Peter is Doing Churrasco

Go out and seek ground bay, RIGHT NOW! If I didn't convince you to buy this unique spice when I introduced it's use with my Greek Ribs, then my Churrasco Chicken will.

My barbecue hasn't even cooled as I'm writing this urgent post to you. This recipe for Churrasco chicken is that good. I had originally bought ground bay months ago in anticipation of trying this recipe out when barbecue season has arrived.

My patience with the melting snow has worn thin. I lifted and dragged my barbecue to a spot on the deck where the sun shines and the snow melts. Open the fridge, crack open a beer and let's celebrate...I can grill again!

The inspiration for this recipe came from an Australian-produced show called Food Safari and it's hosted by Maeve O'Meara. Each episode of the show focuses on a particular cuisine. This time I watched the show's exploration of Portuguese cuisine.

From watching a few of the show's episodes, I get the impression that Canada & Australia are very much alike with an Anglo majority, Aborigine peoples and a multicultural mosaic. This show uses to it's benefit the cooking wisdom of it's immigrant population who flex their culinary might.

Churrasco is Portuguese for barbecue and it can mean anything that's been grilled or barbecued. Toronto also boasts of a substantial Portuguese (and Brazilian) community and there are some shops that sell Churrasco style chicken and we have the world-reknowned Nando's Chicken.

If you been to either eatery, you'll often see whole chicken on the rotisserie or flattened and grilled to perfection as I'm going to show you now.

Go get Ground Bay now! From the time when I finished preparing this marinade and taking the very first whiff, I knew this chicken was going to be spectacular. The aroma lifted my feet off the air.

After grilling the chicken and tearing a piece of the succulent meat off for tasting, my hunch was right, I pumped my fist in the air, yelled out YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSS like Meg Ryan in When Harry Met Sally and I clicked my heels like Dorothy.

Churrasco Chicken is that good. Find some ground bay or even order some online. This chicken is moist, cooks quicker and it's like no other chicken that I've tasted. This is going to be the summer of Churrasco. I will make this chicken often for guests and my relatives in Greece are gonna go "ga-ga" for this chicken.

I've tweaked the original recipe a little and you can see the original recipe here. Churrasco chicken is often served with a Piri Piri sauce and it's spicy but a fantastic complement to this smoky, grilled whole chicken. If you're making just one churrasco chicken, half the Piri Piri recipe will suffice.

Go buy ground Bay now!

Churrasco Chicken With Piri Piri Sauce

Marinade

8 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, grated
Pinch salt
Juice of 2 lemons
1 tsp bay leaf powder
2 tsp paprika
2 shots scotch whiskey
2 tbsp melted butter

1 whole chicken coarse sea salt

1. Mix all ingredients for marinade together.
2. Prepare chicken – trim away excess fat. Then use a sharp knife or kitchen scissors to cut the chicken through the breastbone. Open out, turn over and flatten by pressing down with your hand along the backbone.
3. Make a small cut under each wing to help it flatten further. Make several incisions in the flesh with a knife. This will allow the flesh to absorb the marinade and allow fat to drain. Prick all over with a large fork.
4. Brush both sides with the marinade and sprinkle with rock salt. Cover and marinate in the fridge for 30 – 45 minutes.
5. Cook over a charcoal BBQ (or gas grill). Use indirect heat buy having only the one side of the grill on medium-high heat. Set the chicken face skin-side down on the direct heat and grill for 10 minutes to crisp up the skin. Now flip the chicken over and place on the side the the grill that has no heat. Close the lid of your grill and monitor the internal temperature of your barbecue (should be 375F adjust accordingly).
6. Roast your chicken in the barbecue for about 30-40 minutes or until the juices run clear from your chicken. Cut the chicken into pieces with kitchen scissors and brush with Piri Piri sauce or serve on the side.

Piri Piri Sauce

10 – 12 birdseye chillies, chopped finely
Pinch salt
Juice of ½ lemon
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tbsp garlic powder (not crushed garlic as the mixture will be too runny)

Mix all the above ingredients(except for the olive oil) in your food processor and flick it on to high. Gradually add your olive oil until you've achieved your desired consistency.

Thai Green Curry With Scallops & Shrimp

Can you believe it? It's almost April and the cold weather is finally fading away (Phew). With the end of March here, it means that I should submit my entry into the Royal Foodie Joust for this month.

Last month, Val of More Than Burnt Toast was voted by her peers to have presented the best dish. Val won the esteemed apron and the privilege of choosing the three ingredients for th ensuing Joust.

We were put to task to cook something up that used citrus, seafood and coconut. Hmmm, what can I do that's Greek and has coconut? NOTHING!

Again, the Joust forced me outside of my comfort zone and forced me to cook with ingredients new to me. I chose Thai food. Maybe it's a cop-out but I do enjoy Thai food and this competition would force me to work with new ingredients.

If you love Thai food but you're a little intimidated, try this dish out. Despite the exotic ingredients, it was very simple: boil rice, sear the seafood and make the sauce. Put it together and you have a Thai meal.

If you love curry but others aren't too keen on it, green curry could be the way to entice to the "dark side". Green curry is milder and mellower than red curry, which is hotter and stronger. Most of the ingredients can now be found in the international aisle of your grocery store and if not, you're sure to find everything at your Asian market.

Look for the roundup of the Royal Foodie Joust, hosted this month by Dharm of Dad-Baker & Chef who's guest-hosting for Jenn, who's "goin' to chapel, gonna get mar-ar-ar-ied"!

Thai Green Curry With Scallops & Shrimp
(for 4)

12 fresh sea scallops
16 medium-sized shrimp (peeled and deveined)
salt and pepper
sweet paprika
2-3 tbsp vegetable oil
2 heaping Tbsp. green curry paste
1 Tbsp. dark brown sugar
1-2 stalks lemongrass, bruised with the dull, top part of your knife
1 red bell pepper, cut into slices
zest of 1 lime
400ml coconut milk (1 can)
good splash of Thai fish sauce
small handful of basil, hand torn
juice of 1/2 a lime

1. Pat-dry your scallops and lightly score both sides of them. Add the scallops in a bowl with your shrimp, a splash of vegetable oil, salt, pepper and some sweet paprika. Toss to coat the seafood and meanwhile, place a large skillet over high heat with some vegetable in it.
2. First, sear your scallops for 1 1/2 minutes a side and then reserve. Add some more vegetable oil into the skillet and now quickly sear your shrimp until they've just turned pink (we will finish off cooking through the seafood later). Wipe the excess oil with a towel.
   
3. Heat some more oil in the same skillet. Add the green curry paste and sugar and cook over a fairly high heat for about a minute, stirring with the lemongrass.
   
4. Reduce the heat slightly and add the coconut milk, lime zest, fish sauce and red peppers and bring to a simmer, cooking for 15-20 minutes or until thickened slightly. Stir in the basil and lime juice. Check for seasoning, adding more fish sauce or lime juice.
5. Allow the curry to sit for a few minutes so the sauce becomes creamier. Serve with lots of fragrant Thai jasmine rice.

Strifti Tyropita (Cheese Boureki)

Anyone remember my Spanakopita? Today I present to you the cheese version of Greek pita. Once again, with the immense patience of my mom, I was able to pull off making this coiled, cheese pie.

This coiled cheese pie is called Strifti in much of Greece and in northern Greece we call it Boureki. The word boureki is derived from the Turkish word "burek", meaning bread. What the Cretans call Boureki is far different from what I'm about to show you now.

Once again, homemade phyllo is made, rolled and filled to make a coiled cheese pie that's slightly crunchy on the top and bottom and soft and flaky on the sides. The filling is creamy, with feta, eggs and myzithra (ricotta).

I will make the claim that most households enjoy this type of pita from a Tyropitathiko or they buy a frozen, ready to bake version of this from the supermarket.

Sadly, the art of making your phyllo is a dying art. There are many good quality phyllos out there for purchase but none will give you the look, texture or eating satisfaction that you'll have when biting into one of these.

My apprenticeship in phyllo making will continue. The filling possibilities are endless and I haven't even touched upon phyllo use with desserts. Anyone interested in a Baklava with homemade phyllo? Patience please.

Strifti Tyropita (Cheese Boureki)

Phyllo

1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 1/2 cups of water
1 heaping Tbsp. salt
1/8 cup of white vinegar
4 1/2 cups of all purpose flour
17 inch round baking tray

Cheese Filling
1/2 kg. crumbled feta
800gr. myzithra (ricotta)
4 large eggs
1 tsp. salt

1. In your stand mixer (with the hook), add all of the phyllo ingredients into the bowl and start to mix on low for a couple of minutes or so, until a wet, firm ball forms and it no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl.
2. Take your dough out of the bowl and add some bench flour to your work surface. Start kneading the dough with your palm in a backward/forwards motion. Gradually add 1/2 cup of flour to your dough ball during the kneading.
3. Dissect your dough in half and then divide into ten pieces. Knead each of the ten pieces into small balls, dust with flour and cover with plastic wrap.
4. Allow the dough to rest for 30 minutes.
5. Now roll out each dough ball into flat, pancake sizes (sprinkle more flour on work surface).
6. Cover the dough pancakes with plastic wrap and allow to rest for another 30 minutes.
7. Roll out the edges of each dough pancake and then using your knuckles underneath the dough, stretch the dough carefully and with a spreading out motion of your arms.
8. Drizzle with vegetable oil, fold in half and drizzle the ends and the surface area.
9. Spread 3 heaping Tbsp. of cheese filling across the dough length.
10. Roll up the dough (like a cigar) to seal in the filling.
11. Start forming a coil from the inner most part of the pan. Repeat until the round pan is filled with coils.
12. Brush the top with oil and bake in a pre-heated 350F oven for 1 hour or until the top is golden brown.

