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 :)

Deep Fried Zucchini Burgers in Red Sauce

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Deep Fried Zucchini Burgers in Red Sauce

The other day my kids wanted burgers but I didn't have enough minced meat and of course I was too lazy to go shopping. It was just one of those days where you cook with what you have handy. I opened my refriegrator and guess what, I had some extra fresh zucchini, hmmm, I thought to myself, time to improvise, how about some Deep Fried Zucchini Burgers  drowned in red sauce. The outcome was, well take a look for yourself. The plates were wipped clean with some rustic bread. Deep Fried Zucchini Burgers in red sauce, besides deep frying you can also bake them. I have tried both ways and I prefer deep fried, just a personal option. If burgers is not your choice then turn them into meatballs. 

Zucchini Burgers in Red Sauce

Ingredients:

• * 1 pound minced meat
• 1/2 - 1 pound shredded fresh zucchini 
• 2 slices rustic bread ( or any bread you have laying around) 
• 4 tablespoons of Pillsbury self rising flour
• 1 egg beaten
• 1 cup milk
• 1 medium tomato (diced) 
• 1 medium  onion (diced)
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon mint

Red Sauce:

Ingredients:

• 1 regular sized onion
• 1 medium tomato
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 2 garlic cloves
• nutmeg
• 3 cloves
• oregano
• salt & pepper to taste

*  If you are vegetarian you can use soy protein vegetaria meat

Place your chop meat, in a bowl or pot which ever is more convenient for you. I usually use a pot. Soak your bread in milk for a few minutes, take it out wring it and crumble it in your mince meat, add  all your other ingredients and mix. Your burgers might need a bit more flour, don't be afraid add some more. The bread makes the burgers more fluffy and juicy.

For your red sauce, 

Combine all your ingredients together saute for about 5 minutes add 1 and 1/2 cup of water, boil on high 30 minutes. When sauce is ready to simmer add tomato paste and put on low heat and let simmer until sauce thickens and set aside. When it's simmering add some grated nutmeg and your cloves.

Stuffed Eggplants

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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 !! 

Wacky Moussaka

                                                       Moussaka with a twist


One more of my holiday dishes, as repeated many times before, my mom used to wake up early on Sunday to make us special dishes. She was so mommy type. I guess I have inherited most of her qualities and expertise, like cooking. The only difference is I don't need a Sunday or a holiday I just cook my recipes when I'm in the mood. This is a recipe you will find in many local taverns and in well known Greek Restaurants in the States. In the original recipe everything is layered and  the green bell peppers are not included. The green bell peppers were my dearest cousins idea, who I love like a sister. The peppers add a sweetness to the dish.

For this recipe I used a round pan 14 inch wide to 4 inches deep


Ingredients

2 1/2 pounds of chop meat
1 large onion
1 large tomato
3  garlic cloves
3 - 4 pounds of egg plant
3- 4 pounds of zucchini
3-4  large potatoes
2-3 pounds green bell peppers
4 cloves
1/2 teaspoon of oregano ( fresh would be better)
1 whole Nutmeg
1/3 teaspoon of cinnamon
salt & pepper to taste
Olive Oil ( for frying)

Parmesan cheese

For the bechamel
Regular milk
1 can or 2 cups evaporated milk
2 large eggs
pepper to taste



                             

Take your large tomato, onion and garlic cloves and cut them into small pieces either using a blender or with a knife. I used a knife add 1/3 cup of oil to saute for about 5 minutes.

Add the chop meat,oregano, salt & pepper to taste, saute for about 15 minutes or until brown.

I love capturing the smoke it makes it seem like you can reach out and taste it.

Yummy !

Cover it with water and let it boil for about 45 minutes or an hour.

When the chop meat is almost ready to simmer add 3 tablespoons of tomato paste, grind some whole nutmeg with a knife, add 4 cloves and 1/3 teaspoon of cinnamon. Stir everything together and let it simmer slowly until it becomes thick. TIP: If you are a vegan eater you can substitute the chop meat with soya meat.

Once the sauce is done go to your potatoes. Cut a bowl of round potatoes and place them in a colander add salt and let them drain for about 15 minutes.

If they large enough cut them in the middle and then slice them. It make sit easier to slice them when they are in half rather than whole.

This is how thick the potato should be.

Don't over fry them, just a little bit until soft.When you fry them place on a plate with paper towels so the oil can drain out. 

Next slice and  fry your vegetables

Cut eggplant as seen in picture with the knife shown. If you try to use a straight knife it will not work. Place them in a strainer add salt and let them sit for about 15 minutes.Water will drain out of them.

Then fry them, don't over fry.

Slice,salt and fry your zucchini.

Slice, salt and fry your bell peppers

After all your vegetables have been fried and drained from oil. place everything in the pan in no particular order.

After add your chopmeat and mix everything together. Pack it very well  in a circular motion so you can even out all the ingredients.

Set to the side 4 tablespoons of the chopmeat so you can make your sauce. Add 2 cups of water, less than 1/3 cup of olive oil, grind whole nut meg, 2 cloves, a pinch of cinnamon, salt, pepper and oregano. Set aside until you are ready to boil it. Boil until it becomes thick. 

Make your bechamel, I have provided a step by step of how to make the bechamel in my pastichio post. Here you will use two cups of evaporated milk, 4 tablespoons of butter, 1 whole egg beaten, and  a pinch of pepper or ground nutmeg. I prefer pepper in the pudding, It wipes out the scent of the egg a lot better. 

When your bechamel is ready, layer it on top of your Wacky Moussaka.

1 scrambled egg to brush on top of the Moussaka so it will give it a nice golden brown color.

It's ready for the oven !

TIP: Add a larger pan filled with water because sometimes it tends to spill some oil.

This protects your oven. Cook at 356 Fahrenheit for 30 minutes.  When it's ready let it cool for 30 minutes or you will not be able to cut it in pieces, it will fall apart.

Have your sauce ready !

Cut your Wacky Moussaka, add your sauce, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve !!!

With the pan I used I served 10 pieces. 

I usually sprinkle Kefalonian feta cheese, but that's personal choice ;)

Kale Orexi to all my readers !!!

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