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!

Dark Chocolate Cake (vegan)

Really easy and quick cake for dark chocolate lovers! It contains no sugar, but the famous agave syrup, a natural sweetener derived from the Agave plant which grows in Mexico. It is ideal for diabetics; it keeps the blood sugar levels normal. The combination of coconut oil and almond flour makes this a healthy and unique dessert that melts in the mouth! If you try the recipe, please let me know at the comments below 😀

Equipment: 20cm spring form, parchment paper
Prep Time: 10 min, Cooking Time: 25-30 min, Total Time: 40 min, Yields 8-10 pieces

Ingredients
170gr dark chocolate
½ cup coconut oil
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ cup cocoa powder
¾ cup agave syrup
1 vanilla bean, scraped
1 cup almond flour
3 eggs, lightly beaten
A handful of cocoa nibs for garnish

Method
Preheat the oven to 190-200° C
Melt the dark chocolate in a bain marie with the coconut oil.
Remove the mixture from the heat and transfer to a large bowl. Add one by one the remaining ingredients, mixing well after each addition.
Dress with parchment paper a round baking pan of 20 cm.
Pour the mixture into the pan, sprinkle with the cocoa nibs and bake for 25-30 minutes.
Let it cool and serve!
Enjoy!
This recipe was included in the online platform, melisoula.gr in Greek. Check it out here.

Lime and Ginger Water

This refreshing drink was actually created in my kitchen by accident! I have always been reading about how healthy and detoxing is for your body to drink every morning a glass of squeezed lemon, but I never actually enjoyed doing it since I am really sensitive with sour taste (yes, I know). So, it was a torture for me to drink lemon juice in this way. However, from the moment I discovered lime, I realized this is the only citrus fruit that I actually enjoy using! So why not make a drink out of it? I began experimenting and soon I started putting mint leaves in the drink. I don’t remember how I thought of using ginger, but the moment I did was a revelation! I started cutting it in small pieces, but I saw its taste was barely there (I am ignorant with ginger in general) and then I remembered I had to grate it. And then tada (!) Lime and Ginger Water was created! It is so refreshing and perfect for the hot summer days or to offer as a refreshment to your friends. If you try it, please let me know at the comments below 😀

Prep. Time: 5 min, Yields up to 4 medium glasses.
Ingredients (for 1 liter)
Juice from 1 lime
2cm ginger, grated
Some blueberries
Fresh mint (optional)

Method
Fill your bottle with some water and pour in the lime juice.
Peal the skin off the ginger and grate it. Use a tea filter to squeeze the juice out or if you don’t have, take a big spoon, lay the grated ginger on top of it and with the back of another spoon, squeeze the juice in your bottle (traditional way, also discovered by chance).
Add some fresh mint leaves for some extra taste (optional). Add some blueberries (or any other berry) to the glasses and serve with some ice cubes. It is ideal if you consume it immediately, since it tends to lose its freshness after a day has passed.
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!

Banana Yogurt Smoothie

And I am back! It’s been a while since I uploaded a recipe, but trust me it has been busy (I also had to experience an intense moving two months ago) and keeping up a food blog with unique content is a challenge when the schedule is full. Many people have been complaining about my online cooking absence and I realized that the blog has some really serious fans out there! That makes me extremely happy and motivates me to go on! That was the moment I decided to keep it simple (and real) with one recipe per week or every two weeks (mostly in the weekends) and continue doing what I actually really like; cooking and photographing for you guys!

This small relaunch is a very easy smoothie that I do quite often in the mornings if time allows me to. Bananas are a great source of energy which you need in the morning in order to function properly throughout the day. But I am not a nutritionist and I will not begin analyzing why bananas, yogurt and pecans are good for you. At this point you just need to trust me on that 😀 And beyond that, this smoothie does not require you to use 24325 different superfoods of extremely rare tropic fruits and actually spend more money & time than you should for a smoothie. The ingredients are simple and accessible and making it is super easy and fast! Of course you can always replace pecans with another type of nuts of your preference. Make it nice and enjoyable for yourself and above all enjoy! Glad to be back people 😀

Equipment: blender
Prep. Time: 5 min, Yields one big glass.