Okra Two Ways (μπάμιες με δυο τροπους)

Another staple of the Greek kitchen are okra. Okra is used alot in southern US cooking, Afro-American "soul food", the Louisiana dish of Gumbo's main ingredient is okra and in the Caribbean, Callaloo gets the okra treatment.

Okra look and taste similar to beans but then are obviously thicker and taper like a thin pepper. One of the advantages of okra is that the vegetable also acts as a thickening agent and that's the main reason why it's used in stews..

Here, I'm showing you two okra dishes from the Greek kitchen. One is a vegetarian Okra stew and the other is a stew of okra with veal or beef. The recipes have minor differences but the approach is the same and the great flavour is enjoyed in both.

The vegetarian dish can be served as a side, made into a main course or offered up as a meze. The meat version is of course, a stew that feeds a healthy and balanced meal.

Spice-wise, we don't get too fancy here, allspice berries are the star here and from tasting this dish, you'd think other spices and were added but nah...it's just the allspice.

Lis of La Mia Cucina is hosting a food event called Weekend Cookbook Challenge, an event created by my fellow left-coast Canadian, Sara of I Like To Cook. The only pre-requisite for this challenge is to cook something using a pressure cooker, dutch oven or slow cooker. These okra dishes are perfect for this event...you have here a pressure cooker, some braising and tender, flaky veal in a stew of tomatoes and okra...Yum!

Okra With Veal

1 kg. of stewing veal or beef, cut into large chunks
1lb. of okra (fresh or frozen), stems removed
3 medium onions, sliced
1/2 cup of parsley, chopped
1/2 cup of plum tomatoes, pureed 4-5 cloves of garlic, sliced
8-9 allspice berries
1/4 olive oil
beef/veal stock
salt and pepper to taste

1. Using your pressure cooker, place your veal inside with a little salt and cover with enough water to just cover the meat. Turn the heat to high and when your cooker starts whistling and the seal has been made, reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 20 minutes. Take the pressure cooker off the heat and safely release the pressure.
2. In a separate large pot, add your olive oil, sliced onions and simmer for 10 minutes over medium heat.
3. Add your tomato puree, then the okra, parsley, allspice, garlic and top with the veal. Now pour enough of the veal stock from the pressure cooker to just cover all the ingredients in your pot.
4. Bring to a boil, taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Cover, reduce heat to medium and simmer for 1 hour. Taste for seasoning and let stand for 15 minutes (the okra will thicken the sauce).
5. Serve with some feta cheese, crusty bread and mop-up!

Vegetarian Okra Stew

2 medium onions, sliced
1/4 cup olive oil
1/3 cup parsley
1 lb. okra (fresh or frozen), stems removed
1/3 cup plum tomatoes, pureed
3-4 cloves of garlic
5-6 allspice berries
Approx. 2 cups of vegetable stock
salt and pepper to taste

1. In a pot over medium-high heat, add your olive oil and onions and saute for 10 minutes to soften.
2. Add your okra, tomato puree, parsley, garlic, allspice and vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
3. Cover, reduce to a simmer and cook for 30-45 minutes.
4. Serve warm with bread and feta.
   

Shepherd's Pie

I've been emotionally scarred. My father worked all his adult life in the restaurant biz. My father also rarely dines out.

My dad has witnessed many kitchen nightmares and on occasion, he'd share his experiences. Don't get me wrong, I still eat out but I know a few things to look for in a clean restaurant and some foods one should avoid.

I'm sure you've heard this one but if you're dining at a new place, have a quick look into the bathroom and see what the condition is like. The bathroom and kitchen are cleaned by the same staff. You do the math about how the state of the kitchen will be where you're about to eat.

Shepherd's Pie. My father told me to never order it if it was the "special" on a Monday. You see, the leftovers would get ground-up and used to make a Shepherd's Pie special, usually on a Monday.

If you see it on special on an other day, chances are you're getting a decent meal but then again...did you check the bathroom?

Here's my take on Shepherd's Pie. This time I was under close scrutiny from restaurant Nick (my dad) and in his senior years, he's become quite fussy. Without a doubt, restaurant Nick has to be my toughest customer but he grudgingly approved of the meal.

Shepherd's Pie is traditionally made with ground lamb but I've grown up eating it with ground beef. This dish is also known as Cottage Pie and after reading numerous recipes on both sides of the recipe ledger, I can only conclude that the same dish is called Cottage Pie in the UK and Shepherd's Pie, 'oer here in the Colonies.

Shepherd's Pie is a layered, all-in-one meal. You get meat, veggies and starch (potato) - all in one serving. I found the dish quite easy to make, with the toughest part being the piping of the mash potato with the icing bag.

You can surely use a spatula but I find that this action can make your pie layers uneven. My only last note is to use at least 6 medium to large potatoes. The last thing you want is to find out you're piping out the topping and you've run of of mashed potato.

Beyond that, grab some ground beef, thaw some frozen veggies and boil some potatoes...it's Shepherd's Pie tonight!

Shepherd's Pie

Potato Topping
6 medium Yukon gold potatoes, peeled salt & pepper to taste
1/4 cup half/half cream
1 Tbsp. butter
pinch of nutmeg
sweet paprika for topping

Vegetable Filling
2 1/2 cups of frozen mixed vegetables (thawed)

Meat filling
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1kg. lean ground beef
1 large onion, diced
1 large carrot, finely diced
1 stalk of celery, finely diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 bay leaves
2 tsp. dry thyme
1 heaping Tbsp. of flour
1 cup of beef stock
1/2 cup mushroom stock (from a bouillon cube)
1 Tbsp. of Worcestershire Sauce
1 Tbsp. tomato paste
14" X 12" baking dish

1. Get a pot of water boiling. Add salt to the water when it boils and add your potatoes. Cool until done. Make them into mashed potatoes, keep warm and reserve.
2. Get a large skillet on medium heat and add your oil, onions, celery, carrots and bay leaves, some salt and saute for about 10 minutes.
   
3. Add your garlic and ground beef and turn the heat to high and brown your meat while stirring. When your meat has browned, add your thyme, Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste and stir for a couple of minutes.
4. Now add your flour and stir it in to incorporate. Add your beef and mushroom stock and allow the beef mixture to simmer on medium heat until you get a thick, almost gravy-like sauce. Take off the heat, remove bay leaves and reserve.
5. Preheat your oven to 375F.
6. Assemble your Shepherd's Pie by spreading out the meat mixture on the bottom, then layout your mixed vegetables in the middle and finally using a piping bag, top your Shepherd's Pie with the mashed potatoes. Sprinkle the top with sweet paprika, which will give your topping a beautiful brown colour.
7. Place in the oven on the middle-top rack and bake for 40-45 minutes or until golden brown.
8. Let your pie rest for 20 minutes before serving.
   

March 25th, 1821

That is the day that Greeks began the uprising against the occupation by the Ottoman Turks. Today in Greece, it's naturally a national holiday and in each town, village and city there will be parades, speeches and commemorative wreaths laid in honour of fallen soldiers.

For us Greeks here in the Diaspora, we are bound to Greece through our church, the associations (syllogi) that are the umbrella for families from the same town and more recently, through the internet and satellite television.

When I was younger, I had no appreciation of how lucky I was to be born of Greek extraction. My awakening as a Greek occurred through my early visits to Greece and it was cemented in my teenage years. I finally was able to appreciate the history, culture, beauty of the land, the food, the language and the people.

Greece has a population of about 11 million and about an equal amount of Greeks live abroad, throughout the rest of the world. Hellenism is an ideal. It's a way of thinking. It's a state of mind, it's a feeling of being some how related to any Greek, no matter how far away from home you are and no matter where you bumped into your fellow Greek.

Greece exists beyond it's Greek borders...South Africa, Europe, Australia, North & South America, in Asia. Everywhere there are Greeks, think of it as a beacon of light, a far far Greek islet still tied to this ancient land's legacy.

The Greek National Anthem still gives me the shivers. Although I'm biased, I think it's one of the most stirring anthems out there.

The lore behind the Greek flag is also very moving.

The stripes represent the number of the syllables in the phrase:

Eleftheria e Thanatos (Liberty or Death). Liberty or Death was the battle cry during the years of the Hellenic Revolution against the Ottoman Empire in the 19th century.

Others claim that the stripes reflect the number of letters in the Greek word for Freedom (Eleftheria).

The cross in the top left of the flag represents our faith, Greek-Orthodox Christianity.The blue stripe represents the Greek seas and white represents the restless Greek tide, white from the glare of the relentless Greek sun.

I leave you with a Greek food custom, which is to eat cod fish on March 25th. The usual fare is Bakaliaro with Skordalia and I'll show you that soon as well.

