GREEK RECIPES: BRIAM- Recipe

BRIAM or TOURLOU

by.George Portokalakis

HOME COOKING STEP BY STEP:

GREEK RECIPES: SMOKED EGGPLANT SALAD

Porto Club Vacations: MELITZANOSALATA: Smoked Eggplant Salad : VEGAN FOO...: MELITZANOSALATA Smoked Eggplant Salad by.George Portokalakis HOME COOKING   STEP BY STEP: early birds   on SALE CLICK TO SEE ...



MELITZANOSALATA: Smoked Eggplant Salad: VEGAN FOODS

A very simple, healthy and elegant vegan meal that is well known and popular all over Greece accompanied by a glass of Ouzo or Beer, inspired by Greek Mediterranean cooking. An exceptional choice for main dish, as a light meal. Perfect for cold or hot days.

GREEK RECIPES: MELITZANOSALATA: Smoked Eggplant Salad : VEGAN FOODS

MELITZANOSALATA Smoked Eggplant Salad

by.George Portokalakis

HOME COOKING STEP BY STEP:

GREEK RECIPES: BITTER ORANGE PRESERVES

CITRUS AURANTIUM – ΝΕΡΑNΤΖΙ – BITTER ORANGE: 
VEGAN FOODS: 

by.George Portokalakis

HOME COOKING STEP BY STEP:

Bitter Orange Preserves (Nerantzi Glyko): 
One of the best spoon sweets 
VEGAN FOODS

A typical Greek custom. Generally it is offered as a spoon sweet (γλυκό του κουταλιού) to a guest, visiting a house to show the gesture of the hospitality. It always accompanies with a glass of water and a glass of Tsikoudia (called raki as well the Cretan snap) in Crete

Bitter orange, sour orange, refers to a citrus tree and its fruit. They are beautiful all times of year, but especially in winter and spring when they are covered in delicious fruits or fragrant white blossoms.

Bitter orange or (sour orange) is common in Crete, Aegean coast and Mediterranean region.  In Greece it is called (νεράντζι) and is the fruit most used for spoon sweets, αsyrupy sweet easily edible version of the fruit. The normal types of fresh bitter oranges are too sour to be enjoyed to eat as raw.

Ingredients

40 medium size, bitter oranges. (Makes 120 single-piece servings)

Sugar, the same weight as the peel

Water: 2 water glass of water for each 40 pieces

Strained juice of half a lemon

Directions

Wash and drain the bitter oranges and

with a hand grater, gently grate the oranges.

This releases the oils and removes some of the bitterness of their peel.

Cut the peel of each orange rind into 4 pieces of peel.

Roll up each strip of peel and tie to both sides with a toothpick.

Weigh the peel and measure out an equal quantity of sugar; set aside. (30 – 40 segments = 1000 grams of sugar)

Transfer the strips of peel to a large saucepan, 

cover with cold water, and bring to a boil for 30 minutes

Remove the saucepan from heat and transfer the peels to a big ball

The procedure of boiling and changing the water is to remove bitterness. Boil them first, and then leave them in cold water (which you have to change)

Leave the peels into the water for 24 hours

Next day,

Dry them first and remove the toothpicks and the rolls will remain intact.

In a heavy saucepan or syrup pan, add the rolls of peels,

Add the sugar and

6 water glasses of water and

Slowly bring to a boil,

Skim out froth

Simmer uncovered for 45 of 60 minutes, 

Add the lemon juice to the syrup and

Boil until you are satisfied with the constitution ( it coats the back of a
spoon).

Transfer the rolls of peel to several jars, 

just large enough to hold them and cover with the syrup. Tightly cover the jars.

If you can find this fruit where you live, try it and you will be amazed how it is transformed into the most aromatic fruit preserve.
They are also an excellent match, Greek yogurt,

Questions? Feel free to contact: info@portoclub.gr  

GREEK RECIPES: KENTANES / VEGAN FOOD

VEGAN FOODS: 

by.George Portokalakis

HOME COOKING STEP BY STEP:

KENTANES (LEEKS, CELERY AND POTATOES IN TOMATO SAUCE) 

Fasting in Orthodox Christian world is a path to clean someone his/her soul from temptations by willingly avoiding taste and feed from any animal originated foodstuff but also to maintain a measure on the quantity that each and everyone consumes in a daily base throughout the fasting period.

According to Greek Orthodox Church the vegan and vegetarian diet, deviations from vegan to vegetarianism were performed depending on the respective annual seasons (e.g. Autumn and Spring fasting), should be performed from Christians for more or less 6 months per annum.

Due to the church, Greeks joins the huge variety of absolutely vegetarian foods “LADERA” that for centuries accompanies with few olives and bread covered up the daily needs of the working hard farmers at the fields having extremely tiring working days but having tasty and healthy food same time.

