Introduction and a welcome to Fay's home made recipes

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Good day my good friends! And welcome to my blog. My name is Fay Karamanakis and I live in wonderful city of Darwin Australia I am a mother and grand mother and a home cook! And a full time employee! I love to cook and creat in the kitchen and decided to creat a page called Share your home made food recipes on face book https://www.facebook.com/groups/1435457340047345/?fref=nf  to Encourage others to start cooking at home!I also want and love to see other groups who also share their wonderful full of ideas and creations in this page. I have no problem with other groups who want to share or advertise their blogs as long as they are also prepared to share some of their recipes with the group.  I am so pleased with what this page has achieved so far so I also created my blog Fay's home made recipes to save the recipes that I create and make it easer to find! I thank you all who are letting me know in person or by your privet massages that you are all enjoying the page and my blog and often use it to get ideas for diner or for a get together! My share your home made recipe page has already over 750 members and it's just started! I have also created my blog so that if you need a recipe it will be easer to find! easer Please Go to https://plus.google.com/109327894540727279634 Fay's home made recipes to find recipes. I am happy for to you copy or share the recipes and inspire others to also start home cooking! I love when young folks massage me to help them and guide them to creat a certain recipe! I am sure that there is a cook in all of us! But some others are so good at it and need to share and teach others to home cook! My aim with this page is to inspire as many people to cook home made food recipes or deserts of any country and culture and share with others their cooking ideas and tips! This will give us all  the opportunity to try other cultural food! All the recipes that I have shared with you are the ones that I have made to my taste and wanted to share with others! I mainly cook and try to promote my culture which is Greek but am also interested in cooking food from other countries! My family rarely gets to eat the same dish in a week as I try to make something different every day! So please share with us your photos of your home cooked food or recipes or tips with all of us try new ideas and enjoy and inspire others! Feel free to ask questions and I will answer your query as soon as I can! Thanks to all of you who have joint and appreciate my effort! Have a great day to all and I am waiting for your cooking ideas! Happy Home cooking!

Fay's Pita bread

Recipe I

Ingredients

500g all-purpose flour

4g dry yeast

1 tsp salt

1 tsp sugar

1 1/2 glass of lukewarm water (40C)

1 tbs Dried oregano optional 

Recipe 2

Ingredients 

1 cup warm water (not hot or boiling)

2 teaspoons active dry or instant yeast

2 1/2 - 3 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons salt

1-2 teaspoons olive oil (optional)

Equipment

Mixing bowl

Rolling pin

Cast iron skillet (for stovetop baking)

Baking sheet or a baking stone (for oven baking)

Instructions

1. Form the Pita Dough: Mix the water and yeast together, and let sit for about five minutes until the yeast is dissolved. Add 2 1/2 cups of the flour (saving the last half cup for kneading), salt, and olive oil (if using). Stir until a shaggy dough is formed.

2. Knead the Dough: Sprinkle a little of the extra flour onto your clean work surface and turn out the dough. Knead the dough for about 5-7 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic. Add more flour as needed to keep the dough from sticking to your hands or the work surface, but try to be sparing. It's better to use too little flour than too much. If you get tired, stop and let the dough rest for a few minutes before finishing kneading.

3. Let the Dough Rise: Clean the bowl you used to mix the dough and film it with a little olive oil. Set the dough in the bowl and turn it until it's coated with oil. Cover with a clean dishcloth or plastic wrap and let the dough rise until it's doubled in bulk, 1-2 hours.

At this point, you can refrigerate the pita dough until it is needed. You can also bake one or two pitas at a time, saving the rest of the dough in the fridge. The dough will keep refrigerated for about a week.

4. Divide the Pitas: Gently deflate the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces and gently flatten each piece into a thick disk. Sprinkle the pieces with a little more flour and then cover them with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap wrap until you're ready to bake them.

5. Shape the Pitas: Using a floured rolling pin, roll one of the pieces into a circle 8-9 inches wide and about a quarter inch thick. Lift and turn the dough frequently as your oll to make sure the dough isn't sticking to your counter. Sprinkle with a little extra flour if its starting to stick. If the dough starts to spring back, set it aside to rest for a few minutes, then continue rolling. Repeat with the other pieces of dough. (Once you get into a rhythm, you can be cooking one pita while rolling the next one out.)