As a departure from the Bakaliaro, I tried my hand at Cod fish cakes. The cod fish cake is Greek, the sauce could be Greek but it comes from a Canadian food show called "This Food, That Wine".

I tried their Mustard Artichoke Aioli which they served with some crab cakes but I found the cod to be a suitable partner to this tangy dip.

Please note: use the juice of just half a lemon, as the the Aioli is tangy enough from the mustard.

If you would like to try something that's not too garlicky, little tangy and balanced by sweet cod, try Cod Fish Cakes and Mustard Artichoke Aioli.

Cod Fish Cakes and Mustard Artichoke Aioli

500gr. dried salt cod fillets (boned)
4 medium potatoes
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh chives (or scallions)
1/2 cup red bell pepper, finely diced
1 small onion, grated
1 egg, beaten
2 Tbsp. milk
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
1/2 tsp. black pepper
2 Tbsp. olive oil salt (if necessary)

1. Place the salt cod in a bowl, cover will with cold water; stand overnight. Drain water and cover with water one to two more times to draw out all the salt from the fish.
2. Drain cod, place in a saucepan, cover with cold water and simmer uncovered fro 15 minutes. Drain, pat dry with paper towel. Flake the cod with a fork and remove any bones that might have been missed.
3. Meanwhile, boil your potatoes in salted water until tender, then mash.
4. Pre-heat your oven to 375F. Lightly grease a baking pan.
5. Combine the cod with the remaining ingredients in a bowl and form the mixture into balls, then flatten them out in to patties.
6. Place the patties on the baking tray, brush with oil or treat with cooking spray and bake for 10 minutes and then flip and bake for another 10 minutes.
7. Serve warm or room temperature with Mustard Artichoke Aioli.
   

Jamie Oliver's Baked Chicken Thighs

For the record, I've always been a leg and thigh man. Now let's get on about chicken.

Chicken thighs have to be, hands down, the tastiest part of the bird. Yeah okay, the breast is lean, healthier for you but it's also bland. Why do you think chicken breast tastes so good in a Club sandwich (think bacon)?

I recently caught an episode of Jamie (Oliver) at Home and he did a show on potatoes. The dish that stood out for me was his baked chicken thighs with an array of tomatoes and squashed potatoes.

This dish looks very Greek, the ingredients are quite Greek but the approach...pure Jamie. I'm going to show you my take on this dish...shake up the ingredients a bit and relay a couple of worthy moves Jamie makes in this dish.

Jamie's prep involves three major steps: blanching a medley of heirloom tomatoes to remove the skins, boning and cutting the thighs into smaller pieces and boiling the potatoes before baking.

There are no local heirloom tomatoes(at this time) so I opted for sweet, cherry tomatoes. I boned and cut the thighs into smaller pieces but you may leave the thighs in tact. As for boiling the potatoes, this step is integral to the dish. The boiled potatoes get slightly squished before being place in the roasting pan with the remaining ingredients. This step no doubt is important for what will give you a dish with crispy roast potatoes that are flavoured by the juices of all the ingredients.

I've also made some changes to the herbs. I used dry oregano (Jamie uses fresh). Dry oregano is one of the few instances where it beats out the fresh variety. I also added some fresh rosemary into the mix...an apt addition to a dish of chicken and potatoes.

Jamie has a winner with this meal, there were no leftovers, it's easy to make and if you're Greek, Italian or you enjoy Mediterranean foods, this chicken's for you.

Jamie Oliver's Baked Chicken Thighs
(for 4)

2 trays of chicken thighs, skin on (about 8-10), boned and cut in half)
1 pint. ripe cherry tomatoes
6 medium sized potatoes, peeled
6 cloves of garlic, sliced
1 Tbsp. dried oregano
2 tsp. fresh rosemary, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
juice of 1/2 lemon

1. Bone your chicken thighs, cut into smaller pieces (I halved them), season them with salt and pepper and brown them in olive oil. Reserve in the roasting pan.
2. Boil your potatoes in salted water until cooked and then slightly squish each potato and add to the pan with the chicken.
3. Prick one end of your tomatoes and drop them in boiling water for a mere 45 seconds. Fish the tomatoes out of the water and place in another pot with cold water. Now gently pinch each tomato and the skins will easily come off. Discard the skins and add the tomatoes into the roasting pan.
4. Drizzle with oilve oil, add the garlic, lemon juice, oregano and rosemary and some additional salt and pepper.
5. Give the ingredients a gentle toss and place in a pre-heated 375F oven for 40 minutes.
   

Product Review - Honibe Pure Honey & Lemon Drop

A few weeks ago I was contacted by a representative of Honibe and asked if I would like to test a new product.

Honibe is a pure honey and lemon drop, shaped like a honeycomb and it's about the size of a large candy.

One simply drops a honey drop into a hot beverage, stir and enjoy. Honibe's ingredients are listed as being just pure honey and lemon.

I conducted some simple taste tests. I served myself and a friend some hot tea with lemon and honey but I used the Honibe drop secretly.

No difference in taste was indicated by either myself or my friend. The Honibe drop is the equivalent of 1 tsp of honey so if you have a sweeter tooth, you'll have to add a few drops into your tea.

You might ask, why use the Honibe drop instead of real honey? I would likely use real honey (out of a squeeze bottle) but I can see someone who enjoys a tea or other hot beverage at their work station using Honibe.

You won't get your desk all gooey from honey, you don't have to worry about the honey in your bottle crystalizing and the Honibe drops would be easy to hide from those pilfering co-workers!

I stand behind this product as it's a great way to bring honey to your desk, office kitchen or if you're traveling on business.

It's made from pure honey, it's convenient and last but not least, the company is Canadian!

Further info about Honibe and their related products can be found at www.honibe.com

Octopus Krassato (Χταποδι κρασατο)

In case you haven't noticed, I've changed the name of my blog a bit. I'm still the Kalofagas (Greek gourmet) and I'll still be sharing dishes I adore and and enjoy.

The White Rice Couple recently made my Dolmades (with great success) and they introduced my blog as "Greek food & beyond". I liked that. I'm stealing that!

I think this tag is more reflective of what I'm trying to do here at Kalofagas. I'll continue to showcase Greek and Greek inspired dishes, dishes that would be appreciated by Greeks and, introduce and experiment with cuisines that are out of my traditional realm.

Today, we're back home - Greece. I found some more decent octopus at the market and my mom told me about a simple recipe that she learned from her brother's brother-in-law.

This octopus Krassato comes courtesy of Clerhos. My mom's older brother is Dimitris. Dimitris is married to Elly and Elly has a sister name Soula. Soula was married to Clerhos.

Sadly, cancer claimed the life of Clerhos and as Billy Joel sang, "Only the good die young". I'm pleased that this dish came from Clerhos. He was born & raised on a small fishing town in northern Greece and to this day I enjoy taking swims in his beautiful town. I remember eating sun-dried olives (Throumpes) from his mom for the first time and, going to the town's bakery to take our meal for baking in the only oven in town.

For those that love octopus but wanna try their hand at it, this easy recipe. Once again, it's simply braised with a cork and it's own liquid, deglazed then reduced with a red wine reduction and finished off with olive oil and Greek oregano.

Octopus Krassato....simply delicious!






Octopus Krassato (Χταποδι κρασατο)

1 whole octopus, (fresh or thawed from frozen) ink sac & beak removed
1 cork
1/2 cup red wine
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
dried Greek oregano
ground black pepper

wedges of lemon

1. Place your octopus in a pot with just one wine cork. Cover and heat up on high heat. The octopus will release it's own braising liquid. Lower the heat to medium low and braise for 60-90 minutes (or until fork tender).
2. Drain the octopus stock (reserve as a good seafood stock) and deglaze the pot with the red wine for 5-7 minutes on medium heat.
3. Add your olive oil and simmer for another 5 minutes for the oil to heat through.
4. Serve with a topping of dried Greek oregano, black pepper, lemon wedges and crusty bread.

Rated XXX Post....XXX-Tra Deelicious!

I hope I didn't traumatize anyone with my photo of my mating cockatiels photo. Due to popular demand, the video will be coming shortly! ;)

It's Good Friday today for most of you but for us Greeks, it's just another Friday...the beginning of the weekend.

For us Greeks in the Diaspora, Good Friday is usually a day for simply relaxing and trying to find something, anything to do as most stores and such are closed for the observance.

Me? I can cook.

I broke down. I've had meat.

It's been awhile since having a good bowl of Spaghetti and Meatballs. Here, I've adapted a recipe from Rocco DiSpirito, who some will remember as the cute chef on that reality TV show who was intoxicated with fame, signing autographs and ultimately losing his restaurant due to poor management skills.

Here, Rocco shines in this spaghetti dish. No doubt Mama Dispirito taught this guy his cooking chops and if you're looking for a Spaghetti and Meatballs dish...this is the one!

Before I go on to the recipe, let me emphasize that it's real important to include mild Italian sausage in the meatball mix. The meatballs are fabulous with the pork, veal and beef but if you must just use beef, don't skimp on the Italian sausage...it truly gives this dish the Italian taste and aroma.

Don't forget to scroll to the bottom of the recipe, I found some Zeppole at the Italian bakery today...they taste so damn good!