Ingredients
2 bananas
3 tbsp Greek yogurt
½ cup non-fat milk
20gr pecan nuts
fresh mint for garnish and extra taste

Method
Peel the bananas and put them in a blender. Make sure they are not too raw or too ripe. A normal banana density will keep your smoothie from becoming too thick or too soft.

Add the yogurt and the pecans and blend till smooth.

Garnish with some fresh mint! Consume it immediately.

Enjoy!

Here is a glimpse of next week’s post! Already know what it could be?

Processed with VSCOcam with f2 preset

Black Quinoa Salad with Asparagus and Tofu

Fresh and easy salad for the hot summer. You will love this combination. The black quinoa brings all tastes together, something I definitely didn’t expect. It is probably one of the fastest salads you will ever make. You can add other type of greens if you wish (spinach, red lettuce etc.) and some roasted pine nuts for extra taste. If you make this recipe, please let me know what you think at the comments below! 😀

Prep time: 5 minutes, Cooking time:10 minutes, Total time: 15 minutes, Serves up to 5 people

Ingredients
100gr black quinoa
100gr asparagus tips
2 teaspoon olive oil
180gr stir-fry tofu strips
200gr frozen peas
100gr fresh arugula salad
100gr lettuce
15gr fresh mint, thinly cut

for the vinaigrette
1 tablespoon sea salt
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
½ tablespoon agave syrup

Method
Cook the quinoa for about 15 in boiling water. Drain good and put it in a large salad bowl.

Cut the asparagus tips in 3 even pieces. Warm up the olive oil in a wok (or frying pan if you don’t have a wok) and fry the tips along with the tofu stir-fry for about 4 minutes on high heat. Stir constantly. Add the peas and fry for about 3 more minutes till soft.

Wash good the arugula and lettuce and cut them in big chunks. Add them in the bowl with the quinoa and sprinkle with some olive oil. Add in the stir-fry tofu, peas and asparagus tips and mix good.

In a small jar add all the ingredients of the vinaigrette and shake good till everything is combined. Serve the salad in plates and sprinkle the vinaigrette op top.

*It is better to serve the vinaigrette separately in every plate otherwise it will soak the salad overnight. With this way you can keep your salad for no more than 3 days in the fridge in an air-tight container and add vinaigrette moments before eating.

Enjoy!

        

Red Cabbage Salad + Quinoa Zucchini Schnitzel

This fresh and simple salad has become one of my favorites. I made it on the spot, because I was really craving for some red cabbage (yes I know it is weird). Next time I will try it with white one and some other type of cheese. So simple, but really healthy and fresh! You can upgrade the salad by adding more ingredients, but I really wanted to keep it simple and not lose the red cabbage taste I was craving so badly. The Quinoa Schnitzels are a great alternative for vegetarians, but also a healthy one for all-eaters, like myself! If you try those recipes let me know on the comments below!

  

Prep Time: 25 minutes, Cooking Time: 30 minutes, Serves up to 5 people.

Ingredients
for the red cabbage salad
half a medium red cabbage
3 medium carrots
100gr matured goat cheese (jong belegen)
30gr fresh basil leaves
2tbsp olive oil
salt
fresh ground black pepper

for the quinoa zucchini schnitzel
2 washed medium zucchinis
finely chopped parsley
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
50gr chia seed
2 eggs
½ cup milk
100gr quinoa flakes
some fresh lemon juice for extra taste

Method
for the red cabbage salad
Wash the red cabbage good and cut in half. Store the rest in the fridge. With a big chef knife chop the cabbage in long stripes. Put it in a bowl and rub it with your hands with salt. That will soften it, but it will still keep its crunchiness.

Clean the carrots off their skin and rasp them. Add them in the salad and stir. Cut in big chunks the basil and add it in the bowl. Sprinkle with olive oil, more salt (if needed) and black pepper. Cut the goat cheese in even cubes and serve it with the salad.

for the quinoa zucchini schnitzel
Preheat your oven to 180 °C. In a deep plate mix the two eggs with milk, add the parsley and the garlic. Add some salt and pepper. In another plate add the quinoa flakes and the chia seed.