6. To Bake Pitas in the Oven: While shaping the pitas, heat the oven to 450°. If you have a baking stone, put it in the oven to heat. If you don't have a baking stone, place a large baking sheet on the middle rack to heat.

Place the rolled-out pitas directly on the baking stone or baking sheets (as many as will fit), and bake for about 3 minutes. I've found it easiest to carry the pita flat on the palm of my hand and then flip it over onto the baking stone. The pita will start to puff up after a minute or two and is done when it has fully ballooned. Cover baked pitas with a clean dishtowel while cooking any remaining pitas.

7. To Bake Pitas on the Stovetop: Warm a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until a few bead of water sizzle immediately on contact. Drizzle a little oil in the pan and wipe off the excess.

Lay a rolled-out pita on the skillet and bake for 30 seconds, until you see bubbles starting to form. Flip and cook for 1-2 minutes on the other side, until large toasted spots appear on the underside. Flip again and cook another 1-2 minutes to toast the other side. The pita should start to puff up during this time; if it doesn't or if only small pockets form, try pressing the surface of the pita gently with a clean towel. Keep cooked pitas covered with a clean dishtowel while cooking any remaining pitas.

8. Storing the Pitas: Pitas are best when eaten immediately after cooking. Leftover pitas will keep in an airtight bag for several days and can be eaten as they are or warmed in a toaster oven. Baked pitas can also be frozen with wax paper between the layers for up to three months.

Additional Notes:

• Storing the Dough: Once it has risen, the pita dough can be kept refrigerated until it is needed. You can also bake one or two pitas at a time, saving the rest of the dough in the fridge. The dough will keep refrigerated for about a week.

• Pitas That Won't Puff: Sometimes you get pitas that won't puff. The problem is usually that the oven or the skillet aren't hot enough. Make sure both are thoroughly pre-heated before cooking. Even pitas that don't puff are still delicious and can be used wraps or torn into pieces for dipping in hummus.

Fay's Very healthy Lentil Soup

Incidents 

1/2 lb. Lentils

1 sliced Onion

2 cloves Garlic

1/2 cup of good Olive Oil

2 teaspoons Salt

Black coarse pepper 

1 Bay Leaf

3 tablespoons Vinegar

1 tin of diced tomatoes 

2 tbs of tomato paste

1/2 tsp of sugar 

Directions:

Wash the lentils and soak in warm water drain.

Place in slow cooker 

Add 6 cups water, onion and garlic tin tomato and paste

Add olive oil, salt, black pepper bay leaf and vinegar and simmer for 4-6 hours on low or longer or until lentils are tender.

Serve with salted fish greek salad olives and crusty bread

Chicken in Red Sauce with Green Beans

Materials

Chicken: 1 around 1 ½ kg cut into portions

olive oil 1 cup of tea

onion 1 chopped

beans: 1 pound, peeled

dry white wine: 1/3 cup

tomatoes: 500 gm. cut in half (or chopped tomatoes)

Tabasco : 1 teaspoon

Parsley: 3-4 tbsp, chopped

salt

paprika: little

pepper

Execution

Salt and pepper the chicken portions. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan and sauté the chicken portions on both sides until golden brown. Add the onion and continue to sauté for 4-5. Scald the green beans for 3 and drain well.

Then add the green beans to the pot and continue to sauté for 5'-7 'not stir too vigorously, just shaking the pan to melt non beans.

Add the wine and add the tomatoes, 1 ½ cup water, salt and pepper (or paprika). Simmer for 40 minutes until the food to stay close to the oil. Adding at the end the TABASCO and parsley, leave to boil for 5 min and serve.

Fay' Garlic sauce with potato

 

Materials

1kg potatoes

1 head of garlic

1 cup olive oil 

1 cup lemon juice 

Salt and pepper 

Method 

Put the potatoes to boil.

Whisk garlic in wooden mortar until a paste.

