Fluffy Artichoke Dip

Last week I cam across a dip that was presented by Astra of Food for Laughter. The dip caught my eye because it was simple, the ingredients would allow the delicate flavour of artichoke come through and finally, easy to make.

As I told Astra, this recipe was too easy to NOT try - so here I am, presenting her artichoke dip with a few detours!

To make the dip a little leaner, I used strained Greek yogurt, I added a clove of minced garlic and I used an herbed cream cheese to give some more depth to the flavour.

The only other addition I made was to add some more artichokes, finely diced pieces that would remind you you're eating an artichoke dip with every bite.

I recently had a friend over for dinner and I served this up as a nibbly before dinner and us two Oinks wiped the plate clean. Astra, I'd say the dip was enjoyed!

Astra's Fluffy Artichoke dip can be found here but if you're looking for some lighter fare, visit Food For Laughter as Astra intersperses funny anecdotes with her straight up dishes.

Htipiti and More Appetizers

I didn't think I had to go into further detail on the Htipiti dip (as photgraphed here) but I'll run it down for you. It's quite a free-form recipe as the measurements depend on how hot your peppers are and how salty your Feta is.

You need three ingredients for this recipe: Feta cheese, Myzithra (ricotta) and roasted hot banana peppers.

First, you roast your hot banana peppers on the gas or charcoal grill until charred on the outside. Then place in a plastic or paper bag and allow them to sweat for at least a half an hour or until cool enough to handle.

By this time the charred skins should be easily removed and you'll be left with a succulent roasted hot pepper. I like whizzing a few banana peppers in the food processor and then I set them aside as I prepare the rest of the Htipiti ingredients.

Now take an equal amount of Feta and Myzithra and add a little olive oil and start mashing the cheeses with your fork until they are incorporated and smooth.

Now add some pureed hot peppers in small amounts, mix and taste. Keep on adding until you acheive your desired heat. In Greece, Htipiti is served mildly spicy, not "blow your head off spicy". If the mixture is a little stiff, slowly pour in some olive oil and blend it in. You now have your own Htipiti!

At this point in my Birthday party I served a new favourite of mine - grilled shrimp and Chorizo skewers. Again, there's no real recipe here but to soak the bamboo skewers for at least overnight and then slice your Chorizo to the thickness of the shrimp and wrap the body of the shrimp around the arc of the sausage and secure with a small skewer.

Lightly oil your shrimp & Chorizo skewers and grill on high heat for 1-2 minutes per side. Serve them immediately.

Finally, this next dish doubled as another appetizer and a side dish...a green bean and cherry tomato salad.

I originally saw this cold bean salad on an episode of the Barefoot Contessa and I was immediately drawn to this salad. It had beans, olive oil, tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, oregano, garlic and parsley.

After exploring regional dishes of Greece, I discovered that this dish is a specialty from the Greek island of Kythera, situated just south of the Laconian peninsula.

Here's a family favourite - a wonderful summer salad of green beans and my own touch with roasted cherry tomatoes. The sweet tomatoes play off on the tart vinegar and the garlic and pungent dried Greek oregano offer a deep bottom to this symphony of herbs and vegetables.

Green Bean & Cherry Tomato Salad From Kythera

1 1/2 pounds slender green beans, trimmed, cut into 2-inch pieces
2 pints of cherry tomatoes, roasted
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 clove of garlic , minced
1 heaping of teaspoon dried Greek oregano
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
salt and pepper to taste

1. Place your cherry tomatoes on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place in a pre-heated 450F oven and roast for 20-30 minutes or until they skins have cracked & shriveled a bit. Allow to cool and set aside.
2. Place a large pot of water on your stove-top and when it comes to a boil, add a good amount of salt and and place your beans in the water. Boil for 3-5 minutes until just tender (but still crisp).
3. Strain your beans and place in an ice bath to stop the cooking process.
4. In a large boil, add your balsamic vinegar, garlic, mustard and oregano and begin whisking in your olive oil. Add a little salt and pepper and now add your beans, cherry tomatoes and chopped parsley.
5. Toss the salad so that the dressing coats all the components. Ad just seasoning with salt an pepper and serve at room temperature or cold.

