Tomato Basil And Greek Feta Salad. “Dakos.” ©
‘Dakos,’ is a well known Meze or light meal in Greece, originating from the island of Crete. It is the most wonderful combination of fresh summer tomatoes, onions basil and crumbled Greek feta cheese, served on a Cretan rusk drizzled with olive oil.
Here I have tossed the salad in a tasty vinaigrette dressing and assembled it in a round mold, so it turns out into a spherical shape.
It is very easy to make and can be eaten as a starter, or ‘mini’ ones can be made and served as part of a Meze.
It is best made no more than an hour before eating, freshness is the essence.
Easy
1-2 persons
Time to prepare: 1/2 an hour
Ingredients For one large ‘Dakos’
2 tomatoes
1 Cretan whole wheat rusk
3-4 tbs crumbled Greek Feta
1 small onion diced
2-3 tbs chopped basil
2 tbs strong ‘Vinaigrette’ see below
Chopped Kalamata Olives
1 tbs olive oil
1 small fresh red seedless chilli pepper, finely sliced (optional)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Sprigs of basil to garnish
Vinaigrette Dressing
1 tsp salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 tbs “Dijon” mustard
1 tbs vinegar
2 tbs olive oil
Method
1. Slice and cube your tomatoes into 1cm X 1cm. Sprinkle with a little salt and place in sieve to drain for five minutes. The salt makes the excess water come out of the tomato.
2. Dice onion finely.
3. Make up thick vinaigrette dressing.
4. In a separate bowl, crumble your feta cheese.
5. Choose a small rounded bowl which will fit your salad, feta and rusk. (See photo.) My bowl is about 14 cm in diameter and 7 cm deep. The bowl will act as a mold to assemble your salad, which you will then turn out, just before serving onto your serving plate.
6. First oil the inside of your bowl with a little olive oil. Ten minutes before serving, chop basil, mix together with tomatoes, chopped Kalamata Olives and Vinaigrette dressing.
7. Place salad in bowl, flatten on top add crumbled feta cheese.
8. Take your rusk and sprinkle two or three times with water on both sides.The water softens the rusk. Now drizzle cut side with olive oil and place cut side downwards on feta. Press down a little.
9. When you are ready to serve, turn out on serving plate and garnish with fresh basil leaves.
Choose nice summer tomatoes and use plenty of ‘fresh’ basil.
Buy genuine Cretan rusks if possible.
These rusks come in halves.
Choose a suitable bowl for an individual portion, in which your rusk will fit. 14 cm diameter, 7 cm deep approximately in this case, if your rusks are smaller, you can use a smaller bowl.
Mix up a thick Vinaigrette dressing. Balsamic vinegar goes well.
After cubing tomatoes and draining them with a little salt in a sieve, dice onions and a little before serving chop basil.
Any earlier and it will discolour!
When ready to assemble mix together your salad with your vinaigrette.
Crumble your feta cheese.
Oil your bowl with a little olive oil and fill first with your tomato mixture. Then add crumbled feta.
Sprinkle with a little sliced chilli pepper if liked. Finally place your rusk on top, which you have sprinkled with water and drizzled with olive oil.You can be quite generous with the water so that the rusk is not too hard. Press the rusk down lightly.
Place serving plate on top of bowl and turn out, giving a sharp knock on your counter.
Final result. Light, fresh and full of summer flavours!
Greek Beans Baked In The Oven, “Gigandes Plaki.” ©
This is a Greek Lenten stand by and is often served as part of a Meze in a Greek Taverna all the year round. It consists of large Lima beans, also known as Elephant beans or Butter beans. These need to be soaked overnight in water, to soften them, the water is then discarded and they are boiled in fresh water for about 40 minutes. They are then put in an oven-proof dish and covered with tomato sauce and roasted in the oven.
The beans become beautifully creamy and go perfectly with the tomato sauce, carrots and celery. It can be eaten, hot or cold.
Easy
6-8 People
Oven temperature 200. C. 400.F.
