KEFTEDAKIA (little meat balls)

The Greek guy makes these often - lovely as part of a meze platter with tzatziki, or with my Red Roast Pepper sauce. We made hundreds (well it felt like hundreds!) of them for my daughters 21st at her request and served them on large platters with toothpicks and a selection of sauces. Needless to say they disappeared very quickly!
I am loving fresh mint at the moment and I use all fresh mint (with no parsley)

• 500g beef mince
• 1 red onion finely chopped
• 4 TBLSPN bread crumbs
• 4 TBLSPN extra virgin olive oil
• 3 TBLSPN chopped parsley and mint
• 1 TBLSPN red wine vinegar
• 1 TBLSPN oregano
• salt and pepper

Place all ingredients in a medium bowl and mix together with your hands for 3-5 minutes.

Shape into balls the size of a walnut, put on a plate, cover and refrigerate for at least an hour.

Heat a small pool (.25 cm deep) of extra virgin olive oil, to medium/high heat in a heavy based frying pan and fry the keftedakia in batches, draining on paper towels before serving warm

Kali Orexi!!!

ONE POT CHILLI

I love Sundays when I have plenty of time to make meals that take a little longer to cook. We had a wet Sunday recently so I made the most of it! I made this chilli, froze half and had the other half the next night when the flavours had really developed. Then when I have a busy day I can go straight to the freezer and voila - a delicious 'frozen'meal (and not from the supermarket!!!) Nice too in a hollowed out baked potato heated in the oven with lots of cheese on top. Mm mmm and so easy.

• 500g beef mince
• 1 x chorizo sausage chopped
• 1/2 - 1 tspn chilli flakes
• 1 tspn dried oregano
• 1 tspn smoked paprika
• 1 tspn ground cumin
• dash cayenne
• ILIADA Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 x 420g can diced tomatoes
• 1 x 420g can red kidney beans
• 1 x 420g can chilli beans
• 1 x large red onion finely chopped
• 1 x clove garlic crushed
• 2 x tblspn tomato paste
• 1 x tblspn worcestershire sauce
• 1 tspn salt

Heat a good splash of olive oil in a heavy based pan, add the beef, chorizo, chilli flakes, oregano, smoked paprika, cumin and cayenne. Break up mince with a fork, then cook everything until lightly browned.

Add all the rest of the ingredients to the pan, plus a tin of water. Mix until combined. Simmer covered on low heat or bake in oven @ 150oC for 1 - 1/12 hours . Stir from time to time and add more water if necessary.

Serve with rice, pasta, corn chips and grated cheese, in a wrap or taco shell, whatever you fancy! Nice with a dollop of sour cream, natural yoghurt or guacamole.

LAMB BAKED WITH ORZO (YIOUVETSI)

Another one of the Greek guys recipes - absolute comfort food on a plate! 
In Greece,a special clay pot called a yiouvetsi is used to make this dish, hence the name.

• 1 kg lamb bbq/stewing chops,trimmed of fat and cut in half
• 1/3 cup ILIADA Extra Virgin Olive Oil 
• 2 x 400g tinned tomatoes pureed 
• 1 cup water
• 4 garlic cloves,crushed 
• 1/2 tspn sugar
• 500g orzo
• salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup grated Kefalograviera or Parmesan cheese

Heat the oil in a large pan.
Add the meat and cook over medium heat, turning occasionally, for 8-10 minutes, until lightly browned all over.
Add the pureed tomatoes, 1 cup of water, garlic and sugar,season well with salt and lots of pepper. Cover and simmer on low heat for about 1 hour. 
Scatter the uncooked orzo over the base of a large greased ovenproof dish. 
Place the pieces of lamb on top of the orzo. Add 3 cups boiling water to the tomato sauce, mix well and and pour over the lamb and orzo.
Cover the dish with tin foil and bake at 180o C for 1 hour. Check from time to time and add more water if necessary if it starts to dry out. In the last 10 minutes of cooking time, remove the tinfoil and sprinkle all over with the grated cheese.
Return to the oven and bake, until cheese has melted. The liquid should almost have all been absorbed and the pasta al dente.
Serve with a simple salad like maroulasalata. 