Spaghetti With Meatballs

Meatball Mixture

2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 medium onion, grated
1/4 lb. mild Italian sausage (removed from casings)
1/4 lb. ground pork
1/4 lb. ground veal
1/2 lean ground beef
1 egg
1/2 cup grated Romano cheese
1/2 breadcrumbs
1 Tbsp. Italian parsley, finely chopped
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dry oregano
1 tsp. black pepper
1 -1 1/2 tsp. salt

Tomato Sauce

6 cloves of garlic, minced
1 medium onion, diced
1 can of plum tomatoes, pureed
1 can of plum tomatoes, crushed by hand
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup white wine
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp. dry oregano
1 handful fresh torn basil

1. Add all of the meatball ingredients in a bowl and mix with your hands until thoroughly amalgamated. Make a small meatball and and fry it to taste. Adjust seasoning accordingly.
2. Form into meatballs and fry off in oil in batches or bake in a pre-heated 400F oven turning sides every 15 minutes until nicely browned all over. Reserve.
3. To make the sauce, add your olive oil to a large saucepan and saute your onions for about five minutes to soften. Add your garlic and saute for a minute. Now add your wine, tomato sauce, oregano and simmer for an hour.
   
4. Add your meatballs to the sauce, cover and allow the sauce to thicken and heat the meatballs through.
   
5. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper and stir in your fresh torn basil.
6. Serve over a bed of spaghetti with some bread and vino.

Marinated Calamari Salad (Μαριναρισμενα καλαμαρια σαλατα)

Although I'm off my close observance of the Great Lent, I promised myself to eat moderately, choose lighter meals and try (try) to avoid eating meat.

Many of you are witnessing the first signs of Spring...blossoming trees, green grass, wild greens growing, Morel mushrooms soon will be in season. I have yet to see any of these harbingers but I do witness birds hinting Spring is near.

I caught them doing the nasty and just look at their faces! What do you think they are saying? They have the look of just being caught...BUSTED!!!

Enough of bird talk, it's all about the food here. Spring is here and I still can't barbecue (and no I'm not shoveling the 1 1/2 metre snowbank in front of my grill).

One of my favourite seafoods is squid, aka. calamari. I enjoy calamari grilled the most but I don't have that luxury.

The next best thing to do is to poach your squid. All it needs is 5 minutes in simmering water and it's cooked.

Pick your favourite greens (arugula, watercress, mache, spinach, dandelions), make a simple vinaigrette, toss in a fruit of choice. I found some decent pomegranates at the market and I though the pretty red jewels would look great on this salad.

This salad, along with some bread, a dip and maybe a simple pasta will satisfy any person currently observing Lent.

Marinated Calamari Salad (Μαριναρισμενα καλαμαρια σαλατα)
(for 4)

1 lb. of fresh or frozen calamari, cleaned and body cut into rings
1/2 lemon water
1 stalk of celery, diced
1/2 red onion, diced
2 Tbsp. capers, drained
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
1 clove of garlic, minced
2 tsp. dry oregano
1/3 cup jarred red pepper, diced
salt and pepper to taste
2 Tbsp. sunflower oil

Pomegranate Vinaigrette

1 Tbsp. pomegranate molasses
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. honey
2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

1. Take your cleaned calamari and place in a medium sized pot. Fill it up with water until the squid is submerged. Add the lemon, cover and bring to a boil. As soon as the water boils, remove from the heat and allow the squid to poach in the residual heat for 5 minutes. Drain the water with a strainer and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Discard the lemon.
2. In a medium-sized bowl, add your calamari and the remaining ingredients and toss to amalgamate. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Refrigerate for at least a couple of hours for the ingredients to marry.
3. Make your vinaigrette by adding all the vinaigrette ingredients into a jar, seal and shake vigorously to emulsify.Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
4. Serve on a bed of your favourite or seasonal greens
   

Army of Baked Vegetables

A few weeks ago I was watching Food Network Canada and Michael Smith, a retired chef and food personality was dishing up some great food.

He featured a Parmesan Baked Zucchini and Tomatoes and the simplicity and sheer beauty of the dish caught my eye.

In the first photo, I followed his recipe closely and my only major substitution was to split cherry tomatoes in half (there were no decent plum tomatoes around).

In the last photo, I added slices of Japanese eggplant, now I have a re-telling of a ratatouille.

What you get is this what I call an army of baked vegetables. For some reason, the tray of veggies reminds me of the Xian Terra-Cotta Army in China.

Folks, this is a super-easy side dish for dinner. The hardest parts of this dish are seeking out vegetables that are roughly the same size and them lining them up side-by-side.

I've haven't been excited about vegetables for a long time...it's beautiful, it's easy, it's delicious. Serve the Baked Army of Vegetables to your guests. Present the whole baking tray to the table....wait for the Ooooooh's and Ahhhhhhh's!

Army of Baked Vegetables

6 ripe plum tomatoes, sliced
2 zucchini, sliced
2 Japanese eggplants,
5 onions, sliced
olive oil
1 cup of grated Parmesan
salt and pepper to taste
2 tsp. Italian herb mix
bread crumbs for

Pre-heated 375F oven

1. Place a large skillet over medium-high heat and pour in oil. When it's hot, add onions and salt and pepper. Sauté until the onions are softened and beginning to caramelize. Pour into the bottom of a 14" by 12" baking dish.
2. Begin layering tomato slices along the left side of the pan to form an overlapping row. Overlap zucchini slices along edge of tomato row, and then the eggplant and repeat alternating tomatoes and zucchinis and eggplant, adjusting as necessary until the pan is filled.
3. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, a good drizzle of olive oil, mixed Italian dry herbs, grated Parmesan and and a sprinkle of bread crumbs.
4. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until top is golden and juices are bubbling.

Versatile Lentils

Today, I'm sticking with lentils to show you all that they are indeed a versatile legume. Us Greeks usually have them in a soup called Fakkes.

Yesterday I showed you how delicious and easy braised lentils can be and today, I'm using up leftovers to make a tasty, hearty pasta.

An oft-used pasta in Greek cookery is "kofta makaronia" or cut macaroni. The Italian term for this pasta is Tubetti.

I'm labeling this dish Greco-Italiano as I've combined a Greek based recipe (braised lentils) and I'm using Italian pasta (Tubetti) and some smoked thick-cut bacon from a Polish deli.

The base for this dish is my leftover braised lentils. Now I'm not asking you to make this pasta from scratch but if you're so inclined to make some braised lentils, I highly recommend using your leftovers to make this delicious pasta dish. It's ready in 15 minutes!

Tubetti With Lentils and Smoky Bacon
(for 4)

350gr. pkge of Tubetti pasta
1/2 cup diced smoky bacon
1/4 cup olive oil
1 small onion, diced
1 large clove of garlic, minced
1 cup cup of chicken/vegetable stock
1 cup braised lentils (1/2 cup reserved)
4 ripe plum tomatoes, diced
(canned or fresh)
reserved pasta water
2 Tbsp. dried oregano
2 Tbsp, chopped fresh parsley
salt and pepper to taste
Extra-virgin olive oil
freshly grated lemon zest

1. Get a large pot of water boiling. Add a generously amount of salt and cook the pasta according to package instructions.
2. In a small pot, heat up your stock and bring to a boil. Add JUST a 1/2 cup of your braised lentils and stir for a few minutes and allow it to heat through. Take off the heat.
3. Use a hand blender or food processor to puree the mixture. Reserve.
4. In a large skillet over medium high heat, add your diced bacon and saute for 5 minutes or until crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon and reserve.
5. In the same skillet, drain any excess grease (leave some) and return to a medium heat. Add your onions, garlic and tomatoes and simmer for 5, allowing the veggies to soften and the sauce to thicken. Add the pureed lentil sauce, the remaining 1/2 cup of braised lentils, the dried oregano and simmer to heat through and reduce to a thick sauce.
6. Your pasta should be about ready, reserve some pasta water and drain your Tubetti.
7. Toss your pasta into the sauce and stir to coat. Add some pasta water if the sauce is too thick. Continue to stir until you achieve your desired consistency. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper
8. Plate the pasta and drizzle with good extra-virgin olive oil, chopped parsley and some grated lemon zest.
   

John Dory Fillet With Lentils (Χριστόψαρο με φακή)

As I've written in some of my earlier posts, Greek cuisine is going through an awakening. Much like other cuisines, the Greeks are reinterpreting traditional dishes with new ingredients and offering "new takes" and presentations.

One such Greek chef at the forefront of this movement is Lefteris Lazarou. He's well-known inside Greece and his star is slowly rising outside of Greece too. He's one of the few Greek chefs to earn a Michelin star.

This fish dish that I've prepared is inspired by a dish I recently came across. He (Lefteris) pairs John Dory Fillets with lentils.

Greeks usually enjoy lentils as a hearty soup (Fakkes) but here lentils are braised to a thicker form, more akin to a stew than a soup.

I really enjoyed eating the lentils in this form. They were an excellent side to my fish and the leftovers made for a delicious pasta with lentils.

For the lentil stew, I used the traditional ingredients found in Fakkes and the fish was simply pan-fried and finished off with brown butter caper sauce.

When pan-frying a fish fillet, I recommend using a non-stick pan as it's a safe method for keeping your fish in tact.


