Tag: mediterranean

Greek Chicken Souvlaki Skewers

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Greek Chicken Souvlaki Skewers
Greek Chicken Souvlaki Skewers

Souvlaki captures all the tastes of Greece and so these chicken skewers will not only transport you back to the azure sea and clear skies, but delight your tastebuds!

10 chicken breasts, skin removed
60ml olive oil
the juice of one lemon
1 clove garlic, minced
30ml dried oregano
salt and pepper
10-24 wooden skewers

Cut each chicken breast into 3 equal sized pieces.
Add the chicken and all the ingredients to a mixing bowl and rub everything together with you hands so that the chicken gets coated with it.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour (you may leave it overnight).

Cut the wooden skewers to fit inside your griddle pan.
Now thread 4-5 pieces of chicken onto a skewer. Lay it flat on a work surface and push another skewer through all the pieces of chicken so that you have to parallel skewers.
Place a griddle pan on high heat and wait for it to warm up.
Cook the chicken for 8-10 minutes, turning 2/3 times during cooking. You may add a few splashes of olive oil if you think the pan needs it.
Serve warm or at room temperature with plenty of lemon on the side.

Traditional Greek Sofrito from Corfu

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Traditional Greek Sofrito from Corfu
Traditional Greek Sofrito from Corfu

Greek Sofrito is originally from the island of Corfu. It is a hearty and delicious meal of beef cooked in a garlic and vinegar sauce which in turn produces a fork-tender beef stew that literally melts in one’s mouth. This is a very traditional version and a staple food in every household …. I do hope you give it a try!

1kg beef shank, cut into chunks
125ml flour
30ml butter
80ml olive oil
8 cloves of garlic, sliced
80ml white wine vinegar
80ml white wine
450ml beef stock
125ml parsley, roughly chopped
salt and pepper
fresh lemon wedges

Add the beef chunks to a large mixing bowl and season the beef with salt and pepper.
Sprinkle the flour over the meat and mix the chunks with your hands so that each piece of meat gets covered in a thin coating of flour.
Add the butter and olive oil to a large saucepan over medium-high heat.
Add the beef in small batches and sauté until browned on all sides. Remove from the pan, add another batch and keep going until all of the beef is browned.
Turn the heat down to medium, add the garlic and stir-fry for one minute.
Now add the white wine vinegar, white wine, beef stock and beef chunks.
Simmer until the meat is tender and the sauce is thick and glossy – about 40 minutes.
Scatter over the parsley and cook for another 5 minutes.
Serve the Sofrito on chunky mashed potato and drizzle over a squeeze of lemon juice.

Breakfast Toast

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Breakfast Toast
Breakfast Toast

I love eating a slice of toasted sourdough bread with fresh toppings for breakfast. It puts me in the “health” mood and sets the tone for the rest of the day. In the case of these breakfast toasts, it is the Greek Pesto that brings it all together and does all the tasty work!! Feel free to add your own combinations and toppings and drizzle generously with the pesto!!!

3 slices sourdough bread, toasted
1 x recipe Greek Pesto from this blog
tomato, chopped
onion, chopped
2 hard-boiled eggs, sliced
sliced cucumber

Toast the bread and spread a generous amount of the pesto onto it while still warm.
Top with your preferred topping and drizzle with more pesto.

Baked Aubergine

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Baked Aubergine
Baked Aubergine

This is a lighter, healthier version of the traditional Greek Papoutsakia with all its tomato and cheese. The recipe is vegan and is a wonderful way of boosting one’s fibre intake.

