Spinach Omelette

This dish is an all time favourite of the whole family. Alejandro loves this the most. You can serve it for anytime of the day. This morning I served it to Rafael, Carmen and Alejandro for breakfast. Sometimes I throw in some feta, or chevre to add flavour and texture. This morning I kept it simple.

SPINACH OMELETTE

5 large free-run eggs
1 cup milk
2 cups baby spinach
1 tbsp Italian seasoning (Club House)
canola oil
salt
pepper

1. Preheat oven at 350F. If you have a convection option on your oven use it. It makes the omelette fluffy.

2. Meanwhile, beat the eggs and milk, season with salt and pepper.

3. In oven proof frying pan, heat the canola oil. Saute the spinach. Sprinkle with the Italian seasoning.

4. Once the spinach is wilted, pour in the egg mixture. Let it set on the bottom before placing in the oven.

5. Continue the cooking process in the oven for 20 minutes or until the omelette puffs up.

Biftekia Kokkinista - Stuffed Greel Meatballs with Red Sauce

Over the weekend, we had some friends come to dinner to help us celebrate the arrival of Autumn. The main dish was Biftekia Kokkinista, Roasted Oregano Potatoes and Rice Pilaf. This is traditional fall dish in Greece and very popular at one of the restaurants on te Danforth. Although it is not a very elegant dish it is hearty and conforting. Perfect for a crisp Autumn evening.

BIFTEKIA KOKKINISTA - STUFFED GREEK MEATBALLS WITH RED SAUCE

3 lbs ground meat
3 eggs
3 cups bread crumbs
1 cup tomato sauce
2 large onions. diced ( 1 onion for the biftekia, 1 for the sauce)
4 to 5 garlic cloves, diced ( separate the garlic )
1 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp mint
1 tbsp oregano
1 tsp cinnamon
salt
pepper
100 g of cubed gouda

Kokkinisto - Red Sauce
3 cups tomato sauce
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp mint
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
salt
pepper

 1. Combine all the ingredients for the biftekia. Make an oval and place a couple of cubes of gouda in the centre. Cover with another oval paddy and roll together making sure the two meat paddies combine well. You don't want the cheese to seep out in the cooking process.








2. Place all the biftekia in a roasting pan. I did this the day before for two reasons. To save time the day of and to allow the biftekia to stiffen up a little.

3. Brown each bifteki on both sides so that they have a nice crispy top and bottom.

4. Place browned biftekia in a pyrex.

5. Once all the biftekia are nice and snug in the pyrex you pour the kokkinisto over the biftekia.

6. Preheat oven at 425F. Cover biftekia with foil and continue cooking in the oven for 25 minutes.

7. After 25 minutes, uncover and put the pyrex back into the oven at 350F for 15 minutes for the excess water to evaporate from the dish. You don't want a soupy consistancy.

8. While you are preparing and cooking the biftekia, you should make the kokkinisto. Saute the onion and garlic. Add the spices. Gently add the tomato sauce and balsamic vinegar. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 30 minutes on low heat.

Tomato Sauce Day

Every September it's harvest time at the Karipidis Home. When we were kids my parents use to harvest all kinds of yummy things such as Roasted Red Peppers, Pickled Vegetables and Tomato Sauce. I suppose for my parents is was a way to spend time with the family because for 3 weekends in September we would gather in the backyard and pitch in to get the job done. I fondly remember my Mom's stuffed pickled Cubanelle Peppers. She would grate cabbage, carrots and celery which then was stuffed into these tender Cubanelle Peppers. Each jar would fit 4 to 5 of these stuffed lovelies. Her pickling concoction was simple, boiled salt water with vinegar and loads of garlic. The Roasted Red Peppers were the most painstaking because after being barbecued, they had to sweat out in plastic bags and then their charred skin had to be peeled off very carefully not to damage the succulent flesh. After the delicate operation, the red peppers were placed in ZipLock bags before being stored in the freezer. Since the harvesting of the red peppers was the most tiring, my Mother only took them out to be consumed on special occasions. Thankfully, we never had to wait to long to dig into the sweet yumminess of the peppers because Thanksgiving was only a couple of weeks away. Now, the only item we harvest is the tomato sauce.