As many of the week fasting days (Wednesdays and Fridays) any kind of animal origin products not even fats and oils aren’t allowed - following actually the vegan diet and lifestyle - the need of people to eat something tasty and substantial activate the women creativity and for more than 1000 years Greek farm house ladies and mothers used their inspiration and created large number of combinations, hundreds of “LADERA” options, our today’s inheritance!

One of them is “KENTANES” (Leeks,celery and potatoes in tomato sauce) 
ENJOY!

Ingredients:
150 ml of olive oil (2/3 cup)
2 medium onions, finely chopped

2 medium potatoes cut into quarters

4 medium leeks, cut into thick rounds, washed well in cold water, drained

6 celery, stalks and leaves

2 medium size tomatoes, grated or chopped 

salt and freshly ground black pepper
The juice of 1 lemon

Directions:

Heat olive oil in a pot and soften onions with potatoes.

Add leeks and the celery stalks and let them be softening for 10 more minutes.

Add the celery leaves and half a cup of water and let them cooked for 10 more minutes.

Add the grated tomatoes, 1 cup of water, cover the pot and cook over medium to low heat for about 20 minutes.

Add salt and pepper and let this simmer until cooked for about 10 more minutes.

Add the juice of the lemon

Can be served hot, warm or cold. Same delicious! 

KALI OREXI! GOOD APETITE! 

Questions? Feel free to contact: info@portoclub.gr 

GREEK RECIPES: BOILED BEETS WITH GARLIC AND POTATO SPREAD / VEGAN FOOD

Pantzaria Me Skordalia : (Boiled Beets with Garlic–Potato Spread

by.George Portokalakis

HOME COOKING STEP BY STEP:

This traditional Greek recipe is absolutely delicious! Trust me, give it a try. You will love it! The spread made from garlic and mashed potatoes is outstanding and tastes great with these boiled beets.

If you are looking for a food that tastes great and has nutritional and health benefits, try this beetroot recipe! You will love it!

Easy to make it and taste delicious! Send you to heaven!

I boil fresh beets in salty water and eat them with a bit of olive oil, vinegar and garlic, accompanied by “skordalia” garlic mashed potato or breadcrumbs dip.

Skordalia (pronounced skor-thal-yah), an intensely flavoured Greek garlic spread.

Skordalia typically uses few days old breadcrumbs, potatoes, or nuts as the vehicle for carrying garlic to the palate.

Beets are an ancient, prehistoric food that grew naturally along coastlines in Mediterranean, North Africa, and Asia.

Beetroots, or simply beets, - Pantzaria in Greek - is low in fat, full of vitamins and minerals and packed with powerful antioxidants and it’s important to include this highly nutritious vegetable in your diet especially the greens, which are rich in calcium, iron and vitamins A and C but above all beetroot is super tasty

Number of botanists believes that the beet is truly native to the Mediterranean region, and this makes sense since the ancient Greeks used beets for food and as medicine.

In ancient Greece, beets were so highly valued that, according to myth, a beet was offered on a silver platter to Apollo at Delphi.

Ancient Greeks called the beet teutlion and used it for its leaves, both as a culinary herb and medicinally to heal wounds and treat fevers

The ancient Greeks grew beets for the medicinal uses of both the leaves and roots.

Anthenaeus,(ancient Greek author) writing in the third century AD, quotes Diphilus of Siphnos to the effect that the beet root was good in taste and a better food than the cabbage.

The usually deep-red roots of beetroot in Greece are eaten boiled, either as a hot cooked vegetable or cold in a salad.

Beetroots, or simply beets, - Pantzaria in Greek - is low in fat, full of vitamins and minerals and packed with powerful antioxidants and it’s important to include this highly nutritious vegetable in your diet especially the greens, which are rich in calcium, iron and vitamins A and C but above all beetroot is super tasty

Try this recipe a typical Greek simple boiled beetroot leaves and roods

Our Healthiest Way of cooking beets will help you prepare them in just minutes. 
Remove the skin. 

Cut medium beets into quarters.

Place the beets in a large saucepan, 
a little salt, 

and add water to cover. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until tender, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Steam and serve as a great vegetable side dish or as a wonderful addition to your favourite salad.

Ingredients
5-6 medium size fresh beets

6-8 garlic cloves, smashed

3 tbsp. wine vinegar
4 medium size potatoes

Olive oil
Salt and black pepper

Prepare the Beets:

Cut the green part of the beets and wash them.

Boil beetroots and green parts for 1/2 hour and then remove outer skins from the beetroots.

Slice the beetroots in thin pieces.

Add oil, salt and vinegar and serve beetroots and green parts in a bowl.

Prepare the Skordalia spread:

Skin your potato and place it in a medium saucepan filled with generously-salted cold water. Bring to a boil and cook until fork-tender.

Remove to a strainer and set aside to let cool.

Clean and crush garlic in a mortar or using a fork.

Mix the boiled potatoes with the garlic.

Stir well the mixture with a mixer until a smooth paste is obtained.

Add olive oil and vinegar gradually while stirring the mixture.

ENJOY!

Questions? Feel free to contact: info@portoclub.gr