John Dory Fillet With Lentils (Χριστόψαρο με φακή)
(for 4)

For the Lentils

500 gr. green lentils
1/3 cup olive oil
2 bay leaves
1 carrot, diced
1 medium onion, diced
5 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 cup diced red pepper
1/2 tomato passata
2 cups of vegetable broth
2 tsp. dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste
splash of white wine vinegar

For the John Dory

4 John Dory fillets
1 tsp. Vegeta seasoning
1 tsp. sweet
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
4 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1/4 cup Chardonnay
4 tsp. of capers

1. Rinse and drain your lentils. Place in a medium saucepan with just enough water to cover them and bring to a boil, drain in a strainer and rinse with cold water.
2. In the same saucepan, add your olive oil, onions, carrots, peppers, bay leaves and garlic and saute for about five minutes to soften. Add your lentils and stir to coat.
3. Now add your tomato passata, vegetable stock and bring to a boil.
4. Simmer covered for 45-60 minutes until most of the liquid has been absorbed. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, add your dried oregano and white wine vinegar to taste.
5. Reserve and keep warm.
6. Rinse and pat dry your fish fillets. Season with Vegeta, paprika and some cayenne and reserve.
7. In a small saucepan, add your butter and melt over over medium heat and watch over the butter until it turns to a nut-brown colour. Take off the heat and reserve.
8. In a non-stick skillet, add your olive oil over medium high heat and just when it begins to smoke, add your fish fish fillets and saute for 2 minutes a side. Saute in batches and keep warm.
9. In the same skillet, throw in your wine and reduce over medium heat for a minute or two. Add the brown butter and capers and swirl your skillet to blend everything and to warm through.
10. Serve over your John Dory fillets with the lentil stew.
    

Melitzana (Eggplant) Parmesan

There are two vegetables that are almost as satisfying as eating meat. They would be mushrooms and eggplant.

The Greeks and Italians share the same name for eggplant - melitzana. Here, I have an Italian classic that's a vegetable-like lasagna.

This dish is very simple...use good ingredients like quality mozzarella, good canned plum tomatoes, fresh basil and some homemade breadcrumbs.

Whenever I go to my Italian neighbor's home, one of the first things I notice is the smell. The house and the aromas coming from the kitchen smell Italian.

That was my goal. To prove my point, I invited our neighbor over "for a coffee" just as I had thrown the eggplant parmesan in the oven.

She immediately was curious as to what I was making and I made her wait for the dish to be ready.

She only had to wait about 30 minutes for what would be a surprise to her. I think we all have a little bit of snobbery when it comes to others outside of our ethnicity trying to "do our own food".

I could see my neighbor holding her nose up high...until she saw the slab of eggplant parmesan. She love the form (did not collapse), the aroma already won her over and she said, "Peter, this tastes like Sicily"!

I told her, " it better...I added a few anchovy fillets when I made the sauce".

Melitzana (Eggplant) Parmesan

2 large eggplants, sliced lenghtwise to 1/2 in. thickness
coarse sea salt
1 can of whole plum tomatoes, hand crushed
3 Tbsp. olive oil
3 anchovy filletss, chopped
1/2 medium onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 cups of bread crumbs
2 large eggs
1/4 cup milk
sunflower oil
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
grated Mozzarella
grated Parmesan

1. Cut the ends of your eggplant off and then using a mandoline, cut the eggplants lengthwise into 1/2 inch slices. Lay the slice out on a tray and sprinkle each slice with some coarse salt. Allow the bitter juices to leech for 40 minutes.
2. In the meantime, Place a skillet on the stove over medium-high heat and add your olive oil add your olive oil and anchovy fillets and saute for 3 minutes to soften and perfume the oil.
3. Add your onions and garlic and lowert to medium-low and saute for 10 minutes to soften. Now add the tomato sauce, salt and pepper to taste and simmer until the sauce is nice and thick. Reserve.
4. Wipe the excess salt and moisture from your eggplant with kitchen towels. Now set up your dipping stations of eggplant slices, a large bowl of egg/milk mixture and your breadcrumbs. Get another large skillet on the stove and throw on enough sunflower (1/2 inch) oil over medium-high heat.
   
5. If your cooking on your own, pre-dredge your eggplant so that you may pay full attention to frying the batches of eggplant. If you have help, have the other person do the dredging and other to do the frying. Dip the eggplant in egg/milk mixture, then the breadcrumbs and fry on both side until golden brown. Fry in batches and reserve on paper towels. Discard the sunflower oil.
6. Preheat your oven to 400F (middle rack) and commence assembly of your eggplant parmesan.
7. Grease a 14" X 12" baking dish and spread some tomato sauce on the bottom. Now place a layer of eggplant, some sauce, scatter some basil, grated Mozzarella and Parmesan. Continue layering these ingredients until your you've reached your fourth and last layer of eggplant and pour over the remaining sauce, basil and grated Parmesan.
8. Cover the baking dish loosely with aluminum foil and bake for approx. 20 minutes and then allow it to cool for 10 minutes before serving.
   

Corned Beef and Cabbage

Emiline the Sugar Plum is throwing a party. It's just a couple of days before St. Patrick's Day and the Irish all over the world are celebrating the day St. Patrick chased all the snakes out of Ireland.

Emiline has asked anyone wanting to participate to post an Irish food or beverage for the event. I was going to make a Guinness and beef stew but that's been done alot. I opted for the other Irish classic, corned Beef & cabbage.

Before any of my Greek readers go off the rail thinking I'm serving up rare meat again, corned beef gets it's pink colour from being marinated in pickling spices, salt peter and lots of peppercorns (hence the name).

I used my trusty slow cooker for this dish which was really easy to make: clean, chop, stir, dump and wait.

The aroma that wafted through the house was to die for! If you want to serve up a healthy, delicious meal, consider corned beef & cabbage. You get tender corned beef, braised cabbage, boiled potatoes and sweet onions and carrots.

I even was able to hide some corned beef for a leftover Reuben sandwich...but as Hammy Hamster says...that's another story!

Corned Beef & Cabbage in Ale

3-4 lb. corned beef brisket
1 head cabbage, quartered
1 bottle of ale (Alexander Keith's)
4 carrots, halved then cut into long pieces
12 small red potatoes
4 onions, peeled and quartered
1 teaspoon dry mustard (Colman's)
3 bay leaves
handful of peppercorns
1 Tbsp. of pickling spices or Montreal steak seasoning
1 large sprig thyme

1. Empty the corned beef (plus any liquid) into your slow cooker or dutch oven. Add all the ingredients except for the cabbage and carrots.
2. Cover with a lid and braise for 90 minutes.
3. Add the cabbage quarters and carrots and cover again and braise for another hour or until the cabbage and carrots are fork tender.
4. Slice the corned beef and arrange on a plate with the cabbage, potatoes, onions and carrots. Serve with some zesty mustard.
   

Strapatsatha (Στραπατσάδα)

In 1492, any Jews who did not convert to Christianity were obliged to leave Spain, their homes and belongings behind.

Exiled Jews were accepted in different parts of the Ottoman Empire and many Jews settled in Thessaloniki, Greece's 2nd largest city, in northern Greece.

What little the Jews could bring with them was their faith, sense of survival and culture. A big part of anyone's culture is their food.

Up until the beginning of WWII, Thessaloniki had a thriving Jewish population of over 50,000.

As long as I can remember, my family and relatives have enjoyed Strapatsatha as a brunch as Greece, a late night supper. A 6Pm dinner in Greece is unheard of!

Strapatsatha was a dish brought to Greece by the Sephardic Jews from Spain. It's a loose omelet of tomatoes and feta and there are many variations of ingredients in between.

What you have here is my family's interpretation and you may certainly take the basic premise of the dish and run with it. I like adding thin slices of fried spicy sausage. Try some Chorizo, Kielbasa or even Pepperoni...all fantastic!

The key to this dish is having very ripe, tasty tomatoes otherwise, don't bother! This dish is also similar to the Greek omelet called Kagiana. Strapatsatha is a loose omelet and perfect for mopping up with some good, rustic bread.

Strapatsatha (Στραπατσάδα)
(for 1)

2 Tbsp. olive oil
Slices of Chorizo sausage
1 ripe tomato
1/4 cup diced sweet banana pepper
3 scallions, diced
handful of crumbled feta
2 eggs

1. Pour your olive oil into your skillet and heat up on medium-high heat. Add your sausage and and saute for a couple of minutes to brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and reserve. Wait 5 minutes for your oil to cool in your skillet
   
2. Using a box grater, grate your tomato into the skillet and reduce to medium to simmer for a couple of minutes or until most of the water is gone. Now add the scallions and saute for a minute or two.
3. Add your crumbled feta and let it heat through for a minute. Now add your eggs and sausage and stir the eggs to scramble them until you have cooked your eggs to a loose mixture of an omelet. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
   
4. Plate your omelet, drizzle some extra-virgin olive oil and serve with crusty bread.
   

Playing With Romesco

Don't confuse Romesco with that freaky broccoli-like vegetable - that's romanesco.

Romesco is a Spanish sauce used for dipping or an accompaniment to a meal.

When fasting for Greek Lent, I never held the the belief that I had stay within the realm of Greek food to fast. One's choices are limited by ingredients so, why not delve into other cuisines for some variety?