Italian Lentils with Sausage

Lentils are a staple in the Greek and Peruvian diet. Turns out lentils are popular in other cultures as well. This recipe was inspired by Jamie Oliver's - "Jamie's Italy". I like the combination of lentils and sausage. The Greeks eat them as a soup. The Peruvians eat them chunkier with rice and fired eggs. This is a nice hearty alternative.

Italian Lentils with Sausage

2 cups of green lentils
2 cloves garlic
2 bay leaves
1 cups parsley, chopped
2 cups of tomato sauce
1 red onion diced
2 to 3 garlic cloves diced
1/4 tsp cinnamon
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
salt
pepper
1/4 tsp hot chili peppers
1 package of sausage

1. Place lentils in a large stock pot with garlic, and bay leaves and boil for 40 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, saute onions and garlic until the brown.

3. Add the cinnamon, 1 tbsp red wine, salt, pepper and hot chili pepper flakes.

4. Gently, add tomato sauce, boil and bring to a simmer.

5. Place sausages in a large, oven-safe frying pan with some olive oil in a preheated oven at 450F. Roast for 15 minutes on each side.

6. When the lentils are done cooking, strain the liquid, remove bay leaves and garlic cloves. The garlic cloves will be soft. Use a small fork to mash them up. Put the lentils back into the pot, drizzle olive oil, 1 tbsp red wine vinegar, garlic and finely chopped parsley. Stir together.

7. To plate this dish, laddle a good helping of lentils in a shallow plate, spoon on a couple of spoonfuls of the tomato sauce and place sliced sausage on top.

Spinach & Quinoa Soup

The best recipes sometimes come out of things you already have in your kitchen. That's where I got inspiration for lunch today. It was simple and very healthy. Try this this easy soup when you want to load up on iron, protein and Vitamin D.

SPINACH & QUINOA SOUP

1/2 cup quinoa
1 cup water
half bag of baby spinach
4 cups tomato juice
1 tbsp garlic & onion powder combined
1 tbsp dried mint
salt & pepper
canola & olive oil

1. Bring 1/2 quinoa with 1 cup water. Simmer for 15 minutes on low heat.

2. Meanwhile, in a medium sauce pot saute baby spinach in the canola and olive oil.


3. Once spinach is softened add the seasonings and the tomato juice and bring to a slow boil.

4. By the time the quinoa cooks the tomato juice will boil down nicely. Add the quinoa to the spinach. Stir and serve with crusty bread.

Spanakopita II

Spanakopita II

 Here are the pics and instructions on how to make my Spanakopita.

Ingredients

2 bunches of fresh spinach
salt
pepper
 1 tbsp mint
 1/2 tbsp garlic powder
1 egg
2 bunches green onions
200g feta cheese
olive oil
1/2 cup melted butter
1 pack of filo

1. Cut the stems off the spinach and wash well.

2 Sprinkle with salt and mash up the spinach with your hands. This is my Giagia's method of wilting the spinach. It also adds flavour to the spinach straight away.

3. Chop green onions and add to spinach. Sprinkle pepper, mint and garlic powder. Mix well.

4. Preheat oven at 400. If you have a convection oven turn it on. The air makes the filo.

5. Grease the pan with enough oil so that the filo doesn't stick. Layer the pan with 8 to 9 filo sheets.

6. Fill the pan with the spinach, crumbled feta and 1 beaten egg.

7. Cover the filling with another 8 to 9 filo sheets. Each time you add a layer to the to and bottom of the pan oyu must brush olive oil to keep the filo moist.

8. Once you are done with the last layer it is a good idea to pre-cut your spanakopita so that when it is done baking and you want to cut it, it is easier.

9. Then you are ready to pop it in the oven. Bake for 40 minutes on the 4 level.

10. You can eat this nostimo spanakopita for a snack, breakfast, or with a simple Greek Salad.

11. Enjoy!

Gemista - Greek Stuffed Peppers

Gemista - Greek Stuffed Peppers

Good day all! As I promised, I am posting my recipe and photos of one of my favourite Greek dishes - Gemista. They are the perfect answer to comfort food. I love everything with ground meat. This dish is considered a summer dish because the peppers are in season in the summer. A couple of days ago No Frills was having a $1 sale. Of course, I went to get the deals. One of the items they had on sale for $1 were green peppers. I haven't made Gemista in a long, long time so that was something new for me yesterday. If you decide to try my recipe please let me know how they turn out and if my instructions work.

