Sesame Salmon with mashed peas

Easter may be a memory but spring has already paid us a visit reminding us that the summer is at the door!

This could only mean one thing… I have to get ready for my bathing suit. I hope it still fits me…

Somewhere between panick attacks and “Stoicism” I found an old magazine with low-fat recipes.

However today’s recipe is ideal not only for a diet but for our-I hate fish and everything that smells like it-kids.

It’s a fact that most children hate fish, its smell and its fish bone. That’s why a clever parent must wisely “camouflage” it.

Here you could use a salmon fillet which has only a bone in the middle and hide it into lots of sesame seeds.

If you avoid to buy the ready tin can of mashed peas and go for the real thing, you will have an easy and healthy recipe

and a very nutritious dish because it combines fish and peas. Enjoy…

INGREDIENTS

For 6 persons

 6 salmon fillets (200 gr each)

1 cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

3 tbsp of lemon juice

1 tbsp of sweet paprika powder

200 gr. of sesame seeds

FOR THE MASHED PEAS

600 gr of frozen peas

2 tbsp of butter

1 wine glass of fresh milk

2 tbsp of fresh basil leaves, chopped (optional but recommended)

Salt and pepper

 HOW TO:

Marinate the salmon into a bowl with the olive oil and the lemon juice.

Season with paprika and a pinch of salt.

Leave it in the refrigerator for about 1 hour .

Prepare the peas by boiling them into salted water for 15 minutes.

Drain them and mash them very well with the mixer, until they become like paste.

In a pot, melt the butter. Throw in the mashed peas and stir well. Slowly, pour in the milk.

Not too much milk because we don’t want it to be like soup.

Sprinkle with the basil leaves and season according to taste.

Grill the salmon fillets. When ready, take them out of the oven.

Sprinkle a layer of sesame into a dish. Place each fillet on both sides.

Place them into an oiled baking pan and continue to grill the fillets both sides

until the sesame takes a golden color.

 When ready, serve in a dish along with the mashed peas.

It’s a very nutritious meal, ideal for your children.

And remember: when the fish doesn’t look like one, your kid loves it.

Lazy in the kitchen? No problem

This is an easy and very quick recipe that suits everyone, especially children.

With healthy ingredients, you can serve it day or night. Enjoy…

EGGS WITH SPINACH

INGREDIENTS:

FOR TWO:

3 handfuls of fresh spinach

Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)

Corn oil

1 tbsp of your favorite butter

2 handfuls of Greek “graviera” cheese, grated

2 twigs of spring onion

2 eggs

4 slices of toast bread

A pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper

HOW TO:

Wash and chop the onion.

Thoroughly wash the spinach and cut off any hard twigs.

Turn on a high heat. In a frying pan, pour a little olive oil and sauté the onion.

Add the spinach leaves and season well.

When the leaves are well dried remove from the pan.

In another pan, warm a little corn oil and fry the eggs one by one.

Preheat the oven.

Butter the toast bread both sides and place them into a baking pan.

On each slice, pour enough grated cheese and bake until it is melted.

When ready, remove from the oven.

Place each slice into a dish and cover with enough spinach.

Then add the egg and cover with the second slice.

That’s it. Make sure you serve with a cup of hot coffee or tea or a fresh orange juice for the kids.

 EXTRA TIP:

You can serve with only one slice of any bread you like, with tomato…

 

…or don’t mix the ingredients together. Just put all of them into a bowl…

Jamie Oliver’s recipe of the month

 “Hi guys,

I’m just back from a whirlwind trip to Australia and I had the most amazing time. I finally got to see the fantastic Ministry of Food Centre in Ipswich and had the pleasure of meeting Premier of Queensland Anna Bligh, who’s been really supportive of Ministry of Food and the Good Foundation. I also got to see the brilliant new Ministry truck in Logan – so huge thanks to all the Ministry staff out there for making me feel so welcome.

Next was Sydney, where we had a big party at Jamie’s Italian with incredible food, brilliant service and 170 really lovely, interesting guests – the wonderful restaurant team did me proud. I also did a “secret” recording for Australian Masterchef. I won’t give anything away, but look out for the programme in June – it was a fantastic day.

Last stop was Melbourne, where I visited some of my retail partners and attended a news conference to announce a new Ministry of Food initiative in the state of Victoria, where we’ll launch a new centre and another truck later this year. It was a huge pleasure to meet the Premier of Victoria, Ted Baillieu, and the Health Minister, David Davis – these guys are imaginative, focused politicians and I wish we had more people like them here in the UK. I had an incredible time in all of these lovely cities, so thank you to everyone who made the trip such a success – you know who you are.

Back in the UK, with Easter just around the corner, we’re focusing on baking on the site this month, so if you fancy indulging yourself or rustling up a gorgeous treat for your loved ones, make sure you check out our selection of lovely recipes.

