Bean Salad ©

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here are some of the typical foods cooked on Kαθαρά Δευτέρα, Clean Monday, which marks the beginning of Orthodox Lent in Greece. Greek Lenten dishes are some of the best recipes in Greek Cuisine.

 

 

Lagana Flat bread, Bay Prawn, Lenten Dolmades, Seskoula Greens, Taramosalata, Olives, Artichokes alla Polita, Octopus

and Black Eyed Bean Salad with chopped onions and fennel.

It is a delicious feast and most of the recipes are already in my Blog, but today I will be adding the Bean salad and soon after the grilled Bay Prawns or Langoustine.

” Lagana,” flat bread, traditionally only made on this day.

 

Lagana cut into strips to eat with your food, especially good with taramosalata! ( See recipe, under ‘Meze,’ in Index.)

 

Octopus. ( See recipe under ‘Meze’ in index.)

 

Dolmades. ( See under ‘Meze,’ ‘Dolmades Yalantzi,’ in Index.) These dolmades are ‘Lenten,’ because they are the

recipe with out meat. Dolmades Avgolemono, also listed, are made with meat and egg/lemon sauce.

Green Olives ‘Tsakistes,’ these are olives which have been slightly compressed, in order for them to split open. This is done either with the heel of your cooks knife or with a rolling pin.

Black Eyed Beans with chopped onion and fennel.

Easy

 

 

 

6 persons

 

 

 

Ingredients

100g Black Eyed Beans

1 Bay leaf

1 small onion quartered

1 onion finely chopped or spring onion

3 tbs chopped fennel or parsley

Generous drizzle of olive Oil

Vinegar or Lemon

Cubed fresh tomato flesh for color, (optional)

salt pepper

 

Method

1.Place beans in sieve and rinse beans under running water.

2. Place in small saucepan together with a small quartered onion and 1 bay leaf.

3. Bring to the boil and simmer until soft, 3/4 to 1 hour, until soft through out, but not disintegrating.

4. Drain well, remove bay leaf and onion.

5. Place in serving dish and while still hot drizzle generously with Olive Oil. Leave to cool.

6. Add finely chopped onions, fennel or parsley, salt and freshly ground pepper. Add a little vinegar or lemon juice if liked.

7. Leave half an hour for the flavors to amalgamate.

N.B. Do not add salt until your beans are cooked, as the salt makes them tough.

 

 

Weigh out your beans, which you have freshly bought. ( They do not keep for ever in the cupboard!) Place in sieve and

rinse under the running tap.

Place in small saucepan together with a quartered small onion and bay leaf for flavor. Do not add salt until the end as

it causes the beans to become tough. Cook 3/4 to 1 hour, until soft, but not disintegrating.

Drain beans well and place in serving dish. Add olive oil generously while still hot. Leave to cool and add chopped onions,

fennel or parsley, salt and freshly ground black pepper. If you want to add a little color, add a cubed tomato, seeds removed.

Sprinkle with a little vinegar or lemon juice. Mix well.

Final result!

 

Bay Prawn recipe coming up next!