Cut the zucchinis in slices of 1cm. Dip th slices first in the egg mixture and then in the quinoa mixture. Transfer them to a lined with parchment paper baking pan and bake them for about 30 minutes, till they get golden brown. Add some lemon juice for extra taste.

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!

Chocolate Pomegranate Bars

This is probably one of the best, easiest and most delicious recipes ever! And it makes an absolutely great present for New Years! Wherever you go tonight to celebrate, just make this and offer it to everybody, they will love it. Not only for its taste but also for its simplicity and meaning. Pomegranate is the symbol of good fortune and fertility and is the best present to celebrate a new year and a new beginning. All you need is some dark chocolate and pomegranate seeds! Melt it, spread it on a pan, sprinkle the seeds and with some pretty wrapping paper, a loving ‘thank you’ message and a great deal of good will, you have the perfect New Years Day gift.

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Equipment: baking pan, wrapping paper, parchment paper, bain-marie (a pot full of water and a plate/bowl on top where the chocolate melts)

Prep. Time approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes (1 hour is for it to cool), Serves up to 10 people

Ingredients
500 gr dark chocolate
70 gr pomegranate seeds

Method
Melt the chocolate in bain-marie in very low heat. Take a baking pan and cover it with parchment paper. Spread the chocolate evenly to the whole surface. Let it cool for a bit and sprinkle the pomegranate seeds. I use frozen ones I keep for salads or desserts. Put the pan in the fridge and cool for 1 hour or more if possible.

Take the pan out and break the chocolate randomly. Take some wrapping paper of your choice, some parchment paper and wrap it up like a present. Keep it in the fridge. For a personal touch, take small cartons and write your wishes for every single person separately.

And don’t forget to have a great time and a Happy New Year!

Rosemary Chicken and 3 Veggie Puree

This is a recipe inspired by a television show I used to watch, slightly changed to our Christmas needs! This year’s Christmas we spent it cooking secretly for each other the whole day. So our house was full of aromas and smells of appetizers, main dishes and desserts. We had a blast! Because you only need good food, good alcohol and somebody to love you!

So this rosemary chicken is actually prepared and cooked in the normal barbecue suvlaki way. You just push the chicken pieces to the rosemary sticks and along with a sweet & sour marinade, a delicious potato-carrot-Brussels sprout puree you have a great dish! Not only for Christmas but for every time you feel creating something really special.

What did you eat this Christmas? Tell me on the comments below!

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Equipment: mortar & pestle, a potato masher, baking pan & parchment paper, frying pan

Prep. Time:1 hour and 30 min, Serves up to 5.

Ingredients
for the chicken
500gr chicken breast
8-9 whole fresh rosemary sticks
1 biological orange zest and juice
3 cloves of garlic
4-5 tbsp olive oil
sage
salt
pepper
some chicken spice
2 tbsp honey
8-9 pieces of parmaham
some extra rosemary

for the puree
5 big potatoes
2 big carrots
300gr Brussels sprouts
2 tbsp butter
some milk
some Greek Yogurt
salt & pepper

Method
Cut the chicken in 3 cm pieces and push each piece into a rosemary stick, like making a suvlaki on a wooden stick. In a mortar (I use one made of stone) smash with the pestle the sage, rosemary, salt and pepper. Add the peeled and already smashed garlic, the zest of the orange, its whole juice, the olive oil and the chicken spice. Smash freely till all ingredients become thin and mixed.

On a baking pan, already covered with parchment paper, place the chicken – rosemary sticks and rub the marinade on every piece, till everything is nicely coated. Add the honey on top and wrap every stick with a piece of ham. Put it in the oven in 220C for 40 minutes till golden brown.

Now it is time for the puree. Peel the potatoes and the carrots, wash them and cut them in chunks. Boil them for about 20 minutes. Do the same with the Brussels sprouts. On a big frying pan add the butter and as soon as the pan is hot enough add the potatoes and the carrots. Smash them with the potato masher till pureed. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.

Add the Brussels sprouts. This will take a while since it is quite tough to smash everything on a frying pan. Keep trying till the vegetable puree is smooth. Add some milk if it is too dry and some Greek yogurt for extra taste. Do this for about 15 minutes.

Serve the rosemary chicken with the vegetable puree and some good wine.

Enjoy!