The ultimate Moussaka

The famous Greek dish has arrived at “When a Greek Cooks”! People in the Netherlands are very familiar with this dish, they even call it “Greek Lasagna” even if it is quite different from that. The sure thing is that they are crazy about it 😀 I have cooked it for birthdays and Sunday family visits and people keep asking me for the recipe. Well, here it is! A traditional Greek recipe, right from my mother’s kitchen, slightly developed by me! If the White Giant Beans recipe requires patience and devotion, this one asks for much more! But this doesn’t mean it is super difficult. You just need to get used to the mess it creates – with all those pans everywhere – and the fact that it is quite time consuming. With practice you do become better! For further questions or advice, please leave a comment below! I am curious over your results 🙂

Equipment: oven dish, medium saucepan, 2 large baking pans, parchment paper, frying pan
Prep time: 20 min, Cooking Time: 2 hours, Total Time: approximately 2,5 hours. Serves up to 8-10 people

Ingredients
2 eggplants cut in slices
4-5 potatoes cut in slices
400gr minced meat (beef)
1 big onion, in cubes
2 medium tomatoes, in cubes
½ cup white wine
3 cloves minced garlic
1 cup tomato juice
salt, pepper, a little bit of cinnamon
olive oil, as much as it takes
feta cheese for serving, optional

for the béchamel
6 tbsp. butter
6 tbsp. flour
2, 5 cups of room temperature milk
2 eggs
nutmeg
Parmesan or Pecorino cheese for extra taste
black pepper & sea salt

Method

Wash the eggplants and peel their skin, but in stripes, so that there is some skin left for extra taste. Cut them in slices of 1 cm and put them in a baking pan lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle with some olive oil, salt and pepper and cook them in a preheated over till soft. Approximately 30 min on 200° C. At around half the time turn the slices so that they are evenly cooked.

Peel the potatoes and cut them also in 1cm slices. Follow the same procedure with the eggplants. If you can put them to cook the same time in the oven, in different pans, you will save considerable time.

Heat some olive oil over medium heat in a medium frying pan. Sauté the onions and stir well till they become soft for about 4-5 min. Add the minced meat to the pan and try to open its chunks, so it will be evenly cooked. Pour in the white wine and stir well till the alcohol is vaporized. Add the tomatoes, the garlic, your spices (cinnamon, salt and pepper) and the tomato sauce. Let it boil for 10-15 min. Check if it needs more salt or pepper.

Take your oven dish and as soon as the vegetables are evenly cooked, start layering. First put the eggplants and then the potatoes on top. Add the cooked minced meat and let it rest.

Time for the béchamel! Take a medium sauce pan and melt the butter over low heat. Put in the flour and stir. Add the milk (on room temperature) and stir fast and steady till smooth and medium thick. If you let it boil by itself, the béchamel will stick to your pan and the flour will not be properly dissolved. If it is too thick, add some more milk. Add some nutmeg, some cheese of your own choice (optional) and some black pepper. Add some more salt if needed. Be careful though, not to add too much, since the rest of the layers also have a considerable amount of salt.

Take the béchamel out of the heat and let it cool down for a bit. Add one by one the eggs, stirring really good after every addition. When the béchamel is smooth pour it on top of the moussaka. Add some grated parmesan or pecorino (kefalotyri cheese is the best option here). Bake for 40 minutes, till the béchamel has turned to a light brown color.

Let it cool and cut in square pieces. Serve with feta cheese.

Enjoy!

Chicken with kale and sun-dried tomato sauce

Pinterest is the ultimate cooking inspiration. Perhaps many of you already know that. I can browse on Pinterest endlessly and discover great ideas, not only for cooking, but also for home decoration, fashion, DIY, yoga poses and photography. Pinterest is my safe place, it relaxes me and it gives me so many beautiful ideas about what I love in life! If you don’t know it yet, I suggest you search for it today, you won’t regret it!

So I discovered this delicious recipe one evening on Pinterest. I changed it slightly, since the marinated version of the kale wasn’t looking attractive to me. So I decided to cook it instead. If you would still prefer it marinated, check the full recipe here. It is simple, super nutritious and full of flavor! If you try it let me know in the comments below 😀

Prep. Time: 15 min, Cooking Time: 30-35 min, Total time: 35-40 min, Serves up to 4 people

Ingredients:

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
150-200 gr black kale (lacinato kale)
3 tbsp olive oil
2 spring onions sliced
2 cloves garlic
½ cup vegetable stock or water
½ teaspoon salt
½ tbsp apple vinegar
2 cups uncooked quinoa (I used 1 cup black and 1 cup white quinoa)
1 ripe avocado sliced
sesame seeds or crushed red pepper flakes for topping

For the Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce:
1 jar (300 gr) sun-dried tomatoes, drained
3-4 cloves garlic
½ teaspoon salt
juice of 1 lime
½ cup olive oil
½ cup sliced almonds
Some chives

Method:
Clean the kale leaves thoroughly. Cut out and keep the soft part of every leaf, throwing out the long, hard stems. Check out this useful video in order to save time and effort. Slice the leaves finely.