Once the potatoes are done remove one by one from the hot water, peel and dissolve in the mortar with garlic throwing every once and a spoonful of olive oil and lemon.

Continue to beat the mortar gradually adding oil and lemon until they are creamy and you are satisfied with the taste. You can also do this  in a blender it will be easer

 You can do the last step of passing the garlic at doses in a blender. Do not pour too much oil from the start because if you take more than you need will not be able to make it creamy

You can Also make garlic sauce with  bread instead of the potatoes  place the bread in a blender add the garlic, salt and pepper and blend then slowly keep adding the oil and lemon juice until it becomes creamy! 

Fay's Fish rissoles with lemon and herbs

Ingredients 

 750g boneless white fish fillets, roughly chopped

 1 juice if a lemon

 1 egg

 4 green onions, thinly sliced

 1/4 cup dill leaves, finely chopped

 2 tablespoons finely chopped chives

 1/3 cup plain flour

 olive oil cooking spray

1 large grated potato

1/2tsp of Garlic salt

Salt and coarsely ground black pepper 

A drizzle of a good olive oil

Method 

Combine fish, 2 tablespoons lemon juice in a food processor. Process until mixture is minced. Transfer to a large bowl. Add green onions, dill, chives,grated potato, flour and oil and egg. Season with garlic  salt add  salt and pepper. Using clean hands, mix until well combined. Using 2 heaped tablespoons mixture at a time, roll mixture into round small balls. Flatten slightly. Place rissoles on a plate. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. 

Preheat a greased barbecue grill and plate on medium-low heat. 

Meanwhile, spray both sides rissoles with oil. Cook rissoles on barbecue plate, or fry pan turning occasionally, for 6 to 8 minutes or until cooked through. Serve with fried potatoes, warm Green Salad, tartare or Garlic sauce and lemon wedges. Enjoy

Fresh fish fried with warm green salad and garlic sauce

 For the fish

5-6 fresh whole fish any kind

All purpose Flour fir dusting fish

Salt 

1cup of Corn oil for frying

Method 

Clean and Scale fish and salt very well and dust them with flour to cover well

Heat oil in a deep frying pan and place fish very carefully as not to get hot oil slashing on to you

Fry fish well on one side then turn over to fish cooking. Take out when it's nice and golden and place in a serving tray until you prepare the warm green salad and the garlic dip

Warm Green salad

Ingredients 

1 bunch of any green vegetables spinach, silver beet,or zucchinis 

juice of 2 lemons 

1/4 cup of good olive oil

 Salt

Wash very well under running water and place in a large bowl and add 2 tbs of vinegar this will help to get read of any chemicals on green veggies and if there us any tiny grubs they will come out. Let them sit in the bawl with water and the vinegar for a short time then rinse under cold tap water. Place some salted water to boil and as soon as it boils add the greens. Cook to you liking then drain and place in a serving deep bows add the olive oil the juice of the lemons and salt tosh and it's ready to serve with the fried Fish! 

For the garlic Sauce 

Skordalia

What we need:

4 -5 large potatoes

3-6 cloves garlic (depending on preference)

1 lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon salt

Olive oil (about one wine glass full )

Method 

Peel the potatoes and boil in a little water.

Peel the cloves of garlic and put them together in multi with salt and half the lemon juice.

Then mush, if garlic has not completely melted do not worry.

Continue pouring in multi by adding 1 potato and 3 tablespoons water than boiled potatoes and a oil triturated empty bowl and mix in the remaining drop, potatoes one by one in the same manner.

Taste and add lemon or more olive oil.

If your mixture is more liquid than you need to wait a little let  the garlic dip cool and see if it has tightened. If not then add more potato 

If you serve it with fried cod:

Boil a piece of cod with potatoes and broth using it to melt potatoes. Is Cephalonian ekdochi.Tairiazei perfect with steamed greens.

Few secrets yet

I suggest that you cook an extra boiled potato or so in case the garlic dip is  too hot or you become very fluid. 

