Pastitsio

1 package pastitsio pasta noodles (or mararoni elbows)

1.5 lbs lean ground beef

1 onion

parsley

1 can tomatoes

water

olive oil

salt-pepper-oregano

4 eggs

milk

Noodles

1. Add salt and olive oil to water and boil noodles for 7 minutes until al dente.
2. Rinse with cold water. Put pasta in a bowl and add 1/2 cup of milk and 1 egg and mix.
3. Set aside.

Beef

1. Grate an onion and sautee in a pot/pan with some oil until soft.
2. Add beef, salt, pepper, oregano and continue until browned.
3. Add tomatoes and 1 cup of water.
4. Simmer until water is gone (about 15 minutes).

In a rectangular pan put half of the pasta as flat as you can get it, then add the beef mixture and the rest of the pasta on top. Finally add the Bechamel sauce and bake at 500F until top is well browned (about 1/2 hour).

Bechamel sauce

1L milk

8 tablespoons all purpose flour

4 tablespoons butter

3 eggs

1. Melt butter in a non-stick pot/pan and add flour.
2. With a metal whisk, stir non-stop until sauce is smooth and beige in colour.

Gemista (stuffed peppers)

Without a doubt, my favourite Greek food as a child and today! Photo is before baking.

10 bell peppers / larger-sized tomatoes

2 lbs lean ground beef

1 rounded tablespoon of Italian rice for every pepper to stuff

parsley

1 can tomatoes

olive oil - salt - pepper - oregano

1 grated onion

5 potatoes

1. Sautee onion with some oil and add the beef, salt, pepper, parsely.
2. When beef has browned add the tomatoes, 1 cup of water and rice. Let simmer for a few minutes until most of the water is gone.
3. Peppers should be opened at the top, keep the "lids". Clean peppers of seeds and fill.
4. Cut up potatoes and spread throughout the pan. (This step was added on to my Thea Mary's suggestion. It's the way they make it in Greece, but my mom never added potatoes to gemista.)
5. Peppers should be open-side down, unless you want to turn them, mid-baking.
6. Add 1/2 cup of water to the pan, sprinkle salt and olive oil over everything just before you bake at 380F until the peppers are burned on top and the outer layer is wilted.
7. Serve with... Feta!

Roasted Peppers

bell peppers

olive oil

salt

Feta cheese

1. Wash peppers.
2. BBQ peppers until burned, rotating until burned on all sides.
3. Leave in a colander to strain.
4. Remove burned skin, seeds and and stems.
5. Put in a dish with olive oil and salt to taste.
6. Serve cold with Feta cheese and crusty bread.

Greek-style oven roasted potatoes

 

5 lbs potatoes of any kind

2 tablespoons chicken base

3 tablespoons oregano

½ teaspoon pepper

½ cup olive oil

1½ lemons

1. Cut potatoes into 8ths and wash thoroughly.
2. Sprinkle on all ingredients and mix together until potatoes are well coated.
3. Bake at 380F for 1.5 hours, flipping at the half hour marks. At the one hour mark, sprinkle water on the potatoes.

Happy and Healthy New Year! -- pictures coming soon

Vasilopita

4 eggs, separated

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

1 teaspoon orange zest

1 teaspoon vanilla powder

3 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

pinch of salt

1. Beat the egg whites until frothy and set aside. In a separate bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and set aside.
2. Beat the butter for a couple of minutes on its own before adding the sugar in and creaming them together. Then, add the egg yolks one at a time beating until just incorporated. Add the orange juice, zest and vanilla.
3. Gently fold in about 1/3 of the egg whites, followed by 1/3 of the flour mixture. Repeat two times until the batter is just combined. Stir a foil-wrapped coin into the batter and pour everything into a greased baking pan (I used a silicone mold).
4. Bake at 350F for 50 minutes or until the skewer comes out clean.

* This is not my mom’s recipe as she traditionally makes a tiropita like they would in the village. This recipe is from ellysaysopadotcom.

Chicken Stifado

5 lbs small onions

1 cup red wine

¾ cup olive oil

½ teaspoon whole black pepper

10 bay leaves

6 pieces boneless, skinless chicken breast

1-teaspoon salt

3 cups water

3 tablespoons tomato paste

1. Clean all onions, leave whole and put into a large pot with water, oil, pepper, bay leaves, wine and salt
2. Cut chicken breasts in half and add to pot
3. Add tomato paste, taste for sweetness of onions and add salt as needed
4. Boil for 90 minutes on medium-high heat