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and the spring onions and cook until soft, but not colored. Raise heat to high, add the stock and kale and toss to combine. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Remove cover and continue to cook, stirring until all the liquid has evaporated. Season with salt and pepper to taste and add vinegar. Put aside.

Heat some olive oil in the same saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken without cutting it and sauté until golden brown on both sides (about 5-8 minutes each side) & till it is cooked through. Let the chicken cool a few minutes before cutting it.

Cook the quinoa according to the package directions. When the quinoa is cooked and fluffy put it aside. You don’t have to season it, since it will end up with the full flavors of the sauce and the cooked kale.

While the quinoa is cooking, in a food processor add all the ingredients for the sun-dried tomato sauce and pulse them together till smooth. Add the almonds last in order to gain some crunchiness.

Serve your bowls by filling them with the quinoa, kale, chicken, avocado, and sun-dried tomato sauce. Top with some sesame seeds, extra sliced almonds, red pepper flakes and a bit of olive oil.
Enjoy!

Spaghetti alla Puttanesca

Prep. Time: 5 min, Cooking Time: 15-20 min, Serves up to 4 people

Ingredients
250gr whole grain spaghetti
2 tablespoons olive oil
5 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
6 anchovy fillets, chopped
400gr peeled chopped tomatoes (tinned)
A handful of parsley, finely chopped (half for the sauce and half for garnish)
A handful of basil leaves (some chopped for the sauce and some whole for garnish)
2 tablespoons capers
½ cup Kalamata olives
½ teaspoon dried chili flakes
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese for serving

        

Method
Cook the wholegrain spaghetti in boiling salted water. On a medium frying pan heat the olive oil and add the chopped garlic and the anchovies. Cook them shortly until the garlic turns slightly golden and the anchovies break down.

Add the tinned tomatoes, capers, olives, half the parsley and fresh basil and the chili, and cook for a few more minutes. If the sauce has become too thick, add some of the pasta cooking water.

Drain the pasta before it is totally cooked and mix it into the sauce. Reserve some of the pasta water and add some into the sauce if necessary. Continue to cook for a few minutes until the pasta is done to your liking.

Sprinkle the remaining parsley and basil and serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Enjoy!

     

Shawarma Chickpeas with Pligouri

Pligouri (πλιγούρι in Greek) is equivalent to bulgur, it is pre-cooked whole wheat with a lot of protein, fibers and higher levels of most vitamins and mineral. Its cooking works like rice, how much pligouri you use, you should always use double the quantity of water. The one I used is biological and super healthy. If you can’t find this, you can use bulgur. Combined with the shawarma spice mix and the beloved, underestimated chickpeas, this recipe means the beginning of spring! Two different cuisines successfully combined, hurray! You can also see how much sun accompanied my pictures, yes spring has officially started! When it comes to the extra toppings on this dish, you can use anything you like, feta, olives, fresh peppers, different spread etc. Original recipe found at the gorgeous website of Erin naturallyella.com.

Prep time:10 mins, Cook time: 30 mins, Total time: 40 mins, Serves up to 4 people.

Ingredients
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp coriander
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
½ teaspoon ginger
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Pinch of cayenne pepper
3 tbsp olive oil
300gr chickpeas drained and rinsed
1 red onion thinly sliced
1 cup Greek biological pligouri
2 cups water
Pinch of salt and black pepper
some extra virgin olive oil

Extras
Roasted red pepper sliced
Hummus
Greek yogurt
2 chopped tomatoes
1 diced red onion
Cottage cheese
Fresh salad

    

Method
Preheat your oven to 180 °C. Combine the cumin, coriander, sea salt, turmeric, ginger, pepper, cayenne and garlic in a medium bowl. Add in the olive oil and stir until a sort of paste has formed.

Throw in the chickpeas and the red onion and mix with a big spoon till all chickpeas are coated with the paste. At this point the whole kitchen will smell wonderfully! Transfer the chickpeas to a lined with parchment paper pan and cover with foil. Bake them for about 30 minutes until chickpeas are nicely roasted.