Big love,   Jamie O xx”

Recipe of the Month:

Chicken and mushroom pasta bake

INGREDIENTS:

• 20g/a small handful of dried porcini mushrooms

• olive oil

• 4 chicken thighs, boned, skinned and cut into bite-sized pieces

• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely sliced

• 350g/2 handfuls of mixed fresh mushrooms, cleaned and torn

• 200ml white wine

• 455g dried spaghetti

• 500ml double cream

• 200g Parmesan cheese, grated

• a sprig of fresh basil, leaves picked

 METHOD: 

I remember meeting a lovely old couple outside my parents’ puband

when they heard I was going to Italy they told me to make sure I cooked turkey tetrazzini-

I hadn’t a clue what they were talking about and then, by chance,

I saw a recipe for chicken tetrazzini in an old Italian cookbook

and it’s great – really tacky but gorgeous! Here’s my version…

 Preheat the oven to 200ºC/400ºF/gas 6.

Put your porcini mushrooms in a bowl and pour over just enough

boiling water to cover them (approx. 150ml/5½fl oz).

Put to one side to soak for a few minutes.

Heat a saucepan big enough to hold all the ingredients,

and pour in a splash of olive oil.

Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper and brown them gently in the oil.

Strain the porcini, reserving the soaking water, and add them to the pan

with the garlic and fresh mushrooms.

Add the wine, with the strained porcini soaking water, and turn the heat down.

Simmer gently until the chicken pieces are cooked through and the wine has reduced a little.

Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in plenty of boiling salted water

according to the packet instructions and drain well.

Add the cream to the pan of chicken, then bring to the boil and turn the heat off.

Season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Add the drained spaghetti to the creamy chicken sauce and toss well.

Add three-quarters of the Parmesan and all of the basil and stir well.

ransfer to an ovenproof baking dish or non-stick pan,

sprinkle with half the remaining cheese and bake in the oven until golden brown, bubbling and crisp.

Divide between your plates, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with the rest of the cheese before serving.

 

Cretan Rusk-4 steps abundance

This gallery contains 8 photos.

  Cretan rusk (Dakos in Greek, or owl due to its shape) is a traditional, Cretan dish. Usually it is a barley rusk on which we add mashed tomato and mashed Cretan “mizithra” cheese, or “feta” cheese. The dish is … Continue reading →

Colorfull pork chops for everyone!

Pork chops are a delicious treat for nearly everybody. There are hundreds of ways to prepare them: fried, grilled, baked, scalded, saute, marinated etc…

Here’s an oven-made, very easy recipe, perfect for everybody that combines meat with vegetables.

That makes it also a perfect kids recipe.

INGREDIENTS:

6 pork chops (neck)

1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)

2 red peppers in slices

2 yellow peppers in slices

2 green peppers in slices

1/2 lb of cherry tomatoes

2 cloves of garlic sliced

Some fresh thyme

Salt and pepper to taste

FOR THE SAUCE:

3 lemons, the juice

2 tbsp of mustard (hot is better here)

2-3 cloves of garlic minced

1/2 a tsp of salt

HOW TO:

Place the pork chops in a baking pan. Season with salt and pepper.

Place all the sliced peppers and sliced garlic over the pork chops in the baking pan.

Wash the cherry tomatoes, cut them in half and add them in the pan with the pork chops and peppers.

In a jar with a lid beat the minced garlic, salt, mustard and lemon juice.

Pour the sauce over the ingredients in the baking pan and add the fresh thyme.

On the top, pour the olive oil and cover with aluminum foil.

Bake in a preheated oven to 180 C (350 F) for about 1 1/2 hours.

After about an hour of baking, remove the aluminum foil.

Bake for the rest of the remaining time for the food to get some color.

From time to time make sure to moist the chops with some of the sauce with a spoon.

When ready, serve hot accompanied with french fries and a Greek salad!

Party ideas with Greek salad?Why not.

In your effort to learn your children to eat more fresh vegetables, why not preparing an easy, quick and smart recipe for them.

Take advantage of the simplest ingredients like tomato, cheese, cucumber and olives that come right out of the original Greek salad recipe. Only this time don’t serve them all together in a bowl.

Prepare the loveliest appetizers like in the photo. Just make sure you prepare a lot of them because they tend to be eaten rapidly…

Good luck to you all, fellow cooks.

Do you know how to make Greek salad?

The Greek country (or rustic) salad (Choriatiki in Greek) is worldwide known as simply “Greek salad”. It is considered a summer salad and basically it is made of tomato, cucumber, onion, black olives, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, salt and dried oregano. Optionally, it is enriched with Greek “feta” cheese, green pepper and even sometimes and in some places with vinegar and capers.

However, you can find other variations of the Greek salad but it is always served in a soup plate which is large enough to keep a large amount of olive oil together with the tomato liquid (the salt tends to extract all the liquids out of the vegetables, that is why it is better to be added when served. That is also the reason why yesterday’s salad is always richer in flavor and liquids, perfect for a bread dip.) It is a perfect kids recipe as it combines freshness with all the benefits from fresh vegetables and virgin olive oil.

 The Greek salad goes well with everything…

 And in Greece you can find it everywhere…

Be my (Greek) Valentine !

Saint Valentine’s Day is coming and you are still searching for the perfect dessert that will seal your sweetheart’s heart…

Well, look no more. Here’s a cheesecake that you ‘ve never tasted before. From Greece only for you…Enjoy !

