Homemade Hot Mustard

Mustard is one of my favourite condiments and I'm surely not speaking of the ball park variety. I speak of zesty, grainy mustard. I love mustard for salads, dressings, sauces and a good sausauge!

Notch this entry as my contribution for this week's Weekend Herb Blogging and it comes back home to mama, hosted by Kalyn of Kalyn's Kitchen.

Mustard comes from a plant and commercial mustard is made from the mustard seed. Mustard is a relative of the radish and the turnip and although it is grown all over the world, Canada accounts for 90% of all the mustard seed grown in the international market.

This was my first time making homemade mustard. It was easy and I'll do it again but I'll mix up the seed mixture. I only had these white seeds and although the mustard turned out tasty, I think it might be too hot for the masses (mental note: get brown mustard seeds).

Homemade Hot Mustard

3/4 cup brown mustard seeds
1/4 cup white mustard seeds
1 1/2 cups of Chardonnay wine
3 Tbsp of honey
1/2 tsp crushed all spice
2 Tsp of salt 1/3 white tarragon vinegar

1. Put all of the above ingredients into a clean, sterile Mason jar. Seal and let it sit (room temperature) for 1 day.
2. The next day, taste the mustard. If it's too hot for your liking, you're going to have to simmer it on very low heat, for up to 4 hours. Make a taste test each hour to decide how hot you would like your mustard. DO NOT bring to a boil, as your mustard will become bitter.
3. Using a food processor, set it to the highest level and give it about 5 - 10 minutes to get to a creamy stage. You can decide how creamy to make your mustard.
   

In the 1st photo, the liquid equals the amount of mustard seeds. The next day, the mustard seeds has absorbed most of the liquid. So, it's safe to say that the mustard seeds will suck any flavours you want to give it. Play with the recipe...try beer, herbs, different spices & sweeteners.

I was pleasantly amused by the turnout and when this jar is done, I'll try a different batch.

White Wine Sangria

WARNING: Drinking this Sangria will cause you to finish the whole pitcher!

Traditionally, Sangria is made with red wine but I tried this version out last summer and much to my satisfaction, I made pitchers of it to the delight of my imbibing guests.

There must be hundreds of different recipes for Sangria...the Spanish can't even agree on what to call it. In some parts of southern Spain it is called Zurra.

Sangria is not a huge effort but making it ahead 1 day will give you superior results.

Try out this recipe to see if you like it but if you are expecting guests, you would be wise to quadruple the recipe!

Sangria

• 3/4 cup sugar
• Grated zest of 1/2 lemon
• Grated zest of 1/2 orange
• 1/2 lemon juice
• 1/2 orange juice
• 1 1/2 cups of Fruitopia Strawberry Passion
  
• 1 1/2 cups mineral water, chilled
• 1 chilled white wine (Sauvignon Blanc)
• 1 peach, thinly sliced
• 1 orange, segmented
  
• 1 cup of frozen mixed berries

1. In a saucepan, combine the sugar, zest and citrus juice. Bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Pour into a pitcher , add the whole bottle of wine and refrigerate overnight.
   
2. Just before serving, add the mineral water to the citrus syrup.
3. Put some ice and a few frozen berries in each glass and serve.
   

Preserving Roasted Red Peppers

At the request of my Birkenstock-wearing gal-pal Katerina of Daily Unadventures in Food, I am posting my family's method of preserving roasted peppers. We employ this method fully in September when local Ontario red peppers are in season but we have also done this when say, other peppers are on sale and one can roast, preserve and eat at a later date.

If you recall, my parents come from Florina, (northern) Greece and the denizens eats lots, I mean LOTS of peppers. Living in Canada means that we rely on imports to augment our short Canadian growing season and therefore, autumn preserving is that much more important.

Let me be blunt, I really could care less for the jarred red peppers. I too find them acidic or sometimes too briny.

I prefer roasted red peppers and you can enjoy them 365 days year. How? Freeze'em!

Preserving Roasted Red Peppers

1. Set your BBQ/grill to high. One can use the stove top but the smokiness of the peppers will be absent.
2. Char your peppers all around. If you're charring large batches, place them in a large roasting pan to sit and sweat. If small batches, place the charred peppers in a plastic bag to sweat.
3. When the peppers have cooled, start packing them in zip lock bags with their charred skins still on them. This seems to protect the peppers from freezer burn.
   
4. Squeeze any air out of the zip-lock bags and seal.
5. Label your bags (hot, sweet) and the date they were frozen.
   

Arrange your peppers on a plate, salt them and pour very good extra virgin olive on them.

Spicy Bowl of Udon Soup

For a couple of years now I've been enjoying a spicy Asian soup at a downtown Toronto cafeteria-style eatery. They have a hot table of noodles, rice, various Asian eats, dim-sum and soups.

I always go right for their Bowl of Udon. Spicy, comforting and rather filling! However there's a problem. I live in the 'burbs, this eatery is downtown. If I have a craving I have to travel 30 minutes (at least) to get into the city to satiate my Udon craving.

Last week, my left-coast buddy Katerina of Daily Unadventures in Cooking had posted her Tom Yum Gung Soup and it finally gave me the confidence to try my hand at my own Spicy Bowl of Udon! I've given you photos of the eatery's version and mine and Hells Bells...I did it!

The ingredient list is long but the prep & assembly is easy and the end result tastes so complex!

Feeds 4

Step 1

1. Set up your "mise en place" or have your soup ingredients prepared so that you can divide & distribute the ingredients among the serving bowls.
2. Prepare the following is separate dishes:

• 1/2 red bell pepper sliced
• 1/2 green bell pepper sliced
• 1/2 red onion, sliced
  
• 4 green onions chopped
• 1 lb of sliced white mushrooms
  
• left over chicken breast or cooked white chicken meat, thin sliced
• 16 medium shrimp, peeled & deveined
• 4 little packettes of seaweed (the kind for rolling sushi), hand torn
• 4 Tbsp of coarsely chopped basil
• 4 Tbsp of fresh chopped coriander
• 4 lime quarters for garnish
• Sriracha sauce for drizzle at end

Step 2 - Your Broth

1. In a large pot on high heat, add 8 cups of chicken or vegetable broth
2. Add 3 lime leaves, 6 Tbsp of Thai fish sauce, 1 tsp sesame oil, 3 stalks of lemongrass (bruised & chopped), 2 Tbsp Chinese 5-spice, 4 cloves of minced garlic, juice of 1/2 lime, 1 dried red chile, 2 tsp cracked black pepper, 1 Tbsp fresh grated ginger, oyster sauce to taste.
   