A Reprise of Greek Appetizers

Ask a bunch of Greeks over for dinner and drinks and it's expected that your spread's going to have some dips for noshing on .

In continuing with my replay of my Birthday dinner, today I'm offering up three Greek dips, Cretan Dakos and to help stave off palate fatigue, a simple and delicious fruit salad.

To greet my hungry guests...I surprised them with a platter of dressed Cretan Dakos. These double-baked rusks get drizzled with extra-virgin olive oil, some grated ripe tomatoes and finished off with crumbled Greek feta and pungent Greek oregano.

I then presented a trio of dips...first up was Tzatziki. Strained Greek yogurt that's flavoured with minced garlic and fresh dill and spiked with a shot of Ouzo. The Tzatziki vanished by the time the souvlaki was served.

Next is a specialty of Thessalonki called Htipiti or Tyrokafteri. It's a dip of mashed hot banana pepper, Greek feta and Myzithra cheeses and finished off with some good extra-virgin olive oil.

The last dip and one of my favourites is Melitzanosalata. It's a dip of roasted eggplant, garlic, olive oil and balanced with some chopped fresh parsley. To truly make this dip a head turner, the eggplants have to be roasted over open coals or at the very least, on a gas grill.

Finally, I've been reading alot about palate fatigue and I wanted to offer a course that would "cleanse" my guests palates.

Palate fatigue occurs when one is presented with multiple rich savory courses in a row. This fruit salad gave my guests a break as there were more delicious food to be had through the course of the night.

Taken from the latest issue of Canadian Living Magazine, this Mango Melon Salad was the perfect cleanser - offering a palate a break from the rich flavours, even thought we were only into the appetizers.

It's quick, it's summer and mangos are easily available now through much of the world. In fact, the mango has out-shined the banana as the most popular fruit!

Mango Melon Salad

3 Tbsp. each lime and liquid honey
2 cups of cubed mango
2 cups of cubed cantaloupe
2 cups of cubed watermelon
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh mint

1. In a microwave, zap your mint juice and honey for 30 seconds and then whisk to combine. Let cool.
2. Add mango, watermelon and cantaloupe, lime juice, honey and mint in a bowl and toss gently to combine. Serve slightly chilled.

Fava

Fava in the Greek food sense has nothing to do with fava beans. Rather, it's a dip made from split peas.

Seeing as how I'm still fasting towards Greek Easter, dips, snacks and other bits & bites make the experience more bearable.

Making fava is quite easy. All one has to do is simmer the fava until the liquid has been absorbed and then give it whiz in the processor with your favourite flavourings.

This particular Fava recipe comes from famed NYC chef, Michael Psilakis. Michael has been taking Greek cuisine to new heights in New York and he's also appeared on Iron Chef America.

The next time you have a craving for Fava, give Psilakis' version a try and let me leave you with one piece of my own advice:

If you're the type who's worried about "double-dipping" at a party...just make sure any of the breads, veggies or any other food item offered with the dip is large enough for just one bite. Us Greeks could care less but why chance having a Seinfeld moment at your next party?

Michael Psilakis' Fava

• 1/2 pound yellow split peas
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• 6 oil-packed sun-dried tomato halves, drained
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 3 large garlic cloves
• 2 shallots, chopped
• 3 large basil leaves
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried Greek oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• sea salt and freshly ground pepper
• Toasted pita triangles, for serving

1. In a large saucepan, combine the split peas with the onion, bay leaf and 4 cups of water and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook over moderate heat until the split peas are tender, about 25 minutes. Drain the split peas and discard the bay leaf.
2. In a food processor, pulse the sun-dried tomatoes with the vinegar, garlic, shallots, basil, oregano and thyme until minced. Add the split peas. With the machine on, slowly pour in the 1/2 cup of olive oil and process until a smooth paste forms. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer the dip to a bowl, drizzle with olive oil and serve with toasted pita.