España came to the rescue the other day. I have a very good Spanish cookbook which gives one an introduction to the basics of Spanish cuisine like the the ingredients, regions, seasonal dishes and of course recipes.

I've had Romesco sauce on my mind for awhile but I've held back as there are so many varieties, takes and twists on Romesco sauce.

I settled for a simple version and I like it, alot. My first thoughts on the taste were, "this reminds me of a tomato-like tzatziki sauce!

A sauce is nothing unless you have something to dip it in right? In keeping with the Lent theme, I marinated some shrimp, pan-grilled them and served them on a warm bruschetta. What do you think of the Greek dude's take on Tapas?

Prawn Souvlaki With Romesco Sauce
(for 4)

24 medium-sized prawna, peeled and de-veined
4 wooden skewers
Vegeta seasoning
1 large clove of garlic, minced
ground black pepper
smoked paprika lemon wedges

1. In a large bowl, combine the seasoning, minced garlic, pepper, smoked paprika and shrimp in a bowl and toss to coat. Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes. Place your shrimp on the skewers.
   
2. Get a grill pan or BBQ grill to heat to smoking hot. Brush the surface with vegetable oil.
3. Grill your shrimp for 1-2 minutes a side or until pink.
4. Squeeze some fresh lemon juice and serve with a side of Romesco Sauce
   

Romesco Sauce

1 small roasted red pepper, peeled and seeded
(about 1/4 cup chopped)
1 small hot chilli
1/4 cup roasted almonds
3 cloves of garlic, shopped
Approx. 2/3 cup olive oil
1 slice of stale bread
3 ripe plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded and roughly chopped
1 Tbsp Balsamic vinegar
salt and ground pepper

1. In a food processor, add all of the above ingredients (except the olive oil) and puree to a paste. Slowly add your olive oil until you achieve your desired consistency.
2. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
3. Serve at room temperature.
   

Gigantes Bruschetta (Γιγαντες Bruschetta)

Today is the last day of my mini-fast for Great Lent. Tonight, I'm going to go back to eating regular meals which means yay...meat and cheese & such!

I will however still post some more Lent-friendly dishes through the next month or so. Holy Week is still coming up and alot of Greeks will be still looking for new food ideas while fasting.

I'm excited to show you my Gigantes Bruschetta. Gigantes are a Greek baked butter beans dish that's served in practically every Greek home.

Last year I posted my family's version of Gigantes and you can follow the easy steps here. I made Gigantes the other night and I was looking forward to having my Greek snack...a Bruschetta topped with Gigantes.

Before I continue, let me set the record straight on how Bruschetta is pronounced: it's "Brooos-Sketta". Got it? Good! Apparently I have a few Italian food Carabinieri who are watching my every little step!

This appetizer is very simple. Slice a piece of bread on a bias and place it on a grill to warm and crisp up.

Scrape the top of the bread with some garlic, drizzle with olive oil and top with the warm Gigantes.

Serve as an appetizer, meze or snack. Your guests will ask for more!

Octopus With Penne (Χταποδι με Penne)

Nature can be funny. How can something as fugly as the octopus be so delicious? For those of you who do not like octopus, that's all right with me. That means there's more supply for me and perhaps the price of octopus will again drop to more affordable levels.

Most (if not all) the octopus you will see in a market is frozen or was previously frozen. When it comes to seafood (non fish) that's a good thing, don't knock it.

Most large fishing boats have icing and and packing operations right on the ship. I believe the term is called "frozen-fresh".

Octopus, cuttlefish and squid all benefit from tenderizing during it's freezing stage. With octopus, one cannot simply grill a thawed octopus but let's demystify the octopus.

Making an octopus tender for eating is very simple. One simply has to place it in a pot with the cover on and boil the cephalopod for 90 minutes.

The trick? You add no water, no aromatics...nothing but a wine cork. In five minutes, take a peak at the octopus...you'll see how it will release it's own braising liquid.

I've read a few sources on the internet that swear by this method and after easily slicing a thin piece of octopus today for a taste, I'm convinced! There must be an enzyme in the cork that helps tenderize the octopus.

Tonight's dish is again a Lent-friendly dish that stays within the boundaries of what I can eat (no meat or dairy).

My pasta dish is a departure from the usual Greek octopus dishes I've tried. Many Greeks will prepare octopus in a rich tomato sauce that's perfumed by spices like bay, cinnamon, cloves and allspice. I love all those spices but not for seafood.

I'm a purist. I want the ingredients to complement the flavour of the seafood, not cover it. Rather, I'm celebrating the essence of the sea. Briny, tender and delicious octopus.

Octopus With Penne (Χταποδι με Penne)
(for 4)

1 whole boiled octopus
1/2 octopus stock
1/3 cup olive oil
4 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
16 sun-dried black olive (Throumpes)
(pitted and halved)
4 tsp. of capers
1 pint of ripe cherry tomatoes, halved
1/3 cup Chardonnay wine
1 tsp chilli flakes
1Tbsp. dried Greek oregano
1 package of penne rigate (or 3 cups)

1. Open your bottle of wine. Place your octopus in a pot with the wine cork and cover. Turn the heat to high for 30 minutes. (The octopus will release it's own braising liquid)
   
2. Reduce the heat to medium and continue to simmer for another hour.
   
3. You'll be left with a fork tender octopus and some octopus stock.
4. Cut your octopus up into pieces.
   
5. Place a large pot of water on high heat and bring to a boil. Generously salt your water and boil your pasta according to the package's instructions.
6. In a large skillet, add your olive oil, garlic, chilli and capers and heat for a minutes. Add your pieces of octopus and briefly saute for a few minutes.
7. Add the wine, octopus stock, cherry tomatoes and olives and reduce to a simmer and cook through for another 5-7 minutes for the sauce to thicken.
8. When the penne is ready, drain and add to your sauce along with your chopped parsley and oregano and toss to coat the pasta well.
9. Serve immediately with some more of that crisp Chardonnay.
   

Shrimp, Cocktail Sauce and the Akward Title

Is it really possible to include shrimp and cocktail in the same sentence? I couldn't resist! LOL

As I've said in my last blog entry, I'll be fasting until tomorrow, then eating modestly up to Holy Week and then fasting up to Greek Easter.

Shellfish are perfectly fine for my fasting tastes. Who doesn't like to hang out near the shrimp ring at a cocktail party or a reception?

I could eat half of the platter you see in the photograph but one thing that does bother my stomach is overly acidic prepared seafood cocktail sauce. The stuff simply gives me heartburn.

I think the main cause of my problem with cocktail sauce is that it contains prepared horseradish in it. I do not like prepared, jarred horseradish.

What I do love is fresh grated horseradish, which is simply divine when it's freshly grated on a bed of raw oysters.

Here, I have the all too familiar shrimp platter that we've all seen but why not make it refreshing and new for your guests? Try making your seafood sauce.

This recipe is courtesy of Patrick McMurray, owner of the Starfish Oyster Bar & Grill here in Toronto. Patrick used to shuck oysters at Toronto's famous Rodney's Oyster Bar and he's won numerous oyster-shucking competitions around the world.

Patrick comes from New Brunswick, which guarantees he knows a thing or two about seafood and in my opinion, seafood sauce.

Have a look around for real horseradish root. He heat is much mellower that the jarred variety and you don't get that nasal burn like when you eat Wasabi.

I now have a whole new appreciation of Seafood Cocktail Sauce. After clicking on Patrick's recipe, take note that he uses green olives.

Clean Monday (Καθαρη Δευτερα)

Today marks the the beginning of the Great Lent for Greek-Orthodox Christians.From now until Greek Easter (April 27th), the devout will fast by eating a diet of non-meat and dairy-free foods.

I will not be fasting for the entire period but I will fast until this Wednesday, opt for a moderate diet for the majority of Great Lent and fast once again for Holy Week up to Easter.

This past weekend, Greek revelers partied to the wee hours of Sunday night until the sun rose to bring on Clean Monday.

It's called Clean Monday as no meat or dairy products are cooked in the home and a feast of shellfish and other delights abound in homes, tavernas and parks and squares.

It is also customary for parents to take their children out to fly their kites in parks, high plateaus and mounts. The weather is mild, the wind brisk, Spring nipping in the air.

If you would like to read more on Clean Monday, visit Maria's Organically Cooked. Maria is a Greek who grew up in New Zealand but has since settle in Crete to raise her family. Maria will give you a good idea of what it's like living in Greece, though the eyes of a Greek of the Diaspora.

Alas, as you can see from my photo, I will not be flying any kites anytime soon! Since I can remember winters, I have never seen such an accumulation of snow in Toronto. My dad and neighbor (both in Canada since the late 50's ) also had never seen such snow...until now!

Today, I made a vegetable soup, some deep-friend calamari, fries and some Taramasalata. Taramasalata is a famous Greek dip made from the roe (fish eggs) of a carp fish. On Clean Monday, it is also customary to eat a Lagana, the sesame seed covered flatbread you see in some photos.

Taramasalata is found on the menus of most (if not all) Greek eateries and you can usually find (and buy) it at Greek grocers and delis.

As you can see in the jar, it's quite a bright orange-red in colour and it gets transformed into a light pink colour when whipped up in your food processor.

