Colourful Easter eggs

Youvarlakia meat n Rice dumplings in egg and lemon sauce

Materials:

For the dumplings: 

0.5 kg of ground beef

0.5 cup rice carolina

1 egg

1 onion chopped

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Salt and course crated  black pepper

For the broth:

1 small head of l cos lettuce     

2 potatoes, coarsely diced

2 leaks sliced

1 zucchini diced   

Salt n pepper 

1 tbs powder chicken or fresh stock homemade ( enough to cover all meat and veggies  

2 tablespoons butter

Salt and pepper

2 pieces of lamb on the bone to make broth

For the egg-lemon:

1 egg

Juice of two lemons

Method 

Mix the minced meat, rice,parsley, onion, egg and salt and pepper. Shape the mixture into balls and place in a large flat plate and let it stand in the fridge until you are ready for the next step. (This process can be done a day before)In a hot frying pan drizzle some olive oil and some of the butter and sauté the veggies and the piece of lamb place all the ingredients in the slow cooker or saucepan add the chicken stock salt and pepper parsley and dill and pour in boiling water so that we do not disturb  the broth and stop it from cooking then we set the cooker to low for 4-6 hours or until we come back from work the broth would be perfect take out the bones of the lamb and leave the meat in broth then set sc on high until it is boiling then slowly and carefully place the meat dumplings in the hot broth cook on high 20 min or until the rice and meat have cooked through! It's best to take one out and taste to see if all done then Rosemead with the egg and lemon sauce! 

This can also be done on the stove top in a large saucepan 

In a blender Beat an egg with lemon juice  then with a ladle take out some of the broth and add in with the eggs and lemon this will help the eggs not to curdle pore egg and lemon sauce over your dumplings and enjoy! It's best to serve straight away  with crusty bread! It's a great a Greek winter dish! 

Stuffed vegetables in the oven

Ingredients:

6 large tomatoes

3 medium zucchini

3 large potatoes, peeled and sliced in wedges

1/2kg. ground beef

1/2 cup olive oil, plus more for drizzling

1 large onion, diced 

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup fresh parsley, minced

6 tbsp. uncooked rice

2 tbsp. tomato paste

1/2 cup tomato sauce

1/2 cup breadcrumbs

6 pats of butter or margarine

Salt and pepper to taste

Cup Tomato Sauce

Preparation:

Prep the vegetables:

When I slice the tops of the tomatoes, I like to leave a small piece attached to the base to act as a hinge for the tomato top. This helps to keep the tops matched to the bottoms. Sprinkle a tsp. of sugar in each tomato cavity to help reduce the acidity.

Using a spoon, scoop out the tomato flesh and reserve in a bowl. Be careful not to pierce through the skin of the tomatoes. Scoop out the zucchini and add their flesh to the bowl. Using a food processor or food mill, process the pulp until you have a chunky liquid. Set aside.

Prepare the stuffing:

Brown the ground beef in a large skillet. When all the pink has disappeared, add the olive oil. Add the onions and saute until translucent. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about a minute.

Add the parsley, rice, half the tomato pulp puree, tomato paste, and tomato sauce. (The paste is added to deepen the flavor and also to improve the color of the sauce.) Season with nutmeg, salt and pepper. Allow the sauce to simmer and reduce a bit so that it is not too runny. The uncooked rice will begin to absorb the excess liquid as it cooks.

Stuffing the vegetables:

Drizzle some olive oil in the bottom of a rectangular pan. Assemble the vegetables in the pan and use the potato wedges to keep the vegetables upright. 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Stuff the tomatoes and zucchini about 3/4 full. Replace the caps and sprinkle the tops with breadcrumbs. Place a pat of butter or margarine on each top. Pour the remaining pulp puree in the bottom of the pan and season the vegetables with salt and pepper.

Bake for about an hour or until the vegetables have become tender and cooked through. For best results you can lower the heat to 275 and let the vegetables slow roast for a few hours.

The flavors develop as the vegetables sit so they can be enjoyed even more as leftovers the next day.

Apple Crumble

Ingredients

• 5 cups diced peeled tart apples
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 unbaked pastry shell 
• TOPPING:
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup butter
• In a bowl, combine first five ingredients; spoon into pie shell. For topping, combine sugar and flour; cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle over pie. Bake at 400° for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 375°; bake for 40-45 minutes or until the topping is browned and apples are tender. Cover crust edges with foil during the last 15 minutes if needed. Cool completely before cutting. 

