Monthly Archives: November 2015

Mince Pie ( easy make)

 

Ingredients

 

  • 300g plain flour, plus more for dusting
  • 200g butter
  • 100g icing sugar
  • 3 tbsp cold water
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 1 jar mincemeat

 

  Preparation

Put all  the ingredients,  into your bowl except the mincemeat. Rub the ingredients together until you have a smooth pastry dough. Shape into a ball and wrap in cling film, put in fridge for 30 minutes.

Take the pastry from the fridge and on a well floured work surface roll it out to 3mm thick. Then cut the pastry into round shapes  larger than the pie holes

Fill each pie with mincemeat  (not too much or it’ll boil out ). You can leave your mince pies open or roll out some more pastry and place a round lid on top, or cut out small stars to decorate the top

Then bake in the preheated (220°C) oven until  turn golden (12-15 minutes). Allow to cool  before eating.

You can sprinkle the pies with some sugar or even icing sugar

You can freeze the leftover of your pastry wrapped in some cling film,to use another other time.

Merry Christmas !!!

Chop Suey

 

 

 

Chop  Suey

Serves about 4

250 gr.of pork fillet

2 tbsp of corn flour

1 tbsp of dry cherry

2 tbsp of soy sauce

2 spring onions

2 slices of fresh ginger

1/2 cauliflower

2 carrots

1 green and red pepper

100 gr. of beansprouts

3 medium tomatoes

5 tbsp of vegetable oil (or sesame oil)

1 tsp of salt

1 tsp of sugar

Preparation

Cat the pork  lengthways  and leave on the side.

In a small bowl mix together the corn flour, cherry and soy sauce.

Pour the mixture over the meat and mix well, cover and let it marinade ( the longer the better).

Cut the spring onions into strips,peel and cut the ginger into small pieces, the cauliflower into florets,thinly slice the carrots ,slice the pepper into strips and slice your tomatoes.

In a large pan heat 3-4 tbsp of oil,add the pork and fry for about 2-3 minutes, remove the meat into a plate.

Heat the remaining oil and add first the onions after the cauliflower and the carrots and stir-fry for about a minute add the rest of the vegetables and stir- fry for another minute

Season with salt and sugar and add the pork.Stir for another minute and taste to adjust flavor. You serve warmed with some rice or noodles.

You can always replace the pork with chicken breast or beef.

Enjoy!!!!!

 

Pastitzio (Makaronia tou fournou ) Traditional Greek Pasta

 

                     MAKARONIA TOU FOURNOU

IMAG0622

 

 

Ingredients

500 gr  macaroni no 2

              Sauce

1 large onion, finely chopped

1lb minced beef or pork

tin of peeled tomatoes, chopped

1-2 tspn tomato puree

salt , pepper and cinnamon

          Béchamel Sauce

4 tbsp of vegetable oil or butter

2 tbsp plain flour

1 pint of milk

1/2 cup of halloumi (Cyprus cheese)                          grated

 


 IMAG0621
 IMAG0623
IMAG0628   
      Method Minced meat preparation

 

In two tbsp of oil, fry the onions until golden                 brown .

Add minced meat and brown.

Add peeled tomatoes, tomato puree,   salt ,                   pepper and Cinnamon.

Simmer for 20-30 minutes until the meat is                    tender and the sauce has thickened.

Wile the sauce cooking you can boil your pasta.

Boil the macaroni in salted water and drain.

       Béchamel Sauce

Melt the butter in a milk pan.

Stir in the flour until it forms a paste.

Add the milk a little at a time stirring                               continuously, so that your  sauce do not become    lumpy.

Pour in 1/4 of a cup  of halloumi cheese and stir           well.

In an ovenproof dish, place one third of the pasta ,     place on top the minced neat sauce,  Place the rest   of the  pasta and layer to cover the pasta with your   béchamel sauce.   Sprinkle on top of you sauce           some grated cheese. Place in a medium oven for         about 30 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to        stand for 15 minutes before serving.

Serve with a nice Greek salad.

KALY  OREKSI!!!!

 

 

Greek Easter Cookies

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Koulourakia recipe (Greek Easter Cookies)

 

Ingredients
250 gr. butter
3/4 cup sugar
2 egg yolks
grated zest of an orange
1/4 cup orange juice or you can use milk .

1 tsp of vanilla essence

1 tbsp brandy

4 cups  strong  flour

1 tsp of  baking powder

extra egg yolk for glazing the cookies.hand-shaped greek easter cookies

Preparation

In your mixer or in a bowl, cream the butter and sugar, add the yolks,  vanilla and brandy and beat well. Add the flour and then the juice, mix well with floured hands to form a stiff dough. Take small pieces and roll them out into the traditional biscuit shapes , or any shape you like.  Place them on a lightly greased baking tin. Brush them with beaten yolk, (mixed with a tablespoon of water).  Bake in a medium oven for about 20 minutes.