3-4 large aubergine
45ml olive oil
2 onions, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
30ml thyme leaves
4 medium zucchini/baby marrows, finely chopped
100g baby spinach, roughly chopped
1 pomegranate, deseeded

Preheat your oven to 190℃.
Cut the aubergine in half lengthwise.
Insert a small sharp knife 0,5cm from the skin on the cut side and cut around the outside of the aubergine, taking care not to break the skin.
Now score a diamond pattern on the flesh, cutting as deep down as you can without piercing the skin. Gently loosen and scoop out the flesh.
Place the halved aubergine on a baking sheet and set aside.
Set a frying pan over medium-high heat and add the olive oil to it.
Add the onion and fry until soft.
Add the garlic and stir-fry for another minute.
Turn the heat down to medium and add the thyme, zucchini, baby spinach and chopped aubergine flesh that you scooped out earlier.
Cook until the spinach is wilted – about 3 minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat and spoon the mixture into the aubergine halves.
Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 30 minutes.
Scatter a handful of pomegranate seeds on the baked aubergine and serve.

Olive Oil Cake

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Olive Oil Cake
Olive Oil Cake

This cake is a good example of how something very plain can be absolutely fabulous!! The texture is fine and dense, there is a faint reminder of last summer’s olive harvest and the most perfect accompaniment to a cup of Greek coffee!! I do hope you try it soon…

3 eggs
190ml sugar
125ml olive oil – choose an oil of which you really like the flavour!
125ml milk
2,5ml vanilla
1,2ml almond extract
375ml flour
7,5ml baking powder
2,5ml salt

Preheat your oven to 180℃ and spray a 20cm diameter cake tin with cooking spray. Coat the inside of the tin with flour. Set aside.
Add the eggs and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat at high speed for 30 seconds.
Drizzle in the olive oil with the machine running.
Add the milk in a thin stream and beat until combined.
Lower the speed of the mixer and add the vanilla and almond extract.
Add the flour, baking powder and salt to a mixing bowl and mix together with a whisk.
Add the flour mixture a spoonful at a time, with the mixer running on low speed. Beat until combined before adding more flour and stop the mixer often to scrape down the bowl.
Scrape the batter into the prepared cake tin and bake between 30-35 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean when inserted into the centre of the cake.
Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool for 5 minutes.
Remove it from the cake tin and cool completely on a wire rack.
Brush the cooled cake with fresh olive before serving.

Greek Pesto

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Greek Pesto
Greek Pesto

A much lighter pesto than what normally pops up under the name but truly refreshing with a wide range of foods. I especially like to thin the pesto down with olive oil and lemon juice and utilise it as a salad dressing.

500ml basil leaves, tightly packed when measured
80ml thyme/oregano leaves
3 cloves of garlic, minced
60ml pine nuts
salt
juice of one lemon
about 125ml – 250ml olive oil, depending on the consistency you are after

Add the basil, thyme, garlic, pine nuts, lemon juice and a pinch of salt to the bowl of a blender .
Drizzle in 125ml olive oil with the machine running and process the mixture until very finely minced. Scrape down in between blitzing so that you get all of the bits. The additional olive oil may also be added now, depending on the consistency you want – it can always be thinned down at a later stage.
Taste the pesto and adjust the seasoning/salt.
Store the pesto in a glass jar in the refrigerator.


Mediterranean Prawns

by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment on Mediterranean Prawns
Mediterranean Prawns

This recipe is proof once more of how the simplest ingredients often produces the best taste. Serve the prawns on fragrant rice or with your favourite pasta.

50g butter
15ml olive oil
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2kg prawns, peeled and de-veined
2 cans chopped tomato
30ml sugar
15ml salt
a handful of fresh thyme
two handfuls of fresh basil, roughly chopped

Put a large saucepan on to a high heat and add the butter and olive oil.
Add the garlic once the butter has melted and stir around for a minute.
Add the prawns and cook for 2-3 minutes until pink and done.
Remove the prawns from the saucepan and keep on the side.
Add the canned tomato, sugar, salt and thyme to the same saucepan, turn the heat down to medium and cook for 15 minutes.
Pour the sauce into a liquidiser and blitz until smooth. (You can use a stick blender as well)
Pour the sauce back into the saucepan and add the cooked prawns.
Simmer on a low heat for 10 minutes.
Turn off the heat and add the chopped basil.
Serve the prawns with fragrant rice.