In the meantime, add the pligouri and two cups of water to a pan and boil them till all water is vaporised. Stir ofter with a wooden spoon so that the pligouri will not stick on the sides of the pan. When all water is cooked, cover with a lid and let it rest for about 30 minutes.

While chickpeas cooking and the pligouri is resting, prepare your extra toppings. Cut everything in small cubes and serve them in small bowls.

When the pligouri is fluffy and ready add some salt (not too much, the chickpeas are already salty enough) and pepper and sprinkle with some extra virgin olive oil. Serve on plates the pligouri, the chickpeas and sprinkle with the toppings!

Enjoy!

Kale Pesto with Conchiglie

You are all aware of the kale frenzy in the blogosphere the last two years. I am not a big fan of trends and fashions in any way, unless it is something I really like. Then I follow, but always adjusted to my personal taste. And this is what happened with the kale foodblog trend too. I discovered this easy recipe in a forgotten magazine and I thought I would give it a try. Kale is blessed with a lot of fiber, iron and vitamins. And with the macademia and avocado, two of my favorite ingredients in the whole world, it is delicious. I am generally not a big fan of kale and here in the Netherlands it is basic ingredient for the traditional cuisine, for the famous stampot. You can find it everywhere, it is really cheap, and you can grow it really easily at any type of ground. We also grew it in our school garden at work and I always avoided any contact with it. But this recipe changed everything. If you too have doubts about this unique vegetable, give this recipe a try and let me know at the comments below!

Prep Time: 5 minutes, Cooking Time: 15 minutes, Serves up to 4 people

Ingredients
200gr Conchiglie pasta
100gr chopped kale
50gr macademia nuts
1 medium avocado
a pinch of salt
ground black pepper
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp olive oil

          

Method
If you have whole kale stems, clean and cut them using a simple technique from here. I used already trimmed kale from the supermarket. As I said, here it is everywhere already cut and cleaned. Handy right?

In a food processor add the madacemia and smash them roughly, not totally thin because you need some crunchiness into your pesto. Add the kale in and mix till combined. Add the pulp of the avocado and the lemon juice and stir with a spoon. Keep it rough.

Bring to taste with salt and pepper and add the olive oil. Boil the Conchiglie according to package instructions. Let the pasta cool down. Stir the pesto good and serve it with the cold pasta. Eat it immediately or keep it one day in the fridge.

Enjoy!

Orzo with eggplant and caramelized garlic

I saw the caramelized garlic recipe in the movie Chef (2014) or I think I saw it there or even got inspired from it, and I was craving to actually get my sleeves up and make this happen. Amazingly easy and soooooo suitable with the eggplant, I decided to combine it with some classic cooked orzo (recipe from my dear mother) and voila! You can also keep the garlic in the pan and cook along the eggplant. Either way you will love the result.

Total cooking time: 50 minutes. Serves up to 6 people

Ingredients
for the orzo:
200gr orzo
2 white onions thinly cut
2 tbsp olive oil
½ cup red wine
½ cup tomato juice
water as much as it takes
sea salt
fresh ground pepper

for the eggplant and caramelized garlic:
8 garlic cloves sliced
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 large eggplant
2 tomatoes
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 tbsp olive oil
sea salt
fresh ground pepper
1 tbsp Greek yogurt for garnish

         

Method
cooking the orzo:
On a medium saucepan heat up the olive oil on medium heat and fry the onions for about 5 minutes. Add the orzo and let it shimmer for about 3 minutes. Add the wine and let the alcohol vaporize until you add the tomato juice. Stir good, season freely with salt and pepper and add the water. The trick is to cover the orzo at least one finger high. Let it boil for about 20 minutes, stirring regularly so it will not stick on the pan.

If more water is needed don’t be afraid to add. It will always absorb it. When the orzo is cooked let it stay in the pan with the lid on top. Let is rest until you have finished with the eggplant.

cooking the eggplant + garlic:
On a big frying pan heat up 1 tbsp of the olive oil on medium heat. When it is ready add the sliced garlic and let it be fragrant for about 7-8 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the mustard seeds and let their wonderful taste dissolve with the garlic. Take the garlic out of the pan and let it rest.

Clean the skin of the eggplant and cut it in 1cm cubes. Add the rest of the oil in the pan. Add the eggplant in the pan and stir good. Follow the same procedure with the tomatoes. Add the dried spices (thyme, oregano, basil) and season with salt and pepper. Add some water so the eggplants will not be completely dry. Let it fry for about 10-15 minutes.