3. As soon as the broth comes to a boil, cover and lower to simmer for 20 minutes.
4. Throw your Udon noodles in the broth to cook for 2 minutes. Remove the noodles and divide among your serving bowls. Keep broth on simmer to keep hot.
   
5. Divide and place all ingredients listed in Step 1 (#2) and place in bowl on top of the noodles.
6. Use a ladle to spoon the hot broth over the soup ingredients and allow the broth to steep and cook the shrimp for 5 minutes.
7. Garnish with lime quarters and offer Sriracha Sauce for those wanting an extra zing!
   

Roasted Red Pepper Dip

Here's another Greek word that will have you tongue-tied...say Htipiti. It's pronounced "Huh'Tee-Pee-Tee" (say it quickly) and in Greece it's also known as Tirokafteri or Kopanisti. Whichever way you call it, some hot peppers are used in this spicy dip.

I like heat but I don't want my head blown off. I want the heat to heighten the flavour of my food - not take it over. This dip has a "middle of the road" heat and I'm sure your guests will mop it all up with pita breads.

In the dip I've used roasted red peppers (yum world) and in Greece they are called Piperies Florinis or Florina peppers.

It's also Greek lore that they are called Pipieres Florinis as the locals eat more peppers than Greeks of other regions and they do enjoy their heat. My parents are from Florina and now I know why I eat so many peppers!

For this recipe I used a medium-hot red pepper but you might not find this pepper year'round so I'm substituting the heat with a Jalapeno...roast it too! Herbs are absent in this dip but the roasted peppers are what makes this dip "special".

Roasted Red Pepper Dip

1 slab of feta, crumbled
1 clove of garlic
1 green onion, chopped
4 oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, rinsed
2 large roasted red pepper, peeled & de-seeded
1 roasted jalapeno pepper, de-seeded & chopped
extra-virgin olive oil

1. In food processor, combine cheese, oil, garlic, green onions, tomatoes and red peppers.
2. Blend well to form a nice smooth paste.
3. Slowly add olive oil, bit by bit. If it;s too thick, add some more
   
4. Serve with pita bread, crackers or crusty bread.

Mushroom Carbonara

The first time I tried Carbonara was during my '88 vacation to Greece and in particular, Corfu. It's become quite the popular dish as it's easy, filling and cheap on the pocketbook.

Carbonara is a traditional Italian pasta sauce . It's name comes from carbone, which is for Italian coal, and many believe the dish derives its name because it was popular among charcoal makers. Others believe, however, that the dish is called carbonara simply because of the black, freshly milled pepper that is used.

I thought of this variation today and I hope you try it out! This is one of the many sauces I like as they are usually ready by the time your pasta is done. Other than the salted pasta, salt is absent as the cheese and bacon season this dish.

Mushroom Carbonara (for 2)

3/4 cup sliced mushrooms 3 strips of bacon, diced ( or Pancetta)
1 diced shallot 2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/3 cup of white wine
2 tsp fresh thyme
1/3 cup whipping cream
2 eggs, beaten
lots of cracked black pepper
2 scallions, chopped (white and green parts separated)
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese Pasta of choice (linguine, spaghetti, fettucine)

1. In a large pot, fill it with water and get the water to a boil with the lid closed. When you get a boil, season with salt (as salty as the sea is) and throw in your pasta of choice. Boil as per instructions on the package.
   
2. While your pasta is boiling, you can make your sauce. In a pan, throw in your diced bacon and some water on high heat. The water will boil the bacon and help you render and give you crispier bacon. When the bacon is crispy. Reserve with a slotted spoon. You may remove the bacon fat & replace with olive oil if you wish.
3. Add your shallots, the white parts of your green onions and mushrooms and simmer for 3-5 minutes (medium heat). Add your wine, garlic and thyme. Allow the wine to reduce for 2 minutes and take your pan off the heat.
4. In a bowl, whisk your eggs, cream, black pepper and cheese until well mixed and reserve.
5. When your pasta is done "al dente", scoop some pasta water out and reserve. Strain your pasta and then add it to your sauce. Add some of the reserved pasta water (this process will temper your sauce )plus your egg-cream mixture and the green parts of your scallions. Use the residual heat of the closed burner you used to boil your pasta to toss your pasta and sauce (high heat will cause you to have scrambled eggs).
   

Strawberries in Cranberry Tea

Here in Ontario, locally grown strawberries are in season and I had to buy a box of them. I love strawberries (who doesn't) and I'm taken back to memories of eating them from our home's strawberry patch when I was a kid. I even remember being impatient and even eating the green ones!

This recipe works only with ripe, in season & flavourful strawberries so go out & get'em! I've adapted another recipe from Jacques Pepin's The Short-Cut Cook and I'm using cranberry tea instead of orange pekoe.

Strawberries in Cranberry Tea

1/2 cup water
1 cranberry tea bag (Higgins & Burke)
1/2 cup apricot preserves
1 pint strawberries, cleaned & hulled
Sour cream or whipped cream for garnish

1. Bring the water to a boil, pour over the tea bag in a mixing bowl, and allow the mixture to steep, covered for 5 minutes.
   
2. Remove the tea bag and stir in the apricot preserves and the strawberries. Set aside to macerate at room temperature for at least 1 hour or overnight (better results).
   
3. Serve "as is" or on top of a lemon pound cake, garnished with whipped cream.
   

Whipped Potatoes Souffle

Just when I thought all that could be done with spuds was done, I bump into this latest domestic gem brought to my attention by Janet of Janet is Hungry, from Canada's quaint capital of Ottawa.

Janet's inspiration was taken from a recipe in the LCBO's Food & Drink quarterly magazine. For those unfamiliar with the LCBO (Liquor Control Board of Ontario), we have a province-run monopoly that exclusively sells alcohol in our province. One of the few positives is their publishing of Food & Drink magazine....have a look.

