Greek Lentil Soup ©
This is a great favourite of mine, I grew up with it and it is full of health and energy. When we were children it was prepared for us often, and we were promised it would make us strong and tall. Lentils are full of iron! On a cold winter’s day it is perfect, “Oh so warming,” and full of taste.
4-6 persons
20 min preparation time
Ingredients
250 g small green lentils
2-4 tbs olive oil
2 medium onions diced
3-6 cloves garlic sliced
4 medium carrots peeled and sliced
1 heaped tsp tomato puree
small bunch of Mediterranean parsley, roughly chopped
2 bay leaves
1-2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
1-2 tsp small coriander berries
3 sprigs of fresh thyme
2 tsp dried oregano
4 tbs of wine
Enough stock to cover the lentils by 3 cm and more
freshly ground black pepper
*Extra Olive Oil and a dash of Vinegar are optional, at the end of cooking.
Method
1. Weigh out your lentils and spread out on tray. Carefully check through for stones!
2. Place lentils in sieve and rinse lentils under cold running water.
3. Place olive oil in medium sized saucepan and add peeled diced onion, peeled sliced garlic, peeled and sliced carrots, roughly chopped Mediterranean celery, spices and herbs.
4. Sauté vegetables over a medium heat until onions are transparent, 3-5 minutes.
5. Add tomato purée and your lentils, toss in oil for two minutes.
6. Add Stock to come well above the lentils as they will swell, (3-6 cm.)You can add more stock during cooking.
7. Cook for one hour or more until lentils are soft, but not disintegrated.
8. Check for taste, add salt if necessary and freshly ground pepper. Add more liquid if necessary to get the right consistency.
9. Serve in pre-heated bowls with warm crusty bread and drizzle with virgin olive oil. Some add a little vinegar.
This is what you are aiming for. Perfect for a cold winter’s day!
Measure out lentils and spread on tray.
After sorting through lentils, place in sieve and rinse under cold water.
Sauté diced onions, sliced garlic sliced carrots and celery, spices and herbs in olive oil.
Sauté vegetables over a medium heat for five minutes or until onion is transparent. Add wine.
Add one heaped tsp of tomato puree, or enough to give a nice red colour to your soup.
Add rinsed lentils and toss in oil for two minutes.
Add enough water/stock to come three times the hight of you lentils in the saucepan. More water/stock, can be added later, depending on consistency.
Add 1 heaped tsp of Oregano, freshly gathered from the mountain! The best Oregano looks like this, the flower, not the leaves.
Simmer soup for one hour, or until the lentils are perfectly soft. Add more water if soup is getting too thick.
Serve in warm bowls with a drizzle of virgin olive oil, some add a dash of vinegar.
This soup is full of goodness and warming, on a cold winter’s day.
Just the thing high in the mountains, in a cosy refuge……
Hummus ©
I began this blog for my children and friends and I am happy to say it has now reached to 28,508 views!!!!Thank you all very much indeed!
Hummus, todays recipe, is one of my favourite dips and my recipe collection would not be complete without it. It comes from the Levantine and is a wonderful combination of flavours.
In the period of Lent it is very suitable and makes an excellent dip at a party or as part of a Meze.
For those who would like to know a little more about it, I enclose this Link.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hummus
6-10 Persons
1/2 hour to prepare
Ingredients
200 g “dry” chick peas OR 2 tins of chickpeas 200 g in weight
1 onion peeled and quartered
2 bay leaves
6-8 tbs Virgin Olive Oil
1 tsp chili powder
juice from 4-5 lemons or more
3 cloves garlic crushed
100 ml Tahini ( Sesame seed product)
2 tsp cumin powder
2-3 tsp salt or more
freshly ground pepper
4 tbs water ( Optional )
Garnish: Olive oil, sprig of parsley and a dash of paprika
Method:
1. If you have tinned chickpeas, drain and place in blender.
If you have dried chickpeas, (with skins on or not), place in saucepan and cover with water and leave overnight. This is important as it allows the gasses to be released. Next day, drain off the water and cover with fresh water to at least double the hight of the chickpeas in the saucepan, as they will swell.You may need to add extra water as they cook. Peel and quarter a medium sized onion and add two bay leaves for flavour. Bring to the boil and simmer for at least an hour, until chick peas are completely soft. Spoon off any froth with a slotted spoon.
2. Drain chickpeas and place in blender. If you don’t have a blender, press through sieve with the back of a wooden spoon. This will take time, but gives a smooth and light result. Add the rest of your ingredients and pulse to your desired consistency.
3. Taste carefully, for salt, lemon and smoothness. The consistency should be light and very tasty. When I made it, I added quite a lot more salt to bring out the flavour and lemon juice.
4. Pour into serving bowl and arrange. Garnish with parsley, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sweet or hot paprika.
Spoon out into a bowl and arrange as you wish. Here I have used the back of a soup spoon to bring it into a conical shape.
This is what you are aiming for.
