September 12, 2015
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Tzatziki the Cream & Green Monster Dip

Well, here I am again responding to Lindsey’s post! Over here in the US, Hummus is more common on the supermarket shelves in its infinite varieties, than olive oil is in the Mediterranean.

However, there is a great and in my opinion, somewhat overlooked, Greek Dip that’s a little less market saturated.  Tzatziki! It is very simple and fast to make and uses just 1/2 dozen easy to find ingredients. In fact, my recipe took me just over 10 minutes to prepare.

What’s more it is healthy and fresh, combining some great flavors: the tartness of thick creamy Greek Yogurt with the softness of cucumber, slightly unusual flavor of dill, pungent garlic, acidic vinegar and grassy olive oil.

The ingredients raw and prepared

The ingredients raw and prepared

Ingredients

  • 1 cup of Greek yogurt (I am using Fage, as its the best commonly available here)
  •  1/2 cucumber
  • 1 tbsp dill weed
  • 1 tsp of red wine vinegar
  • 1/4 cup Greek Olive Oil – (adjust for flavor and consistency)
  • 1 & 1/2 cloves of garlic
  • Salt (adjust to taste)

Method

  • Peel and grate the cucumber, salt, wait 5 minutes and squeeze to remove excess water
  • Finely chop the dill
  • Peel and crush the garlic
  • Mix all the ingredients into a relatively smooth mixture
  • Let the Tzatziki sit in the fridge for 1/2 hour, then serve!
In the bowl and ready to mix!

In the bowl and ready to mix!

It’s great as a starter or side and is perfect for dipping crudites or even eating with fresh toasted pita bread! Truly a unique dip that the Greek gods would be proud of!

September 12, 2015
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My houmous/hummus – it’s not all Greek to me!

I have met some interesting people during my holiday around the Med including the Greek lady who manages  the Hellenic Traditional & Organic products store in Katakalon. Her shop was a cornucopia of deliciousness from olives, olive oil, spices, herbs, honey and lots more. I will write about her another time but talking with my co blogger about this weekend’s taste2taste off we decided a dip off was in order, no reflection of the current state of our or the Greek economy! This lady was definitely doing wonders for the local economy as I ended up buying lots of things including Monakrivo extra virgin olive oil from the Afanoules region which I have used in my houmous recipe that you can make in 5 minutes.

Ingredients

Ingredients

Ingredients (for 2-3 as a starter)

400g can chickpeas, drained but keep liquid

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

3 teaspoon of tahini paste

1 large garlic clove crushed

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

juice from 1/2 lemon

fresh chopped coriander, sumac, smoked paprika for decoration

Preparation

Put all the ingredients except olive oil in a food processor. Add 1 tablespoon of the chickpea liquid.

Blend and start drizzling in the olive oil until smooth. If it is too thick add a bit more olive oil and chickpea liquid.

Decorate with chopped coriander, sumac, paprika and a drizzle of olive oil on top.

Warm some bread and you are ready to dip. My Greek houmous, a quick delicious starter surely this weekend’s dip off winner?

Houmous/hummus with Turkish Simit (sesame ring bread) & Greek pita

Houmous/hummus with Turkish Simit (sesame ring bread) & Greek pita

September 6, 2015
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Pancakes with Lemon infused Maple Syrup & Berries

Well, Lindsey has well and truly thrown down the gauntlet with her ‘Spainglish’ tortilla dish!

However, in my opinion, we have the real perfect start to the day in my version of that US breakfast staple: Pancakes.  When drizzled with sweet Maple Syrup, drawn from the Sugar Maple Trees of Vermont or Quebec (Canada) and accompanied by a generous helping of the last of the summer berries, there’s little better to eat with your coffee, or OJ.

If you are looking for something easy to cook for breakfast or brunch that will wow kids and adults alike and can be accompanied by sweet, or savory, sides – look no further

Ingredients for the Pancakes Breakfast / Brunch

Ingredients for the Pancakes Breakfast / Brunch

Ingredients (4-6 servings)

  • 6 eggs
  • Around 1 lb to 1 lb 4 oz of plain flour
  • 1 tbsp of baking powder
  • 1 tsp of sea salt
  • 3/4 to 1 pint of milk
  • Butter
  • Grade A Maple Syrup the Vermont and Quebec stuff is the best
  • A  lemon
  • Fresh Mixed Summer Berries (blueberries, raspberries, blackberries and strawberries)

Method

The 5 stages of making pancakes

The 5 stages of making pancakes

  • Whisk the eggs, flour, milk, baking powder and salt in a large bowl until it forms a smooth lump free batter (adjust for thickness of batter)
  • Heat up a small skillet on your stove top at a medium high heat
  • Drop a knob of butter into the pan and melt shifting the angle of the pan until the base is covered
  • Using a ladle, pour in around 1/4 cup of the pancake mixture into the butter lined skillet and move it about until the base surface is covered
  • Return to the heat and cook until the underside of the pancake becomes golden brown, flip and cook the other side
  • Repeat the process until all the mix is used and you have a pile of pancakes ready for those hungry mouths

The way I serve each pancake, is to lay it flat, drizzle it with a small slug of Maple Syrup, add a dash of fresh squeezed lemon juice, then roll it up like a Swiss Roll. This combination of the sweet and sour flavors in the pancake, syrup and citrus are simply extraterrestrial!

Serve the pancakes with the berries, as, after all, it’s officially still Summer here in the US, until sunset today, Labor Day…..

Beat that Spain / UK!