CHEESECAKE “BAKLAVA”

Preparation time: 40 min

For 16 portions

INGREDIENTS:

1500 gr spread cheese

225 gr flour

450 gr sugar

4 eggs

2 egg yolks

400 gr milk

1 (16 ounce) package phyllo dough

500 gr walnuts

250  gr sugar

1 tsp of cinnamon powder

350 gr butter, melted

400 gr honey

HOW TO:

With the help of the mixer, beat the spread cheese with the sugar very well. Then, add the eggs one by one until the mix becomes fluffy.

Add the flour and then the milk.

Take your baking pan (30X40cm) and butter the bottom with a brush. Divide your phyllo dough as you will use half of them at the bottom and half on the top. Start spreading the dough one over the other brushing them with the melted butter (otherwise they will stuck on each other).

In a multi blender, grind the walnuts with the 250 gr of sugar and the cinnamon. Sprinkle half of them over the dough.

Pour the cheese cream and sprinkle with the rest of the walnuts. Then continue to lay the rest of the dough (don’t forget to butter in between).

Bake the cheesecake into a preheated oven in 180oC for 70-80 minutes.

When ready, take it out of the oven and pour over the honey which you have just heated up.

Let it to cool down and cut into pieces.

Extra tip: For extra sweetness why don’t decorate the plate with fresh strawberries?

After all, it’s Valentine’s day!

Chickpeas with spinach

Don’t waste your money for your dinner…

With only a few, you can prepare a delicious,healthy,tasteful dish for you and your loved ones.

It’s an easy, healthy and cheap recipe. Plus, it’s perfect for kids as it combines pulses with vegetables, rich in carbohydrates, vitamins and fibres.

Directly from Greece… with love. Enjoy!

 

 INGREDIENTS:

For four persons

500 gr chickpeas

600 gr fresh spinach

3 spring onions, chopped

1 red onion, chopped

1 tomato, chopped

½ cup of tomato paste

1 cup of dill

1 lemon, the juice (if you don’t like lemon, use half)

Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)

Salt, freshly ground pepper

HOW TO:

The previous night, soak the chickpeas into a large bowl full of water and leave them overnight.

The following day, take them out of the bowl and pour them into a casserole.

Cover them with water and boil for 1 hour or until they soften enough.

When ready, drain them and leave aside.

In a deep frying pan or another pot heat the olive oil (app.3 tbsps)

and sauté all the onions together.

Make sure the heat is not too high, we don’t want to burn them.

When they change their color, add the tomato and let it drain for a couple of minutes.

Pour in the tomato paste. Add the fresh dill, the spinach and the chickpeas.

Here, a few Greek recipes claim that the chickpeas should go into the pot only the last 5 minutes.

Well, I don’t agree. I always put them along with the dill and spinach

and I leave them there until the spinach is soften and ready.

This way, the chickpeas “borrow” aroma from all the vegetables.

Five minutes before turning off the heat, add the lemon juice.

That’s it… Enjoy !

EXTRA TIP: You can combine this tasteful dish with spaghetti, too.

Boil the pasta according to the package instructions (we want them al dente).

When your chickpeas are ready to be served,

turn off the heat and pour the spaghetti in the same pot.

Mix all the ingredients well and serve and of course…

Don’t forget to sprinkle with your favorite cheese.

Pasta Salad “Mamma Maria”

Although much of these ingredients come from Greece, this salad, like most of the salads with pasta, comes from the US. It’s an easy, healthy and quick recipe.

Italians prefer their pasta hot but Americans voted for the cold pasta salads from the first day it made its debut in the beginning of  19^th century. This salad is perfect for children because it is full of color, something that kids love, it is very easy and quick to be prepared and last but not least, you can prepare this or a similar salad by putting together any ingredient you find in your refrigerator after a party or a rainy day.

INGREDIENTS:

500 gr of pasta penne or swirls or any other short kind

½ cup of sun-dried tomatoes, dive them into warm water for 5 min.

200 gr of Greek “Chaloumi” cheese grilled and chopped

4 sweet red peppers from the jar,into small pieces and 1 cup of fresh parsley,chopped

 

 

 

FOR THE DRESSING:

2 garlic cloves

1 tbsp of mustard

2 tbsp of Balsamic vinegar

1 tbsp of water

½ cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)

Salt and pepper

* The ingredients I chose are the ones I like but you can prepare this recipe with less or more ingredients according to your taste, wallet, time and…findings in your refrigerator.

HOW TO:

Before you start your salad, you must grill the “Chaloumi” cheese for 5-10 minutes. Turn off and leave aside.

Boil the pasta according to the instructions on the packet (we want them al dente). Drain well and leave aside.

To prepare the dressing you must put the garlic, the mustard, the vinegar, the water and the olive oil in the multi blender and blend them until they become a thick paste.

Put the pasta into a large salad bowl and pour over the dressing. On top, pour the red peppers, the “Chaloumi” cheese, the parsley, salt and pepper and blend well. Cover the salad and put it in the refrigerator for at least one hour.

Serve and watch everyone smile.