Fasolada (Φασολάδα)

If people really are what they eat, then I am convinced that Greeks (and many Italians) are in no small part composed of various pulses. Growing up in a Greek household means that you have either learned to enjoy or to dread that next meal consisting of beans, lentils, and/or chickpeas; whether they are dried, fresh, roasted, baked, or boiled, believe me, we have had our fill.

True Greek soul food. Click to Enlarge Image.

Since the remotest antiquity, pulses have been a fundamental staple of Greek food culture. Indeed, beans were such a familiar item to Homer that he used a bouncing bean simile to describe the manner in which an arrow deflected from the armour of King Menelaus in a mortal encounter (Iliad, Book XIII, 589). And depending on whom you believe, Pythagoras either admonished against, or eagerly encouraged his fellows in the consumption of beans.

Best thing about beans? They’re cheap! Next best thing about beans? They are good for you. Third best thing about beans? They are easy to cook. Everybody wins with beans, unless one happens to be near the end of the Lenten fasting period…

For Greeks, the 40 day pre-Easter Lenten fast means beans have been quite common over the last little while, which means we are eagerly looking forward to the Paschal lamb this coming Easter Sunday. So, I will wish you all a Happy Easter and Καλή Ανάσταση! As a bonus, I will share with you what went into my last bowl of fasolada for quite some time to come. ;-)

This is my own version of the rustic bean soup which is a Lenten friendly dish and makes for a hearty vegan meal.

Ingredients:

1 lb dried haricot (white kidney) beans
2 medium sized carrots, sliced into discs
2 medium cooking onions, diced
2 stalks of celery, sliced thin
1 cup tomato sauce (i.e. pommodoro) or 3 finely diced tomatoes.
1 medium sized parsnip, quartered and thinly sliced
1 tbsp. dried rosemary
1 tbsp. dried thyme
3 bay leaves
¼ cup of olive oil
4 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
4 - 6 garlic cloves, whole or halved
Salt and pepper

1. Soak beans overnight in roughly three times their volume of water.
2. Dump beans into a colander and rinse well before use.
3. Put 3 quarts of water in a pot, add the beans and bring to a boil over high heat. Skim away surface foam as it develops. Boil beans for 15 minutes, continuing to skim away surface foam using a wooden spoon. At the 15 minute mark, skim off the last bit of foam and dump the pot’s contents into a colander to strain and rinse the beans. Also rinse the pot well.
4. Put another 3 quarts of fresh water in the pot, bring it to a boil and add the beans. After 5 minutes, skim any remaining surface foam that may develop, and then add all of the remaining ingredients into the pot. Stir the contents of the pot well and when it has resumed boiling, cover the pot with its lid slightly ajar and let it simmer over low heat for 2 hours (or until the beans are soft). Stir occasionally and check to ensure ample liquid in the pot to keep the beans from sticking to the bottom. Though it is technically a soup, you do not want a very runny fassoulada, nor do you want one that is thick and gooey, so monitor the water content of the pot and add a cup or so if necessary.
   

ΚΑΛΟ ΠΑΣΧΑ! HAPPY EASTER!

Sam Sotiropoulos
Greek Gourmand™
http://www.greekgourmand.com
Greek Food Recipes and Reflections
Copyright © 2008, Sam Sotiropoulos. All Rights Reserved.

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Prasorizo - Leeks and Rice (Πρασόρυζο)

Many of you are likely already familiar with the Greek dish, Spanakorizo (spinach and rice), but how many of you have tried Prasorizo? Leeks have been a part of the Greek pantry for millenia. In ancient Greece, there were leek growing competitions and the largest specimens were awarded as offerings to the gods.

Prasorizo - served with a lemon wedge

The fresh green onions and garlic are excellent complements to the leeks in this dish as they are all part of the genus Allium. This dish is vegan and fast-friendly. However, for those of you who are not (or only partially) fasting, some real Greek Feta cheese also goes well with this dish, whether on the side, or crumbled over top as a finishing touch.

An easy and quick Greek recipe that is tasty and seasonal.

