greek music

zorba the greek,original greek music

Pastitsio

Pastitsio

Ingredients

1. 1 packet of tube pasta


2. ½ kilo of minced meat


3. ½ cup of oil


4. ½ of roughly chopped cheese


5. 1 ½ cups of tomato juicesalt, pepper


6. a little cinnamon and nutmeg

For the béchamel sauce

1. 1 ½ lt. of milk


2. 1 packet of Jotis Béchamel sauce


3. 3 eggs (optional)

Preparation

Boil the pasta for around 15 minutes. Drain, rinse in cold water and set aside until the minced meat is prepared.

Place the oil, minced meat, salt, pepper, cinnamon and nutmeg in a pot. Sauté for 15 minutes and then add the tomato juice and leave to simmer for half an hour. During this time prepare the Jotis Béchamel sauce in line with the instructions on the packet. Add 3 lightly beaten eggs if desired and stir in. Add 1/3 of the béchamel sauce and the cheese to the minced meat and stir in.

Oil a medium sized casserole dish and place half the pasta in a flat layer. Place the minced meat on top and cover with the remaining pasta.Cover the entire surface of the pastichio with the remaining béchamel sauce and sprinkle with some melted butter. Sprinkle with some grated gruyere too if desired.

Roast at 180oC in a fan-assisted oven for approximately 1 hour.

Mousakas

Mousakas

Ingredients

1. 1 kilo of aubergines
2. ½ kilo of minced meat
3. 1 cup of butter
4. 1 average-sized onion, finely chopped
5. 1 cup of tomato juice
6. parsley
7. salt, pepper, allspice, nutmeg
8. 300 gr. of Feta cheese, finely crumbled
9. 2 packets of Jotis Béchamel Sauce
10. 4 cups of milk
11. a little grated gruyere cheese

Preparation

Place half the butter in a pan and sauté the onion, add the minced meat and stir until the minced meat whitens and forms into lumps. Then add the tomato juice, parsley, salt, pepper, nutmeg and allspice. Leave the minced meat and sauce to simmer until the liquids have evaporated. Prepare the Jotis Béchamel Sauce in accordance with the instructions on the packet. Take one cupful of Béchamel sauce and stir into the minced meat. In the meantime wash and cut the aubergines into fine slices. Melt the remaining butter and using a brush butter the aubergines on both sides.

Place them flat in a casserole dish and roast in a hot oven until golden brown on both sides. Place a layer of aubergines in an oven-proof dish, cover with half the minced meat mix and sprinkle over half the Feta cheese.

Repeat, once again covering the aubergines with the minced meat mix and Feta cheese. Finally add another layer of aubergines and place the remaining Béchamel sauce on top and sprinkle with the gruyere cheese. Roast in a fan-assisted oven at 180oC for 45 minutes or until golden brown on top.

Gemista

"Gemista"




Ingredients:

1. 6 ripe tomatoes.
2. 6 peppers.
3. Half kilo of minced meat.
4. Tomato juice or tomato puree and water.
5. 2 teacups rice.
6. 2 tablespoons chopped parsley.
7. 2 chopped onions.
8. 1 teaspoon chopped mint.
9. One and a half teacups olive oil.
10. Salt and pepper

Instructions:

First wash the tomatoes and peppers. Then cut a thin round slice off the top of the tomatoes with a sharp knife and keep them aside. Scoop most of the tomato pulp out, with a teaspoon, and shred it finely. Cut the tops off the peppers and keep them aside. Then prepare the stuffing with the following way: Heat the oil in a cooking pan and saute the onions in it, until they look brown. Add the minced meat and let it saute for 10 minutes, stirring with a spoon all the time. Add the tomato pulp, the parsley, salt, pepper, the mint and some water and let them simmer for approximately one hour. Then wash and strain the rice. Add the rice to the stuffing mixture continue cooking for another 10 minutes. Fill the tomatoes and peppers, which you have arranged in a Pyrex dish or baking pan, with the prepared stuffing. Replace the previously saved tops of the tomatoes and peppers. Pour some tomato juice into the pan/dish and fill the gaps between the stuffed tomatoes and peppers with slices of potato. Bake it in a medium oven for approximately 40-45 minutes.

(Note: when you fill the tomatoes, becareful not to overfill them.)

Beef Stifado ( Beef ragout with onions )

"Beef Stifado"

Ingredients:

1. 1 kg veal
2. 1 kg small onions
3. 3 tbsps butter
4. 4 tbsps vinegar
5. 4 chopped tomatoes
6. 4 cloves garlic
7. 2 bayleaves
8. 1 sprig rosemary (or 1 tsp dried rosemary )
9. 1 teacup oil
10. 1 stik cinnamon
11. 1 glass dray red wine
12. Salt, pepper

Preperation:

Cut the meat into 5 servings place in pan with butter and saute. Add wine. Then add salt, pepper, tomatoes, finely chopped garlic, bayleaf, rosemary and cinnamon. Peel onions and place in frying pan with the oil saute and add to the meat. Add the vinegar and as mush water as necessary for the meat to cook over low heat for about 1 hour and 30 minutes.

