Greeked-Up Jalapeño Poppers

Today, I'm introducing you to a new ingredient called Pastourma. Pastourma, it is said, is where the origins of pastrami came from.

Pastourma is stronger than pastrami and upon tasting this thin sliced cured beef, one immediately tastes garlic, paprika and notes of cumin and fenugreek.

The origins of pastourma come from the Ottoman/Armenian cuisine but it has remained popular in Greek circles and no doubt brought back to mainland Greece from the Asia Minor Greeks.

Legend has it the best pastourma was made from camel but today it's mostly made of beef. Greeks will offer up thin slices of pastourma as part of an array of "mezedes", in omelets or use it as an ingredient (like I'm doing here today).

If you're curious to try pastourma, some Greek & Cypriot delis will carry it, Turkish, Armenian and Middle Eastern stores will also often sell this fabulously flavoured meat.

Today, I decided to "kick up" a roadhouse/pub classic, the Jalapeño Popper. For those not familiar with bar food here in Canada & the US, Jalapeño poppers are the spicy peppers that are filled with cheese, coated in a batter and then fried. An accompaniment of cool sour cream is also often served.

I've played around with the Jalapeño popper idea a few times and although the origins of this dish are Tex/Mex, my goal was to add a Greek twist to this favorite "bar food" of mine.

In Greece, we have our own cream cheese, commonly known as "katiki domikou". Here, the cream cheese is the vehicle that delivers the Greek flavours here...mashed Feta and tiny pieces of pastourma.

As a side, I serve up a cooling and refreshing Romesco Sauce, which fairs very well with this tasty snack/appetizer.

As for the batter, I found a good fish batter works best here and after seeing wonderful results from Kevin at Closet Cooking and Nina of My Easy Cooking...I'm chiming in to add that this batter recipe rocks!

So, go out & look for pastourma and if you like it, give these Greeked-up Jalapeño Poppers a go. You'll need some readily available tools in your kitchen and beyond hollowing the peppers, this ain't no sweat!

Greeked-Up Jalapeño Poppers

15-20 Jalapeno peppers
1/2 cup cream cheese, room temperature
1 slab of Greek feta cheese
3 slices of Pastourma, finely chopped

Batter
1 bottle beer
approx. 2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 large egg (lightly beaten) salt and pepper to taste
sunflower oil for frying

Tools
piping bag/or plastic bag
paring knife
cork screw

1. First, make your batter. Add the salt and baking powder to the flour in one bowl and beat an egg in another bowl and add the beer. Now gradually whisk the flour into the beer & egg until you get a thickish pancake-like batter. Set aside and prep your peppers.
2. Using a paring knife, cut off the stem part of the peppers and reserve them (you'll cap your peppers with these later). Now using a cork screw, stick it in the pepper and gently wiggle, ream and twist inside the peppers to hollow them out.
   
3. Get a small pot of water boiling and then throw the Jalapenos in for about 3 minutes and then blanche in cold water and then drain (you may skip this step if you like your peppers crunchy).
4. In a small bowl, add the cream cheese and Feta and mash together with a fork until one. Now add your finely chopped Pastourma and mix until incorporated. Now place the cheese filling in a piping bag or a plastic bag and simply snip a small hole in the bottom corner.
5. Now fill each Jalapeno with the cheese filling, to the point of where the cheese is just slightly exposed (this will be the glue to seal your peppers with the stem parts).
6. Now "glue" the stem part of the peppers back on.
7. Get your frying hot, to an approx. temperature of 360F. Dip your Jalapenos into the batter and then carefully drop into the hot oil. Fry until golden-brown (about 3-4 minutes) and then reserve on plate lined with paper towel.
8. Serve your Greeked-Up Jalapeno Poppers with a cool Romesco Sauce.
   

OH NO YOU DIDN'T JUST DO THAT?

OH yes I did! I combined shrimp with Chorizo sausage. I saw a photograph of this combo recently and I knew I had to try it.

This has to be one of the best non-recipes. How do I instruct you, what instructions are there to follow or is there any technique involved?

First of all, go find some Chorizo. In this instance, I used the dried, cured Chorizo sausage. It comes in a mild or spicy version and for this treat, I went with spicy.

The only advice I can give you here is to seek shrimp that big enough to fit the arc of the chorizo when skewering the shrimp to it.

The other tip is slice the sausage to the same thickness as the shrimp and last but not least, grill on high heat and please...do not overcook your shrimp. Shrimp is cooked when in turns pink.

If you want to learn more about Chorizo sausage, visit my friend Nuria's blog where she lays down the basics of Chorizo.

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.
   

Catalan Potatoes

I'm always a sucker for trying out new potato dishes. My blog chica, Nuria lives near Barcelona and and I'm sure she's seen something like this in a tapas bar or she's even made it at home.

There's nothing really new with ingredients but I was curious to try this pan-method with the slices of potatoes.

The starches from the potatoes get released and meld with the caramelizing onions and tomatoes, a smack of garlic and the black pepper to give this rustic dish some heat.

I had this with a late dinner omelet and a sausage (NO, not a hot dog) and it was a satiating dinner after a long day's work.

Credit for these Catalan Potatoes goes to a Bob Kinkead (thanks Bob) and if you feel like cooking something but you don't want to make it a big kitchen event, try out these potatoes...they are as tasty as they look.