Remove from fire and stir in the caramelized garlic. Add the orzo and stir good till all ingredients combine. Add some Greek yogurt on top and serve with some extra thyme.

Enjoy!

Roasted Cauliflower with Orange Curry Sauce

I am telling you I was hooked by the easiness of this recipe! So fragrant and fresh and juicy. And soooo tasty. I am not really a fan of combining sweet and sour tastes – I blame my Greek upbringing with tons of meat and vegetables – but this dish blew my mind off. I wanted to try this spice mixture with roasted cauliflower (I normally boil it) and explore this recipe all the way. Raisins, honey, cayenne and cinnamon, along with the sourness of the oranges was something I was doubting, but cooking is all about trying and risking and I am glad I did. I have already cooked it like three times in one month. Seriously. And it is super cheap!

That moment when you toast all the spices and add the garlic and the ginger and the honey and then the orange juice, your house will smell like a paradise! If you don’t like some of the ingredients, you can skip or add other spices, but to be honest this combo of fragrant cumin, turmeric, garlic, cinnamon, curry and the spiciness of the cayenne and the ginger were born to be cooked together and combined with sweet raisins and the unique flavor of the cauliflower. And what binds everything is the oranges, this Orange Curry Sauce is s u p e r b. Try it and you will remember my words: you will get addicted to it.

Ingredients for Orange Curry Sauce
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 teaspoon honey
1 generous knob of ginger or 1 teaspoon ginger powder
1 large garlic clove
1 cinnamon stick
1 liter or 4 cups of orange juice
3 fresh oranges
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil

Ingredients for Assembly
1 head of cauliflower (approximately 500gr)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 cup of biological basmati rice
1/4 cup of sliced almonds
1/4 cup of golden raisins
parsley for garnish

        

Method
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius. Chop the cauliflower and toss the florets in a roasting pan. Sprinkle with some kosher sea salt and 2 tbsp of olive oil. Roast it for 20 minutes till crispy and light golden brown. If your cauliflower is too big (like mine), do this in two doses.

Cook the basmati rice according to package directions. When you have basmati the perfect way to have fluffy rice is to let it sit in its pan – after you have drained it – covered with a towel, to absorb all the moist left inside for at least 15 minutes.

Cut the bottom of the oranges and peel them carefully from top to bottom with a good knife. Slice them up. This way you will get star shaped oranges. Keep them aside for later.

On a small frying pan warm up the olive oil and butter in medium heat. Add cayenne, turmeric, cumin seeds, kosher salt, curry powder, mustard seeds and the cinnamon stick till they get fragrant and toasty for about 4-5 minutes (my best part!).

Add the garlic, honey and ginger and let them toast for some time (5 minutes). Add the orange juice and turn down the heat to low. Let the juice be reduced for about 10 minutes and blend in with all the flavors. At the end add the oranges just to get warmed up and blended in the sauce. Add the raisins. Stir and ready!

Serve by adding the rice on the bottom, the roasted cauliflower on top and drizzle with the orange curry sauce. Sprinkle the almonds and the parsley!

Enjoy!

Orzo with veal (Greek Traditional)

A favorite traditional Greek dish. This recipe comes partially from my mother’s personal cookbook and her precious advice. So prepare yourselves for a genuine Greek dish! You can find many variations of it, you can cook it on the stove in a big cooking pan and divide it in clay dishes to finish it in the oven. Or you can just follow my oven version. If you can’t find veal, use any kind of meat suitable for stew. You can finish it with Parmesan cheese, feta or goat cheese like me. Whatever you do don’t forget to enjoy this delicious and classic combination of fresh veal meat and orzo pasta. You will love it.

When it comes to the proportions, be careful not to let the meat be dry on the pan but also not to put too much water. When you will combine the orzo and the meat in the clay oven dish you will have to add some water so the orzo can cook. If your meat has some juice left this is always good. The extra juice of the meat always gives some extra moisture that the orzo needs. Don’t forget to always add for every cup of orzo 2 cups of water (so 1 to 2) and then it will always work out.