This recipe makes about 30-40 biscuits. It deepens on how big you make them.

These biscuits are suppose to be one of our Easter Traditional cookies, but i am sure you can enjoy them with your tea, any time of the year.

 

ΠΑΣΧΑΛΙΝΑ   ΚΟΥΛΟΥΡΑΚΙΑ

Υλικά

250 γρ. βούτυροhand-shaped greek easter cookies

3/4 φλυντζανιού ζάχαρη

2 κρόκους αυγού

ξύσμα από πορτοκάλι

1 κουταλακι του γλυκού βανίλια

1 κουταλιά κονιάκ

4 φλυντζάνια αλεύρι κανονικό

1 κουταλάκι μπέικιν πάουτερ

1 κρόκο του αυγού, κτυπημένο για επάληψηhand-shaped greek easter cookies

Οδηγείες

Στο μίξερ σας, ή σε μία λεκάνη, βάζουμε το βούτυρο, τούς κρόκους τών αυγόν,

τη βανίλια, το κονιάκ και κτυπούμε καλά. Προσθέτουμε το αλεύρι και μετά τον χυμό και ανακατεύουμε με αλευρομένα χέρια, μέχρι να έχουμε μία σφιχτεί ζύμη.

Πλάθουμε τα κουλουράκια μας, σε ότι σχήμα θέλουμε, τα τοποθετούμε σε ελαφρά λαδομένο ταψί τα αλείφουμε με λίγο αυγό και ψήνουμε σε μέτριο φούρνο για περίπου 20 λεπτά.

Φτιάχνουμε περίπου 30-40 κουλουράκια.

Ανκαι αυτά τα κουλουράκια είναι Πασχαλινά, πιστεύω οτι μπορούμε να τα απολαμβάνουμε με τον καφέ και το τσάι μας όλον τον χρόνο.

Καλή σας Ορεκση !!!!

Carob-Honey cookies

 

A traditional  Mediterranean biscuit, since we have lots of carob trees. In Cyprus its cold Χαρούπια ( Charoupia), and also the black Gold of Cyprus, beacouse they use to export a lot in the old days. Carop honey is mildly sweet and is used in powdered, chip or syrup form as an ingredient in cakes and cookies, and as a substitute for chocolate. You can also find carob bars  in health food stores.

What you need:

1/2 a glass of vegetable oilIMAG0650

1/2 a glass of olive oil

1 glass of carob honey

1 glass of orange juice

1 glass of raisins

1 glass of sesami seeds                                                                 IMAG0653

3/4 glass of crushed almond nuts

1 tblsp of baking soda

Preparation:

In a large bowl combine all the ingredients( except  the orange juice and soda).

Mix the baking soda with your orange juice and as soon as it foams, poor  into your mixture and with floured hands, mix well,( you might need to add some more flour,so that you dont have a sticky pastry).

Role out your biscuits at any shape you like, and bake in a medium heat preheated oven for about 30-40 minutes.

Kaly Sas Oreksi !!!            

 

 

 

 

ΚΟΥΛΟΥΡΑΚΙΑ  ΜΕ  ΧΑΡΟΥΠΟΜΕΛΟ

 

Υλικά

1/2  ποτήρι φυτικό λάδι

1/2  ποτήρι ελαιόλαδο                                     IMAG0653

1  ποτήρι χυμό πορτοκάλι

1  ποτήρι σταφυδάκια

1  ποτήρι σισάμι

3/4 του ποτηριού κούννες καβουρδισμένες και σπασμένες.

1  κουταλιά της σούπας μαγειρική σόδα.

 

IMAG0649

Πώς να τα φτιάξουμε.

Σέ μία λεκάνη βάζουμε όλα τα υλικά εκτός από το χυμό πορτοκαλιού και την σόδα.

Ανακατευμαι καλά. Σε ένα άλλο δοχείο ανακατεύουμε τον πορτοκαλό χύμο μαζί με την σόδα και μόλις αφρείση το ρίχνουμε στο μείγμα μας και ανακατεύμαι καλά με τα χέρια μας να είναι αλεύρομενα (για να μην  μας κολλά η ζύμη) ( μπορεί να χρειαστή να προσθέσουμε ακόμα λίγο αλεύρι ).

Πλάθετε τα κουλλουράκια μας σε ότι σχήμα θέλετε και ψήνετε σε μέτριο προθερμασμένο φούρνο για περίπου 30-40 λεπτά.

Απολαύστε τα με το τσάι ή τον καφέ σας!!!