If you view Janet's inspiration, it's obvious that she she slimmed down the recipe and in fact made it her own without compromising presentation or taste. I tried this recipe out with leftover mashed potatoes and they turned out beautiful and delicious! The only changes I might try (I'll keep you posted) is to grease the ramekins and dust with breadcrumbs to expose a golden crust if I choose to flip the souffles for plating. Another thing I might try is folding in whipped egg whites to get a towering rise out of these souffles!

Whipped Potatoes Souffle

3 cups of leftover mashed potatoes
1 cup cottage cheese
4 eggs
1/4 cup butter, softened
3 green onions, diced
salt and pepper to taste

1. Allow your leftover mashed potatoes to come to room temperature.
2. In a bowl, with a hand mixer, beat the eggs, cottage cheese and butter until fluffy. Add the potatoes to the mixture and beat with the mixer until everything is whipped up.
3. Put the mixture in a greased casserole dish or ramekins. You may bake them now or refrigerate but ensure that you allow the potato mixture to come to room temperature before baking.
4. Bake in a preheated 450 F oven for approx. 25 or until the top (s) is golden brown. Allow the souffle's to cool a bit before removing. Take a flexible knife and carefully separate the potato from the ramekin to remove and plate.
   

Green Bean & Cherry Tomato Salad

I first tried this recipe in the winter. Like most of you, I love tomatoes but I'm let down by the bland, watery flavour of tomatoes in the winter, until I discovered even cherry tomatoes hold up well in the winter (hot-house variety).

This bean salad kicks ass! (oops, sorry)

I found this recipe at www. Epicurious.com and I'm posting it here, as is...unadultered. Have it summer or winter, you'll add it to your family's regular fare.

Green Bean & Cherry Tomato Salad

1 1/2 pounds slender green beans, trimmed, cut into 2-inch pieces

3/4 cup chopped seeded tomatoes 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes

1. Cook beans in large pot of boiling salted water until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Drain. Transfer to bowl of ice water and cool. Drain well. Place in large bowl.
2. Mix next 5 ingredients in small bowl; stir into beans. Season with salt and pepper. Add parsley and cherry tomatoes and toss well.

Stuffed Courgettes ( Kolokithakia Gemista) With Avgolemeno Sauce

People! This dish is as "down-home" Greek cooking as they get. Be it in an open-kitchen style restaurant or your Big Fat Greek friend's home, you'll find this dish often served.

It utilizes herbs that are prevalent in Greek cookery. You have parsley, dill and mint - all lending each other a hand in flavouring yet their individual taste can be recognized.

This is my first time actually making this on own as I've only previously enjoyed the finished product courtesy of my mom, Chrissanthi or, another aunt or relative. I was a little nervous about mastering the Avgolemeno Sauce. Not for fear of turning it into scrambled eggs but from the ensuing smack on my hands from my mom with the "koutala" (wooden spoon) for F-ing it up!


Stuffed Courgettes ( Kolokithakia Gemista) With Avgolemeno Sauce

2 medium onions, finely diced
4-count of olive oil
1 1/2 bunches of chopped fresh parsley
1/2 bunch of chopped fresh dill
1/2 munch of chopped fresh mint
2 lbs. of extra lean ground beef
1 1/2 cups of Italian (Carolina) or Arborio rice
10 courgettes, peeled, cut in half (made shorter) & cored
2/3 cup of fresh grated tomato or Pomodoro sauce
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 Tbsp Vegeta
1 tsp black pepper

1. Clean, peel and wash the courgettes. Cut a small slice from along one side and hollow them out using a vegetable corer. Reserve the courgettes in a large pan you use for a roast.
2. Put your large saute pan on medium-high heat and pour in a 4-count of olive oil and throw in your diced onions. Add some salt to help the onions sweat and reduce heat to medium-low and allow them to soften...low & slow (about 10-15 minutes).
3. Add your parsley, dill and mint and stir to warm through and incorporate. Add your tomato puree (sauce) and about a 1/4 cup of water to rinse out your measuring cup.

1. Using a spoon, scoop and stuff your courgettes with the filling. Don't be afraid of putting too much mixture in (or the filling to expand) as this recipe is lighter on the rice than the norm. Line the roasting pan with the stuffed courgettes in a circular fashion until the whole pan is full. Note: (You might have some extra filling. Take some romaine lettuce leaves, nuke them for a minute and fill and roll the leaves ( like Dolmades) to utilize all of your filling).
2. Pour in 3 cups of hot water, put the lid on the pan and throw your stuffed courgettes into a pre-heated 375 F oven.

Avgolemono Sauce

1 cup of hot stock, ladled from the roasted courgettes
2 eggs
juice of 1 lemon
2 heaping Tbsp of flour
2 tbsp of butter
Vegeta to taste

1. Using a whisk, mixer or hand blender, whip up your eggs and lemon juice and reserve.
2. In a sauce pan, melt your on medium heat and add your flour, constantly stirring. Your aim is for a light-brown roux. When this colour is achieved, add your stock to the sauce pan an stir for a few minutes to mix and thicken. Take the sauce pan off the heat. Whip up your white sauce and set aside.
3. Re-whip your egg-lemon mixture and here's the tricky part. Put your sauce pan back on the element (low heat) and take 1 ladle of egg lemon sauce and s-l-o-w-l-y pour it into your white sauce and simultaneously stir. Continue to slowly add remainder of egg-lemon to white sauce.
4. Take off the heat, adjust for seasoning and pour half of your Avgolemeno into the roast pan of courgettes and pour the rest in a gravy boat for serving extra sauce at the table.
   

One final note: this Avgolemeno Sauce was made free of any Greek mother's guilt and I did not suffer a "swat" of the wooden spoon!

Greek Yogurt With Honey & Nuts Parfait

Skiathos was the very first Greek island I visited. It was back in 1987 and to this day it's one of my favourite islands because it's very green, lush with vegetation, small island and town, it's not one of the more popular and super-crowded Cycladic islands and most importantly it has crystal-clear beaches.

It's best known beach has to be Koukounaries which is a big sweeping bay with idlyllic Aegean water and this remarkable beach has sand that looks like it has shards of broken glass in it - awesome!

Another thing that triggers my memories of Koukounaries is the wooden stand at the beach that would offer snacks & such, and in particular the strained yogurt with honey and pistachios.

In this instance, I substituted walnuts for pistachios. It's simple and another reason not to skip breakfast.