You might come across a taramasalata that's a bright red colour and I would be suspicious of it. Any homemade version that I've seen (and tried) has a light pink hue. All others are likely prepared by a large manufacturer or a supermarket brand.

Most jars of carp roe are 250gr., which will make you two food processors' worth of taramsalata. If you are Greek, you know this amount will go fast but if you're not Greek and wish to make it yourself, you can make half the jar and store the remainder in the fridge for 6 weeks.

Taramasalata is another jewel in the crown of Greek dips. My family's version is a classic recipe with our own twist...the addition of liquid smoke!

Taramasalata

125 gr. carp roe caviar
1/2 small white onion, chopped into pieces
1/4 cup lemon
1/2 loaf of white sliced bread
1 1/2 cups of sunflower oil
1/4 cup of cold water
dash of liquid smoke

1. Take half of your loaf of sliced bread (about 9 slices) and soak it in water and then squeeze the water out of the bread. Reserve.
2. In your food processor, add the roe and onion and puree on high for a couple minutes for the two ingredients to incorporate. Now add the soaked bread and continue to puree on high.
   
3. Now slowly add just the two cups of sunflower oil into the food processor. Be patient and slowly pour in the oil (you don't want it to split).
4. Add your lemon juice, cold water and liquid smoke and continue to whiz in your food processor.
5. Finally, slowly add your remaining 1 cup of sunflower oil.
   
6. Store in tubs in your fridge for up to 6 weeks.
   

Say Hello to My Little Friends

As I've written in my brief profile, I also have pet cockatiels. Cockatiels are considered small parrots, the males can vocalize and they are indigenous to Australia.

A friend of mine once worked in Australia and she called the Humane Society on a few occasions to notify them that she spotted some cockatiels that had escaped. She soon (embarassingly) found out that they were in fact wild cockatiels.

Allow me to introduce you to my crazy birds; at the top in her princess stance is the hen, Nikki. She likes to have her head scratched and enjoys the occasional romp with Bobby. Bobby is the cock (male) and he likes saying, "Hello Bobby, how are you" and he sings a few ditties (when in the mood) and he likes mounting Nikki, on occasion.

To your bottom right sits Tonto. He's the eldest male (the siblings have been sold to good homes), he likes watching TV, imitating Bobby's songs and struts around looking for his elusive mate.

For those that have pets, you know that one is truly never alone with the company of such intelligent, giving creatures.

Now it's back to my other passion, food. One of the newer additions to my Google reader is FXCuisine. Francois-Xavier (FX) is a French-Swiss fellow who lives on the shores of Lake Geneva and he shares his creations that are largely continental European.

Francois-Xavier most recently shared a potato dish called Swiss Alpine Potatoes. I had to immediately try this out because it's so easy and I'm always up for trying another recipe with the versatile spud.

All one needs is some potatoes, onions, good smoky bacon or pancetta, some aged Swiss or cheddar and some fresh rosemary.

I stayed true to FX's directions but I did need to use some olive oil and I added some chicken stock to help along with cooking process and avoid any burning on the bottom of the skillet.

If you want a quick starch to go with your dinner, like a sausage or steak, try out FX's Swiss Alpine Potatoes.

Tell'em Peter sent ya!

Postcard From Athens....

Georgia! There's a small town in Georgia called Athens and I believe the popular new wave band called the B-52's (Rock Lobster) hails from there.

I had some company over. Die-hard Greeks who aren't too adventurous when it comes to trying out new flavours.

What's a guy to do? I always try and accomodate the tastes and dietary needs of my guests so I experimented and turned a southern US classic into what could be the rage in Greek barbecue.

Κυριες και κυριοι(ladies & gentlemen).....drum roll please....here are my Baby Back Ribs From the Greek Side!

I used my tried & tested of applying a dry rub to the ribs, bakes covered in the oven and then finish off uncovered for the last half hour and cut into ribs for a "fall off the bone" finish.

I'm also introducing to you a new ingredient...ground bay leaf! It's not easy to find but the Portuguese use this alot in their cooking so, look for it a Portuguese market...they'll have it for sure! It's aromatic but strong, a little goes a long way.

I can't wait to serve this to friends and relatives when I visit Greece later this summer. My family and guests were dipping ribs in tzatziki, licking bones, licking fingers, licking their lips!

I handed out some parsley for all to chew on...the garlic breath in the house would have sabotaged any pending business deals the next day!

Baby Back Ribs From the Greek Side

2 racks of pork baby back ribs
1 Tbsp onion powder
1 Tbsp garlic powder
2 Tbsp. lemon pepper
1 tsp. ground bay
1 tsp. dry oregano
1 tsp. dry thyme
1 Tbsp. seasoning salt
2 Tbsp. sweet paprika

Pre-heated 425F oven

1. Using a boning knife, gently scrape the end of the underside of the rib rack. This should loosen some of the silver skin. Pull and tear it off the ribs. Discard,
2. Mix all the above ingredients in a jar and stir to mix the contents well.
3. Rub the the ribs with the Greek rib mix and work it in with your fingers.
4. Allow the rub to penetrate the ribs in the fridge for 3 hours or 1 hour room temperature.
5. Allow the ribs to return to room temperature and place on a lined baking tray. Cover the ribs with aluminum foil and place in the oven.
   
6. Cook at 425F for 45 minutes and then lower the heat to 375F for the next 45 minutes
7. Remove the aluminum foil and cook uncovered for the last 30 minutes.
8. Serve with some rice, grilled tomatoes and some thick, rib-sticking Tzatziki
   

Awesome Osso Bucco

Osso Bucco is a northern Italian dish, from the Lombardy region (near Milano). The old school Osso Bucco did not include tomatoes (as they appeared in Italy after the dishes creation).

This dish is made with veal shanks and icing on the cake for this dish has to be the marrow inside each bone.

I made the familiar Osso Bucco with a tomato base and I haven't deviated too much from what I've researched on the 'net.

I've used aspects of Tyler Florence's and Mario Batali's Osso Bucco and I created what I think will be a delicious meal for Italian guests.

I'm a big fan of braised meats and the I knew the Osso Bucco would taste great - just from the aroma coming from the kitchen. But I knew I also forgot something (first time making it).

I forgot to tie the shanks with butcher's twine. Oh well, next time!

Today I've invited Maryann of Finding La Dolce Vita and Maria of Proud Italian Cook. The "donas" are hosting a food event called, Festa Italiana and you're all invited.

Simply create a dish or drink of Italian panache and the gals will let you in the door.

Make yourselves at home, this Greek dude is cooking up some Osso Bucco for "da ladies" and before we get on to the dish..."Tutti a tavola a mangiare!"

Veal Osso Bucco
(serves 4)

1 cup all purpose flour
salt and ground pepper
4 veal shanks, tied into taute rounds
olive oil
3 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 medium onion, diced
1 stalk of celery, diced
2 carrots, diced
1 lemon, zest peeled off into strips
3 bay leaves
4 cloves of garlic, smashed
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
1/2 bottle Italian red wine
3 cups of chicken stock
2 cups of good tomato sauce
1 Tbsp. fresh thyme

Gremolata

1/2 cup of chopped fresh parsley
2 Tbsp. lemon zest
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. of fresh thyme

1. Mix your salt and pepper in a bowl with the flour and taste to be sure the seasoning is correct. Dredge your shanks in the flour and shake off any excess.
2. Heat a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat and add your olive oil (3 count) and the butter. Brown your shanks in batches (do not overcrowd or they will boil). Reserve the shanks on a plate.
3. Preheat your oven to 375F.
4. Using the same pot, saute the onions, celery, carrots, lemon peels, garlic, parsley and bay leaves over medium heat (for about 7-10 minutes).
5. Add your shanks (and any juices) back into the pot and add your red wine, thyme and simmer until the wine has reduced by half.
6. Add the chicken stock and tomato sauce, bring to a boil and cover with the lid.
7. Braise your Osso Bucco in the oven for 90 minutes. Remove the cover and continue to cook for another 20-30 minutes (enough for the sauce to become thick).
8. Serve on a bed of garlic mashed potatoes or risotto Milanese and top with the Gremolata.

Tourist in My Own City

One of my favourite things to do on my spare time is to roam different neighborhoods in Toronto. I live in the suburbs but I'm a downtown guy and I'm often in an area called Kensington Market.

Kensington Market was (and still is) an area of the city where immigrants would first reside and set-up shop nearby.

Today, this neighborhood is still ethnically diverse, Bohemian in feel and a great place to shop for vintage clothes, smoking paraphernalia, family-run fruit markets, grab a bite to eat or pick-up some good seafood.

Most of the stores selling seafood are Portuguese merchants but I always try and give business to my own 'peeps.

I like going to New Seaway Market, located at 195 Baldwin Street. It's Greek owned & operated and Theodoros and the boys are knowledgeable in seafood, the product is fresh and they will also carry some Greek fish!

I recently picked up some gorgeous red snapper fillets and I want to share this quick, easy and dramatic plating of this very flavourful fish.

In Greece, the most common dressing for a grilled fish is to simply dress it with a mixture of extra-virgin olive oil, fresh lemon juice, salt and pepper and the herb of choice (latholemeno).

Greeks don't like to mask the flavour of their seafood. They truly enjoy the taste of fish and a latholemeno duly complements a grilled fish.