Ham and pea Soup

1 1/3 cups  green or yellow split peas

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 carrots, peeled, chopped
• 2 sticks celery, trimmed, chopped
• 1 brown onion, halved, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 700g ham or bacon hocks
• 2L (8 cups) cold water
• Salt & freshly ground black pepper

Method 

Rinse split peas under cold running water until water runs clear. Drain.Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add carrot, celery, onion and garlic, and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until the onion softens.Add split peas, ham hocks and water. Bring to the boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, for 2 - 2 1/2 hours or until ham hocks are tender and the meat is falling away from the bones. Set aside for 5 minutes to cool slightly. Remove ham hocks from pan. Remove the meat from bones. Coarsely chop meat and set aside.

Preheat oven to 220°C. Place one-quarter of the pea mixture in the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth. Return to pan with ham. Repeat with remaining pea mixture. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Stir over medium-high heat for 5 minutes or until hot. Ladle soup into bowls and serve immediately with crusty bread rolls.

Fay's easy Easter cookies

Ingredients 

2 cups sugar

4 eggs

375g  fresh cream

1 bottle of lemon essence 

orange or lemon zest

1 kg flour and little extra 

4 tsp baking powder

2 pkts vanilla sugar 

Sesame seeds 

This recipe dose not need the use of an electric mixer you can easily make it by hand. 

Method 

In a mixing bawl mix with a Spoon or by hand the fresh cream and sugar well.

Add the eggs one by one. Add the lemon or orange zest and lemon essence vanilla baking powder 

 mix all the ingredients with half of the flour and begin to adding more flour and mix well. We put flour as needed to make the dough not too hard, but does not stick to your hands.

Allow dough to rest for a quarter of an hour in the fridge.  Roll  cookies in desired shape spread a little beaten egg on top of each cookie to shine. I usually put one egg in a bowl and add a little water, beat then spread on cookies well and sprinkle sesame seeds on top bake at 180 ° for 10 '-20', depending on the size.

Stuffed Squid with Prawn meat (Kalamarakia Yemista me Garides)

Ingredients
3 tablespoons Greek olive oil, plus 1/4 cup
1 Spanish onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups long-grain rice
2 plum tomatoes, diced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
12 large squid, cleaned

250g prawns, peeled and deveined

1/2 cup tomato juice

 1 juice of a lemon

 4 green onions, thinly sliced

 1/4 cup dill leaves, finely chopped

 2 tablespoons finely chopped chives

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1/4 teaspoon paprika

3 tablespoons dry white wine

A drizzle of a good olive oil

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Clean and divine prawns and take out all of the inside of the squid and the skin.

Cut the heads of and and with a sharp knife take the eyes and mouth and disregard 

Cut the prawns and heads of the squid in small peaces set a side.
Heat 3 tablespoons of the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the diced prawn meat and the chopped Squid heads and  tentacles  until all are well sute add the onion,chives and cook until soft. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the rice and stir to coat with the mixture; cook for 1 minute. Add 3 cups water, tomatoes, season with salt and pepper, paprika, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and cook until the rice is tender and the water is completely absorbed, about 14 to 16 minutes. Remove from the heat and let sit 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and stir in the mint and parsley. Let cool.

Stuff the squid with the rice mixture. Drizzle half of the remaining oil in a medium baking dish. Add the squid and drizzle with remaining oil and the tomato juice lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Bake until the squid is tender, about 25 to 30 minuets. Springle with fresh herbs and serve! Enjoy! 

Chicken Caesar salad

Ingredients 

 3 slices Burgen Soy-Lin bread, torn into bite-sized pieces

 Olive oil spray

 4 slices prosciutto, excess fat trimmed

 2 chicken breast fillets

 2 baby cos lettuce, trimmed, leaves separated, coarsely torn

 1/2 cup fresh continental parsley leaves

 2 hard-boiled eggs, peeled, quartered

 1 tablespoon finely grated parmesan

 125ml caesar dressing

 4 Anchovy fish  

Method

Preheat oven to 200°C. Line 2 baking trays with non-stick baking paper. Place bread on 1 tray. Spray lightly with oil. Place prosciutto on the remaining tray. Bake, turning bread once, for 7-8 minutes or until the bread and prosciutto are crisp and golden. Set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, spray a non-stick frying pan with oil. Heat over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken for 4-5 minutes each side or until golden and cooked through. Set aside to cool slightly. Thinly slice.