Step Aside Coconut Shrimp

There's a new kid in town, he's Almond-Crusted Shrimp.

I'll still adore and eat coconut shrimp but this appetizer is closer to home. The crust is of almonds. There are lots of almonds in Greece.

I'm Greek-Canadian, the dish screams Greek, the recipe source is from Canada, I'm born in Canada and... my blog is about sharing food with you.

I've written before that here in Ontario we must buy our liquor from a government operated monopoly of distributors called the Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO).

The LCBO publishes Food & Drink to commence each new season with food and drink ideas. I never miss a copy.

This appetizer is courtesy of Marilyn Bentz-Crowley and I must wholeheartedly thank her for this wonderful creation.

Most of the work in making this dish is in the prep work but to save time I bought de-veined shrimp and then I set up my assembly line for dressing the shrimp with the coating.

Got a hot date? Wanna WOW guests? Love shrimp? Try this appetizer out. If your love coconut shrimp, you'll adore Almond-Crusted Shrimp...maybe even more so!

Follow the directions as I've laid out. The size 21-25 shrimp count are ideal, each one is 3 bites, you need about one package of sliced almonds and the combo of flour, corn starch and milk made for a good, sticky batter for the almond slices to stick to.

As a dipping sauce, I offered a red pepper jelly. It's sweet with a spicy bite at the end, perfect!

Coconut shrimp...sorry...you're so April 2nd...Almond-Crusted Shrimp is the appetizer of tomorrow.

Almond-Crusted Shrimp
(appetizer for 4)

1lb. large tail-on shrimp (21-25 size)
1/3 cup all purpose flour
2/3 cup corn starch (divided in half)
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup milk
splash of Amaretto liqueur
100 gr. blanched sliced almonds
approx. 2 cups of sunflower oil

1. Peel shrimp if needed, leaving tails attached. Pat-dry and reserve.
2. To make the batter, stir flour with 1/3 cup of corn starch and the salt. Stir in the Amaretto and milk until smooth. Add a little more if needed to have a thick but pourable batter.
3. Pre-heat your oven to 175F to keep shrimp warm until serving (if making a large batch).
4. Set up your dipping stations of your shrimp, then a bowl with your remaining 1/3 cup of corn starch, the bowl with the batter, a plate with the blanched almonds and finally a large plate lined with wax paper (so the shrimp do not stick).
5. Heat your oil in a fryer or deep frying pan and heat the oil to a temp. of 350F.
6. Fry your shrimp in batches for about 2-3 minutes (flip halfway) and reserve in your pre-heated oven until they are all done and you're ready to serve.
7. Serve with a bowl of red pepper jelly and lime wedges.
   

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.
   

Carrot Dip (Yoghurtlu Havuc)

Last year, as part of my trip to Greece, I also made a side trip to visit the enchanting city of Istanbul (Constantinople).

I went to visit this great city as a Greek, as a lover of travel, culture, history and to sample the local cuisine.

Much like the Greeks, Turks also enjoy sampling an array of appetizers (mezedes) as part of the long course of eating, drinking and talking.

One of the dips that I tried and very much enjoyed was this carrot dip. I was drawn to trying it because I've never had it and the brilliant orange piqued my curiousity.

This dip is carrot heavy but that's okay. This root vegetable is a biennial plant, they can be eaten raw, boiled, roasted, grated, fried, juiced, steamed or most importantly - essential for a good stock.

Carrots get their orange colour from beta-carotene which is then metabolized by humans into Vitamin A. Carrots are my entry for this week's Weekend Herb Blogging, founded by Kalyn of Kalyn's Kitchen and hosted this time 'round by Claudia of Fool For Food.

This carrot dip celebrates the carrot in it's brilliant colour and flavour. Make no doubt, carrot is the dominant flavour here but I've given this dip a nice kick that I'm sure will be a hit at your next party.