Mm mmm, kali orexi!

You can also use beef,pork or chicken instead of the lamb.

GROUND MEAT SAUCE - SALTSA ME KIMA

(Greek version of  'Bolognese' Sauce or as my family calls it 'Spag Bol!)

Incredibly easy - no dried herbs or anything out of the ordinary - the real flavour comes with the good quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil, lots of pepper and the time spent simmering to reduce the sauce.

• 1/4 - 1/3 cup ILIADA extra virgin olive oil
• 1 x red onion, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 500g beef mince
• 1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
• pinch of sugar 
• 1 x tblspn Messino Red Wine vinegar
• salt and a lot of pepper 
• finely chopped parsley to serve

Heat the oil in a large pan and add the onion and garlic and stir over low heat until softened, for about 5 minutes.

Add the mince, increase the heat to medium high and cook, breaking up the meat with a fork, for about 15 minutes. Add the tomatoes, sugar, vinegar, salt and pepper and stir well, cover and reduce the heat. Simmer, stirring occasionally for about 1 hour. Remove the lid for the last 10 minutes and simmer to allow the sauce to reduce even further.

Belissimo served with spaghetti, sprinkled with chopped fresh Italian parsley and some Italian parmesan or Greek Kefalograviera!

STIFADO

I was looking at an old recipe book of mine and found a recipe for Stifado which I had made for dinner for my sisters 24^th birthday in 1980!!!

Little did I know it was Greek! I was 18 years old at the time, flatting and obviously experimenting with new recipes then.

I remember those flatting days well – the stock standard meal my flatmates and I prepared if we were having friends over was lasagne, coleslaw and garlic bread!

My recipe for Stifado from then used BUTTER to fry the meat in (horror of all horrors – no OLIVE OIL???) I guess we didn’t use much olive oil in NZ in those days…so I have changed the recipe to use olive oil instead!

·      1 kg stewing steak cut roughly into 2 cm chunks (I use gravy beef)

·      salt and pepper

·      ¼ cup ILIADA Extra VirginOlive Oil

·      ½ cup red wine

·      1 tblspn Messino red winevinegar

·      100g tin tomato paste

·      1 tblspn brown sugar

·      250ml beef stock

·      1 x large clove garlic crushed

·      9 x small onions (pickling onions)

·      2 x bay leaves

·      ½ cinnamon stick

·      4 x cloves

Heat the olive oil to a medium/high heat in a heavy based pan. Season steak with the salt and pepper and fry in batches until browned. Put the steak to one side. Add the wine, vinegar, tomato paste, brown sugar, beef stock and garlic to the pan and stir to combine. Return the meat to the pan and give everything a good mix.

Place the peeled onions on top, add the bay leaves, cinnamon stick and cloves, give it all a wee mix, cover with a lid and bake @ 150oC for 2 – 2/12 hours until meat is tender.

Remove the cinnamon stick and bay leaves and serve with a robust pasta such as tagliatelle or parpadelle.

Buon appetito!!!

YIOUVARLAKIA AVGOLEMONO (soup with meatballs with rice and an egg and lemon sauce)

To be honest I was a bit unsure whether I would like this soup when the Greek guy made it for me...I grew up eating 'thicker' soups with lots of veges and a ham bone! But I was pleasantly surprised and really enjoy it - we have been having this a lot this winter, mm mmm.