Greek Yogurt With Honey & Nuts Parfait

• you need strained plain yogurt (see my Tzatziki recipe for how-to)
  
• good Greek honey, like Attiki
• crumbled walnuts or pistachios

Simply spoon dollops of the strained yogurt into a bowl, spoon about 2 tbsps. of Greek honey on the yogurt and sprinkle walnuts or pistachios.

Baby Got Back Ribs

Note: This is an update of my existing recipe for ribs. I've changed the photo to offer you a more tempting view of the end result and to underline that finishing off the ribs with BBQ sauce is best done on the BBQ with indirect heat.


Be it summer or winter or anytime...ribs are one of my favourites! My method is simple, tried, tested and guaranteed to give you fall of the bone ribs each & every time.

• You'll need 2 racks of ribs (or a center-cut side/sparib works well
• Pre-heat your oven to 425F
• Flat roasting pan that will fit the ribs (side by side)
• Tin foil to cover the tray/pan of ribs
  

My dry rub:

• I use a combination of Hickory salt, garlic powder, black pepper, sweet paprika, dried thyme. Play with the combination to your liking....it's a winner!
  

Preparation:

After you've rinsed & patted dry the ribs, flip them over and using a boning knife, gently scrape the rubbery skin that's found on the underside until you have enough loose to hold on to with your finger and gently tug it off the rib. This step will allow the rub to stick to the bottom as it does with the top.

Now generously sprinkle the top & bottom side of the ribs. The meat should be covered by the rub mixture.

I assume the ribs are already in your tray, so cover the tray with foil, snugly. Place in the preheated 425F oven for 45 minutes.

Lower heat to 375F for the 45 minutes and then lower the oven temperature to 350F and remover the foil and bake uncovered for the final 30 minutes .

The last step will finally allow your ribs to take that deep brown colour. You're finally going to brush on the BBQ Sauce. In the warms months, I recommend finishing off the ribs in our BBQ, with indirect heat.

Apply BBQ Sauce:

I use Diana's BBQ Sauce and I add some garlic powder, splash of wine vinegar, Chipotle sauce for heat and a few splashes of Worcestershire Sauce for boldness.




If you've followed my method, I guarantee you a rib-stickin' rack O' ribs, finger lickin', fall from the bone succulent piece of pork nirvana...without having to EVER boil them!

In the summer, ribs goes wonderfully with a garlic mashed potato and some peaches & cream corn.

Egg Salad, I Did it "Myyyyyy Way"

If Ol' Blue Eyes Frank Sinatra were still around, how would he like his egg salad? That's the approach I took when thinking of how to "pep up" this old sandwich standby.

Eggs have a delicate flavour and I didn't want the ingredients to overpower but highlight egg's creamyness in the salad.

This will be my entry for this week's Weekend Herb Blogging hosted by Astrid of Paulchen's Food Blog. I'm highlighting my use of chives.

They are like mini-green onions, very easy to grow (perennial) and delicate in their "scallion" flavour.

If you're someone who's put off by the stronger onion, scallion or leek, give chives a try and you'll come around to loving this delicious herb. One last thing I'd like to mention is the use of a pastry blender was utilized to mash the eggs. I saw this method used at Nicole's Pinch My Salt recipe and I'm sure it contributed to the "saffron yellowness" of my egg salad.

Egg Salad for Ol' Blue Eyes

Serves 2

2 -3 tbsp Mayonnaise
1 1/2 stalks of celery, thinly diced
1 tbsp Keane's dry mustard powder
4 tbsp chopped fresh chives
1 tsp Old Bay Seasoning
1/2 tsp celery salt
1 tsp fresh ground pepper
1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
4 hard boiled eggs

1. Place the eggs in a bowl and use a pastry blender to mash the eggs up
2. Add your celery, dry mustard, paprika, Worcestershire and Old Bay Seasoning and mix well.
3. Adjust for seasoning by adding celery salt and ground pepper. Add your chives, mix well.

Grilled B-Line Snapper With an Orange Mojo

That's right, it's Mojo (pronounced "mo-ho") and it's Spanish. Mojo is the name, or abbreviated name, of several types of sauce that originated in the Canary Islands. It is predominantly either a red (most common), green or orange and I chose to try the latter. Orange flavour is the star in this sauce and it made me feel as though I was eating seafood at some faraway tropical resort.

The fish I used today is a B-line Snapper. Nowadays any fish that's red seems to be called a snapper but I liked this fish's flavour and it has a large spinal structure which means easy filleting for those squeamish about eating a whole fish.

I chose this fish with great confidence after reading up on buying & storing fish at Helen's Beyond Salmon site. I'm sure you too will buy your seafood with bravado after reading up at her School of Fish.

The Mojo sauce I made was inspired by a Bobby Flay recipe, which is here at the Food Network site. I've heard many say he's an A-hole but I have little to complain of his cooking and New Yorkers can come off as gruff but they are some of the most hospitable people I've met!

Grilled B-line Snapper with Orange-Thyme Mojo

Orange-Thyme Mojo

1/4 cup olive oil
8 cloves of roasted garlic
zest of half an orange
juice of 1 orange
1 tsp honey
1 thai chile, seeds removed
1 tsp chopped dresh thyme
1/4 tsp sea salt

Combine all of the ingredients in a blender until smooth.

Heat your grill to high.

1)Rinse & pat dry your fish. Drizzle & rub the fish (inside & out) with olive oil. Season with Vegeta and black pepper (inside & out). Finely chop some garlic & insert into the cavity.

2) Brush your grill well and mop or brush some vegetable on the grill. Place fish on the grill and cook for 4 minutes a side. To check for doneness, use your tongs to gently tug on the dorsal fin of the fish. If it "gives", your fish is done.

4) Remove the fish from the grill. Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil, squeeze the juice of 1/2 lemon and sprinkle some dried Greek oregano. Serve Mojo sauce on the side.

Finally, it's the 1st day of summer and for those in Canada and much of the northern hemisphere, summers are too short! Set the table in the backyard or your balcony or, go to a restaurant or patio bar and do the "al fresco" thing. We're only 184 days away from winter!

Arancina

When I was going to school and packin' a lunch, us finicky suburban kids would get sick & tired of the same old lunch. Ham & cheese again? Egg salad? Corned beef? Greek keftedes sandwich? Not again!!!!!!!!

Eventually, the guys would all bemoan the same thing but we had to cope. We began exchanging lunches.