Ingredients
250g Dried Lima Beans/ Gigandes
1 tin cubed tomato or 3-4 fresh tomatoes
1 tbs tomato puree (optional)
4 tbs Celery Stalks
2 tbs Celery leaves
2 medium carrots
1 onion finely chopped
2-4 cloves of garlic pressed
2 tbs Fennel leaves
2 sprigs of fresh Rosemary
fresh Basil leaves (optional)
3 tbs olive oil
1 Chilli pepper seeds removed
Salt and pepper
Method
1. Wash and soak beans together with Bay Leaves over-night. They will go wrinkly.
2. Discard the water and place in saucepan along with bay leaves and cover with fresh water. Bring to the boil and simmer for about 40 minutes, adding more water if necessary. The beans should be soft and creamy inside when cooked.
3. In the mean time, place the oil in a saucepan and fry diced onions until transparent, 2-3 minutes. Add garlic, cook for one minute and add sliced carrots and celery stalks. Cook for another 2 minutes and add tomato, chilli, fennel, salt and pepper. Simmer for ten minutes.
4. Once your beans are cooked, drain and place in oven-proof dish. Cover with tomato sauce, drizzle with extra olive oil and add a little extra water. Bake in oven until nearly all the liquid has evaporated. 50-60 minutes.
Serve hot or cold as part of a main meal or as part of a Meze.
Weigh out your 250g Lima beans.
Soak over-night in water together with bay leaves.
Discard water, place in saucepan, bring to the boil and simmer for 30-40 minutes until cooked. Drain and place in
oven-proof dish.
Finely chop onion and fennel leaves, celery stalks and slice carrots.
Place beans in oven-proof dish and cover with chopped fennel leaves, celery leaves and your made up tomato sauce.
Drizzle beans with a little extra Olive Oil and add a little extra water.
Mix your ingredients together and place on top your fresh Rosemary Stalks and Basil leaves.
Bake in the oven for up to an hour, cover with a little tin foil, if getting too brown on top. Your dish is ready when most
of the water has been absorbed.
A wonderful combination of flavors.
Final result!
Bell Pepper Salad ©
The theme this month being, “Spring Boost,” and it also being the period of Lent before Greek Easter, I am posting a series of healthy vegetarian recipes full of vitamins and goodness, giving us a cleansing boost, getting rid of a few unwanted kilos and making one feel much more energetic.
From this list the beautiful “Bell Pepper,” (known also as Sweet Pepper and Capsicum and cultivated in several colors the most common being Green, red, Orange and Yellow,) should not be missing. For some, the pepper does not suit their constitution, but for others it is a well known source of antioxidants, vitamins and carotene. The red colored pepper especially, more so than the green.
Here is a lovely colorful salad, which adds color to a cold summer buffet and combines beautifully with the mint and garlic. If you are not a great fan of garlic, you can omit the garlic, or add a whole clove cut in half and remove it just before serving.
Choose nice firm peppers of different colors.
Roast in oven 220.C for 20-30 minutes. Place in sealed bag to sweat for ten minutes. This helps skin come off more easily.
Hold up and peel with knife.
Pull out stalk, together with seeds.
Slice into thin strips.drain thoroughly in colander.
Place in serving dish and garnish with fresh mint leaves just before serving or they discolor.
Sprinkle with freshly chopped garlic, or add a clove cut in half and remove before serving.
Final result! Full of color energy and goodness.
Easy
6-8 People
Oven Temperature 220.C.
Cooking Time 20-30 minutes
Ingredients
6 Bell peppers ( 2 Red, 2 Orange, 2Yellow )
2 cloves of garlic finely chopped, not squeezed
A few drops of vinegar
1-2 tbs olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper or Sweet Paprika
Freshly picked mint leaves
Method
1. Choose firm unbruised peppers with a nice fresh green stalk. Wash and dry.
2. Line your oven tray with tin-foil and roast in oven 220. C for 20-30 minutes and until the peppers are partially charred.
3. Remove from oven and place in sealed plastic bag for 10 minutes. This helps to peel the skins off more easily.
4. Remove from bag and peel off skins with sharp knife. Pull on stalk together with seeds and discard.
5. Slice flesh into thin strips and leave to drain in Colander.
6. Arrange in serving dish, sprinkle with finely chopped garlic, ( Not Squeezed) or if you prefer, slice two cloves of garlic in half and remove just before serving.
7. Drizzle with vinegar and olive oil and just before serving garnish with mint leaves. Add mint leaves at the last minute, or they may discolor.
8. Serve together with other salads as part of a Buffet, or as part of a Meze.
N.B. The tin- foil protects your baking tray from the juices burning on it, while the peppers are cooking.
What's Cooking In Jane's Kitchen 