Break the prosciutto into shards. Combine the bread, prosciutto, chicken, lettuce, parsley, parmesan in a serving bowl. Drizzle over the dressing decorate with boiled egg and Anchovy fillets enjoy! 

Crump chicken with herbs and spices

I1 kg chicken pieces

3 beaten eggs

1/2 cup of olive oil

1cup of butter milk

A few drops of Tabasco sauce

For the coating

2 cups of flour

4 tsp of paprika

1tsp salt

1 tsp of pepper

1 tsp of powder chicken stock

1tsp oregano

1 tsp tarragon 

1tsp of parsley

1/2 tsp of Tyne 

1 tsp of chives

1/2 tsp of garlick powder

1/2 tsp of onion powder

1/2 tsp celery powder

Method

Mix together all spices and ingredients in to the flour and place in a blender until all is finely grind and mixed well.  Place in a dip plate or tray.Place  Chicken in a bowl and add the Butter milk and Tabasco sauce . Let it sit in the freadge over night if possible. Coat chicken with beaten egg then dip in to flour mixture . Make sure all Chicken is coated well with the flour and spices.  Heat oil in a skillet or  fry pan and brown the chiken slowly uncovered. Once browned, cover the skillet and keep frying  on a general heat until the chicken is fully cooked. Or place in a oven tray and cook until chicken is done. Place on paper towels to drain excess oil! Serve with chips and salad!. Enjoy

Fay's home made Mousaka

Ingredients:

3-4 eggplants, 

1 kg . potatoes

500g ground beef (or lamb)

2 large onions, finely diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tbs chicken powder 

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. ground allspice

1 cup tomato puree (or crushed tomatoes)

2 tbsp. tomato paste

1/2  tsp. sugar

Salt and pepper to taste

2 cups plain breadcrumbs

2egg  lightly beaten for bechamel)

1 cup grated Kefalotyri or Parmesan cheese

1/2cup water

Bechamel Sauce:

1 cup salted butter 

1 cup flour

4 cups milk, warm

Pinch of ground nutmeg 

Preparation:

Prep the Vegetables 

Peel the potatoes and and slice the egg plant in 1/2 inch thick slices and put in separate large shallow trays and drizzle  with a bit of oil salt and pepper and roast them in the oven until they are just done and get a bit of colour.  They should not get too dark or soft, just cooked enough so that they no longer crunch. 

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

When eggplant and potatoes Has finished cooking, lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees.

Make the Meat Filling:

In a large sauté pan, brown the ground beef (or lamb) until the pink color disappears. Add onion and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add to pan  with mince tomato paste chicken stock end allow it to sauté and reduce a bit before adding cinnamon, allspice, parsley, crushed tomatoes. Allow the sauce to simmer uncovered for approximately 15 minutes so that excess liquid can evaporate. It should be a drier, chunkier, tomato sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper water and cook until reduced 

Make the Béchamel Sauce:

Melt butter over low heat. Using a whisk, add flour to melted butter whisking continuously to make a smooth paste. Allow the flour to cook for a minute but do not allow it to brown.

Add warmed milk to mixture in a steady stream, whisking continuously.

Simmer over low heat until it thickens a bit but does not boil.

Remove from heat, and stir in beaten egg yolks and pinch of nutmeg. Return to heat and stir until sauce thickens.

Assemble the Moussaka:

Lightly grease a large deep baking pan (lasagna pan). Sprinkle the bottom of pan with breadcrumbs. Leaving a 1/4 inch space around the edges of the pan, place a layer of potatoes on the bottom. Top with a layer of eggplant slices.

Add meat sauce on top of eggplant layer and sprinkle with 1/4 of the grated cheese. Top with another layer of eggplant slices and sprinkle once again with 1/4 of the grated cheese.

Pour the béchamel sauce over the eggplant and be sure to allow sauce to fill the sides and corners of the pan. Smooth the béchamel on top with a spatula and sprinkle with remaining grated cheese. Bake in a 350-degree oven for 45 minutes or until béchamel sauce is a nice golden brown color. Allow to cool for 15 – 20 minutes before slicing and serving.