I'm submitting these potatoes as my entry for Weekend Herb Blogging, hosted this week by Erin of the Skinny Gourmet. Watch for Erin's roundup of the array of dishes early next week.

Catalan Potatoes
(for 6)

1/2 cup olive oil (1/3 cup for nonstick pans) 3 whole cloves garlic, peeled
1 large red onion, diced
2 large Idaho potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick
3 cloves garlic, chopped
4 plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and diced
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1. Heat an 8- or 9-inch skillet over medium heat. Pour in the olive oil and add the whole garlic cloves. Cook the garlic until browned, about 8 min. Discard the cloves.
2. Add the diced onion to the pan. Sauté in the oil until light brown, about 12 min. Remove the onions from the pan with a slotted spoon.
3. Add half of the potato slices to the oil. Top them with an even layer of the onions, chopped garlic, tomatoes, salt, and pepper. Top with the remaining potato slices.
   
4. Cook the potatoes until browned, about 15 min., and then turn the potatoes over onto a plate and then flip back on the skillet, pressing down on them with a spatula.
   
5. Continue cooking until the underside is brown and the potatoes are tender throughout, about another 15 min. Slide from the pan onto a serving platter and serve immediately.

Gambas al Pil Pil (Sizzling Garlic Prawns)

Today I'm so excited to show you this quick and easy Tapas dish. Tapas are one and the same like Greek mezedes or...appetizers.

Today, I cook for Nuria, my dear blog friend at Spanish Recipes. Pay a visit to her site as she injects humour, info on Spanish cuisine and culture and she'll even sing a song for you.

I loved this dish for it's simplicity, quick cooking time and fabulous flavour.

Look at the photo...it tasted as good as it looks!



Gambas al Pil Pil (Sizzling Garlic Prawns)
(for 2)

Olive oil
4 cloves of garlic, sliced
1 Small red chilli
12 medium-sized shrimp, peeled, deveined with the tail
Salt
2 Tbsp. white wine
2 tsp. chopped parsley

1. Add olive oil to a frying pan until about 1.5cm deep. Heat over medium high heat.
   
2. Add garlic, chilli and they should be sizzling. Cook for 15 seconds then turn the prawns over.
3. Add salt, white wine and parsley. Spoon prawns into a serving dish and pour over juices.
   

Marinated Olives

If you're a fan of Greek cuisine, you'll notice that we don't include olives in many of our dishes. Rather, we like to have olives included at our table, to be included with the meal or as part of an array of Mezedes (appetizers).

Olives are almost always present on the Greek table. The variety of olives are infinite and a Greek can endlessly argue as to which kind are the best, the tastiest.

I've been called a "food snob" (I don't know why) but I'm not too fussy when it comes to olives...as long as they aren't too salty, I luv'em!

Here, I'm showing you one way to dress your olives, that is by marinating them. I found this recipe in a booklet that showcased some Spanish dishes. These olives would, no doubt, appear at a table in Spain or Greece.

Use this method as a base to marinate your own olives with your favourite flavours. Try lemon peel, coriander seeds, rosemary or any other combiantions of herbs and spices. This method works best with olives that have been simply jarred in a brine.

Olive is a fruit. It is native to the whole region surrounding the Mediterranean. Olives and it's derivative are heart healthy as they are concentrated in monosaturated fats and they are a good source of vitamin E.

I'm offering this post as my entry for Weekend Herb Blogging, hosted this week by Kalyn of Kalyn's Kitchen.

Marinated Olives

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
4 bay leaves
1 clove of garlic, thinly
wide strip of orange rind
1/2 tsp finely chopped red chilli
a few whole peppercorns
2 cups of green olives

1. Combine oil, vinegar, bay leaves and garlic in a small saucepan and place over low heat until just warm. Remove from heat, add orange rind, chilli, peppercorns and then combine with olives in a bowl.
2. Stand olives for at least 3 hours before serving at room temperature.
3. Olives will keep airtight in a container/jar for up to a week.
   

Potato Tortilla

This classic apparently is found at many a Tapas bar in Spain. 'Tis a dense and satisfying large cake, or a frittata or omelet? Call it what you want but it's delicious, easy to make and certainly another way to eat spuds.

Potato Tortilla

1 lb of small potatoes, peeled and sliced thinly with a mandoline
1 Tbsp butter + 1 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 large tomato, diced
1/4 each of red, green, yellow pepper, sliced
1/2 cup of mushrooms, sliced
2 tsp of fresh thyme
4 large eggs
1/4 cream + 1/4 cup milk
1/3 cup grated smoked Gruyere
salt & pepper
flat leaf parsley for garnish

Using a mandoline, slice your peeled potatoes into thin slices. Now do the same with your onion. Heat your oil & butter in a heavy, ovenproof frying pan.

1. Add the onions, peppers and mushrooms, some salt & pepper over a low heat to soften for 5-10 minutes. Add your potatoes and cook over low heat for another 10 minutes or until the potatoes are just tender. Add your thyme and mix well.
2. In a large bowl, beat together the eggs, cream, milk and cheese. Add it to the pan with the potato mixture and mix well.
3. Place the frying pan into a pre-heated 375F oven for 30 minutes or until the tortilla's set (should wiggle a tad).
4. Remove from the oven and let it cool for 15 minutes before slicing.