Ajvar (pepper relish)
Ingredients:
* 8-12 fresh red paprika (mild or medium-hot, to taste)
* 4 medium-size eggplants
* 1/2 to 3/4 cup olive oil
* 1 large onion, minced
* 3 large garlic cloves, chopped
* 1 to 2 tablespoons lemon juice (or 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar)
* Salt and pepper to taste
* Chopped fresh parsley for garnish
Method:
Roast the paprika and eggplants over charcoal or a gas flame, or bake them in a preheated 230 C oven, until the skin is blistered and darkened. Place the roasted vegetables in a paper bag and let them steam in their own heat for 10 minutes. Peel off and discard the burnt skin along with the steams and seeds. Mash the peppers and eggplant pulp together to form a slightly chunky mass. You can do this with a fork or in a food processor.
Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet and saute the onion until very soft. Add garlic and cook for 2 more minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the pepper-eggplant pulp, mixing well. Slowly drizzle the remaining oil into the mixture, stirring constantly to incorporate all of the oil. Add lemon juice or vinegar, and salt and pepper, to taste. Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with parsley.
For longer storage fill glass jars without air bubbles in ajvar and top with layer of oil. Preferably store in refrigerator.
Note: Serve as an appetizer to spread on thick slices of country-style white bread or flat pita bread with chunks of feta cheese, or use as a side dish to accompany grilled or roasted meats.
Read MoreTurkish Delight
Ingredients:
350 ml water
Optional: substitute 30 ml water with rose water or add few drops of rose oil
100 ml orange juice
Juice of 1 lemon
½ teaspoon agar agar or vegetarian jelly crystals
450 g sugar
A few drops of pink or yellow food colouring (optional)
25g pistachios, skinned and finely chopped (optional)
1 oz/ 25g almonds, skinned and finely chopped (optional)
Icing sugar for dusting
Method:
1. Heat the water, orange and lemon juices in a heavy, non-stick saucepan.
2. Add the agar agar or vegetarian jelly crystals, and stir on a gentle heat until they have dissolved.
3. Add the sugar and food colouring, if using, and increase the heat. Bring the mixture to a boil, then simmer on low heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the nuts, if using.
4. Remove from the heat and cool the mixture, stirring from time to time until it comes to room temperature.
5. Pour the mixture into a square or rectangular dish, and place the dish in a basin of ice-cold water. Cover the dish with a cloth, and leave it in the fridge until the Turkish delight has set.
6. Remove from the fridge and bring it back to room temperature. Cut into 24 squares using a greased knife, and dust with icing sugar. Store in an airtight container, or wrap in cellophane, tie with a colourful ribbon, and give to someone you love as a gift.
Note: Making Turkish delight – also known as locum – is complicated and labour-intensive, and many traditional recipes are closely guarded secrets of Turkish confectioners, whose families have followed them for centuries. This simplified recipe may not be as good as that served to the Sultans, but it is much lovelier than commercial ones. Do try it! Makes 24 pieces.
Read MoreGreek Lamb Kebabs
Ingredients:
1 kg lamb (Shoulder, roast, shank, etc.), cubed
Lamb Marinade:
1/4 cup of fresh rosemary, minced
1 clove garlic, minced fine
1 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
3 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
salt & fresh cracked pepper to taste
1 Tbsp fresh thyme, minced
1 tbsp fresh oregano, minced
Note: If you have to use dry herbs, crush them into a powder in a mortar and pestle and use less. How much less? That depends on the freshness of your dried herbs.
Method:
1. Combine all, except lamb, in a small bowl. Stir to combine.
2. In a plastic bag or any deep sided dish, add lamb and pour marinade over. Marinate for at least 2hours, preferably more (like 4).
3. When finished marinating, skewer meat cubes onto metal or wooden skewers. If using wood, make sure to soak for at least 20 minutes in warm water prior to cooking, to avoid charring.
4. Heat BBQ to medium high and grill for a few minutes on each side. Lamb should be served medium rare, so don’t cook it longer than 10 minutes. Allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Read MoreTzatziki
Ingredients:
1/2 of an English cucumber, partially peeled OR
1 whole cucumber – peeled and seeded
1 cup plain yogurt (preferably Greek yogurt or regular yogurt strained through a cheesecloth)
1/3 cup sour cream
juice of 1/4 lemon
1 tsp. dill weed (optional)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
salt and pepper to taste
Method:
1. Grate the cucumber and squeeze out all of the juice.
2. Mix all other ingredients in a medium bowl. Add cucumber.
3. Let stand in fridge for at least 1 hour.
4. Serve with pita chips as an appetizer or with Greek meatballs (recipe follows).
Read MoreRasgullas
Ingredients:
4 cups of whole milk
1 teaspoon lemon or lime juice
1 and ½ cup sugar*
½ teaspoon cardamom powder
3 cup water for boiling*
*Proportion of sugar to water should be around 1:2.
Method:
1. Add a teaspoon of lemon juice to milk and bring it to boil. The lemon juice will separate the milk into watery whey and solid chunks.
2. Throw away the liquid part by shifting the mixture through a clean muslin cloth. (It will take around 15 minutes to have excessive water drip off.). Then squeeze out the extra water.
3. Mix solid milk chuck with cardamom. Knead it like dough.
4. Make a small balls (around ½ inch diameter) out of dough.
5. Boil water in a wide utensil with at least 2 to 3 inches of water over medium-low heat.
6. Add sugar to the boiling water to make a sweet syrup.
7. Gently drop the solid balls in the boiling syrup.
8. Cook the balls in the boiling syrup for about 25 minutes. Balls will expand about twice its size.
9. Remove from the heat. Cool it. Serve it in room temperature or colder.
Note: The given recipe is a basic guide to make Rasgullas from scratch. Some also add semolina to firmly hold fresh cheese together in the spherical shape. Rasgulla (also spelled rasgula, rassogolla) is popular milk (soft cheese) based Indian dessert. Literally, rasgullas are spherical fresh cheese balls in sugar syrup.
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