INGREDIENTS

12 large green peppers ( you can use other peppers)
2 lbs of ground beef ( you can mix half beef/half pork)
1 large onion diced
1 pint of mushrooms diced
3 garlic gloves diced
3 cups of tomato sauce
1 tsp of long grain rice for each pepper (my Mom puts 1 tbsp much makes the stuffing more ricey. If you are watching your diet, like I am you don't need that much rice)
canola oil
1 tbsp mint
1 tbsp oregano
1/2 tbsp cumin
1 tsp cinnamon
salt pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 450F

2. Wash and cut the crowns of each pepper.

3. Shell out the heart of the pepper but do not discard.







4. Wash the seeds off the hearts of the peppers and dice the flesh. (My grandmother use to do this because when my Mom was growing up they were struggling. So that they don't waste any precious food, my Giagia would add the heart of the peppers in the stuffing. They are full of nutrients.)

5. I made my own tomatoe sauce. Use 8 to 10 ripe tomatoes. Put them in a steam bath for 20 to 30 minutes so that the skin will peel off. Dice and mash the tomatoes after sprinkling in some salt and a pinch of sugar. (This will balance the acidity in the tomatoes and when it cooks in the filling it won't be tangy.)

6. Now you are ready to make the stuffing.

7. Saute the diced pepper hearts, onions, garlic and mushrooms for 10 minutes of medium/high heat in the deep pan.

8. Add ground meat to brown. Stir in for 5 minutes and then add the spices: mint, oregano, cumin and cinnamon. Brown for 5 to 10 minutes.

9. Lower heat to medium. Add 1 tsp of rice for each pepper into the centre of the mixture, followed by the tomatoe sauce. Let it start to bubble a little.

10. Reduce heat to low/medium and simmer for 20 minutes. The rice should start cooking at this point before putting stuffing into the peppers.

11. Now you are ready to stuff the peppers.

12. Place hollowed peppers into a deep roasting pan. Sprinkle with salt. You need about 3 to 4 tbsp of stuffing for each pepper.

13. If you have remaing tomatoe sauce pour some in the middle and top the peppers with a lid. Pour canola oil over each pepper. 14. Pour 1 cup of bolied water into the base of the pan. Cover with tin foil and roast for 45 minutes.

15. At 45 minutes, uncover and roast for another 45 minutes.

16. I like my gemista a bit crispy on the top so I broil them for 15 minutes at 500F. It's a personal preference.

17. Serve with a fresh Greek Salad, olive and pita.

Empanada La Canadiana

Empanada La Canadiana

Good Morning! Yesterday, I created a new Empanada. I'm calling it Empanada La Canadiana because it has ingredients indigenous to Canada. I've got 4 types of empanadas now in my repertoire of empanadas. There is the traditional Chilean Empanada, the Peruvian Empanada, the Veggie Empanada and now Canadiana Empanada.

INGREDIENTS

3 packages of empanada shells (12 in a pack)
1 1lbs turkey breast, roasted and shredded
1 cup undressed coleslaw mix
3 tbsp turkey gravy
2 hardboiled eggs, diced
1/3 cup dried cranberries
200 g cheddar cheese, diced
1 tsp ground sage
1 tsp ground thyme
2 tbsp canola oil



1. Place 1 tbsp of the stuffing on one side of the emapanda shell, fold over and crimp with a fork or twist edges to close.

2. Put empanadas on a cookie sheet, puncture holes with a fork and brush on some canola oil.

3. Bake in a preheated 400 F for 25 minutes or until golden brown on the tip and bottom.

The stuffing should be enough for 36 empanadas. I didn't have enough shells for 36 so I improvised and made this round Empanada Luna.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 104 g