I've tweaked the classic Turkish recipe by adding cumin and some Harissa. I think my instincts were "bang on" as I was also told by a recent aquaintence that the Turks have condiment that's similar to Harissa called "biber salçası".

With this carrot dip, you'll first notice the sweetness of the carrot but the tart strained Greek yogurt along with the Harissa and cumin will balance off the flavour and make this quite the savory dip.

Finally, do garnish this dip with black olives...they serve more than just as a garnish. Scoop some dip with pita bread, take a bite and then have a bite of the black olive. The sweet carrot and salty olive play off well against each other.

Carrot Dip (Yoghurtlu Havuc)

6 carrots
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, smashed
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. Harissa paste
300gr. strained Greek yogurt
Pinch of salt
Black olives
extra-virgin olive oil for garnish
sweet paprika for garnish

1. Coarsely grate the carrots and cook in a skillet along with the olive oil, onion and smashed garlic until just softened (about 5-7 minutes). Remove from pan and set aside to cool.
2. Meanwhile, grate the remaining clove of garlic into the yogurt, add salt, cumin and mix well.
   
3. Add cooked carrot mixture (mash garlic with a fork) and stir to combine.
   
4. Garnish with olives, sweet paprika and a little drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil.
   

Sardines and Such

You see them on the shelves of your grocery store. You see them in the discount bin, you have them in your cellar (a whole case), just in case Armegeddon arrives.

You can now have them included in your recipe box. My first experiment with sardine tins came in the fall of 2007 and I read an article on sardines in a Greek magazine. Sardines are packed in Omega 3 fats and because they are low on the food chain of fish, they have little (if any) exposure to mercury.

The article reviewed different tins of sardines and then it went on to show different ideas for the maligned sardine tin. The one that caught my eye was Sardine Dip!

Sardine Dip

2 tins of sardines, boned (do not drain the oil)
2 cloves of garlic
1 scallion, chopped
1/2 sweet banana pepper, chopped
juice of 1 lemon
salt and pepper to taste
3 Tbsp. of parsley

1. Add all the ingredients into a food processor and pulse until you achieve your desired consistency.
2. Serve on toasted pita bread, crostinis or rustic bread.

Later in 2007, I came across a post about a bread dip mix at Pam's Sidewalk Shoes. She showed us all how to make Carrabbas Italian Dread Dip Mix and enjoy at home.

At first I thought the ingredients would make this dip "busy" but "au contraire, mon frere"...the mix goes great with warm bread and good extra virgin olive oil. I even went further by drizzling some good balsamic vinegar in the oil and adding some Parmesan.

The Carrabbas Dip is a great way to get your appetite going!

Are you still with me? Both of the above recipes are connected with what I'm about to show you next.

I recently caught one of Rachel Ray's 30 minute meal's and although I'm not a huge fan of her, I have warmed up to some of her dishes, including her take on Sicilian-Style Sardine Pasta.

You can use her recipe or you can try mine. What I did was to "snaz up" the bread crumbs and mellow out the fishyness sardines can sometimes give out.

This pasta dish turned out to be quick, affordable, healthy, filling and certainly delicious. I'm telling ya, sardines are back and I'd have no problem surprising friends with this dish.


Linguine With Sardines and Bread Crumbs
(serves 4)

1/4 cup olive oil
8 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 1/2 cups of bread crumbs
4 tsp. of Carrabbas Bread Dip Mix
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
coarse salt
cracked black pepper
2 tins of sardines, boned, drained and roughly chopped
3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp chilli flakes
1 lb. linguine
salted water

1. Get a large pot of water boiling. Add a generous amount of salt and add your linguine. Cook according to package's instructions.
2. In a large skillet preheated to medium heat, add 1/4 cup olive oil and your garlic and let them infuse their flavour in the oil for a bout a minute. Stir in your bread crumbs until all the oil is absorbed and the crumbs have turned golden brown.
3. Add your Carrabbas bread dip mix into the bread crumbs, mix well and transfer them to a bowl and reserve.
4. In the same skillet, return to a medium heat and add the extra-virgin olive oil, the sardines and chilli flakes. Saute for 2 to 3 minutes.
5. Add the hot linguine and the bread crumbs to the skillet and toss thoroughly to combine everything well.
6. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper and serve.

