Rose Vinegar Delicacy

Everything’s coming up roses in the kitchen!

When your rose bushes are in full bloom in your garden, pots or the nearest flower shop, take advantage of their fragrant blossoms by cooking them into something delicious.

A Rose Vinegar can be used as a dressing to really “lift off” your fresh and boiled salad, your grilled vegetables, a nice roast or grilled chicken. Enjoy!

 

HOW TO:

You will need only three things:

-A glass bottle for the vinegar

-A quality white vinegar (chose an expensive one that will make the difference)

-And a handful of your favorite rose petals(washed and well dried)

 Or 4-5 dried ones that you will find in a gourmet grocery store next to the herbs and spices.

Mix them all together and close the lid. Leave the vinegar for at least one week in a sunny place before you start using it.

Some leave it for a month but I think that if the rose petals are fresh and aromatic they will lend their aroma to the vinegar quickly enough.

 

*For extra fragrance, add only two drops of rose-water with the rose petals.

Cretan Rusk-4 steps abundance

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  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 →

Fish roe salad (Tarama salad)

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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…

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.

Budget meal? If healthy, yes!

QUICK SALAD

Rachael Ray suggests this two-steps salad. A budget meal, made only of fresh ingredients that usually are in the refrigerator. Even if the vegetables are 7 days old, don’t throw them away.

To the original Rachael’s recipe I’m adding just a personal touch to make this salad even more interesting. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS:

For 4 persons

1 zucchini, diced

1 yellow squash, diced

1/2 pint yellow cherry tomatoes

1/2 pint red cherry tomatoes

1/4 small red onion, grated

FOR THE VINAIGRETTE SAUCE:

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

HOW TO:

In a medium size bowl, toss together the zucchini, squash and tomatoes.

In a small bowl, combine the Dijon mustard, balsamic vinegar and the onion.

Whisk the EVOO into the mustard mixture until combined. Season with salt and pepper and pour over the vegetables.

MY PERSONAL TOUCH:

Grill all the vegetables (like you do with a chicken)

In the vinaigrette sauce: Add 1 tsp of honey

Sprinkle with Greek “Anthotyro” or other white, soft cheese

MY MOROCCAN COUSCOUS

So, I have some weaknesses. I can’t say no to Moroccan food.

Here is a dish I could never stop eating no matter how fattening it is.

• 1/3 cup water
• 2 teaspoons olive oil (Greek extra virgin olive really glorifies the recipe)
• 1/2 teaspoon finely grated fresh orange zest
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup couscous (original Moroccan couscous and none other)
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped dried pitted dates
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped scallion greens
• My personal touch is the adding of one cinnamon stick into the water leaving it there all the time and removing it before serving.

Preparation

Bring water, oil, zest, and salt to a boil in a 1- to 1 1/2-quart heavy saucepan. Stir in couscous and dates, then cover pan and remove from heat. Let stand, covered, 5 minutes.

Fluff couscous with a fork and stir in scallion greens.

This couscous goes extremely well with every dish, whether it’s fish, red or white meat or just cooked veggies.