GREEK RECIPES: FISH SOUP WITH EGG,AND LEMON SAUCE

by.George Portokalakis

HOME COOKING STEP BY STEP:

People living in Crete and the Mediterranean have the lowest incidence of deaths from heart disease thanks to the traditional lifestyle and diet (Mediterranean diet). Cretan diet is not low in fat, but it contains powerful antioxidants that fight diseases. Foods mainly include fish, wild green plants, olive oil (used in raw salads and cooking), and whole grains (breads).

This recipe uses a traditional Greek oil-and-lemon sauce (latholemono) for the vegetables

and rice and egg-and-lemon sauce (avgolemono) is added to the soup. 

It's a delicious and substantial meal.

PSAROSOUPA AVGOLEMONO FISH SOUP WITH EGG, LEMON AND RICE: Here is a recipe for a wonderfully delicious traditional Greek soup (made throughout all regions of Greece). It is called "psarosoupa avgolemono" an easy but somewhat demanding meal, containing such a variety of ingredients that it will suit everyone's tastes. Psarosoupa means fish soup-avgolemono means egg and lemon sauce. 

Ingredients:

3 middle size fish (sea bream, grouper, gurnard (piper), blackfish, scorpion, sea bass, red snapper, gilthead) In this recipe we use 3 middle size  gilthead

2 onions

1 tomato

3 carrots

3 potatoes

Bunch of celery

½ cup rice (125g)

4 tbsp olive oil

2 eggs

2 lemons

Salt

Pepper

DIRECTIONS

Quarter the vegetables so that they can be served on the side as an accompaniment with the fish. Place the carrots, celery, tomato, onions, potatoes, along with the water in a large pot over a medium high heat. Season with salt and allow the mixture to come to boil and then simmer it on a low heat for approx. 20mins until the carrots and potatoes are just tender.

Take veggies out and place them on a large dish, each kind heaped on its own. Sprinkle with the  olive oil-lemon-and-salt dressing.

Looks beautiful. Isn’t it?

Place the fish, in the pot and let them cook till done (when the flesh is tender); it doesn't need a long time.

Take the fish out of the pot when done 

and  place them on a large dish, and sprinkle with the olive oil-lemon-and-salt dressing.

Or take the fish out of the pot when done and remove the skin, bones and innards, and place it on top of the veggies.

Pour the stock in a new pot.  Place half the veggies back into the stock and mash roughly.

add the rice and let it cook in the stock for 10-15 minutes before taking the pot off the heat

Beat the eggs, add the lemon juice and finally, 

slowly add a few ladlefuls from the soup, stirring constantly.

Pour the sauce back into the pot and stir: 

Soup is ready!

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

GREEK RECIPES: GREEN BEANS IN TOMATO SAUCE

by.George Portokalakis

HOME COOKING STEP BY STEP:

FASSOLIA DROSSERA LADERA

GREEN BEANS BRAISED IN TOMATO SAUCE AND POTATOES

In this recipe you’ll see step by step how to make the Greek-style Vegan dish green beans one of the most popular vegetable that is cooked with olive oil, tomatoes and potatoes featuring all the best of the Mediterranean diet. Fresh green beans simmer with onions, tomatoes and potatoes in olive oil until they’re tender and delicious.

The 60 minutes cooking time is necessary for the authenticity of the dish. The beans should be well cooked and soft.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 60 minutes
Total Time: 80 minutes

4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

Olive oil -- 1 cup = 250g

Onion chopped -- 1

Green beans, trimmed -- 2 pounds = 1000g

Tomatoes, chopped or grated -- 1 pound or 2 cups = 500g

Potatoes -- 2

Water -- 1 cup = 250 g

Salt and pepper -- to taste

DIRECTIONS

Wash and clean the beans.

Cut off the tips and remove the fibres from both sides

Rinse and drain the bean middles

Chop the onions finely.

Peel the potatoes and cut them in quarters

Cover the bottom of the pot with olive oil, about 1 cup. Heat the oil on high, add the onions and sauté them for about 5 minutes

Put the green beans on top.

Add the potatoes

Add  the tomatoes, 

salt and bring to a boil.

Make sure the liquid comes up approximately the middle of the green bean layer. If not, add water to make it do so. 

Cover and simmer vigorously for approximately 1 hour

Variations

Add some zucchini cut in half along with the green beans.
Questions? Feel free to contact: info@portoclub.gr 

GREEK RECIPES: GREEK SHORTBREAD CHRISTMAS COOKIES

by.George Portokalakis

HOME COOKING STEP BY STEP:

Kourabiethes: Delicious very rich and tasty traditional buttery cookies that are made in Greece for hundred of years by all mothers , grand mothers and the house ladies for Christmas, weddings and other occasions and melt in the mouth good.

A cookie for the soul!

A kind of shortbread (texture very rich) with the addition of brandy and almonds.

This sugar cookie is a butter and almond cookie, filled with crunchy pieces of almond, coated with sugar. It is popular to all ages, young and old alike.

Leave them until cold and then roll them in plenty of soft icing sugar.

Need a lot of powder (icing) sugar packed around them.

Recipe makes about 50 cookies! If you want to make a smaller amount, halve the ingredients.

Ingredients

500g milk butter

500g blanched almonds, chopped coarsely and roasted

2 egg yolks

200g sugar

100g brandy

1000g plain flour bolting

500g icing sugar

Rose water

1 teaspoon salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 340 degrees / 170°C.

Line 2 flat baking trays with baking paper.

Chop the almonds coarsely in halves or smaller pieces that you will taste and crunch.

Roast the almonds, with care stir them in the frying pan until they just start to take colour, then remove them from the heat and place on a plate until needed.

Be careful not to be burned as they will give a burnt flavour.

Warm butter and mix with 1 cup sugar until very light and fluffy.

Stir the 2 egg yolks and brandy.

Mix in the flour a little at a time until dough no longer sticks to your fingers.

Add a tea spoon of salt

Mix almonds in while mixing in flour.

Knead well until dough is smooth and can easily be rolled into balls.

Take small pieces of dough using 1 tablespoon dough per biscuit and shape into balls or small different shape biscuits as crescents, stars etc.

Place on baking trays, allowing room for spreading. Bake for 20 minutes or until light golden brown. 

Stand for 5 minutes on trays until firm.

While still warm, sprinkle them with rose water.

Coat warm biscuits, 1 at a time, in sugar.

Roll in powder (icing) sugar and set on a tray or plate.

Use the remaining sugar to sift over top until well covered.
Questions? Feel free to contact: info@portoclub.gr 

GREEK WINE AND FOOD HOLIDAY

A Greek Culinary Experience: Land food and wine Adventure!  Travel to Mythical Greece! One of the great food and wine regions of the world and Enjoy the Extraordinary Cuisine and award winning wines! Discover the wonderful vineyards of Northern Greece the wider Thessaloniki area, Central Greece and Mainland. Feel and taste few of the most famous wine labels in traditional family wineries.