Skordalia With Mustard (σκορδαλιά με μουστάρδα)

Today I'm revisiting a post I made about Skordalia, which is a Greek garlic sauce or Aioli. Us Greeks commonly have it along side with beer battered cod, seafood croquettes, deep fried zucchini or eggplant, fries or...simply with bread.

There are various ways to make skordalia. One way is to use potato as the binder or soaked bread. Either way is fine but both approaches are tricky as the oil can easily separate on you.

I like my method which uses an egg as a binder and a steady stream of sunflower and olive oil combined. I have made skordalia in this manner many times and i have yet to see it separate on me.

Skordalia with mustard is my own creation. I was inspired by my memories of being in northen Greece, Thessaloniki in particular. There's a street called Polytechniou and it used to be lined with family-run shacks that would serve keftedes, sausages and souvlaki to the bustling array of passersby.

The clientele ranged from drunk teens who partyed all night and seeked food to coat their stomachs, to working class stiffs looking for a cheap bite to the suited businessman seeking a quick bite before heading back to the office.

Fast forward to the 1998 and they were gone. All the streetside burger shacks were gone. All victims of bureaucratic meddling from far away Brussels.

Their keftedes used to be served on wax paper, with a basket of bread, some ripe sliced tomatoes, thinly sliced red onions, cold beer and lots of creamy, kinda' sweet mustard, topped of with a pint of cold lager beer.

If any Greek who knows how to make this mustard, please let me know...I'm dying for the recipe.

Until then, my Skordalia With Mustard is my tribute to the little shacks on Polytechniou.

Skordalia With Mustard (σκορδαλιά με μουστάρδα)

1 egg
2 Tbsp of white wine vinegar
2 Tbsp of mild mustard
3 cloves of garlic, smashed
1/2 tsp. of salt
2/3 cup of sunflower oil
1/3 cup of olive oil
1/3 cup of blanched almonds

1. Place in a blender or food processor your egg, vinegar, mustard and garlic and blend for a few seconds.
2. With the processor running, gradually (slowly) pour in your olive oil/safflower oil mixture in a fine, steady stream. The mixture should attain the consistency of a mayonnaise.
3. Add your blanched almonds and pulse just enough to puree and incorporate it.
   

Garlic Sauce, Aioli, Skordalia

Greeks are big on dips and today's particular dip is called Skordalia. Skordo means garlic, so Skordalia is simply garlic sauce or an Aioli. Skordalia can be often served to accompany thinly sliced deep-fried zucchini, fried salt-cod filets or as dip with veggies or fries.

There are many varying recipes for Skordalia using a different main ingredient as the "glue" to the dip. The most common skordalias are boiled potato or white bread based. Today, I'm using neither. I'm going to show you the Cadillac version...using toasted pine nuts!

If you think Tzatziki is garlicky, wait 'til you taste Skordalia. It's heavy on the garlic but it's creamy and I love it with a fried Bakaliaro (salt-cod fish). I really don't get why people still fear garlic. As long as you don't have an important client meeting and everyone else at the table is eating it...bring it on!

Besides, we all know that garlic is healthy for you. I'm submitted this post as my entry for this week's Weekend Herb Blogging which is hosted this week by Myriam at Once Upon A Tart.

Despite garlic tasting so good and adding another dimension to the food we eat, here are some of the health benefits:

• hearty-healthy, fights cholesterol
• fights and prevents the common cold
• prolonged consumption can help reduce blood-sugar levels
  

Also, one must not forget that garlic will protect you from lurking vampires!

Skordalia is the perfect showcase for garlic. It's bold, it's creamy, it's delicious. However, when making skordalia, the biggest problem is having it separate. This usually occurs because one is adding the oil in too fast. Take it easy!