Time Needed: 1, 30 hour, Serves up to 4 people

Ingredients
200gr orzo pasta
400gr veal meat cut in square pieces
1 onion, finely chopped
½ cup of olive oil
½ cup or red wine
80gr tomato paste or 1 cup of tomato juice
some fresh cherry tomatoes sliced
ground black pepper
1 pinch of sea salt
2 cups plus 400 ml water (approximately)
some soft goat cheese for garnish and extra taste

Method
On a medium saucepan on low heat add half of the olive oil and let it shimmer. Add the onion and let it saute for about 3 minutes. Add in the veal and stir it till all the redness of the meat disappears. Give the meat taste with a pinch of sea salt and ground black pepper and throw in the red wine. Let the alcohol of the wine vaporise and pour in the tomatoes and tomato paste/juice. Add approximately 2 cups of water and leave the meat to cook for about 1 hour, stirring frequently (add more water if needed).

While the meat becomes tender, on a medium fry-pan add the rest of the olive oil and saute the orzo for about 3 minutes till it gets shiny. Take the meat out of the heat and add it along with the orzo in a rectangular clay oven dish. To be sure about how much water you need to add, just always remember to use with every cup of orzo, two cups of water. So I used 400 ml water.

Put it in the oven and let it cook for about 20-25 minutes. Don’t worry if there is some water left when you take it out, the orzo will absorb the rest and become fluffy. If you leave the dish more time than suggested it can be sticky. So always check it during cooking time! If you want add some cheese on top and let it melt. I used some soft goat cheese.

Enjoy!

Cannelini bean & bacon orzo with fresh spinach

I know it’s been a while since I posted something, but trust me I have been busy. Last week I was covering the Tiger Award Short Film Competition in the International Film Festival of Rotterdam and preparing and cooking recipes was not actually my priority 😛 And since I have taken over too many stuff at this moment, I thought it was about time to take a step back, chill and cook something trully enjoyable and easy.

I’ve been wanting for a long time to upload an orzo recipe since it’s one of my favorite pastas. Very common in Greek and Italian cuisine where you can cook it as soup, salad, in the oven, with meat or even plain with some fresh tomato sauce and feta (yum..). Simplicity is the key to happiness my friends.

To be fairly Italian you can use pancetta, Italian pork belly spiced bacon, but you can also use normal bacon like I did or prosciutto. To be honest bacon and pancetta are similar but bacon tends to be smokier and more intense in flavor. You choose!

Prep. Time: 30min, Serves up to 5 people

Ingredients
1 cup orzo
Olive oil
200gr bacon, diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 large handfuls of fresh spinach (I also used some Swish chard)
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
400gr cannelini beans canned or cooked
Some chicken broth

        
Method
On a small pot boil 3 cups of water over high heat. Add the orzo and cook it for about 9 minutes or until al dente. Drain and set aside.

In a large wok pan or medium pot heat the olive oil over medium heat. As soon as the oil is warmed up add the bacon/pancetta/prosciutto and cook until it gets slightly crispy. Add the garlic and cook for about 2 minutes.

Add the fresh spinach and season freely with salt and pepper. Cook the spinach until it becomes soft enough. You will see it losing 2/3 of its initial mass. This is a good sign. Add the cooked orzo, cannelini beans and some chicken broth and stir. Adjust seasoning according to your needs.

Enjoy!

Parsnip Pear Mustard Soup

Last weekend we had the pleasure to have lunch in one of the most upcoming restaurants in the city, the “Het Leven”. With very approachable prices in their drinks and food, amazing atmosphere and a very gentle and kind personnel, this place is already in out top list. So, we got the catalog and there was it; parsnip soup! I got ecstatic, it was actually weird. Since I have developed this secret passion love for everything that has to do with parsnip (from the moment I roasted them for the first time in my life, check recipe here) and the soup was actually extremely good, I decided to give it a try. And voila the result awaits for you! Please try it and let me know, it is addictive!

Prep. Time 30 min, Serves up to 4 people

Ingredients
1 tbsp of butter
2 small white onions
2 big parsnips
2 glasses of milk (ca 500ml)
salt & pepper
1 big pear
200 ml of cream
soft mustard – 1 tbsp per portion
dried parsley

        

Method
On a medium soup pan add the butter and the onions after you have cut them in small pieces. Let them fry in medium heat for about 4 minutes. Peel the parsnips and wash them good. Cut them in cubes and throw them in the pan. Do the same with the pear. Let them take their juices out for about 5 minutes.

Add the milk and reduce heat to low. Let the parsnips, pear and onions to cook. Season freely with salt and pepper. Let the soup cook for less than 20 minutes. Check often. With a wand mixer puree the soup till everything is totally smooth.

Add the cream and turn off the heat. Add some dried parsley for extra taste. Serve in bowls with some fresh baguette on the side and add 1 tbsp of soft mustard in every plate.

Enjoy!