I still can't grill anything outdoors. There's a drift of snow over one metre high still blocking my way but I have a good alternative....broiling.

If broiling a fish, use a fillet with the skin intact. The broiler crisps up the skin and this folks is the closest thing to "bacon of the sea".

In my photo, my fillet curled up a bit (which I like). If you prefer a flat fillet, cut a couple of slits into the skin to prevent curling. Now, let's light 'it boy, light 'it!!



Broiled Red Snapper With Latholemeno
(for 4)

4 red snapper fillets
1/2 tsp. Vegeta
1/4 tsp. ground pepper
2 tsp. canola oil

Latholemeno

2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1/3 tsp. fine sea salt
1/4 tsp. fresh ground pepper
1 Tbsp. chopped chives (or scallions)
1 tsp. dried Greek oregano

1. In a bag, mix the canola oil, Vegeta and pepper and gently rub the marinade into the fillets. Marinate the fish for 1/2 hour (room temperature).
2. Preheat your oven's broiler. Arrange the fillets skin side up in a single layer on a line baking tray or gratin dish.
3. Place the fillets under the broiler (no more than 4 inches from the heat) and broil for 5 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, make your latholemeno by combining the salt, pepper, lemon juice in a jar. Shake well to emulsify and reserve.
5. Remove the fillets from the broiler (skin should be dark, brown and crusty) and spoon over the latholemeno over the fish.
   
6. Sprinkle with chives and oregano.
   

A Soup With Soul

This soup has come a long way since I was inspired years ago by a delicious spiced cabbage soup I enjoyed at a soup and sandwich stand.

I've been tinkering with ingredients, amounts and I'm finally content with the flavour, aroma and colour of this soup. I was never satisfied with the outcome of this soup until this past weekend.

This cabbage soup can certainly be made into a vegetarian one but I doubt one will achieve the same great flavour as this version.

The deal-breaker for this soup, the star, the highlight...Chorizo sausage. All it took was one Chorizo to turn this soup from ho-hum to yum-yum!

I used a mild Chorizo but I did make this spicy with the use of just 1 teeny red chili. Cabbage is the main vegetable here and much like a Minestrone, you can use what other vegetables you have at hand.

However, I would recommend this combo...it works real well and you'll have to take my word for it.

Another aspect of this soup I'd like to underline is the use of V8 vegetable cocktail. This veggie juice is a great way to pack flavour into a soup and it's also a time saver. This soup was ready in 45 minutes.

If you take a look at the progression of photos...I went back into the pot for a generous refill!

Spiced Cabbage Soup

1/3 cup olive oil
1 Chorizo sausage, casing removed and diced
2 medium onions, diced
1 large carrot, halved lengthwise then sliced
1 large stalk of celery, diced
1 potato, peeled and diced
2 cups of shredded cabbage
3 cloves of garlic, minced
3 bay leaves
1 tsp. fresh thyme
1/2 red bell pepper, sliced
1 Tbsp. smoked paprika
2 tsp. cracked black pepper
1 whole red chili
1 cup fresh or frozen green beans (cut into 1/2 inch pieces)
1 1/2 cups of V8 vegetable cocktail
7 cups of chicken/vegetable stock
2 zucchinis, halved lengthwise then sliced

1. In a large pot, add your olive oil over medium-high heat. Add your onions, carrots, celery, bay leaves and Chorizo and saute for 7-10 minutes to soften.
2. Add your smoked paprika, cabbage, thyme, garlic, black pepper, red peppers and potatoes and stir to coat all the ingredients with the paprika for a couple of minutes.
3. Add your V8 cocktail, stock, chili and bring to a boil. Cover ajar and reduce to a simmer on medium heat for 30-40 minutes.
4. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Add your green beans and zucchini and simmer for 5 minutes to cook. Serve hot.
   

Savory Halva Cake With Warm Mushroom Salad

I'm quite excited to have twisted an ingredient that's usually seen as a Greek dessert and I've made it into something tasty, savory and new.

Semolina flour is used to make Halva and you may also find Halva being used in Turkish desserts and even further east in India.

Let's examine what Semolina is. Semolina is the inner, uncracked part of durum wheat. Durum wheat is used to make pasta, couscous and bulgar. Here in North America, ever hear of Cream of Wheat? That's semolina flour!

The closest dish I've seen to this savory cake is rava dosa and upma, in southern India.

As I wrote yesterday, semolina behaves much like polenta: it can be used for savory and sweet dishes, incorporated into baking goods, can be eaten soft & creamy, or hardened and grilled.

Once again, using semolina as a departure from polenta might win over those who do not like corn. I like both.

What I've done here is to use basic ingredients to give the Halva cake some flavour and I've accentuated those same flavours in the warm mushroom salad.

If you enjoy grilling polenta or have some favourite grilled polenta dishes, try substituting semolina flour for those same recipes. You'll be pleasantly surprised as I was.

Savory Halva With Warm Mushroom Salad
(for 4)

1 cup coarse semolina
2 Tbsp olive oil
3 cups chicken/vegetable stock
1 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
2 scallions, finely chopped
1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat a pot on high heat for a few minutes. Add the oil, scallions and mushrooms and saute for a few minutes to soften. Reduce heat to medium and add your semolina and cook, stirring for 2-3 minutes until it begins to colour.
   
2. Add your stock and wine and some and pepper and bring to a boil while stirring. Continue to stir until your semolina resembles a runny porridge.
3. Add the butter, cheese and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper and take off the heat.
4. Pour onto a large plate, greased cookie sheet or ramekins and let cool until set (about 20 minutes).
5. Place covered in a fridge until needed for up to a week.
6. Cut into desired shapes and brush your grill with oil and sear on each side for 1-2 minutes and repeat on the flip side.
7. Serve warm as part of a main course, as an appetizer or first course.

Warm Mushroom Salad
(for 4)

1/2 onion, sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups of sliced mushrooms
1 Tbsp. butter
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. fresh thyme
1 tsp. fresh chopped rosemary
1 tsp. chopped fresh sage
1/4 fortified wine (I used a tawny Port)
salt and pepper to taste
1 Tbsp. of chopped fresh parsley
1 scallion, finely chopped

1. In a skillet, add your oil and butter over medium-high heat. Add your onions, mushrooms, thyme, rosemary, sage and and saute for 5-7 minutes or until the water from the mushrooms has evaporated and they've taken some colour.
2. Add the garlic and port and simmer until the there's almost no liquid. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper mix in your scallions and parsley.
3. Serve warm over your grilled Halva cake.
   

Red Snapper With a Tomato Herb Crust

Despite Greece having a mild winter, the general population does stay in quite a bit. Greeks will opt for for cozy nights at home with friends or out at a taverna or club.

Either way, you don't see many Greeks doing outdoor grilling (in the winter). Greeks rate seafood integral to their diet and in the winter, fish and seafood get the skillet or oven treatment.

One of the most common fish dishes is Psari Plaki. It usually denotes a fish baked in the oven with tomatoes and onions and such.

There are many "takes" on this dish but I found this version to appeal to my sense of sight more than the traditional Psari Plaki.

I used red snapper fillets, baked them with a saute of celery, red onions and some fresh parsley. The upper topping consists of oven-roasted plum tomatoes which are all held together with homemade toasted bread crumbs.

If you want a taste of Greece in winter, try Psari Plaki. It's light, flavourful and it has classic Greek flavours. This dish was adapted from the The Australian Woman's Weekly Greek Cooking Class. It was a gift to me this past Christmas by my friend Kathy...thank you!

The second component of this dish is the "grilled hockey puck" you might of noticed acting as a bed for the fish.

Are you one of those people who "passes on polenta"? This alternative might do the trick. Remember my recent dessert called Semolina Halva? Well, I've turned the tables here and I used Semolina flour and made it into something savory.

Semolina cooks like polenta, sets like polenta and as you can see...grills like polenta! I'm not dogging polenta but this is a fabulous alternative and the taste was a wonderful surprise. I flavoured the Semolina cake with scallions, mushrooms, wine and grated Romano cheese.

This was an experiment and I kept the flavours simple. You'll see more savory Halva from me in the future! Once again, you're going to have to wait a bit for this recipe (I'm in a teasing mood).

Red Snapper With a Tomato Herb Crust

1/4 cup olive oil
1 clove of garlic, crushed
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
1 trimmed stalk of celery, diced
3 ripe plum tomatoes, oven roasted 3/4 cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped
4 red snapper fillets
1 tsp dried Greek oregano
1/3 cup dry white wine
juice of 1/2 lemon
1/4 toasted bread crumbs extra-virgin olive oil
lemon slices for garnish

Pre-heated 350F oven

1. Heat a skillet on medium-high heat and add your olive oil, onions celery and garlic and then reduce to medium and saute the vegetables for 5 minutes. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, discard garlic and mix in your chopped parsley. Reserve.
2. Place your fillets in a baking dish that's been treated with a little olive oil, season the fish with salt and pepper and dried oregano.
3. Top with the vegetable mixture, then the oven-roasted tomatoes and finally the bread crumbs.
4. Drizzle some olive oil, the lemon juice and wine over the fish and place in the upper-middle rack of the oven for 20-30 minutes and the topping has browned.
5. Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil and serve with lemon slices immediately.