Fay's Greek fish soup

1½ kilo fish suitable for boiling, cut into portions or if small add whole

1½ kilo potatoes cut into walnut-size pieces

1 lemons juice

1 cup olive oil

1 onion

3 cloves of Garlic

4 Carrots 

4 sticks of Celery with leaves

Bunch of fresh parsley 

salt and freshly black pepper

2 eggs

 

Take a large pan and spread a layer of potatoes carrots celery onions garlic parsley on the bottom, then layer up the fish,the fish must be on of the top with a layer of potatoes and the rest if the vegs

Empty the cup of the olive oil and salt and pepper and if the liquids do not cover them, top up with water.

Place a plate over the last layer of potatoes, so that they stay in place when the soup begins to boil. Put the pan on the hotplate. Cook at a fairly high heat until the potatoes are soft. The oil and lemon are transformed into a wonderful milky liquid and the soup is white.

After fish an vegetables have cooked with a large flat spoon very carefully take fish and vegetables out in to a large plater having the fish in the middle and arrange all other vegs around them. 

Pore some olive oil and some fresh lemon juice on top  and place at the table to serve with the soup!

Remove pan with soup of the hot plate  and pore through a fine shift to make sure there are no fish bones in the soup

prepare the egg an lemon sauce 

Place In a blender the 2 eggs whole the juice of the lemon a ladle full of the broth from the fish soup and a bit of salt and pepper

Beat until it becomes very frothy and well mixed

Pure over the fish soup serve with freshly grated black pepper and crusty bread

Serve in soup bowls, broth, fish and potatoes. enjoy! 

   

Meat loaf warped in lamb caul

Ingredients 

1 pound lean minced lamb 

1 chopped onion 

2 tsp. Oil 

3 cloves crushed garlic 

1 tsp. Dried Mint 

1 tsp. Chopped parsley 

1 tsp. Fresh Oregano 

3 tsp of bread crumbs 

1 Egg 

One lamb umbrella (caul) 

3 lemons lemon juice

6 boiled eggs 

4 large potatoes cut in 1/4s 

1tbs of dried oregano. 

Method

In a bowl put all the ingredients except the  lamb caul and lemon.

Knead for 5 minutes. Rinse the umbrella well under running water and  

remove the thick fat pieces and place in a bowl with water and lemon juice this will also help it to become white and gets reed of the "heavy" smell. Apply on a clean surface and cut into oblong pieces.

Shape the mince into ball and flatten down and place 2 eggs in the middle of each meat loaf place on the edge of each piece of caul.   Wrap rotate around minced and make sure all is warped around with the Caul! Place in a tray with well seasoned potatoes add olive oil oregano salt and pepper and bake in a 220' oven until golden and cooked

Serve with a fresh green salad or a nice Greek salad ! 

Diples wonderful pastry folds with honey and nuts

Ingredients 

 6 eggs

2 tablespoons orange zest 

½ cup orange juice

S/R flour (about 1 kg)

 2 tsp vanilla extract 

Corn floor for rolling dough

corn oil for frying

3 cups honey

icing sugar for dusting

cinnamon

coarsely cut walnuts

Method

Lightly beat eggs, orange, orange zest and vanilla in a bowl and begin to add the flour slowly, so as to achieve a fairly stiff dough.

Divide the dough into 8 balls and leave an hour to rest, covered with plastic wrap.

After dough has rested we get each ball sprinkle with corn flour and roll it in a thinner pastry sheet as you can. It's best to use corn four to the floured surface to roll out the sheet instead of flour, so leaves open more easier . 

Cut in thin strips 

Place in a dip frypan the corn oil to heat but do not over heat. 

With a fork slide one edge of the cut stops of pastry and roll on to the fork then place very carefully in the oil and cook util it's golden and pastry has been cooked! Remove form oil and place on a tray with some kitchen paper to drain some of the oil. Continue with the rest util all are cooked. Let them cool and store in a tight lid plastic container if you do not want to eat them right away they keep well up to a week. 

To serve drizzle with a good honey and sprinkle the coarse walnuts on top

If you like instead of just the honey you can also make a syrup and dip each one then sprinkle with cinnamon and coarsely cut  nuts! Enjoy!