"What's in your bag", I asked the Italian. "Prosciutto again", he replied. "I'll trade ya for my Black Forest Ham". You get the picture, Toronto is diverse and those lunch exchanges were my first introduction to new foods.

One other lunch I traded for was Arancina. A fried rice-ball specialty from Siciliy. I fell in love with these just by looking at the oozing Mozzarella!

This is a Sicilian recipe for left-over rice. I like "waste-not, want-not" cultures. If you don't have any left over rice, make a fresh batch and whip up some tomato-basil sauce or play with your own filing.

Arancina

500 gr/1lb leftover risotto or regular rice
Some Marinara sauce
1 cube of Mozzarella for each rice ball
Grated parmesan or romano
1 egg beaten
1 cup bread crumbs
vegetable oil for frying

1) Take your leftover rice and mix in the tomato sauce and a generous amount of grated parmesan or romano. If the mixture is too loose, add some bread crumbs and mix until you can form a firm rice ball.

2) Using your thumb, press 1 cube of mozzarella into each ball, then reform the ball with your hands.

3) Get your oil heated. Roll each rice ball into the beaten egg and then coat throughly with the breadcrumbs.

4) As always, make sure your oil is hot enough for frying. Carefully place your rice balls (don't crowd them) in the oil and fry for 2-3 minutes per side. A spider comes in real handy here for flipping and scooping out. They should be a golden brown.

5) Place your rice balls on a paper-toweled plate and serve hot.

Grilled Beef Tenderloin With Tarragon Butter

If I were living in Paris, I would still have a BBQ set up in my cramped balcony or even on the roof of the building!

A classic French dish is Chateaubriand with Bearnaise Sauce but we're on the cusp of summer. Who wants to stay indoors by the oven?

My solution was to take Chateaubriand outdoors, to the grill. The first thing I would need is some Tarragon Butter and it's real easy to make but you'll need at least a couple of hours to do it justice:

• 1 Stick of salted butter, room temperature
• 5 tbsp finely chopped fresh tarragon

1) Put your butter into a bowl and with a spatula mix in the tarragon until it's incorporated entirely.

2) Scoop it out onto the middle a good sized piece of cling wrap. Fold over the cling wrap in half, thus covering your butter entirely. Now roll the encased butter horizontally until the cling wrap is entirely around the butter.

3) Hold the ends of the cling wrap with your fingers and twist the wrap around until it's taute and you've formed a "butter sausage".

4) Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.

On to the beef tenderloin.

I'm not ashamed to say that I look through the weekly specials at the supermarkets. I try to limit my trips to two but sometimes going to 1 supermarket for 1 item is worth it. I saw beef tenderloin on special and the price seemed too good to be true. Upon reading the fine print I saw that the beef that was on sale was "ungraded", which means I could be getting shoe leather or bovine manna!

I rolled the dice (kinda) and bought one whole tenderloin. I trimmed the meat of it's tough silver skin, cut the steaks and got approx. 14. I had to grill a steak PDQ to see if the goods were well...good.

What do you think??? I went back & bought 4 more beef tenderloins. ;)

Sauteed Mushrooms in a Metaxa Cream Sauce

The "other" national drink of Greece is Metaxa brandy. It lags behind in consumption of the aperatif known as Ouzo. Even more remarkably the Greeks are the 7th largest whiskey market in the world!

This Greek brandy sweetened delicately by the Aegean sun gets ignored like a middle child.

I love all my children...ouzo, scotch and Metaxa!


You will need:

1lb of button or cremini mushrooms, halved
1 tbsp of butter
1 tbsp of olive oil
1 cloves of minced garlic
1 shallot, finely diced
1 tsp fresh chopped thyme
1 tbsp fresh chopped parsley
salt & fresh ground pepper
1 shot of Metaxa brandy
2 tbsp of heavy cream or evaporated milk
1 tbsp of chopped parsley for garnish

1) Turn your stove top to medium-high and throw in your butter and olive oil. As soon as they start to sizzle, add the mushrooms, shallot and garlic. Stir often to lubricate your mushrooms and saute for 5 minutes.

2) Add your thyme, parsley, salt and pepper, reduce heat to medium and simmer with the lid on for another 5 minutes. Lift lid and allow the mushrooms to simmer for until there's a little liquid left.

3) Add your brandy and allow it to reduce until there's maybe a tbsp of liquid left. Add your cream, let it thicken on the heat for a 1 minute while stirring. Plate & garnish with fresh chopped parsley.

Feta Frites

I'm still relatively new to the blogosphere but I've found the community to be very friendly, helpful and exhilarating with all the new recipes I've been discovering on people's sites.

Among the first new friends I have is Nicole of Pinch My Salt. This gal is very lucky to be currently living in Sicily and absorbing it's rich heritage in food.

I noticed that Nicole had a prepared a cucumber salad with a feta cheese dressing and the timing couldn't have been better as I had just tried another feta sauce but I was underwhelmed.

I've stayed largely true to her recipe but left out the olive oil and substituted some evaporated milk to help smooth out the sauce and I left out the lemon juice as the zest was suffice.

In Canada & the US, we have our fries with ketchup or gravy. In Belgium, Netherlands & France they like a mayonnaise with their frites.

What about Greeks? Why....we like our "patates tiganites" with feta! This side dish is often found in greektowns around the world. I had these feta frites with my gyro or souvlaki. Try them at home...a sure crowd pleaser!

Creamy Feta Dressing

8 oz. plain yogurt
4 oz. feta cheese
2 tbsp mayonnaise
2 tbsp evaporated milk
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp garlic powder or 1 clove minced garlic
pinch of salt
fresh ground pepper
Splash of water

1) Using a plastic container, I first put in the crumbled feta in with a splash of water and using a fork, I mashed the feta into a paste.

2) I then mixed in the mayo, lemon zest, oregano, garlic powder, yogurt. I took a taste and seasoned with salt & pepper, a little more oregano and added the evaporated milk to get the creaminess I desired.

3) Spoon the sauce over your bed of frites or in a side serving bowl.

French Fries The Greek Way

Now onto our fries. This addendum is at the request of Jenn, the Leftover Queen and who will be paying me royalties for this closely guarded Greek secret to fries. You want cripsy- golden fries that are soft on the inside? Read on...

You need Yukon Gold potatoes, vegetable oil for frying, sea salt and a mandoline.