•     500g beef mince
•     1 small red onion, finely chopped
•     1/4 cup medium grain rice
•     3 TBLSPN parsley, finely chopped
•     2 TBLSPN mint, finely chopped
•     2 TBLSPN ILIADA Extra Virgin Olive Oil
•     salt and 1 tspn ground pepper
•     5 cups beef stock (or water will do)
•    100g butter
•    2 eggs
•    1/4 cup lemon juice

In a big bowl mix the mince, onion, rice, herbs, olive oil, salt and pepper.
Knead the mixture for 3-5 minutes then shape into small balls, the size of a walnut. Place them on a plate and refrigerate for an hour (so they don’t break up while cooking)
In a deep pan put the beef stock or water plus the butter and bring to the boil. Add the meatballs and simmer with lid on for approx 30 mins.
Whisk the eggs and lemon juice in a small bowl, then add 3 TBLSPN of the hot soup liquid, whisking continuously . Pour this avgolemono sauce (egg and lemon sauce) back in to the pan, stirring briskly so you don’t end up with a ‘scrambled egg’ consistency!
Serve immediately. Serves 4-6
Kali Orexi!!!

FASOLAKIA (Green beans in red sauce)

One of the Greek guy's all time favourite! A simple and tasty vegetarian dish, served with crusty bread, feta and a few olives on the side.
The Greek guy likes this cooked for at least an hour until the beans are almost mash-able...the Kiwi girl likes it after about 1/2 hour when the beans are less cooked! 
But I must say that after an hour, the sauce has developed more flavour, so I make it the Greek's way!

FASOLAKIA (Green beans in red sauce)

• 500g whole frozen beans
• ½ cup ILIADA Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 small red onion
• 2 spring onions
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 x 400 g tinned diced tomatoes
• 1/3 tspn sugar
• 1 x tspn salt & 1 x tspn ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup parsley

Heat olive oil in large casserole, add chopped onions, spring onions and garlic and fry on medium heat until softened, about 5 minutes.
Add the beans, tomatoes, sugar and S & P. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer covered for an hour, stir occasionally, adding more water if necessary.
Add parsley before serving with feta on top.
Delish...

LENTIL SOUP

 (FAKES – pronounced Fa-kess)

The Greek guy loves this...his mother made it for his family once a week.  She would serve it with olives, some smoked herring or feta on the side. I love it too – and it is even better the next day (if there is any left over!)

• ·         500g brown lentils

• ·         1 whole peeled red onion

• ·         3 whole peeled cloves garlic

• ·         2 x 400g tinned tomatoes – pureed

• ·         2 bay leaves

• ·         ½ cup ILIADA Extra Virgin Olive Oil

• ·         4 cups of hot water

• ·         pinch of oregano

• ·         salt and pepper

Place lentils in a large saucepan, cover with water and bring to boil. Simmer for 5 minutes then drain the lentils, discarding the brownish water. Put lentils to one side.

Put the pureed tomatoes, olive oil, whole onion, whole garlic, bay leaves, 4 cups of hot water and oregano into the saucepan, season and bring to the boil, stirring. Add the lentils, reduce heat and simmer slowly for half an hour, or until lentils are tender and the soup is thick, adding more water if required.

Remove the whole onion, garlic cloves and bay leaves and serve sprinkled with oregano.

A toasty warm winter soup . Last time I made it, I had no tinned tomatoes in the pantry!!! So I blanched some fresh tomatoes in boiling water, removed the skin and blitzed them with a tablespoon  of tomato paste – turned out OK too.

Serves 4

ROAST RED PEPPER SAUCE (Saltsa me Piperies)

This is wonderful mixed through your favourite pasta or as a sauce for meatballs. I made Greek meatballs the other night and served them in the sauce - delicious! 
Luckily there were leftovers for the Greek's lunch the next day...

• 500 g Makedoniki Gi Red Roast Peppers (roughly chopped)
• 2 x 400g tinned diced tomatoes
• 1/3 cup ILIADA Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 cloves garlic crushed
• Salt & pepper
• pinch of chilli flakes

Put the olive oil, tomatoes and garlic into a heavy based pan, bring to boil, simmer until reduced, stirring occasionally, 15 - 20 mins.

Add red roast peppers, salt, pepper and chilli flakes, stir and simmer until thick with lid on approx 15 mins. Taste and add more chilli and/or seasoning to your liking.