Ingredients:

3 large leeks sliced into thin discs

4 - 6 green onions sliced

1 yellow onion, diced

1 cup long grain rice

½ cup of extra-virgin olive oil

¼ cup pine nuts

¼ cup of chopped parsley

4 garlic cloves, pressed/minced

1 heaping tablespoon full of dried Greek oregano

2 ½ cups of water

Salt & fresh ground black pepper to taste

1. Heat the olive oil in a pot over a medium heat.
2. Add the leeks and onions to the oil stir well and sauté until soft (cover the pot for 3 -5 minutes).
3. Add the rice and sauté for 2 more minutes mixing well to coat the rice with oil.
4. Add garlic, pine nuts and parsley to the pot, mix and heat through for another minute.
5. Add seasonings and gradually add 2 cups of water in stages, stir/shake pot to thoroughly incorporate.
6. Once all the water has been added and the pot’s contents brought to a boil, turn the heat down to medium-low and cover the pot to simmer for 20 minutes.
7. Periodically uncover the pot and give the contents a stir/shake. At the 5-minute mark, uncover the pot, give the contents a stir and, if necessary, add the remaining ½ cup of water. Cover and finish cooking.
8. When the cooking has elapsed, leaving the pot covered, remove it from the heat and set it aside to stand for 10 minutes.
9. Garnish with sesame seeds and serve with a lemon wedge.

Makes 4 servings

Total preparation time: 45 minutes.

Kali Orexi! Bon Appetit!

Sam Sotiropoulos
Greek Gourmand™
http://www.greekgourmand.com
Greek Food Recipes and Reflections
Copyright © 2008, Sam Sotiropoulos. All Rights Reserved.

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Blood Orange Spelt Loaf Cake

Blood Orange Spelt Loaf Cake

How to make Blood Orange Spelt Loaf Cake. A delightful blood orange loaf cake with a moist light texture, mouthwatering freshness and an irresistible burst of citrus flavour.

Blood Orange Spelt Loaf Cake

- inspired by Taste of Home

190 g Spelt pastry flour 80 g Light brown sugar 40 g White sugar 2 tsp Baking powder 1/2 tsp Salt 120 ml Corn oil 250 ml Freshly squeezed blood orange juice Zest of one orange 2 Large egg whites Orange caramel sauce to serve, optional Powdered sugar to serve, optional

1. Line a 30x11x7 cm loaf pan with baking paper. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F.
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the spelt pastry flour, sugars, baking powder, and salt. 
   Add in corn oil, blood orange juice and the zest. Beat with a hand mixer until smooth.
3. In the bowl of your stand mixer, beat the egg whites until stiff. Fold into blood orange-oil mixture in 2-3 additions until blended and smooth.
4. Bake in the middle of hot oven for about an hour or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to wire rack to cool completely. Dust with powdered sugar or drizzle with caramel sauce if desired.

How to make Blood Orange Spelt Loaf Cake

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Gigantes Beans with Bacon & Cretan Graviera Cheese (Γίγαντες με Μπέικον και Γραβιέρα)

Now that the first week of the New Year 2010 has come and gone, we have another fifty-one to look forward to, and I wish all of my readers the Very Best for the rest of 2010! I want to thank those of you who sent along your kind words and wishes over the Holiday period. Our family celebrated with a traditional cutting of the Vasilopita and a New Year’s Day late lunch at my in-laws’ home. It was a day filled with family, great Greek food, fun, and custom; we look forward to many more days filled with the same.

A serving of my Gigantes with bacon and Cretan Graviera cheese - Click to enlarge image

In the spirit of ushering in a New Year with something novel, I offer my own spin on one of the classic dishes of Greek cookery: a baked bean dish that we call “Gigantes” (pronounced ‘YEE-ghan-dess’) after the name of the extra large runner beans that are its main ingredient. Five varieties of Gigantes beans have been registered as PDO/ PGI produce within the European Union by the Greek government. Gigantes beans are cultivated primarily in the area of Lake Prespa, in the north-western part of the Greek region of Macedonia, but they are universally enjoyed throughout Greece.

Dried Gigantes beans - Click to enlarge image

Many of the local dishes in the northern Florina prefecture include variations on a red pepper theme. In particular, the spicy red “Florina pepper” (a cultivar of the species Capsicum anum) is used widely in regional specialties. This variety of pepper is peculiar to the area, and is much sought after in Greece and throughout the Balkans for its distinctive flavour and heat. Florina peppers are enjoyed in several ways; they are pickled (toursi in Greek), sliced raw into salads, as well as dried and crushed into red pepper flakes known as “boukovo”. Within Greece, the use of these peppers (and/or the boukovo flakes) in a baked Gigantes dish is unique to this locality.

Baked to perfection! - Click to enlarge image

Now, I have long enjoyed southern Greek versions of baked Gigantes, but when I was first introduced to the spicy northern variation I was immediately hooked. I have a thing for spicy dishes, especially during the winter months here in Canada. Thus, I thought it might be fitting to share my own seasonal spicy and savoury variation on the classic baked Gigantes theme. In addition to the boukovo, I added two unconventional ingredients to my recipe: thick-cut bacon and mild-flavoured Cretan Graviera cheese. The result was simply mouth-watering and I hope you will give this Greek comfort food recipe a try.