1) Using your mandoline, use the insert that will give you a cut of fries that are just like at that fast joint I call "Rotten Ronnies".

2) Allow your cut potatoes to sit in a bowl of ice-cold water for approx. 10 minutes.

3) When you're ready to fry, get your vessel of choice heated up to that 350-360 F heat and throw your potatoes in a strainer to drain most of the water (and lessen frying mishaps).

4) When think your oil is hot test by throwing in a small piece of potato and if it floats & starts sizzling, your oil is ready. Throw in the rest of your potatoes but don't crowd the vessel as it will lower your oil's heat and affect your result.

5) You are only going to "par-fry" the potatoes....say 5 minutes and reserve them in a toweled plate for 10 minutes. This method works really well if you're cooking in batches for a larger dinner.

6) After your 10 minutes have lapsed, throw your par-fried potatoes back into the hot oil and fry until you get the desired golden-brown fries we all know & love. Season with fine salt, toss and serve.

Steamed Mussels in a Mustard Sauce

During my pilgrimage to Greece last year, I discovered a "psarotavera" or seafood tavern in the resort town where we stay. One of the items on the menu that we enjoyed was a Mussels Saganaki in a mustard sauce.

Later on in my vacation, we endured a rare Greek summer rainstorm. Three days after the rain storm and during one of my routine walks along my beach I saw a large blue thingy washed up on the shore. As I neared the object I could see that it was a large plastic barrel. I got real close & I got giddy with my discovery. I won the seafood jackpot! It was a barrel with mussels attached that must had dislodged from a mussels farm across the Thermaic Gulf from the area of Makrygialo (well know for it's mussels cultivation). The barrel must have broken loose from the storm and it took a couple of days for this "mussels suprise" to come my way.

I quickly looked around the beach to find a shopping bag usually left by other beachgoers and I loaded the bag with perfectly alive & good mussels! On my way home after my swim, I invited my friends and close neighbors to drop by and share in my good seafood fortune.

Today I paid homage to this dish by recreating it and sharing it with all of you. This seafood dish is tangy from the mustard and spicy from the chili and it's great "mopping up" food. Dunk that bread!

In the meantime, go get the crusty bread while I show you how it's done.....

You will need:

2 lbs of fresh mussels
extra-virgin olive oil
pinch of baking soda
3 tbsp fresh thyme
4 tbsp fresh parsley (1/2 reserved for garnish)
3 bay leaves
1 tbsp salt
1 medium onion, diced
1 shallot, diced
3/4 cup Chardonnay white wine
1/2 Thai chili
1/4 red pepper, 1/4 yellow pepper, 1/4 green pepper, diced
1 handful of crumbled feta cheese
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tbsp. of flour
1 tbsp of butter
1/3 cup heavy cream or evaporated milk (calorie-wise alternative)
3 cloves of minced garlic
juice of 1/2 lemon

This mussels recipe is a 3-parter but "chillax"...it's easy and one need not be intimidated or scared about bad mussels getting you sick.

Part One

Buy your mussels from a reputable fish monger or grocer that has a good and well-patroned seafood counter. Mussels are usually found alive in the swirling tanks of water or on ice and they can individually be picked or they come in fish-net type of bags. You should buy your mussels on the day you're going to consume them.

After you buy them, try & get home as soon as you can so you can commence the cleaning process. Take out your mussels and carefully pour them into your clean kitchen sink. Have the cold water running and pull the visible beard off of each mussel and place in a large strainer.

Important Note: Discard any mussels whose shells are broken or mussels that don't close shut when you tap them (they are dead). Being cheap may get you sick.

The next step involves cleaning the shell. You can take a handful of mussels and rub them together to remove any unwanted barnacles and the like. Repeat this step in batches and place in the strainer once again. Rinse and place the strainer-full of mussels over a bowl to capture any water and refrigerate until you're ready to steam them.

The third step is simple. Thirty minutes before you are going to steam your mussels, put them in a bowl of cold water with a table spoon of flour. Since the mussels are still alive, they will "breath" in the water and this will cause them to expel any dirt in the shell and the flou will cling to the dirt and go to the bottom of your bowl. After 30 minutes, rinse your mussels and you may begin steaming them.

Part Deux, Mustard Sauce

In a small saucepan on medium heat, put in the butter and when it starts to bubble, put in your flour and stir frequently to prevent it from burning and add your minced garlic (1 tbsp) and allow it to cook for a minute. Now slowly add your cream/evaporated milk so that it stays thick. Lastly, add your mustard, mix well and reserve and keep warm. It will probably thick & pasty but no worries, we'll remedy this at the end.

Part Three, Steaming Mussels

Place a large pot on the stove with high heat and add a 4 count of olive oil. Add your onions, shallot, sweet peppers, bay leaves, half your parsley, thyme and garlic. Reduce your heat to medium to allow your vegetables to sweat and for the herbs to perfume your sauce base. When the onions are translucent you should be ready for steaming.

Throw all of your mussels into the pot, add the wine, the chili pepper, the pinch of baking soda (it will successfully destroy the poisonous secretion from sick/dead mussels) and increase the heat to high and cover with the lid. Your mussels should be cooked when all of them have opened. It should take no more than 10 minutes for 2lbs of mussels to be ready.

When you are satisfied that the mussels are all open, take a soup ladle and take some mussel broth and add it to your reserved mustard sauce and keep adding until it has taken liquid form. Pour the mustard sauce into the pot of mussels along with your crumbled feta and incorporate with a large spoon. Garnish with remaining parsley and serve with lots of bread.

Final Note: If you discover any unopened mussels whilst eating please discard them. Better safe than sore!

Warm Potato Salad

In my opinion, since the Grande Dame herself, Julia Child passed on...I think "da man" in the food world is Jacques Pepin. He has an impressive bio and I encourage you to have a peek.

This recipe is his, from the book, "The Short-Cut Cook" which is a paperback with lots of quick meal ideas. I made a couple of changes...one being I used chives instead of scallions and I added 1 hard-boiled egg.

You'll need:

3 medium to large potatoes, boiled in salted water
1/4 cup of mayonnaise
1 1/2 tbsp Dijon-style mustard
2 tsp white vinegar
1/2 tsp coarse sea salt
1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/3 cup chopped fresh chives
1 hard-boiled egg, chopped

1) Scrape the skin from the potatoes using the back of a knife and cut them in to 1/4 inch slices. Rewarm them if necessary (a brief zap in the microwave) and place in a serving bowl.

