beans ( Yigandes) you can use Lima beans or any large beans that they sell in your area.

Ingredients

500 grams large beans

1 large tomato, finely chopped

1 large onion,finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 big bay leaves

*1 tablespoon parsley ( I omit this ingredient, don't like it in my beans) 

1/2 cup of olive oil

1 teaspoon oregano ( fresh)

2- 3 cups water

salt and pepper to taste

* Petimezi-  this is a thick-non - fermented grape juice. Some people use this so it can give the recipe a tangy sweet taste. You can find this at Greek stores as I have said before, if you live in New York, take a walk down to Astoria, you will find all of your Greek ingredients. I have never used this ingredient, once in a while I might add 1/2 teaspoon of sugar and 2 tablespoons of vinegar.

The beans I buy need soaking overnight 8 -12 hours 9 ( this depends on your beans brand) U.S. Lima beans ( equivalent to these large beans) might not need soaking. 

The next morning drain and wash them. Boil them for 5 minutes, drain and wash them again.

Chop your tomato,onion and garlic into small pieces and place in your pan. Add salt, pepper, olive oil and oregano. Saute for about 10 minutes then add beans.

Saute for about another 15 minutes, cover them with water cook for an hour  or until soft,

cook on high heat. Sprinkle fresh oregano.

When they are almost done add your tomato paste and bay leaves 

Cook and simmer for about 20 minutes, then add them to your baking pan. Bake for about 45 minutes at 356, when done take your bay leaves out.They are ready to serve.

TIP: When you are baking them cover them with baking paper so they will not burn and turn black.Serve with red semi sweet wine or  a tall cold beer which I prefer. Orange juice for the kids and Kale Orexi !

Orange Salad

                                                    Orange Salad


The first time I ever tried this was with my father - in- law, a humble man, with very simple ways. He couldn't believe that I had never tried this before. So, I would like to say thank you,  to my father-in -law for introducing me to this wonderful, refreshing recipe. A simple man that knows his food! This type of recipe will work very well with Sunkist Oranges, we use Merlin Oranges, delicious !!

Ingredients
2- 3 Oranges
Olive Oil
red mild pepper
Bread

TIP: This recipe tastes better when  you have Greek bread. If you live in New York, head down to Astoria, plenty of Greek Bread. If you have an Italian Bakery store near your neighborhood, they carry an equivalent to Greek Bread.

                                                       

For the children I usually use 1 and 1/2 orange for a small plate.

Cut the oranges in small pieces, add as much oil as you would like, sprinkle with red pepper and it's ready !! In under 5 minutes ! 

Zucchini Pie a.k.a kolokithopita

This is a mommy's dish, my mommy is the best! This originates from a little island called Mathraki seven miles away from Corfu, my island of residency.  A sweet, warm loving lady who just cooked away to please her family and made sure we always had something cooked. She taught me the basics of cooking and all her little kitchen secrets. Coming home from school with my siblings and walking up to the house we could smell the aroma the pie from the driveway, it's a sweet dish. I dedicate this post to her. I have made this pie many times but it always seems that my mommy's always tastes  better !! I love you mom for all you've done for all of us ! 

Ingredients

Dough

6 pounds of zucchinis ( should make 2 large pizza pans ) 

3 - 4  pounds of onions 

1 teaspoon of oregano 

1 teaspoon mint

1 1/2 cup flour ( depends)

* 2 eggs ( depends) 

salt & pepper to taste

red pepper

Olive Oil 

Cut the zucchini and your onions up in tiny pieces by hand ( do not use a cutting machine it will turn watery ) I have tried this, I love to use pots to mix ingredients.

Mix all the ingredients together, beat the eggs separately and add it to mixture. 

* TIP, if you are vegetarian you can omit the eggs. Start adding flour slowly and mixing until all ingredients are bound together, be careful not to add too much flour or it will become tasteless, just enough until it looks thickened. Also add less than  1/3 cup olive oil in the mixture, salt and pepper to taste.

I have showed you in a previous post how to make your dough. Before placing it in the pan, brush it with olive oil. The rolled out dough should overlay the pan so  you will be able to make your crust.

My mommy is making the pie,add your mixture. Your mixture should cover the whole pan, don't try to make it thick. she's turning the pan counter clock wise and turning the dough inside making the crust. it's real simple once you get the hang of it.

 Then create your crust and sprinkle your crust with olive oil and sprinkle the pie with red pepper, you can put spicy or mild red pepper I use spicy red pepper. It' will be the  sweetest dish you've ever had. Bake in your  oven for 45 minutes at 356 Fahrenheit

My mommy's pie is ready and I'm sharing it with you. One taste and you will have seconds and thirds and etc. KALE OREXI !! 

TIP: If  your not sure if the bottom is baked take a fork and lift it up from the sides. If you have any questions about this recipe or any other recipe, feel free to contact me !!