Ingredients:

½ lb. dried Gigantes beans
¼ lb. Cretan Graviera cheese
2 - 3 slices extra-thick cut bacon
1 medium sized onion
1 red bell pepper (diced)
1 cup strained tomato pulp/sauce
½ cup Olive oil
3 garlic cloves
A small bunch of Parsley, finely chopped
1 tbsp. Boukovo or red pepper (chilli) flakes
1 tbsp. dried Greek oregano
Salt & pepper

1. Soak the dried Gigantes beans overnight (use at least a 3:1 ratio of water to beans).
2. Rinse and add rehydrated beans to a generous pot of boiling water and cook for 45 minutes over a medium heat, until the beans are soft. Using a large spoon, periodically skim away any surface foam that may develop.
3. In a large sized skillet/pan, fry off the bacon until cooked but not completely crisped, then remove the bacon from pan but retain the fat. Cut the bacon into thin strips and set aside.
4. Add the diced onion to the pan with the bacon fat and sauté until soft.
5. Press and add garlic to the pan along with two tablespoonfuls of olive oil; stir for a few turns and then add the diced red pepper for several turns/tosses. Season with oregano, salt and pepper to taste.
6. Stir in the tomato sauce along with 1 cup of water and half the bacon strips along with the chopped parsley and boukovo, bring to a boil, then lower heat to medium-low and let simmer for 15 – 20 minutes.
7. Preheat oven to 375°F/190°C and place an earthenware/stoneware/clay baking vessel in the oven to warm. (I prefer to use a Pampered Chef ® square stoneware baking dish).
8. When the beans are cooked (i.e. soft), drain them and add them to the pan with the sauce to combine.
9. Take the heated vessel out of the oven, add the beans to it, pour the remaining olive oil over top and return to oven. Bake for 35 minutes.
10. Remove baking vessel from oven; add cubed cheese and bacon strips over top of the beans and bake for another 10 minutes until the cheese has melted.
    

Serve immediately along with some chewy sourdough village-style bread.

Makes 4 servings.

Note: If you like Gigantes beans, you may also enjoy my Pan-Fried Gigantes recipe.


Pànta Kalà (Always Be Well),

Sam Sotiropoulos
Greek Gourmand™
http://www.greekgourmand.com
Greek Food Recipes and Reflections
Copyright © 2008, Sam Sotiropoulos. All Rights Reserved.

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Kourabiedes (Κουραμπιέδες)

Christmas provides another opportunity for Greeks to celebrate a holiday season with family and friends. Here in North America, we celebrate Christmas much like many others; we decorate trees, exchange gifts, and enjoy festive meals with relatives and close acquaintances. We also remember those who are less fortunate, and we show our gratitude for all we have by providing a helping hand to those who need it most. In the Spirit of the Season, I would like to ask each of my readers to click here for an easy and free way to help people in need via The Hunger Site. It will only take a moment of your time, it will not cost you anything, and you will be helping to ensure somebody somewhere gets a meal they desperately need. Thank you for your kind consideration.

Now, on to the fun stuff- a sweet Greek recipe!

One of the quintessential Greek holiday cookies is immediately recognizable by its confectionery sugar- dusted coat. Though they may be made in a variety of shapes, Kourabiedes (pronounced “koo-rah-bee-YEH-thess”) are most often fashioned into an S shape or lady finger style biscuit. My own preference is for a round bite-sized type of cookie, and that is how I make them.

Kourabiedes are butter cookies traditionally baked for Christmas and Easter festivities, but they keep well when stored, so you can enjoy them with a morning Greek coffee long after both holidays have passed. In some regions of Greece, the Christmas Kourabiedes are adorned with a single whole spice clove embedded in each biscuit. This is done to commemorate the spices which were among the gifts presented by the Biblical Magi to the baby Jesus. As I am a soft touch for quaint sentimental customs, I add the spice cloves to my Kourabiedes at Christmas too.

During the Holidays, most Greek homes will have a plate of Kourabiedes on hand to share with guests. Each matron in any Greek household on the planet has a family recipe for these cookies. Nonetheless, there are some universal points of confluence among the variations. One prerequisite for fine Kourabiedes is that they are light and fluffy- airy to the point of being slightly brittle to the touch; and, they must NOT taste of flour. I have tried many Kourabiedes in my time, most were good, some were bad, but they all had a little raw almond in the mix to keep the mastication interesting, as the rest of the cookie should practically melt on your tongue.

This recipe is from my mother in law, though I have added a twist or two of my own. (Note: the flour measurement is an approximation based on the resulting “feel” of the dough after its “rubbing”, more on that below.)