2) Mix in the mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, salt, pepper, Worcestershire and chives.
Serve.

Weekend Herb Blogging - Lemon Verbena Mojito

This is my 2nd entry into the Weekend Herb Blogging and from last week's entries...it's quite the parade of tasty food!

This week's hostess is Rachel from Rachel's Bite and I'd like to thank her in advance for putting up with all the fuss to amass and post the week's entries.

Today, I thought I would highlight a more obscure herb, not often used but perhaps that can change. I'm showcasing Lemon Verbena. It's an herb that looks like a small tree and it's aroma can be described as a minty-lemon. I first encountered lemon verbena in Greece, where it can be found in many gardens. I've also learned that it came from the Americas and brought back to Europe by the Spanish (there it is called Luisa). The leaves can be dried and stored to later make a lovely, aromatic herbal tea. Great for those winter colds.

So, keeping with a Spanish theme (Cuban), I thought lemon verbena would be put to good use in a Mojito cocktail! I lifted this cocktail recipe from Bacardi....I'm sure you'll try one tonight!

Here's what you'll need for a single recipe:

1 part white rum
3 parts club soda
12 lemon verbena leaves
3 tsp sugar

Place your lemon verbena leaves, lime and sugar in a glass and muddle with a pestle. Add rum, top off with club soda, stir well and garnish with a leaf and/or lime wheel.

Hurts So Good Jerk Chicken

One of my favourite summertime eats has to be Jerk Chicken. Served with a Mayo-based Potato salad, some peaches & cream corn and it tastes so good, "it make wanna smack Grandma"! This recipe has best results if you allow the marinade to penetrate the chicken. This is a "make 1 day ahead" recipe.

Why does this Jerk Chicken hurt so good? From time to time I forget that I'm dealing with Habanero or Scotch Bonnet Peppers and I found myself in "personal" pain after handling the peppers (made for a funny dance though). Have a look at the chili pepper guide to set you straight on hot peppers.

I'm quite happy with a ready-made bottle of Jerk Marinade. I recommend Grace's Jerk Marinade for those who want a quick, easy and tasty result.

I wanted to experiment and see if the homemade blend of Jerk Marinade would beat the bottled variety and here's what you'll need:
Jerk Marinade:
1 medium onion, rough chop
3 tbsp vegetable/canola oil
3 tbsp ground coriander
3 tbsp ground ginger
3 tbsp light brown sugar
2 tbsp onion powder
2 tbsp garlic powder
2 tsp sea salt
1-2 Habanero or Scotch Bonnet Peppers (please handle with gloves)
1 tbsp dry thyme
2 tsp coarse black pepper
2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp ground allspice
2 tsp ground cloves
2 tsp lime juice
3 tsp orange juice
1 tsp Soya Sauce
2 tsp sugar


Chicken
You'll need about 1 whole chicken, cut into pieces, or 4 quarters or 10 thighs.

1) Using your food processor, combine all the ingredients of the jerk marinade and pulse until you have a smooth, dark brown thick liquid.

2) Get a large zip-lock bag and deposit your chicken in along with the Jerk marinade in the the bag. Squish the bag so that all the chicken pieces are covered in the marinade. Place the sealed bag into a large bowl or tray and refrigerate for at least overnight.

3) The next day, when you're ready to cook (I prefer the BBQ) light your grill for indirect cooking. If you have 2 burners, one is lit & the other is closed. If you have a 3 burner, light the top & lower and the middle one being closed. With a close-lid BBq, your aim is for 375f temp.

4) Place your chicken in the BBQ on the part of the the grill not lit and close your lid. Check from time to time in case of fat flare ups but you should be okay. Flip your chicken half-way through as with this method, the heat's on top (not bottom). The chicken should be ready in 1 hr. 15 mins.


Bottom line: If you want a no-fuss marinade, the bottled variety I suggested held up very well to my homemade version. Grace's marinade ingredients look clean with only sodium benzoate being anything remotely from a laboratory.

Salt and Pepper Salmon

I've been reading Katerina's blog and her experiences with seafood and in particular searing fish and coincidentally I also watched an episode of Tyler's Ultimate where he tackled the ultimate salmon. I follow his method to-a-T but I altered his Dill Creme Fraiche recipe...let's go see!

I substituted creme fraiche with left over strained yogurt that I had from making Tzatziki and I was also eager to try a new product I bought called Kewpie Mayonnaise....it's Japanese! I'll call this sauce Cool Kewpie Dill Sauce and here's what you'll need:



250 gr. of strained yogurt
50 gr. of Kewpie Mayonnaise
2 Tbsp. fresh chopped dill
2 cornichons, finely chopped
1 Tbsp roughly chopped capers
1 tsp. of lemon zest
1 squeeze of lemon juice

You simply incorporate all of the above ingredients and refrigerate until you're ready for plating. Any left over sauce would go well with a veggie platter too!

For the salmon you will need:

2 portions of salmon fillet, skin on 1 1/2 to 2 in. thick
Coarse sea salt
Extra-virgin olive oil
Fresh ground black pepper
1/4 stick of room temperature unsalted butter

I always buy salmon fillets that are already free of pin bones but it's always good to check for any that were missed by running your fingers across the salmon.

Heat a 2-count, about 2 tablespoons, of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until the oil is almost smoking. Season the salmon with pepper, and rub about 1 1/2 tablespoons butter on the skin side of each fillet. Add the salmon to the pan, skin-side down. To get super crispy skin, cook the salmon almost to completion, about 6 minutes.

Flip the salmon and cook until flesh side is nicely seared, 1 to 2 minutes. Plate the salmon with a summer potato salad and a green salad and spoon a heaping dollop of the Dill sauce on your salmon.

This recipe turned out wonderfully...the look of it, the ease of it and the taste....crispy skin, yum world! I'd have it again today but I don't want to get sick of it.

Tzatziki

What would a food blog from a Greek dude be without touching upon Tzatziki? I've been disappointed with the representation of Greek food in North America and in particular, Toronto. I found that once very good Greek eateries are going the way of serving pre-made foods & dips on their menus. Tzatiki has fallen victim to this drive for competitiveness and frankly, laziness.