The version of Skordalia that I'm presenting to you today is simply the best I've ever had and it has yet to separate on me.

Skordalia

1 egg
1 1/2 Tbsp white wine vinegar + 1 1/2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup safflower or sunflower oil + 1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts

1) Place in a blender or food processor your egg, vinegar, lemon juice and garlic and blend for a few seconds.
2) With the processor running, gradually (slowly) pour in your olive oil/safflower oil mixture in a fine, steady stream. The mixture should attain the consistency of a mayonnaise.
3)Add your toasted pine nuts and pulse just enough to puree and incorporate it.

Kammeni Hummus

This meze/appetizer was the product of my search to make chick peas tastier, afterall they are bland as a solo act. However, add that chick pea to the symphony of Mediterranean ingredients and you will liken it to the tuba...the requisite "bottom end" of the spectrum.

I was also inspired by Alysha from the Savory Notebook who entered a Sicilian Chick Pea Salad Dip into the Weekend Herb Blogging event ( last week) and the look and ingredients she used led me to try chick peas out again.

I've named this dip Kammeni as in Greek it means "burnt" and I've used a roasted red pepper and this also is the name of the once active volcanic island off of the the Greek Island of Santorini.

I'm now going to add chick peas to my repotoire of dips!

Kammeni Hummus

1/3 cup walnuts
1 can of chick peas, drained & rinsed
1 large roasted red pepper, peeled & seeded
1 garlic clove
1/4 -1/3 olive oil
1/3 cup basil leaves
4 oz. of feta
1 green onion
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded

Place all of the ingredients in a food processor and whiz while slowly adding your olive oil (amount depends on the texture you like).

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.

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.

Weekend Herb Blogging - Melitzanosalata With Parsley

This entry will be my first in the exciting and very widely participated Weekend Herb Blogging and this weekend's hostess is Ulrike from Kuchenlatein . Here I introduce Melitzanosalata which includes flat-leaf Parsley.

In the summer in Greece, this Greek dip can often be found at tavernas among the several Mezedes (appetizers) ordered by a group of friends and it's most definitely on the table at home for family & friends. The "must-do" for this recipe is roasting the eggplant in a gas or charcoal grill to get the smokiness. Don't even bother trying this with an oven.

This recipe comes from my mom who is a fantastic cook (northern Greek origins) and I have a 1st cousin in Greece who will eat the whole plate himself!

I would also like to add that once again I'm making full use of the herbs in my garden and the parsley has gone bonkers...who wants some?

You will need a BBQ (either charcoal or gas grill) and a mortar & pestle to prepare this dish and here are the ingredients:

* 1 medium to large Italian eggplant
* 1 large clove of garlic
* extra virgin olive oil
* coarse sea salt
* A handful of good quality crumbled feta
* 2 tbsp of chopped flat-leaf parsley
* Small squeeze of lemon juice (prevents the eggplant from turning brown)

1) Your BBQ/Grill is on and you place an eggplant (on direct heat) that's been pricked with a fork a few times all around. The eggplant should take about 45 minutes and should be rotated until all of the skin has been charred by the grill.

2) When the eggplant is done roasting, let it rest for 5 minutes and take to mashing your clove of garlic in some coarse sea salt in the mortar & pestle. Your garlic should be a fine mash.

3)Take a knife and cut the eggplant open, vertically and peel open it to reveal it's light green meat. With a fork, scrape out the meat and place it into your mortar , add a squeeze of lemon juice and mash the eggplant & incorporate the garlic with the eggplant.

4) Now you will add, slowly, the olive oil to the eggplant while still mixing using the pestle. For one eggplant, usually 1/4 to a 1/3 cup of olive oil is sucked up by the eggplant.

5) Add the chopped parsley to the eggplant and the crumbled feta and adjust for seasoning (the feta usually rounds out the saltiness) and plate with a parsley garnish.

Get some rustic bread and dip away!