Ingredients:

7 ½ - 8 cups flour, sifted (“Five Roses” All Purpose, if you can find it)
1 lb good quality unsalted butter (Gay Lea is excellent)
1 lb Crisco® vegetable shortening
4 eggs
½ cup of well-chopped raw almonds
¼ cup mastic liqueur (or brandy)
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
Rosewater
Whole spice cloves
1 ½ cups powdered/confectionery sugar
Extra powdered/confectionery sugar for the dusting

1. In a deep pan, melt the butter together with the Crisco® vegetable shortening, then pour into a mixer bowl and start whisking at a moderately high speed for 10 minutes or so.
2. Add 1 ½ cup of powdered/confectionery sugar to the mixer bowl and continue whisking for another 10 minutes.
3. Add the baking soda and baking powder to the mastic liqueur (or brandy) and mix together thoroughly, then add liqueur to the mixer bowl and continue whisking for another 10 minutes.
4. Separate the egg yolks and whites of 2 of the eggs, then add the yolks to another bowl and add the remaining 2 eggs to that bowl. Combine and add the 4 yolks and 2 egg whites to the mixer bowl; continue mixing at medium-high speed for 30 – 40 minutes. (Save the 2 extra egg whites for a low-fat omelette on Boxing Day!) By this point the mixture should have the consistency of a velvety smooth well-whipped butter.
5. Add the chopped almonds to the mixer bowl and mix for a further few minutes.
6. Transfer the now velvety smooth mix to an extra large mixing bowl and roll up your sleeves.
7. In stages, without rushing, start adding the flour by sprinkling a cup at a time into the mixture. When incorporating the flour, once past mixing the initial paste, do not knead the dough; rather, you should hold the edge of the bowl with one hand and rub the flour into the dough with a downward spiral motion towards you. As you add flour, the dough will become harder to work and you must continue to “rub” it until soft again. Once you have incorporated the flour, test the consistency of the dough by rolling some between your palms. It should stay together and be very soft and malleable. The key is to make sure the dough will have enough rigidity to keep the cookies from going flat on your baking sheet while in the oven. You may need to add a little flour to achieve the desired consistency. However, be careful you don’t add too much flour and end up with hard cookies. This part may take you a few tries to perfect.
8. Once the dough is ready, break away small pieces (about the size of a walnut) and roll between your palms to form a sphere. Place your cookies on a greased or parchment paper lined baking sheet in neat rows.
9. Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C. Be sure to adjust the oven racks so that one is at the bottom of your oven and one at the top.
10. When your baking sheets are ready to go into the oven, start by putting one (or more) onto the bottom rack of your oven and bake the cookies for 20 minutes. Then, move that sheet (or sheets) to the top rack of the oven and put another one (or more) on the bottom rack. Bake the cookies on the top rack for a further 10 minutes before removing them from the oven. In this way, each cookie sheet will bake for approximately 30 minutes. Rotate the trays as needed if uneven browning occurs. The cookies are ready when small cracks start to appear in their surface and an even light golden-brown colour is achieved.
11. Remove cookies from oven and immediately sprinkle with rosewater such that a couple drops falls on each cookie.
12. Take several trays/flat pans and sprinkle their bottoms to completely cover them with powdered/confectionery sugar. Place still warm cookies onto these trays/pans in neat rows and proceed to sprinkle a first covering layer of powdered/confectionery sugar over top.
13. Once all the cookies have been covered with the first sprinkling of powdered/confectionery sugar, let the cookies stand to cool for a few hours (overnight if possible).
14. Dust the biscuits with another thicker coating of powdered/confectionery sugar and then serve or store. (Note: If you add the spice cloves to the cookies you will need to slightly wet your fingertip with a little rosewater and dab overtop of the sugar covered cloves to make them appear again. Cookies can be stored in plastic Tupperware® style containers with lids that seal closed.)
    

Makes anywhere from 75 - 100 cookies, depending on their size.

*A word to the wise on eating and serving Kourabiedes: I remember viewing a TV show where Chef Gordon Ramsay choked because he inhaled while taking a bite of one of these cookies. Not to worry, Chef, we’ve all been there! LOL! So, whatever you do, do not breathe in (or out) through your mouth when biting into one of these biscuits; the powdered sugar will either end up in your larynx or on your clothes, or both! A glass of water will help once the coughing subsides. Always make sure to serve Kourabiedes with a glass of cold water. ;)



Wishing Celebrants a Very Merry Christmas, and Compliments of the Season to All!

Sam Sotiropoulos
Greek Gourmand™
http://www.greekgourmand.com
Greek Food Recipes and Reflections
Copyright © 2008, Sam Sotiropoulos. All Rights Reserved.

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