Here's the classic Tzatziki from a Greek, with little secret....

You will need:

• 500 gr. of plain yogurt
• 1-2 cloves of minced garlic (depending how garlicky you like it)
• 1/2 English cucumber, seeded and grated
• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh dill
• splash of Ouzo
• salt
• extra virgin olive oil

A good Tzatziki requires that you use strained yogurt. If you have a greektown in your city, you can pay more & buy it strained or, go my way and take your plain yogurt and dump in a metal strainer with a pot underneath to catch the draining liquid. You'll need at least 12 hours for the final thick, strained result.

Next step is to take your cucumber and seed it then box grate it into the strainer. Sprinkle some salt to help draw out the moisture. Give the cucumber 30 minutes and use a cheese cloth or your hands (in batches) to squeeze out the water.

Add your shredded cucumber to the yogurt and now add 1-2 cloves of minced garlic, your chopped dill, season with salt to taste and lastly, a splash of Ouzo....yes Ouzo. It gives your Tzatziki that "je ne sais quoi"!

Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil, give it a dill garnish and serve with toasted pita bread.

The Best Steak....

is at home.

You make it the way you like it, you choose the cut and if you &@*% it up, you can't turn it back!

I found some Sterling Silver Beef rib-eyes and I had to grill them today. When one has a very good cut of beef, a few simple rules apply:

* Get a high heat on your grill, brush it well & clean and oil the grill
* KISS Principle (Keep It Simple Stoopid) with the seasoning. Use salt & pepper or your favourite steak spice
*Don't move your steaks all time & flip them just once
* Check for doneness by learning the feel of the meat for rare, medium-rare, medium, medium-well and overcooked - DO NOT CUT IT OPEN TO CHECK DONENESS
*Give your steak 5 minutes to rest before eating



Today's steak called for it to be bacon wrapped. Take one slice of bacon and wrap your rib-eye and secure it with a toothpick. I like using Montreal Steak Seasoning for my steaks.

Once your grill has reached a minimum 450F on your gauge, open the lid and place your steaks on the grill. You may choose to attain a criss-cross grill pattern. The time your steak takes to be done should be measured in quarter periods. A 1 inch steak will take minute/side...grill for 2 1/2 minutes, turn 45 degrees, then another 2 1/2 minutes and flip. Do the same on the other side. If you're unsure, Derrick Riches lays it all down for you in detail on doneness.

Sometimes I think summers were made just for outdoor grilling and BBQ...enjoy!

Montreal Smoked Meat (take home version)

I'm now fortunate to have a person who regularly travels between Toronto and Montreal and he's happy to bring back orders of Montreal Smoked Meat from Schwartz's. Have a look at their website and read of this Montreal landmark's history.

Now like myself you're probably thinking, "how is one to enjoy this at home, just like at the deli"?



Not only did the smoked meat arrive as promised but instructions were included as well:

Take out a double-boiler/steamer and get some water boiling. Next step is to take out some cling-wrap and lay out about a 12X12" piece. Place your smoked meat for your sandwich on the cling-wrap and seal it.

Place the package into your steamer and allow the meat to steam for 5 minutes.

Unpack the cling-wrap, smear your bread of choice with good Dijon mustard, pile that smoked-meat up high and serve yourself with a pickle or two!

It will taste just like you had it in the deli!

Grilled Calamari

I much prefer grilled calamari to it's deep-fried cousin. It's healthier and in my opinion, tastier. Once one gets beyond cleaning squid, you'll want to grill them each & every time.

Here's How:

1. Holding the body firmly, grasp the head and pull gently, twisting if necessary, to pull the head away from the body without breaking the ink sac. The internal body and tentacles will come with it.
2. Cut the tentacles from the head just below the eyes. At the center of the tentacles is a small beak. Squeeze to remove and discard.
3. Set aside the the tentacles to use (they're edible and tasty). If the recipe calls for ink, reserve it, otherwise discard the head and ink sac.
4. At the top of the body, there is a clear piece of cartilage. Pull it out and discard.
5. If the squid has an outer spotted membrane-type skin, pull it off and discard.
6. Under cold running water, wash the tube carefully, inside and out, to get rid of any sand or other remaining tissues, and wash the tentacles carefully as well.
7. If you're going to stuff them, you're finished. Set them aside to drain.
8. If you're going to fry them, remove the side fins and keep with the tentacles for cooking since they're edible. Let the squid drain.

Tip

1. If the ink sac breaks, just rinse the squid under cold running water to clear away.

On to preparing the squid for grilling. I like to score the inside of the tubes with a knife. This allows seasonings and marinade to adhere and they curl up nicely on the grill.

Take your squid tubes and tentacles and put them in a bowl. Add some olive oil, sea salt, black pepper, wine vinegar, garlic powder and toss.

Throw your squid onto your superhot grill and give them no more than 2 minutes per side. Plate and drizzle extra virgin olive oil, the juice of 1/2 a lemon and Greek oregano.

This can be served as an appetizer, or a main with a salad....either way it's delish!

Cold Cucumber Soup

I'm one of those types that likes to eat according to the seasons....Soups for autumn/winter and salads for spring/summer but cold soups are the exception.

My mom introduced me to this soup in my early years but not until my adult life did I appreciate the flavours of this refreshing soup. One caveat...although this soup is delicious and refreshing, skip it if your meeting clients or going on a hot date...the garlic will knock'em out!

You will need:

1 cucumber, 3 cloves of garlic, 1 tub of plain yogurt (2 cups), 1 slice of white bread, olive oil, white wine vinegar, salt, dill.

1) You will need a mortar & pestle. Throw in some grains of coarse salt and mash the garlic into a paste. Take your slice of bread, soak it in water then squeeze the liquid out with your hand and throw the lump of wet bread plus 5 Tsp. of white wine vinegar and pound until thoroughly mixed.

2) Now you will slowly....s-l-o-w-l-y add 1/4 of a cup of good olive oil into the paste and now transfer to a large bowl.

3) Rinse and dice 1 whole cucumber (seeded & skin on) and add it to the bowl along with the yogurt.

4) Using a whisk, slowly stir in from 1 to 1 1/2 litres of water and depending on how think you would like your soup, will determine the amount of water you use.

5) Taste for seasoning, adjust and mix in 3 Tbsp. of chopped fresh dill.