Amount Per Serving

Calories  197 Calories from Fat  51

% Daily Value*

Total Fat  5.7g 9%

Saturated Fat  1.9g 9%

Trans Fat  0.0g

Cholesterol  46mg 15%

Sodium  269mg 11%

Total Carbohydrates  21.0g 7%

Dietary Fiber  1.1g 4%

Protein  17.2g

Vitamin A 2% • Vitamin C 2% Calcium 4% • Iron 11%

Nutrition Grade C-

* Based on a 2000 calorie diet

Leftover Lovelies

Leftover Lovelies

There is nothing more satisfying to a cook when you create a delicious meal out of leftovers and whatever you have in your fridge. The other day, as I was walking to my parents' house I was thinking about what to make for dinner. I;m sure all you cooks out there can sympathize with my dilemma. Even if you are the greatest chef in the whole wide world, sometimes you are stuck. It's kind of like writer's block. By the time I came home a remembered that I had a fillet of trout in the fridge that I had already baked and decided that I would create something with that. Along with the trout I noticed I had a half of a red onion, 1 red pepper, a few celery stalks and a container of mushrooms. "That's it! I'm make a stir fry." I said excitedly to myself. I through in some soy sauce, fish sauce, rice wine vinegar, half a lime and this Thai Seasoning mix from Club House. When we sat down to eat, Rafael was raving about how delicious it smelled in the kitchen. Not only was he raving about the aroma of the food but on first bite he was swooning, "Que rico! Bravo Eleni!"

Another Successful Night in the Kitchen. OPA!

Another Successful Night in the Kitchen. OPA!

Last night I made the best ever keftedakia. I have to thank my Mom for picking me up the meat from Hilland Farms. On first sight, I knew that they were going to be delicious. Like anything you have to have the perfect ingredients to make a successful meal. Last week, I made dolmadakia and I was really disappointed because they were awful. I was upset mostly because it took me a long time to roll them and the leaves are so hard to pick. Now, I make a good dolma. I've never had an issue with them before but this time the meat was all wrong. I bought ground meat from FreshCo in one fo the those tubes. Never again. It turned out to be organ meat mixed in with real meat. We ate them but it was not a satisfying experience. Anywho, my keftedakia were amazing. I added some fresh parsley along with the other spices like cumin and cinnamon. Also, I chop the onions and garlic in the food processor so that the meatballs are soft once cooked. As I was frying them in a non-stick pan the aroma of the meat combined with the yummy flavours were started to rise through the condo. Alejandro was salivating the poor baby. I had to give him some kefte even before the entire batch was finished frying. Rafael came home at that very moment that I was just about done and he said, "I could smell something yummy all the way down the hall. I was hoping it was you cooking something delicious." Yup! And yup! They were nostima, polli nostima. It makes me so happy when my family loves eating my food.

Greek Meatballs with Roasted Veggie Marinara

Greek Meatballs with Roasted Veggie Marinara

Good afternoon all!

How is you Saturday afternoon? I'm knackered. Nothing new there but I'm very happy that my roasted veggie marinara was a huge success. For those of you who are looking for something new to make with your eggplant, tomatoes and peppers try my recipe. It's very simple and very yummy. You can use it plain with pasta or with meatballs like I did last night.

Roasted Veggie Marinara

3 finger eggplants; quartered
4 - 5 roma tomatoes; halved
4 - 5 sweet green peppers; whole
1 large onion; quartered ( I had about 2 cups of pearl onions from the garden. They were a combo of red onions and white onions)
1 garlic clove; peeled
olive oil
oregano
mint
salt
pepper

1. Roast in an oven for 45 minutes covered at 450F.

2. Uncover and continue the roasting process for 15 minutes to give a slight crispiness to the veggies. This caramelizes the veggies a little which adds tons of flavour.

3. In a medium sauce pan add roasted veggies and 2 cups of tomato juice. Mash up and bring to a boil. Simmer for 20 minutes.

Try it! You will love it.

Nutritional Analysis

Good points

• No cholesterol
• High in dietary fiber
• Very high in vitamin A
• High in vitamin B6
• Very high in vitamin C

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 130 g

Amount Per Serving

Calories  55 Calories from Fat  32

% Daily Value*

Total Fat  3.6g 6%

Saturated Fat  0.5g 3%

Trans Fat  0.0g

Cholesterol  0mg 0%

Sodium  156mg 6%

Total Carbohydrates  5.4g 2%

Dietary Fiber  1.6g 6%

Sugars  3.0g

Protein  1.1g

Vitamin A 12% • Vitamin C 84% Calcium 5% • Iron 3%

Nutrition Grade B+

* Based on a 2000 calorie diet