Assemble your ingredients.
Empty your weighed chickpeas onto a tray and check through for stones.
*If you are using tinned chickpeas, you can skip this process and add straight to blender.
Place chickpeas in saucepan and cover with cold water. Leave over-night.
Pour away the water the chickpeas have been soaking in, cover with fresh water, to come at least 6 cm above the chickpeas. Add one medium onion quartered for flavour and two bay leaves.
As the chickpeas start to simmer, remove any froth with a slotted spoon.
Simmer for one hour or until the chickpeas are completely soft inside. ( The cooking time, depends on the age of the chickpeas.)
Drain and place in blender.
Add to blender the rest of your ingredients.
Add crushed garlic.
Once everything is added, blend to your preferred consistency. Taste and add more salt and or lemon juice and oil. Add enough salt to bring out the taste fully and it should be lemony and soft and light in consistency. A little extra water can also be added.
When you push the Hummus with a spoon, the consistency should hold its form as in the picture.
Decorate with a sprig of parsley, or other fresh herb.
Serve with hot pita-bread!
This makes my mouth water just writing it…enjoy!
Soutzoukakia ©
Here is a recipe, which is a special request, from my dear friends in Denmark, G and M. This recipe will also give much delight to my children and their friends, who enjoy this Greek recipe every summer when they come to stay 🙂
I haven’t posted for a while and everything on Word Press has changed! For now, even more complicated to post!!!!! I hope it comes out O.K.
Marios for you !
Soutzoukakia
For 4 persons
Preparation time : 3/4 hr.
Cooking time: 45 mins
Ingredients
Meat Oblongs:
3/4 Kilo of good quality mince meat
4 Slices of bread soaked in water or 3 tbs grated rusk ( frigania )
1 onion finely grated
2-4 cloves of garlic finely grated
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp salt, freshly ground black pepper
1 whole egg
1 tbs finely chopped parsley
2-3 tbs Olive oil to add to mince meat mixture
Enough Olive oil to well cover frying pan or deep saucepan
2 sprigs of parsley to garnish
Tomato Sauce
2-3 tabs tomato puree
400g tin of chopped tomatoes or 3-4 fresh tomatoes finely chopped
3 tbs Olive Oil
3-6 allspice berries
1 large stick of cinnamon
1/2 tsp Cumin powder
1 glass of wine
1 clove garlic sliced
1 red Chili bruised
Method
1. Place ingredients for meat oblongs in a large bowl. (The bread slices should be soaked in water for two minutes and then remove crusts and squeeze out water leaving just the crumb.)
2. Removing any jewellery you may be wearing and washing your hands well, knead mince until thoroughly mixed, especially the bread. The end result should be uniform and smooth. This takes about 3 minutes. If the mince sticks to your hands add more olive oil. This can also be done with a wooden spoon, but it takes much longer.
3. Taking a heaped tablespoon full of the mixture, shape into rounds and then into oblongs, between your palms, until all the mixture is used up and place them on a large plate.
4. Place oil in frying pan, or preferably deep saucepan and place over high heat for two minutes, no more, or the oil will smoke! Then gently lower the meat balls into the oil and fry for 3-4 minutes on each side, turning with a spoon and fork. If the oil starts to spit turn the heat down a little. Each side of your meat ball, should be browned. Once done, place on kitchen paper to drain.
Tomato Sauce
1. In another saucepan, place ingredients for your sauce. Bring to the boil, add an extra cup full of water. Gently simmer and add meat balls. Simmer with a lid closed for 20 minutes.
2. Serve in pre-heated dish and garnish with parsley. This dish goes excellently with mashed potatoes, pasta or rice.
What you are aiming for.
Grate onion and garlic on fine grater, or process in blender.
Pick fresh parsley from your garden, wash thoroughly in slated water and chop finely.
Soak bread in water for 1-2 minutes, remove crusts and squeeze out water. Add to mince meat.
To mince meat add whole egg, salt pepper, cumin, parsley, bread, grated onion and garlic.
Mix well for 2-3 minutes until thoroughly blended. If the mixture at the end of the blending time sticks to your fingers, add more olive oil.
Taking a heaped tablespoon full, shape into oblongs in the palm of your hands, until all the mixture is used up.
Cover base of saucepan generously with olive oil. Place on high heat for 2 minutes. ( Not longer or the oil will start to smoke.) Lower oblong meat balls into oil, using a spoon and fork and fry 3 minutes on each side, or until brown.
Once meat balls are browned, remove and place on kitchen paper to drain, before lowering into tomato sauce.
Add olive oil, enough to cover base of large saucepan. Add allspice berries and cinnamon and tomato puree.
To spices and tomato puree, add wine and fresh or tinned tomatoes together with chili pepper and extra garlic, if liked. Season!!!!
Lower fried meat balls into sauce and simmer “Gently” for 20 minutes with the lid on. Check seasoning!!!!!
Serve on heated plates together with rice, pasta or mashed potatoes.
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