Saganaki Greek meze

"Saganaki"

Ingredients:

1. 1 Whole Egg
2. 1/4 Cup Flour
3. 1 Item Kefalotiri (Cut into 3/4" pieces)
4. 1 Whole Lemons (Squeezed) Preferred Measurements: Imperial Metric

Directions:

Beat the egg in a bowl and put the flour on a plate.
Dip the pieces of cheese in the egg, then roll in the flour.
Heat butter in a frying pan and fry the cheese until the flour coating is golden.
Squeeze a lemon on the cheese before removing from the pan and serve immediately (excellent hot).

Rizogalo traditional greek desert

"Rizogalo"

What you will need:

1. 8 c Milk
2. 1 c Raw long-grain white rice
3. 3/4 c Sugar
4. 4 tb Butter
5. 1 Cinnamon stick (optional)
6. 3 Whole cloves (optional)
7. 2 Eggs; slightly beaten Ground cinnamon

Preperation:

In a heaavy saucepan, pour the cold milk, add the rice, sugar, and butter. Cook over low heat, stirring frequently until thickened, approximately 1 hour, adding cinnamon stick and cloves for flavor, if desired, during the last 15 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in the vanilla, then remove the cinnamon stick and cloves.

Beat the eggs lightly in a small bowl, then add one tablespoon of the hot pudding mixture into the eggs, stir and repeat twice. Add the egg mixture into the pudding, stirring until mixed thoroughly. Pour into individual serving dishes or large serving bowl. Sprinkle with ground cinnamon, cool, then chill. Serve cold.

greek cuisine - Meatballs (Keftedakia)

Meatballs (Keftedakia)

What you will need:

1. 2 slices bread, trimmed
2. 1/4 cup ouzo
3. 2 tablespoons olive oil
4. 1 small onion, diced
5. 1 pound ground beef
6. 1 egg
7. 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
8. 1 clove garlic, minced
9. 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
10. Black pepper
11. 1 cup flour
12. 1/4 cup oil

Preperation:

Soak the bread in the ouzo for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large, heavy skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil and saute the onions for 5 minutes over medium-low heat. Remove with a slotted spoon and place in a large bowl. Add the ground beef, egg, mint, garlic, and oregano. Season with black pepper. Mix well.
Shape meat mixture into 1-inch balls. Roll the balls in the flour lightly. Refrigerate for about 1 hour.
Add 1/4 cup of oil to the skillet and heat over high heat. Cook one layer of meatballs for 8 to 10 minutes, browning on all sides. Transfer the meatballs to a platter and repeat.

Souvlaki - The Greek Hamburger

SOUVLAKI"





Ingredients:

1. 1 kg/2 lb of pork meat, cut in cubes with 1 inch (2।5cm) sides


2. 6 Pita breads


3. Juice of 4 lemons


4. Salt, pepper and oregano seasoning


5. 6 wooden skewers


6. Tzaziki (see above)


7. Tomatoes


8. Onion
   
   
   

Preparation:

Put the pork meat in the wooden skewers, salt and pepper them। Cook over a barbecue fire,on a skilet or under an oven grill. In the meantime, spread some oil on the pitas and place under the oven grill, browing slightly each side, but not drying them. When the meat is done, dip them in a long glass containing the lemon juice and then holding a pita bread in one hand empty the skewer contents in it removing the skewer. Sprinkle with oregano and salt, add tzaziki,tomatoes,onion, and the souvlaki is ready.

How to make Tzatziki

Tzatziki is a cucumber yogurt sauce which can also be served as an appetizer or dip. it goes great over gyros souvlaki or simply all by itself.



Steps:

1. Gather together the ingredients listed below.
2. Peel cucumbers and slice long wise.
3. Using a spoon, remove all the cucumbers seeds.
4. Shred cucumber and drain with sieve to remove excess liquid.
5. Remove outer skin from garlic, separate into cloves and peel.
6. Using sieve with a coffee filter, drain yogurt for about 15 minutes for each coffee filter full.(You will get about 1/2 container of yogurt in a coffee filter)
7. Place together in a large stainless steel mixing bowl: shredded cucumber, drained yogurt, salt, pepper and olive oil.
8. Juise lemons and add to mixture.
9. Press garlic cloves over the mixture making sure to inclube all the garlic juises.
10. Beat mixture with a whisk or large spoon until all ingredients are totally mixed.
11. Cover mixing bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 2 to 3 hours before serving. This gives the garlic a chance to really unleash it's flavor.

Good Luck

Panagiotis

Greek Cuisine

Hello! my name is Panagiotis lover of "greek cuisine".

Think greek, and your mouth positively waters: all those wonderful and diverse flavours, served individually or combined so skilfully in a cuisine that is good for your heart, body and soul. From mountainous and harsh terrain that covers most of mainland Greece and its islands, a flavoursome diet has developed, centred on vegetables and other fresh ingredients, and with quality seasonal produse at its heart. Greek food is healthy: it's the classic mediterranean diet, rich in fruit and vegetables, with a little meat and fish, olives and olive oil, home-made bread, and home-produced cheeses. The olive is the backbone of this healthy diet, adding richness and developing the flavours of the simplest of ingredients; it is grown almost everywhere and processed into the finest extra virgin olive oil in the word. Indeed, butter is never eaten in most parts of Greece. Lemons, too, grow all over the country and give that quintessentially Greek flavour to many dishes. A plethora of wild leaves grow throughout most of the year and feature prominently in the diet, eaten every day in salads, lightly cooked as a vegetable or as a filling for pies.